Revelation: The IVP NT Commentary [IVPNTC]

About the Series: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series
Pastors with a passion for sound exposition and scholars with a heart for pastoral leadership have joined forces to produce this exciting, accessible, and informative commentary series.

Each volume, informed by the best of up-to-date evangelical scholarship, presents passage-by-passage commentary based on the NIV along with background information on authorship, setting, theme and various interpretive issues. A unique format allows the main commentary to focus on the vital message of the New Testament book being studied for today's church, while bottom-of-the-page notes include valuable scholarly information to support those who use the volumes as a resource for preaching or teaching preparation.

Who Should Use it?The series is accessible to all people who wish to use it for biblical study whether they are pastors, students, or laity. Christians new to Bible study may find it challenging as a starting point for biblical study, but should be able to adapt to it with the help of a Bible study teacher. Those who have used Bible study guides in the past will find this series particularly helpful in taking the next step into deeper biblical study.

About: Revelation

Interpretations of the book of Revelation abound. One view suggests that the book indirectly describes events in John's own time. Another interpretation sees Revelation as a prophetic survey of the history of the church. Still another views the book as a precise prediction of the end of the world. The trouble with all three, argues Ramsey Michaels, is that they make the Revelation of John irrelevant to Christians throughout much of history.

Failing to take seriously what John saw, such interpreters fail to comprehend the value of Revelation to Christians in any age. Michaels restores Revelation to its rightful status as a prophetic letter of testimony, a testimony as relevant to the church today as it was in John's day.

In this stimulating, pastorally oriented commentary, readers will find an introduction with background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as a summary of important theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on what John had to say to his original readers in order to see the relevance of his book for the church today.