The Book of Revelation is arguably one of the strangest books in the Bible. Its graphic visions and peculiar symbolism have made it one of the most popular books in the canon, influencing generations of artists, writers, and filmmakers who have been captivated by its powerful imagery. All this makes reading the Book of Revelation a difficult process, and interpreters have adopted a multiplicity of strategies for exploring its message. The goal of this study will be to aid the reader in decoding Revelation’s difficult symbolism, trying to find out what this book’s message would have meant to its original audience two thousand years ago. It is our hope that this study will aid you in your attempt to translate that ancient message into a contemporary idiom, which, although difficult, is well worth the effort.
Meet Our Professors
Harold Attridge, Sterling Professor of Divinity at Yale Divinity School, has made scholarly contributions to New Testament exegesis and to the study of Hellenistic Judaism and the history of the early Church. His publications include Essays on John and Hebrews, Hebrews: A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, First-Century Cynicism in the Epistles of Heraclitus, The Interpretation of Biblical History in the Antiquitates Judaicae of Flavius Josephus, Nag Hammadi Codex I: The Jung Codex, and The Acts of Thomas, as well as numerous book chapters and articles in scholarly journals. He holds degrees from Boston College (B.A), Cambridge University (M.A.), and Harvard University (Ph.D.).
David Bartlett, J. Edward and Ruth Cox Lantz Professor Emeritus of Christian Communication at Yale Divinity School, is the author of several books including Fact and Faith, The Shape of Scriptural Authority, Between the Bible and the Church, and What’s Good About This News? Preaching from the Gospels and Galatians. He is also the co-editor of the Westminster Bible Companion and Feasting on the Word commentary series. He holds degrees from Swarthmore College (B.A) and Yale University (B.D, Ph.D.), and is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches, USA.