Apocalypse?
Do we dare crack open the last book in our Bible? Revelation inspires many people to fear. It encourages others to indulge in conspiracy theorizing and others to disengage from this world. Revelation is a favourite among cult leaders. Others have even proposed removing it from the Bible. Reading Revelation badly has lots of spiritual downsides.
At the same time, Revelation has a value very different from any other book in the scriptures. It works out a theology of resistance to empire. It helps us to have faith when the way of faithfulness feels hard and it teaches us to examine our hearts to see if we’re really being faithful to the Lord Jesus.
In this sermon we’ll examine the literary and historical context that are necessary for an informed reading of Revelation. We’ll see how taking Revelation seriously means not reading it literally but instead how reading it as a work of Apocalypse helps us see the world and the victory of the Lamb with new eyes.
To learn more see The Bible Project’s video on Apocalyptic Literature.
