Our Top Revelation Reading

Revelation is a hard book to understand so why not get some help from some smart people who have been studying this book longer their whole lives. That is why I love using a commentary, I get to glean from the hours and hours and at times years and years of study that these writers have done and get the final revelation that took them years to get.

Some commentaries and text books that I have found helpful will studying the book of Revelation are:

Revelation for Everyone | Tom Wright

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I know we say it a lot at TYB but these easy reading Commentaries are a must to help you in your Bible study. Designed so you don’t have to have a Bible as it gives you the verses, we want you to use these as a great study guide to your ‘trashing’ experience. Tom Wright has written them so that you don’t have to be an academic to understand what he is talking about, they are easy reading and practical and will help you immensely in this incredible book.

The NIV Application Commentary | Craig Keener

Craig Keener is a great writer, as the author of one of my all-time favourite books IVP Bible Background New Testament, Keener does a great job at bringing wisdom and balance to this incredible text. Read the Introduction first as it will give a great balance of the current debates and issues in relation to the book of Revelation.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GO DEEPER:

New Testament Theology: The Theology of the Book of Revelation | Richard Bauckham

This incredible text was my text book when I studied the book of Revelation for my Degree. As the title suggests the book focuses on the theology and themes found in the book. Bauckham brings the book alive, and gives so many fresh revelations and insights that you will wear out your highlighter. My copy is more ‘trashed’ than my Bible, I absolutely loved this book, covering topics such as “The One who is and who was and who is to come” “The Lamb and the throne” “The victory of the Lamb and his followers” “The New Jerusalem”

The Apocalyptic Imagination | John J Collins

If you want to go deeper into the understanding of Apocalyptic Literature this book is great. Collins not only sets you in the conversation around the literature up to this point but then book by book shows you the similarities, differences and impact of Apocalyptic texts including Enoch, Daniel, Ezra, Qumran documents and Revelation.

DEEPER AGAIN:

The Climax of Prophecy | Richard Bauckham

Not for the faint hearted and probably more targeted to academics, these collections of essays are a great way to go deeper into the study of the book of Revelation. This is a text book not a book you would read from cover to cover but the knowledge of these studies will change the way you read Revelation forever. Showing how the book is, as the title suggests, the Climax of all Biblical Prophecy.