Digital Logos Edition
Join New Testament scholar Thomas Schreiner as he explores the meaning and purpose of the book of Revelation.
The book of Revelation can feel more intimidating to read than other books of the Bible. It invites readers into a world that seems confusing and sometimes even strange: golden lampstands, seven seals, a dragon, and a rider on a white horse. But at its core, Revelation is a message of hope written to Christians facing hardship, and it’s worth the effort to read it and understand it.
In this first volume in the New Testament Theology series, trusted scholar Thomas Schreiner walks step-by-step through the book of Revelation, considering its many themes—the opposition believers face from the world; the need for perseverance; God as sovereign Creator, Judge, and Savior—as well as its symbolic imagery and historical context. The Joy of Hearing brings clarity to the content and message of Revelation and explores its relevance for the church today.
“The empire that claims to be divine is merely human; the number 666 falls short of the perfect number 777. In other words, the beast is human, not divine, and thus John tells us that all its pretensions to glory are laughable.” (Page 37)
“Brian Tabb says that apocalypses have two purposes: (1) ‘to encourage and comfort believers’ in their suffering and (2) to ‘challenge believers to adopt a new perspective on reality’ in light of the end.17 I would add that in Revelation the readers are exhorted to remain faithful to God and Christ, to endure until the final day by not capitulating to the pressures imposed on them from the world.” (Page 26)
“The message for us today is that we should not put our trust in political power to bring in the kingdom.” (Page 45)
“My contention is that we desperately need the message of Revelation for today’s world. There is a great conflict between good and evil in our world, and the Christian faith is under attack, as it was in the first century. John reminds us in this book that God rules, even in an evil day; that God has not forsaken his people; and that goodness will finally triumph and prevail. In the midst of evil, in a world in which the Christian faith is under attack, we need hope and assurance that evil will not have the last word, and Revelation teaches us that a new world is coming, that a new creation is coming, and that all will be well.” (Page 18)
“Despite the various claims of scholars, nothing in the book itself indisputably points to life under a particular emperor, whether we think of Nero (r. AD 54–68), Domitian (r. AD 81–96), Trajan (r. AD 98–117), or some other emperor. Such a state of affairs suggests that we should not rigidly tie our interpretation of the letter to any particular period or to the actions of a specific emperor.” (Page 19)