Understanding the Book of Revelation

It may well be the most misunderstood book in all of scripture. It is certainly the most misused and abused book of the Bible. Revelation. What does it mean and does it mean anything for today's readers? Many students have taken up the book to study, only to put it down again, bewildered, confused and alarmed by the sharp imagery which fills its pages.

And no wonder. Revelation is filled with stories of angels armed with fiery hailstones, of ghostly calls from beneath the altar of God by martyred saints, of a great and terrible dragon who makes war against God's people. There are the dragons helpers, two beasts with hideous descriptions and malevolent personalities. One of the beasts even has a cryptic name, 666, which has produced endless speculation.

Revelation. It is the book most feared by readers who are unsure of its' meaning, and therefore, reluctant to open it, lest they be carried away by some false doctrine because of their lack of understanding. What do we, God's people, do with such a book?

First, we must open it, and we must do so without preconceived ideas about what it may or may not mean. We must read the book (and I suggest reading it through before becoming bogged down in small details; get the big picture), and we must study, hard though it may be.

This year, the annual Westside Youth Lectures takes up the topic of ""Overcoming with the Lamb-Revelation for Today's Youth."" We want our young people to understand, not fear, this awesome book. If you are attending our lectures, what you hold is intended as an aid to what you will be hearing. This issue is designed to present some of the more detailed ideas in the book, as opposed to the big picture ideas presented in the lectures, which are: ""Misusing the book of Revelation"" by Bubba Garner; ""Why I want to go to Heaven"" by Tony Mauck; ""Meet your enemy: the devil in Revelation"" by Kevan O'Banion; ""Meet your Savior: the Lord Jesus in Revelation"" by John Kilgore; ""How to Study the Hardest book in the Bible"" by Rusty Miller; and ""The Secrets in the Book of Revelation"" by Mark Roberts.

If you are reading this and were unable to attend the lectures, you can order the tapes by contacting us at the address on the back of this issue, by e-mail, or at our website, www.JustChristians.com. The tapes are offered free of charge.

None of God's people should be afraid to open His book at any point. Join us as we discuss the difficulties found in Revelation, so that we can all rejoice in the thought of overcoming with Jesus to live eternally in His presence.