Jeremy Duncan - Upside-Down Apocalypse: Grounding Revelation in the Gospel of Peace

For too long, weve been discipled in violence, conspiracies, and fear when all along the invitation has been to wholeness and peace. A pastoral reimagining of the apocalypse through the lens of Jesus, this book will bring relief, healing, and revelation to the church. Im grateful to Jeremy Duncan for tackling this complex topic with equal parts scholarship and grace.

SARAH BESSEY , New York Times bestselling author of A Rhythm of Prayer and Jesus Feminist

Revelation is a book of prophecy that desperately needs a pastoral touch, a guide to calm our apocalyptic fears and lead us away from all the conspiracy theories and fearmongering that surround it and toward the message of hope revealed in Johns message. Jeremy Duncan does exactly that as he brings his pastoral touch to bear on a book that has for so long confused and frightened so many. Drawing from a life spent in ministry, Duncan gently guides us past the monsters and wrath to reveal a message of hope that subverts our expectations at every turn. Whether the book of Revelation is something youve passionately sought to understand or have avoided at all cost, Upside-Down Apocalypse is a must-read, a desperately needed message of hope and peace in a world torn apart by fear and despair.

ZACK HUNT, author of Unraptured: How End Times Theology Gets It Wrong

A provocative and beautiful demonstration of how the meaning of Scripture is fundamentally transformed when we read every word through the lens of Jesus crucified.

MEGHAN LARISSA GOOD, author of The Bible Unwrapped: Making Sense of Scripture Today

At a time when beasts of empire continue to rampage, Jeremy Duncan shows the enduring relevance of the book of Revelation for followers of the Lamb, who calls us to pursue peace and care for our world.

J. NELSON KRAYBILL, author of Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation

In Upside-Down Apocalypse, Jeremy Duncan shows us how John the Revelator repeatedly upends our apocalyptic expectations: We expect Jesus to return like a lion; he shows up as a lamb. We assume Jesus will conquer evil like a warrior; he enters battle already covered in his own blood. If youre troubled by pop Christianitys interpretation of Revelation, which portrays Jesus behaving like us (violent and vengeful) instead of depicting him as the Gospels do (nonviolent and merciful), then you need to read this well-researched book. I hope youll pick up a copy, for its high time our violent, Hollywoodized depictions of Revelation get left behind.

JASON PORTERFIELD, author of Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace throughout Holy Week

One of the primary uses of the book of Revelation throughout church history has been to blunt the radical, nonviolent, liberating picture of the Jesus of the Gospels. In Upside-Down Apocalypse, Jeremy Duncan flips that script. Drawing on recent Revelation scholarship, Duncan offers an engaging, pastoral, gospel-infused reading of Revelation that is truly good news.

DAVID C. CRAMER, pastor of Keller Park Church, managing editor at the Institute of Mennonite Studies, and coauthor of A Field Guide to Christian Nonviolence

Jeremy Duncan offers a fresh look at the apocalypse, challenging the typical way of understanding the violence many see throughout it. By rethinking this apocalyptic imagery, Duncan shares a vision of nonviolence that gives real hope in a world full of strife.

BETH STOVELL, professor of Old Testament at Ambrose University

Herald Press

PO Box 866, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22803

www.HeraldPress.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Duncan, Jeremy S., author.

Title: Upside-down Apocalypse : grounding revelation in the gospel of peace / by Jeremy Duncan.

Description: Harrisonburg, Virginia : Herald Press, [2022] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022009843 (print) | LCCN 2022009844 (ebook) | ISBN 9781513810393 (paperback) | ISBN 9781513810409 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781513810416 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Revelation--Criticism, interpretation, etc. | BISAC: RELIGION / Christian Theology / Eschatology | RELIGION / Biblical Commentary / New Testament / Revelation

Classification: LCC BS2825.52 .D86 2022 (print) | LCC BS2825.52 (ebook) | DDC 228/.06--dc23/eng/20220325

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022009843

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022009844

Study guides are available for many Herald Press titles at www.HeraldPress.com.

UPSIDE-DOWN APOCALYPSE

2022 by Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22803. 800-245-7894. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022009843

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-5138-1039-3 (paperback); 978-1-5138-1040-9 (hardcover); 978-1-5138-1041-6 (ebook)

Printed in United States of America

All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the copyright owners.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

26 25 24 23 22 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to my partner Rachel Duncan, who agreed that it would be fun for me to write a book in my spare time.

And to the community of Commons Church, who continues to provide me the opportunity to think and create and pursue the way of Jesus alongside each of you.

Thank you.

This book was written while on the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuutina and theyNakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley First Nations. These lands are also home to Mtis Nation of Alberta, Region III.

Foreword

I f only we as a society could move past that ridiculous legacy of Christianity that longs for the end of the world!

Like a fungal infection from public showers at the beach, that sentence still clings to me a decade on. We were long into a day of a successful climate justice protest. Maybe wanting to make connections, build rapport, or show a depth of analysis, this comment was smiled at us organizers during a meeting by someone new to the movement. Most responded to this odd out-of-context remark with comic side-eye and raised eyebrows, nearly all in my directionamong the organizers I was the token Christian. Surrounded by a sea of riot police, this poor soul became aware that they were drowning in an unspoken awkwardness on our social change island. I threw them a life buoy, explaining that not only was I one of those Jesus-loving God-botherers but I was a pastor as well as activist educator. A few laughs later we were back to the business at hand.