After my reading of John, I have read Matthew's Gospel. But, as this was getting a bit tedious, I shall give my comment on the Book of Revelation first. Matthew is a story with a lot of moral rules in them. The Book of Revelation is full of images. This book is great. Religion without spirituality is nothing!

In Revelation, John first gets some messages from Jesus for various churches, and next has the most wonderful vision.

John hears something, and looks around him. He sees someone like Jesus, in a robe extending down to his feet, wearing a wide golden belt around his chest. Both head and hair are white, face shining like the sun, flaming eyes, feet like bronze, a double-edged sword extending out of his mouth, seven stars in his right hand (1:12-20). I had never read this before, and it is a picture I shall not easily forget!

It felt good to me rightaway: I couldn't wait to read on.

First there are messages to seven churches. Jesus is dictating messages to them as in regular letters. The tone is practical, not lyrical, rather businesslike. He can be very practical: he appreciates in the church in Ephesus that they (2:6) "hate what the Nicolaitans practice - practices I also hate". The church in Thyatira had been doing well recently, according to Jesus, but they are warned not to tolerate a prophetess called Jezebel who incites to adultery. (2:19-20).

After this, John looks into Heaven, and sees an open door there. A voices tells him to come up, to see "what must happen after these things"(4:1).

This gives the reader a good insight into how heaven is. In heaven there is a throne, with someone seated on it, his appearance likened to the precious stones jasper and carnelian (green and red), with a rainbow around the throne. From the throne are coming lightning and thunder. Twenty-four elders in white clothes with golden crowns are seated on thrones around the first one. In front of the throne is something looking like a sea of glass and seven spirits in the shape of torches. Around the throne are four creatures with six wings, and eyes all over them, they are like a lion, an ox, eagle and an unspecified one with a man's face. The man in the middle is holding a scroll written on both sides, with seven seals. There also is a lamb coming, with seven horns and seven eyes, who takes the scroll from the central person's hand.

Next John witnesses this chain of events. Four horsemen get an assignment, and ride out of heaven. There is an earthquake and the winds stop blowing. But first, an angel puts a seal on each of 144000 people from 12 Israeli tribes to mark them as servants of God. A mass of people stand in front of Him, coming out of the great tribulation. Then one angel throws fire on the earth, and a series of disasters happen, one every time one of seven angels blows a trumpet. The fifth angel makes locusts come out of an abyss, powerful as scorpions, who harm those who have not been marked with the seal on their forehead, during five months, without killing them.

There is a devil also, in the form of a dragon. He is thrown out of heaven by angels. The dragon has seven heads and ten horns. He gives authority to a beast, which has large following in the world for some time. Some people have its number on their forehead or right hand, while the 144000 have the name of the Lamb on their foreheads. Torture of those who follow the beast will be by fire and sulphur (14:9-10).

Plagues follow this, poured down by angels.
Jesus comes out on a white horse with his sword in his mouth in chapter 19. He beats the beast in this chapter. The beast is chained and locked up in an abyss for 1000 years. For those 1000 years, those who had been executed as Christians rule with Jesus: this is the first resurrection, we learn. After 1000 years the devil gives it another try, but is devoured by fire from heaven, and tormented in a lake of fire and sulphur forever.

Now the dead come stand in front of the throne, and are judged according to what is in books. If they're not in it, they are thrown into a lake of fire. This is the second death.

In the end a new heaven and earth are made, a holy city Jerusalem comes out of heaven, and God comes live among humans (21:2-3). The city is made out of precious stones and gold. It is also referred to as the wife of the Lamb. (21:9-10)

This is an exciting story, with plenty of images. I can read it again and again, and it gives me a lot of inspiration, and imagery to think about. The flow of the story is good, it is very easy to read through.