| Title | : | Revelation for Everyone |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 227 |
| Publication | : | First published January 30, 2008 |
Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ISBN 066422797X
here.
Revelation for Everyone Reviews
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This is a friendly, feel-good peek at the bloodiest book in the Bible. As one who has written about Revelation from a historical-critical viewpoint, detailing all the gory first-century details which inspired the Book of Revelation, Wright’s approach felt a little to me like bouncing happily along the surface. This is not a criticism; Wright’s Revelation is more palatable than mine, certainly more inspirational for a 21st-century audience.
Given Wright's more conservative brand of Christianity, it's eerie how often he and I agree on the meaning of the Bible's most mysterious book. Wright recognizes the conflict between Christianity and Caesar worship pulsating through Revelation. He recognizes (as does nearly every serious scholar of Revelation) that the "Beast of the Sea," identified by the hideous number 666, refers to Nero Caesar, and Wright pays homage to the rumor that Nero had come back to life. He counts, like I do, the seven kings of Revelation beginning with Augustus, not Julius Caesar, the popular choice among preterists. He even acknowledges the frightening urgency in the tone of Revelation, because its prophecies were expected by John to be fulfilled immediately. Indeed, some had already occurred, like the two witnesses of Revelation, before John put pen to paper.
Yet in all these cases, Wright glosses over the historical connections and emphasizes, instead, Revelation's relevance to today. His focus is for Christians of today, recognizing that we still await the moment of Christ’s return. The “earthquakes” of Revelation (which should be read non-literally as merely earth-shattering events) remind us of the fall of the Berlin Wall, or the smashing of the Twin Towers. That’s a relevant stance, yet it did leave me feeling like Wright’s treatment was a bit artificial, regardless of his claim … that Revelation “in fact offers one of the clearest and sharpest visions of God’s ultimate purpose for the whole creation.”
This highlights the fascinating thing about scripture, and in particular the book of Revelation. Its vivid imagery and Christian lessons relate to followers of every century. Unless you read the book of Revelation literally—a method of reading that was appropriate only to one age and audience, the people of Asia Minor to whom John was actually writing—Revelation continues to be just as meaningful and "true" today as then.
Do not miss the final chapters, about the New Jerusalem! Wright reminds us that “Jesus, according to the whole New Testament, is already reigning.” He points out the fascinating verse in Ephesians 2:6, where the church is “seated in heavenly places in the Messiah Jesus.” As to the binding of Satan, Jesus had already accomplished this (Matthew 12:29). What it all means is the great promise: God has come to dwell with humans. So many readers of Revelation assume that the final description would be about heaven that they fail to see the glory of God's New Jerusalem on earth—a "newness" we can share in today. Heaven and earth are forever joined together.
www.thewayithappened.com -
I loved this book!!!! It was so good at showing the intricacies and complex nature of Revelation while at the same time explaining it in a way that was easy to understand!! 10/10 recommend
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This year I’ve read through all eighteen volumes of N. T. Wright’s New Testament for Everyone series. I’d worked through several of them previously, as part of leading an evening Bible study, and I enjoy Wright’s gentle, pastoral, insightful leading through the basics of understanding what’s going on in each book of the New Testament. These aren’t in-depth, everything-you-could-possibly-want-to-know commentaries; rather, they’re intended for a lay readership that knows something of the Christian faith and would like to know a little more. Wright’s writing draws on his own personal experiences and other illustrations to bring the somewhat distant-past world of the NT writers into our contemporary sphere. In each section of each volume in the series, what’s important to Wright is not merely “What does this mean?” but also “How is this going to change the way you live each day?” It’s a wonderful approach.
And this final volume, looking at John’s Revelation, is my favorite book in the series. Revelation is a part of the Bible that has been so misinterpreted (with further misinterpretations building and building upon earlier ones), and it has such a reputation for being a bit frightening, complex, and impenetrable, that reading Wright’s comments is like opening a window and letting in the light and fresh air that should have been there all along. For me, it was like breathing a sigh of relief.
Wright suggests two images for our reading of Revelation that I found really helpful. The first is to think of Revelation as a kaleidoscope, where you can never quite grab onto something before it has split into several other shapes and colors, all of which help you understand the original thing you thought you’d understood just a little better. The point is not to grasp a specific, firm interpretation of each image in the book (and certainly not to make predictions about particular dates or locations), but to allow the kaleidoscopic prism of image upon image upon image to slowly reveal to you the story God is telling.
