Ufunuo wa Yohane

Kitabu cha Ufunuo ni cha mwisho katika orodha ya vitabu 27 vinavyounda Agano Jipya katika Biblia ya Kikristo.

Kama vitabu vingine vyote vya Biblia, hiki pia kinatakiwa kisomwe katika mfululizo wa historia ya wokovu ili kukielewa kadiri ya maendeleo ya ufunuo wa Mungu kwa binadamu.

Mwandishi 
Kundi la mwisho la vitabu vya Agano Jipya linajulikana kwa jina la Yohane, kwa kuwa Injili ya nne, barua tatu na kitabu cha Ufunuo viliandikwa na mtume huyo na wanafunzi wake.

Akiwa kijana kuliko mitume wenzake, Yohane alijaliwa kuishi miaka mingi na kuandika hadi miaka 70 hivi baada ya Yesu kwenda mbinguni.

Miaka hiyo yote alizidi kutafakari na kuhubiri maneno na matendo ya Bwana akitambua mafumbo mengi yaliyofichika ndani yake. Pengine alirekebisharekebisha maandiko yake mpaka mwishoni, halafu akawaachia wanafunzi wake kuyakamilisha na kuyaeneza kati ya Wakristo wa mkoa wa Efeso ambapo aliongoza Kanisa miaka mingi.

Hatua muhimu ni ile iliyofuata kufungwa kwake katika kisiwa cha Patmo (leo nchini Ugiriki). Akiwa huko, Yesu Kristo alimtokea Yohane na kumpa ufunuo maalumu siku ya Bwana, yaani Jumapili (Ufu 1:9-11)

Ufunuo ni kitabu pekee cha kinabii katika Agano Jipya; kilikamilika mwaka 95 hivi B.K.; lengo lake ni kuwaimarisha katika tumaini Wakristo waliozidi kudhulumiwa na serikali ya Dola la Roma.

Mtindo wa uandishi 
Kitabu hiki kimejaa mafumbo kama kawaida ya mtindo wa kiapokaliptiko. 

Mtindo huo ni mgumu kueleweka kwa sababu mwandishi hakuweza kutamka wazi watesi watakaoangamizwa na Mungu ni akina nani. 

Tena alipenda kusisitiza anatoboa siri za Mungu alizojaliwa kuzijua kwa njia za ajabu (njozi, malaika n.k.).

Tunahitaji kutafsiri mifano mingi (vitu, viungo, rangi n.k.) na tarakimu (nne, saba, kumi na mbili, elfu n.k.). 

Kwa ajili hiyo ni muhimu kujua maana zake katika Biblia (Ufunuo umejaa madondoo ya Agano la Kale: mistari 274 kwa 404!).

Mpangilio 
Mpangilio wake kwanza una barua saba kwa makanisa ya mkoa wa Efeso, halafu sura 4-22 zina unabii kuhusu mambo yajayo, yaani vita vikali zaidi na zaidi kati ya Yesu Kristo na shetani ambaye anatumia dini na serikali za Kipagani. 

Ushindi utakuwa wa Kristo na Kanisa, ambao hatimaye wanachorwa kama bwanaarusi na bibiarusi katika utukufu wa Mungu. (Ufu 1;4-5; 12; 21-22).

Marejeo

 Bass, Ralph E., Jr. (2004) Back to the Future: A Study in the Book of Revelation, Greenville, South Carolina: Living Hope Press, ISBN 0-9759547-0-9.

 Beale G.K., The Book of Revelation, NIGTC, Grand Rapids – Cambridge 1999. ISBN 0-8028-2174-X
 Bousset W., Die Offenbarung Johannis, Göttingen 18965, 19066.
 Boxall, Ian, (2006) The Revelation of Saint John (Black's New Testament Commentary) London: Continuum, and Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson. ISBN 0-8264-7135-8 U.S. edition: ISBN 1-56563-202-8
 Boxall, Ian (2002) Revelation: Vision and Insight – An Introduction to the Apocalypse, London: SPCK ISBN 0-281-05362-6
 

 
 Forbes, Andrew ; Henley, David (2012). Apocalypse: The Illustrated Book of Revelation. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books. ASIN: B008WAK9SS
 Ford, J. Massyngberde (1975) Revelation, The Anchor Bible, New York: Doubleday ISBN 0-385-00895-3.
 Gentry, Kenneth L., Jr. (1998) Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation, Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, ISBN 0-915815-43-5.
 Gentry, Kenneth L., Jr. (2002) The Beast of Revelation, Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, ISBN 0-915815-41-9.
 Hahn, Scott (1999) The Lamb's Supper: Mass as Heaven on Earth, Darton, Longman, Todd, ISBN 0814658180
 Harrington Wilfrid J. (1993) Sacra Pagina: Revelation, Michael Glazier, ISBN 978-0814658185
 Hernández, Juan, Scribal habits and theological influences in the Apocalypse, Tübingen 2006

 Hudson, Gary W. (2006) Revelation: Awakening The Christ Within, Vesica Press, ISBN 0-9778517-2-9
 Jennings, Charles A. (2001) The Book of Revelation From An Israelite and Historicist Interpretation, Truth in History Publications. ISBN 978-0979256585.
 Kiddle M., The Revelation of St. John (The Moffat New Testament Commentary), New York – London 1941.
 Kirsch, Thomas. A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization. New York: HarperOne, 2006.
 Lohmeyer, Ernst, Die Offenbarung des Johannes, Tübingen 1953.
 Muggleton, Lodowicke Works on the Book of Revelation London 2010 ISBN 978-1-907466-04-5
 Müller U.B., Die Offenbarung des Johannes, Güttersloh 1995.

 Pagels, Elaine (2012) Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation, Viking Adult, ISBN 0-670-02334-5* Prigent P., L'Apocalypse, Paris 1981.
 

 Roloff J., Die Offenbarung des Johannes, Zürich 19872.
 Shepherd, Massey H. (2004) The Paschal Liturgy and the Apocalypse, James Clarke, ISBN 0-227-17005-9

 Stonehouse, Ned B., (c. 1929) The Apocalypse in the Ancient Church. A Study in the History of the New Testament Canon, n.d., Goes: Oosterbaan & Le Cointre. [Major discussion of the controversy surrounding the acceptance/rejection of Revelation into the New Testament canon.]

 Sweet, J. P. M., (1979, Updated 1990) Revelation, London: SCM Press, and Philadelphia: Trinity Press International. ISBN 0-334-02311-4.

 Vitali, Francesco (2008) Piccolo Dizionario dell'Apocalisse, TAU Editrice, Todi 

 Wikenhauser A., Offenbarung des Johannes, Regensburg 1947, 1959.
 Witherington III, Ben, (2003) Revelation, The New Cambridge Bible Commentary, New York: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-00068-0.
 Zahn Th., Die Offenbarung des Johannes, t. 1–2, Leipzig 1924–1926.

Viungo vya nje

Tafsiri ya Kiswahili 
  Agano Jipya kwa lugha ya Kiswahili

Vya lugha nyingine
 Early Christian Writings: Apocalypse of John: text, introduction, context
 "Revelation to John." Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
 Apocalypse, Book of – Article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
 Understanding the Book of Revelation – Article by L. Michael White from PBS Frontline program "Apocalypse!"
The Marvelous Address: The Revelation of the Beloved (Disciple) is an 18th-century manuscript about the book of Revelation in Arabic
 Jewish Encyclopedia

Ufunuo
Mtume Yohane