The last book of the Bible is one of the most controversial-and probably the most misunderstood.

Many Christians are hesitant to read the book of Revelation for themselves. They may dip their toes in and try to interpret the images literally, or they treat the book like a math puzzle, focusing on symbols. Either way, they can't resist the urge to correlate images from Revelation with news headlines and doomsday prophecies.

Instead of filling us with hope, erroneous interpretations of Revelation have splintered the church. When the Apostle John wrote Revelation, he did not intend to fuel fears of the end times or to take us down elaborate rabbit trails of prophecy. His message for the church remains relevant to us today: don't give up, because God is in control-even in a world that seems out of control.

Better yet, John painted for us a picture of Jesus like nothing we've seen before!

Dr. Joseph Davis, founding pastor of GraceLife Church in Sarasota, Florida, is the author of The GraceLife: What Philippians Teaches Us About Loving One Another Relentlessly, Growing to Love God's Word: An In-Depth Study of Psalm 119, Surviving Egypt: The Life of Joseph, and Swimming Lessons: The Story of Jonah.

In Letters from Heaven, Davis breaks down the symbolism and apparent complexity of Revelation into 51 edible bites. This approachable and enriching, passage-by-passage exploration of John's Revelation is the perfect companion to a personal devotion or study. There is a chapter for every week of the year, focused on deepening your understanding of:

• what John's historical audience would have noticed about his words,
• what Jesus was saying to His church, and
• what Jesus is saying to us today.

Revelation isn't about deciphering current events or predicting the future. It provides us insight into the story of redemption and offers courage to Christians to follow Jesus through life's trials. Above all, it inspires us with a fresh glimpse of the glory of God and His Son.The final book of the Bible is the antidote to our culture's obsession with the confusing events in this world. Begin your journey through Letters from Heaven and the book of Revelation today and be ready to experience new heights of anticipation for the day Jesus' followers finally get to meet Him face-to-face!