The Advent season begins on Sunday, December 1. This year we’ll look at the traditional advent themes of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace through the lens of the Book of Revelation.

The Book of Revelation

Contrary to popular belief, the Book of Revelation is not intended to be a veiled message about the future. It is an unveiling (this is the meaning of the word translated “revelation” or “apocalypse,” Greek: apokalupsis) about the true nature of reality, and it offers a theological perspective on the complex and powerful spiritual dynamics that shape our everyday lives. The beloved Apostle John wrote the book as a record of what was revealed to him while exiled on the Island of Patmos, and he gave it to the church to help followers of Jesus persevere as faithful and fruitful witnesses of Jesus in the midst of times of intense trial and tribulation.

Advent and the Apocalypse

The Book of Revelation offers a helpful lens through which to explore the season of Advent where the church considers how we are to live between the first arrival of Jesus where God’s light broke into the world and Christ’s Second Coming when all of the darkness and death will finally and fully give way to the glory of God’s New Creation. In this in-between-time we face trials and tribulations of all shapes and sizes, and unveiling of the presence of Jesus in the midst of those challenges can truly help us to experience hope, love, joy, and peace as we wait for Christ to come again.