This book has been transcribed from a series of sermons and Bible classes taught at the church of Christ in Estill Springs, Tennessee in 1998 and 1999. The Book of Revelation is probably the book that people want to know more about than any other in the Bible. People often say to me, "Let's study the Book of Revelation". I think the reason is that everybody who tries to read Revelation wonders what in the world it says. They are hoping that someone can tell them. Perhaps this book can help both students and Bible School teachers to meet this need. There are religious groups that base their whole religious theology heavily upon the book of Revelation. There is a lot of discussion, a lot of debate and a lot of concern about this book. This study certainly will not answer all of the questions. There are some things that are deep enough in the scriptures that we all will be searching for the rest of our lives. We can ask the Lord about those when the time comes. However, there are many things that we can understand. There are many beautiful things in the Book of Revelation that need not be neglected in our personal study, out of fear of the imagery in the Book. The objective of our study is number one, to catalog some of the things that are obvious. Secondly, study some of the things that are symbolic, but interpreted by the book itself, and thirdly to provide a top down structure for contemplation of the present day use for the things we will not be certain of for a while. It is my personal belief that the book of Revelation is a blessing from God and contains teachings that are of great present-day value to the Christian.
About the Author: I was Born in Frog Jump, Tennessee (no joke) and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. I met my wife Carolyn in my freshman year at David Lipscomb College and finished a BS in Electrical Engineering from Auburn, University and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology with post graduate work at the University of Tennessee. I am retired from a 40 year engineering career that made full use of the race to space and modern computers. I still write custom small business software applications part time. Carolyn and I have been married for 45 years and have five grown children and ten precious grandchildren. I became a Christian in 1954 and began leading the singing at the Lincoln and Fanning Heights church of Christ in Huntsville Alabama. I continued to lead singing for churches in Auburn, Alabama, Melbourne, Florida, and Estill Springs, Tn. While living in Melbourne, Florida I was a deacon over local missions, and was called on to fill in for six months as the preacher at a congregation considered a mission point for the Melbourne church. After moving to Estill Springs, Tennessee in 1973, I was leading singing at the local congregation where the preacher left without notice. The elders asked me to fill in until they could hire someone. During those next three years the congregation grew from a little over 100 members to 160. When the Estill elders hired a full time preacher, I was called to the rural Little Mountain congregation outside of Winchester, Tn. The church (established 1905) grew from 30 members to 150 in the next 15 years. We added a two-story classroom addition and an auditorium addition which seats 200 while I was there. When they were able to hire a full time worker in 1992, I moved back to my home congregation in Estill Springs, which had fallen on hard times. From a congregation of 40 in 1992, we are now filling the building with over 150 in attendance each Sunday morning. In 2005, I was appointed an elder for the congregation while continuing to preach and teach.