Revelation

The NIV Application Commentary, New Testament #20

by Craig S. Keener

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. What can we know about the book of Revelation? What should we make of its visions of apocalyptic horsemen, horns with faces, flying angels, and fantastic beasts? Most important, what meaning does it hold for us here and now, and how can we apply it to our lives? Craig S. Keener shares perspectives on Revelation and helps us strengthen our hope in the future while living out our faith wisely in the present. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's context, each passage is treated in three This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

Genres: Reference, Theology, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, New Testament, Christianity, Christian

576 pages, Hardcover

First published December 14, 1999

About the author

Craig S. Keener (PhD, Duke University) is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author of many books, including Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, the bestseller The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels, Gift and Giver, and commentaries on Matthew, John, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, and Revelation.

Reviews

[Jon Håversen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bok nr. 200 på Goodreads var en skikkelig perle. For en briljant bok dette, og Johannes Åpenbaring er! Den har skapt dyp takknemlighet hos meg, og styrket troen min svært! Det er fantastisk å tilhøre universets Gud, han som er Herre over historien. Det gjør noe med hvordan man ser på verdenspolitikken og egen deltakelse i storsamfunnet når man vet at Gud til slutt skal seire. Det gjør noe med synet på seg selv, sin egen selvbevissthet og selvbilde å vite at anklageren er styrtet (12:10) og kan aldri anklage meg for min synd fremfor Gud igjen. Det gjør noe med fremtidstroen å vite at jeg har et håp som kan overvinne alt - selv døden.

"Den som tørster, skal komme, og den som vil, skal få livets vann som gave".

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect much out of a commentary series that had the letters “NIV” in it, but this was well-done. Keener demonstrated mastery of the current literature and made interesting, if sometimes stretched, applications.

Rev. 4-5 Throne Room

24 elders: Keener says they represent all believers (172). That reading is possible, but it is more likely the divine council. Further, the picture we have of believers in heaven (ch. 6) has them pleading before the altar.
Revelation 6:9-17

Keener raises the problem of the martyrs’ prayer for justice, but doesn’t give a satisfactory answer (221-22). He notes that it appears to conflict with Jesus’s love your enemies. He doesn’t bring up the imprecatory psalms. They aren’t psalm of vengeance, but psalms against God to arise in covenantal judgment. When we pray like this, we aren’t violating Jesus’s commands, but are asking God to be faithful to the covenant.

Revelation 7:1-8

Keener seems to suggest that the events following the 6th seal aren’t chronological. In fact, he breaks with premillennialism at this point: “those who can withstand the day of God’s wrath are those whom God has empowered to withstand the previous plagues” (230). That’s certainly a true proposition but there are easier answers. Pre-wrath, for one.

Revelation 12

The Mother: faithful remnant of Israel (314). The theological source most available would have been the OT, which the readers would have known.

Reasons it can’t be Mary: We don’t have evidence of Mary’s being persecuted by the Dragon.

Revelation 20

Defense of Historic Premillennialism

1. The binding of Satan during the thousand years hardly matches Satan’s deceptive and murderous activity during the present era (12:12-13; 13:11-15).
2. The saints have already been martyred, suggesting that the Tribulation period precedes the Millennium.
3. The resurrection of the righteous is parallel to and contrasted with the rest of the dead returning to life after the thousand years (20:4-6), suggesting a bodily rather than symbolic resurrection.
4. Revelation 20 presupposes all that transpired in chapters 12-19.

Extra notes on Revelation 20.

The angel’s binding of Satan (20:2; 9:14) is a common motif throughout Jewish literature (1 Enoch 10:4-6

Gog and Magog. In Ezekiel Gog is the ruler of Magog, but here they merely symbolize all the evil nations

Other notes: it’s doubtful John had Matt. 12 in mind when he spoke of the binding of Satan. It’s unlikely his earlier readers would have had access to the Synoptics.

Criticisms

Keener utilizes a lot of material from Tony Campolo and Ron Sider. Rev. (so-called) Jeremiah Wright of Chicago (of Obama fame) also makes an appearance (194). Of course, some of these men hadn’t yet made shipwreck of the faith in 1999, so there’s that.

[Frank Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This commentary on the book of the Revelation is par to the NIV Application Commentary series. I wondered how someone could write a commentary on Revelation for this series, given the emotions and strong options associated with this book. The author does a wonderful job in the first part of this book in pursuing a middle road through the morass. He typically discusses the various strong opinion while refusing to take sides. For each passage, he rather talks about what everyone should be able to glean from what has been read. Now, while I thought the first part of the book was brilliant, as the book of Revelation went on, the author seemed to become more and more ambiguous with the text, such that he had little to teach. I was also disappointed with his assumption of a late writing for the book of Revelations (something I disagree with).

[Nelson Banuchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary! It is not academically written and but is concise, insightful, and informative with practical applications for today. It follows the NIV. Each section discussed in Revelation is looked at in three ways:

(1) "Original Meaning" discusses things like Greek word meanings and cultural context.

(2) "Bridging Contexts" bridges the ancient world in which Revelation was written to the contemporary world by "focusing on both the timely and timeless aspects of the texts" (p.10).

(3) "Contemporary Significance" helps to bring out the various issues faced by the original readers in their past cultural context and helps to bring out the significance and specific applications it may have for us today.

NIVAC also discusses the various theological models that have been interpreted in the reading of Revelation, e.g. the "rapture," the "millennium," etc.

This is a commentary that provides great help in not only understanding Revelation, especially in it's cultural context, but in offering an approach that helps us to apply it's lessons in our lives today. Keener's commentary challenges us to rethink Revelation's importance for today and not just what it really meant for the audience of Revelation the first 100 years of the Christian Church, but forces us to reevaluate what Christianity means for us today and to reexamine our lives as Christians in light of that meaning.

