Revelation and the End of All Things

by Craig R. Koester

Revelation and the End of All Things is a highly readable guide to Revelation that engages the questions people most often ask about this difficult book in the Bible. Craig Koester ably takes readers through the entire book of Revelation, drawing on the best of recent scholarship while also giving attention to questions arising from events like the siege at Waco, the phenomenal sales of books in the Left Behind series, and the use of Revelation in hymnody and art. While many of the questions that people ask about Revelation are sparked by sensationalistic interpretations of the book, these questions also point to major issues concerning our understanding of God and the future, death and life, judgment and hope. Rather than simply dismissing popular interpretations of Revelation, Koester first considers how these approaches work and why they are problematic. The rest of the book looks carefully at each section of Revelation, keeping the situations of first-century and twenty-first-century readers in mind. Koester's exceptional grasp of Revelation's history, text, and purpose allows him to present the message of Revelation in a way that is clear, engaging, and meaningful to modern readers.

Genres: Theology, Religion, History, Christian, Nonfiction, New Testament, Christianity

223 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2001

About the author

Craig R. Koester is Vice President of Academic Affairs, Professor and Asher O. and Carrie Nasby Chair of New Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN.

Ph.D. (Union Theological Seminary)
Ordained (ELCA)
M.Div. (Luther Theological Seminary)
Biography
Craig Koester received a B.A. from Saint Olaf College, an M.Div. from Luther Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary in New York. He served as a parish pastor for several years in Princeton, Minnesota, and joined the faculty of Luther Seminary in 1986. He was appointed to the Asher O. and Carrie Nasby chair of New Testament Studies in 2012.

An innovative teacher, Dr. Koester is known for his “Genesis to Revelation” course, which uses visuals, music, and drama to take people through the sweep of the biblical story in ten days. His other courses include John’s Gospel and Epistles, and the book of Revelation. Because of the high level of public interest in Revelation, he developed a course that explores the background and content of Revelation, as well as its impact on western culture. Entitled Apocalypse: Controversies and Meaning in Western History, it was released on DVD through the GreatCourses.

As a scholar, Dr. Koester has contributed to discussions of Scripture in the academy and the church. His books include landmark commentaries on Hebrews (2001) and Revelation (2013 forthcoming) for the Anchor Yale Commentary series. In Johannine studies, he is known for his Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel (2nd edition, 2003), The Word of Life: A Theology of John’s Gospel (2008), and numerous articles. His book Revelation and the End of All Things (2001) is a popular resource among seminary and college students, and is widely used in congregations.

Dr. Koester is has led and organized seminars for the Society of Biblical Literature and Society for New Testament Studies. He has served as associate editor of the journals New Testament Studies and The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, and regularly presents his work at international gatherings of scholars. He was a scholar in residence at the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey in 1992-93 and 2007.

In the church, Dr. Koester speaks at theological conferences, synod gatherings, pastors’ workshops, and congregations. He is one of the designers of the Narrative Lectionary, which enables congregations to move through major sections of both Old and New Testaments from September through May each year. At the international level, he is involved in the work of the Lutheran World Federation on the interpretation of Scripture, and presented papers at the conferences in Nairobi, Kenya (2011) and Eisenach, Germany (2013).

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very helpful and aesthetically pleasant commentary on Revelation that is laid out in an attractive manner and brings music and art to bear on the text. Koester's introduction is a good history of interpretation and he makes a strong case for a cyclical reading of the text.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

EDIT 4/7 –I reread/skimmed this book again so I could teach it to the adult ed class at church, and it really rewards a second reading. I got more out of it skimming over my previous highlights and other parts of the book than I had when I first read it. Boosting this to five stars and adding it to my favorites shelf. Highly recommended if you're looking for a better way to read Revelation than the one you grew up with.
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A professor and preacher once said of popular interpretations of the Book of Revelation: "For God so loved the world, he sent World War III."

If you're left cold by the Left Behind style of interpreting the Bible's most infamous book – where God rescues the select few who were lucky enough to have been raised by the right parents, attended the right churches or said the right words – before leaving the rest to suffer natural disaster, sickness, war and death at the hands of the antichrist – Craig Koester is here to help you.

