Activity 4: Close Read of Revelation 13

Preparation (2 hours)

Revelation 13:1-10 is on pages 71-72 of the textbook. You’re welcome to look at other translations and the rest of the book, but for the questions below focus on just that passage. Start by reading the primary source by itself. Make as much sense of it as you can. Then consider other sources, such as people, books, the Internet, and large language models. Focus on modern scholarly understanding of the original authorial intent, but it is okay to note different interpretations.

• What are some of the parallels between Daniel 7 and Revelation 13? What might explain the similarities?
• What does the dragon represent?
• What does the beast represent?
• What does the head that was wounded and healed represent?
• What happens to the holy people?
• Why are the holy people holy?
• Who or what in the world today is comparable to the beast in what ways?

In-Class Collaboration (20 minutes)

• Find your assigned collaborators and introduce yourself
• How many questions were you able to answer based on reading the primary source alone?
• What kind of sources on the Internet did you find helpful? How could you spot an unreliable source?
• Did you have access to any non-Internet sources?
• What were the best answers you thought yourself or found elsewhere to the preparation questions?

Reporting from Small Groups to the Whole Class (20 minutes = 2.5 minutes for each of eight groups)

• The first name listed on the group assignment sheet is the spokesperson for the group
• Introduce self and other members of the group
• On which of the preparation questions did your group basically agree?
• On what questions did you have the most differences?

Individual Written Reflection (10 minutes)

• What authorities do you trust when interpreting the Bible?
• For each of the preparation questions, what is currently your best answer for what modern scholarship says was the original intent, and where did you learn that?