Have you or someone you know ever used Revelation to satisfy curiosity about end-time events? Has your perspective on this application for Revelation changed after completing this lecture?

I’ve known many people who expound on the content of Revelation, what the symbols represent, the timeline of events and so on. Their talk has frightened me, confused me, and overwhelmed me. I’m a big picture thinker. If I am certain of the big picture, the focus, then I can tolerate the myriad details if they support the main idea. So this lecture has been amazingly refreshing, clarifying to me. As I study Revelation again I’ll be able to digest the content with the main focus in mind. And I’ll be more able to extend grace to those who take the details in other directions. I’ll be able to state that Revelation is a letter of hope, worship, and honor to the only one deserving of that worship: Father God, Savior Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I’ll be able to state that Revelation exhorts us to obey and follow the Lord no matter where He leads.

A few years back I got hooked on end time prophetic books like “The Late Great Planet Earth”. Even today there are many people who have put together a time line for end time events that have interested me. After taking this class I have developed a new perspective on the book of Revelation and plan on diving deeper into commentaries for greater understanding.

That’s what got me interested in Revelation originally. My perspective definitely has changed since then

Neither myself or others that are in my close contact have done that. However, there is always the idea that the Revelation reveals the end times and give us a glimpse into how wonderful and lovely the new earth will be. Taking this course has encouraged me to study the book of Revelation as it’s meant to be understood and not to be concealed.

I have always been steering clear away from Revelation because so many people have used this book to predict the end times, most of them I know for certain are not correct. They are just their own opinions and not from any hard proofs in the book. I’m so glad Dr. Mathewson provides such clear analysis of this book and outlines three useful applications for us today. For me, the book of Revelation is no longer a mystery after taking this class.

Yes, my perspective on Revelations has changed. I no longer view this book of the Bible as scary and hard to understand. I will continue to study Revelations with a better understanding of end time events.

All my life I have been taught and studied Revelation from the perspective of seeing God’s plan for humanity completed through His divine righteous judgement of humanity based on our response to His offered gift of salvation. This also included looking at Revelation as a foretelling of future events as a means of seeing how close we are to the return of Christ. Through this lecture, a new perspective of Revelation was revealed as of seeing God and Jesus Christ as offering hope to all believers as we are challenged and even persecuted for our faith. Also the reinforcement of our call to worship the Creator and Redeemer of our souls as being worthy of that worship because of His great love for us.

I believe there is a clear timeline in the book of Revelation and that Jesus calls us to discern the times. We don’t know the exact time, but we should be on watch as we see events play out that were forth-told by the book.

Yes. I, myself, used to try to see parallels in the book of Revelation to current events. This lecture has shown me that the book isn’t to be used to forecast/confirm current events but rather to apply its lessons today.

I can’t say that I or someone I know personally has done this. And I can’t say my application of Revelation has really focused here either but I think that is more because I haven’t spent a lot of time reading and/or studying it to date. The nice thing about having gone through these five lessons is that I can start studying Revelation now knowing the correct focus and application from the get-go.

Yes, I do know someone who used Revelation to satisfy curiosity about end-time events.
This lecture has clearly stated the real purpose and the focus of this book. This is very helpful to me in understanding the message and this course has corrected my perspective on the book.
Great thanks to teacher David!

Yes I have heard Revelation used for end-time events. but it is not primarily a book about the end times. The main purpose of the
book is to exhort God’s people to follow the Lamb, Jesus Christ, in obedience and to maintain their faithful witness no matter the consequences. It provides a message of hope, it is a call to worship; and a call to be a faithful, obedient witness.

I know about several congregations that teach that Revelation is only about the End Times. The
members of these churches apply these ideas to every current event. Now I realize that Revelation is primarily about worshipping The Lord, the events are much easier to understand. Also I learned that many of the symbols refer to the Roman Empire.

I have known some people who studied Revelation because they thought it would reveal when Jesus would return. I already knew there was hope in Revelation but this lecture has made that hope plainer.

It used to be my thoughts on the book, that it was an end time judgement kind of book. My perspective now is that I can apply this to my life today. Yet it still gives hope.

Yes and Yes!

We all are curious and especially in times like now when there are so much suffering in this world….. Personally, I refer to Revelations when I want to be refreshed with hope again and again to remind myself. Grateful for these lessons for another reminder as well as clarify that we need to worship.

It is interesting how much time has been spent on the End time focus; trying to figure out dates and times. I try to default to “We are not to know the time or the hour” but I admit I have been curious. This lecture has been so helpful reminding me that Rev is primarily a call to worship.

Oh yes, I can think of several people over the years who have had their end time curiosity as a motive for reading into Revelation and having a particular viewpoint. None of which I found helpful. This lecture has certainly clarified my own understanding and it’s application for myself as a believer.

Absolutely! I have stayed out of the book because it has been so missused! So much imagery in it that is puzzling, and confusing. So many different ways to interpret it. So I have stayed out of it. But this interpretation has, instead, energized me to open these pages and see it from a completely different angle. Thank you for this teaching. Seeing the Hope, the worship, the call to faithful witness and obedience that will take me through suffering, as Jesus did, ignites in me a thrill to pursue this book a little more closely. I still feel that I do not need to understand all the plagues, but I can now see my Father and His Love and His plan and it is satisfying enough to know that this is not the end of life, but we are poised to enter a new world order that we are learning now to operate within. We will see Jesus on His Throne and we will be glad forever!

Yes – I’ve always thought that the book was about end times and I have seen many books, you tube video’s and teachings from Pastors who preach that the book of Revelation is about end times. People take the current events of today (from the news) and line all the chaos up with the teaching that we are getting very close to Christ coming back very soon. Honestly, I haven’t spent a lot of time in the book of Revelation – because it seemed to be way beyond my understanding for the most part. I understood the beginning chapters about the 7 churches and I understood the last couple of chapters about Jesus the lamb being worthy to open the scrool and the heaven decending and the “new earth” where God will live among his people (us beleivers) and satan and non-believers will be thrown into the lake of fire. Jesus will be the light (there will be no more sun or moon). A bit confusing, but I surely look forward to the day that Christ comes a second time and we live forever with Him (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit when we will sing praises and worhip Him like He deserves.

I would say that I wasn’t so much ‘curious’ as I was trying to understand the 3 x 7 judgements that are delineated in chapters 5-20. This lecture series did not address these issues. The lectures did help me to look at the book of Revelation from a different view, but did not satisfy my ‘curiosity’.

My application of Revelation has changed tremendously. It has helped me to understand the true purpose of the book.

A promise that will be playe out and the book of Revelation is proof of that.

Yes many have used Revelation to satisfy curiosity about end times and events. Many I have heard that have used it as a constant reminder of what will happen if they stray from the truth.

Yes my perspective has changed. I’m guilty of not wanting to read Revelation because I believed it to be a strictly prophecy book, which was hard to understand. As the professor explains through out the lecture, it sheds light into the what Revelation is and what is not. It’s a book that can be applied to our everyday living, and it serves as a constant reminder that no matter what we are going thru, that our faithful alegiance to the lamb of God has its reward. A promise that Will play out and t