The Book of Revelation has fascinated, scared, and confused Christians throughout the generations. The imagery found within its pages can be overwhelming, which has led to much speculation over the centuries (are the locusts found in Rev. 9:1-11 representative of demonic hordes, Muslim invaders during medieval times, or Apache attack helicopters – all suggestions by different teachers!). No other book of Scripture has been more widely interpreted (or intensely debated) than Revelation. As a result, many believers have avoided its study, missing out on the blessings it contains (Rev. 1:3). Even so, when world circumstances seem chaotic, people immediately begin to wonder if we are in the “end times” and whether we are watching Revelation unfold before our very eyes – even though they may not really be familiar with what Revelation actually contains!
Starting Wednesday, Sept. 2, we will begin a verse-by-verse study of Revelation. We will examine the book through the lenses of the four interpretative frameworks that are within the bounds of orthodoxy: historicist, preterist, futurist, and idealist. This means that our study will take a little longer, but we believe that your faith will be strengthened and enriched by considering these four interpretive viewpoints. Handouts will be provided for each section so that you can take notes.
With the start of this study, we will be meeting in-person again for Wednesday night prayer meeting/Bible study. Our structure has been for the time to be split roughly equally between prayer and study, but with this study we will be splitting our time to thirty minutes of prayer and sixty minutes of study. We are asking that you submit your praises and prayer requests to the office in advance (no later than noon on Wednesday) so that we can prepare a handout for those in attendance (if something comes up after that deadline, you will certainly be able to share it with the group). Each week, there will also be some specific themes for prayer. We will divide into small groups for prayer during the first thirty minutes of our time together. After this time, we will begin our study. All this will take place in the sanctuary, where we have the ability to spread out for social distancing and also have the ability to record the sessions (in the event that you have to miss a week). Even though the sessions will be recorded, you will gain the most from this study by being there in-person. As is usual during our Wednesday evening studies, questions are encouraged! And, though it should go without saying, feel free to invite your friends, neighbors, and anyone you think might be interested in learning more about this timely book.
We look forward to beginning this study with you!
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