Demystifying the Book of Revelation

In this series of six lectures, Father Bill Burton, OFM, offers an excellent antidote to the bizarre interpretations of the last book of the New Testament that have proliferated over the last century and a half (repeatedly leading to “End of Days” predictions). Burton emphasizes that Revelation must be understood both in terms of the apocalyptic genre (which situates it within the Jewish prophetic tradition, particularly the Book of Daniel), and in the context of its own time, namely a period of Roman domination looked upon as analogous to the Babylonian captivity. Burton takes a sober, scholarly approach (with occasional pauses for a personal anecdote), delivering a voluminous amount of historical data and scriptural exegesis that might occasionally overwhelm some viewers. But his direct, unpretentious delivery—accompanied by illustrative graphics and artwork—ultimately makes the material quite accessible, while the segments demolishing the currently popular “Rapturist” reading and the related Left Behind school are especially welcome. Also compelling is Burton's insistence that Revelation should be understood, not decoded—embraced as an admonition to remain steadfast in the face of tribulation, not taken as an enigmatic key to unlock answers to questions that Jesus, elsewhere in Scripture, warned should not be asked. DVD extras include a discussion guide. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)