Proclaiming
the
Hope
of
the
Book
of
Revelation
Barry
York
Imagine
you
are
reading
a
western
novel
set
in
the
early
1800’s.
As
you
read
through
this
book,
you
find
it
to
be
an
exciting
one
filled
with
drama,
intrigue,
romance,
gunfights,
heroes,
villains
and
mystery.
You
finish
the
next-to-last
chapter,
and
turn
excitedly
to
read
the
final
one.
Yet
all
of
a
sudden,
in
a
desperate
attempt
to
further
excite
the
readers,
you
find
that
the
story
is
now
set
in
a
galaxy
far,
far
away,
with
spaceships
and
laser
beams
instead
of
wagons
and
six-shooters.
You
were
expecting
the
story
to
end
with
the
Lone
Ranger
and
Luke
Skywalker
turns
up
instead!
Sadly,
that
is
akin
to
what
many
have
done
to
the
story
of
the
Bible
and
its
final
chapter,
or
book,
the
book
of
Revelation.
The
widespread
teachings
of
our
day
regarding
the
end
times,
first
promoted
through
the
Scofield
Study
Bible,
then
further
promulgated
through
best-selling
books
such
as
Hal
Lindsay’s
The
Late,
Great
Planet
Earth
or
the
more
recent
Left
Behind
series
by
Jerry
Jenkins
and
Tim
LaHaye,
have
led
many
to
conclude
that
Revelation
is
predominately
about
the
future
before
the
final
return
of
Christ.
Excitedly,
the
promoters
of
this
view,
known
as
dispensationalism,
love
to
tell
stories
of
how
the
Antichrist
shall
come
to
power
and
impose
his
world
government
upon
the
nations
of
the
earth.
Yet
tragically
they
have
failed
to
see
that
God
Himself
was
already
telling
the
story
in
the
Bible,
and
He
was
just
coming
to
the
exciting
conclusion
of
it
in
Revelation.
Then
the
dispensationists
came
in,
interrupted,
and
tried
to
make
the
ending
into
a
better
story!
This
would
be
humorous
if
it
were
not
so
dangerous.
The
teachings
of
dispensationalism
are
causing
many
to
be
misled
into
confusing,
false
views
of
not
only
the
end
times,
but
of
the
gospel,
salvation,
and
even
of
Christ
Himself.
That
is
a
serious
charge
I
know,
but
one
I
believe
you
will
find
substantiated
as
you
begin
to
read
and
study
this
book.
And
what
makes
the
study
and
understanding
of
Revelation
all
the
more
important
is
that
counter
movements
to
dispensationalism
are
arising
that
are
not
only
confusing
but
heretical
in
nature.
Our
culture
is
swirling
with
the
conflicting
streams
of
thought
regarding
what
Revelation
actually
teaches.
Out
of
concern
for
the
flock
that
I
pastor,
and
out
of
a
love
for
the
integrity
and
story
of
the
Scriptures,
I
took
my
congregation
through
a
yearlong
preaching
series
through
this
book.
As
we
journeyed
together
through
its
pages,
the
Lord
blessed
us
by
clearing
the
fogs
of
confusion
and
shining
the
light
of
His
countenance
upon
us.
The
Spirit
of
God
showed
us
that
this
book
was
given
not
so
we
would
hide
in
the
fear
of
evil,
but
rejoice
in
the
victory
Christ
has
brought
to
us.
We
were
greatly
touched
by
the
riches
of
God’s
grace
to
us
as
His
people.
On
many
occasions
I
was
asked
to
give
out
my
notes
so
people
could
study
again
what
they
were
learning.
Finally,
I
was
convinced
that
putting
these
messages
in
book
form
would
be
helpful
to
the
people
of
God.
This
book
then
is
written
not
as
an
academic
commentary
of
analysis
for
the
scholar,
but
as
a
devotional
collection
of
sermons
for
the
sheep.
It
is
meant
to
be
personal
and
practical.
However,
I
would
be
remiss
if
I
did
not
say
there
were
many
scholars
who
held
my
hand
directly
and
indirectly
to
lead
me
to
a
better
understanding
of
Revelation.
Ten
years
ago
I
could
not
have
preached
from
this
book;
now
thanks
to
them
and
others
I
cannot
stop!
It
is
my
hope
that
after
you
read
this
book,
you
would
consider
further
study
of
the
works
of
far
more
gifted
men
so
that
you
can
gain
a
further
grasp
not
only
on
the
book
of
Revelation,
but
the
book
and
the
story
that
is
the
Bible.
To
that
end,
I
have
put
at
the
end
of
this
book
a
list
of
twelve
books
as
a
limited
bibliography
that
have
greatly
influenced
the
perspective
of
the
Scriptures
presented
in
this
work
and
that
I
would
recommend
to
your
study.
This
book
will
best
be
used
by
keeping
your
Bible
next
to
it,
then
carefully
reading
the
passage
at
the
beginning
of
each
chapter
and
studying
the
Scriptures
as
you
go
along.
With
that
in
mind,
go
to
it,
remembering
all
the
time
the
words
of
our
Lord,
“Blessed
is
he
who
reads
and
those
who
hear
the
words
of
the
prophecy,
and
heed
the
things
which
are
written
in
it;
for
the
time
is
near”
(Revelation
1:3).
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