I heard the results of a poll the other day, which I cannot verify, but which rings true with my experience. Pastors cited The Revelation as the book of the Bible they least wanted to teach/preach, while Christians agreed overwhelmingly that The Revelation is the one they would most like to hear preached and taught!
Based on that conventional wisdom, it would probably be helpful to provide an extensive list of resources to help you get started on Revelation in particular and eschatology or the end times in general. I’ll list different kinds of resources and rate them: beginner, intermediate and advanced – beginner/intermediate indicates a resource that a beginner can probably make it through with access to a dictionary or the web, but it may be challenging. I say, “go for it!” There will be others added later, as time allows.
General Introductions and Tools
Knowing Scripture R.C. Sproul: Beginner
How To Read The Bible For All It’s Worth by Gordon Fee: Beginner/Intermediate
Interpreting Revelation by Merrill C. Tenney: Beginner/Intermediate
Contemporary Options in Eschatology by Millard Erickson: Intermediate
Podcasts, Audio and Video
Chuck Smith: Beginner
Alistair Begg: Beginner
Ray Stedman: Beginner
Lance Hahn of Bridgeway Church in Rocklin: Beginner/Intermediate
Kim Riddelbarger: Beginner/Intermediate
An Evening of Eschatology: Intermediate/Advanced
Monergism 400 links from all perspectives! Beginner – Advanced
Charts, Comparisons and Vocabulary Online
Eschatology Comparisons: Beginner
Four Millennial Views Chart: Beginner
Millennial Kingdom in Theopedia: Beginner
Four Views on the Millennium / Blue Letter Bible: Beginner
Eschatology / Sam Storms: Intermediate
Commentaries
Let’s begin with a snapshot comparison of some of the best known commentaries: Beginner-Advanced
Be Victorious by Warren Wiersbe: Beginner
What the World Is Coming To by Chuck Smith: Beginner
Revelation by Leon Morris: Beginner/Intermediate
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revelation by Alan F. Johnson is a great place to start. It is now a single volume of the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, so the interpretive approach follows the Grammatico-Historical method, following a futurist scheme: Beginner/Intermediate
The Revelation of Jesus Christ by John Walvoord: Beginner/Intermediate
The NIV Application Commentary by Craig Keener: Beginner/Intermediate
A Commentary on the Revelation of John by George Eldon Ladd: Beginner/Intermediate
Revelation Four Views: A Parallel Commentary edited by Steve Gregg. It is laid out under the four major interpretive methods: Historicist, Preterist, Futurist and Spiritual (Idealist): Intermediate
NICNT The Book of Revelation by Robert Mounce. This commentary is one of the most widely recognized works on Revelation. Mounce is a futurist, who employs the Grammatico-Historical method of interpretation and is an historic premillennialist. He is strong on the background apocalyptic plays in the Revelation. Intermediate
Days of Vengeance by David Chilton. Postmillennial and preterist: Intermediate
The Revelation of John: A Narrative Commentary by James L. Resseguie. This commentary was my first serious approach of the Apocalypse from a literary or narrative slant and it is absolutely wonderful. The author has taught literature for years and he is a clear, engaging and effective writer: Intermediate
Revelation by Ben Witherington III. I’m finding this commentary to be very helpful and insightful: Intermediate
An Exegetical Commentary Revelation (2 Volumes) by Robert L. Thomas. Thomas takes a futurist view, the grammatico-historical approach to interpretation and holds to a pre-tribulational rapture of the church. He is considered a classical dispensationalist, taking the baton from John Walvoord as their chief scholar: Advanced
Revelation in the ECNT series by Grant Osborne. I would be in the same camp with Osborne, who is a self described premillenial, mild preterist and idealist. That would place him very closely with G.K. Beale, except for the millennium. I suppose George Eldon Ladd would be considered similar: Advanced
NIGTC The Book of Revelation by G.K. Beale. Beale presents an amillennial view from an eclectic interpretation. He describes his approach as a “Redemptive-Historical Form of Modified Idealism,” but the reader will note a distinct preterist bent. He includes 177 pages of introduction covering date, genre, interpretation of symbolism, text, structure and theolgy, including helpful charts and outlines. This is probably the most thorough and exhaustive commentary available for the non-professional. David Aune’s 3 Volume commentary in the Word Biblical Commentary series, is ridiculous… a monumental work, but definitely aimed at the academic crowd… a commentator’s commentator: Advanced
General Works
The Seventy “Weeks” Prophecy of Daniel 9: A Comparison of Major Views by G.P. Hugenberger, pastor of the historic Park Street Church in Boston.: a comparison of the three major views of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, including some simple diagrams: Intermediate
The New Millennium Manual: A Once and Future Guide. This book is fun and very informative, tracing the history of Christian chiliasm and eschatology: Beginner
The Rapture Question by John Walvoord: Beginner
The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church by Marvin Rosenthal: Beginner/Intermediate
Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope by Keith Mathison: Intermediate
Case for Amillennialism by Kim Riddelbarger: Intermediate
The Gospel of the Kingdom, The Blessed Hope and The Last Things by George Eldon Ladd: Intermediate
The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham: Advanced
July 25th, 2010 at 7:25 am
Thanks Bo,
This is very helpful. Not only the references to the books and podcasts, but to the terms and “lingo” used when talking about this stuff.
Definitely deserves a bookmark in our web browsers.
Thanks for loving us and spending the time to prepare us to understand God’s word to us.
July 27th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Cool… it seems that everyone is really digging into the Word, with a great attitude. We are blessed:
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3 ESV)