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Is the Book of Revelation a roadmap to the future, or was it meant to help Christians see their own world more clearly?

New Testament scholar David deSilva joins Preston to walk through Revelation from the seven churches to the New Jerusalem. They discuss why John wrote to real communities living under the Roman Empire, what the throne room reveals about Jesus’ authority, and how the seals, trumpets, and bowls speak to suffering, judgment, and faithful witness.

They also explore Revelation’s critique of empire and political allegiance. What did “Babylon” mean to John’s first readers? What does it mean to “come out of Babylon” today? And which parts of Revelation should Christians understand as future hope?

Dr. David deSilva is an ordained elder in the Florida Conference of the GMC and has served as Professor of New Testament and Greek at Ashland Theological Seminary since 1995. He is the author of forty books, including Seeing Things John's Way and his recently released Archaeology and the Revelation of John.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

5:12 Who Was Revelation Written For?

10:21 Who Was John?

12:11 Jesus and the Seven Churches

16:19 Prophecy and John’s Authority

20:40 The Real Cities Behind the Seven Churches

26:49 Revelation, Empire, and Political Allegiance

35:19 Speaking Prophetically to Our Own Political Side

40:25 The Throne Room: Who Is Really in Charge?

46:21 What Does the Scroll Represent?

49:05 The Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls

55:17 Is Reading Revelation as Prediction Overrated?

58:34 How Should We Read Revelation Today?

1:02:44 Babylon and the Roman Empire

1:10:14 What Does “Come Out of Babylon” Mean?

1:13:23 The New Jerusalem and Revelation’s Future Hope

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