Hope in Hard Times—The Final Curtain: Revelation
Overview
This is one of the most difficult books to interpret. We must be careful not to be dogmatic in our interpretation because godly people throughout history have disagreed on its meaning. It is a uniquely Jewish literary genre, apocalyptic, which was often used in tension-filled times to express the conviction that God was in control of history and would bring deliverance to His people. The author is believed to be the Apostle John. The setting was persecution caused by the separation of the Christian church from the legal protection Rome accorded to Judaism. Revelation was written to show God's sovereignty in history and the promise of the culmination of all things in Him. Christians are to remain faithful even amidst persecution, always remembering the blessed hope.
Top Highlights
“The third principle is to read the Bible in different translations in order to grasp the widest possible range of meaning that biblical words or phrases have.” (Page i)
“As a theological aside, if the book was written to encourage believers going through tribulations, why do some interpreters insist on a secret rapture to spare some future generation of believers persecution? Persecution was the lot of most of the church’s first leaders, and every generation of believers. Why then should a future group be spared?” (Page 67)
“Interpreting at a paragraph level—not sentence, clause, phrase or word level—is the key in following the intended meaning of the biblical author. Paragraphs are based on a unified topic, often called the theme or topic sentence.” (Page i)
“The book of Revelation is not historical narrative. It is a combination of letter (chapters 1–3), prophecy, and mostly apocalyptic literature.” (Page 2)
“In John’s visions of heaven he never sees the Church!” (Page 50)
- Title: Hope in Hard Times—The Final Curtain: Revelation
- Author: Bob Utley
- Publisher: Bible Lessons International
- Publication Date: 2001
- Pages: 179