The Imagery of Revelation from a Processual Perspective

The Imagery of Revelation from

a Processual Perspective

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT

Embracing the Lamb amid Empire Horror

From Imperial Ruin and Destruction to

Transformed Lives within communities of Christ....

- R.E. Slater

Imagery in Revelation

When checking with AI on the Internet about the imagery used in Revelation it said this:

The Book of Revelation is rich with symbolic imagery, employing metaphors, similes, and allegorical narratives to convey spiritual truths and warnings.

These images often draw from the Old Testament, ancient Jewish literature, and the Hellenistic culture of the time, and are used to paint a picture of God's ultimate victory over evil and the establishment of his eternal kingdom.

Key aspects of Revelation's imagery:

• Symbolic Numbers:
• Numbers like seven (wholeness, completeness), twelve (God's people), and multiples of ten (indefinite large number) are used symbolically.

• Visual Language:
• The book is filled with visions, and the term "imagery" is widely accepted to describe its style.

• Old Testament Connections:
• Revelation reinterprets and expands on Old Testament imagery, particularly from Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel, in the context of the New Covenant.

• Transformation of Reality:
• The imagery aims to transform the reader's understanding of ultimate reality, encouraging faithful discipleship and action.

• Good vs. Evil:
• The book presents a cosmic conflict between good and evil, with vivid depictions of both heavenly glory and the destructive forces of evil.

• Hope and Judgment:
• Revelation combines images of judgment and destruction with those of hope and ultimate restoration.

 

  

Examples of specific imagery:

• The Lamb: Jesus is portrayed as a slain Lamb, representing sacrifice and redemption.

• The Woman and the Dragon: The woman, representing Israel or the church, is pursued by the dragon, symbolizing Satan.

• The Beasts: Beasts from Daniel's visions reappear in Revelation, symbolizing corrupt worldly powers.

• The Whore of Babylon: This figure represents the seductive and corrupting influence of sin and worldly power.

• The New Jerusalem: This city symbolizes the ultimate dwelling place of God's people, a place of peace and perfection.

• The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls: These represent judgments unleashed upon the earth, but also point to God's ultimate victory.

• The Four Horsemen: They represent conquest, war, famine, and death.

Understanding the imagery:

• The Book of Revelation is not meant to be interpreted literally, but rather symbolically.

• The imagery is intended to reveal, not conceal, spiritual truths.

• Context is crucial for understanding the meaning of the images, and modern interpretations can be aided by studying the Old Testament and other ancient Jewish texts.

• The purpose of the imagery is to exhort and encourage the reader to faithful discipleship

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Now let's look at how the imagery in the Book of Revelation might be understood using processual language from process theology as we have been doing in the past two recent posts....

Symbols in Revelation:

A Process Theology Reflection

Introduction

The Book of Revelation is rich with imagery, much of which is drawn from the Old Testament, particularly the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. These images include depictions of the divine realm (such as the sea of glass, the heavenly temple, and the Passover lamb), descriptions of evil (including the dragon, serpent, and beasts), and symbolic representations of God's people (such as the woman clothed with the sun, the 144,000 faithful, and the Bride of Christ).

Daniel’s beasts and Ezekiel’s throne visions are recontextualized in Revelation to challenge Roman domination, casting present struggles in cosmic, theological terms. These prophets offered symbols of resistance during exile - Revelation does the same in a world shaped by imperial evil and fear.

When viewed through the lens of Process Theology, these images are not fixed dogmatic symbols but dynamic invitations - living metaphors pointing to God's ongoing relationship with the world. In process terms, Revelation offers a vision not of predetermined events but of co-creative possibilities. Each symbol becomes a moment of divine lure, a call toward becoming, transformation, and faithful response.

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Symbolic Themes in Process Reflection

Divine Realm

• Sea of Glass – Purity and divine presence; mirrors cosmic stillness inviting participation, not separation.

• Temple – Sacred meeting place; a symbol of relational intimacy dissolving into unmediated communion (“God is the temple”).

• The Lamb – Jesus as the vulnerable center of divine love; in Jesus divine power is expressed through self-giving, not divine domination.

• Son of Man – Archetype of divine judgment through wisdom and radiance; symbolizes discernment more than wrath. Where the Lamb lures through self-giving love, the Son of Man stands as an archetype of relational truth—one who reveals where we have deviated from love’s becoming, not to punish, but to invite into deeper alignment.

• Seven Angels – Messengers of change; bearers of divine timing and transformation.

Descriptions of Evil

• The Dragon – Embodiment of chaos; resistance to divine lure and relational harmony.

• The Beasts – Institutionalized evil and domination; symbolic of empire, coercion, and disconnection from divine persuasion.

• The Serpent – Signifies primal deception and imperil man's temptation to control rather than cooperate with divine flow within creation's cosmic (divine) energy.

