While releasing his own book, Making Sense of the Book of Revelation, I feel he errs in his scornful dismissal of other texts. Those books were of course not about the Book of Revelation alone, but to alert Christians through many scriptures of end time signs, and possible scenarios.

To suggest John had reasons to write Revelation – not to scare but give hope – may also miss the point. John wrote down the God-inspired visions he received. That was his purpose, surely, as with any prophet, Old or New Testament.

Of course, Revelation had an historic message for the early churches. It also has present and future relevance. And yes, Jesus is the theme of the book.

It is interesting that when the disciples asked Jesus about the end-times, they asked big questions that involved the immediate future and far off times. All in one breath it seems. Matthew 24:3 is an example.

The danger is that just as non-believers will scoff: 2 Peter 3: 3, “Where is the promise of His coming?” so we too need to be careful not to join them, by thinking of Revelation in terms of mere comic book images. The symbolism is there to represent the truth, difficult as some of it is to interpret.

I agree that there are some bizarre interpretations, and not only in the cults; but maybe not in Christian circles so much now. Even the central themes of the second coming hardly get a mention these days.

For all my concerns, Laurie Guy’s book should make an interesting read.

– Alex L. Scott

Palmerston North