The Message of Revelation

The Bible Speaks Today: New Testament

by Michael Wilcock

What is the book of Revelation? Does it describe in veiled language events of its writer's own day, or is it largely a prophecy of events still to come? Is it a chart of the whole of history from Christ's first coming to his second? Or does it deal chiefly with principles which are always valid in Christian experience? And what is a twentieth-century reader to do with creatures covered with eyes, locusts like horses, seven bowls of wrath, war in heaven, various beasts and a dragon? Michael Wilcock maintains tha when God's words, declarations, arguments and reasonings had all been spoken, God gave the church "a gorgeous picture book." Wilcok lifts the curtain on Revelation's drama in eight scenes, helping our imaginations as well as our minds grasp the key concepts of this fascinating and enigmatic New Testament book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology, Christian, Reference, Religion, New Testament, Christian Non Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Neil Steinwand · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite commentary on Revelation. Seeing it's part of the BST series, it's readable and useable for devotions, but that's not the best attribute. Wilcock's essays at the start of each section are worth the book themselves, explaining symbolism, numbers, the unique genre of the book of Revelation and other topics. Coming from an amillenialist perspective, it is an excellent mid-level commentary and a springboard to further studies in Revelation and the end-times.

[Don Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amillenial in my eschatology and this book does the best job of any book I have read of giving the Book of Revelation shape and substance from that perspective. Not only that but Wilcock makes a good read of it - it is soul shaped and enlivening. I have returned to this book time and again for reading and encouragement.

[John Funnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful companion for our study series

[Kyle McFerren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SUCH a helpful and refreshing commentary. I had always read Revelation in a state of confusion, trying to pick out helpful bits and pieces that vaguely made sense, but Michael Wilcock does an excellent job here of explaining the clear sense of the book as a "sacrament of the imagination" that restates the truths of the gospel in vivid picture "when [God's] children have had enough of reciting systematic theology." The result is a sweeping vision that calls God's people to repentance and perseverance, warns them of evil that all will experience as well as judgments that the unrepentant will face, and above all encourages them to remember that their lives are eternally secure in the Father's hands, no matter what trials they face in this life.

Wilcock also does a great job at pointing out the highly organized structure of the book and the parallels within its various sections. I'd seen some reviews that readers were confused by his organization, but as long as you go into it planning to read Revelation by his "scenes" rather than by biblical chapters, I think it makes a lot of sense.

I would highly recommend this commentary to anyone baffled by Revelation or skeptical of the weird code-cracking tactics too often used to try to decipher it. Every volume in "The Bible Speaks Today" series that I've read has done a great job at balancing depth and readability for a general audience, and this was one of the best.

[Michael Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to tell you that this was yet another great book on the interpretation of Revelation, but the truth is that I had a hard time following the author's train of thought. It isn't that I disagreed with him in his explanations of the symbols in the book, but he kept jumping back and forth in the book and it was impossible for me to follow his many references without stopping and rereading the sections he was referring to. Sorry, but I just didn't have time for it, so eventually I just barged ahead only to get to the end of the book. I've read several other commentaries on Revelation in the last two years and didn't have this problem. Sorry to say I can't really recommend this book due to its confusing writing style.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this simultaneously with N.T. Wright’s “Revelation for Everyone” and I found it very helpful to have the two perspectives. They agreed about much but on some issues it was nice to have two opinions.

The reason I rated this as a 3 star is because Wilcock breaks Revelation down into Scenes and Visions within the scenes and then refers back to his own numbering systems rather than Chapter and verse. It can get very confusing to know what he actually referring to. What is the fourth vision of Scene 5?? I don’t want to have search through your book to find it, just tell me where it is in Revelation!

[Jason Wilson]

An Amillenial view that makes its case well for the most part. It acknowledges tacitly that millennial and post millennial views both have their place and provide some illumination - there are areas where the millennial view applies better without venturing into Left Behind territory of dreadful nineties rapture movies . A very readable way in.

[J.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilcock's style of writing is lucid and elegant. It is easy to understand what he is trying to say in this book. I do not completely agree with the views of Wilcock but he makes a good read.

Wilcock sees the Book of Revelation as conveying a message not just for people in John's time but also throughout all generations.

[Md Meiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent summary of Revelation. Not a commentary, nor sermons but rather in book form. He settles on the amillenial interpretation. There is a good discourse on his hermeneutic of interpretating symbols.

[Kyle Tomlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great commentary on the Book of Revelation! I originally read it 22 years ago and it's held up well. (It was first published in 1975.) It really deserves 4.5 stars. His view of the Sacraments at the end, I tended to disagree with. Overall, though, highly recommended.

[Guy Bellerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Commentary Series upon earth.

[Leandro Dutra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A personal classic for the amillenarist, idealistic reading of Revelation which I favour. Read it in translation several years ago, skimmed the original for Sunday school a few years ago, now fully read the original for domestic study. Still merited a leisurely read with full reference to all the Old Testament related texts.

Just wish IVP would reset the text. Seems like a photocopy from a badly printed original.

[Steven Haworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book - very well researched, and really opened my eyes to a new approach to understanding Revelation - one which finally made sense to me, and makes sense in the context of the entire OT and NT writings as well.

And for theology - very readable, even some sly humor in parts. Highly recommended.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid this book does not deliver a great deal of explanation, though to be fair, it delivers no less than it promises. At the very least it will not make the quirks of Revelation any more confusing, and Wilcock does not indulge in any wild speculation.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much to learn from the Book of Revelation. This was an excellent source of insight.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good points. Interesting proposal for a "dramatic" structuring of Revelation.

[Leandro Dutra · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best in the series.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great companion to the study of the Bibles' final book, Revelation. It helped me understand and interpret much of Revelation's contents.

[Laura Liana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory commentary for people who want to take their studies of the book of Revelations seriously.

[Daniel Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot and I believe this book has the best insight into what Revelation is intended to be.

[Leandro Dutra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ler e reler. De abrir os olhos. Explica porque o livro é chamado ‘Revelação’, e não ‘Confusão’…