His Revelation and the End of All Things is a clear, compelling and non-sensationalistic walk through the book of Revelation. This is essentially a commentary written for laypeople, assuming those laypeople have at least a high-school degree. Koester wisely rejects both extremes of the typical approaches to Revelation – the hyper-literalist, codebreaking political interpretations advanced by more charismatic and evangelical traditions and the approach by more mainline traditions that could best be described as pretending Reveation doesn't exist.

Revelation does exist, and it does have a message for Christians today, even if it isn't that the next presidential candidate you don't like is the antichrist. Rather, the message as expounded by Koester is simultaneously more mundane and more revolutionary: that Christians must stand faithful against forces that demand they compromise their faith – forces that may include governments but more likely comprise physical comfort, wealth, material possessions and cultural assimilation. John portrays these forces as ravening beasts and drunken prostitutes that aspire to power and cloak their true intentions, but that ultimately will be unmasked and destroyed by the sacrificial love of the Lamb. Koester takes pains to show how this core message is repeated over and over, through a series of visions that do not, as popularly portrayed, represent a linear prediction of future events, but rather spiral or loop across the same territory, emphasizing its claims in different ways.

For those seeking a better approach to the Bible's most controversial book than the one offered by popular culture and premillennial dispensationalism, Craig Koester's Revelation and the End of All Things is for you. It might not make Revelation your favorite book of the Bible, but it will certainly make it more understandable by helping to show that God indeed "so loved the world" to die for it, not to slaughter it – and that Christians are called to imitate the way of sacrifice, not the more popular ways of power, wealth and violence.

[Jacob Hudgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good introductory commentary on Revelation written for a general audience (as opposed to his much larger commentary in the Anchor Yale Bible series).

One of Koester’s greatest contributions is to give a running summary of the action in Revelation, a step that is far too often neglected. Those deep in the weeds of the text often assume that their audience is already familiar with the story—or that it is self-evident what is happening from casual reading—and these are faulty assumptions.

Koester gently engages with dispensational premillennial views and advocates a historical perspective on the book. This leads to a disciplined reading that gives more light than heat.

He repeatedly brought up some questions that are scholarly contentions but not concerns of the layman: is the use of the harlot in Rev 17 anti-feminist, does harming the earth (even in symbol) violate God’s justice, etc. I just felt like these weren’t detailed enough to truly dig into and they felt unnecessary for this type of work.

I doubt I’ll ever agree with anyone about all aspects of Revelation, but this is one I would recommend to get the broader questions right.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction for anyone looking to dive deeper into the apocalypse. Koester is very successful at communicating big scholarly concepts and arguments into plain language for the common reader.
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Although it was published earlier, this work is essentially a simplified version of his Anchor Yale commentary (2014), which is another excellent resource for those who are wanting further detail.
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I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to wrestle with the book of Revelation.

[Alan Fuller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Early Christians were concerned more with correct doctrine and behavior than with outward persecution. Check the New Testament and the Early church fathers to see what they wrote about. Why would the book of Revelation be any different? Read another early Christian apocalypse, The Shepherd of Hermas, for comparison. The parables of Jesus meet the symbols of Revelation in that book. Early Christians interpreted by comparing scripture to scripture while looking to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Again, see how the New Testament interprets the Old, and notice the copious references to scripture by the early church fathers. They interpreted that way because they believed what they read.

For his interpretation, Koester uses methods developed in the early 19th century in Europe. He compares Revelation to the Roman political situation of the first century while mostly ignoring other early Christian writings, or other first-century interpreters like Philo of Alexandria. Koester uses the method that is popular in modern academia.

First-century Christians didn't use 19th-century methods to interpret scripture, and it is very unlikely that they wrote with those methods into consideration. Therefore, I doubt that Koester's interpretation is very good.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koester provides a readable review of the Book of Revelation, providing clarity and multiple references to both the Old and New Testament. Though he mentions all the various ways to interpret the book, he avoids the sensational. He sees Revelation as a message to the first century churches in Asia Minor given to assure and encourage the believers. He does not see it as a prediction of the future or written in a code that can be broken.

[Andrew Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is divided first into a section that explains the history of interpretation of Revelation, along with the development of different views of the end times. There is an elongated section on dispensational premillennialism as well as an argument against such a view, buttressed by the author's view of Revelation as an apocalyptic work and how 1st-century Christians and Jews would have seen and interpreted such a work.
The second part (chapter 2 and beyond) is a commentary explaining the author's interpretation of Revelation, followed by a short coda at the end.

