This Hallelujah Banquet: How the End of What We Were Reveals Who We Can Be

by Eugene H. Peterson

In this powerful new interpretation of the book of Revelation, the late, revered author and translator of The Message Bible offers timely insights into how we can lean into growth, not in spite of challenging times, but because of them.

The book of Revelation is filled with angels and dragons, fantastic beasts and golden cities, bottomless pits and mysterious numbers. It’s dramatic, sure—but what exactly does that have to do with the tests we face today?

Actually, a lot.

When the apostle John penned the book of Revelation, believers lived in a time of deception and injustice. But his message doesn’t just reflect their cries for things to be made right; it reveals heaven’s perspective of the bigger picture.

In this never-before-published work, Eugene H. Peterson traces the dramatic symbolism found in John’s letters to the seven churches, uncovering Christ’s instructions to these ancient communities. Along the way, encounter seven key tests, of our love, suffering, truth, holiness, reality, witness, and commitment, tests from Christ that can deepen our faith and even shape our future.

This Hallelujah Banquet is your personal invitation to grow deep and begin living now in a generous, abundant, and hopeful reality in Christ.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction, Faith

181 pages, Hardcover

First published January 26, 2021

About the author

Eugene H. Peterson was a pastor, scholar, author, and poet. For many years he was James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also served as founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He had written over thirty books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language a contemporary translation of the Bible. After retiring from full-time teaching, Eugene and his wife Jan lived in the Big Sky Country of rural Montana. He died in October 2018.

Reviews

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it's our Last Thoughts that matter most. And the words you'll find here are among the last of the great Eugene Peterson's life.

This is a randomly edited posthumous collection of writings and addresses - nonetheless remaining an ESSENTIAL addition to the Peterson Canon - for the simple fact that all the best parts of it truly Catch Fire with Faith (see my Kindle notes and you'll SEE what I mean)!

It picks up where that wonderful book of his, Reversed Thunder, left off - looking at how The Book of Revelation applies to present-day consumerism and life in the go-getter modern fast lane.

It woke me up of my wintry blues fast, this abnormally late spring here in Canada. For, lacking the Fire of Conviction, I was listless and lackadaisical. Peterson, in his purple passages, grabbed my lapels here and SHOOK me Wide Awake. For shame - that old guy could STILL strut his stuff!

May the Good Lord bless you in His heavenly realms for this, Pastor.

You DID have an excess of fire left in your faith, and for this we owe a vast debt of gratitude to your literary executors. The book, like our lives, is after all a reasonable and balanced look at how old age slows down the best of us in the end. It runs hot and cold.

But the aged Eugene Peterson KNEW, after a long lifetime of striving to put the Cross first and foremost in his reader's eyes, that he owed it to friends and family to PACE HIMSELF.

At 73, I now know how you felt, Pastor. Take last night, for example...

I awoke at two in the morning having dreamt I had to reply to an email post haste! Yikes. I grabbed my iPad and took it back upstairs.

Confused, I then fell into a fitful sleep. Dumb, dumb, I know you're saying. Well kids, it just goes to show you that old age and stress can make awfully strange bedfellows. And those two qualities make for an evil mixture of frailties.

When I awoke, I laughed it all off. I had slept very well after all - and as dreams went for Joseph and Pharaoh, that dream was talking to me, saying one thing:

Slow DOWN, old man! Like Eugene does more and more here.

So honestly, folks, want the truth? This book Shines in places. And in others, Not.

But by comparison with the inordinate price charged for his other (and more crucial) inspirational hits -

This Four Star book is inexpensive!

And you'll like it - if you choose to buy it.

For Peterson is right again about the Book of Revelation…

And with his eyes of Faith, gazing at God’s grace from a vast cosmic perspective -

The Evil One has already been cast into the Eternal Fire -

And All His Ranting must from Henceforth be in Vain.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite excited, last year (2020) when I heard that this book was going to be released in January of 2021. At that point, I was unaware that Eugene Peterson had written a book on Revelation called Reverse Thunder. I have since purchased that book, as well, but have not yet read it. Correction . . . I got it as a Christmas gift.

