In A History of the End of the World, Jonathan Kirsch aptly included a parallel to the Lewis Carroll novel Alice in Wonderland when he wrote, “Once we follow the author of Revelation down the rabbit hole of the apocalyptic tradition, we find ourselves in a place where the sights and sounds are curiouser and curiouser” (40). As I read through the Book of Revelation for the first time, I couldn’t help but think of Alice in Wonderland as well. Alice woke up at the end of that novel only to realize Wonderland was a dream. My first impression of the Book of Revelation was that John, author of the Revelation, was much like Alice, except that when he woke up, he considered his nightmare an apocalyptic prophecy. Continue reading →