Daniel and Revelation (Understanding the Books of the Bible) - Softcover

Smith, Christopher R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1606570579 ISBN 13: 9781606570579

Publisher: Authentic USA, 2011

Synopsis

Two of the most dramatic and mysterious books in the Bible, Daniel and Revelation, disclose many of their secrets when they re understood as the special kind of writing they are. They both use a particular literary form, known as apocalyptic, to convey their message of warning and encouragement to believers in crisis situations. This study guide equips groups to read and understand this kind of writing and to appreciate the messages of Daniel and Revelation for them today.

The Understanding the Books of the Bible series enables groups to take a new approach to studying the Bible together. Instead of following artificial chapter and verse divisions, these Bible study guides lead groups through whole books following their natural outlines, and pose engaging questions for discussion and personal application all along the way.

About this title

From the Author

I knew that when I wrote a study guide to Daniel and Revelation that grounded these books responsibly in the time periods in which they were written and presented them as examples of a well-attested kind of literature, some people might not be happy.  The Left Behind series (and a generation before that, The Late Great Planet Earth) had so many people convinced that these books were a detailed roadmap to the end of the world that any other approach was going to disappoint some people.  So let me be frank.  If you're sold on an end-of-the-world scenario that you think these books cryptically disclose, this study guide isn't for you.  But if you're interested in approaching these books of the Bible the same way you read all the other biblical books--with an appreciation for their historical context, circumstances of writing, natural structure, and style of writing--then you'll probably get a lot of satisfaction, not to mention relief, from what you discover about Daniel and Revelation through this guide. As far as I'm concerned, the incredible faithfulness of their original audiences in times of deep crisis deserves to be recognized and honored. It's an inspiration and challenge to us today. The approach I take recovers the true story behind the real-life heroes of these books.

From the Inside Flap

Maybe you've tried to read Daniel and Revelation, but you gave up because they seemed so bizarre and difficult to understand.  Maybe someone promised to show you from them what's going to happen at the end of the world, but then spun out a scenario that was too arbitrary and fanciful to believe.  Experiences like these make many people avoid these books. 

And that's a real shame, because they have a powerful message to share about how God is in control of history, and how no power on earth can defeat his purposes.  Daniel and Revelation describe some of the most difficult experiences that people who love God have ever endured, and show how these people stayed loyal to him, even to the death.  These books give us a glimpse into the never-ending worship that surrounds God in heaven and extends through all of creation.  All of this is simply too good to miss. 

And so we should read and study Daniel and Revelation.  But we should do this responsibly, grounding these books in the times and places where they were written, appreciating the situations they were originally addressing, and understanding them as the special kind of writing they are.  That's what this study guide will help you do.  This is how we approach every other book of the Bible, and there's no reason to make these two books an exception.

When we read and study Daniel and Revelation this way, their story comes alive for us.  They're not end-of-the-world speculation, but accounts of real people, in real-world situations, living out their faith with integrity instead of watering it down under pressure.  Sure, these books can also help us understand what things may be like in the ultimate conflict between good and evil at the end of human history.  But we don't have to wait until then to become part of the story they're telling.  God needs people today who will suffer and sacrifice and worship and triumph just as the people in these two books do.  Are you in?

Edition details

• Publisher: Authentic USA
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1606570579
• ISBN 13: 9781606570579
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 133