Revelations

Last night, I had the opportunity to view an advance copy of the pilot episode for the upcoming six-hour series “Revelations,” which premiers this Wednesday, April 13 on NBC. (9-10 p.m. ET/PT) It stars Bill Pullman as Dr. Richard Massey, an atheistic astrophysicist who is dragged unwillingly into an end time struggle between good and evil. Also staring is Natascha McElhone as Sister Josepha Montifiore, a Harvard educated nun intent on discovering Jesus at His second coming and protecting him from those who seek to destroy him. John Rhys-Davies also guest stars, and he is a welcome addition on any screen. The pilot episode basically lays the groundwork for the rest of the series by portraying a world in conflict (wars and rumors of wars) with evil on the rise, contrasted against the backdrop of undeniable miracles which seem to point to the prophetic and imminent return of Jesus Christ to earth in the “end of days.” The show is chock full of scripture quotes, which is a good thing. However, it takes a great deal of liberty with prophecy as is to be expected with any major network production. It has its roots in the biblical end times of the New Testament, but it is clearly fiction. I here point out that the “Left Behind” series is also fiction, yet found huge readership and has had a commensurate impact. Evangelicals will be a little disappointed with the extent of Catholic imagery and doctrine, yet I confess having the same frustration with parts of “The Passion.” Nonethless, there would be no biblical message in that time slot without “Revelations.” So, from that stand point, it’s at least a “better than” choice. All those grains of salt taken, my wife and I were still riveted to the story and stayed glued to the screen to the end, which definitely leaves one hungry for the next episode. It’s not surprising that “Revelations” comes from the pen of writer/creator David Seltzer, who also wrote “The Omen.” What I must share is this: when I saw the original “Omen” as an unbelieving teenager, I went right home and started reading the book of Revelations in a bible at home. As an adult believer, then, I see the value in this type of programming because it has the potential to whet one’s appetite for a larger dose of biblical truth. Even if we struggle with the theology, I encourage folks to watch “Revelations” so they will be able to speak intelligently about it around the water cooler or in the school lunch line. Like “The Passion,” “Left Behind” or “The Omega Code,” it has the potential to act as a launch point into religious conversations which might otherwise be difficult to get started. It’s an enjoyable watch, with an eternal perspective. Nowadays, at the cost of some theological compromises, I’ll take as much of that genre as I can get.

All fiction aside, the production of “Revelations” points to the fact that main stream media acknowledges a growing interest in religious programming, especially as it relates to end times. This is an important time to remind us all that there actually is an "end times" somewhere on the horizon of mankind’s future and we should live accordingly. Even more importantly, none of us has any guarantee of how long we’ll be here, no matter how young we are. The “end of days” could come for any one person at any time. Bear in mind that if you get hit by a drunk driver, slip in the bath tub, or choke on a chicken bone, then your personal journey goes straight to the end of the bible. (without passing Go!) I call this the doctrine of spontaneous revelation. Don’t bother looking it up, I invented the name. The fact is that the end of this earthly life, for whatever reason, hurls us directly into eternity so folks are wise to have their fire insurance paid up in advance. Therefore, I conclude today with my own poem on this subject. It’s light-hearted enough to share with anyone and may be an appropriate response to some of those conversations sparked by watching “Revelations.”

Brimstones & Chicken Bones
(The Doctrine of Spontaneous Revelation)
We all have business to do with God
but we’re young and in our prime
So we put Him off year after year
assuming there’s plenty of time
We know Jesus is coming back someday
but who knows when that will be
People keep saying end times are near
but no one’s sure about prophecy
In fact, it’s so darn confusing
we don’t like to think about it at all
Since folks have been worried for centuries
and have yet to hear the trumpet call
So we kind of make this deal with God
that we’ll be good or better than most
Then we set the spiritual cruise control
so we can just kick back and coast
Figuring we’ve got a lifetime ahead
to sacrifice, give and serve
And if the Lord comes back just bad folks,
will get what they deserve
However, the flaw in our reasoning
which so many of us fail to see
Is that if we should die unexpectedly
we advance from here to eternity
We have merely to slip in the bathtub
or choke on the odd chicken bone
And suddenly, all the choices we’ve made
shall be etched in eternity’s stone
In that realm beyond second chances
where each man answers to God at last
For all that he did, and didn’t do
in the irrevocable past
Let’s call it spontaneous revelation
that day when you go to the head of the class
To discover that God doesn’t grade on a curve
and it’s strictly fail or pass
When your backup chute fails to open
whether or not your doctrine is sound
You better have your affairs in order
long before you reach the ground
Because the next stop is forever
so your fire insurance better be paid
You won’t get to choose between smoking or non
unless a reservation was made
Your cholesterol count doesn’t matter
nor how much dough you have socked away
Once you step onto the railroad tracks
You’ll be meeting God straight away
Don’t be lulled into complacency
for no matter how safe you feel
You may have one foot on solid ground
but the other is on a banana peel
So never put off until tomorrow
what the Lord requires of you today
Lest spontaneous revelation
should steal your second chances away
By Frank Carpenter ©