Introduction

For most people, Revelation is a book that is either largely ignored, or it is the object of such fanatical study and fanciful interpretation that it passes from the realm of the interesting and helpful into the realm of fantasy and speculation.

Much literature has been published in recent years on its interpretation some of which is scholarly and technical, and some of which is populist and accessible.

The problem is that the technical and scholarly material frequently requires careful and detailed study, combined with an advanced level of knowledge, whereas much of the populist material tends toward the fanatical and fanciful.

The aim of this book is to bridge this gap. It is written with second and third year university students in mind, and would also be helpful for pastors and those in local churches who want to take seriously their study of this often (needlessly) confusing biblical book.