Visions of the Apocalypse: Receptions of John's Revelation in Western Imagination

John’s Revelation has led to countless diverse and divergent interpretations. Readers’ cryptic notions of violent end-time scenarios, strict prophetic truths, and encouragement for the faithful have undeniably colored the book’s reception through the centuries. In Visions of the Apocalypse, Bruce Chilton maps the ways in which the text has been read through the centuries and introduces these main interpretations of Revelation, such as Papias’ millenarian kingdom, Augustine’s vertical ascent to heaven, Origen’s transcendent message, and Dionysius’ belief in Revelation’s hidden message. Visions of the Apocalypse provides the ways in which Revelation has been read and suggests to today’s readers the strategies for understanding John’s Revelation in a contemporary context.