So, you're one of those folks who's decided to tackle the entire Bible this year. That's awesome! But let's be honest, the Old Testament can feel a bit… daunting. Strange laws, confusing stories, and a whole lot of stuff that seems totally irrelevant to our modern lives.
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What makes this section of Isaiah profound is that Ahaz’s example as the worst possible king is followed by 5 chapters of God promising the best possible king and kingdom--it is here we find our particular passage. When the nation of Israel (and all its promises) are felled like a great tree due to its own sins and the sins of its king, God promises resurrection for the broken and burnt stump through a shoot of new growth. An impossible reality, but one God intended to ultimately bring about through the life and ministry of Jesus.
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When reading the book of Revelation, the modern reader is bombarded with visual images that at first may seem surprising or even terrifying. Beasts emerge from the sea, locusts swarm with the tails of scorpions, the moon turns to blood, and four horsemen are unleashed over all of creation. IS THIS THE APOCALYPSE?!?!!
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One of the reasons many people struggle to understand the book of Revelation is simply a lack of understanding about how to approach the genre of the book. God has inspired his holy word to work within the human genres of literature Into which it was written. This means that we must read Revelation not on our terms, but on the terms of the genres of literature utilized. What makes Revelation unique is a combination of three genres of literature.
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