Revelation
Pages
928
Publisher
Yale University Press
Published
9/30/2014
ISBN-13
9780300144888
In this landmark commentary, Craig R. Koester offers a comprehensive look at a powerful and controversial early Christian text, the book of Revelation. Originally written for Christian communities in Asia Minor, Revelation depicts scenes of cosmic conflict in which God, the creator of the world, overcomes the forces of destruction and makes all things new. This often misunderstood portion of the New Testament repeatedly surprises readers by warning that judgment is imminent, only to interrupt the visions of terror with messages of hope and redemption.
Koester provides richly textured descriptions of the book’s setting and language, making extensive use of Greek and Latin inscriptions, classical texts, and ancient Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. While Revelation has often been viewed as world-negating, this commentary focuses on its deep engagement with social, religious, and economic issues. It also addresses the book’s volatile history of interpretation and its cultural impact over the centuries. The result is a groundbreaking study that provides powerful insights and sets new directions for the continued appreciation of this visionary religious text.
Koester provides richly textured descriptions of the book’s setting and language, making extensive use of Greek and Latin inscriptions, classical texts, and ancient Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. While Revelation has often been viewed as world-negating, this commentary focuses on its deep engagement with social, religious, and economic issues. It also addresses the book’s volatile history of interpretation and its cultural impact over the centuries. The result is a groundbreaking study that provides powerful insights and sets new directions for the continued appreciation of this visionary religious text.
Collections
This book appears in the following featured collections.
- New Testament Commentaries & Monographs by Princeton Theological Seminary
- Nijay Gupta's Top NT Commentaries by Nijay K. Gupta
- Recommended New Testament Commentaries for Evangelical Pastors by Thomas R. Schreiner
- TGC: Scholarly Commentaries by The Gospel Coalition
Reviews
The Gospel Coalition
June 1, 2024
June 1, 2024
A masterfully written and meticulously researched commentary from a critical perspective. Koester situates the Apocalypse in its late first century context. Koestner denies apostolic authorship of the book, but his thorough commentary is still a valuable guide for serious students of Revelation.
[Full Review]
G Ware
November 15, 2018
November 15, 2018
As more commentaries which seek to rescue Revelation from the excesses of dispensationalist readings, the better off we all are. Koester seeks to root Revelation firmly in the historical context of the late first century, and reads the text in light of archaeology and extra-biblical texts of similar genre, and in so doing, presents Revelation not as a chronology of the end of days written well in advance, but as a critique of the world in which the original readers lived.
Brian Tabb
April 7, 2017
April 7, 2017
"This is the most important commentary on Revelation published in English in more than a decade. It is meticulously researched and elegantly written, masterfully situates the Apocalypse in its Greco-Roman and Jewish-Christian context in the late first century, and demonstrates unsurpassed grasp of the history of interpretation of this important and enigmatic book."
[Full Review]