Revelations Books

Contrary to what has been stated otherwise, John Michell's 'City of Revelation' does not endeavour to squeeze everything into 'Christian Mysticism.' It acknowledges that there is a universal pattern to these things - a correspondence between cultures - when it comes to sacred measure,a canon of divine proportions, the link between alphabets - and number (symbolism, gematria). John Michell's first book - 'The View of Atlantis' - made this clear, happy to note the@correspondence between ancient British ley-lines, Chinese 'lung-mei' etc.

'City of Revalation' does focus on the 'Book of Revelation' as an archetypal example, but Michell's references to a broader canvas can hardly be missed. He gladly acknowledged that the@'canon of proportions' and symbolic numbers of the cosmic temple found in Christian sources - are a legacy of pre-Christian culture. It would be missing the point entirely, to see 'City of Revelation' as an exclusive reference to Christian mysticism. Michell's main point - is to reinforce the shared agenda. The Church of England, for example, once denied the canon of proportions referred to in this book. The official measurements given for the ground-plans/proportions of cathedrals etc., are usually innacurate, for they are invariably stated in terms of the conventional yard, whereas the original ground plans etc. were laid out in megalithic yards. Give John Michell some credit! He hasn't the least interest in narrow definitions of creed. The great beauty in what he has observed - and what he has to say, lies in the shared agenda. The trans-cultural references in this book make that abundantly clear.

This book is excellent for those interested in Gematria, natural/pythagorean mathematics and/or Sacred Geometry.

Whereas one of author's newest books 'The Temple of Jerusalem: A Revelation' is clear and contains concise explanations in an orderly fashion, this book tends to be a little more fragmented and jumps around quite a bit. The theme of the book is very similar to the previously mentioned title but a more in-depth study on the proportions used to construct architecture/monuments and their related number symbolism in the ancient world. The one thing I could recommend to the reader is to read chapter 10 first. It really is the cornerstone chapter that explains the measurements used throughout the book. In the first nine chapters it was a bit disconcerting to see the author jump from metric system to metric system as it proved useful for linking up numerical measurements to gematria values. After reading chapter 10 the reader will understand the justification.

One other thing that can be noted is that Michell does not pay as careful attention to historical relevance as say, David Fiedeler does in 'Jesus Christ, Sun of God'. Having read this latter title before 'City of Revelation' Michell's book seemed less scholarly (having read the introduction I would guess he wasn't really intending it to be but was opting for a more mystical approach to the materials).

Despite the above factors and the fact that Michell is attempting to fit all measurements into Christian mysticism, the book is none-the-less important as it demonstrates the methods that one could use to apply to any number-to-letter system from the ancient world. It also, inadvertently, demonstrates the common thinking present to the ancient architects, priests and builders regardless of their culture. I would add that in relation to the importance of this book that it was list in bibliography to Fiedeler's book mentioned above and that Fideler had even reproduced Chapter 9 from 'City of Revelations' in his own work.

This bible study is a good one if you want a general overview, but don't expect a great deal of in-depth study. One plus is that you can do this study on your own or in a group. You do need a Bible you feel comfortable marking up, and it can be a little complicated to keep going back and adding new marks, but it is an overall good study. Truly the best bible study if you have the time is Bible Study Fellowship. Groups meet throughout the country and do a very in-depth study.

If you want to really study the Bible for yourself, any of Kay Arthur's Inductive Study Series is the way to go. Each and everyone of her books will be a good investment in furthering your understanding of the Bible.

The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus has entered "the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands." Yet most Christians have little concept of a heavenly sanctuary. Goldstein argues persuasively that the sanctuary is a central biblical concept in both the Old and New Testaments. In the OT it taught sinners that the only way to salvation was through blood -- the blood of animals symbolizing the perfect sacrifice that the Messiah would some day provide. In the NT, the sanctuary is most clearly presented in the books of Hebrews and Revelation. In *Between the Lamb and the Lion* Goldstein focuses particularly on the sanctuary scenes in Revelation, demonstrating that, even after His perfect sacrifice on the cross, Christ is still involved in the life of His people through His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. A thought-provoking book for the serious Bible student and well worth more than its price.

This book is suberbly accurate and very informative, if you are looking for Jesus in the book of Revelation this book is a must!!! Goldstein has struck gold again.

This scholarly but accessible commentary on the Book of Revelation deserves to continue to be in print. Unfortunately, though, it is hard to find. If you can find it, I believe you would be wise to get it. This commentary provides much helpful interpretive information for understanding the Book of Revelation.

This is a reprint of the classic commentary by G.R. Beasley-Murray. An excellent exegetical work from a historical premillenial view-point [premillenial, but non-dispensational].

I've used this commentary for my Sunday School class and it's received good feedback from laypeople who want a brief and clearly written exposition of Revelation. Leon Morris adopts a non-dispensationalist viewpoint in his commentary. It was hard to discern whether he was amillennial or historical premillennial. He believes that Rev. 20 describes the reign of the martyrs rather than the reign of all the saints. A very interesting perspective. In any case, he interprets the 144,000 and the great multitude in Revelation 7 as representing spiritual Israel (the church) rather than literal Israel.

