Mysterious Apocalypse: Interpreting the Book of Revelation

by Arthur William Wainwright

No part of the Bible is more controversial than the book of Revelation, or, as it is often called, the Apocalypse. For eighteen hundred years it has given rise to conflicting interpretations, and in the late twentieth century it is as controversial as ever.

Genres: Religion

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1993

Reviews

[Fred Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is sweeping in its scope and contains dozens if not hundreds of names as diverse as Origen, Isaac Newton, Tchaikovsky, and Filipo Tze (a Ghanaian cult leader that required his followers to go naked.) In this respect the first section of the book reminded me of Leroy Froom's magisterial four volume work The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers. What Froom takes thousands of pages to cover, Wainwright covers in a mere 100 pages. But it is well worth reading in addition to Froom and covers material that Froom neglects. Wainwright is more willing to cover more "out there" interpretations of Revelation, such as the idea that the beast of the sea represents the atomic bomb or that the woman clothed in the sun and the whore of Babylon are the same figure.

Although I have been studying Revelation intensely for about two years, this book made me realize just how much material I have not even begun to research. For example in part three the author examines Revelation in art, music, and culture. It includes eight reproductions of various art works, including one that has multiple trees of life on either side of the heavenly river. In this I think the artist has interpreted Revelation 22.2 exactly right!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful for what it is-a survey of historical interpretation of Revelation-but not a book you'd want to go to for insight in to the actual meaning of the text. At times the lists of different perspectives and historical figures is overwhelming and impossible to retain.