Criticism
I wish the author had discussed the authorship of John in more detail. He asserted that the author identifies himself as John, not necessarily the apostle, and that John the author did not seem to recognize Jesus as one would assume one of his disciples would in his vision. This is an area I have not studied, and I wish there was more engagement.
People have billed this as an “amillennial partial-preterist” book, but I did not see any preterism. He will say that when John described the beast, “Nero sat for the portrait.” Then he says, “When is the beast not a threat?” So I thought that would be idealism, but I am unfamiliar with this world, and so I cannot say for certain.
One issue I had was challenging a pre-supposition I did not know I had, I assumed Revelation was futuristic. It was different for me to understand at points because I expected a futuristic interpretation.

Praise
The view that Koester puts forward has, if nothing else, a lot of explanatory power. Reading this book is the only thing that has truly made me desire to read Revelation. Prior to this, I have read Revelation twice as part of two Bible reading plans. Given the author's view, Revelation seems much more approachable, hopeful, and impactful on my life.
Assuming some kind of dispensational pre-millenial framework, the book of Revelation is relatively unimportant. It lays out as “future history” things that will certainly come to pass that none within the church would experience (again, assuming a rapture) so the point of studying that book is to either conjecture on portents of the future or to see just how bad things go for those “left behind.”
On the other hand, given the author's view, each congregation will face one of the challenges that the three kinds of churches addressed by John face. Some will experience persecution, others will be tempted to assimilate to the spirit of the age, and others will sit fat and happy until the Lamb comes. As the issues that each church faced then correspond to issues churches today face, so too will John’s promises and warnings to each of these churches apply to churches today.
Also, as an enjoyer of church history, I appreciated the introductory chapter that explained the development of the interpretation of Revelation throughout the centuries and the basic breakdown of a dispensational pre-millennial view, with accompanying arguments against.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I am thankful that I don’t have to have an opinion. Maybe I’m an amil partial-preterist Idealist, but I’d like to read a bit more before saying so. I will not adopt a position on a controversial topic that I do not have a lot of passion for simply after reading one book (no promises on what I’ll think after reading another one). Oftentimes, people can fall into the Theology of the Last Man, where our theology is not studied, meditated, and prayed over but revolves around regurgitating what was said by the last man we read.
I will recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in reading Revelation, but, like me, only really heard it engaged with by people whose favorite pastime is not getting invited to weddings and telling all of their Facebook friends what the next mark of the beast is going to be.

[Gwilym Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tremendously helpful introduction to the book of Revelation. It basically takes the same stance as Richard Bauckham's excellent The Theology of the Book of Revelation, but in the form of a simple commentary (where Bauckham is basically a collection of essays). There's lots to like: Koester is excellent on the first century background, excellent on the literary impact of the genre, and an excellent model of connecting the material in 4-22 with the 7 churches in 1-3. He is also tremendously helpful on the history of interpretation, which he addresses at reasonable length in his introduction. He's brilliant on satire. The result is a clear, purposeful, thoughtfully applied and - in my view - essentially compelling introduction to the book. I particularly enjoyed his reframing of 'the end of all things.' As a much shorter and cheaper alternative to his excellent Anchor commentary, this book is tremendous.

My main crits are:
1. Whilst he engages at length with dispensational and futurist interpretations of the book (to good effect), he doesn't address the AD70 preterist position at all. In my context, where people have found Leithart and Wilson compelling, this is quite a significant gap. Given that the first edition came out around the turn of the millennium (when dispensational premillennialist views were at a high water mark, and postmillennial preterist views were at a lower ebb), this isn't a surprising omission. And of course this is not the heavyweight commentary. But for my friends it's a significant one: I think there are compelling reasons to think that Koester, Bauckham and the interpretive mainstream are right on date, referents and application - and that Leithart et al are wrong. But it'd be nice to have it argued here.
2. Relatedly, he has a bit of a tendency to handwave on questions of sequence and linearity. I thought this was the main departure from Bauckham, who seems to take a less cyclical view of the book. And I thought it was a significant downgrade. On the one hand, it contributes to the sense that he hasn't really considered a more linear reading of seals, trumpets, bowls, visions (something dispensational premillennialists and postmillennial preterists share). On the other, it does make it sound slightly like he's less interested in the truth of what John is prophesying than its intended impact. He's excellent on impact - but at some point that impact does depend on faith in real-world fulfilments of judgment and salvation. A bit less handwaving, a bit more precision, and this would be a better book.