• Babylon – Cultural idol of excess and domination; represents collective resistance to just becoming. In process theology, Babylon symbolizes systems that ossify (become rigid and inflexible) - whether economic, political, and religious structures - that resist the lure toward justice. It is less a city than a recurring pattern of collective arrogance, pride, and resistance that denies relational becoming.

Symbolic Representations of God's People

• The Woman clothed with the sun (Rev 12) – Is the Bearer of new life and divine history; she images the faithful community of Christ across the ages; and may be described as "the faithful womb of becoming" giving birth to a future in God. She is:

• Clothed with the sun, moon under her feet, crowned with twelve stars
• Pursued by the dragon (Satan)
• Flees into the wilderness but is protected
• Gives birth to a male child who is to “rule the nations”

Process-based reading:
She symbolizes the faithful community in process - Israel, the Church, or the people of God as bearer of divine promise  (described as "the remnant of God"). She’s not static purity but a figure in motion, struggling to birth something new in history despite opposition. She is a participant in divine becoming.


• The Whore of Babylon (Rev 17): Is the Bearer of unrepentful life and works against divine history; she images the unfaithful community across the ages; and may be describes as "the false womb of decay and (imperial) coercion. This form of activity of man destroys love and devours hope. She is:

• Rides the scarlet beast with blasphemous names
• Dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and jewels
• Called “Babylon the Great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations”
• Drunk on the blood of saints and martyrs
• Eventually destroyed by the very powers she allied with

Process-based reading:
She embodies corrupt systems—political, religious, economic—that seduce through domination and false allure. Babylon is the anti-community, drawing others into false union, not true relationality. She reflects what happens when the lure of love is replaced with the lure of control.

• 144,000 – Symbol of fullness, not literal count; represents those aligned with divine becoming.

• Two Witnesses – Prophetic resistance; those who stand in the flow of divine justice against oppressive power.

• Bride of Christ – Covenant community in process; a people growing toward full communion.

Other Notable Images

• The Scroll – The unfolding of divine possibilities; each seal a revelation of becoming.

• The Four Horsemen – Cycles of consequence; reflections of disruption when divine lure is rejected. Basically, life choices my one or many are not without consequences.

• New Jerusalem – Image of healed community; the co-created future of beauty, justice, and presence. Represented as an eschatological event but seen as both a processual transformation in the present tense affecting the future tense of mankind and creation.

• Tree of Life – Enduring source of renewal; symbol of relational nourishment and eternal process.

• River of Life – Divine flow sustaining all; creative energy nurturing ongoing becoming.

Previously Discussed

• Doors – Thresholds of choice; divine invitations into deeper freedom.

• Lampstands – Communities of faithful light; bearing divine presence in the world.

• Bowls – Outpouring of stored consequence; embodiment of justice, not vengeance.

• Witnesses – Voices of processual faithfulness; present within cycles of resistance and rebirth.

• Cities – Babylon vs. New Jerusalem; collapse of (imperial or papal) coercion vs. rise of relational harmony amongst nations, peoples, tribes, clans, families and friends.

• Horsemen – Embodied process of breakdown and renewal; symbols of cosmic movement. Choices have consequences. Resistance to renewal may innure (make less sensitive) stubborn hearts and elevate acceptance towards evil.

• Trees and Rivers – Archetypes of continuity, regeneration, and divine flow.

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Conclusion

None of these symbols are ends in themselves. In Process Theology, they are dynamic invitations—lures—not signs of inevitable fate, but openings to awakening; resistance to sinful coercion; and co-creations towards New Creation.

Revelation, read through the eyes of process, becomes less a coded calendar and more a living poem—drawing us forward into the transformation of all things by love.

To read Revelation in this way is to train the imagination toward justice. Each image becomes a spiritual practice—a lens through which we resist domination, participate in divine persuasion, and midwife the world towards what could be beginning with us and working outward.

Processual Doorways in the Book of Revelation

PROCESSUAL DOORWAYS

in the Book of Revelation

A Processual Theology of Thresholds

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT

Introduction

The Book of Revelation is often approached with apprehension - its apocalyptic imagery, cryptic messages, and cosmic drama can intimidate even the most earnest readers. Yet, embedded in its pages are recurring symbols of doors - symbols that invite rather than terrify, that open rather than close. These doors are not merely thresholds in a visionary narrative; they are theological invitations to step into new ways of seeing, being, and becoming.

In process theology, where all things are in dynamic relationship and unfolding through God’s ongoing call to novelty, doors serve as metaphors of transition. They represent God's gentle lure—what Alfred North Whitehead called the "initial aim"—offering each person, community, and cosmos a path forward. To pass through a door is to enter a new phase of concrescence: to bring together the past, respond to the present, and shape what will be.

This work explores the symbolism of doors in Revelation as portals of transformation. From the church in Philadelphia's open opportunity to John’s heavenly ascent, these doors reveal a pattern: God invites, we respond, and together we shape what comes next.

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"Come, All Ye Who Will."

