A Commentary On The Revelation Of Jesus Christ With Old Testament Allusions

Many people struggle with the book of Revelation because it is filled with strange symbols, numbers and bizarre images of beasts and visions. A blessing is promised (Rev 1:3) to all who read it but it cannot be received if one is intimidated by engaging the book. The key to understanding it lies in the context in which it was written which is the Old Testament. This book attempts to open up the reader to greater understanding of the book by giving the Old Testament references that John's readers would have been familiar with for the passages the Holy Spirit inspired John to write. .

Many people struggle with the book of Revelation because it is filled with strange symbols, numbers and bizarre images of beasts and visions. A blessing is promised (Rev 1:3) to all who read it but it cannot be received if one is intimidated by engaging the book. The key to understanding it lies in the context in which it was written which is the Old Testament. This book attempts to open up the reader to greater understanding of the book by giving the Old Testament references that John's readers would have been familiar with for the passages the Holy Spirit inspired John to write. .

Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that are unfamiliar or obscure. In order to fully understand the teachings of Jesus and his followers, it is important to understand the large body of Scripture that preceded and informed their thinking. Leading evangelical scholars G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson have brought together a distinguished team to provide readers with a comprehensive commentary on Old Testament quotations, allusions, and echoes that appear from Matthew through Revelation. College and seminary students, pastors, scholars, and interested lay readers will want to add this unique commentary to their reference libraries. Contributors Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) on Matthew Rikk E. Watts (Regent College) on Mark David W. Pao (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and Eckhard J. Schnabel (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on Luke Andreas J. Köstenberger (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) on John I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen) on Acts Mark A. Seifrid (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) on Romans Roy E. Ciampa (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) and Brian S. Rosner (Moore Theological College) on 1 Corinthians Peter Balla (Károli Gáspár Reformed University, Budapest) on 2 Corinthians Moisés Silva (author of Philippians in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) on Galatians and Philippians Frank S. Thielman (Beeson Divinity School) on Ephesians G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) on Colossians Jeffrey A. D. Weima (Calvin Theological Seminary) on 1 and 2 Thessalonians Philip H. Towner (United Bible Societies) on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus George H. Guthrie (Union University) on Hebrews D. A. Carson (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on the General Epistles G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) and Sean M. McDonough (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) on Revelation

Romans is almost universally celebrated to be one of the greatest Christian writings ever penned. It is the most detailed explanation of the gospel and the relationship between faith and righteousness in the New Testament. Paul accomplishes this by relying heavily on Old Testament passages that provided a foundation for many of the arguments he used to enlighten the Israelites of God’s plan to include the Gentiles as his people along with them. It takes one on a journey to explore how that gospel works to bring man to a place of salvation through obedience by baptism into Christ (Gal 3:27). Its impact on the lives of many noted religious leaders throughout history during the Protestant Reformation and Restoration Movements cannot be underestimated. Such leaders as Augustine, John Chrysostom, John and Charles Wesley, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Thomas and Alexander Campbell have all expressed the profound impact Romans had on their lives. Luther sparked the greatest religious revival at the time, the Protestant Reformation at Wittenberg in 1517 when he nailed 95 theses to the door of Castle Church which he said was inspired by his reading of the book of Romans. The Campbells began the Restoration Movement during the early 19th century around the time of the “Great Awakening” in the early frontier days, with a call of restoring the pure gospel that Paul explained in the book of Romans. The overarching theme throughout its 16 chapters is to reveal God’s sovereign plan of justification and sanctification to both Jew and Gentile in the church through the gospel where the righteousness of God is revealed. (Romans 1:17) It is God’s blueprint as to how we obtain and maintain faith and what it means to live a righteous life before God.

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.

This book explores the variety of ways John contextually uses the Old Testament in the Apocalypse. The introduction surveys and evaluates recent studies, which have been divided over the issue of whether or not John uses the Old Testament with sensitivity to its original literary context (Beale, Fekkes and Bauckham argue in the affirmative, while Ruiz and Moyise contend that this was not John's focus and see implications for 'reader-response criticism'). The remainder of the book looks at various ways in which John uses the Old Testament and argues that there is a reciprocal interpretative relationship between the Old Testament and the Apocalypse. Studies of special interest concern the bearing of the Old Testament on Revelation's eschatology, on the issue of the millennium, and on the thorny problem of the grammatical solecisms.

G. K. Beale’s monumental New International Greek Testament Commentary volume on Revelation has been highly praised since its publication in 1999. This shorter commentary distills the superb grammatical analysis and exegesis from that tome (over 1,300 pages) into a book more accessible and pertinent to preachers, students, and general Christian readers. As in the original commentary, Beale views Revelation as an integrated whole, as a conscious continuation of the Old Testament prophetic books, and shows that recognizing Revelation’s nearly constant use of Old Testament allusions is key to unlocking its meaning. Interspersed throughout the volume are more than sixty sets of “Suggestions for Reflection” to help readers better grasp the relevance of Revelation to their lives and our world today.

Through Old Testament Eyes is a new kind of commentary series that illuminates the Old Testament backgrounds, allusions, patterns, and references saturating the New Testament. This knowledge was second nature to the New Testament authors and their audiences, but often isn't the case for today's readers. Bible teachers, preachers, and students committed to understanding Scripture will gain insight through these rich Old Testament connections, which clarify puzzling passages and explain others in fresh ways. In Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes, Tremper Longman demonstrates that the confusion associated with the images throughout Revelation arises from unfamiliarity with symbolism that Revelation's first readers would have readily comprehended. Avoiding overly technical discussions and interpretive debates to concentrate on Old Testament influences, Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes combines rigorous, focused New Testament scholarship with deep respect for the entire biblical text. "As an Old Testament scholar, I learned much from this excellent contribution by a seasoned and thoughtful colleague; as a Christian, my new understanding led to worship. This is a volume that pastors, scholars, and laypeople will find a valuable companion to reading and studying the canon's final book." --Lissa M. Wray Beal, Providence Theological Seminary "There is no more sure-footed guide to this mysterious book than a premier Old Testament scholar like Tremper Longman. This exceptionally clear and cogent commentary will open your eyes to this capstone volume of the New Testament like never before." --Mark L. Strauss, Bethel Seminary "In short, to really get into a place where one can understand John's Scripture-saturated mind(which involves many more allusions and echoes than Old Testament quotes) you need a guide who himself has a Scripture-saturated mind. Tremper Longman is your man, for he has labored long in the scriptural vineyard, and always provides us with the good fruit of careful interpretation." --Ben Witherington III, Asbury Theological Seminary