As it is, it's a very good one. Four stars.

[JournalsTLY]

Is the book of Revelation in the New Testament about predicting the future or is it more about timeless truths told from the perspective of 1st Century Christianity?

This books gives introduction to the various views, description of the chronology and historical settings of these views( ge Justin Matyr, Irenaeus, Victorinus, Jerome, Luther and more).

Among those who read Revelation as a futuristic book, 2 trends emerge:
- where the kingdom of God comes with tribulation (Premillennialist)
- kingdom of God comes progressively, with evangelism and social action (Postmillennialist).

Going back to the basics, Koester writes that it is important to consider how the book of Revelation introduces itself, and how it is (and should be) most relevant and clear to the first readers. Thus the threatening visions - to original readers who are familiar with authoritarian Roman rule - comes with assurances of Christ, as a slain Lamb, seated on the throne.

The book makes several good quotes and "non-chronological" timeline diagrams based from Adela Yabro Collins. The book has 6 black and white photographs of woodcuts Albrecht Durerby which are insightful visuals to the written commentary . My favorite is the Four Horsemen (page 87 ) - where the 3rd horse and rider is drawn as the biggest and most prominent - pointing out that economic hardships plus deepening inequality hurts most, high prices for staple and yet wine and oil will still be available. This economic crisis is more feared and felt compared to invading armies. The fearsome Parthian troops could be at the borders of the Roman empire but life goes on in the city till famine strikes.

Enjoyed reading this book and enjoyed admiring the black and white picture pages.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was selected to guide a study of Revelation for my church’s adult Sunday school class this spring. There’s also a dvd by the author that is broken into the seven chapters. Combined with reading scripture, this was very helpful in providing insights, context and understanding of the book of Revelation. It has helped me see Revelation as a book of hope and fulfillment of promises, not a book of fear.

I had initially been uninterested in reading Revelation, in part due to the impressions of fear emphasis I had based on the “end times” and “left behind” interpretations. However, as I’m expecting that someday I’ll completely read the Bible, I figured this was one way to knock off a daunting and confusing book. I’m glad I changed my mind, as this book plus the videos for each chapter provided guidance and interpretation of parts that would’ve totally puzzled me and that I would’ve skimmed over otherwise.

If you’re looking for help in approaching the book of Revelation, this is definitely recommended. I read the Bible first, then the associated chapters, and that worked well for me. I’d give this a 4.5. It is very readable, and the inclusion of artwork helped illustrate some of the scenes and provided one idea of the visions.

[Eddie Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps my favorite commentary on the Book of Revelation. It is not a lengthy, academic read but rather very practical as it bores into the essence of the messages to the seven churches of the first century and to us today.

Koester's treatment of chapters 21-22 gave me the same feeling H.W. Brands' noted when he finished his biography on Benjamin Franklin, "I hated to see him go." In finalizing this book and the Revelation one is so overwhelmed by a sense of awe from the New Jerusalem to the final focus on Christ that you truly don't want to close the book.

Five stars are as high as one can rate a book but for this particular volume I wish I could rate it higher.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this along with doing a slow study of Revelation this month and I’m glad I did. I loved the statement “prophecy is defined by what it does: true prophecy moves people to serve God, and false prophecy draws people away from God.”

This book analyzes some differing views but strives to stay true to the text and God’s whole message of the Bible without all the fanatical guessing and predicting of events I’ve seen in other works written about the book of Revelation. It shows that God’s word should draw our hearts to Him in repentance and worship.

I highly recommend this for anyone looking to better grasp the message of Revelation.

[Carson Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book extremely helpful for me as I was wanting a deeper look at revelation and apocalyptic literature in general. I thoroughly enjoyed the verse by verse walk through and exegesis which I found led to a deep and meaningful look at the book as a whole. Koester does a brilliant job taking a very grounded and non biased look at firstly what this book meant to first century Jews and Christians and secondly what it can mean for us today. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone wanting to explore revelation and to anyone interested in biblical studies in general.

[Stephen Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craig Koester writes a brilliant exegetical piece on the book of Revelation. I have never been helped so much to understand a biblical book like I have with Craig’s work here. It’s enlightening, strengthening, and enduring. This book has helped me so much in understanding Revelation and looking forward to things to come not with a negative worry due to misguided prophecy, but with expectant hope. The End is not a time or place, but a Name!

