Hey, this is John at the Bible Project. Today Tim and I continue a conversation on how to

read a apocalyptic literature in the Bible. These are passages in the Bible where people

describe their dreams and visions. And just like our own dreams and visions can be confusing,

so can biblical ones.

So much of these apocalypses are full of imagery because they begin with people's dreams.

And we all know what it's like to not understand our dreams.

So there's an element to apocalyptic moments or books in the Bible where it feels like

you're lost in a fog of imagery, just like you often feel in your dreams. And that's

on purpose because this is dream literature.

Now our dreams and visions are easy to write off. Maybe we're just randomly processing

our lives. Maybe they're important. Maybe they're not.

But apocalyptic literature isn't a dream journal that we should ignore. They are moments

when God is using their altered state of consciousness to show them his perspective

on the world. And when it happens, it often happens in the same way.

They all of a sudden are standing in between heaven and earth in the divine throne room.

And they are receiving messages that come and symbols that is going to see an army of

144,000. He's going to see stars and dragons. It's like he's watching a movie screen with

all of these images, but it's always in this heavenly temple.

Today we're going to open the book of the Revelation of Jesus. It's the last book of the Bible.

We're going to read about John's vision and we're going to ask ourselves some questions.

Why are biblical apocalypse is the way that they are? Well, what are they designed to do?

And what's the reality that they're dealing with? They are texts that recount moments where

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