I. Scriptural Doorways and Processual Interpretations

1. Revelation 3:8 — An Open Door for the Church in Philadelphia

“See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut...”

• Context: Spoken to a small, faithful community.

• Meaning: A divinely ordained opportunity for mission, growth, and endurance.

• Whiteheadian Interpretation:

  • God offers an initial aim—a pathway for co-creative action.

  • The church’s faithfulness becomes the actualization of this divine lure.

2. Revelation 3:20 — The Door of the Human Heart

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock...”

• Context: Invitation to intimate relationship with the divine.

• Meaning: Relational openness to Christ.

• Process Insight: The moment of invitation is a prehension of divine nearness, where openness births transformation.

3. Revelation 4:1 — An Open Door to Heaven

“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven...”

• Context: Marks the transition from earthly messages to cosmic vision.

• Meaning: Access to divine mysteries and the heavenly realm.

• Whiteheadian Interpretation:

  • A transition from one level of actuality to a higher dimensional perspective.

  • A lure toward a vision of divine ordering and cosmic process.

4. Revelation 21:25 — Eternal Gates of the New Jerusalem

“Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”

• Context: Vision of the world remade.

• Meaning: Full and open communion with God.

• Process Insight: Fulfillment of divine intention; telos (ultimate aim or goal) as a participatory welcome.

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II. Typology of Doors in Revelation

Symbolic Door	Meaning in Revelation	Processual Insight
🔓 Open Door	Invitation to opportunity, insight, or mission	God's initial aim opened to conscious participation
🚪 Threshold Door	Liminal moment or crisis of change	A transition in becoming under tension
🔒 Closed Door	Resistance or foreclosed potential	Rejection of offered potential
💓 Heart Door	Entry to the soul, intimacy with God	Invitation to relational becoming
🌐 Heavenly Door	Apocalyptic revelation and cosmic vision	Expansion of awareness, call into divine rhythm
🧠 Cognitive Door	Shift in mental framing or worldview	Moment of rupture and reorientation
🕊️ Eternal Gate	Final telos of welcome and communion	Ongoing divine hospitality within fulfilled process

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III. Poetic Meditation

The Door

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT

I saw a door, not locked, not shut -

But open wide with silent hush.
A whisper echoed, Come and see,
As time bent down on bended knee.

A door to mission, set in stone,
For those with little strength alone.
No riches bought this threshold prize -
But faith that dared to lift its eyes.

Another knock upon the wood -
If you will open, I will come.
A heart’s own hinge, a soul’s small gate,
Where God still waits to sup and stay.

A trumpet’s voice, a higher call,
A heaven’s door revealed to all.
The throne room glows, the glassy sea -
Creation’s rhythm, wild and free.

And at the last, those golden gates
Will never close, will never wait.
No night shall fall, no door be barred -
The world remade, the gate ajar.

For every door that once we feared
Now stands transformed -
The Way is clear.

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT
August 3, 2025

@copyright R.E. Slater Publications
all rights reserved

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Besides doors there are lampstands, bowls, temples,
angels, dragons, beasts, serpents, cities, witnesses,
horsemen, trees, and rivers, etc. What could be said
of each of these images using Process Theology?

IV. Study Guide: "Walking Through Revelation's Doors"

Each session includes:

• Scripture Focus

• Theological Reflection

• Processual Insight

• Discussion Prompts

• Spiritual Practice

Session 1: The Door of Opportunity (Rev. 3:8)

• Focus: Mission amid limitation.

• Insight: Faithfulness draws forth God’s possibilities.

• Prompts:

  • Where do you see "open doors"?

  • How do you walk through them?

Session 2: The Door of the Heart (Rev. 3:20)

• Focus: Relational nearness.

• Insight: God persuades, never coerces.

• Prompts:

  • What knocks on your heart right now?

  • What blocks your openness?

Session 3: The Door to Heaven (Rev. 4:1)

• Focus: Cosmic perspective.

• Insight: Crisis and vision often go together.

• Prompts:

  • What is your current threshold?

  • What new awareness are you being invited into?

Session 4: The Liminal Door (Crisis and Change)

• Focus: Transition and discernment.

• Insight: Becoming is often born in ambiguity.

• Prompts:

  • Reflect on a past threshold. What was transformed?

Session 5: The Ever-Open Gate (Rev. 21:25)

• Focus: Telos as communion.

• Insight: The future is participatory, not predetermined.

• Prompts:

  • How might you live now as though the gates are already open?

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Conclusion

In the final vision of Revelation, the New Jerusalem descends, and we are told:

"Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there" (Rev. 21:25).

Here, the door becomes the gate eternal—not a barrier, but a perpetual welcome. In a world often marked by locked doors and shut hearts, Revelation offers a cosmic reversal: the future is not closed off, but ever opening. This vision is not about finality, but fidelity; not about endings, but evolution.

