Revelation (Volume 20) (The IVP New Testament Commentary Series)

Interpretations of the book of Revelation abound. One view suggests that the book indirectly describes events in John's own time. Another interpretation sees Revelation as a prophetic survey of the history of the church. Still another views the book as a precise prediction of the end of the world. The trouble with all three, argues Ramsey Michaels, is that they make the Revelation of John irrelevant to Christians throughout much of history. Failing to take seriously what John saw, such interpreters fail to comprehend the value of Revelation to Christians in any age. Michaels restores Revelation to its rightful status as a prophetic letter of testimony, a testimony as relevant to the church today as it was in John's day. In this stimulating, pastorally oriented commentary, readers will find an introduction with background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as a summary of important theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on what John had to say to his original readers in order to see the relevance of his book for the church today.