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Revelation Road
If you're reading this, we're still alive. The end of the world has not occurred. But it can't be long now, can it?
For two thousand years, the Book of Revelation has inspired countless conspiracy theorists, film-makers, writers and artists, as well as theologians and teachers. But why are we so bothered? After all, the end of the world still hasn't turned up, and it's been quite a while now.
When Nick Page wanted to get to the bottom of what this mysterious book is really all about, he realised there was only one way to go about he had to go to the land of apocalypse. Travelling to Patmos via the ruined cities of the seven churches of Revelation, determined to seek out a revelation of his own, Nick explores the culture behind Revelation, who wrote it, why they wrote it, and what it means for us today.
Mixing history, commentary, creative reconstruction and sun-crazed travelogue, here at last is the (perhaps not quite) final word on heaven, hell, the four horsemen of the apocalypse - and why the end of the world never does turn up when it's supposed to.
For two thousand years, the Book of Revelation has inspired countless conspiracy theorists, film-makers, writers and artists, as well as theologians and teachers. But why are we so bothered? After all, the end of the world still hasn't turned up, and it's been quite a while now.
When Nick Page wanted to get to the bottom of what this mysterious book is really all about, he realised there was only one way to go about he had to go to the land of apocalypse. Travelling to Patmos via the ruined cities of the seven churches of Revelation, determined to seek out a revelation of his own, Nick explores the culture behind Revelation, who wrote it, why they wrote it, and what it means for us today.
Mixing history, commentary, creative reconstruction and sun-crazed travelogue, here at last is the (perhaps not quite) final word on heaven, hell, the four horsemen of the apocalypse - and why the end of the world never does turn up when it's supposed to.
- GenresChristian
294 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
10 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Nick Page
200 books47 followersNick Page lives in Oxfordshire, UK, with his wife Claire, their three daughters and a dog called Bill.
As well as writing books, he works with a number of campaign groups and NGOs. He is also a popular speaker for churches, church weekends and other events. events, etc.
His main focus is on church history – particularly the early church. Recent work includes A Nearly Infallible History of Christianity, and the Longest Week trilogy.
As well as writing many books for adults (or at least those who think they are adult) he has also written many books for children.
As well as writing books, he works with a number of campaign groups and NGOs. He is also a popular speaker for churches, church weekends and other events. events, etc.
His main focus is on church history – particularly the early church. Recent work includes A Nearly Infallible History of Christianity, and the Longest Week trilogy.
As well as writing many books for adults (or at least those who think they are adult) he has also written many books for children.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 22, 2019
Nick Page goes to Turkey and the Greek island of Patmos in his attempt to explain the Book of Revelation. I really enjoy reading about ancient history, including the early history of Christianity, and I liked Page’s boots on the ground approach i.e. if you’re going to write about the Book of Revelation, visit the place where it was written (Patmos) and the places it was intended for (seven Christian communities in Greek cities, such as Ephesus in modern day Turkey). Page is a really good writer, and the book was a good mix of Greek and Roman history, travelogue, and explanations as to the real meaning behind the Book of Revelation.
January 12, 2022
I have read several other books by Nick Page and enjoy his style of writing. This book is not an exposition of Revelation but it is a good explanation of what the message of Revelation is. Humour is a vital part of Nick’s writing and he doesn’t disappoint here. Travelling to the sites of the seven churches before visiting Patmos where it was written there is good background and insight to the book. As someone brought up in a church that taught Dispensationalism I was familiar with a lot of the things he debunked and he also looked at how those ideas came about. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from him in the future.
March 5, 2018
‘If only we have the courage to understand that we will never fully understand this book.’
A thought provoking pilgrimage through Revelation with Nike Page, reflecting on the view that many aspects of Revelation have already taken place - certainly a new perspective for me, and one for me to ponder further.
A thought provoking pilgrimage through Revelation with Nike Page, reflecting on the view that many aspects of Revelation have already taken place - certainly a new perspective for me, and one for me to ponder further.
