PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN of First Presbyterian Church Birmingham Michigan

. . . There was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation,
from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and
before the lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.
                                                                             —Revelation 7:9

In recent years, an enormous prophecy industry has marketed frightening images and interpretations of the book of Revelation, leaving many Christians intimidated by this amazing, often misunderstood book. Although brimming with mysterious symbolism, Revelation ultimately is a book of hope that sustains those who are oppressed. In the nine lessons of Journeys Through Revelation, Barbara Rossing leads us to a renewed creation in which God comes to live with us on earth. This hope-filled vision speaks to us in the midst of the urgent crises of our day. In a time when all creation stands at a turning point, Revelation can help guide the choices we make as we seek to live into the renewal that God promises for the world.

Journeys Through Revelation was written by Barbara Rossing, professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology and author of The Rapture Exposed:The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation. A fervent environmentalist, she speaks on ecology and the environment, as well as biblical and religious topics. She has served as a local pastor, chaplain at Harvard University Divinity School and director for global mission interpretation for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

For more information, see the Horizons website: http://horizons.pcusa.org/bible.htm

About the Authors

Barbara R. Rossing is a Lutheran pastor and professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, where she has taught since 1994. She holds a doctor of theology degree from Harvard Divinity School, a master of divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, and a bachelor of arts degree from Carleton College, with a major in geology. She is the author of The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation. Her publications include The Choice Between Two Cities: Whore, Bride and Empire in the Apocalypse, as well as articles and book chapters on Revelation, early Christian prophecy, biblical preaching, and ecology.

Barbara has served as chaplain at Harvard Divinity School, pastor at Holden Village retreat center, and assistant pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. She serves on the executive committee and council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). She lectures and travels extensively, including leading trips to the Middle East and joining the LWF delegation to the 2009 United Nations Copenhagen summit on global climate change. She and her husband, Lauren Johnson, spend summers in Washington’s Cascade Mountains where they love to hike and cross-country ski. She has three stepchildren and one grandson.