And so it begins – the final book in our goal to read the New Testament this year. This is the Book of Revelation and this is revealed in the very first verse. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. It serves as a warning to the seven churches of Asia Minor and as a guidebook to the end times.
John was living on the Island of Patmos just off the coast of modern-day Turkey when this book was written. He had been exiled there by the Roman authorities for preaching the Gospel, which was considered a threat to the empire.
Christ’s revelation is shared with John through a series of visions that are not necessarily sequential. In between these visions, John finds himself in the presence of angels and the throne room of God.
There are recurring themes in this book, such as the use of groups of seven objects. These are the seven churches of Asia Minor, the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven bowls. We will talk more about this as we read through the book.
Don’t Get Discouraged
Revelation can be a very confusing book. It is written using symbolism and imagery that are perhaps recognizable by a first century Jew but can be downright baffling to us in the 21st century. Don’t let this discourage you. Revelation challenges even the best Biblical scholars, who vary widely in their interpretation of this book.
I will do the best I can to explain what we are reading in each chapter. I will share with you what has been passed down to me. If you have thoughts or impressions about the book you would like to share with me, please do so at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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