Apocalypse: A People's Commentary on the Book of Revelation

by Pablo Richard

The Book of Revelation has always been a mysterious and intriguing book, describing in symbolic terms the confrontation between the disciples of Christ and the powers - political and supernatural - that hold sway over the current age. Fundamentalists have been attracted to the book and have sought to decipher its strange symbols as coded prophecy of future events. But as Pablo Richard shows in Apocalypse, the most powerful readings of the Book of Revelation are through the eyes of the oppressed, living out their Christian faith in the context of the modern empire. It is they who identify most strongly with Revelation's ultimate message of hope and life in the midst of death and persecution.
Apocalypse first provides a general introduction to the reading of Revelation by examining three keys for its the historical, the sociological, and the literary-structural. The book then goes on to explore the whole of the Book of Revelation, following the book's own structure. Each section provides a line-by-line reading of the text, establishing the literal meaning before applying the interpretive keys already established.

184 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

Reviews

[Christopher Eshelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to take Revelation seriously - rather than the supposed "literalism" of the "left behind" folks or as merely spiritual. I particularly appreciate how Richard structures the book around an outline of Revelation with a clear focus on how different sections interrelate and run parallel - as well as times when the images are asymetrical. Richard also offers a clear and concise look at how Revelation draws from and is related to texts like Daniel, Ezekiel and the epistles. Along with Eugene Petersen's "Reversed Thunder" and Warren Carter's "What Does Revelation Reveal?: Unlocking the Mystery" this is now one of my go-to's for sermon and class preparation.

[Sagely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by Richard's commentary on Revelation. The text immediately hit me as deeply rooted in the praxis of Latin American liberation theology. In my experience, this location either leads to quite insightful exegesis OR tortuous interpretations chock-full of inpenetrable jargon. Apocalypse comes out swinging strongly in the former category.

Richard takes as a given many of the conclusions of historical-critical scholarship that I'd wouldn't be quite as quick to assume. Fair warning to more Evangelical readers. But the scholarship he brings on apocalyptic is top notch and incredibly useful for understanding Revelation.

As I was preaching through Rev 1-3, I had Boring's volume in the Interpretation series. Boring's volume was less than useless, fighting back door wars with every breath. I'd have been at loose ends with Richard's text to hang on to.

Definitely worth consulting.