No part of the Bible is more controversial than the book of Revelation, or, as it is often called, the Apocalypse. For eighteen hundred years it has given rise to conflicting interpretations, and in the late twentieth century it is as controversial as ever. The Apocalypse has appealed to people from diverse backgrounds. It has attracted the oppressed and the powerful, the poor and the rich. Visionaries, prophetic movements, and social activists have made frequent use of it. Its powerful visions of the millennium, the beasts, Armageddon, the four horsemen, and the New Jerusalem continue to capture people's imagination. In Mysterious Apocalypse, Arthur W. Wainwright surveys the interpretation of the book of Revelation from the second century until the present day. He does not attempt to provide an exhaustive treatment of the subject but gives an account of representative interpretations in both popular religion and academic scholarship. He examines the use of the Apocalypse in political and religious controversy, in art and literature, and in Christian worship. The information he provides demonstrates the nature and extent of the Apocalypse's impact on church and society.
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