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The Book of Revelation is the big mystery book at the end of the Bible that most people struggle to understand.  This is understandable because it has strange and unusual characteristics.  After all it starts out straightforward enough but then the story takes off with amazing and incredible imagery.  What are we supposed to make of it all?

The truth is that the book of Revelation was far more accessible to the 1 century Christians to which it was written.  The language and images that John uses to communicate his message were very familiar to the Jewish believers.  Most Jews understood and even memorized most of the Old Testament.  This familiarity was Scripture was a opportunity for John to share a message that could be received by his Jewish believers yet remain a mystery for any others who may stumble upon his letter.  Since none of us are 1st century believers, should we throw up our hands and give up?  Of course not.  We just need to apply some tools to our study so we can understand what is being communicated by John.

My previous post suggested the acronym LEGACY as a tool for getting into God’s Word and allowing God’s Word to get into us.  I will take the first two letters of Legacy and apply it to our study of the book of Revelation.

L – Location.  Where was this mysterious book written and what clues does its location give us to better understanding this Book from God?  The book of Revelation was written on the island of Patmos.  Patmos is Mediterranean island in what is part of present day Greece.  This island was in the middle of the Roman controlled world and John was in exile for his beliefs.  This is the setting for his writing of the book of Revelation.  Understanding his geography and the circumstances of his captivity can help us better grasps the conditions for which he was writing.  Christian living in the Roman empire during this period were experiencing persecution which was not likely experienced at any time before.

E – Essence.  ”Revelation is the unveiling of a bride – a wedding covenant from beginning to end.  It begins with seven love letters to a persecuted bride – true Israel.  It continues with the noxious vision of a prostituted bride – apostate Israel.  In graph Old Testament pictures we see the judgment of God written on a seven-sealed scroll, announced by seven angels with a beast.  It concludes with the unveiling of a purified bride – true Israel.  She is carried by the bridegroom over the threshold of Jordan into a New Jerusalem (21:10).” (1)

Revelation is steeped with imagery and history significant to the Jewish people.  Exposure and familiarity with the Old Testament is a necessary pre-requisite to grasping the significance and meaning communicated in this book.  Familiarizing yourself with the “Location” and “Essence” of the book will also provide a great foundation for which to dig in and truly begin to understand the meaning and significance of the great book.

Next Post – We will take a look at Genre & Author for the book of Revelation.

1.  Legacy Study Bible, 2007