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The last book of
the New Testament is the record of the revelation that the apostle John
received during his imprisonment on the island of Patmos for being a Christian
(1:9 and following). Many of the chapters of this book are difficult to
interpret. Some of the greatest theologians in the history of the Church
have felt unequal to the task of expounding these Scriptures. For example,
John Calvin, one of the great reformers, wrote a commentary on every book
of the Bible except Revelation.
Despite the fact
that the meaning of every part of this book may not be immediately apparent,
there is the promise that those who read (not necessarily understand)
it will be blessed (1:3).
Though some parts
may be obscure, certain ideas do stand out with unquestioned clarity.
Chapters 1 through 3 describe Jesus as He appeared to John and record
the messages to be sent to the seven churches of Asia Minor. These messages
are quite clear in their meaning. Chapters 4 through 18 are more difficult,
but chapters 19 through 22, which concern those events by which God brings
final redemption to the world, are clear for the most part. These four
chapters are extremely important to completing the history of redemption
outlined since Genesis.
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