Anyway . . . This Hallelujah Banquet is not so much a book written by Peterson as a compilation of sermons that he preached around the seven letters to the seven churches in the first three chapters of Revelation. These sermons were preached in 1984, at Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air Maryland, during the Lenten season. The editors included material from his personal archive, as well.

The introductory message was actually preached in 1967! The correlations to our day are rather stunning.

Having listened to a podcast series of Peterson speaking at a conference, I was able to read the chapters of this book and hear his voice actually speaking the words. That enhanced my experience quite a bit.

The look that Peterson gives us in this series of messages is somewhat different than any treatment of Revelation that I have ever read. He actually begins at the end, using a text from Revelation 21:5-7. He grapples with the fact that Revelation does not give us times and dates for events, but, rather gives us "an inside look at the reality of history."

He speaks of the importance of praise and thanksgiving, and how these are the ending point of our troubles and tribulations. True, honest praise, and true, honest thanksgiving, come out of trouble. "We have the popularization of a kind of religion that, instead of training people to the sacrificial life after the pattern of our Lord, seduces them into having fun on weekends."

Ouch.

We cannot avoid trouble, and true praise cannot be accomplished without it. "The only way genuine, authentic, and deep praise is ever accomplished is by embracing what's real. By accepting whatever takes place and living through it as thoroughly as we are able in faith. For in those moments, in these passages, we become human."

And all of that just in the introductory message.

In each message about the correlating letter to one of the seven churches, Eugene Peterson shares observations that I have not heard before. At the beginning of each letter, an image of Jesus Christ is presented. But it's different for each church. To the church at Ephesus, He is the "one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands." To Smyrna, He is the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive. To Pergamum, He is the one with the sharp two-edged sword. And so on.

And each vision of Christ is exclusively particular to the message that John the Revelator is writing to that church.

And since Christ is examining each church (and every church that has existed since), each of the chapter headings has the word "test" in it.

The letter to Ephesus is called "The Test of Our Love." For Smyrna, it is "The Test of Our Suffering." For Pergamum, "The Test of Our Truth." Thyatira - "The Test of Our Holiness." Sardis - "The Test of Our Reality." Philadelphia - "The Test of Our Witness." And finally, Laodicea, the one about which nothing good is said - "The Test of Our Commitment."

This is a convicting book to read. Convicting because I can see my own shortcomings along with the examinations of the churches. I wish I could have heard these sermons as they were preached. I wish I could have met the man who preached them.

Peterson closes this out with a chapter called "The Supper of the Lamb: A Benediction." This is where the "Hallelujah Banquet" comes into play.

Tucked away in Revelation 19, there are two words. The first is the word "hallelujah." That word, according to Peterson, appears only four times in the entire New Testament, and all in this chapter of Revelation. It means, literally, "Praise God." It is exuberant. The word, itself, sounds happy and delightful.

"We were not created for curse and gloom. We were not put together to live in despair and melancholy. We do not have the natural equipment for blasphemy and bitterness. . . . The curse is provincial. Praise is universal."

The other word is "amen." Also an untranslated Hebrew word, amen simply means "yes."

These two words have infiltrated almost every part of worldly culture. Does anyone know what the Hebrew word for "no" is? I'm sure someone does, but I don't. But almost everyone knows the word "amen."

What this book has given me is fuel. Fuel for my devotion, fuel for my heart, my spirit, and my mind. It has made me uncomfortable, while at the same time giving me joy and hope. I must read it again, more slowly, more attentively. I confess that I kind of sped through it, this time, just to say I've read it. But it deserves much more than that.

In addition, the last twenty or so pages are mostly filled with blank lines. The section is called "The Final Exams," and features a section for each of the messages/letters. "Examining Our Love," "Examining Our Suffering," and so on. With each "exam" there are thought questions, things to ponder, to think about, to reflect upon. And plenty of room to write down our thoughts. When I go back through this book, which will be very soon, I will, no doubt, write much in those pages.

