Schreiner Thomas – Revelation

G. K. Chesterton (1909: 29) humorously said about Revelation, “And though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.” I suppose I am adding to the wildness in writing this book. Augustine (1996: 135) identifies the challenge of interpreting the book, while also expressing its message with his usual acumen:

And in the book entitled the Apocalypse there are, to be sure, many obscure sayings, to exercise the mind of the reader; and there are a few so clear enough to throw light on the meaning of others, even at the cost of effort. This is chiefly because the writer repeats the same things in such different ways as to seem to be dealing with different matters, whereas he is found on investigation to be dealing with these same matters in different ways. But in the words, “He shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, nor shall there be any pain,” he is so clearly speaking of the world to come and of immortality and of the everlasting life of the saints (for only then and only there shall these things be non-existent), that if we think these expressions obscure we ought not to seek clarity or read it anywhere in the sacred Scriptures.

Augustine (1996: 135) also reflects on why some texts in the Scriptures are difficult to understand:

Those who read them [the Scriptures] in a light-minded spirit are liable to be misled by innumerable obscurities and ambiguities, and to mistake the meaning entirely, while in some places they cannot even guess at a wrong meaning, so dense and dark is the fog that some passages are wrapped in. This is all due, I have no doubt at all, to divine providence, in order to break in pride with hard labor, and to save the intelligence from boredom since it readily forms a low opinion of things that are too easy to work out.

G. B. Caird’s (1966: 13) reflection on the book of Revelation fits with my experience when I first read the book of Revelation about fifty years ago. “It is some indication of [the author’s] consummate artistry and of the validity of his claim to inspiration that he never fails to make a profound impression, even on those who imperfectly apprehend his meaning.” He also says that “for a generation whose mental eye has been starved of imagery it is in some ways the most important book in the New Testament” (Caird 1966: 13). A. Collins (1984a: 144) remarks that the book “creates a virtual experience for the hearer or reader.” And thus the book “elicits” a particular response. John “handles skillfully the hearers’ thoughts, attitudes, and feelings by the use of effective symbols and a narrative plot that invites imaginative participation” (A. Collins (1984a: 145). Flannery O’Connor (1988: 805–6; cited by Michaels 1997: 201), though she was not talking about Revelation, astutely remarks that a Christian writer will find in modern life distortions which are repugnant to him, and his problem will be to make these appear as distortions to an audience which is used to seeing them as natural; and he may well be forced to take ever more violent means to get his vision across to this hostile audience. . . . You have to make your vision apparent by shock—to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind you draw large and startling figures.

Thomas R. Schreiner – Revelation

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023

ISBN 978-1-4934-4173-0

Thomas R. Schreiner – Revelation - Contents

Series Page

Title Page

Dedication

Series Preface

Author’s Preface

Abbreviations

Transliteration

Map

Introduction to Revelation

I. Introduction and Seven Letters (1:1–3:22)

A. Prologue (1:1–8)
B. Vision of the Son of Man (1:9–20)
C. Letters to the Seven Churches (2:1–3:22)

II. Visions in the Throne Room (4:1–5:14)

A. God as the Holy Creator (4:1–11)
B. The Lamb as the Slaughtered and Risen Redeemer (5:1–14)

III. The Seven Seals (6:1–8:5)

A. The First Six Seals (6:1–17)
B. Interlude (7:1–17)
C. The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets (8:1–5)

IV. The Seven Trumpets (8:6–11:19)

A. The First Four Trumpets: Cosmic Destruction (8:6–13)
B. Fifth Trumpet: Demonic Locust Plague (9:1–12)
C. Sixth Trumpet: Demonic Cavalry (9:13–21)
D. Interlude (10:1–11:14)
E. The Seventh Trumpet: Kingdom Come! (11:15–19)

V. Signs in Heaven and on Earth (12:1–15:4)

A. The Woman and the Dragon (12:1–17)
B. The Beast from the Sea (12:18–13:10)
Excursus: The Beast and the Antichrist
C. The Beast from the Land (13:11–18)
D. The , on Mount Zion (14:1–5)
E. Declarations from Three Angels (14:6–13)
F. Two Harvests (14:14–20)
G. Praise of the Conquerors (15:1–4)

VI. The Seven Bowls from the Sanctuary (15:5–16:21)

A. The Seven Plagues from God’s Temple (15:5–8)
B. The Seven Bowls (16:1–21)

VII. The Judgment of Babylon and the Wedding of the Bride (17:1–19:10)

A. The Harlot Babylon Destroyed (17:1–18)
Excursus: Babylon in the History of Interpretation
B. The Declaration of Two Angels (18:1–8)
C. Lamentation over Babylon’s Fall (18:9–19)
D. Rejoicing over Babylon’s Fall (18:20–19:5)
E. Rejoicing over the Marriage of the Lamb (19:6–10)

VIII. The Triumph of God in Christ (19:11–20:15)

A. Defeat of the Beast, the False Prophet, and Their Adherents (19:11–21)
B. Reigning with Jesus a Thousand Years (20:1–6)
Excursus: The Millennium
C. The Last Battle (20:7–10)
D. The Last Judgment (20:11–15)

IX. The New Heavens and New Earth (21:1–22:5)

A. Making All Things New (21:1–8)
B. The Bride and the Holy City (21:9–22:5)

X. Epilogue (22:6–21)

Bibliography

Index of Subjects

Index of Authors

Index of Greek Words

Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings

Back Cover

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