Symbols and Reality: A Guided Study of Prophecy, Apocalypse, and Visionary Literature

by Leland Ryken

This is the fifth of a six-volume series called Reading the Bible as Literature . In this volume, the author not only explores the intersection of the Bible and literature, but he also shows pastors, students, and teachers of the Bible how to appreciate the craftsmanship of visionary literature and prophetic oracles and how to interpret them correctly. Dr. Ryken goes one step further than merely explaining the genre by including exercises to help students master this rich literary treasure. Speaking of the entire series, Ryken says, "The niche that these volumes are designed to fill is the literary approach to the Bible. This has been my scholarly passion for nearly half a century. It is my belief that a literary approach to the Bible is the common reader's friend, in contract to the more specialized types of scholarship on the Bible."

128 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2016

About the author

Dr. Ryken has served on the faculty of Wheaton College since 1968. He has published over thirty books and more than one hundred articles and essays, devoting much of his scholarship to Bible translations and the study of the Bible as literature. He served as Literary Chairman for the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible and in 2003 received the distinguished Gutenberg Award for his contributions to education, writing, and the understanding of the Bible.

He is the father of Philip Graham Ryken

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and thorough short guide to prophetic literature. The author outlines the different styles and types of prophetic literature. One of the best resources to return to over and over.