MY POSITION ON THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Though I believed Revelation was an inspired part of the New Testament before I began writing REVELATION—An Epic Drama In Four Acts, by the time I finished my research I was even more convinced that this is the case. The beauty of the way things fit together indicates a superior mind behind the writing. To my mind, Revelation stands as a monument to the faith that Jesus, as God’s appointed King, will return to bring justice to the earth and rectify the world’s woes.
The Bible book of Revelation is so unique that it can, and should, be allowed to interpret itself. For this reason, all the explanations in REVELATION—An Epic Drama In Four Acts are based exclusively on Revelation. Interpreting Revelation on the basis of texts from other parts of the Bible is generally done—consciously or unconsciously—on the basis of the scholar’s chosen methodology, their theological bias. This makes them somewhat like homing pigeons, they may veer off course a little, but you always know where they will end up. Referring to other texts outside Revelation is fine, as long as it’s after the fact, in confirmation of what Revelation itself is saying, rather than force fitting Revelation into a preconceived theological mold.
Interpreting with unbiased objectivity is a huge challenge which I have sincerely, and continually, tried to face. Even when several possible explanations presented themselves, I consistently chose the one that fit most naturally with the text of Revelation, sometimes in spite of my personal inclination. This has protected me, as much as humanly possible, against my own personal bias. Moreover, this method also protects, and respects, the reader.