Through a processual lens, every door in Revelation is a divine whisper:

"Come up here..." (Rev. 4:1)

It is an eschatology not of doom but of participation—a call to step into the unfolding co-creation of heaven and earth. Whether we face personal loss, communal crisis, or global transformation, the question remains: Will we walk through the door?

In every threshold stands a choice.
In every doorway, a becoming.
And through each door,
the God of process calls -

not with coercion, but with possibility.

The doors are open.
The thresholds await.
Let us walk forward.

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Appendix: Visual Map

Forgive the diagram... my talents with

computerized drawing is rather crude.

- res

[Rev 3:8]
     ╔══════════════════╗
     ║ 🔓 Open Door to                     ║
     ║     Mission                                 ║
     ║  (Philadelphia)                        ║
     ╚══════════════════╝
              ↓
      [Faithful Response]
              ↓
         [Spiritual Call]
              ↓
             [Rev 3:20]
     ╔══════════════════╗
     ║ 💓 Door of the    ║
     ║   Human Heart     ║
     ║  ("I stand and    ║
     ║  knock…")         ║
     ╚══════════════════╝
              ↓
        [Relational Entry]
              ↓
             [Rev 4:1]
     ╔══════════════════╗
     ║ 🌐 Door to Heaven ║
     ║  (Apocalyptic     ║
     ║   Vision)         ║
     ╚══════════════════╝
              ↓
        [Cosmic Perspective]
              ↓
           [Thresholds]
     ╔══════════════════╗
     ║ 🚪 Liminal Doors  ║
     ║  (Crisis/Choice) ║
     ╚══════════════════╝
              ↓
     [Transformation / Becoming]
              ↓
            [Rev 21:25]
     ╔══════════════════╗
     ║ 🕊️ Eternal Gates  ║
     ║   (New Jerusalem)║
     ╚══════════════════╝
              ↓
      [Full Communion with God]

Revelation Beyond Literalism: A Process-Based Reading of Apocalyptic Imagery

Traditional Christian Apocalyptic

Reimagining Christian apocalyptic using Process Theology

REVELATION BEYOND LITERALISM:

A Process-Based Reading

of Apocalyptic Imagery

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT

Embracing the Lamb amid Empire Horror

“The gospel is fiction when judged by the empire;

but the empire is fiction when judged by the gospel.”

- Walter Brueggemann

I. Introduction: Why Revelation Needs Reinterpretation

For generations, the Book of Revelation has been misread as a literal forecast of destruction - a final divine war plan. Especially in evangelical circles, Revelation has morphed into a horror story of rapture, wrath, and punishment. The literalist lens creates:

• A theology of fear, not freedom;
• A theology of coercion, not compassion;
• Often justifying power, empire, and exclusion in the name of a violent God.

But Revelation, when interpreted through the lens of process theology, becomes something else entirely. It becomes:

• A call to resistance against domination systems,
• A poetic vision of divine lure toward justice, and
• An open invitation to co-create a new world.

This project proposes that Revelation is not about divine violence, but divine vulnerability. Not about eschatological finality, but relational becoming. Not about destruction, but about deep unveiling - an apocalypse of love.

II. A Very Short Process-Based Summary of Revelation

Revelation is not a forecast of destruction, but a symbolic protest against empire and a call to faithful co-creation with God. It envisions love's ultimate triumph—not through violence, but through persistent, transformative presence.

III. Key Themes in a Processual Interpretation

**1. God’s Power as Persuasive, Not Coercive**

Revelation presents Christ not as a warlord but as the Lamb slain—a symbol of radical vulnerability. The power of God is not displayed through domination but through the invitation to love. The Lamb's 'victory' is not a military conquest but the triumph of relational fidelity.

**2. Symbolic Protest Against Empire**

The apocalyptic imagery is not predictive but poetic. Babylon is Rome—and every empire like it. The beast is a symbol of imperial force, economic domination, and religious manipulation. Revelation's drama urges readers to 'come out' of these systems, not to wait for their collapse.

**3. Hope Without Guaranteed Certainty**

Process theology does not teach predestined outcomes. Instead, it sees the future as open and becoming. Revelation is a vision of what could be, not what must be. The New Jerusalem is a lure—a divine possibility calling creation forward.

**4. Freedom within the Process of Redemption**

Love does not coerce. Even in judgment, Revelation does not depict God as cruel, but as one who reveals the true nature of all things. The apocalypse ('unveiling') is the peeling back of falsehoods so truth may shine—inviting transformation, not demanding it.

**5. A Call to Cosmic Renewal, Not Cosmic Erasure**

Revelation ends not with the annihilation of the earth but its healing. “Behold, I make all things new,” not all new things. The new creation is not a replacement but a renewal. The eschaton is not escape but embrace.

IV. Dialogue with Classical Views

• Literalism turns Revelation into a fear-based map. Process reads it as a vision of hope.

• Classical theism sees God's sovereignty in unilateral action. Process sees God's power in participatory becoming.

