Literature and history

history come.

Hello and welcome to literature and history.

Episode 81, Revelation. I'm going to do. experts agree the most heavy metal text in the Holy Scriptures.

This program is on the final book of the New Testament, sometimes called the Apocalypse of John

or the Revelation of John.

From St Augustine of Hippo to the heavy metal band Iron Maiden, from medieval interpreters

like Hildegard of Bingen and Wachim of Fior to 20th century evangelical sensations like the film A Thief

in the Night and the best-selling left-behind series and thousands upon thousands of paintings, woodcuts, sculptures, and marginal illustrations.

The Book of Revelation has always enjoyed a popularity disproportionate to its slim 22 chapters.

Some of this popularity, as we'll see, is due to the book's visceral appeal to frustrated

believers.

Its promises, in line with the violent oracles of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel,

that non-believers will suffer graphic and bloody punishments, and the faithful will enjoy an eternity of exaltation.

But more broadly speaking, the book's appeal might come from what one critic calls its, quote,

generative incomprehensible, close quote.

In other words, the capacity of its colorful but enigmatic imagery

to encourage interpretations suited

to the various ages that have read it.

To the writer whom we call John of Patmas, who wrote revelation, the book's promises of the

triumph of Christianity on Earth were in line with first century

Christian beliefs that Christ's second coming was truly imminent, that it was going to happen

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