Revelation Through Orthodox Eyes: A Message of Triumph
Discover how the Book of Revelation offers Orthodox Christians a message of faith and hope, not fear and speculation
Each generation of Christians has seen end-times prognosticators, but the one thing all end-times predictors over the centuries have in common is this: they were all wrong.
Today, I’m going to offer an alternative way of thinking about eschatology—the study of the end, the last things—and the Book of Revelation from that of the sensationalizers. I’ll aim to give an Orthodox perspective, laying out in broad strokes the range of perspectives within Christian thinking, both heterodox and Orthodox, with an emphasis on the latter.
“Christ has indeed come, but He will come again. The kingdom of God has been inaugurated, but its full power and glory will be revealed in the future beyond history. The ultimate act of God in history for the salvation of mankind has been consummated in Christ, but we still look for ‘a new earth and a new heaven.’”
- Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos, At the End of Time
This is part 2 of a 2 part series on eschatology and the Orthodox faith, which was taught as part of our Thinking Theologically class at Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church. A complete teaching video of part 2 is provided here, along with a download of the slides in PDF form, and this summary article. Watching the class will give you the fullest presentation of the material.
Understanding Revelation Through an Orthodox Lens
In Orthodox Christianity, prophecy and apocalyptic literature shouldn’t be about chasing end-times predictions or decoding cryptic timelines. Instead, they’re rooted in symbols meant to provoke both hope along with a call to repentance—with a particular a focus on Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan. After all, it’s the revealing of Jesus Christ that Revelation is all about. All prophecy in Scripture, like the promises in the Old Testament, points straight to Jesus as the one who fulfills all of it: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (Jn. 5:39). Apocalyptic visions, especially as received by Saint John in Revelation, use vivid imagery that emphasizes right worship and offer encouragement through Christ’s ultimate victory.
“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Rev. 21:5). Revelation’s core message is one of hope, renewal, and resurrection. The book doesn’t cast the Church as a nervous bystander waiting for divine judgment but as an active partner in Christ’s mission to defeat evil, prepare for His return, and renew creation. “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom. 6:5).
Revelation’s Christ-Centered Hope
From the vision of the Heavenly Lamb to the promise of a new heaven and earth, Revelation pulls believers into a vision of worship in the throne room of God. It’s not about fear or cracking secret codes but about the certainty of Jesus’s reign over all creation. “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13).
As Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos says in At the End of Time:
The fundamental idea of the Book of Revelation is the belief that Christ is the Lamb, sacrificed for us. He who opens the seals of the book is the ruling King revered and worshipped by the Church in heaven and on earth (Rev. chs. 4, 5, 6, 12, 19). The Lord Christ, the sacrificed Lamb, leads the struggle with His armies—the Saints of the Church. Their weapon is their faith in the word of God to the point of self-sacrifice. The blood of the Lamb, the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and His Resurrection strengthen them; the victory over the enemy is certain (Rev. 6:2; 12:11; 19:17-18).
The Orthodox reading sees the Church triumphing through a faithful, steadfast witness to Christ—sometimes to the point of martyrdom. It’s the ultimate Paschal celebration, because Christ is victorious over the darkness of Death and not just in a metaphorical sense. He’s done it, and he’s going to do it—he will be triumphant over Death.
Every Divine Liturgy proclaims Christ’s death and return, making the Kingdom present and real in the breaking of bread. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
Past, Present, Future, and Timeless: Four Approaches to the Book of Revelation
Interpretations of the Book of Revelation have historically fallen into four main approaches, each differing in how they relate the text’s message to time.
Preterism sees Revelation as referring primarily to events in the past, especially those of the first-century Roman Empire, treating its visions as commentary on real, historical occurrences.
Futurism, by contrast, reads Revelation as a prophecy of future, end-times events yet to unfold, focusing heavily on what is to come. This seems to be the favored view among the end-times speculators.
Idealism (or spiritualism) interprets the book as expressing timeless spiritual truths or ongoing struggles, emphasizing the present, while sometimes blurring strict categories of time—idealists often highlight enduring realities, making their view both continually relevant and, in a sense, timeless.
Historicism, meanwhile, views Revelation as a coded chronicle mapping the course of Church history from the apostolic era to the end of the world, connecting prophecies to major historical epochs.
Within the Orthodox Christian tradition, interpreters generally do not commit exclusively to one of these systems. Instead, Orthodox commentators often draw elements from each interpretive method, recognizing both their strengths and their limitations. Interesting examples of modern Orthodox commentators include Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon, Fr. Daniel Sysoev, and Fr. Lawrence Farley—each of which have futurist elements in their commentaries, but also employ preterist, historicist, and idealist insights as the text and context warrant. And they don’t necessarily agree with each other on many of the points! This flexible, multifaceted approach reflects the richness of the broader Orthodox Tradition—and the complexity of the scriptural text—demonstrating that no single system exhausts the meaning of Revelation within Orthodox exegesis. And therefore we should not be so cocky in our own interpretations and predictions!
Prophetic Texts and Their Symbols
From God’s promises to Abraham to the wild visions in Revelation, Orthodox theology sees a single thread running through it all: Christ’s ultimate victory. Prophetic books like Daniel and Isaiah look forward to Jesus’ Kingship and His triumph over death. “But he was pierced for our transgressions… and by his wounds we are healed” (Is. 53:5). In Revelation, symbols like the Beast or the Woman and the Dragon carry layers of meaning—tied to early Church persecution under figures like Nero—but also timeless spiritual truths about Christ’s power over evil. Some of these symbols have nearly as many interpretations as they have interpreters, so dogmatism about details should be unwarranted.
