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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

This past Sunday our church (Summit Church – Castle Rock) had the opportunity to submit questions to our Pastor.  Anything you may have wondered about Life, God or the Bible was available to ask and no question was off limits.  All you had to do was email, text or send a message via Facebook with whatever question was on your mind.  Needless to say, there were quite a few questions and Pastor Wayne Hanson jumped in and answered many of them all in the limited time he had.  The very first question asked was: What is the meaning of the Book of Revelation?  Wow….way to start off with the easy ones first!

As I listened to pastor Wayne share an overview of the Book of Revelation and break down the main theme and message, I thought this would be a great topic to post a blog on the Subject.  Instead of trying to offer my own explanation in a brief blog post, I thought how much better it would be to share some tools and practical resources for digging in and tackling the subject on our own.

One of the biggest reasons the Book of Revelation causes so much difficulty with many Christians is because of how the book is written.  traditional narrative, apocalyptic imagery, prophecy and Jewish history make it a very difficult book to understand and study without a foundation of Jewish history, culture and thought.  Although Revelation is difficult, it is not inaccessible.  There are tools we can use to give us a better perspective by which to learn and understand what has been given to us by God.

One of the best tools available to us can be described by using acronym called LEGACY.  Each letter in the acronym LEGACY represents a question you must ask and answer before beginning your reading. By taking the time to apply this tool you can begin your study with a proper foundation and perspective to understand and receive all that God desires to teach you through His Word.

 LEGACY

L – Location – Where was the book written?  Understanding the location of the books creation can give us insight into the region of the world where this text was authored.  Imagine reading a history book about World War II.  How different might your understanding be if the book was written in Berlin just after the war?  Or what if the book was written in Japan or the United States?  Location can give us insights to better understand the perspective of the author as well as the history that shapes the story communicated.

E – Essence – What is the Book generally about?  Pastor Wayne did a great job of giving a quick overview of the essence of the Book of Revelation.  When we have a general idea of its purpose and general intent, we can better understand the words from the page as we begin reading and trying to understand the author’s intended message.

G – Genre – What type of literature does this book use to communicate its message?  This is a often overlooked question in Bible study.  We jump in and read the words but often miss the type of literature we are reading and therefore misunderstand the meaning of the text.  For example, the Book of Genesis uses a genre called narrative.  Narratives tell stories about events that took place.  Proverbs on the other hand, are wisdom literature.  If we try to read wisdom literature as a narrative (story), we will immediately find ourselves frustrated or confused.  Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”  This wisdom literature is a general truth when practiced.  It is not a promise from God that will automatically determine the outcome of a child’s behavior. The same mistake can be made from reading a narrative and interpreting it as if it were wisdom literature.  Deuteronomy chapter 21 discusses the practice of stoning a rebellious child.  We cannot and do not take this passage as a principled truth for raising our own children.  Narratives, Wisdom literature, Poetry, Prophecy and Apocalyptic imagery all operate with different purpose and intention to give us a complete picture of God and His plan and purpose for man.  Understanding the genre of a book is critical to our understanding and proper application of God’s Word.

A – Author – Who wrote the book?  Knowing who the author is can give us a great deal of insight to the book perspective.  The book of James for example was written by the half brother of Jesus.  Knowing this before beginning the book of James can provide insights and perspectives not otherwise typically gained.  James did not believe his brother was the Messiah but after Jesus’ resurrection, James changed completely.  In fact, he went from doubter to leader of the church in Jerusalem.  How much more does the Book of James communicated when we know who it is that wrote this Book

C – Context – Where does this book fit in the big picture?  Knowing what is happening in the period of history when this book was written can give us great insight that isn’t necessarily communicated from the words on the page.  Books written during the Great Depression have a different feel and perspective due to the context of the author’s life and times from which they lived.  Books of the Bible written during Jewish captivity provide a much different understanding than those books written during the days in the Promised Land.  Context gives us perspective to the story being communicated.

Y – Years – When was this book written?  Knowing the time of writing can help dispel many misconceptions and arguments over biblical interpretation.  For example many letters or gospels written in the fourth century A.D. about the life of Jesus were disqualified from being considered biblical texts.  Their dates were too far away from the events of Jesus’ life to be deemed reliable and trustworthy.  Understanding the years in which a particular book of the Bible was written can help our understanding and strengthen our faith.  Isaiah was written approximately 700 years before Jesus.  This fact coupled with the prophecies about Jesus give us a confidence and perspective which helps us appreciate and recognize God’s power and provision in greater ways.

In my next post, I will apply the LEGACY acronym to the Book of Revelation and see how understanding a few initial questions can really enhance our ability to understand and receive what God wants to teach us through His Word.

1. LEGACY reading plan – http://equip.org