Why is it so important to understand what type of book Revelation is? How has what you’ve learned in this lecture changed your understanding of the book of Revelation?

It’s good to set the proper stage for understanding Revelation. I always have the idea that it is a hard book to understand as the focus have been on the glimpse into the future. It is good to correct this lense and also be reminded that this is a letter to the early christains to help address their issues/concerns/crisis.

I like when Dr. Mathewson said that misunderstanding of of the book of Revelation comes from misunderstanding of the type of book Revelation is (paraphrasing). We need to be properly equipped with the knowledge that Revelation is a prophecy, an apocalypse and a letter to form proper understanding of the intent of the author and the problems the book (letter) attempts to address.

To understand what type of book Revelation is, helps us to understand more its reason and purpose to the 1st century Christians and the background of what was going on in that time. We must always first view Biblical letters and books the way the recipients understood what was written before we can first apply it to current culture and times.

We need to understand the form of the literature to truly understand the revealed truth therein. I appreciated the distinction and agreement between the form of the letter – prophecy, apocalypse, and letter.

It is important to understand the type of book Revelation is in order to understand what God was truly trying to say through John. I have learned how to properly interpret the metaphors and similes mentioned in the book.

For me book of Revelation was more like prophecy and that’s all, never saw it as letter for sure. It changed my understanding and my view of point. Really want to learn more what Holy Spirit really wanted to reveal to us

It is a book of prophecy that tells what will what happen in the future of God dealing with sin and the evil in the world.

The book of Revelation is about what will happen in the future.

You must know that Revelations is composed of prophesy, apocalypse and a letter. Revelation is proclaiming a message in the present; vision that uncovers and unveils the true nature of things; and a letter that addresses a crisis or issue or circumstance or problem in the life of the first-century readers. So I don’t see Revelation as doom and gloom and I can interpret with a better understanding.

It is because how we understand the kind of book Revelation is will determine how we read it and what we expect from it. In so doing, we can avoid the misunderstanding of the meaning of the author John intended to say.

I have learned that the book of Revelation resembles three type of literature that were familiar to John the author and the first readers of the time. It has clarified my understanding of prophecy which is not only “fore-telling” of future events but primarily also “forth-telling” the immediate audiences of their problems/issues and urge them to change.

If you view Revelation as only one of the three styles of writing (letter, prophecy, apocalypse), you miss out on the value of the other two perspectives. Letters are personal; prophecies tend to view a longer period of time, the foretelling piece; apocalypse is a term terribly misunderstood in the present day, primarily because of the film industry and such movies as “Apocalypse Now.” But if apocalyptic writing is to help reveal something, it changes the way one might interpret a situation.

I see now that I must examine Revelation from all three perspectives in order to fully grasp what John was saying.

The reader must know what type of book Revelation is before a complete understanding is achieved. The reader will probably mininterpret the book id they
do not understand the type of literature is being employed. Even though I have read and studied the book of Revelation many times, I had never studied the
three types of literature employed in the book.

It is important to understand the type of book Revelation is because, when the book was written it had a purpose and an audience that the message was sent to. Knowing that purpose and audience will help the reader better understand the book of Revelation when reading it. It helps properly situate the reader in the mind of the writer and to better understand why the book was written.

Revelation was always a book that was hard to pin down as to what it was and how to respond to it. It has been very interesting to learn it’s three components of letter, prophecy and apocolypse. I had never considered it’s three-part identity and message.

It is important to understand what type of book Revelation is epople have been afraid to read it and others leave it to the experts who go to the extreem in trying to figure it out. What I have learned in this lecture is that Revelation is 3 types of literature. The symbols that John used to explain what he saw are relevant to the times in which he lived during the Roman Empire. We should not be afraid to read the book of Revelation because it is forthtelling.

It is important to understand that Revelation is really three kinds of literature yet they all intertwine perfectly. It’s important to know that some things are symbolic and can not be taken literally.
I now know the difference of foretelling prophecy and forth telling prophecy and how each is used in Revelation.

So you can better understand why John wrote this letter. And to understand it’s a forthtelling. How John was trying get his readers to see the Roman Empire through symbols.

My understanding of the Revelation at this early stage is not really changed, but perhaps better informed. Over the years I have not spent much time trying to really understand, beyond just the reading of it so to know what the contents are. In my experience as a believer not so many churchgoers have even that. I look forward to the learning though, through this great series by Dr. Mathewson.

Because there is a great deal of symbolic and metaphorical language in the Revelation which can be easily misinterpreted we need to understand the context in which it was written and the purpose of the author’s intent in writing as he did to the seven churches, and how the readers would have understood the contents and its application for them.

That is not just a doomsday prophecy (which is forthtelling as well) but also an apocalyspe and letter.

It is important to understand the book of Revelation to understand what the author was trying to get across to the people back then, and to us now.
I now understand that the book of revelation is about future events and a letter to the early church.
I also understand now that John’s letter was not all literal but symbolic as well. and know these things helps me better understand what I am reading.

Given that the Book of Revelation is a letter to God’s people, it is meant to be understood by His people. Understanding the historical context helps me to understand that the symbolism had meaning, even for the first-century readers.

1. I personally think it’s important to understand the right context it was written in because that would make us understand the warning better an it would make it easier to apply it to our lives.
2. I now understand that not all that John said was literally meant rather to symbolize and emphasize the importance of the warning that we need to live right for when Christ returns

It is very important to understand what type of book Revelation is – a prophecy, an Apocolypse (Revelation), and lastly a letter written by John to the 7 churches in Asia Minor. The one thing I really loved learning about John’s Revelation is the fact that if what he wrote would not have been understood by the people living at that time, then that interpretation is probably incorrect. Knowing the the book is written highly symbolic language is also very helpful so that we don’t make the mistake of trying to interpret the book literally. I also read somewhere that in order to understand the Book of Revelation it is crucial to have a deep understanding of the OT and NT (Old and New Testaments).

To understand that it is symbolic and not literal

It is important to understand what the book of revelation is about so you can make the correct interpretation and how to apply it to the current time.

I’ve learned that the book of revelation is just about future event but a letter to the early church about there current condition in the Roman empire and how God was going to judge the nation of roman.

I think it is important to understand what type of book Revelation is so that I can better distinguish between literal and symbolic language.
The lecture was a help in why it is necessary to distinguish between literal and symbolic language.

I suspect the Book of Revelation is meant for the last generation of believers or Christ-followers specifically. Nothing has really changed concerning my understanding of the Book of Revelation.

It’s important to understand the type of book Revelation is, so that we don’t misinterpret the true meaning of God’s Word.
From this lecture, I learned when I read Revelation, I shouldn’t just focus on what’s going to happen in the future but also understand what John is trying to proclaim and reveal in his letters.
I can now read Revelation and understand in different aspects and not just one of knowing what’s going to happen.

It’s important to understand the type of Revelation is because, it helps with understanding it and helps to avoid any misinterpretation.

So far in the lecture, I’ve come to understand that Revelation it is a prophecy of what is to come, it tells the reality of how God has always been in control, and the weakness of the world powers.