Goal
The middle school youth will explore the meaning of the book of Revelation and how it pertains to the Mass.
Edge Night at a Glance
The book of Revelation is the most misinterpreted book in the Bible. In the past few decades, Revelation has been used to predict the end of the world and the symbols used to describe various people and leaders in the present day. For many Catholics, it is often the book we mostly avoid. There are several different ways to approach the book of Revelation:
- Futurist: John’s vision was about the future and the final judgment
- Historical: the book discusses different stages in the history of the Israelites and the early Church
- Messiah: the book of Revelation points to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Mass
This Edge session will focus on the book of Revelation and how it connects us more deeply to the Mass. By tradition, we believe that St. John wrote the book of Revelation (same as the Gospel of John). He wrote it while he was in exile on the island of Patmos. The message of Revelation is not a history like the Gospels, but uses symbols (like numbers, colors) and imagery (dragons) to convey its message. It will be important to keep the night flowing so that everyone gets to Mass on time. Also, keep in mind that it would be difficult to look at each symbol in the book of Revelation in one night. This Edge night will help the middle school youth to understand how Revelation was written and how can we make sense of it today.