[Jared Criswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I’ve read on the subject of a single book of Scripture. I read it in preparation for teaching a College Ministry class, and the insights I gained will change how I think about the value and presentation of the Revelation in a class setting and church worship setting. But more than that, this has changed the way I see my role as a follower of the Lamb in my world and community in profound ways.

[Randolph]

Understanding Revelation

This book is well written. The author sets the book up like a play. He introduces characters and explains that plots while sifting through all of the imagery of Revelation. The author also describes how some other religious authors have portrayed this book in our culture today.
RsR

[Terence Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I am saying is, if you are looking for a book that gives you a clear structure to follow and explains the relationships between the chapters of Revelation in a way that you can get it and stirs you with a timeless message of promise and warning, then this is the book to get.

Full review: https://readingandreaders.com/podcast...

[Carol Chantrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revelation and the End of All Things is a thought-provoking and unsettling read, perfect for those who enjoy speculative nonfiction with a strong philosophical edge. Readers who appreciate books like The Handmaid’s Tale or Brave New World will find much to dissect here.

[Russell Matherly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year for a seminary course, I read Koester’s Revelation commentary in the AYB series and fell in love with it. This book is a faithful recounting of the commentary, and it’s a lot easier to swallow than its counterpart which comes in at about 700 pages more. Excellent guide, excellent read!

[Katarzyna Balutowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great summary of the Book of Revelation. Super helpful!

[Brian Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on the Revelation I’ve read.

[Old_airman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great way to follow the revelation

I used this book as a daily reading. It allowed me to break up the complex revelation into more understandable pieces.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great scholarly work. Clearly written.
Dispels the myths about this great letter written to give hope in times of hardship.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful thoughtful solid commentary on Revelation.

[Vanjr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice alternative to many misconceptions of this enigmatic text. The author is not secretarian and useful for many Christians from broad theological backgrounds. Organized in a more section by section or paragraph format rather than verse by verse. Strongly recommend. Nice group of study questions should someone dare to use this book for a study group. I read the Logos second edition.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Source: Self-purchase.
Rating: 5 stars for excellent.
Summary:
Revelation and the End of All Things, is a study of the book of Revelation in the New Testament.
Revelation has been a controversial and debated Bible book since the beginning.
Revelation is from the Greek word, apokalypsis, meaning an uncovering, a disclosure, and the unveiling of spiritual truth.
The book was written by the "beloved disciple" John, but he is not the author. John writes what he saw and experienced in a vision while on the island of Patmos.
Revelation 1:1 "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,"
The book of Revelation is filled with strange and unearthly images, and symbolism requiring translation.
I feel Craig R. Koester has written a highly readable exegesis on Revelation.
The beginning chapter is "Interpreting the Mystery." Koester begins by sharing what the early church fathers believed, progressing to the radical views of the Branch Davidians. In this chapter, he also examines several definitions; for example, despensationalists, apocalyptic literature, and Armageddon. The chapter ends on an interesting "note," songs we sing in church from the book of Revelation.
Other chapters:
Chapter 2---Christ and the Churches (Revelation 1-3)
Chapter 3---The Scroll Unsealed (Revelation 4-7)
Chapter 4---Trumpets of Terror and Hope (Revelation 8-11)
Chapter 5---The Beast and the Lamb (Revelation 12-15)
Chapter 6---The Harlot and the Bride (Revelation 15-19)
Chapter 7---The End (Revelation 19-22)

My Thoughts:
Every year I read a NT book twelve times in twelve translations. A couple of years ago I read Revelation in this fashion. When I began reading Revelation, there was an uneasy feeling, because the book is a "strange" book. Not strange as in a science fiction type thriller, but strange in that I have believed more of "other" people's strange interpretations and feelings, rather than on reading and studying the book itself. After a few readings of Revelation, I came to the conclusion it is not a book to be feared, it is instead a book of hope, because God has a plan, it is already in process, and he is sovereign. I have nothing to fear, because God is in charge.

One of the best points about Revelation and The End of All Things, is the author exposes the varying views of interpretation. I enjoyed reading these views and feel more prepared in engaging in conversation.
A second point is symbolism is explained. For example, "666 means imperfection."
The angel's comments about the beast underscore that John did not write Revelation in a code, but used evocative symbols to convey multiple dimensions of meaning. Page 159.
Not long ago I read God's Final Word by Ray Stedman. The highlighted link will take you to my review.
I recommend both of these study books on Revelation.

