Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation

Johnson’s Triumph of the Lamb is one of the best overall guides to Revelation. He reads the book as symbolic prophecy whose imagery is controlled above all by the Old Testament and by the person and work of the Lamb, while consistently asking what the visions would have communicated to their first-century hearers. The commentary is not as technically exhaustive as Beale, Koester, Aune or Smalley, but Johnson’s interpretive judgment is exceptionally reliable: he is particularly good on recapitulation, the relationship of the church’s suffering to Christ’s victory, and the way Revelation unveils the spiritual reality behind earthly events. His Reformed and amillennial convictions are evident, but they generally arise from rather than overwhelm the exegesis. For anyone wanting a commentary that makes the whole book cohere and shows why its visions matter for the church, this would be among my first choices.

Absolutely incredible commentary. Makes The Revelation very accessible to the average reader.

Carson says, “The strength of this work is the way it takes some of the best material on the interpretation of apocalyptic generally, and Revelation in particular, and presents it in a palatable, readable form.” Johnson is a trusted Presbyterian scholar, and he writes here in a way that makes the perplexing images in Revelation understandable, helping teachers share the treasures of this book with their people. [Full Review]

[Full Review]