The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.).)

This commentary series is established on the presupposition that the theological character of the New Testament documents calls for exegesis that is sensitive to theological themes as well as to the details of the historical, linguistic, and textual context. Such thorough exegetical work lies at the heart of these volumes, which contain detailed verse-by-verse commentary preceded by general comments on each section and subsection of the text. An important aim of the NIGTC authors is to interact with the wealth of significant New Testament research published in recent articles and monographs. In this connection the authors make their own scholarly contributions to the ongoing study of the biblical text. The text on which these commentaries are based is the UBS Greek New Testament , edited by Kurt Aland and others. While engaging the major questions of text and interpretation at a scholarly level, the authors keep in mind the needs of the beginning student of Greek as well as the pastor or layperson who may have studied the language at some time but does not now use it on a regular basis. This monumental commentary on the book of Revelation, originally published in 1999, has been highly acclaimed by scholars, pastors, students, and others seriously interested in interpreting the Apocalypse for the benefit of the church. Too often Revelation is viewed as a book only about the future. As G.K. Beale shows, however, Revelation is not merely a futurology but a book about how the church should live for the glory of God throughout the ages -- including our own. Engaging important questions concerning the interpretation of Revelation in scholarship today, as well as interacting with the various viewpoints scholars hold on these issues, Beale's work makes a major contribution in the much-debated area of how the Old Testament is used in the Apocalypse. Approaching Revelation in terms of its own historical background and literary character, Beale argues convincingly that John's use of Old Testament allusions -- and the way the Jewish exegetical tradition interpreted these same allusions -- provides the key for unlocking the meaning of Revelation's many obscure metaphors. In the course of Beale's careful verse-by-verse exegesis, which also untangles the logical flow of John's thought as it develops from chapter to chapter, it becomes clear that Revelation's challenging pictures are best understood not by apparent technological and contemporary parallels in the twentieth century but by Old Testament and Jewish parallels from the distant past This monumental commentary on the book of Revelation, originally published in 1999, has been highly acclaimed by scholars, pastors, students, and others seriously interested in interpreting the Apocalypse for the benefit of the church. Too often Revelation is viewed as a book only about the future. As G. K. Beale shows, however, Revelation is not merely a futurology but a book about how the church should live for the glory of God throughout the ages — including our own. Engaging important questions concerning the interpretation of Revelation in scholarship today, as well as interacting with the various viewpoints scholars hold on these issues, Beale's work makes a major contribution in the much-debated area of how the Old Testament is used in the Apocalypse. Approaching Revelation in terms of its own historical background and literary character, Beale argues convincingly that John's use of Old Testament allusions — and the way the Jewish exegetical tradition interpreted these same allusions — provides the key for unlocking the meaning of Revelation's many obscure metaphors. In the course of Beale's careful verse-by-verse exegesis, which also untangles the logical flow of John's thought as it develops from chapter to chapter, it becomes clear that Revelation's challenging pictures are best understood not by apparent technological and contemporary parallels in the twentieth century but by Old Testament and Jewish parallels from the distant past.

This new study of the book of Revelation will be especially helpful to scholars, pastors, students, and others seriously interested in interpreting the Apocalypse for the benefit of the church. Too often Revelation is viewed as a book only about the future. As G. K. Beale shows, however, Revelation is not merely a futurology but a book about how the church should live for the glory of God throughout the ages - including our own.

Themelios

Beale's commentary reflects the distillation of a lifetime of research and thinking on the book of Revelation.... Beale leaves virtually no stone unturned in his careful analysis of the text of Revelation, while interacting with a wide range of commentaries, monographs and articles in several different languages. This commentary is a work of impressive scholarship and the size lends itself primarily to use as a reference tool. However, Beale's work could also be useful to pastors and theological students.... Beale has provided a valuable service to scholars, pastors and students in providing a commentary that should remain a standard for some time to come. This long-awaited commentary was certainly worth waiting for.

"This new study of the book of Revelation will be especially helpful to scholars, pastors, students, and others seriously interested in interpreting the Apocalypse for the benefit of the church. Too often Revelation is viewed as a book only about the future. As G.K. Beale shows, however, Revelation is not merely a futurology but a book about how the church should live for the glory of God throughout the ages - including our own."--Jacket The consensus among twentieth-century scholars is that the Apocalypse was written during the reign of Domitian around 95 A.D.