Does God Delight in Violence? A Fresh Look at the Love of God in the Book of Revelation

Those who reject or are put off by Revelation often point to the book's violence as the central reason. Revelation contains more violent images than any other New Testament book. Can the love of God be found in John's Apocalypse? This article explores this question in detail. We begin with a look at how to read Revelation responsibly, especially the book's vivid imagery. In large part this calls for a serious reading the book in light of its historical and literary contexts. Then we look closely at the theme of the love of the Triune God throughout Revelation. Grasping the theme of divine love sheds new light on how to understand the book's violent imagery. Overall we suggest that Revelation focuses on both divine love and divine justice, two realities that are not ultimate in conflict.