November 12, 2023
3.5 stars. A curious book that is part biblical commentary, part travel guide. I’m still not quite sure what a lot of the travel writing added, but I certainly enjoyed the pithy writing style and learned lots of new things about Revelation - particularly in terms of the geographical features of the locations of the book.
December 4, 2015
Revelation Road: One Man’s Journey to the Heart of Apocalypse – and Back Again Originally posted on www.onemainthemiddle.com
The book of Revelation, or The Apocalypse as it's otherwise titled, is one of those books that scares and fascinates people. It has been the subject of many different studies and has led to many individuals claiming to have discovered when the world is going to end. One man has set out to find some truth behind this controversial book.
Nick Page has written many books for the Christian market and they seem to vary wildly in subject matter. I first discovered Nick's writing in "The Tabloid Bible" way back in 1998! This was a funny look at Bible stories through tabloid style headlines. It was quite a laugh and I loved it, and have been known to encourage kids to reproduce similar in the older groups of Sunday School that I have taught. It seems like quite a leap from that book into a serious book about one of the most mysterious books in the Bible. Thankfully the pathway has taken in many other books that include "The Longest Week" which is an incredibly interesting examination of the week leading up to Jesus death incorporating the sights and smells of this journey.
This trip into the apocalypse and back again is pretty much what it says. Inspired by revisiting Hal Lyndsey's book "The Late Great Planet Earth" Nick begins to wonder about the last book of the Bible and what it's all about. In order to uncover some truth Nick jets off to visit the places that the book of Revelation covers. After some initial discussion about the identity of the author and a conclusion that might upset some traditionalists,Nick starts by visiting the cities of the seven churches. What follows are Nicks impressions of the areas that he visits as they appear now. This is followed by information, a lot of information of the history, events and culture of those places giving a fairly in-depth lesson to give the reader the understanding to understand what is being said with a good amount of context. This is really interesting if you have an interest in history generally regardless of the 'religious' aspect of this book.
If you don't get on with history then I would suggest you steer clear of this book as facts, theories, dates, culturally significant information surges from every page. No-one could accuse Nick of not doing full or proper research on his subject, there is a reference guide at the back of the book which runs to numerous pages! If this all sounds rather dry and boring then don't worry there are a few pictures. Unfortunately the pictures are printed on the pages with text and they are greyscale and don't work to lift the text as much as a good referenced section of colour images would. This is a shame and to me a real downfall of this book because the text describes the colours vividly, but it is hard to match with the images that are included.
The text still isn't boring because Nick writes in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that really lifts the text and this means you won't want to miss any of the notes at the bottom of the pages because there are a fair few witty bits in these too. One that sticks out is a list of some of the sevens in the book. He talks about the seven trumpets, the seven seals and the seven dwarfs, before correcting himself to seven bowls! There are also many cultural references scattered throughout as the images in revelation have inspired many different areas of popular culture including Terry Pratchett and Doctor Who.
After circulating the seven churches, or at least the areas where they once stood he moves onto his next point of call. In Revelation terms the holy grail is the island where the writer put pen to papyrus, Patmos. Staying on this island and visiting many of the areas which may have influenced the writer Nick discusses some of the more controversial areas of the prophecy.
The explanations that Nick comes up with, interpreted by the events of the days that the book is being written, make a lot of sense. He doesn't completely deny the supernatural element, but Nick is also keen to point out similarities to other literature from similar writers, and other apocalyptic images in the Bible. This book doesn't really get into the end of the world debate, but very much reflects the view that the vision the writer saw incorporated current events.
I enjoyed the writing and the book flows well. There is a lot of information given to the reader and much of it I know cannot remember without going back and rereading, but there were certainly some eye-openers. As mentioned already I appreciated the cultural references that meant I had a frame of reference. I really appreciated the humour, because it's a serious book, but that doesn't mean you can't have a laugh at the same time.
If Revelation is a book that you have been hung up on as a Christian then you may well find some enlightenment in this book. You may not agree with all of Nick's views and assessments, but I think you will leave this book more informed than you started.
