How did the early Messianic believers understand the book of Revelation? How did they understand its often strange and bewildering symbols? The answer is surprisingly simple: they used the Bible to interpret the Bible. Modern scholars have long noted the similarities between the images of Revelation and those found elsewhere in the Bible. But rarely has this been used as a method to interpret Revelation's meaning. Most modern interpretations are based instead on cultures and concepts foreign to the early Jewish believers in Jesus. They reflect Gentile ways of thinking about what is essentially a Jewish writing. But to be understood correctly, Revelation must be studied in its original cultural setting. True, this presents significant challenges to those committed to modern systems of interpretation. But using the Bible to interpret the Bible brings a dependable clarity to John's visions as well as a grounding in Biblical authority, something that most modern systems lack. It also brings to light the Biblical origins of views about the future held by many of the earliest believers in Jesus-including John himself-that the modern Church has largely fallen away from. Harrison makes no claim to privileged knowledge of the future, but keeps to the text of the Bible in the original languages, Jewish culture and religion, and well-known facts of history. The message that emerges is a challenging one, encouraging Christians to faithfulness and devotion in these dangerous last days.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John is one of Pastor Harrison's most popular seminars. It's been presented to thousands of students in the U.S., Canada, the Philippines, and Taiwan. It reflects his study with some of the top Israeli archeologists and Christian scholars in Jerusalem and is enriched by his years as a study tour teacher in Israel. This published version includes not only the same fresh translation of Revelation used in the seminars, but also a new literal translation of all supporting scripture verses from the original languages. The second edition includes several small changes including a larger font size, improved clarity at various points in the explanation, and additional references to support assertions made in the text.