NIVAC on Revelation by Craig S. Keener is a must read not only for those seeking an introduction into the book but also for those seeking its meaning and relevance for today for their Christian life.

[Jeremy Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're at all familiar with the NIV Application Commentary series, then you'll somewhat know what to expect with the Revelation volume of this series. It is a commentary that doesn't focus on the technical or academic approach toward the text. The focus is instead on pastoral concerns and practical application for believers today.

This is not to say that the work is lacking in academics or any kind of foundation. I would say that Keener gives more historical context than the average church goer would really appreciate. This is a good thing because Keener attempts to ground the book of Revelation in the first century instead of taking the guess who's bringing the apocalypse for this era approach that parts of the church have done pretty much since the beginning. I enjoyed reading his thoughts about how the history affects the reading of it, even if I think many people wouldn't care too much.

He also tries to bring application from the book of Revelation, which isn't a very easy feat for a good portion of the book. I like this focus an emphasis, but at times felt that Keener was almost preachy at times, and not necessarily the good way. I don't mind being challenged, and the commentary did do that, but at times I got the feeling he wanted us all to be street preachers because of his own history and background. It wasn't a major issue, but it was something I felt a number of times during the commentary.

Overall, I would say that the Keener's commentary on Revelation is a good middle ground. I wouldn't call it an introductory commentary, because I've read ones far more basic than this. However, it may not have the level of interaction with the technical and academic world that more scholarly types enjoy. It is instead a commentary that interacts with history and technical aspects of the text on a moderate level and keeps an eye on application. Besides having some mixed feeling on some of his applications, I would recommend this commentary for those trying to prepare a Bible study, sermon series, or even those who want to have a bit more background to the book of Revelation.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as I taught through the book of Revelation in Sunday school. I've never had a more devotional experience reading a commentary than I have with this one! The structure of each commentary in this series is helpful for teaching and personal growth, but in particular I find Keener's blend of deep scholarship, personal humility, passion for Jesus and his kingdom, and effective communication to create a rare gem in the world of theological writing. I'm thankful to benefit from his tireless work in constructing this volume.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter 2024! I bought this book, along with two other 'Revelation' reference books for a 24-week in-depth cource by Buddy Coffey. In beginning of this study I was totally into reading each chapter in all three books, but about 1/3 of the way thru I started to be overwhelmed🤯. So I felt it wise to concentrate on one book's reading and Buddey's 90min weekly message. Maybe I'll read more/again in a few years when the message of Revelation has soaked in a bit more? I believe it would be worth more if my time, but right now, this book and the Book of Revelation need time to percolate.

[Mark Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keener's work here is very helpful for drawing out the significance of this letter for us today. Keener also writes with a broad awareness of the challenges facing the global church and I deeply appreciate that perspective. The weakness of the book is that, as with all of Keener's work, it relies so heavily on historical backgrounds that are not always that helpful for getting to the heart of the textual meaning.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best commentary I have ever read on Revelation. There are several perspectives represented in each chapter of Revelation. Original meaning, bridging contexts, and contemporary significance. Helpful for sermon preparation as well as personal study.
Keener from Asbury Seminary is incredibly knowledgeable about the Bible as a whole and Revelation specifically. He has first hand knowledge of the persecuted church and that really comes out in the applications.

[Nathan Ellzey · Rating 5 out of 5]

While arguably not the top scholarly commentary on Revelation, Keener's personal commentary in the Contemporary Significance sections really add to the quality of an already outstanding commentary. Highly recommend!

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great commentary on Revelation. This may be one of the most confusing books of the Bible but Keener makes it as clear as it can be I appreciate how he interacts with popular prophecy interpretations. This commentary series in general is great for preachers and Bible study leaders.

[Landon Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The longer I've been in pastoral ministry, the less I've found myself turning to this series of commentaries. The format just feels a bit cumbersome. However, this is a genuinely helpful volume. I benefited greatly from Keener's insights as I studied Revelation to teach Revelation.

[Sam Peri]

In the Outline on Revelation, the summary for Chapter 22: V8-V9 is missing? Can you fix it?

[Frans Kempe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well done commentary of Revelation that gives both depth and is easy to understand. Useful for both studies and pastoral work.

[Nithin Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great commentary on Revelation. It isn't as in-depth as other reviewer's have said. But it's not supposed to be. It skips over a lot of the scholarly interactions to get to the practicality for believers today. Overall, it is fair-minded and doesn't take one approach over another but is eclectic.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with Most Revealing Book of the Bible: Making Sense Out of Revelation, Keener's commentary on revelation challenges some of the assumptions and stereotypes many 20th/21st century readers have about what the Book of Revelations means. Through historical context and close textual readings, Keener, a well-respected New Testament scholar, argues often for a reading that has largely become a lesser-known viewpoint amidst more popular reading that spell only doom and gloom.

[Matt Maples · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good commentary, and if you are looking for a commentary that isn't technical, but still has a good overview of the book then this is a good option. I personally think that Revelation is one book where technical commentaries are more helpful because if you don't get into the details of the book then Revelation is hard to really understand. Read this commentary along with more technical commentaries and you'll be in good shape.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could remember and retain what I learned from this commentary.

[Jeff Noble]

The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation by Craig S. Keener (?)

[Roma]

love the way the books in this series are laid out. Get a history lesson along with how it pertains to contemorary life. This is the third in the series I have read.

[Virginia Kindrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

love it,

[Eric Molicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very valuable. I love the format of this commentary series, but the quality is up or down. This one is definitely on the upside.

[Matthew Shedd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair commentary from a millennial perspective. Some very weak sections, but some good thoughts!