Eugene Peterson went Home in 2018, and has been sorely missed, at least by me. I am most grateful to get this posthumous collection of some of his sermons. Thanks to the editors of Waterbrook for putting it together.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose if I had read the jacket copy, I would have known what I was in for, that this is an edited collection rather than a polished manuscript. Still, they said, "Eugene Peterson!" and I bought the book.

This is a collection of Peterson's sermons on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation. They're good, and they include Peterson's characteristic insight and poetic turn of phrase. But they lack the polish (or maybe the translation of medium) that his best books possess. This book was interesting, and I liked it, but I probably won't return to it often the way I have with some of his other books.

Still, having more books by Eugene Peterson is a gift.

[Alex Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of seven sermons pertaining to the seven letters written to the churches by John while he was exiled on Patmos described in chapters 2 & 3 of Revelation. Though these letters were written 2000 years ago, we of course face the many of the same problems that John’s churches faced.

I believe we are particularly led astray like the congregation in Laodicea. God speaks of this church in this way: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” He continues: “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Like them, we are often more influenced by our affluent culture than by the Cross. As Peterson puts it, “We cannot be lukewarm spectators before such a Christ. We can only be passionate participants or ice-cold deniers.”

[Logan Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowing that Eugene Peterson was a writer who chose his words, sentences, and structure very carefully, it's a little hard to read this posthumous book that was pulled together from previous sermons. And some of the footnotes seemed to be embarrassed of him as well, which was odd. There's some good, true content within it all, but there's a lot of other stuff by and about Eugene that I'd recommend first.

Favorite Quote: Sometimes it is easier to die for truth in a crisis than it is to live the truth through a dull week at work. The truth test comes, though, not on the heights to which we rise under pressure but through those ordinary hours when we don't know we're being examined at all.

[Traci Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

1) Read it as a sermon series. It brings a different flavor.

2) Nugget after nugget of truth. Excellent resource if you're teaching on the seven churches.

3) Easy to read and remember. It will help next time I get to these passages in scripture.

[Luke Koskinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. Very clear and convicting. Going into it, I thought this would be more of an overview and collection of writings on the book of revelation, but it’s more of a study at each of the words to the specific churches in revelation.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short collection of sermons on the seven churches in Revelation is (not surprisingly) quite relevant to our current moment.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC

[Dave Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book consisting of a series of sermons Eugene gave early in his Pastoring days on Revelation. The central premise imagines the new creation reality as reframing our sense of endings into new beginnings, which in the eternal perspective of Christ's death and resurrection and rising to the throne provides the template for how it is that Jesus takes residence with us in the new creation through the Hallelujah Banquet, the great feast that marks this great intersection of old and new and thrusts it into the light of eternity.

As Peterson is so good at doing, he reminds us that what lies at the center of this patterned existence is love itself. The reason we can trust that the end of what we were, the deconstructing if you will, reveals who we can be is precisely because love laid its claim on this transformative hope. In Christ this in fact becomes something that we strive for, to be made new, which means constantly challenging and shaping and holding to the fire the old. Our freedom to do this comes from the image of this banquet which declares that this process isn't moving towards an ultimate end, where somehow we arrive somewhere either fully complete or as best as we can we can be. This is not the aim of the transformation in Eugene's view of Revelation. We aren't all simply waiting around to be swept up into heaven, nor are we simply surviving life before meeting death's final, unrelenting grip. We are living the pattern now in the promise that its hope filled expression continues. We live for the process of newness so that God's own creative purposes can be made known in our lives and in this world. Our hope comes both in the way things are and in the way things will be, which is what this pattern upholds. It strips us of the need to be perfect, to make the most of life before we die, to be accompished, and rather places this all in this persistant desire for newness that awakens us to life with God and one another.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Hallelujah Banquet by Eugene H. Peterson is an explanation of the Book of Revelation. I was delighted to read in the Editor’s Note that this book was mainly created from a sermon series that Eugene had preached back in 1984.They were able to gather other materials from his archives and weave together this lovely book.

I have studied and read through Revelation a number of times. What I love about this particular book is how it does not focus on interpreting all the tiny details, events, and dates but instead asks what is the overall meaning of each of the letters that John wrote. This understanding opens our eyes to God’s presence and how he is working in the days to come.

