The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation (New Testament Theology) Paperback – 30 Nov. 2021

This is the first book of a new series, which actually begins with the last book of the Bible. The editors of the series note that ‘there are remarkably few treatments of the big ideas of single books of the New Testament’. Schreiner’s book on Revelation is the first in a planned series of books aiming to remedy that for students, preachers and interested lay-people.I’ve written a post elsewhere entitled ‘What to read before preaching a book of the Bible’, and one of my suggestions is to read ‘a monograph of manageable size’ – ie a book like this.This series doesn’t seem like it will be overly technical – it’s maybe a step below the NSBT series (which is more focused on topics than single books of the Bible).One of the books I suggested in my other posts was Richard Bauckham’s The Theology of the Book of Revelation (almost exactly the same length as this, but a bit more technical). Schreiner quotes from it around 50 times here (most other quotations are from commentary introductions), and it’s still the one book on Revelation I would recommend for ministers. Schreiner’s would be more suitable to give to someone in the pew. That’s not to say this is flawed by any means – Schreiner is always a reliable guide – so if you can read both, do!It’s certainly a series worth paying attention to, and for most NT books will fill an important gap in the market.

I have taught from Revelation many times over the years, and unlike most never really felt the desire to decode each nuance of the text. It is my firm opinion that we should do our best to know the heart of the Lord and be prepared for his coming. But interpreting every headline through John's writing is not the point. In fact, if you look at the intricacies of the prophesies of the Old Testament Messiah, the ones who knew the Scripture best and thought they knew what each sign meant, missed the coming Savior. So it gave me much joy to see a writer elaborate many of the theories and yet not claim that he has it all figured out with charts and timelines. He pulls out the major themes and presents the case that believers should rejoice that the Lord has a plan and it will be fulfilled. Those who stand with the Lamb will rejoice! If you want to focus on the major themes and what I believe the Lord is focused on rather than deciphering out what headline goes with which verse, this book would be a refreshing change. Highly Recommended.

The author draws from multiple perspectives of what is a very challenging and confusing biblical book, while presenting the various interpretations in a balanced manner. Yet the overall objective is to remind his readers as did the original writer of Revelation that while the going is tough, the outcome is certain and assured, and the call to the reader is to endure in the interim.

I have studied Revelation for many years. I have examined the various theological interpretations. I have finally found a commentary that credibly and soundly pulls it all together for me. I am beyond grateful for Dr. Schreiner and his devotion to the word of God!

"The book of Revelation is not a prophesy chart about the future but a call to be a disciple of Jesus." (Page 18). What a refreshing approach.I have a Bible college degree and love to study the Bible but I've never engaged in an in-depth, personal study of the book of Revelation. Much of my reason for avoiding it is probably because I know people who are convinced that they totally understand everything about the vision John records here. I've experienced people giving clear, end-time, real-world interpretations to verses that don't seem so black and white to me. I was pleased to see that Dr. Schreiner does not often go beyond what is clear in the text and when he does speculate at times, he lets the reader know that's what he's doing and that the meaning is really unclear. For instance, in the conclusion of his chapter concerning the thousand year reign he says, "It isn't a weakness to admit that certainty is hard to come by, and there are solid reasons for saying that there are good arguments for both positions." I appreciate this approach so much more than one that proclaims with no doubt the certainty of its position.The author lays out in each chapter of this book, one theme that he finds throughout the book of Revelation and explains all of what John records on this theme. I didn't think that I was going to like this approach as I'm used to working through books of the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse. However, I did find this a helpful way to approach the book of Revelation. It allowed me to make better sense out what I often found in reading through Revelation, to be jumbled and veiled.This is the kind of book that I'm sure I will find myself going back to from time to time. The General Index and Scripture Indexes (along with my notes and highlights) will help make it easier to find what I'm looking for when I return.

Revelation stands out as one of the most contested books in the Bible. That is, there are many interpretations and emotions run high when they're discussed. Thomas Schreiner has authored an expository commentary on Revelation and is currently writing another commentary on it for Baker. With his expertise he presents us with this volume, The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation.The Joy of Hearing is the first book published by Crossway as part of a New Testament Theology series, a series which seeks to capture the theology of each book of the New Testament. Schreiner maps the theological journey through Revelation in seven chapters:Deafness of Those Living on EarthThe Saints Hear and HeedThe Declaration That God Rules on His ThroneThe Good News of the Lion and the LambThe Testimony of the Holy SpiritThe Promise of Blessing and the New CreationReigning with Christ for One Thousand YearsSchreiner expertly makes his way through each point, explicating the details with references to Scripture and other scholars. Where necessary, he argues his interpretations against others (at one point spending 5+ pages critiquing Richard Bauckham's interpretation of the seal judgements). The final chapter addresses the various views on the millennium. Despite quickly dismissing postmillennialism, Schreiner provides strong arguments for both premillennialism and amillennialism. Though he believes the case for amillennialism is stronger, he commends the strengths of both while also urging restraint from making them critical issues. It's refreshing to read an expert say "it isn't a weakness to admit that certainty is hard to come by." (178)Commentaries aren't really accessible for most Christians. For those who wish to learn more about the book of Revelation, there haven't been a lot of rich lay level resources. This book fills that gap, and does so well. It will help readers process many of the complex themes of Revelation in a theologically and biblically informed way. For some, it may even act as a bridge to deeper study in more technical commentaries.