The attempt to distinguish what the thousand-year reign might really mean has not led to many conclusions. Does it seem like the author had a literal timeline or meaning of this, or is this also meant to be abstract or allegorical? How have you heard this explained previously?
From early in the church’s history and at particular times like the Protestant Reformation some wise Christian leaders have thought that Revelation should not be included in the Bible. It is too complicated and tends to make trouble. Now that you have spent these weeks studying this book, what is your understanding of its role in the scripture and in Christian life? How should it be interpreted for contemporary Christian communities as a part of the New Testament canon?
Applying the Text:
There are plenty of lines from Revelation that are often cited, like “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (21:4). For a letter that features so much darkness and destruction, it is also incredibly full of hope. How do we read this letter in a way that teaches us to see both the realities of evil and promise of hope?
John’s vision is of a new heaven and a new earth, not of earth dissolving into heaven. How does this challenge or affirm the way you think of God’s sovereignty over the creation, or how you think about death and new life for Christians?