Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation
Overview
The book of Revelation is one of the most rewarding books to study in all Scripture. But the problem for many today is that they have no idea what the book means or how to determine what it means. Follow the Lamb goes a long way in helping the student of Revelation grasp its richness and heed its exhortations.
Dalyrmple’s guide provides key principles in reading Revelation responsibly. The first key is that the book is about Jesus—his supremacy and sovereignty. The second key is that the language and images used in the book of Revelation derive from the Old Testament. Though many readers get caught up in the mire of John’s imagery and the exhaustive efforts to discern what the symbols mean, this principle simplifies the search for meaning. Each chapter in Follow the Lamb concludes with an important For Further Study section, making it an ideal resource for individual or group study. These questions and exercises and reflection guides make personal application of Revelation meaningful and rich.
The book of Revelation contains an important message for the people of God, both then and now—namely, that the people of God must emulate Jesus and faithfully proclaim the kingdom of God, even to the point of death. This means they are called to “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4).
Praise for Follow the Lamb
According to Follow the Lamb, the book of Revelation focuses not on information about the future but on transformation in the present. Anyone who wants to understand the ‘crown jewel of the Bible’ should put down everything else and read Dalrymple’s book. From ‘the golden ticket’ for understanding Revelation—that it is about Jesus above all else—to the ‘wild world of apocalypses,’ he expertly and sensitively introduces key insights (prerequisites) for grasping the intended meaning of the Bible’s grand finale. Those who read the book of Revelation through the lenses provided in his book will be better prepared than ever to ‘follow the Lamb.’
—Brent Sandy, Adjunct Professor of New Testament, Wheaton College; Professor and Chair, Department of Religious Studies, Grace College (retired)
I enthusiastically recommend Dalrymple’s book Follow the Lamb. His ability to explain the text of Revelation with clarity and concision while maintaining a sound hermeneutical methodology and a robust theology all while maintaining pastoral sensitively is truly impressive. In this book, Dalrymple offers several keys for understanding the message of Revelation while avoiding the pitfalls of tunnel vision, ax grinding, and excessive speculations. He points the reader to what the text actually says as he opens up vistas showcasing the beauty and grandeur of Revelation in a panoramic framework enabling one see how the parts fit within the whole. He masterfully manages to transform the kaleidoscopic imagery of John’s vision into a telescope by which to view the glory of God, the victory of Christ, and the destiny of the people of God arrayed in splendor. As a professor who regularly reads, writes, and teaches on Revelation, I find that Dalrymple’s book strikes the right balance between hermeneutics and exposition. It represents what I look for when selecting a textbook for my students. While it is not a comprehensive introduction or commentary on Revelation, it is one of the of the most accessible explanations of what good hermeneutics looks like and how it relates to the theology, themes, and message of this climactic book of prophecy.
—Alan S. Bandy, Rowena R. Strickland Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek, Oklahoma Baptist University
I often tell my students that the New Testament is ultimately an extended commentary on the Old that focuses on two things: Christ and following Christ (Christology and costly discipleship). With passion and clarity, Dalrymple demonstrates that this is true also for Revelation. His insightful book will illuminate much else about Revelation that is often misunderstood and misapplied. It deserves a wide readership.
—Michael J. Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, St. Mary’s Seminary and University
Top Highlights
“It is my contention that this is precisely the opposite of John’s view of things.” (Page 143)
“David deSilva comments, ‘John’s cosmos is a universe of stark alternatives. At every level of existence, there are two camps, and John has ‘constructed his narrative world in such a way as to emphasize the mutual exclusivity of the two realms.’ ’” (Page 139)
“A more careful look at the beast, however, reveals that he is presented as a parody of Christ.” (Page 140)
“The second key is that the language and images used by John throughout the book of Revelation derive from the OT.” (Page 19)
“This is our goal: to learn to interpret the book of Revelation in light of its original meaning so that we might learn to apply its message to our lives and thus more faithfully ‘follow the Lamb wherever He goes’” (Page 19)
Contents
- Introduction: Why You Should Master the Book of Revelation
- Part 1: Primary Keys for Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation
- Christ in the Book of Revelation
- The People of God as Imitators of Christ
- “Overcome”: Revelation’s Most Important Word
- Imagery and the Old Testament
- Part 2: Secondary Keys to Reading Revelation Effectively
- John’s Use of Numbers
- Understanding Genre and Revelation
- Part 3: Reading Revelation as Literature
- Inclusios: Structure and the Book of Revelation
- Repetition: Structure and the Book of Revelation
- Reading Revelation as a Story
- Part 4: Issues and Themes in the Book of Revelation
- Revelation and Dualism
- Revelation and Holy War
- Revelation and Justice
Product Details
- Title: Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation
- Author: Rob Dalrymple
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Publication Date: 2018
- Pages: 192
- Format: Logos Digital, Paperback
- Trim Size: 6x9
- ISBN: 9781683592044
Reviews
1 rating
Michael Henderson
9/14/2021
Was not impressed. I have read and did not find it uplifting, but rather disheartening. He is correct on many things, but really skips over a lot of the books content relegating it to subjective symbolism with not a lot of non-literal meaning. Same stuff I have read for decades from liberal scholars. I do agree with the Christological content and Christ being the King and all things pointing to Him as the one we all will be accountable to.