The second image is church bells in a cathedral. As they begin to play, you feel that you can pick out the tone of each individual bell. But then they keep playing . . . and as the sounds cover one another, and the echoing reverberations in the cathedral space cover the new sounds, you find that it’s no longer possible to isolate each bell for itself. Instead, you hear the full sound of many bells (many images, many parts of the story) washing over you majestically. When it concludes, you know that you’ve heard more by being overwhelmed by the combination than you would have by knowing just the sound of each bell on its own.
These images work not only for the book of Revelation alone, but in seeing Revelation as the culmination of the whole Bible. The colors and shapes of the kaleidoscope, the sounds of the bells—it’s all been slowly building from the beginning of the Bible until the conclusion of Revelation, the book in which everything is brought together in the most complex and yet clearest version of the full story yet. Reading Revelation with the rest of the Bible in mind, we see God and the story he’s been crafting in ways that make everything that came before fit into place in new, perfect ways.
Rather than write more about it, I’d rather just recommend that if you’re at all interested, you should pick up this book and let it guide you through the amazing final book of the New Testament. As I finished this read-through, I felt more encouraged than I ever have before about the majesty and glory in Revelation. -
Longer review later, perhaps.
Wright's approach to Revelation is refreshing and easily grasped. It's accessible for a laymen, but still interesting for a deeper study of Revelation. -
A wonderful tool to use when reading through Revelation.
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NT Wright is my go to. Whatever I'm studying I try to get his perspective on it. He's take on revelation is fantastic! I wish it was more in depth but he has other works that I can dig into with the depth. I recommend this commentary to anybody studying revelation, but I would say you should get a few of the commentaries to supplement it. Like Craig Keener'a commentary and Ben Witherington's.
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This is the second of N.T. Wright's "Everyone" series I have read (the first being Romans) and I highly recommend them. Like Romans, Revelation is not an easy book. But Wright does an excellent job of not only bringing out the meaning of the verses (he provides his own translation) but of placing each section into the wider theme of the book and the scope of God's ultimate plan. In this way there are both theological and devotional aspects.
With Revelation Wright helps tie this apocalyptic prophecy within the literature of the Old Testament (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc.), outline the structure and style of the book, and focus the reader on the important themes and messages rather than getting tripped up over attempts to flush out a complete eschatology out of symbols and vague references.
This is not a detailed study, or concordance type reference work, but a great introduction to reading this mysterious book and relating it the working out of God's plan to "make all things new." -
I read this at the same time I read William Barclay’s two-volumes on Revelation (as background for a Bible study I attend). The formats are similar (a hunk of verses and then commentary), and though Barclay is often seen as a liberal and Wright as a conservative, these two writers did not differ on much of anything in their interpretations. Barclay (who devotes to Revelation two volumes) often sets forth numerous views of this or that passage before giving his own, a practice Wright mostly shuns. Barclay is much better at providing historical background and better at the devotional applications he brings out. Wright’s book has good points, but his fondness for beginning each section with some sort of dramatic or descriptive lead got wearisome. The challenge of discussing a book as esoteric as Revelation seems to require more scrutiny than he gives it.
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Huh. Well, I won't pretend that I now understand Revelation, but Wright did make it seem Less crazily confusing. Revelation offers lots (loads!) of room for interpretation, and there are many places where a different take on things than Wright offers could be equally well supported, but I happen to like his theology, and found his reading of this book pretty congenial. I've now read several books in his "for Everyone" series, and the format -- breaking the text down into small chunks and offering a folksy sort of commentary on each piece before moving on to the next -- works particularly well for Revelation.
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I loved the beginning of this book where it talked about the letters. The rest of the book, relied on a lot of speculation which may or may not be true in the end, yet was presented as fact. Still, it was an interesting interpretation of Revelations, and I believe most venturing into the final book of the bible would come out with more knowledge overall.
Expect my full review January 14, 2011 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer:
http://wp.me/pPz8s-22S -
This is a great introductory commentary to what is probably the most mysterious and intimidating book of the Bible.
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I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s with the Thief in the Night video and the Left Behind Book Series. The images conjured were terrifying. As a Christian, I knew the end result was heaven, but the events leading up to my eternal life were still frightening.
For many years I could not read Revelation without breaking out in a cold sweat. Then about 2019, my husband and I watched a sermon series by Greg Boyd about Revelation with a different view of how the passages should be read and interpreted. My husband also suggested I read this book, Revelation for Everyone by N.T. Wright.
