Abstract
G. K. Beale’s massive and masterful 1999 commentary on the Greek text of Revelation has been revised and shortened to provide a more accessible guide for the use of pastors and Christian non-specialists. In this new version, Beale has omitted most of his previous discussions of the original Greek, but has retained much of his learned elucidation of the literary and theological significance of the Apocalypse.
The commentary begins with a clear introduction to the genre and historical context of the text, an overview of major traditional interpretive approaches to it, a discussion of the symbolic nature of the text and of the importance of understanding its ubiquitous Old Testament references, an outline of the work explaining how its different themes and passages relate, and finally a summary of what Beale sees as its main theological messages (pp. 1–34). The verse-by-verse commentary of the text of Revelation itself is divided into sections, each of which is given a brief heading summarizing its main exegetical points. These headings are intended for the use of preachers as inspiration for their sermons (p. ix). Detailed historical and literary analysis of each section of the text is punctuated by suggestions for theological reflection.
Beale does not engage, by his own admission, with scholarship after the original commentary was written, which means that many recent trajectories in Revelation scholarship are not represented, though the field has changed a great deal since the 1990s. However, pastors and other Christian readers looking for an expert overview of historical-critical interpretations of Revelation, along with some prompts for theological reflection, could hardly do better than to consult this book. Those looking for less traditional scholarly and theological perspectives (feminist, postcolonialist, etc.) will wish to supplement this volume with other works, such as those by Elizabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Stephen D. Moore, and Brian Blount.