Here are some of my assessments of this commentary.

Good points:

1) It is easy to read and the explanations are clear
2) Morris provides an excellent outline of the whole book of Revelation
3) Morris reminds the reader that we need to adopt a humble and open-mind when reading the book of Revelation

Weak points:

1) Explanations are too brief or vague at points. Examples:

"hidden manna" (Rev. 2: 17) -- Morris is somewhat ambiguous in his explanation of what exactly it is; "white stone" (2:17) -- Morris offers different suggestions on what it could mean and concludes "we simply do not know what the white stone signified, though clearly it did convey some assurance of blessing"; it is frustrating to read a commentary when the commentator says "we don't really know what this means." It is honest but not very helpful! (it is better for Morris to make a decision on what he sees as the most likely explanation)

2) Insufficient explanation for why certain things should be interpreted

Example: Morris states that the "Two Witnesses" in Rev. 11: 1-14 should be interpreted symbolically rather than literally. He states that "difficulties multiply" when one takes the "Two Witnesses" literally. What difficulties? To me, the symbolic interpretation of the "Two Witnesses" as representing the church has more difficulties than the literal interpretation. How does one interpret the dead bodies lying in the street if the two witnesses represent the church? How does one interpret the 3 1/2 days, and then the witnesses being caught up to God?

Yes, chapter 11 is one of the most difficult chapters in Revelation to interpret. I was expecting Morris to do a more complete job of explaining his interpretation, but he didn't do an adequate job in explaining his reasons for interpretation other than giving blanket statements.

3) Morris should clearly state what his position is. For example, in the introduction of the commentary, he explains 4 different approaches in interpreting Revelation (preterist, historicist, idealist, and futurist). He states that one should incorporate several of these approaches and not just one approach. Yet, Morris fails to tell the reader which approaches he adopts.

I noticed this throughout the commentary; Morris sometimes would present different options or suggestions on what a phrase or passage means, and then would not clearly state what his position is. I appreciated it when he did take a position.

This aside, I still found this commentary to be helpful, in spite of its brevity. If you want to read a more complete expositional commentary, you can't go wrong with reading Robert Mounce's excellent commentary in the New International Commentary of the New Testament (Eerdmans). I find Mounce's viewpoint to be similar to that of Morris, but he gives a much more complete explanation both in his commentary and in his interpretation of certain passages. George E. Ladd's commentary on Revelation also offers a similar viewpoint as Morris' but a fuller explanation as well. If you want an excellent and more technical non-dispensationalist commentary on Revelation, read G.K. Beale's commentary on Revelation (which requires the reader to be familiar with Greek).

There is a plethora of outstanding commentaries out there on Revelation. What I've mentioned above are two excellent expositional commentaries on Revelation that hold a similar viewpoint and non-dispensationalist interpretation as Morris.

Morris is a good introductory commentary but you need to consult other commentaries which offer a more complete and satisfactory explanation on the whole book.

If you are interested in getting a commentary that is the result of a lot of top level scholarly work, but don't want alot of the way advanced technical terminology, this is a good book for you. Don't get me wrong, nothing is watered down or made simple. It is still very scholarly and detailed, but it is understandable. The whole Tyndale series is an excellent buy.

This analysis of what Christians can learn from Hindus, and conversely what Hindus could learn from Christians is lucid and to the point. It was redacted from a series of lectures or teachings given by Bede Griffiths at a Catholic setting in the U. S. and thus has the clarity and simplicity of the spoken word.

Griffiths' conclusion is that God has revealed Himself truly in the heart and in the cosmos to Hindus, but that there is still something of value in Christianity that cannot be found in Hinduism.

This is an excellent primer to Hinduism, as all the sacred Hindu books are briefly explained and all the key concepts of Hinduism are touched upon. One could read a number of other books and not have as clear a sense of the context of Hindu understanding as he gives here.

The fact that his insights are the fruit of 25 years of living out his Christian contemplation in a Hindu context makes his insights very well-balanced. He recognizes both the obvious and the more subtle weaknesses in Hinduism, and yet he also values it enough to live as a sannyasi in an ashram.

Like him, I find that I can understand who Jesus is more clearly when I see him in an eastern context.

It is also quite fascinating to see how connected Sanskrit and the western languages are. The first western scholar who worked on Sanskrit could hardly believe his eyes when it became obvious to him that Sanskrit had ties to Latin and Greek.

Yet consider this, which is my own interpretation: the Ancient Sanskrit for God is Dyaus Pita, meaning Sky Father. We can obviously see that Pita is related to Pater and thus to Father. But what is Dyaus? Is not the Latin for God Deus? (Spanish Dios, Greek Theos) I don't think I'm imagining things when I see God the Father in the Sanskrit Sky God.

We are One at the deepest level, but even on the surface level, we are far more inter-connected than the school books would lead us to believe. Columbus may have been trying to get to India the wrong way round, but it is clear to me that there was cultural contact in very ancient times.

A very solid comparision of Hindu and Christian beliefs. Confirmed many of the conclusions I had reached after having read the Bible and Upanishads many times.

