Studying the Book of Revelations

I have studied the Bible in depth but for one book. That being Revelations. Recently it has been laid on my heart to now do so.

I have witnessed in the past how many who are new to the faith are drawn to the Book of Revelations. It’s frightening, and seems so surreal yet they are drawn too it.

It has always been my advice to those newbies to start elsewhere because really one cannot fully understand the Book of Revelations until the rest of the scriptures have been looked into first. Generally I point new believers to the Gospels first (specifically the book of John) because it is there that our Christian Faith begins and it is there that we get to see a measure of who God is through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

And that is of utmost importance; learn to be led by the voice of God. Learn what His voice sounds like and He will guide you in the way each of us should study the Word. He made each of different. No one formula is perfect for each person. Yes there are general things common to all of us but when we get down to it, the best way to study is to let the one who knows us best, who knows how each of us learns best, to teach us and guide us.


As a Christian I believe that The Bible is not segmented, contrary to what some are taught. It does not end with the first 5 books, nor does it end with the Old Testament. The First 5 books do not have a disconnection with the rest of the Old Testament and the Old Testament does not disconnect with the New. It begins with “In the beginning God….” and rolls forward each part shadowing (prophetically) and leading up to one single point in time; The Cross and the Resurrection.

Everything before and after in the Bible is in it’s shadow. When each part is studied it enriches what Christ actually did for all mankind. It is very important to keep this in mind as we read the Bible.


Many people are actually a little bit apprehensive about studying the Old Testament. After all it is overwhelming and let’s face it, a bit confusing. I have always been more intrigued with the Old Testament then most so it was not very difficult for me to delve into it. (This is usually not the case for a lot of people.)

But even though it was something I was drawn too, it wasn't until I learned to ask God for guidance and got myself a concordance (Very KEY!) that the scriptures opened up to me in a way I never thought possible.

Part of the reason studying the Bible can be frustrating is that The Bible is literal, allegorical, and prophetic all at the same time. Most get hung up on the literal which frustrates them so much that they avoid most of the OT, except the Psalms. To them it just seems difficult to comprehend why and how things happened to the ancient people of the Bible.

Part of the problem also is that we as a modern people generally have lost interest in knowing History. We have no interest in our recent History, how much more so ancient History which some even say is mythological anyway.

My answer of course is the same as historian George Santayana's: “Those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it.”

Additionally if you are one who tends to believe that the Bible is indeed a book or books of myths what’s the harm in using it to learn from anyway? After all one cannot deny that the Proverbs hold wisdom or that the Psalms are a beautiful work of written art. (My thinking being that once one actually studies the Bible, especially if they can set aside their preconceptions, they cannot help but see that it is truth.)

Once we start realizing that there are deeper meanings to each story, each word, the Bible becomes unbelievably rich