Resources for the book of Revelation
PBS Frontline documentary: Apocalypse The evolution of apocalyptic belief and how it shaped the world
Genre and how readers use it to read texts Example discussed is the book of Jonah, but the first half of the essay deals with genre in general.
Useful Wikipedia articles:
Development of the New Testament canon
John of Patmos (the divine, or theologian)
Apocalypse - the general concept
On this matter, we can state a view that almost all Christians can agree on. The millennium is not a defining doctrine of who is a true Christian and who is not. We do not want to divide Christians by their interpretive choices on this matter. We recognize that equally sincere, equally educated and equally faithful Christians can come to different conclusions on this doctrine. Some church members are premillennial, some are amillennial, and some are postmillennial. But we have much to agree on:
A Brief History of the Apocalypse CAUTION - THIS HAS RECENTLY BEEN TAGGED AS SUSPICIOUS. I WILL UPDATE AS APPROPRIATE. Until the original site has been cleaned up, a list of Failed predictions by date is available at Wikipedia.
Is the idea that the End is near a recent phenomenon? Far from it. Indeed, Chicken Littles have crying doom since ancient times. The aim of this page is to debunk end-time prophecy by listing hundreds of failed doomsday predictions, allay the fears spread by end-time preachers, and demonstrate that doom-crying is nothing new. I also hope you will derive amusement from some of the more bizarre prophecies.
Recommended book: The Theology of the Book of Revelation (New Testament Theology) [Paperback] by Richard Bauckham
Richard Bauckham expounds the theology of the Book of Revelation: its understanding of God, Christ and the Spirit, the role of the Church in the world, and the hope of the coming of God's universal kingdom. Close attention is paid both to the literary form in which the theology is expressed and to the original context to which the book was addressed. Contrary to many misunderstandings of Revelation, it is shown to be one of the masterpieces of early Christian literature, with much to say to the Church today. This study offers a unique account of the theology and message of Revelation.