Not a Book with Seven Seals: Revelation—its Imagery, Intention, and Meaning

For many, Revelation is a book with seven seals. Its manifold, often bizarre and gloomy images are frequently misused to scare people, and apocalyptic 'specialists' claim to ‘decipher’ them in numerous ways. Starting with the effects of the apocalyptic images in visual arts, the lecture will discuss various approaches to understand the imaginary language. Based on an closer look at the literary composition of some selected images, it will try to show how this book was able to create an imaginative counter-world for its readers at the time, encouraging them to persevere in faith and hope despite adverse circumstances. Only in view of what this book meant in its time we can responsibly ask for its possible meaning for present-day readers and churches. 

_{Jörg Frey, born 1962, studied Protestant Theology in Tübingen, Erlangen and Jerusalem and studied in Tübingen with Martin Hengel. Dr. theol 1996, habilitation 1998 in Tübingen, Professor of New Testament 1998-99 in Jena, 1999-2010 in Munich, and since 2010 Professor of New Testament Studies with Special Focus on Ancient Judaism and Hermeneutics. Research Interest: Johannine Literature, Apocalypticism, Dead Sea Scrolls, Christian Apocrypha, New Testament Theology.  He is managing editor of the series "Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament" (Mohr Siebeck) and editor of numerous thematic volumes. 
Core publications: Die johanneische Eschatologie I-III, Tübingen 1997-2000; Die Herrlichkeit des Gekreuzigten, Tübingen 2013; Der Judasbrief und der zweite Petrusbrief, Leipzig 2015; Von Jesus zur neutestamentlichen Theologie, Tübingen 2016; The Glory of the Crucified One, Waco, Tx. 2018; Theology and History in the Fourth Gospel, Waco, Tx. 2018; Qumran, Early Judaism, and New Testament Interpretation, Tübingen 2019.}