Wright is a New Testament scholar, Anglican bishop and has been a Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity. With this background and knowledge set, he gives his translation of Revelation. After a passage of Revelation scripture, Wright then gives an anecdote that leads into an explanation of the passage. As he covers each of the seven churches, he gives the cultural and historical context of that church of the first few centuries. Wright explains what the message would have meant to the first century church before he goes into what we can take away in our present day. I found this very helpful as some pastors and teachers today seem to rush to how we can apply to today before giving the context of when a passage of Revelation was first penned.
In Revelation 4, we move from talking about the churches to the Throne Room. Wright explains that in biblical theology heaven is not way up in the sky as many tend to imagine it. In biblical theology, heaven and earth were thought to overlap more. So John was not mentally or physically transported to a different place, but the revelation experience was more like a curtain was lifted and he was seeing what was happening behind the scenes.
As Wright discusses the four creatures, he suggests multiple symbolisms which I found quite interesting. He continues to do that with many of the symbols--this is how the first century might have understood it, others have thought it meant this, but it could also mean this to us today. This was quite helpful to me as I have heard Revelation taught but as though it could only mean one thing. Knowing there is some wiggle room in the interpretation because of the symbols used gives me hope that Revelation is less terrifying and much more interesting and rich. It is less about the future, yet gives us a better picture of the history of the church.
The anecdotes were entertaining and definitely helped me better understand the explanations that followed. The explanations themselves were deep and rich. Anyone who has grown up with the rapture/tribulation/end times explanation for Revelation should read this book. It gives more insight into what John’s writing meant to the early church and what Christians today should be learning from it.
I bought this book on kindle and this is my honest and unbiased review. -
Revelation for Everyone is one of the first of N.T. Wright's For Everyone series that I've read despite being the final installment, I have read the Acts ones as well. I really enjoyed the three I've read so far and hope to read the others to see if they are all of the same quality. I feel that they are accessible while still being very insightful.
Now, because this is Revelation for Everyone that means it is not an in-depth, academic discussion on Revelation. Despite this I would consider it a useful resource for a study or class on Revelation. Wright has a great way of trying to bring practical aspects of an admittedly difficult text out. It may not be good as the only resource you use, but I think it is a very helpful one.
Outside of the realm of studying and teaching aid, what I actually found myself using this book for was as more of a devotional. The setup that Wright uses is that he gives a fairly short section of the text and then provides what could be considered a short sermon on that section pointing out historical realities, connections to other parts of the text, and how we are to use the text today while using various stories and illustrations to help along the way. I found it be a very good setup for a daily devotional reading.
Regardless of how you use it, I would highly recommend this book. I've been impressed with the series so far, as both Acts and Revelation have been very enjoyable to work through, although I haven't used Acts as a devotional yet. I am definitely going to be hunting down the other books in the series since I've enjoyed these works so much. -
N.T. Wright is one of the foremost New Testament scholars of our time who has also written books aimed at the general reader of which this is one. He rejects the "dispensationalist" view of the end times (i.e., that all true Christians will be raptured off the earth followed by seven years of the Great Tribulation with the Antichrist being revealed and all kinds of awful things happening, followed by the second coming of Christ and the 1,000-year millennium). Much of Revelation should be understood symbolically. The book itself is in the form of a letter to the early Christians - this is in addition to the letters to individual churches in the early chapters. And the events that happen - the opening of the seven seals, the angels who blow the seven trumpets, and those who pour out the bowls of wrath - are not to be understood as happening chronologically. The point of the book is to encourage Christians to stand firm in the faith in spite of persecutions - this was written in a time when the church had recently endured the persecutions of the emperor Nero, and at a time when emperors were often worshipped as divine, Christians proclaimed Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, which made them objects of persecution, since they refused to offer the pinch of incense to Caesar. The book ends with the triumph of Jesus over the forces of evil and the coming of the New Jerusalem and God's triumph over death and evil.
In this book, Wright provides his own translation of Revelation from the Greek, interspersing each section with his commentary. He also provides a glossary at the back of the book. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to understand this final biblical book. -
Over the years I've amended my "Left Behind" view of eschatology after hearing sermons, speakers, and authors who have challenged that view. Unfortunately, most of my end-time information developed over years in church and so it's difficult to replace it with the new-to-me perspective. When I think about end times or even about the now-and-not-yet I default back to what I was taught in more formative times. I have trouble articulating clearly my new perspective. In an effort to get a sturdier grip on eschatology and how it impacts the way I live today I have begun reading several books and commentaries on Revelation and eschatology in general.
N.T. Wright's book Revelation for Everyone has been a great choice to include in my reading. Reading other more expansive books has been beneficial but having a brief, succinct discussion of Revelation, passage by passage, has given me a good overview and will remain a quick reference as questions arise in the future. I enjoy Wright's style in this series. His lead-in anecdotes ground the discussion of future events in the here and now while connecting the reader to the context and mindset of those who first read John's account from Patmos.
