The book of Revelation is a treasure chest of rich Christological images and Old Testament allusions that encourage the persecuted Church with hopeful expressions of future joy.
Unfortunately, these treasures have been buried beneath layers of allegorical church traditions, ancient writing styles, and a narrow focus of millennial eschatology as found in modern evangelicalism.
All these layers have value for understanding John’s vision in Revelation, but modern interpreters often miss much of the blessing of Revelation (Revelation 1:3) when they do not consider the various facets of the jewel that is John’s Apocalypse.
When dealing with study resources for the book of Revelation, the pastor, scholar and church member need to keep these facets in mind. For our purposes in this resource, I will identify various resources that have specific emphasis for interpretation.
My hope is readers will take advantage of a variety of perspectives on Revelation in order to capture the breadth and depth of this apocalyptic narrative.
A general overview of Revelation
Because of the complicated literary nature of the book of Revelation, most readers need a clear overview of the options in order to make confident decisions on interpretation and application. Here are some resources that can provide a sweeping overview of key interpretations and themes.
Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel Commentary by Steve Gregg
Gregg’s commentary provides a very helpful overview of the primary ways Revelation is interpreted in today’s church.
He focuses on four primary interpretive methods:
- Historicist: reading Revelation within its historical context, as interpreters try to do with all other New Testament books.
- Futurist: viewing Revelation as a “roadmap” for future, “end of the world” events.
- Preterist: interpreting Revelation as primarily fulfilled within one generation of John’s vision.
- Idealist: interpreting Revelation as more parable or metaphor, emphasizing truth over literal fulfillment.
The value of Gregg’s book is found primarily in two areas. First, Gregg provides a clear definition of each of the interpretive approaches in his introduction, along with a concise overview of major background issues for reading Revelation.
Second, Gregg parallels each interpretive method in four separate columns spread out on facing pages. He allows each interpretive method to speak for each primary section. This balanced approach allows the reader to compare core interpretations and to follow how those interpretations build throughout the reading of the book.
Of course, the shortcoming of this approach is a lack of interpretive detail. But most pastors need a resource that enables them to speak to various interpretations within their own congregation. This commentary will help the pastor accomplish this task.
Other sources that can provide a helpful overview
Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Development, InterVarsity Press Bible Dictionary Series
This “dictionary”—or more correctly, “collection of essays”—provides excellent articles on various questions from the General Epistles, Revelation and some early church fathers and early Christian writings.
The articles on Revelation are particularly helpful for big-picture questions on historical context (authorship, date), literary context (what is apocalyptic literature), and theological questions (millennium, Christ in the apocalypse).
Worthy is the Lamb, revised, by Ray Summers
Summer’s classic volume is both short and introduction heavy. He focuses on the interpretation of Revelation with significant discussions of historical, literary and interpretive background issues addressed. His original writing was one of the first to promote the various interpretive methods that Gregg and others now discuss in their introductions.
A general reading of Revelation
The following sources are general readers or studies that can provide a quick overview of the content of Revelation in a reader-friendly fashion. As such, these also can be useful for sermon preparation, although they are not all designed for that purpose.
Revelation for Everyone, revised, by N.T. Wright
Wright provides his own updated translation with essays on significance and application. Meant for devotional reflection, this study also provides helpful illustrations that can be used in preaching and teaching.
Revelation for the Rest of Us by Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett
McKnight and Matchett take a thematic approach that taps into Revelation’s original authority-questioning, “counter-cultural” feel.
The focus is on being a “dissident disciple,” or one who questions the status quo. As such, they take on the evangelical establishment—which no doubt will cause some to rejoice and others to cringe. But the organization around key themes is a great way to piece together meaning in John’s vision.
Interpreting Revelation
A Dispensational/Futurist approach
Revelation, revised, by John Walvoord
Walvoord has written the grassroots dispensational approach that reflects the core beliefs of fundamental evangelicals with the scholarly approach that always has been embraced by Dallas Theological Seminary.
