Revelations -- Making it Right When TV Gets it Wrong
by Dr. Marc T. Newman
April 13, 2005
(AgapePress) - One thing can be said for the folks behind the mini-series Revelations, debuting on NBC today (Wednesday, April 13). No wishy-washy "spiritualism" is enshrined here -- these guys want to focus on Jesus. Characters actually use His name, and not as an exclamation. They're not talking about the mushy Jesus of the Jesus Seminar either -- meek and mild and mythical -- but the majestic Jesus of end-times speculators, the literal Son of God who is coming in Judgment with a capital "J." Revelations presupposes that there is going to be a historic supernatural conflict culminating in Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ. While the framing of Revelations will be attractive to many evangelicals, it is the story that repulses.The studio only released the first installment of this six-hour mini-series, but I can already tell you that this Omen-inspired teleplay: contains characters that represent the standard factions in end-of-the-world spiritual thrillers, uses Gnosticism as a central plot element, makes "creative" uses of the occult for Christian aims, and rewrites one of the central themes of the Church's attitude toward biblical eschatology (study of the end times). All that said -- Christians should watch it, and I'll tell you why.
Smug Scientists and Sappy Satanists
The story takes place in the near present -- indicated by the palpable split between materialists (represented by scientists and doctors) and the "spiritual" (represented by a rogue nun and a sappy Satanist). Another clue is pictures of Pope John Paul II.
Dr. Richard Massey is a Harvard professor whose daughter was ritually murdered by Isaiah Haden, a Satanist who likes to twist the scriptures, needle his captors, and rage, rage, rage against the Light. As Massey struggles with his loss, Sister Josepha Montefiore is busy chasing miraculous apparitions of Jesus in Mexico. The good sister comes across a 'tween girl in a coma who, viewers are told, is reciting scripture from the Book of Revelation -- in Latin -- and who draws a map that leads the sister to Dr. Massey.
Despite the girl's communications, her attending physicians (evil materialists) seem anxious to pull her plug and part her out. Haden -- a mentally unstable murderer -- is incarcerated, but is allowed to meet one on one with Massey (remember, Haden killed Massey's daughter), and demonstrates some gruesome "signs and wonders." Oh, and along the way a Greek ship comes across a naked baby miraculously sitting in the middle of the ocean -- the only survivor of a sinking ferry. Like George Bush, Revelations "don't do nuance." In big, broad (if confusing) strokes, the show wants the audience to understand that battle lines are being drawn.
Marginal Priests, Rogue Nuns
Father Ambrose is the priest attending the comatose girl. While ministering to her, the girl begins to speak. It is interesting that the father can understand Latin, but cannot tell the difference between 2 Thessalonians and Revelation. His comrade, Sister Josepha, is not your average nun. She is like Batman in a habit -- the World's Greatest (Catholic) Detective. She manages to show up for miracles just in the nick of time to record them. She is able to decipher the scribblings of a comatose girl, recognize them as symbols "from the time of Galileo," and has enough knowledge of astrophysics to let this "map" lead her to Massey. But she has a pretty "flexible" understanding of the Bible, applying a verse in Matthew metaphorically comparing the coming of Jesus to a flash of lightning to an electrical phenomena's effect on the comatose girl. Later she calls after Dr. Massey using what sounds like scripture, but it's not -- though it sure sounds threatening, like something Samuel Jackson might have said in Pulp Fiction. This scriptural flexibility occurs elsewhere in the episode as the writer feels free to stitch together unrelated scriptures from Joel and Revelation to make ominous statements introducing new chapters.
Viewers discover that Sister Jo harbors some theories about the end times that have put her on the outs with Rome. The sister who runs the convent in which Massey and Sister Jo seek refuge blithely reports that church authorities consider Sister Jo's theology "blasphemous." In the tradition of the Gnostics, Sister Jo believes that there are "blanks" in the End Days scenario that still need to be filled in by humans. She believes that her extra-biblical research coupled with secret information from the comatose girl will find the missing answers.
Tools of the Devil
Sister Jo is also not loath to cite pagan rituals as supporting evidence for Dr. Massey's experience -- in which the comatose girl serves as a medium by which his murdered child is attempting to contact him. The sister aids the comatose girl in performing "automatic writing" as a way to communicate information from beyond the grave. None of this bothers Sister Jo -- she is a nun on a mission. Though plucky and winsome, she does not appear to allow anything like orthodoxy to stand in her way.
Apocalypse Now?
But one of the most confusing aspects of the set up for the upcoming episodes is that the apparent goal of Sister Jo and her order is to stave off the confrontation between God and Satan at Armageddon. Sister Jo believes that there are choices that humans can make to alter the End Times, and that she and Dr. Massey are key players. This is troubling in two ways. First, it presupposes tremendous hubris -- arguing that humans know better than God when the world should end. By contrast, Scripture notes God's patience with us -- that He does not desire anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9), but eventually, at the right time, God is going to come in judgment and there is nothing that humans will be able to do other than bow. Second, Sister Jo's theory denies a biblical desire. Christians are told to look for and welcome Christ's coming. In Revelation 22:20, the Apostle John writes, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
All Is Not Lost
With only the first episode out, it is too early to know with certainty who are the good guys -- perhaps the writers intend to show Sister Jo isn't all she appears to be, although I doubt it. In the midst of all this bad theology Christians can still make something useful of Revelations. The success of these kinds of sensational extra-biblical thrillers comes from a sincere desire on the part of many viewers to make sense of the world and to know what is coming. Christians can respond to this desire by focusing directly on Christ and examining what He actually says about Himself in the Scriptures.
Anyone who looks to the Bible quickly recognizes that there is no loss of drama, no lack of intensity. Shows like Revelations give Christians a chance to speak about how to know the truth, and the inevitable coming of Judgment -- including the judgment that occurs at death for everyone even if the Lord tarries. There really is a spiritual war going on and Christians can explain the need to choose sides -- the Scriptures note that humans are not really completely free -- people will be obedient to God or to sin; there is no other way.
The Second Coming of Christ is a doctrine of the Church. Christians should not allow mini-series makers to usurp the Church's prerogative to explain it. If the television explanation of eschatology in Revelations is lacking, then Christians can and should use it as an open door for correction. Even bad TV can be put to good purposes. But in order to do so, Christians will have to mute the shock and indignation, open their Bibles, and patiently teach.
Marc T. Newman, PhD (marc@movieministry.com) is the president of MovieMinistry.com -- an organization that provides sermon and teaching illustrations from popular film, and helps the Church use movies to reach out to others and connect with people.