This Hallelujah Banquet was a book that I needed to read while in the midst of a pandemic and an intense political season. Eugene H. Peterson, as he always does in his books, gently speaks convicting truths while offering joyful hope. I would recommend this book to all Christians. It will be a book that you can return to over and over again. It will always be relevant.

This was my first Netgalley book ever. I received it as an ebook and I love it so much that I plan on purchasing a hard copy for my personal library. I want to be able to read it again, make notes, and underline all the sentences I love.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, frankly, the first book I've read by Peterson aside from _The Message_ (which I wasn't a huge fan of; helpful at times, distracting at others--but I digress)--and it won't be the last.

I was surprised to discover it's a posthumous publication, and an edited compilation of Peterson's sermons on the seven letters in the first few chapters of Revelation. That being said, it read very easily and quickly--and yet was no less convicting because of either!

Helpful, informative, educational, and insightful. Well worth the read; I fully expect to reread it down the line.

[Dorothy Greco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a follower of Christ for ore than 40 years and to be honest, I tend to avoid the final book in the New Testament for various reasons. Peterson's sermon series on Revelation, published posthumously, is perhaps more relevant today than it was 30 years ago when he offered it to his church. As with many of Peterson's book, it's wise, deep, thoughtful, and engaging.

[Steve Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long appreciated and enjoyed Peterson’s writings. This collection of sermons from the 1980s suffers a bit linguistically (culturally unsuitable phrases and words - the editor to makes sure to point this out); it is still moving and illuminating.

[Michael Betrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing and quick read with good pastoral exhortations and application.

[Adam Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: A posthumously edited collection of sermons on Revelation, most from 1984. 

I am a big fan of Eugene Peterson. By my count, this is the 14th of Peterson's books I have read. And many of those I have read more than once. I will probably continue to pick up his books. This Halleluah Banquet was published in 2021. And four books are being published this year in his name (two devotionals that are edited from his writing and sermons, a sermon collection, and a new edition along with the audiobook of his book on David, Leap Over a Wall.)

I am not opposed to books being posthumously edited and released. I really enjoyed reading the novel Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy Sayers. It was not finished and lost until about 60 years after she died. It was found in some files of her lawyer and finished by Jill Paton Walsh. Similarly, I have picked up several books that the students of Henri Nouwen compiled from a mix of his notes, class lectures, and other materials. But at the same time, these edited works often lack the vitality of books written directly by the author.

Parts of This Hallelujah Banquet are worth reading (or listening to as I did). I largely agree with the interpretation of Revelation that is being taught here. It is far more common to be hearing about Revelation as guidance for living in oppression today than it would have been in 1984. Earlier generations of teaching about Revelation would have been oriented toward dispensationalism and seeking to "break the code" of the future prophecy. I remember attending "Prophecy Conferences" at a friend's church when I was a teen. Those conferences were full-on dispensational teaching with charts and images trying to show listeners how our current events fulfilled a 2000-year-old prophecy.

But at roughly the same time I was in those prophecy conferences, Eugene Peterson was teaching his church about Revelation not as a secret code for hidden spiritual knowledge but as insight on what it means to be human and Christian within an empire that was not oriented toward you. It took me years later to start hearing NT Wright and others reorient my approach to Revelation. If I had heard these sermons in 1984-91 when I was a pre-teen or high school student, they might have been new insights. But as a 50-year-old, these are no longer really particularly new insights.

I have not read Scot McKnight's new book on Revelation, but based on interviews I have read, I think I would probably recommend that book instead of this one. There is nothing wrong here. Even mediocre Eugene Peterson has some value. But it just didn't really carry the voice of Peterson's best works.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely delighted when I saw that Eugene Peterson had written a new book with the Revelation as its theme. I have long respected this incredible servant of God and have used his transliteration of the Word, The Message, as a resource for both teaching and understanding the Bible. This Hallelujah Banquet is a collection of some of his former sermons and messages that address the behavior of the 7 churches and the invitation to the Hallelujah Banquet. The book is both purposeful and powerful. It gives additional insight into the last days at a time when it is truly needed.

