Revelation

Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

by Grant R. Osborne

The Book of Revelation contains some of the most difficult passages in Scripture. Grant Osborne's commentary on Revelation begins with a thorough introduction and the many difficulties involved in its interpretation. He also examines elements that complicate the interpretation of apocalyptic literature.

As with all volumes published in the BECNT series, Revelation seeks to reach a broad audience with scholarly research from a decidedly evangelical perspective.

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

896 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Grant R. Osborne was an American theologian and New Testament scholar. He was Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Reviews

[Jesse Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very high quality commentary. Even though I am not a Premillenial Futurist like Osbourne, I cannot help but marvel at the quality of his commentary.

[Jeff Eicher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a more pastoral commentary on Revelation. Osborne's was more technical than I would've liked, which, frankly, I should've known given its girth. The intext citation and engagement with scholarly sources made it difficult to read. All of these criticisms, I admit, are "personal" in nature -- maybe in a different time of life, when I'm seeking something different in a Revelation commentary, *then* this would be a valuable one.

I appreciate his arguments for a premillennial kingdom. He had me almost persuaded of his case, but he left out a few interpretive issues (like th parallelism in 6, 16, 19, 20 of the last battle or that all Christ's enemies, even the great and small, being destroyed at the battle in ch. 19 leaving 20:3 a strange comment) that left me unconvinced.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good commentary but there are others that are better such as The Book of Revelation by Gregory Beale in the New International Greek Testament Commentary series and The Book of Revelation by Robert Mounce in the New International Commentary on the New Testament.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal work. As thorough as you could ever want.

[Jason Poling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved Osborne's evenhanded style in his books. This commentary served me so well throughout the last 6 months of preaching Revelation. Osborne's commitment to an "eclectic" interpretive framework was so refreshingly helpful. I wanted to find a sagacious interlocutor who sought to handle the text as it is, instead of unquestioningly trying to fit all the data into their predetermined theological construct. Obviously, we all have presuppositions and biases for which we cannot entirely account. However, it is encouraging to walk alongside a scholar who, although arriving at a theological commitment (historic premillennialism), was willing to see how some pieces of data do not neatly fit his view. Hence, his eclecticism allowed his premillennialism to have softer edges than I've seen with more dogmatic commentators of all millennial stripes.

Revelation is a stunning portrait of Christ. It is a kaleidoscopic vision of God's sovereignty, salvation, and judgment. We must take it as it is: a powerful exhortation and encouragement to Christians to hold steady under persecution by getting ready for the soon coming of Christ. It is a divinely inspired message full of the imagery of the apocalyptic genre of the 1st century as well as of the earlier Old Testament prophets. All of its symbolism must be understood in this full biblical and historical context to rightly understand its literal meaning for the Church.

Revelation is not so much about charts figuring out the coming of the End but about HEARTS preparing for the coming of Christ!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This commentary is the finest I have read on the book of Revelation. It pulls together the views of many previous scholars and helps make sense of different approaches to Revelation. The exegesis is clear and easy to follow. Greek terms are given, but also translated into English for the lay reader. Personal application and the relevance of Scripture for today's disciples are prominent features of the commentary. It is not just scholarly and intellectual information (although it contains the finest of these), but also matters of the spirit and the heart are addressed. I was profitably able to use it for my daily devotions.

I had the privilege of studying under Osborne 40 years ago and found him to be both an erudite scholar and a warm-hearted Christian. His Wesleyan-Arminian perspective fits well with my own Methodism. Grant approaches exegetical decisions in a common sense way, rather than ideologically.

This is the only commentary on Revelation you will need!

[Ralph Marion Victa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I like the most about this book is that every Greek/Hebrew word is rendered in Greek/Hebrew characters and is supplemented by a transliteration and an English translation. It makes one learn the biblical languages as he/she reads the book. This applies to the BECNT series as a whole. The book is highly referenced, considers different interpretations from scholars before making a decision, so even if one does not agree with author's interpretation, at least one is made aware of the other's.

[Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The overall read was great even the technical issues. The author uses plenty of Scriptures to reinforce the point and understanding. If anyone is wanting to dive more into Revelation this is the book you want.

[Landon Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Massive, at just short of 900 pages. Thorough in walking through the text verse-by-verse with extended commentary. Helpful in including section summaries, section outlines, and a "Summary and Contextualization" box for each section. A valuable work for anyone seriously studying Revelation.

[Omni Theus · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

[Matthew Rawlings · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough semi-technical commentary by the late New Testament professor. Osborne took a classic pre-millennial view but those of any stripe can benefit from perusing it.

[Lee Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve read other books in the Baker Exegetical series, you know pretty much what to expect here: Deep analysis with appreciation for multiple scholarly viewpoints, and every effort made to provide a precise interpretation. Often, this means resorting to the original New Testament Greek, which does make the text difficult to read … especially if you don’t know any Greek! You don’t have to, but if you know just enough Greek to be dangerous, without being a scholar of Biblical languages, this book will be perfect for you.

This approach, with liberal references back to the Old Testament, is particularly appropriate for one book of the Bible: Revelation. Its deep symbolism makes it a daunting book for most Bible readers.

In my own book about Revelation (http://www.thewayithappened.com) I discuss primarily the historical setting of which John of Patmos wrote. I believe the only way to truly understand Revelation is to first immerse yourself into the beliefs and struggles of first-century Christianity in Asia Minor (where the seven churches of Revelation reside). But when you’re ready to dig deeper into the Apocalypse’s Hebrew roots and symbolism, this is a great book … whether read as complete study or used as a reference. Osborne doesn’t neglect the historical essentials, he just delves much deeper and takes a much more scholarly approach. It must have taken forever to compile. 869 pages with plenty of ink on each.

Five stars for Osborne’s vast, no-nonsense research, a necessity for every Revelation scholar.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've used this book as a reference on and off for years. I know it in an out. Grant Osborne was one of my professors at Trinity. In fact, I was his RA while writing this book, so a lot of cross referencing etc. The man is a genius and the book is the go to source on understanding one of the most complex books of the Bible.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talbot Course: Exposition in Daniel and Revelation

Excellent commentary on Revelation!

[John Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done. Although we may disagree on some points, they are very minor. He treats the subject very well, balance, well researched and footnoted.