An Outlier Survivor's Guide in Apocalypse Places: Revelation Devotional Commentary

How do we perceive where the world is headed amidst deep cultural and religious differences centred around Jerusalem, holy city of three major followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam? The Book of Apocalypse (Revelation or Unveiling) resonates in the present proliferating A.I. age and uncertain pandemic times putting tremendous stresses on economic and geopolitical conflicts.

In the multiverse, the Net Generation escapes the harshness of a cancelling cruel society assuming avatars of endless possibilities in virtual communities. The new era of social networking become more alluring as real life encounters turn unbearably intolerant to the point of utter disgust at the sight of another human being.

Will all things end in human flourishing or cataclysmic floundering? Are we awaiting the Millennium Messianic reign or is the Millennium era coming to an end and is here now unleashing Satan from the Abyss for upheaval times ahead?

This 30 devotional readings attempt to shed light on how to read, hear and keep the words of the last book of the Bible as the Ecclesia (Community) make ready for Messiah's second coming as the Bride of the Lamb at the consummation of the age because the kairos (opportune time) is near.

(Excerpt from the Forward)

Historicists see Revelation as continuing a broad view of history, while Preterists as mostly referring to events of the Apostolic Age (1st century). Futurists are convinced it describe future events, and Idealists or symbolic approach consider it an allegory of the spiritual journey and ongoing struggle between good and evil. Realists see things as they are in ultimate reality, perceiving words and pictures as signs and signifiers.

The diverse understanding and broad interpretation of Revelation, compounded by semantics and creed, is compelled by dimensions of time as both chronological (chronos) and opportune (kairos). The differing outcomes are determined by what is deemed literal and which is metaphorical in the texts, objects, numerical values and contexts.

This author adopt a realist approach of Revelation as rhetorical offertory in penultimate reality. Adoration of the enthrone slain-Lamb is the rhetorical offertory response in eschatological times.