Behold, He Cometh! An Exposition of the Book of Revelation

by Herman Hoeksema

Literature on the "end times" is big business these days, and authors are earning huge profits on their sensationalized novels based on premillennial, dispensational, and other fanciful interpretations of the book of Revelation. By contrast, books proclaiming the sober Reformed, ammillennial view are few indeed. Though not a fictionalized account, Behold, He Cometh is a gripping exposition because its explanation of the text at last sheds light on a book of the Bible that has been considered one of the most perplexing in all of Scripture. The author, Herman Hoeksema (1886-1965), was for most of his ministerial career, not only pastor of a large Protestant Reformed Church, but also seminary professor, editor of the Standard Bearer magazine, popular lecturer, and writer of many influential Reformed books. The fifty-three chapters in this work represent what Hoeksema actually preached in a series of sermons that one of his parishioners reported were "characterized by lucid, simple, and yet thorough exposition and...delivered with a warmth and fervor which kept a large congregation at spellbound attention Sunday after Sunday." The genius of this work is the way it explains this highly symbolic book of the New Testament. The author had the intellect to grapple with difficult passages and the ability to communicate so that the ordinary person could comprehend his message. Using sound principles of hermeneutics, Rev. Hoeksema showed whether key passages in Revelation should be take literally or figuratively, which is where so many other commentators have failed. Hoeksema stressed that the last days will bring the ultimate glory to God. As for the book of Revelation, the author amply proved how it is meants to bring comfort to the church. Comprehensive subject and Scripture indexes are included in this edition, and every subhead is now listed under the chapter headings in the table of contents. These helps add to the value of this timeless work, first published in 1969 and still in demand!

790 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Herman Hoeksema (1886-1965), a Dutch Reformed theologian, was born in the Netherlands and immigrated to the USA in 1904. After studying at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he began his ministerial career in the Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids - at that time one of the largest reformed congregations in the United States.

Hoeksema was one of the principal founders of the Protestant Reformed Churches (PRC). Founded as a separate denomination of Reformed churches in 1924, the PRC stand in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Their origin as a denomination was the doctrinal controversy over "common grace" within the Christian Reformed Church in the early 1920s, occasioned by that church's adoption of the doctrine of common grace as official church dogma. The result of the controversy was that several ministers with their congregations were put out of the Christian Reformed Church. These men then established the Protestant Reformed Churches.

The newly-formed PRC denomination established the Protestant Reformed Seminary where Hoeksema served as professor of theology for 40 years.

Reviews

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally!!! An exposition on the Book of Revelation that makes sense to me. From now on I will read the book in a new light. I hope to find more concise editions of books by authors that teach as Hoeksema does. I could never absorb this 700+ pages in one go-round.

[Joshua Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoeksema has put the nail in the coffin of my postmillennialism. This exposition of Revelation from an amillennial perspective is simply outstanding. This is sober, sound doctrine on the book of Revelation. What a privilege it is to know that the Anti-Christ, Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet will finally be defeated and Christ shall reign eternally!