Conquering and Resurrection in book of Revelation

Preamble

Conquering or overcoming is a prominent concept in Revelation.  I will argue here that its use in Revelation includes the idea of resurrection.

Jesus as Conqueror

The bedrock of the use of "conquer" in Revelation is that Jesus conquered.  In 5:5 we are told that Jesus is worthy to open the seals because he conquered.  There Jesus is described as the lion of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:9) and the root of David (Isaiah 11:1,10).  The OT passages from which these descriptions derive have to do with literal military violence.  However, the way Revelation depicts Jesus' conquering is through his death, the very opposite of violence!  Note the slain Lamb in 5:6 who has seven horns (symbols of conquering).  The key here, though, for my purposes is that the slain lamb is standing, which represents his resurrection.  Jesus' career is summarized in 1:5 with three descriptions which all seem to pertain to conquering:

1. the faithful witness (primarily his faithfulness unto death)
2. the firstborn of the dead (resurrection)
3. ruler of the kings of the earth (exaltation)

Jesus conquers sin and death by raising from the dead and ruling.

Further proof of the importance of the resurrection comes in chapter 12.  The great red dragon wanted to devour Jesus but he was "snatched up" to heaven to rule the nations with a rod of iron (12:5).  Some scholars have even argued on the strength of the idea of "firstborn from the dead" that the mention of the woman giving birth refers to Jesus resurrection.  Either way, Jesus' death per se is not mentioned.  Next, we are told that Michael defeated the dragon which many take to be the heavenly counterpart of Jesus' victory (death and resurrection).

Jesus as Template of Conquering

3:21 is the last of seven promises uttered to those who conquer.  This is significant because it ties together Jesus' career with his followers.  Just as Jesus overcame and sits with the Father, so his disciples will sit with Jesus on his throne if they overcome.  12:11 goes so far as to say that the disciples conquer by the blood of the Lamb, that is they conquer in the same way Jesus did.  I think resurrection is in the background here but I think John highlights Jesus' death because he want to prime his readers for their possible if not likely fate.

Disciples Conquering

However, talk of the disciples resurrection and exaltation is also rife in Revelation, but importantly tied to death.  The question in 6:12 (who is able to stand) seems to be answered in 7:9 (a great multitude standing before the throne).  The "standing" here most likely refers to resurrection.  In 11:11 the two witnesses are resurrected with the description that they "stood" on their feet.  Richard Bauckham's discussion of this passage is illuminating:

The symbolic narrative of 11:11-12 means not that the nations have to see the literal resurrection of the Christian martyrs before they are convinced of the truth of their witness, but that they have to perceive the martyrs' participation in Christ's triumph over death.  In fact, the way that Christian martyrdom, in the early centuries of the church, impressed and won people to faith in the Christian God, was precisely thus.  The martyrs were effective witnesses to the truth of the Gospel because their faith in Christ's victory over death was so convincingly evident in the way they faced death and died.

I should note that this passage inspired this blog.

Theological Upshot

In ways very similar to Paul, John can highlight Jesus "death" and "blood" when we want to impress upon the reader the absolute requirement suffering and death (at least in some cases) and that to follow Jesus means that we have to "put on our grave clothes".  However, this does not mean that the resurrection is not lurking behind the scenes.  It clearly does in both Paul and in Revelation.  The resurrection gives the conqueror hope.  This is why all the promises to the conqueror in the letters involve some eschatological reward.