It is the only book of the new testament classified as apocalyptic literature rather than didactic or historical, indicating thereby its extensive use of visions, symbols, and allegory, especially in connection with future events. The book of revelation, or the apocalypse as it is also called, is the last book of the bible. Tabor is a professor in the department of religious studies at the university of. The book of revelation often called the revelation to john, apocalypse of john, the revelation from jesus christ from its opening words, the apocalypse, the revelation, or simply revelation is the final book of the new testament, and consequently is also the final book of the christian bible. The discipleapostle john, who followed jesus christ and witnessed his crucifixion, authored it. The book of revelation is divided into three parts. A commentary of the book of revelation the revelation of jesus christ 20 by cooper p. When people read the book of revelation they encounter this vast array of symbols. Throughout history the book of revelation has been much understood and neglected. John here suggests that a usage common in the jewish church luke 4. In addition, it gives personal help, teaching notes, and sermon ideas that will address needs, answer questions.
If you want to better understand the book of revelation and the end times. The book of revelation is the strangest book in the bible, and the most controversial. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant john. From as early as justin martyr in the second century a. The beginning and the end of this book show its prophetic characteristic 1. The charts provide handy thumbnail sketches and collections of data on the contents of the. In the book of revelation, the apocalyptic hopes of the early christian community find their clearest and most complete expression. The book of revelation explained volume 4 other publications by the author dan iel and rev at on texts exam ned depressi on did j esu d c nd i to h ll. Revelation with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Socialscience commentary on the book of revelation. My own understanding of the book is set forth in a very summary manner in the last chapter of my book from age to age a chapter that is not intended to be read until all of the other chapters have been completed. The revelation is the only prophetic book of the nt and it is the keystone of the word of god. This name indicates the meaning of revelation it uncovers matters that had been hidden and discloses events that would happen long after it was written. Before beginning to go through the content of revelation, we recommend that you read through the introduction, overview, and hermeneutical sections to familiarize yourself with the framework concerning this incredible book of god.
The book of revelation is by far one of the most challenging books in the bible, yet well worth the effort to study and comprehend. About the bible only revelation commentary the author is a firm believer in the wordforword inspiration and all sufficiency of the bible. Its title is derived from the first word of the koine greek text. The book of revelation starts with this is a revelation from jesus christ, which god gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. In addition, it gives personal help, teaching notes, and sermon ideas that will address needs, answer questions, and provide insight for applying the word of god to life today. The book of revelation, a prophecy of warning and hope. Divisions in the book seem to be marked by the repetition of key phrases, by. The book of revelation is arguably the most mysterious and controversial book of the bible, and classic commentaries and studies on revelation provides a massive amount of historical and solid analysis of this book of prophecy. Its purpose is to give encouragement and hope for all.
This is what makes revelation such a glorious and wonderful book. Even stranger, it was only one of many nowforgotten books of revelation. Although christ is the subject of revelation, this book records the things that will occur at the end of this age. What the 1945 lost book of revelation reveals about the. Beale this is likely the single most exhaustive commentary on the revelation available today, an amillennial treasure just waiting to be explored. Malina is professor of theology at creighton university, omaha, nebraska.
Beales commentary is the place to turn for insight on the many old testament allusions and echoes in the book of revelation. The divine origin, the design, and the importance of this book. Revelation 1 bible commentary matthew henry concise. The revelation is a very solemn book speaking much about divine judgments but it is also a. This commentary on revelation will prove, contrary to what most people think, that the revelation, the last book of the bible, is not difficult to understand if we will take a simple, facevalue, commonsense approach to interpreting it. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. Book of revelation explained scripture by scripture. So, the divine author of revelation is jesus christ and the human author is the apostle john. We hope this dynamic commentary is a beneficial study tool in your devotion to the word of god. Parts of the old testament, particularly in the book of daniel, are also written in the apocalyptic genre. In the first main division, beginning with the throneroom section and closing with the drama involving the dragon and the two beasts, there is a sequence that may be illustrated as follows adapted from my presentation in interpreting the book of revelation, p. Revelation then becomes merely a collection of stories designed to teach spiritual truth. Ask the holy spirit to help you understand what you are reading and he will guide you john 16.
