The Most Important Book in the Bible

I'm often asked by beginning Bible students which book of the Bible should they study first? Most Christians assume they should start in a Gospel, like Luke, or in an epistle like Romans, or perhaps in Genesis, since it is the beginning of all things. All these books are excellent choices, (and for that matter, any book of the Bible can be a good place to start so long as we keep studying!), but I usually suggest taking a different approach. I recommend new Bible studients begin by taking our Revelation course.

If the 66 books of the Bible may be compared to a novel having 66 chapters, then Revelation is the final chapter in God's novel. Just as a novel must be read cover to cover if it is to be understood properly, so must Bible students have an understanding of the Bible's first 65 books if we are to truly understand its culminating "chapter" of Revelation.

I recommend studyng the VBVM Revelation study because it covers not only the 22 chapters of John's vision but also relevant sections of Daniel, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Ruth, the Psalms, the minor prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Gospels and the Epistles. Virtually every book of the Bible is referenced during the course of this 10-month class, leading many VBVM students to joke that our Revelation course is actually an attempt to teach the entire Bible in a single class. We plead guilty!

What better way for a new Bible student to begin their study of Scripture than in a class that presents the entire arc of Scripture setting everything in its proper perspective? Admittedly, this is a lofty goal, and it's why I recommend our Revelation class to new students.

Next week, Verse By Verse Ministry launches the first major revision of our Revelation course in six years. Our previous course served us well since 2005, but we retired that course this month and removed all lessons from the website in preparation for the new material. Our new Revelation course has been completely reorganized and rewritten from the ground up, and it now includes hundreds of new charts and visual aids. For the first time, we will also offer both audio AND written lessons notes, and the visual aids have been numbered and associated to specific lessons to help you follow along.

We're excited to offer this revised course, and we hope you will join us online or in person. You can find more information about the Revelation course by visiting our Revelation class page, and you will be able to download the new lessons starting September 9th. Please share this information with your friends and family, and may the Lord be glorified in our teaching of His word. 

(Also, if you live near the Austin, Texas, area, feel free to join us in our other on-going study in Genesis.  And be sure to check out our latest answers to listener questions in our Question & Answers section. Or submit your own question!)