Here are a few take-aways and quotes. (EP in parenthesis and dark print denotes a direct quote from the book.)

The Church in Ephesus - If we do not love, (Which is what human beings do best.) then nothing else we do is adequate to replace it. "For love is not what we do after we get the other things done, if we have any energy left over. Love is what we do, period."  (EP)

The Church in Smyrna - We must get over the "I" disease. One of the worst effects of suffering is the sense of isolation that it brings. We feel that in our pain we are cut off from God and from all friends. (EP)

The Church in Pergamum - Truth is more than telling it. It's all about living it! Christ is our comprehensive, personal truth to be expressed in gestures, actions, and conversations when no one is watching.  (EP)  

The Church in Thyatira - We (and they) live in a Jezebel culture. Success is totally separated from God at all cost! While many believers seem to want to retreat from society, there is no way to be a Christian except in the world.   (EP)

The Church in Sardis - Playing spills out when we are being ourselves. Praying spills out when we are being more than ourselves. (EP)

The Church in Philadelphia - We must stand up to the lies, indifference and evil that is all around us, always taking God's side in our lives!  He gives us the best He has. He also gets the best out of us. He saves us. He also sends us. He cares for us, but He also challenges us. (EP)

The Church in Laodicea - We live in a lukewarm culture. We have so much that we cannot see everything around us (jobs, stuff, successes, families) has taken over what God has done and is doing for us. We are more influenced by the culture than the Cross. Luke-warmness is a human trait. It happens when prosperity takes over life. (EP)

One final quote and something to think on:

If you want to swear, you have to learn a new word in every language. If you want to say, “Praise God,” one word will do that all over the world: hallelujah. (EP)

This book was filled with new revelations. (A bit of a word play, if you don't mind.) I highly recommend it. It will be available for purchase on January 26, 2021. You can pre-order it here.

[Jeff Bjorgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published Posthumously, The Hallelujah Banquet is a compilation of sermons Peterson preached back in the 1980s. Although advertised as a fresh take on the book of Revelation, Peterson hones in on the first few chapters of the last book of the Bible, reflecting on Christ's message to the seven churches. (As an aside, Peterson addresses the whole book of Revelation in his book "Reversed Thunder"). He introduces the sermon series by explaining that Revelation is a book about the future, but "is not a disclosure of future events but the revelation of their inner meaning." Revelation, he reminds the reader, ends with the promise that God makes all things new--a new reality that we are experiencing already today. We are invited to a Hallelujah Banquet, a meal that celebrates all that God has done in us and for us.

In order to live lives of praise and thankfulness, we daily face tests of our character, and this is where Peterson encourages his listeners to heed both the encouragements and warnings that are given to the seven churches in Revelation. These tests include the test of our love (Ephesus), the test of our suffering (Smyrna), the test of our trust (Pergamum), the test of our holiness (Thyatira), the test of our reality (Sardis), the test of our witness (Philadelphia), and the test of our commitment (Laodicea).

Whenever I read Eugene Peterson, I become grounded. My imagination starts to percolate again, and my love of God's Word is renewed. His incredibly skill at story telling, whether that is recalling experiences from his childhood or simply explaining the roots of some Greek word, is always worth the price of any of his books.

One particular illustration that will stick with me from this series is how the gospel story is revealed through a simple look at the US communities along the East Coast, where pilgrims named communities based off of biblical counterparts.

Another of his teachings explains the key questions around the word truth: "The truth test asks not What do you think? but Who are you? Not What is your opinion? but What is your decision? God is not nearly as interested in what we say about him to others as he is with what we say to him."

I am grateful that Peterson's sane and counter-cultural voice continues to speak to us today. This is the second book that has been published since his death. So far, the editors have been respectful and thoughtful with his material, which I am grateful for. In some cases, the many non-published articles and writings of authors were never meant to be put to print, and when published posthumously can either feel inferior to what came before, or incomplete in its thought process, or redundant.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eugene H. Peterson, well-known pastor, Biblical scholar and author, tackles the book of Revelation and specifically examines John's letters to the churches. Compiled from a series of his sermons, Peterson again shows his ability to make the Bible understandable and relatable to all Christian readers, reinforcing that the Bible speaks to all times and all situations.