• Traditional eschatology implies divine coercion. Process insists on divine invitation.

• Evangelical frameworks lean on divine violence. Process theology emphasizes divine love.

V. Scripture as Poetic Lure

Revelation is not a newspaper headline from the future. It is a theological vision composed in apocalyptic imagery, political resistance, and pastoral urgency.

Like dreams or parables, it conveys deep truth through metaphor.

• “Every knee shall bow” is not a divine threat, but a poetic aspiration.
• The beast, the dragon, and the throne are archetypes.
• The scrolls and seals are cosmic metaphors.

To read Revelation faithfully is to read it processually, not literally.

VI. A Creed for Reading Revelation in Process

We believe the Book of Revelation is not a timetable of terror but a vision of divine love resisting empire, inviting all creation into the journey of justice, beauty, and peace.

We believe God's power is persuasion, not domination, and that the Lamb reigns not by violence, but by witness, vulnerability, and persistent love.

We believe that every image in Revelation invites us to become co-creators of a renewed world, where God makes all things new—with us, never without us.

VII. Conclusion: Apocalypse as Revelation, Not Ruin

The word "apocalypse" means unveiling, not catastrophe. In process theology, the Book of Revelation is the unveiling of what *could be* if love wins - and what happens when it is resisted.

It is not the end of the world. It is the divine lure toward the world's rebirth.

Revelation, reimagined, becomes a manifesto of hope, resistance, and transformation—one in which God calls us to join the procession of the Lamb in building the New Jerusalem (sic, a cosmic metaphor not a literal Jewish city) here and now.

Appendix A - Diagram

Classical vs. Process Readings of Revelation

See visual supplement: Revelation_Comparison_Diagram.png

The following table compares key theological elements in classical versus process readings of Revelation:

Theme	Classical Reading	Process Reading
God's Power	Coercive Sovereignty	Persuasive Love
Future Outlook	Predetermined End	Open & Becoming
Salvation	Guaranteed for Some	Hope for All
Violence	Divine Judgment & Wrath	Divine Vulnerability & Lure
Reading Method	Literal Forecast	Symbolic Protest
New Creation	Replacement	Renewal

 

Appendix B - Poem

New Heavenly Earth

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT

Not by fire, nor by sword, nor sky undone,

But by the slow, burning light of a rising Son.

Nor by bright new city fallen from clouds above,

But by such a one rising in hearts awakening to love.

Nor by wrathful scroll, nor cold iron stylus -

But by Jesus doorways opening sightless hearts.

Despite beasts and wars and trumpets dread,

Leaving lambs leaderless when fear has fled.

Nor worlds remade by fierce divine decrees,

But by each divine/humane act which sets love free.

Behold, says God, all things can be made new -

And I will make them new with you too.

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT

August 3, 2025

@copyright R.E. Slater Publications

all rights reserved

Appendix C - Study Guide

A Processual Reading of Revelation

Section I: Introduction

How has a literalist reading of Revelation shaped Christian imagination in recent history?

What dangers arise from reading Revelation as a divine war manual?

Section II–III: Process-Based Vision

What does it mean to describe God's power as persuasive, not coercive?

How does reading Revelation as poetic protest shift our understanding of its symbols?

Section IV: Dialogue with Classical Views

How does process theology challenge the idea of predestined finality?

In what ways does process theology make space for human freedom and divine persistence?

Section V: Scripture as Poetic Lure

How can apocalyptic imagery be understood symbolically rather than literally?

What role does metaphor play in revealing theological truths?

Section VI: Creed

What key affirmations stand out in the creed? How might these reshape a community’s eschatology?

Section VII: Conclusion

How does reimagining the apocalypse as an unveiling of divine love affect our present engagement with the world?

What does it mean to co-create the New Jerusalem in the here and now?

Renewing Revelation: Renewal of Expiation & Fellowship, Part 2/2

 

Renewing Revelation:

Renewal of Expiation & Fellowship

Part 2/2

I thought I'd enlist ChatGPT in completing the motifs of expiation (atonement and cleansing) and fellowship in the book of Revelation from a process-based perspective. This would be part 2 of a two-part series. Enjoy.

R.E. Slater

December1, 2024

Question 1

RES: Please take all that was said and let's explore how to place the book of Revelation ala expiation and fellowship into a process-based theological context (per Whitehead's process philosophy and John Cobb's process theology). Thx

ChatGPT

To place the Book of Revelation into a process-based theological context, we can reframe its themes of expiation and fellowship through the lens of Whitehead's process philosophy and John Cobb's process theology. These frameworks emphasize relationality, dynamic becoming, and God’s persuasive love over coercive power. Let’s analyze Revelation within this context:

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1. Revelation's Apocalyptic Themes as Processive Events

In process theology, the world and all events are in a constant state of becoming, guided by God's persuasive lure toward greater harmony, intensity, and beauty. Revelation’s apocalyptic visions—traditionally interpreted as abrupt, final interventions—can instead be understood as processive moments in the ongoing evolution of creation:

• Expiation (Cleansing and Transformation):

  • The purging of evil, destruction of Babylon (Rev. 18), and the cleansing of creation (Rev. 21:1) reflect the processive resolution of dissonance.
  • God’s persuasive aim is to bring all creatures, including chaotic forces, toward alignment with the divine purpose of harmony.
  • Expiation in process terms is not a one-time act but the culmination of countless micro-events, where God lures creation toward restoration and new possibilities.