Do you think that i have come to give peace on earth. John the divine is an example of apocalyptic writing a form that delivers a message using symbols, images and numbers. He is coauthor of socialscience commentary on the gospel of john 1998, and socialscience commentary on the synoptic gospels fortress press, 1992, and author of the genre and message of revelation. They represent 7 periods of church history which will last approximately 2000 years, more or less. Enduring word bible commentary revelation chapter 1. Revelation to john appears to be a collection of separate. Bible commentary on the book of revelation by brian pepper. We hope this commentary is a beneficial study tool in your devotion to the word of god.
In revelation 7 jesus described 7 historical churches to john. Mar 19, 2019 the book of revelation is by far one of the most challenging books in the bible, yet well worth the effort to study and comprehend. Among the interpreters of the apocalypse, both in ancient and modern times, we find a vast diversity of opinions, but they may be all reduced to four principal hypotheses, or modes of interpretation. God hits him with a doozy of a revelation hey, thats not a bad idea for a title.
The three major divisions of revelation must be clearly held if the interpretation is to be sane and coherent. The three major divisions of revelation must be clearly held if the. Instead of stories and moral teaching, it offers only visionsdreams and nightmares, the four horsemen of the apocalypse pictured below. The holy scriptures start with a revelation on the past genesis 1 and they end with a revelation on the future. The seven seals divide into two groups of four and three. Book of revelation read, study bible verses online. The seals 1 and i saw when the lamb opened one of the seals, and i heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, come and see.
Afterwards, you will agree with me that revelation is the easiest book in the bible to understand. A commentary on the book of revelation chapter the. Hes just a mildmannered christian guy living in exile whenpow. The apostle john wrote the book of revelation around the year ad 95 from his exile on the island of patmos. He that readeth this book publicly in the church, and they that hear the book read, are equally blessed.
David guzik commentary on revelation 1 begins with an opening description of the return of jesus, and the vision that john had of jesus. The last section deals with the consummation of all things on this earth. The book of revelation explained volume 4 foreword as i present volume 4 to the church, allow me to refer to the words of the apostle paul in 2 corinthians 11. Before beginning to go through the content of revelation, we recommend that you read through the, and sections to familiarize yourself with the framework concerning this incredible book of god. I cannot point to a single commentary with which i agree entirely. The literary genres of the book of revelation are an apocalypse, a prophecy, and an epistle or letter. Charts on the book of revelation is a useful tool for teachers and a helpful guide for students to many complex and disputed issues related to the interpretation of that biblical book. Jun 17, 2018 the book of revelation explained takes you on a easy to understand and eyeopening journey through the book of revelation.
Covering a wide range of topics and viewpoints from the nineteenth and early twentieth century, each volume seeks to clear the confusion associated with this book and. Instead of stories and moral teaching, it offers only visionsdreams and nightmares, the four horsemen. Preparing a top 5 list of commentaries on the book of revelation is extremely challenging in a number of ways. Beales familiarity with the original language, his grasp of the culture of the day, his command of the ot references and allusions, and his deft handling of the. It is a revelation that was received by the apostle john while he was in romanimposed exile on the island of patmos in the eastern mediterranean around 90 a. Let us say at once that we believe, and must believe 1, that god means what he says.
Bible commentary on revelation introduction book introduction revelation. The introduction proper revelation title of the book our bibles carry the title of the book as the revelation of john, or the revelation to john which means it is a revelation given to the apostle john, but the proper name is found in the first words of 1. There is grace promised to both minister and congregation who live up to the spirit of the scriptures. The book of revelation is a prophetic book that requires divine aid to understand. John was commanded to write concerning three classes of things revelation 1. John is told to write down everything god shows him, and boy is god going to show him some strange things. In this sense the word apocalyptic has a slightly broader meaning, and it. In this view, the book contains neither historical allusions nor predictive prophecy.
