The Mysteries of the Apocalypse

Book excerpt: Inspired by the complimentary feature film documentary series, The 7 Churches of Revelation, The Mysteries of the Apocalypse by Jean-Marc Thobois and Christophe Hanauer looks at the book of Revelation through the lens of biblical history, archaeology, and culture, giving readers a more accurate—and fascinating—understanding of the end times. The book of Revelation, written by the Apostle John, opens with a set of seven letters sent to a community of seven churches located in present-day Turkey. The term apocalypse has acquired a negative connotation over the centuries that has taken it away from its original meaning to evoke a cataclysmic and destructive event. This word has become popular for the wrong reasons. In Ancient Greek, it means a disclosure or revelation of great knowledge. The first key to better understand the mysteries of the prophecies of Revelation is to refer to Old Testament scriptures. In order to understand the New Testament, one should ask how the people of Israel understood and interpreted the teachings of Jesus and the apostles in their day. The second key is to consider the historical and political context of the time of writing of the text. In the first century, the Roman Empire persecuted, sometimes with extreme violence, the followers of Jesus Christ. Finally, the third key proposed is to regard the book of Revelation as a sort of synthesis, a summary of eschatological prophecies present throughout the Bible. Far from claiming to provide absolute truth, these three major keys help to decipher the true meaning of the text and better grasp its allusions and other symbolisms. Thus history, archeology, and culture anchor the book in reality. This unveiling gives context that speaks with great interest to our generation.