Additional Resources

Topic Recap

• The book of Revelation was written by a Greek Christian author at the end of the 1st Century CE and is packed with Jewish apocalyptic imagery.

• The book sets itself up as a revelation or unveiling, communicated in the form of a letter by John from an island called Patmos to churches on the west coast of what is now Turkey, describing a number of (often violent) visions.

• Language abut Jesus is closely entwined with language about God.

• The book makes special use of numerology, especially the ways in which major parts are structured in sevens.

• It is about encouraging persecuted Christians to stand firm, to be confident, to stay faithful to God and to a distinctively Christian lifestyle.

Key Biblical Texts

• Revelation 1:1-20

• Revelation 4

• Revelation 5:1-2

• Revelation 5:6

• Revelation 6:1-8

• Revelation 7-9

• Revelation 11:3-15

• Revelation 12:1-16

• Revelation 13-19

• Revelation 20:1-15

• Revelation 21:1-22:21

Glossary of Key Terms 

• Apokalypsis - A Greek term meaning 'unveiling'.

• Martyr - A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs.

• Patmos - A Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

• Revelation - The last book of the New Testament, recounting a divine revelation of the future to St John.

Suggestions for Group Discussion

• Why has the book of Revelation, with its Jewish apocalyptic foundations, seemed so relevant to Christians across times and cultures?

• What challenges do the use of violent language and imagery present to the reader?

• Why is it problematic for Christians to consider John's visions as past events?

• What are the benefits of reading Revelation as a book that is radically visionary and symbolic?

Suggestions for Further Reading

• The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham

• Can I Get A Witness? Reading Revelation Through African American Culture by Brian Blount

• Revelation: Vision and Insight by Ian Boxall

• The Oxford Handbook of Apocalyptic Literature, edited by John J. Collins

• Picturing the Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation in the Arts over Two Millennia by Natasha O'Hear and Anthony O'Hear