• Fellowship (Relational Wholeness):

  • Revelation’s imagery of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21–22)—a city where God dwells with humanity—represents the processual realization of relational harmony.
  • Fellowship is achieved as entities (human and nonhuman) align with God’s vision for interconnection, mutual flourishing, and cosmic peace.

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2. God’s Role in Revelation: Persuasion, Not Coercion

Process theology rejects the traditional view of God as omnipotent in a coercive sense. Instead, God is seen as co-creative and working persuasively within creation’s freedom:

• Divine Persuasion in Revelation’s Judgments:

  • The judgments in Revelation (e.g., the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls) can be understood not as acts of coercive wrath but as the unveiling of consequences inherent in the choices of individuals and systems.
  • Babylon’s fall (Rev. 18) is not God forcing destruction but the collapse of systems that inherently oppose divine aims of justice and beauty.

• God as the Holy Spirit of Fellowship:

  • In process terms, God is the ultimate relational force, working within creation to guide it toward eschatological fellowship. The imagery of God wiping away every tear (Rev. 21:4) speaks to God’s empathetic participation in the experiences of creation, offering hope and healing.

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3. Expiation as Processual Redemption

In Revelation, expiation involves the removal of sin, chaos, and evil to allow for a new creation. In process theology, this cleansing is framed as the creative transformation of destructive potential into something life-giving:

• Cosmic Expiation as Ongoing Process:

  • Revelation’s climactic moments, such as the defeat of Satan (Rev. 20), symbolize not a single, final event but the culmination of a long process of divine redemption at work throughout history.
  • Evil is understood as misaligned processes—discordant actualities that resist God’s lure toward harmony. Expiation occurs as these processes are redirected toward creative possibilities.

• The Lamb as Expiator:

  • The Lamb’s sacrificial role (Rev. 5:6–10) is central. In process terms, the Lamb represents self-giving love that persuades rather than compels, transforming sin and violence through relational healing.

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4. Fellowship as the Goal of Processual Becoming

Revelation’s vision of fellowship in the New Jerusalem can be interpreted as the eschatological realization of divine relationality:

• The New Jerusalem as Processual Wholeness:

  • The New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:1–4) is not a static endpoint but a symbol of the world in dynamic harmony, where all beings participate in God's relational love.
  • The Tree of Life, bearing fruit for the nations (Rev. 22:2), reflects the interconnectedness of all creation in its ongoing processes of flourishing and healing.

• Cosmic Fellowship:

  • The gathering of all nations before God (Rev. 7:9) aligns with process theology’s emphasis on the universal scope of divine relationality. This is the ultimate vision of inclusive community, where diversity is not erased but celebrated within unity.

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5. Process-Based Eschatology: Revelation as Open-Ended Hope

Process theology reimagines eschatology not as a fixed endpoint but as an open-ended horizon of possibilities:

• Revelation’s Eschatology as Dynamic Fulfillment:

  • The new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1) are not static realities but dynamic states of ongoing becoming. Creation continues to evolve, guided by God’s eternal vision of beauty, truth, and goodness.
  • The Book of Revelation, then, serves as a symbol of ultimate hope, inviting all of creation to participate in God’s transformative process.

• No Final Closure:

  • While Revelation describes an “end,” process theology emphasizes that God’s creative work is never exhausted. The eschatological fulfillment is both a realization and a beginning of new possibilities.

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6. Practical Implications: A Process-Based Reading of Revelation

• Ethics of Expiation:

  • Process theology calls readers to participate in God’s work of expiation by addressing systemic evils (e.g., economic exploitation symbolized by Babylon) through relational, non-coercive means.

• Ethics of Fellowship:

  • The vision of the New Jerusalem invites communities to cultivate inclusivity, mutual care, and ecological stewardship as expressions of divine relationality.

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Conclusion: Revelation as a Process of Becoming

In a process-based theological context, Revelation is not about abrupt, divine intervention that brings history to a close. Instead, it portrays the culmination of God’s ongoing relational work, guiding creation toward harmony, healing, and renewal. Themes of expiation and fellowship unfold as dynamic processes, reflecting God’s unwavering commitment to transformation through persuasion, love, and participation in the world’s becoming.

Let me know if you'd like me to expand on any part or explore specific process-related ideas further!

