If I were teaching a class on the book of Revelation I would start with this video. Why? Because satire is a genre of communication you and I understand without needing any books written on it. Some of us grew up on watching things like Saturday Night Live and other skit comedy shows. We get it. We know what Mad TV is saying (Thanks, Carol Norris, for sending this video).
Nobody has to tell you what this skit is REALLY about. Nobody had to say the words "George Bush" or "war." However; if a person tried to watch this skit in the year 4007, a lot of commentary would be needed. The historical and cultural gap would leave the viewer perplexed.
Welcome to the apocalyptic genre we find in the book of Revelation. The original readers just "got it." Nobody had to say "Emperor Domitian" or "Rome."
That's how I would introduce the topic if I were teaching it . . . not that you asked!
DISCLAIMER: This post is not meant to imply that Revelation is not a prophetic book, just that we won't get the prophecy if we don't try to learn what the apocalyptic genre is about and what the historical circumstances were.