Bainerman reviews a multitude of the dark stories from the Reagan/Bush administration. Although he bills himself as a "conspiracy theorist" and suggests that there is an underlying thread of conspiracy in many of the covert wrong-doings of the Reagan/Bush years I am not sold on that idea - but think the book has a great deal of importance that goes beyond whether you accept the conspiracy thesis or not. The story that everybody knows about is the Iran-Contra scandal. But there were numerous other stories - the Gander crash, the Lockerbie bombing, the Danny Casolaro suicide and the Inslaw case - which were not examined by the mainstream press with the through detail they deserved. What articles were written are scattered about and it would require a lot of time searching computer databases and hunting libraries to pull any of the relevant stories together. I don't think there is an underlying "conspiracy" - just that George Bush - a former spook in chief was running the country for almost 12 years (His fans aside, Reagan was not doing it - he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease as we now know and for all of those years and by all accounts of his behavior fit with this medical diagnosis (falling asleep at staff meetings, not bothering to open briefing notebooks, etc) , and Nancy may have done a great job looking after and covering for him but she was not running the country either). The man at the top was George Bush, quite compos mentis, and with the total absence of ethical faculties that are typical of politicians and certainly "covert operators". Not surprisingly a lot of his rather nasty projects were covert operations, and not a few of them were illegal and involved killing Americans citizens (interestingly our activities in Nicaragua and El Salvador and the "School of the Americas", its graduates, and their work do not figure largely in this book).

Bainerman has done some interviewing of participants - but mostly the service he has rendere! d is to pull together the information that was published. It is a very carefully researched review of each of affair. In the end he lets the reader see what a mess of dangling ends and unresolved mysteries surround each of these events, but the reader is free to make there own judgement about what this all means. As always with a work of this nature a skeptical but non-specialist reader can only spot check the veracity of the authors use of published sources - this reader bothered to get hold of one of the articles and see if the use was fair and in context - and it was, and is fairly familiar with two of the stories (Casolaro and Pan Am 103) and Bainerman seems to have covered what is known quite well.

It is unfortunate that the book did not get into the hands of a better publisher - the book lacks an index, and has a chatty style that could have used the control imposed by a good editor, and is poorly printed - typos and all. It is interesting to speculate why no major publisher would handle this book - convincing or not it is well within the range of what bigger (are there smaller) houses will handle ? Even for those who will disagree with Bainerman's facts on one story or another it is unfortunate that it was handled by such a fringe press - there are no reviews, and so no criticism by experts. If buried in the reams of facts that Bainerman provides there are some inaccuracies I would like to know that too, but with a good work exiled to a fringe press I won't ever get that analysis. Nonetheless it certainly behooves any American interested in official (as opposed to bedroom) activities of the people we put in the White House to look this over. George Bush Sr. may be in the past, but George Bush Jr. is as likely as any Republican to be running in 2000 - now is the time to find out what he may have learned from dad.

This was an important book when it was published in 1992. It's even MORE important now. Frankly, I'm not surprised it's "out of print" and it's probably even harder to find now. It is, however, worth the search. This country is in serious trouble. Now is the time, as they say, for all good men and women to come to the aid of their country. If you don't believe me -- read this book. Do whatever it takes to find it. A word to the wise is sufficient.

I recommend this book with zeal. Charles has accomplished the restoration of the order of Greek text, especially chapter 20 to chapter 22. Without saying, this part is the core of the Revelation of St John.
He did it through his detailed investigation as well as the Book of Enoch. Some scholars insist that the content of the Apocalypse is not chronologically but theologically and thematically conceived.
It is not the wrong, but Charles did not intend to make up to restore its order only chronologically without any reason. He constructed the true composition of the Revelation which might be edited precisely at that time in the St John's era. It is quite clear when anyone reads his translation or restored Greek text of this section earnestly.
Truly, Charles revealed the right composition of the Revelation of St John.

Charles 1920 commentary has not been surpassed in the depth of its text-critical analysis and the extent of its comparanda. It is, however, dated and Charles' prediliction for source theories, interpolations, clumsy editors, etc. holds little influence in today's world. It is nevertheless indispensible for serious scholarly study.

"Giant Book" has been an excellent tool for usage in our congregation.

This book offers something for everyone who wants to impart the mysteries of the Gospel to young children. There's enough material to last five years.

I found this book to be quite good. Ray Stedman has a great understanding of Revelation. I especially liked the chapters regarding the seven churches. They contained a wealth of information.
I had to downgrade it to four stars because of one area I sharply disagreed with him on. He says the 24 elders represent angels, not the church. I disagree. And the scriptures he uses to back up his claim do not support his view. Other than that I highly recommend the book.

Based on expository sermons preached late in his life, Ray Stedman's commentary on the Book of the Revelation is clear and easy to read from start to finish. Ray had a simple style of speaking, yet he dispensed profound truth at many levels--something for everyone in the audience, whether new Christian or older. Ray's understanding of time and eternity, of the visible and invisible dimensions of reality, shines through with clarity. Thoroughly orthodox--premill, pretrib, with startling fresh insights. Superb editing by James Denney. This is Number One on my full shelf of commentaries on the Apocalypse.