The format of each chapter is the same: first, a particular part of Christ's character is presented; then Christ examines the Christians revealing both strengths and weaknesses; Christ commands corrective action; and an urgent promise is given.

The chapters are:
- Beginning at the End - The End is Where We Start
- Ephesus - The Test of Our Love
- Smyrna - The Test of Our Suffering
- Pergamum - The Test of Our Truth
- Thyatira - The Test of Our Holiness
- Sardis - The Test of Our Reality
- Philadelphia - The Test of Our Witness
- Laodicea - The Test of Our Commitment
- This Hallelujah Banquet - The Supper of the Lamb: A Benediction
- The Final Exams - a Guide for Prayerful Introspection

I found this read especially relevant now when we are all living with constant uncertainty regarding so many things: the global pandemic, unending political power struggles, divisiveness, the visible effects of global warming, etc., etc., etc. I highlighted many passages within the book and took additional notes as I read. This is a book I will return to time and again.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Multnomah for allowing me to read a copy of this book which is scheduled to be published on 1/26/2021. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Michele Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Eugene Peterson was promoted to heaven in 2018, I mourned the loss of his voice and his writerly influence. His thinking has been formative in my understanding of the Bible, so I was thrilled to discover Waterbrook’s posthumous release of This Hallelujah Banquet: How the End of What We Were Reveals Who We Can Be based on a sermon series Peterson preached at his church in Maryland in 1984. As with all his books based on Scripture, it is best read with an open Bible nearby and a pen for note taking.


Peterson encourages a reading of Revelation less focused on charts, predictions, and future events and more attentive to the revelation of these events’ “inner meaning.” The God who “makes all things new” (21:5) will be present in the events described in Revelation’s headlines as he is present today, and as he longed to be fully present in the hearts and minds of the seven churches addressed in John’s letters.

For the believer, the Hallelujah Banquet at the end of all things can be a continuation of the boisterous praise begun today. The Revelation is God’s great invitation to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. It is God’s great invitation to you and me as well, and it was no surprise to find that Peterson’s exploration of Revelation’s major themes beautifully amplifies the sound of it.

Many thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

[JournalsTLY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this over Christmas holidays.

Published posthumously - this series of sermons brings alive the voice of Eugene Peterson; reminiscent of his comforting and gentle manner.

The letters to the 7 churches comes with :
- Christ presenting a part of his character to the receiving church
- Christ examines the church ; with affirmation and correction
- Christ concludes with a promise

The sermons preached in 1980s in America, has good insights of commerce and community life of the churches in Asia Minor in the first century AD; and thus asks good questions of church and community life for today.

"The book of Revelation really is about the future but ... It is not a disclosure of future events but the revelation of their inner meaning. It does not provide us a time table of history; it gives us an inside look at the reality of history. It is nor prediction but perception". (page 7)

Very good read - brings back fond memories of the classes that my wife and I had under Eugene Peterson in the 1990s . His writings are timely and could be, humanly speaking, timeless.

[Chelsea Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a series of sermons Eugene Peterson preached in his church during Lent. It has been edited into a format better suited for reading after his death. The topic is the book of Revelation, specifically the letters to the seven churches. Positives: In true Peterson style, he takes complex and perplexing passages and somehow makes them simple. So simple it’s hard to believe how you didn’t “see it” before. He does what a Biblical teacher should—removes the “barriers” of the text by offering historical, contextual, and linguistic insight that the “average” reader won’t bring to the table. I deeply respect Peterson as a Biblical teacher. Negatives: The original format for this teaching was a series of sermons, not a book. This showed at times. There were many chapters where I wanted MORE. But they are working with a limited body of work after his death. Sigh. Overall, I enjoyed it and will read it again. An excellent study for Lent.

