The Theology of the Book of Revelation (New Testament Theology) First Edition

This is an exceptional book. I don't get that people think it is difficult. Bauckham, to my mind, is one of the clearest writing theologians alive. It is rich and densely textured and demands some familiarity with the text as well as some understanding of it's nature as apocalyptic literature (information readily available on the internet). But his perspective -- along with that of Michael Gorman's 'Reading Revelation Responsibly' are two of the more accessible books and don't require going through an entire 500 page commentary.Beyond that, the book is rich in the practical theological implications - which actually goes to the heart of the book (over against speculative takes on the when and where; that are not the central concern of the book but only useful for it's real interpretation). Bauckham's emphasis on the symbolic nature of the book (I especially love his exposition on the book's use of symbolic numbers), and the exalted nature of God and Christ are crucial to Christian faith. And very timely as it combats any sense of syncretistic and idolatrous sense of Christian Nationalism that has become prevalent in today's world. It is also especially helpful in expounding on a key purpose of Revelation - to encourage readers who may be undergoing oppression of any sort, which includes every form of human suffering.

This is one of the best books on Revelation I have read. It is concise and to the point and makes sense of the most misunderstood book of the Bible from both an historical and a theological viewpoint. Unlike the majority of books written about Revelation, it doesn't go verse by verse but covers the major themes independently which gives the reader a much better overall perpective.Bauckham demonstrates how it is a mistake to interpret Revelation from a purely historicial perspective (ie Preterist) which makes it relevant only to first century Christians. It is also a mistake to read it from a purely futuristic perspective (ie Dispensationalism) which doesn't make it relevant for the people to whom it was originally addressed. This also leads to false assumptions, some of which turn out to be false, and makes it even more confusing.Bauckham believes that the symbolic creatures in Revelation can only be identified with specific first century entities which the original readers had to cope with. He is consistent with most scholars in identifying the Dragon with Satan, the Seprpent, which was the primordial source of chaos and evil in the universe. The Beast from the sea is the first century Roman Empire, and the beast from the land is the Roman imperial cult which propped up the deity of the emperor. These three represent an anti-trinity. The harlot is identified as the city of Rome and the 144,000 represent an army of faithful Israelites who act in the role of holy warriors in participating in the sacrificial martyrdom of the Lamb.Revelation as a prophetic book canonized as scripture has a timeless relevance just as Jesus and the apostles used earlier prophetic books to explain the times they were living in. It's underlying message is just as relevant for Christians living today as it was at the time it was written.Bauckham demonstrates how Revelation is thoroughly Jewish-Christian. It borrows heavily from the Hebrew scriptures and makes parallel reference to Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Exodus story. The use of Temple symbols also makes it highly unlikely that it was written by a gentile for a gentile audience.Revelation shows a very high Christology, similar to Paul's letters, and is strongly trinitarian. Jesus is clearly the risen Lord enthroned in Heaven who will return in triumph. This blows apart the theories of modern liberal scholars who want to portray Jesus as a wandering itinerant revolutionary sage who was exalted by gentile churches centuries later. Revelation makes it very clear that the exaltation of Jesus began at a very early date within the Jewish Christian community.Bauckham points out that Revelation is not for modern feel-good charismatic Christians. John calls the churches to be faithful witnesses to God's Kingdom even to the point of participating in Christ's sacrificial death through martyrdom. In the first century Roman Empire, declaring Jesus as your Lord had dire consequences.Bauckham makes it clear that people who try to interpret Revelation from a purely futuristic perspective by trying to identify its symbols with present or future entities miss the whole point. Revelation's timeless message is that God's Kingdom, although hidden, remains in opposition to the idolatry of man-made kingdoms which are based upon power and exploitation. It challenges the status quo.The hope which Revelation offers is that no matter how bad or corrupt the world becomes, God is still on the throne and will prevail in the end.

I find it a little odd that those who rated this book as being poor found it fair to do so primarily on the basis on its supposed difficulty. To give a book a poor rating for its difficulty is like complaining that the view from the top of a mountain is diminished because of the effort required to get there. (It is also, I think, a bit like blaming someone else for one's own stupidity). Anyway, that said, one thing that struck me about this book is just how smoothly it reads. It is truly a pleasure to be able to sit at the feet of a scholar who has clearly spent years grappling with the content of what is probably the most perplexing book in the New Testament. This book irons away all those hermeneutic wrinkles and contradictions that arise from trying to make sense of Revelation in isolation from the world in which it was written.As other have already noted, the real strength of this book is that it is an attempt to do justice to the actual historical context within which Revelation was composed. It does the reader the favor of making explicit what it means to read Revelation, not as a book written for a 21st century audience obsessed with various forms of evacuation theology and biblical literalism, but rather as a book written for a few groups of Christians living in a first century Roman-empire-dominated setting. The result is not an exegesis in line with all that pre-millennial, post-millennial jabbering, but a new kind of clarity that takes the genre and scriptural context of this apocalyptic letter seriously, on its own terms. It beautifully argues that Revelation revolves around the tension between what seems to be going on and what is really going on.For anyone who has every felt utterly baffled by Revelation, this is the book for you. It is an invitation to get behind the strange appearances of the book (its imagery, its narrative), into the reality of what the book is proclaiming.

A great book that stirs deep theological and devotional reflection. Paints a vivid picture of the church, her mission, and her methods , in between the first and second coming. Also make you want to read Old Testament prophecy more carefully.

Bauckham is a genius and this book is a whole journey. I felt like I was Neo connected to the machines installing new perspectives on me. It was refreshing, intellectually challenging, theologically confronting, academically profound. It is THE book to read if you want to understand Revelation.