During our current era in which selfishness, hatred, cruelty, self-entitlement, crime, violence, and murder is wide-spread. The Church needs to read the Bible, we need to hear the Word of Truth, we need the hope and peace God has given us In Christ Jesus.

Illustrations are from Albrecht Durer.
Bible link courtesy of Bible Gateway.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A faithful and fair interpretation of an often sensationalized book of the Bible. Koester shows us how Revelation's message is that the end of all things is Christ. Christ is the end or aim of God's redemptive work in creation.

Revelation introduces itself as a "revelation of Jesus." This should mean two obvious things:
1) the book is intended to reveal, not conceal or obscure.
2) the book is intended to reveal Jesus.

Koester offers a brief overview of Revelation's interpretive history. Too often (see: The Left Behind series), the preoccupation of interpreters has been to decode what is seen as an intentionally cryptic book - with the help of a historical schema imported piecemeal from various places in scripture, coupled with a focus on determining how the book reveals the timeline and details of the end of the world more so than reveals who Jesus is so as to encourage faithful perseverance in a world where evil seems all powerful.

throughout, Revelation reveals a Jesus who conquers as a lamb slain. The cry of victory "it is finished" at the seventh trumpet recalls Christ's cry from the cross, "it is finished."

My basic unease with modern sensationalist interpretations of Revelation is that the cross becomes little more than an escape hatch for those who believe, whereas sin, death, and the devil are "truly" defeated not on the cross or the empty tomb, but rather when Christ returns to kick some tail. I think the cross might be the first thing 'left behind' in popular takes. it seems to me the book of Revelation is trying to underscore the deep continuity between Christ's victory on the cross and his final victory.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent examination of the book of Revelation as a piece of literature and in the historical and cultural context within which it was written. I have been well schooled in the fundamentalist Christian interpretation of Revelation, so reading Revelation from a different perspective was enlightening and inspiring. I highly recommend Revelation and the End of All Things to anyone who is interested in exploring Revelation through a literary lens and/or who is interested in a perspective of Revelation other than the one most widely represented in fundamentalist Christian teachings and popular culture. The below quote is from page 173 of the book:

"By taking readers through a dizzying spiral of visions, Revelation helps to undercut the readers' confidence that they can know the steps by which future events will unfold. Those who find a kind of security in knowing where they are on God's timeline subtly fall prey to a false faith because God keeps the secrets of his coming hidden from human eyes (Matt. 24:36). Therefore, the kaleidoscopic changes in images that overlap with each other and convey similar messages in multiple guises actually help to show readers the limits of their own abilities to determine where they are in time. As Revelation's spirals unsettle readers, however, they repeatedly bring readers back to the presence of God and the Lamb, who are worthy of the readers' trust (Rev. 1:12-20; 4:1-5:14; 7:9-17; 11:15-19; 15:2-4; 19:1-10; 21:1-22:5)."

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work is one of the most outstanding commentaries on scripture that I have read in a long time. The book digs deep into the historical context of the writing of the book of Revelation and helped me to understand much better the book of Revelation than I ever have before in the past. Craig Koester does a masterful job of helping to understand the book of Revelation as it would have been understood in first century Asia Minor (where the seven churches were located to whom the book of Revelation was originally addressed). He then helps readers see how a correct understanding of the original context of Revelation can help inform our understanding of the relevance of the book in our day.

The author postulates that "Revelation's visions are designed to disturb readers in order to bring them to renewed lives of faith and faithfulness." After reading his book and using it as an aid in my own study of the book of Revelation, I tend to agree with him. While I had a few minor points of disagreement with the author, the book was very well-written, and I would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in better understanding Revelation.

[Paul Batz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this book by Craig R. Koester. Koester is a great writer (and also a great speaker for that matter) and approaches Revelation in a clear way. Clarity is key when it comes to interpreting a book that is so often taken in such a large variety of ways.

While the entirety of this book is great, I most appreciated Koester introduction to his study of Revelation. Koester takes a historical look at the large variety of prominent interpretations of the book, critiquing and analyzing them as he tells the story of Revelation's many interpreters. I especially appreciated his treatment of Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Plymouth Brethren's approach to dispensational-premillennialism popularized by John Nelson Darby. Having this history in mind is crucial as one approaches the book of Revelation. I'd highly recommend Koester's work to anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of this difficult but meaningful book of the Bible.