His aim is clear—to provide an exegesis of the eschatological road map from Revelation 4 through 21 that explains how God’s judgment will unfold and how Christians—both raptured (Christians) and those who will be saved after the rapture (Jews and Christians, a moderated dispensationalism)—will participate in the tribulation and ultimate victory of Jesus.
For those who prefer a pretribulation rapture followed by a literal 1,000-year millennium, Walvoord provides an outline of events to come.
Wycliffe International Commentaries: Revelation: An Exegetical Commentary, 2 volumes by Robert L. Thomas
A more contemporary dispensational option.
Eerdmans Classical Bible Commentaries: A Commentary of the Revelation of John, revised by G.E Ladd
Ladd’s commentary is not weighed down with the typical rhetoric of a dispensational approach to Revelation. He does take a thoroughly futuristic approach to the exegesis of the text, but his emphasis is more on a genuine reading of an unfolding narrative rather than a forceful reading of Jewish restoration or chart-based interpretations of Revelation.
Ladd reads Revelation 2-3 as a historical message to the churches. He then identifies the rapture in Revelation 4, moving into an explanation of events that will unfold after the Revelation, leading to the consummation of God’s plans for this world and the redemption of his people.
A Metaphorical/Symbolic approach
Interpretation: Revelation, revised by M. Eugene Boring
Rather than focusing on a road map for future events, Boring’s commentary details what it means for believers to endure hardship, understand God’s timely messages and lay their lives down for the gospel message.
Boring’s outline is less verse-by-verse exposition and more concept-by-concept overview with highlights of key principles at the end of each section. As such, little thought is given to the details of the future, but much thought is given to how Christians can and should respond to persecution—and to the glorified Jesus when he speaks.
A Historicist, Background method
Revelation Verse by Verse by Grant Osborn
Osborn’s commentary is an edited version of his larger academic commentary on Revelation, published by Baker, in which he sets out to provide a commentary that will aid pastors with devotional readings of Revelation, sermon aids and conversation points for small groups studies.
As such, this particular commentary can be of great service to any pastor or ministry leader who is looking to connect people in the local church with a historical-background approach to Revelation.
New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Book of Revelation, revised, by Robert H. Mounce
Mounce provides an excellent background overview and general commentary of Revelation.
His goal is to exegete Revelation as a message from the prophet John to the immediate circumstances of Christians in Asia Minor, working directly with the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2-3.
Mounce treats Revelation like a narrative but notes where John himself pauses the action for various explanations and updates on the current circumstances of the church.
Mounce does a good job of balancing past, present and future aspects of John’s vision without losing the integrity of the overall narrative. The result is a commentary for pastors and students alike—easily accessible and applicable for teaching and preaching purposes.
Two more commentaries
Other commentaries that also work in this area are the NIV Application Commentary: Revelation by Craig S. Keener and the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary by Ian Paul. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries usually come in paperback and are more affordable than other hardbound series.
John’s use of the Old Testament in Revelation
Revelation: A Shorter Commentary by G.K. Beale
This a revision of his exhaustive commentary The Book of Revelation in the New International Greek Commentary series. For readers and preachers interested in locating John’s use of the Old Testament in the book of Revelation, there is no greater source.
Beale deals with the question of identifying allusions and then does an exhaustive job in explaining how John intentionally has communicated his vision through the lens of the Old Testament Law and Prophets.
Beale also has aided the reader with clear summaries of content at the end of each section, providing teachers and preachers significant and sound biblical principles from each section.
This commentary is not short, but the wealth of information makes for a great resource for a pastor wanting to understand the Old Testament roots behind John’s vision.
Randolph R. Rogers is an associate professor of New Testament and Greek at Hardin-Simmons University. He has a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts in Religion from HSU, and a Master of Divinity in Biblical Languages and a Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also active in the Intentional Interim Ministry through Texas Baptists and is serving as an interim pastor in West Texas. The views expressed in this resource article are those of the author.
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