Coming Soon:
Comparing Old to New: How the Minor Prophets Blueprint the Book of Revelation
What if the most mysterious, action-packed imagery in the Book of Revelation wasn’t a brand-new script, but the spectacular final chapter of a story started hundreds of years earlier? This workbook guides students on an investigative journey through the dark pre-exilic warnings of Habakkuk and Zephaniah, into the gritty, hopeful post-exilic rebuilding days of Haggai and Zechariah.
By tracking exact words, vivid visions, and geographic blueprints using the New International Version (NIV) text, students will uncover how the Old Testament Minor Prophets provided the foundational layout for the New Testament’s ultimate climax. From color-coded military horse patrols and world-flattening earthquakes to a divine “holy hush” and the dramatic collapse of nasty empires, this study proves that the Bible is one single, perfectly connected story. Ultimately, students will discover that human pride is a dead end, and that no matter how chaotic the world shakes, they can find absolute safety by running straight to Jesus—their unshakable Rock.
After looking at this completed layout, it was important for me to pause and reflect on the journey that brought this book to life. This isn’t just a collection of life lessons thrown together; it is the direct result of my long hours of deep meditation on The Word. So many uncountable early mornings spent turning worn pages stained with tears….what a journey this life has been. I wanted to share this collection of intimate moments, draft the questions and curiosities I have inside my head, and see them in real time. So I did, I wrote them down – what are the visual connections between the Old and New Testaments? And yes, I will continue to do so until Jesus calls me home, amen.
I wrote this book for me, but I want to share it with you too, so we can journey together. I always feel a genuine, burning desire to understand God’s Word better for myself, but then it becomes a passion to share it so that deep discussions can arise, and fellowship can flourish.
I can see that that the Minor Prophets weren’t just dusty, historic voices trapped in the past, but the literal architects of the Bible’s ultimate climax in Revelation. Do you see that as well? Or what about how John’s wild visions in Revelation were using the exact vocabulary and blueprints laid down by Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Zechariah centuries earlier? Come on, this stuff is so good.
Friend, this is just one of many uncountable beautiful, unbreakable threads connecting the entire Bible into one single story about Jesus, and I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself. I wrote this adventure like of like a paper trail of my thoughts and questions to bridge the gap—turning complex and heavy theological concepts into an accessible, exciting map. I changed the complex language to “kid-style” so that the next generation of students (and the adults studying alongside them) so we can experience that same “aha!” moment.
Basically, this is a labor of love born from curiosity, dedication, and a deep reverence for the truth that is within the pages of the only book that speaks truth itself, the Bible.
Love always, Katie Swank
Hebrews 10:24-25
