Revelation Bible Study: Placing Our Hope in God's Eternal Plans (NIV Application Commentary Resources)

No book in the Bible has been interpreted as widely as Revelation.Many have found the visions that John depicts to be especially fertile ground for speculation and spiritualization.However, if we want to truly understand this fascinating book, we have to focus on what it meant to its original readers.In doing this, we do not deny its genre (apocalyptic), its purpose (prophecy), its methods (use of symbols), or its message for readers today.Rather, we seek the timeless truths the book relates to believers in Christ both past and present. Although many details in Revelation are debatable, the basic thrust is not.God summons us from our preoccupation with the world to recognize, in light of his ultimate plan for history, what really matters and what really does not.God first gave Revelation to a culture where people would hear the words of the book and imagine the stark and terrifying images; to be struck by the full force of the book, we must likewise use our imaginations to grasp the im