Materials Included 5 Sessions of Learner's Materials 5 Sessions of Teaching Materials Handouts Sessions Included 1. Reassuring the Faithful 2. The Beasts and the Holy Ones 3. Fretting Over the Future 4. Living in the Meantime 5. Giving an Account Scriptures 1. Zech 12:1-10 2. Daniel 7:1-28 3. Daniel 12:1-13 4. Matthew 24:1-51 5. Rev 20:11-21:8 Brief Description 2012 marks the year some believe the ancient Mayans predicted the end of this world. In 2011, American Christian radio host Harold Camping predicted the end of the world would take place that year. The Y2K scare leading up to the year 2000 brought predictions and prophecies of impending disaster. Since the first prophets and soothsayers from the ancient Near East, prophecies and predictions of apocalypse have threaded their way into the human fabric. This was never more true than between the third century BC until the second century AD. This study examines five apocalyptic texts in the Bible--from Zechariah, Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation. With each new year bringing a new prediction of impending doom, it is always a perfect time to get the story straight. Apocalyptic literature does not address the future. It addresses our present. A part of the NextSunday Resources line of adult Bible studies, Apocalyptic Literature contains five lessons for use as individual Bible study or group discussion. Each study contains lessons on the biblical material, combined with additional commentary from an alternate, but complementary, viewpoint.