Question 2

RES: There’s quite a bit more that can be unpacked when integrating the Book of Revelation into a process-based theological framework. Let’s explore some additional dimensions that could deepen this approach.

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1. Symbolism of Revelation as Processual Metaphor

Process theology invites us to view the vivid imagery in Revelation as symbolic representations of deeper relational and cosmological truths. Revelation’s metaphors—dragons, beasts, lambs, cities, and cosmic upheavals—can be reimagined as symbols of ongoing processes within God’s relational universe:

• The Dragon and the Beast:

  • Instead of representing fixed entities of evil, these can symbolize patterns of chaos, alienation, and systemic corruption that resist God’s lure toward harmony.
  • Their defeat is not annihilation but transformation—the redirection of destructive processes into creative ones.

• The Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7–9):

  • This imagery can be read as the culmination of relational interdependence, where all creation participates in a harmonious union with God. It’s an ongoing process of becoming one with divine love, not a one-time event.

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2. Process Theological Insights on Suffering in Revelation

The Book of Revelation confronts readers with immense suffering—wars, plagues, and destruction. In process theology, such suffering can be understood through the lens of freedom, relationality, and divine empathy:

• Freedom and Consequence:

  • In a process world, God’s creation is free and relational. The suffering in Revelation reflects the natural consequences of misuse of freedom—both individual and systemic.
  • God does not override this freedom but works within it, offering possibilities for healing and restoration.

• Divine Empathy and Co-Suffering:

  • Process theology posits a God who suffers with creation. Revelation’s depiction of the Lamb, who is both slain and victorious, portrays a God who participates deeply in the pain of the world and transforms it from within.

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3. Ecological Dimensions of Fellowship

Revelation’s vision of the New Jerusalem and the renewed creation (Rev. 21–22) resonates with ecological concerns central to process theology:

• Creation as Relational:

  • The New Jerusalem isn’t just a human-centric vision; it includes the renewal of Earth itself. The river of life, the Tree of Life, and the healing of nations point to a cosmic fellowship that embraces all of creation.
  • Process theology emphasizes that humans are deeply embedded in and responsible for the ecological web. Revelation challenges us to cooperate with God in nurturing this web toward healing and flourishing.

• Evil as Environmental Disorder:

  • The plagues and destruction in Revelation can symbolize the breakdown of ecological harmony—a disruption of relational balance caused by greed, exploitation, and disregard for creation’s interconnectedness.

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4. God’s Creative Power as Lure, Not Force

Revelation is often misread as depicting God’s coercive intervention in history. Process theology reframes this as God’s persuasive call, continuously inviting creation into deeper relationship:

• God’s Aim in Revelation:

  • The apocalyptic judgments symbolize not punitive actions but the gradual unveiling of divine possibilities for creation, even amidst resistance. God’s power is persuasive, luring creation toward reconciliation and beauty.
  • For instance, the “new heaven and new earth” (Rev. 21:1) arise not through destruction but through a transformation of existing processes toward their highest potential.

• The Healing Power of Persuasion:

  • Revelation’s imagery of God wiping away every tear (Rev. 21:4) is a metaphor for God’s healing presence, which works through relational connection to transform grief into hope.

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5. The Lamb as the Ultimate Process Symbol

The Lamb in Revelation (Rev. 5:6) holds central significance for a process-based interpretation:

• Relational Sacrifice:

  • The Lamb’s sacrificial nature symbolizes self-giving love, the ultimate form of relationality. The Lamb invites creation into a dynamic relationship where divine love is transformative, not coercive.
  • The Lamb’s wounds (“as if it had been slain”) demonstrate that God’s power is rooted in vulnerability, a key tenet of process theology.

• Victory Through Vulnerability:

  • The Lamb’s triumph over the beast is not through brute force but through the power of relational healing, illustrating that true power lies in persuasion, love, and interconnectedness.

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6. Time and Eschatology in Process Thought

Revelation’s apocalyptic timeline is often interpreted as linear, moving toward a fixed “end.” Process theology instead suggests a nonlinear, evolving eschatology:

• Eternal Becoming:

  • The new creation is not a final state but the ongoing realization of divine possibilities. The New Jerusalem represents the culmination of one phase and the opening of infinite new horizons.
  • Time in Revelation is not fixed but open-ended, allowing for endless creative responses to God’s call.

• Hope as Process:

  • The hope presented in Revelation is not about escaping history but about participating in the ongoing redeeming work of God. Every moment carries the potential for transformation and renewal.

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7. Ethical Implications: Living the Process of Expiation and Fellowship

Revelation’s themes of expiation and fellowship are not only cosmic but also ethical directives for human communities:

• Participating in Expiation:

  • Humanity is called to partner with God in cleansing the systems of Babylon—the economic, social, and ecological injustices symbolized in Revelation.
  • This involves confronting greed, violence, and alienation with acts of justice, compassion, and care.

