Revelation.

When I was young, although I grew up in church, I was never a youth group kid. I went to youth for one year, grade 8 I am pretty sure, and it didn't really do anything for me. I also got really busy playing basketball and I never really went back. But in that one year of youth group, they managed to terrify me twice with the book of Revelation. 

One time, the leader of the grade 8 girls group decided to take us into the huge, dark sanctuary and show us a video on Revelation. I don't remember much, but I do remember multi-coloured horses, wars, destruction, and terror. I remember I was so scared I was in a cold sweat. I think that was the only time in my life I have ever actually been in a cold sweat.

Another time that year, the whole youth group watched a movie. It was about Revelation, the rapture, and general end times. Again, I don't remember much. I know there was a guillotine and the mark of the beast. But I think in both cases, over time I blocked most of the memories out.

The end result of these two experiences is that I lived most of my childhood and teen years in a deathly fear of the book of Revelation. This wasn't just a "I'm a little kid and I'm a bit scared of Revelation", this was an "I'm seventeen years old and I am terrified of the book of Revelation." When I was around seventeen, I finally got to the point where I had read all of the rest of the bible and could no longer avoid Revelation. But, instead of continuing my 'read a couple chapters before I go to sleep' plan, I sat down and burned through it. Not because I was interested, but because I couldn't stand thinking about it. I knew I would spend all day dreading that I had to read Revelation that night. So I think I read it in two or three large chunks and then was glad to be done it. 

Eventually, I did get over my fear of the book. It was actually because of my pastor. The pastor at my church at the time tended to preach sermon series' that lasted for months. So one day when he announced that he was starting a series on the end times, I knew I was in for a long haul. I was forced to actually think and learn about it over a long period of time. I got over my childhood terror and now I don't have any problems with end times or Revelation at all.

A few times I have tried to figure out what that movie I watched with the youth group was. But since I blocked so much of it out, I could never get anywhere. But earlier this week, in my Pentecostalism class, we were talking about eschatology (end times) and it brought up my memory of the movie. I tried looking for it again, and somehow I managed to remember a bit more of the movie that I ever really could before. Long story short, I found it. I read the plot summary, and it is hilarious. You can read it here. The movie is called Apocalypse II: Revelation. It has Jeff Fahey in it and actually sounds funny and not the least bit scary. There are virtual reality goggles and computer viruses. The preview is ridiculous and has 90s music playing in the background. You can watch it below, but don't judge me; seriously, as a 12 year old, this was terrifying.