How Do I Make Sense Of The Book Of Revelation?

[Michie]

Notorious for its complexity, the biblical book of Revelation presents an interpretive challenge to the most diligent of readers. Even St. Jerome, the renowned Scripture translator of the early Church, admitted to finding this book mysterious and perplexing.

Although some modern scholars have expressed skepticism, the traditional consensus is that the book of Revelation was written by John the Apostle, the same John who is typically identified as the author of the Fourth Gospel.

While living on the island of Patmos, located in the Aegean Sea off the coast of modern-day Turkey, John received the set of visions which make up the book of Revelation (see Rev 1:9). When exactly this took place is the subject of scholarly debate; while most scholars situate the composition of the book towards the end of the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian (c. A.D. 95), a notable minority favor a date falling within the reign of Emperor Nero (A.D. 54-68).

In this blog post, we shall limit ourselves to offering a few tips which might make the book of Revelation a little more intelligible to the average reader, without pretending to answer every question or solve every difficulty.

Tip #1: Revelation = Apocalypse.

Continued below.

How Do I Make Sense Of The Book Of Revelation?

Notorious for its complexity, the biblical book of Revelation presents an interpretive challenge to the most diligent of readers. Even St. Jerome, the renowned Scripture translator of the early Church, admitted to finding this book mysterious and perplexing. Although some modern scholars have expr

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[fide]

I'm sorry to see this thread on page 3 already, posted only last Sunday, on a matter I believe is very important. That is, the Book of Revelation is very important, especially now - in times that may well be apocalyptic. Yes, it is a Book difficult to understand. The very character of the Book ought to be a caution against trying to unwrap or decipher the Book, revealing its meaning(s) to us. It will not reveal its mysteries to us if we seek to understand them by natural, rational means. The supernatural is never understood naturally; it is revealed supernaturally.

St. John, who wrote down things shown to him in visions, received holy truth from Jesus how? John was "the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper..." (Jn 21:20). Forget trying to break open divine supernatural mystery using techniques of post-modern academically sanctioned exegesis, or even by methods of "prayer" published by credentialed experts of the art of proper "communion with the Most High." As if the credentials of men mean something to the God Who seeks those who worship in spirit and in Truth.