Revelation

I did enjoy some of the insights which Kistemaker has put forward. This NT set is well worth purchasing as it has bang for buck! His Amillenial view does restrain his understanding of Revelation though. In saying all this he does a good job from a preterist point of view in looking at the way John communicated his visions.

This commentary presents itself as a research commentary: it is massive, detailed, andheavily documented. Upon inspection, one finds that the commentary is largelydetermined by a conservative theological viewpoint and that its interaction with criticalscholarship privileges other conservative voices. In addition to an introduction andcommentary, the volume features a bibliography, an author index, and an “Index ofScripture and Other Ancient Writings.”In his second paragraph Kistemaker reveals that unlike “mere human composition[s]”such as 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, and 2 Baruch, Revelation is a means by which “God himself isspeaking to his people” (3). In a similar vein, Kistemaker argues for authorship by Johnthe companion of Jesus, in part because among the persons named John of whom we areaware only the apostle “could address the churches with the authority revealed in theApocalypse” (21). While the commentary is informed by historical and literaryconsiderations, its basic premise is that “Revelation is a message of comfort and hope forChristians living between Jesus’ ascension and his return on the clouds of heaven” (63).In other words, Revelation’s meaning transcends both its originative context and the lastdays.Kistemaker’s larger approach to Revelation is “idealist,” in contrast to the positionsknown as preterist, historicist, and futurist. [Full Review]