Human resistance by force was not the path of obedience. The book of revelation provides some of the keenest insights in scripture concerning the big picture of work. Here are a few tips to help you study this wonderful book. The antichrist and the false prophet 1 and i stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. The book of revelation is the final book of the new testament, and consequently is also the final book of the christian bible. Apocalypticism was not a new phenomenon among christians. The book of revelation explained takes you on a easy to understand and eyeopening journey through the book of revelation. Book of revelation overview insight for living ministries. In fact, the opening passage contains a blessing to everyone who reads, hears, and keeps the words of this prophecy. So, stop reading this commentary right now and go read revelation for yourself. All the things that happen in this book focus on the bringing in of gods covenanted kingdom. It is only when we start to overallegorize it or to force its interpretation according to our preconceived ideas or doctrines about the end.
He treats the bible as the authoritative word of god while still viewing much of the material in revelation as symbolic. John wrote revelation while a prisoner on the island of patmos, approximately 8595 a. This summary of the book of revelation provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of revelation. Book of revelation for dummies cheat sheet dummies. The new testament word antichrist comes from the greek antichristos, meaning in opposition to christ or in substitution for christ. This commentary has been through advanced checking. There the apostle begged, would to god ye could bear with me a little in my folly. Revelation to john, also called book of revelation or apocalypse of john, last book of the new testament.
The rise and fall of the antichrist appendix four a brief overview of the book of revelation. Literary structurea key to interpreting the revelation. When the thousand years are up, satan will be let loose from his cell, and will launch again his old work of deceiving the nations, searching out victims in every nook and cranny of earth, even gog and magog. The greek name of the bible book of revelation, apoka. Its meaning is positive, not fearful or terrifying to those who serve god. Four times the author identifies himself as john 1. The life application bible commentary series provides versebyverse explanation, background, and application for every verse in the new testament. Just knowing what the story actually is can be the first. The book of revelation and work bible commentary theology of. A word list at the end explains words with a star by them. In the first division of the book of revelation we will see the person of christ in his position and glory as the great high priest who is in charge of his church. As regards those who dwelt on earth for the division was not merely a spiritual one now, all worshiped the beast, save the electthose who had been written from the foundation of the world in the lambs book of life. While many associate the word apocalypse with great disaster, the book of revelation begins and ends by saying that those who read, understand, and apply its message would be happy for doing so. The versebyverse commentary on revelation introduction this commentary on revelation will prove, contrary to what most people think, that the revelation, the last book of the bible, is not difficult to understand if we will take a simple, facevalue, commonsense approach to interpreting it.
The apocalypse contains a prophetical description of the destruction of jerusalem, of the jewish war, and the civil wars of the romans. A brief overview of the book of revelation the rise and. Charts on the book of revelation is a useful supplement to. Transforming revelation, i explain the book of revelation quite completely and sensibly but in a very unique and surprising way. Beales familiarity with the original language, his grasp of the culture of the day, his command of the ot references and allusions, and his deft handling of the text itself all make this commentary an absolute. Explore free resources providing a biblical perspective on faith and work.
When jesus gave his life on the cross, he redeemed the earth back to god, but god hasnt taken possession of it yet. The book of revelation also called the revelation of john or the revelation of st. Key to understanding commentaries on revelations is knowing the position of the commentator. The real meaning of the bibles book of revelation is a popular, ongoing debate. My fundamental reservation about the book has to do with beales modified idealist approach.
Classic commentaries and studies on revelation 27 vols. The book of revelation takes an approach to the plan of salvation that is found nowhere else in all of our inspired writings. This view also ignores revelations prophetic character and, if carried to its logical conclusion, severs the book from any connection with actual historical events. Book of revelation explained a testimony of jesus christ.
The book of revelation in the bible is one of the more difficult books of the bible to understand. Youll find four major interpretive approaches to the book of revelation that can help you read, understand, and figure out the apocalyptic letter of john. The language and imagery is so chosen as to appeal to the maturing gospel scholar, to those who already love the lord and have some knowledge of his goodness and grace. Used by workplace christians, pastors and scholars. Revelation introduction scofield reference bible commentary. A testimony of jesus christ is a commentary that explains some of the mysteries of revelation. They will be divided, father against son and son against. Here the patience and faith of the saints were shewn. G if ts, oce and t hepera on of t new testamen church how to study ident ifying the beasts of revelat on jud e, t h ac t s of t po a, volume 1 sunday school quarterly jud e, t h ac t s of t po a, volume 2.
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