Two of the reviewers (featured on the back of my copy of the book) used the word "accessible". I agree this is not an academic book; like the other books in the series, it is designed to offer deep engagement for 'normal' people -not that such people truly exist :) -
A lot of rubbish gets written about the book of Revelation, but Tom Wright doesn't write rubbish, so this is a pretty good antidote to it, with clear historical insight and very much a modern application, he comes down firmly on the side of "not rubbish". He takes seriously interpretations of the book that set it in the context of the book's occasion and historical setting, and this then makes a lot of sense of what is written in there. He writes the book in a friendly and accessible style, and although it is not an academic work, the rigour behind the scenes shows it was written by an academic.
Too much money and too much vested interest is tied up in certain dubious readings of revelation for a book like this to make much of a difference. But anyone who is serious about understanding what the last book of the Bible is actually about could do a lot worse than starting here. -
First off - this oddly low "3 Star" rating comes from an admirer and, dare I say, fan of N. T. Wright. I am indebted to Wright for all the light he's shed on subjects from Paul to doctrinal struggles. That is why I'm saddened that this book felt like such a disappointment. What I just finished reading felt like a bit by bit devotional that used Revelation to help us understand now a bit better, rather than a desperately-needed light switch for such a poorly understood book. I would say that this book could be the perfect on-ramp to a believer new to their Bibles, and that is probably the best way to see this work.
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Just a couple of comments.:
1. Wright cautions us to not be too dogmatic about our interpretations of Revelation.
2. Wright likens the multi-layered and kaleidoscopic prophesies to cloister bells; “a glorious, wild, ancient sound, pointing us back to the very dawn of time and the most ancient of scriptures, and yet pointing us on through symbolic signposts to things yet to come...”. Then he says, in the midst of “this rich confusion of vision and image, two or three notes [like the tolling of the deeper bells] now stand out, emerging variously from all that has gone before...Pay attention. Keep these words. I am coming soon. I am coming soon.” -
This book will be my go-to suggestion for congregants who want to learn more about Revelation. Given that most people aren’t going to pick up a giant commentary on Revelation, this one is short, smart, and applicable to everyone. It puts the whole Bible in perspective and gets rid of all the crazy conspiracy theories to show people the real messages John wanted to communicate—messages that the majority of people I know, don’t recognize in Revelation. This is another wonderful book from Wright.
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I’d give this probably a 3.5/5 stars. I enjoyed it. Revelation is just dense. However, I enjoyed Wright’s gentle but thorough commentary. I also read/used the Bible study companion book. I liked understanding heaven, earth, and the new Jerusalem of the new heaven and earth better. I also was glad to better understand our afterlife. I was glad he made it clear that the main take-away is that Jesus is coming back soon and has great plans for His people for eternity.
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An accessible, relatively brief, and helpful introduction to this often daunting book of the Bible. There is much for readers to engage here, even if there are aspects of Wright's perspectives they disagree with. I have spent little time studying Revelation myself, and after reading this I wonder if I begin to understand it for the first time.
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Liked and agreed with the subject matter and general view on Revelation taken, but N.T. Wright's wordy-ness is really hard for me. I liked When The Man Comes Around by Douglas Wilson better for approximately the same view on Revelation. This is definitely a very reasonable book on Revelation though!
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Loved this book. The author presented his own translation of Revelation in bite sized units, commenting on each section as it went. His approach was to be less dogmatic than other interpretations I've heard before. He pulled the definite points from the message and let the symbolism remain largely mysterious. Highly recommend.
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My second Wright book and one where I had hoped to grasp of one of the hardest of new testament books. Some companion books on The Revelation read more like a Peretti novel than a sound rendering of the text. In that respect, Wright did not disappoint giving a well-balanced exegesis.
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Very helpful guide in studying a very complicated and overwhelming book of the Bible. Would be excellent to use for a group study. For individual study, I wish there was a little more commentary and cross referencing. I really liked the prayers at the end of each chapter.
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This was a stellar introduction to a very strange book, with wonderful, passionate commentary. The last commentary at the end, about the bells–what a way to end. You can tell N.T. Wright cares deeply not only about great scholarship, but about taking the leap from exegesis to lived-out, kingdom-bringing, covenant-grounded, image-bearing, hope-saturated faith in Jesus Christ.
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NT Wright has made the book of Revelation as simple and historically grounded as possible. Not super in depth but enough to walk away with a strong appreciation of the book and its context within the rest of scripture.
