The book of Revelation continues to baffle and confound present-day readers. Its strange imagery and the bewildering number of interpretations of the book have left most readers paralyzed with fear. What is needed is a book that introduces the reader to the most important keys to keep in mind when interpreting the last book of the Bible. This book provides just that: it offers, explains, and illustrates five of the most crucial keys for unlocking the message of the Apocalypse. These keys grow directly out of the kind of book Revelation is and reads it as the word of God for the church. It leads the reader to take Revelation seriously as a message first addressed to seven historical churches in the first century, before reading it as the word of God for today. These five keys can instill greater confidence in understanding the book that has always been out of the reach of most readers.

The book of Revelation continues to baffle and confound present-day readers. Its strange imagery and the bewildering number of interpretations of the book have left most readers paralyzed with fear. What is needed is a book that introduces the reader to the most important keys to keep in mind when interpreting the last book of the Bible. This book provides just that: it offers, explains, and illustrates five of the most crucial keys for unlocking the message of the Apocalypse. These keys grow directly out of the kind of book Revelation is and reads it as the word of God for the church. It leads the reader to take Revelation seriously as a message first addressed to seven historical churches in the first century, before reading it as the word of God for today. These five keys can instill greater confidence in understanding the book that has always been out of the reach of most readers.