THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS

 William Stringfellow considered this quote from The Revelation to St. John an exemplary verse regarding what Luther called the theology of the cross (as compared to theologies of glory).

For a book using such an abundence of symbolic, mysterious, and coded language, it's a plainspoken statement of Christian realism.

Christians and all of history lie within a Holy Saturday, of sorts, between suffering, crucifixion, and death of God in Christ on Friday's cross, and God's final, complete, and public victory over death at the end of time.

We live in the REALITY of suffering, death, and the temptation to nihilism and yet with the hope guaranteed by God at the end of temp, already anticipated in history by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[Yes. That's a mythological assertion. I know. Deal with it. ]

It is, indeed, the starkest biblical rebuke to the cults of positive thinking, prosperity gospels, and "7 Mountain" theologians of glory rather than humanity's broken toys living in a real world exemplified by the cross of Christ.

"5 The beast was given a mouth speaking arrogant and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also, it was allowed to wage war on the saints and to conquer them.[a] It was given authority over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered.[b]"

Revelation 13:5-8

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition