What is the real purpose of the book of revelations?
The Book of Revelation, also called the Revelation of St. John, the Apocalypse of John, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ, is the last canonical book of the New Testament. It is the only biblical book that is wholly composed of apocalyptic literature. Apocalyptic literature was a new genre of prophetical writing that developed in post-Exilic Jewish culture and was popular among millennialist early Christians. “Apocalypse” is from the Greek word for “revelation” which means “an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known and which could not be known apart from the unveiling” (Goswiller 1987 p. 3). The poetry of the Book of Revelation that is traditionally ascribed to John is well known to many Christians who are otherwise unaware of the literary genre it represents. The apocalyptic literature of Judaism and Christianity embraces a considerable period, from the centuries following the exile down to the close of the middle ages. In the present survey we shall limit ourselves to
