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Of all the books of the Bible, few are as fascinating or as intimidating as Revelation. Four grim horsemen, the Antichrist, the ten-horned beast, the ultimate battle at Armageddon, the "mark of the beast." It's no wonder that these images have griped the imagination of so many--and have been variously interpreted as symbolizing everything from Hitler and Gorbachev to credit cards and the Internet. Is the book of Revelation a blueprint for the future? A book of powerful symbolic imagery with warnings for the church? Is it essentially an imaginative depiction of historical events in the first century? Four Views on the Book of Revelation explores four interpretations of the book of the Apocalypse:Preterist – a historical interpretation, arguing that most of John’s prophecies occurred in the first century, soon after his writing of them.Idealist – a spiritual or symbolic interpretation, arguing that the events in Revelation are not literal, and that apocalyptic literature requires a different approach than the Gospels or Epistles.Classical dispensationalism – a literal interpretation based on a reading of Revelation that pays close attention to the rules of grammar and the separate eras of covenantal history. Progressive dispensationalism – a modification of classical that has its root in the understanding of Christ's reign beginning immediately after the resurrection.The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.
This little book is a wonderful resource for teachers, pastors, and all who want to gain a better understanding of the book of Revelation. The introduction by Marvin Pate is a real gem. It gives a helpful (and sometimes humorous) overview of the various positions expounded in the remainder of the book, and it offers a valuable apology for the study of prophecy. He points out that neither fanaticism nor the neglect of biblical prophecy is a healthy option for the follower of Christ. The heart of this volume is the presentation of four common interpretations of the book of Revelation. Kenneth Gentry does a nice job of presenting the preterist position, which is normally linked to postmillennialism. This position found a resurgence in the late 1980’s and 90’s after being on the brink of extinction. Gentry gives a good deal of historical information from Josephus’s Jewish War to bolster his interpretation of Revelation, yet questions remain. Do the atrocities of which Josephus writes reach the global proportions mentioned in Revelation? In addition, do the many passages quoted in support of a glorious earthly kingdom really affirm a postmillennial kingdom? Finally, the preterist position articulated by Gentry necessitates a pre 70 AD date for the composition of Revelation. While this is not impossible, it is improbable, as most NT scholars hold to a post 70 date. The idealist view is ably defended by Sam Hamstra. The idealist view is often associated with amillennialism and has a long history stretching back to Augustine. It sees Revelation as a representation of the ongoing battle between good and evil. It denies a chronological and literal reading of revelation. The real value of this position is that it excels in bringing out the timeless theological truths which are embedded in Revelation. These truths can provide hope and encouragement for saints of any time or place. However, it does seem questionable whether Revelation was intended to be read in a nonchronological manner. The other difficulty is that it tends to strip Revelation of historical specificity. By saying that the prophecies of Revelation can apply to any age in general, one comes close to saying that they apply to no age in particular. The final view is that of premillennialism, which is represented by both a classical dispensationalist and a progressive dispensationalist. The two views have much in common as they both read Revelation more literally than the other two positions, and both see chronological progression in the book of Revelation. Robert Thomas defends the classical dispensationalist approach by stressing a literal hermeneutic and a chronological reading of Revelation. Marvin Pate represents progressive dispensationalism which synthesizes many of the positive features of the other three views while still maintaining a distinction between Israel and the church. One of the key elements of progressive dispensationalism is the emphasis on “pattern prophecy”. This understanding of prophecy allows for the repetition of prophetic events throughout history with escalating levels of fulfillment. Classical dispensationalist writers include John Walvoord, Dwight Pentecost, and Charles Ryrie. Progressive dispensationalism is represented by Darrell Bock and Craig Blaising. While dispensationalism is grounded in biblical soil, some would question whether it does justice to the highly symbolic and figurative language of biblical prophecy, and whether those prophecies should be seen as referring to actual future events that will occur in a chronological progression. This book is especially helpful when comparing eschatological systems and how they influence the interpretation of the book of Revelation. If one is looking to study the book of Revelation, this is a great place to start.