[Anlee Fekkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of sermons Eugene preached on the letters to the seven churches from the book of Revelation. His writing is always lovely and has a way of making the mind and heart learn in harmony, theology grows and affections are deepened. While I don’t agree with all of his translation and as a result his examples or anecdotes in his sermons, I can safely say this book is a delightful and lovely companion in any study of Revelation. The cover is such a clear picture of the hallelujah banquet that awaits those in Christ and really captivated me. Really a 3.9! I wish it was longer!

The lower score has nothing to do with Eugene or his work but comes down to the subtitle. I’m not sure the content produced anything definitive about how the end shows us who we can be. Maybe I missed it.

[Caleb Rolling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t a collection of Eugene Peterson sermons; it’s a collection of composite sermons and writings sewn together and flattened out by a publisher into chapters for a book. And the editor tells you that in a preface. In many ways, the chapters are bland and disjointed, which, to the careful reading, reveals their composite nature. Anything particular or dated in these sermons has been removed in an attempt to make them universally applicable, but in doing so these chapters now speak to nobody.

Sure, there’s still Peterson’s charm and insight throughout, but it pales in comparison to the real thing. It’s like when movies replace long-deceased actors with CGI recreations—uncanny and unnatural.

[Steve Croft · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw Eugene's name on this one, so I got it. I didn't realise that it was posthumously written from a sermon series he preached on the 7 churches in Revelation. As such, its missing Eugene's classic prose and writing style. The content itself was good though, I cant say I have ever heard of a study of Revelation that didn't include any eschatology at all. The book talked about the 7 churches that John pastored and the advice that Jesus gave to each, and how it applies to us today. I thought it was quite well done but am obviously still a bit salty that it was Eugene-less and eschatology-less.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The depth of understanding with which Eugene Peterson spoke and wrote continues to amaze readers. What a surprise gift is This Hallelujah Banquet. I carefully read with pen and notebook in hand. This is a unique, thoughtful look at the seven churches, applications to modern times plus an explained main purpose of Revelation. The bonus is examination questions at the end. This is a treasure of information.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

[Brandon H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful look at the 7 churches in the first 3 chapters of the book of Revelation and what we can learn from them. This is a compilation of some past sermons that the author Eugene H. Peterson preached and wrote on regarding the 7 churches and Christ's messages to them. The editors at the publishing company compiled them and updated sections with the permission of the late author's family.

I enjoyed this book so much that I purchased both the audio version and the hardcover. I will return to it often.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revelations is explained through the life and times of the early Christian churches these words were told to by Jesus through John the apostle. Eugene’s commentary helps us see parallels in our contemporary lives. He provides “revelation” of the blessings yet to come, Comfort that Jesus is walking beside us and opening the door, and perception of how we separate ourselves from God. A great book for a small group study or for your own “revelation” into the last book in the Bible.

I will purchase this book for reading and reflection.

[Wes Van Fleet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and quick read on Christ’s examination of the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. In Peterson’s expected prose, he walks the reader through the text that brings us back to the original audience, while also bringing that meaning into our world today. Each chapter has 3 themes: 1) Christ’s presence among that specific church. 2) Christ’s encouragement of that church. 3) Christ’s rebuke of that church. This book helped me to examine myself and our church in light of the person and work of Christ.

[Jeff Poling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gobbled up this short Peterson work in a weekend away. I’ve been a peterson reader for about two years now, but never heard his sermons. This book is a collection of sermons, so it reads more easily and straightforward than some of his other books. Peterson brings an applicability to Revelation that I have rarely heard.

Let the reader be informed that this is not so much a survey of revelation as it is a study of the letters to the seven churches, which is good and fine, but I had misguided expectations.

[Evan Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I cherish every minute I get to spend with Eugene Peterson, and this collection of sermons on the 7 churches from Revelation is lovely. As a book, it falls short of being something I will be recommending to many people. I suppose that's part of the danger of writing so many good ones the so-so ones fall to the side. This posthumous collection has many good parts but lack the oomph of a full Peterson book.

I enjoyed the later chapters especially his dive into the Bible's limited use of the word Hallelujah and the section on the necessity of God being an active personal God.