Stop Decoding with the News | How To Read The Book Of Revelation

How should we read the Book of Revelation? It's easy to write it off as the most confusing book in the Bible, with multiple viewpoints on how to interpret it. Joshua Lewis sits down with fellow co-host Michael Rowntree, author of the new book The World Made Right, to discuss the rules and perspective we should apply to apocalyptic literature (the genre Revelation belongs to). Michael says the moment we reach for a newspaper to decode Revelation, we've already misread it. ABOUT THE EPISODE: Michael and Josh examine why the Apostle John calls his own book "signified" in the very first verse, why Revelation interprets itself and leans on the Old Testament, and why the book was written to form the church, not just predict its future. Michael breaks down the layers of genre at work, apocalyptic, prophetic, and a letter all at once, and why getting that right changes how you read every image in the book. They also explore recapitulation, the way Revelation circles back and re-magnifies the same events (Revelation 4, 6, 11, 16) instead of moving in a straight timeline, and discuss the four major interpretive lenses believers bring to the book: preterist, futurist, idealist, and historicist. Join us to hear why Michael says, "Revelation is for us, but it's not about us," and how reading it with the right rules and perspective turns it into a book of hope, not fear. 0:00 – Introduction 0:56 – Reading Revelation Differently 4:31 – Symbolism vs Literalism 10:14 – Apocalyptic Genre Explained 16:15 – Prophecy Foretelling Forthtelling 20:04 – Revelation As Letter 22:34 – Why Genre Matters 33:06 – Preterist Futurist Idealist Views 37:54 – Recapitulation In Revelation 44:07 – Four Views Compared 54:55 – Tools For Interpretation 58:45 – Book Pre-Order | Available at RemCon ABOUT THE BOOK: The World Made Right: Finding Confident Hope in the Book of Revelation by Michael Rowntree (Zondervan, October 20, 2027 — pre-order includes bonus content, including a commentary on Daniel 7): https://www.michaelrowntree.com/preorder-bonuses/ RESOURCES MENTIONED: The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham: https://www.amazon.com/Climax-Prophecy-Studies-Book-Revelation/dp/0567086259 The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham: https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Book-Revelation-New-Testament/dp/0521356911 Apocalyptic by Leon Morris: https://www.amazon.com/Apocalyptic-Leon-Morris/dp/0802814557 The Fathers on the Future: A 2nd-Century Eschatology for the 21st-Century Church by Michael Svigel: https://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Future-2nd-Century-Eschatology-21st-Century/dp/1496487664 Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com. Support the show ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit. 📧 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER 📚 COURSES & CONFERENCES 🛒 SHOP MERCH 💝 SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY: • Leave a Tip • Become a Patron • Make a Tax-Deductible Donation 🌐📧 Check Out Our Church Pages Josh's Church Miller's Church Rowntree's Church