• Cultivating Fellowship:

  • The vision of the New Jerusalem invites communities to embody divine fellowship by building inclusive, compassionate, and ecologically conscious societies.
  • Revelation’s vision challenges us to see diversity (e.g., the nations in Rev. 7:9) as a gift, calling us to co-create relational harmony across boundaries.

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8. Cosmic Eschatology: A Broader Framework

Process theology allows us to see Revelation not merely as a human-centered text but as one that encompasses the entire cosmos:

• Creation’s Redemption:

  • The “groaning of creation” (Rom. 8:22) reaches its resolution in Revelation’s vision of renewal. Every entity, from stars to soil, is part of the divine process of becoming.
  • The Book of Revelation reveals a cosmos where all entities contribute to God’s unfolding vision, and fellowship includes all of existence.

• Apocalyptic as Revelation, Not Finality:

  • The word “apocalypse” means “unveiling.” Revelation’s true purpose, in process terms, is to unveil the deeper relational dynamics of God’s work in the world, pointing not to an ending but to an eternal process of renewal.

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Final Reflection: Revelation as Invitation

In a process-based reading, Revelation ceases to be a book of doom and becomes an invitation to co-create with God. It calls us to participate in the expiation of broken systems and the cultivation of fellowship across all relationships—human, ecological, and cosmic. The ultimate hope of Revelation is not the obliteration of creation but its ongoing transformation toward beauty, harmony, and joy.

Question 3

RES: Awesome. Now review contemporary process thought over the past 5 years and recontextualized the book of Revelation for a third time using metamodern language.

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To recontextualize the Book of Revelation within metamodern process theology, we can draw on recent developments that integrate themes of relationality, interconnectedness, and the dynamics of hope and renewal. Metamodernism, with its oscillation between modernist optimism and postmodern skepticism, aligns with the process-based vision of reality as both dynamic and relational. Here's how this perspective reshapes Revelation:

1. Revelation as a Metanarrative of Co-Creation

Process theology views the cosmos as an evolving web of relationships where God and creation co-create the future. Revelation, particularly its imagery of the New Jerusalem, can be interpreted as a vision of ecological and social harmony—an ultimate aim ("telos") towards which God gently lures creation. This aligns with John Cobb’s notion of ecological civilization, where humanity participates in God’s creative process to heal the Earth and foster a sustainable future​

Center for Process Studies

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Center for Process Studies

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2. Expiation Reimagined as Cosmic Healing

Rather than focusing on penal substitution or wrath, contemporary process thought reframes expiation as the reconciliation of all creation. The apocalyptic upheavals in Revelation (e.g., the breaking of seals, trumpets, and bowls) symbolize the disruption needed to expose systemic injustices and ecological degradation. These crises are not God's punishment but the natural consequences of human misalignment with divine aims. The renewal of the New Jerusalem thus represents the restoration of cosmic balance, where God's primordial nature provides the possibilities for healing​

Center for Process Studies

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Center for Process Studies

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3. Fellowship as Interdependence and Relational Becoming

In metamodern process theology, fellowship transcends anthropocentric spirituality. Revelation's promise of "God dwelling with humanity" (Revelation 21:3) is expanded to include the entire web of life. This relational becoming mirrors Whitehead’s emphasis on the interconnectedness of all entities. The river of life flowing through the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1-2) symbolizes a world where divine love permeates and sustains every relationship, human and non-human alike​

Center for Process Studies

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Center for Process Studies

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4. Hope Through a Metamodern Lens

Metamodernism emphasizes "hopeful realism," a balance between critique and aspiration. Revelation's apocalyptic imagery reflects this tension: while it depicts profound suffering, it also promises transformative renewal. This resonates with the metamodern ethos of holding together brokenness and beauty, despair and hope, as part of a larger, unfolding process​

Center for Process Studies

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5. Integrating Science and Faith

Recent process thought embraces insights from quantum physics, ecology, and sociology, seeing them as complementary to theological narratives. Revelation’s cosmic scope—the interplay of celestial and terrestrial events—can be reimagined in light of modern cosmology, where the universe’s evolution is part of God’s creative unfolding. This perspective deepens the relevance of Revelation for addressing contemporary challenges like climate change and social justice​

Center for Process Studies

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Center for Process Studies

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In this metamodern process recontextualization, Revelation becomes a dynamic text inviting participation in God’s ongoing work of renewal. It shifts the focus from apocalyptic doom to collaborative hope, emphasizing the active role of humanity in co-creating a just and sustainable future.

The Book of Revelation and the End of the World:

Are the Signs Now Being Fulfilled?

by Bart D. Ehrman

Since the book of Revelation first appeared there have been Christians who have insisted the violent end of the world it predicts was to happen in their own day.  Each one of these prophets of doom has been wrong, of course.  But was Revelation even meant to predict distant events far in the author's future?  If not, how are we to understand the book?  In this episode we consider how historians approach the book in light of the persistent claims that the End if now, finally, here.