We are nearing the end of our tour of the Book of Revelation on Thursday nights.  We asked, “What advice would you give a reader who was approaching the Book for the first time?”  Here is our discussion:

1.  Avoid trying to make contemporary application.  For example, the Reformers were sure they knew who the antichrist was.  The church has been wrong too many times trying to make connections and it hurts the faith of those who wholeheartedly believe the analysis.  If we want to make a connection, try this:  In our own day, we see how deception can become pervasive in a culture and in the media.  This is a picture of the kind of deception rampant during the Tribulation.  You can make the comparison without the speculation.
2.  Scripture interprets scripture, Tom reminds us.  We need a better grasp of the Old Testament, especially the prophecies of Daniel and the Minor Prophets.  Connie adds that we need to remember the words of Jesus in places like Matthew 24 as well.  Many of the phrases repeated in the Book of Revelation originate in these places.
3. Don’t expect the Book of Revelation to be chronological, Mike says.  There are chronological elements, but John goes back over the same times, describing them from a different perspective.
4. Pay attention to the larger themes.  For example, Jeff is amazed by the stubbornness and rebellion of man during the tribulation.  Why won’t they repent?  Our capacity for evil is wider and deeper than we think.
5. Pay attention to the structure of the Book.  Why does John repeat phrases like “seven heads and ten horns” or “Flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder?”  Notice every time John pauses to bring encouragement to the followers of Christ in the midst of judgment.  There are seven blessings in the Book of Revelation.
6. Be willing to say “I Don’t Know.”  Hold some things tentatively.   Say “This is what I think until I am better instructed.”  Some doctrines are more important than others.  Model humility in your interpretation of scripture.

Do you have any other advice you could share?