In Brazil, Website Streamlines Resources for Students of the Book of Revelation

By Vanessa Araújo, South American Division, and Adventist Review

Portuguese-speaking readers of the Bible book of Revelation can now use a new online resource to augment their studies. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America launched a new website to showcase all the church-produced materials on the topic. The official unveiling took place during the South American Division (SAD) year-end meetings in Brasilia, Brazil, on November 10, 2018.

“Be it in video format, Novo Tempo Radio audio files, or feature articles, everything related to [the study of Revelation] will be posted on the site so people can find there the Seventh-day Adventist interpretation of Bible prophecy,” said SAD’s digital strategies manager, Carlos Magalhães.

In addition to information and commentary materials, the new site offers resources such as an online chat service and links to partner sites, which also delve into the study of the book of Revelation. “We offer Bible studies, always directing [people] to institutions that can provide those services,” Magalhães explained.

He emphasized the collaborative nature of the project. “The Novo Tempo network, for instance, offers a set of studies on Revelation, which will be included in our website. At the same time,” he adds, “if a person learns about a book on Bible prophecy and wishes to purchase it, he or she will be directed to the Portuguese-language publishing house, where the student will be able to do so.”

The Bible Book of Revelation

Considered by many to be one of the most — if not the most — cryptic and controversial books in the Bible, the reading and studying of Revelation often finds resistance from readers. As the website’s founders point out, whether it is because they don’t understand the meaning of the symbols or they feel its message is not applicable to the present day, many people, even Christians, simply ignore the book.

We live in a society where anything that requires effort is avoided, said Luís Gonçalves, a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist in the region. “Many people do not want religious commitments; they live as if nothing would ever happen to them,” he said. But this is not a wise course of action, he warns. “I see great danger for those who just ignore the study of the prophecies included in Revelation, because through His prophets, as Amos 3:7 states, God has revealed what He would do.”

According to Gonçalves, it is a message apt for our time. “[The book of Revelation’s] messages are completely up to date,” he said.