In all of my reading of articles and books and listening to different lectures on Revelation there stands out, at least two—let’s call them guides—toward a better reading and understanding of that most ominous book of the Bible.
Must We Take Jesus Literally?
When it comes to taking someone or something (a written document, a movie, or a song) literally, there are some pretty serious pitfalls to avoid. This true and even more so when it comes to the Scriptures. Some people strenuously object to taking the Bible literally because of the “danger” a literal interpretation produces. They bring up issues like stoning, fire from heaven that wipes out entire groups of people, God striking down people, or hell as the “dangerous” implications of taking the Bible literally.