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon, in his commentary Revelation: A Liturgical Prophecy (SVS Press, p. 21), he contextualizes the relevance of Revelation to its immediate readers:
The book itself testifies sufficiently to its purpose, which was to prepare several of the ancient Christian churches, those in Asia Minor, for an impending persecution from the official Roman authorities. What these churches needed chiefly to do was to repent.
As a work of biblical prophecy, therefore, the Apocalypse is an exhortation to repentance. It is not a handbook of eschatological curiosity. It does not convey new information, as it were, about the events leading up to the end time. It is not a work of cryptography, a kind of eschatological Rorschach test. It is a waste of time, and therefore a failure in stewardship, to treat the Book of Revelation as a symbolic, coded narrative about human history during the final ages of the world. The Book of Revelation provides not the slightest new information about specific political or cosmic events taking place in any century except the first century, the life-time of its first readers.
Whether or not the number 666 points to Nero Caesar or some other figure, our approach should not be to obsess over it like a puzzle to be solved, but a reminder that Christ’s is victorious over any opposing force. The words of Revelation 17:14 have surely encouraged countless martyrs across the ages: “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings.” The souls under the altar in Revelation 6:9-11 cry out for justice and vindication and are told to rest "a little while longer," until the full number of those appointed to be martyred is complete. God sees their suffering and will bring justice in His time—a message that many generations have needed and received.
Living in the “Already” and “Not Yet”
Orthodox eschatology holds this reality in tension: God’s Kingdom is already here through Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and sitting down at the right hand of God the Father; but it’s not yet here in its fullness. Believers live in this in-between, trusting in Jesus’s victory while looking forward to the final renewal of all things. “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies,” (Rom. 8:23). This puts the Orthodox Christian’s life into focus: repentance, participation in the sacraments, and a hope for the future.
The first century Christians were already undergoing tribulation: “I John, your brother and companion also with you in the tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ…” (Rev. 1:9) John’s “companionship” with them was meaningful—he was already exiled to Patmos.
And since letters to the seven churches in Revelation (chapters 2–3) were written to real Christian communities in Asia Minor, it’s not surprising to see the relevance of John’s letter to these churches even generations later. The letter to the church in Smyrna (Rev. 2:8–11), for example, speaks directly to a community facing persecution. Jesus encourages them, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).
Some decades later, we have the martyrdom of Saint Polycarp, who was the bishop of Smyrna, in the mid-2nd century. According to early accounts, Polycarp faced death with steadfast faith, refusing to deny Christ even when threatened with burning at the stake. His famous response is found in the Martyrdom of Polycarp: “Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” Saint Polycarp clearly heard the voice of his Lord Jesus Christ in the letter to the Smyrnians, and answered the call to remain faithful in the face of persecution. Polycarp’s martyrdom embodies the promise of Revelation 2:11: “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death,” as his steadfast witness through death exhibited the victory of Christ over death.
Generations of persecuted Christians have heard encouragement in the words of Revelation, helping them persevere through their own trials with the same hope and courage.
The Liturgical and Eschatological Connection
While Orthodox aren’t immune to speculation and prophetic prognostication, more sober Orthodox theology sidesteps the fear-driven, speculative takes on Revelation that you often see in pop culture. The advice we give our catechumens is to steer clear of any teaching that involves speculating about the end. (And as one of our recent converts said about the Didache, “It seems like there won’t be much speculation as to when the time comes when it’s here.”)
The Apocalypse is a revealing of Christ, of his Lordship of his worship, and showing how the Christian life is an active participation in God’s coming Kingdom. We look forward to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the joy of divine communion (Rev. 19:7-9, “For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready”), and yet we enjoy the foretaste of this Supper now in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist and Eschatology
It is not an overstatement to say that Orthodox eschatology cannot be understood apart from the Eucharist: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:23-26). The present world and God’s Kingdom are intertwined, and each Eucharist isn’t just a ritual—it’s a participation in Christ’s sacrifice, engaging sacramentally in both His cross and in his coming glory. Every liturgy is a mini-Parousia, and makes Christ’s sacrifice present, linking the Church to the past, present, and the future realities of the Kingdom
Theologian John Zizioulas calls this “remembering the future,” a way of describing how the Eucharist gives us a taste of God’s Kingdom right now. In the liturgy, we step into the eternal reality of Christ and time fades away. The Eucharist turns believers into citizens of God’s Kingdom, and gives us a foretaste of the renewed creation we’re waiting for at the end of history. “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Heb. 12:28).
Conclusion: Living the Orthodox Apocalyptic Vision
Orthodox eschatology invites us to see history as heading toward God’s purpose, culminating in Christ’s return when He hands the Kingdom to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24). Prophecy, apocalyptic visions, and the Eucharistic life taken properly in balance offer a hopeful, life-changing vision for believers and the Church.
This vision pushes us to live with urgency—repenting, reflecting, and celebrating the Eucharist now—while trusting in the promise of resurrection and renewal. Orthodox Christianity proclaims Christ’s death and resurrection as the bedrock of eternal life in God’s Kingdom. The victory is already won, but its full beauty is still coming, a truth every Orthodox believer holds onto with faithful hope.
Coming up: We’ll take a look at what the Didache says about the last things, or eschatology.
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