Inspire. 

YCW Digital Magazine / January 2021 / Vol 2.

When did you last look at the book of Revelation with your young people? The book has been something of a battleground of speculation about the end times, with theories coming from all angles. It’s no wonder that most youth leaders steer well clear.

But Paul Martin, a youth pastor at Magheralin Parish, Northern Ireland, demonstrates that it is possible to navigate the material for youth in this excellent series of 49 devotions drawn from the book.

He understands how the apocalyptic genre of Revelation works. He demonstrates that if you interpret the book in the light of the whole of the Bible (allusions to the Old Testament appear throughout) and in the light of the first-century setting in which John writes, and by reading carefully how the symbols work, you can grasp important themes which relate well to the contemporary world.

From that basis he is able to create pithy material with apt applications to help young people reflect meaningfully on the text, with journal space and activities to assist the process.

The language is warm and accessible and with roughly two pages each day, this could be done before school or before bed, without being a time burden (depending on education levels).

Given the enormity of the challenge of the task undertaken, this is a really excellent resource.

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ANDY PECK is editor at large at Premier Youth and Children’s Work.