The book of Revelation, or The Apocalypse as it's otherwise titled, is one of those books that scares and fascinates people. It has been the subject of many different studies and has led to many individuals claiming to have discovered when the world is going to end. One man has set out to find some truth behind this controversial book.
Nick Page has written many books for the Christian market and they seem to vary wildly in subject matter. I first discovered Nick's writing in "The Tabloid Bible" way back in 1998! This was a funny look at Bible stories through tabloid style headlines. It was quite a laugh and I loved it, and have been known to encourage kids to reproduce similar in the older groups of Sunday School that I have taught. It seems like quite a leap from that book into a serious book about one of the most mysterious books in the Bible. Thankfully the pathway has taken in many other books that include "The Longest Week" which is an incredibly interesting examination of the week leading up to Jesus death incorporating the sights and smells of this journey.
This trip into the apocalypse and back again is pretty much what it says. Inspired by revisiting Hal Lyndsey's book "The Late Great Planet Earth" Nick begins to wonder about the last book of the Bible and what it's all about. In order to uncover some truth Nick jets off to visit the places that the book of Revelation covers. After some initial discussion about the identity of the author and a conclusion that might upset some traditionalists,Nick starts by visiting the cities of the seven churches. What follows are Nicks impressions of the areas that he visits as they appear now. This is followed by information, a lot of information of the history, events and culture of those places giving a fairly in-depth lesson to give the reader the understanding to understand what is being said with a good amount of context. This is really interesting if you have an interest in history generally regardless of the 'religious' aspect of this book.
If you don't get on with history then I would suggest you steer clear of this book as facts, theories, dates, culturally significant information surges from every page. No-one could accuse Nick of not doing full or proper research on his subject, there is a reference guide at the back of the book which runs to numerous pages! If this all sounds rather dry and boring then don't worry there are a few pictures. Unfortunately the pictures are printed on the pages with text and they are greyscale and don't work to lift the text as much as a good referenced section of colour images would. This is a shame and to me a real downfall of this book because the text describes the colours vividly, but it is hard to match with the images that are included.
The text still isn't boring because Nick writes in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that really lifts the text and this means you won't want to miss any of the notes at the bottom of the pages because there are a fair few witty bits in these too. One that sticks out is a list of some of the sevens in the book. He talks about the seven trumpets, the seven seals and the seven dwarfs, before correcting himself to seven bowls! There are also many cultural references scattered throughout as the images in revelation have inspired many different areas of popular culture including Terry Pratchett and Doctor Who.
After circulating the seven churches, or at least the areas where they once stood he moves onto his next point of call. In Revelation terms the holy grail is the island where the writer put pen to papyrus, Patmos. Staying on this island and visiting many of the areas which may have influenced the writer Nick discusses some of the more controversial areas of the prophecy.
The explanations that Nick comes up with, interpreted by the events of the days that the book is being written, make a lot of sense. He doesn't completely deny the supernatural element, but Nick is also keen to point out similarities to other literature from similar writers, and other apocalyptic images in the Bible. This book doesn't really get into the end of the world debate, but very much reflects the view that the vision the writer saw incorporated current events.
I enjoyed the writing and the book flows well. There is a lot of information given to the reader and much of it I know cannot remember without going back and rereading, but there were certainly some eye-openers. As mentioned already I appreciated the cultural references that meant I had a frame of reference. I really appreciated the humour, because it's a serious book, but that doesn't mean you can't have a laugh at the same time.
If Revelation is a book that you have been hung up on as a Christian then you may well find some enlightenment in this book. You may not agree with all of Nick's views and assessments, but I think you will leave this book more informed than you started.
December 29, 2017
An intriguing read, offering fresh - and refreshingly balanced! - perspectives on the Book of Revelation and its connections with the apocalypse.
January 4, 2020
Very knowledgeable, yet lighthearted and fun. Enjoyable whimsical read. If you like travel books this may be your way in to the book of Revelation.
July 10, 2015
This is the best book about revelation I've read, it's light humourous, but also interesting and quite a different take on the last book of the bible. Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews