What do you think?
Rate this book
Triumph of the Lamb: A Self-Study Guide to the Book of Revelation
Book by Grimsrud, Ted
189 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Ted Grimsrud
25 books6 followersTed Grimsrud is Professor in the Bible & Religion Dept. of Eastern Mennonite University (EMU).
Prior to teaching at EMU, Ted Grimsrud served 10 years as a pastor in Mennonite churches in Arizona, Oregon and South Dakota. He is especially interested in the connection between Christian theology and pacifism. He teaches classes in theology, peace studies, ethics, and the Bible. He is married to Kathleen Temple and is a grandfather. His website is at peacetheology.net. He hosts a weekly radio program on WEMC (91.7 FM; online at wemcradio.org), called “Wavelength,” where every Saturday at 3 p.m. he plays “the best of popular music at the intersection of country, folk, rock & roll, blues, and gospel.”
Education
Ph.D., Graduate Theological Union (1988)
M.A., Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (1983)
B.S., University of Oregon (1976)
Publications
Books
Theology as if Jesus Matters: An Introduction to Christianity’s Main Convictions. Cascadia Publishing House, 2009.
Reasoning Together: A Conversation on Homosexuality (with Mark Thiessen Nation). Herald Press, 2008.
Embodying the Way of Jesus: Anabaptist Convictions for the 21st Century. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2007.
Transforming the Powers: Peace, Justice, and the Domination System (co-editor). Fortress Press, 2006.
God’s Healing Strategy: An Introduction to the Main Themes of the Bible. Cascadia Publishing House, 2001.
Peace and Justice Shall Embrace: Power and Theopolitics in the Bible (co-editor). Cascadia Publishing House, 2000.
Triumph of the Lamb: A Self-Study Guide to the Book of Revelation. Herald Press, 1987.
Articles
“Against Empire: A Yoderian Reading of Romans.” In Sharon L. Baker and Michael Hardin, eds. Peace Be With You: Christ’s Benediction Amid Violent Empires Cascadia, 2010. 120-137.
""Healing Justice. The Mennonite October 20, 2009, 8-10.
“Reflections on J. Denny Weaver’s The Nonviolent Atonement.” Conrad Grebel Review 27.2 (Spring 2009), 4-6.
Thirteen Sunday School lessons. Mennonite Weekly Review May 25, 2009 — August 17, 2009.
Review of Andrew Skotnicki, Criminal Justice and the Catholic Church. Modern Theology. 25.2 (April 2009), 364-67.
“How does Revelation speak today?” The Mennonite (September 2, 2008), 12-14.
“Violence as a Theological Problem.” CJP Web Journal #2 (Winter 2008).
Review of Mark Bredin, Jesus: Revolutionary of Peace. Biblical Theology Bulleton 37.4 (Winter 2007), 186-87.
“A Theology of Welcome.” In Michael A. King, ed., Stumbling Toward a Genuine Conversation on Homosexuality. Cascadia Publishing House, 2007. 237-244.
“The Legacy of CPS: Why Civilian Public Service is Important.” The Mennonite (June 19, 2007), 8-10.
Thirteen Sunday School lessons on Old Testament Prophets. Mennonite Weekly Review (June 3, 2007 – August 26, 2007).
“Walter Wink and Peace Theology.” In Frederich W. Weidmann and D. Sieple, eds. Enigmas and Powers: Engaging the Work of Walter Wink. Pickwick Publications, 2007. 74-78.
“Jesus’ Confrontation with Empire.” In Nathan Yoder and Carol Scheppard, eds. Exiles in Empire. Pandora Press, 2007. 27-41.
Scholarly Presentations
“Conversations on Homosexuality: Three Lectures.” Portland Mennonite Church, Portland, OR. February 5-6, 2010.
“Contemporary Theology in Light of Anabaptism” and “Theology as If Jesus Matters.” Papers presented to the London Mennonite Forum. September 10-11, 2009.
“Mercy, Not Sacrifice.” Cross Currents Seminar (Five Lectures). London Mennonite Centre. September 12, 2009.
“A Biblical Understanding of Justice.” Devito Lecture. Waynesburg (PA) University. March 17, 2009.
Justice Apart from the Law (and Empire): Paul’s Deconstruction of Idolatry. American Academy of Religion Annual Meetings. Chicago, November 1, 2008.
World So Full: My Quest for Understanding. Journeys with Jesus Colloquy. Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, October 17-19
Prior to teaching at EMU, Ted Grimsrud served 10 years as a pastor in Mennonite churches in Arizona, Oregon and South Dakota. He is especially interested in the connection between Christian theology and pacifism. He teaches classes in theology, peace studies, ethics, and the Bible. He is married to Kathleen Temple and is a grandfather. His website is at peacetheology.net. He hosts a weekly radio program on WEMC (91.7 FM; online at wemcradio.org), called “Wavelength,” where every Saturday at 3 p.m. he plays “the best of popular music at the intersection of country, folk, rock & roll, blues, and gospel.”
Education
Ph.D., Graduate Theological Union (1988)
M.A., Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (1983)
B.S., University of Oregon (1976)
Publications
Books
Theology as if Jesus Matters: An Introduction to Christianity’s Main Convictions. Cascadia Publishing House, 2009.
Reasoning Together: A Conversation on Homosexuality (with Mark Thiessen Nation). Herald Press, 2008.
Embodying the Way of Jesus: Anabaptist Convictions for the 21st Century. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2007.
Transforming the Powers: Peace, Justice, and the Domination System (co-editor). Fortress Press, 2006.
God’s Healing Strategy: An Introduction to the Main Themes of the Bible. Cascadia Publishing House, 2001.
Peace and Justice Shall Embrace: Power and Theopolitics in the Bible (co-editor). Cascadia Publishing House, 2000.
Triumph of the Lamb: A Self-Study Guide to the Book of Revelation. Herald Press, 1987.
Articles
“Against Empire: A Yoderian Reading of Romans.” In Sharon L. Baker and Michael Hardin, eds. Peace Be With You: Christ’s Benediction Amid Violent Empires Cascadia, 2010. 120-137.
""Healing Justice. The Mennonite October 20, 2009, 8-10.
“Reflections on J. Denny Weaver’s The Nonviolent Atonement.” Conrad Grebel Review 27.2 (Spring 2009), 4-6.
Thirteen Sunday School lessons. Mennonite Weekly Review May 25, 2009 — August 17, 2009.
Review of Andrew Skotnicki, Criminal Justice and the Catholic Church. Modern Theology. 25.2 (April 2009), 364-67.
“How does Revelation speak today?” The Mennonite (September 2, 2008), 12-14.
“Violence as a Theological Problem.” CJP Web Journal #2 (Winter 2008).
Review of Mark Bredin, Jesus: Revolutionary of Peace. Biblical Theology Bulleton 37.4 (Winter 2007), 186-87.
“A Theology of Welcome.” In Michael A. King, ed., Stumbling Toward a Genuine Conversation on Homosexuality. Cascadia Publishing House, 2007. 237-244.
“The Legacy of CPS: Why Civilian Public Service is Important.” The Mennonite (June 19, 2007), 8-10.
Thirteen Sunday School lessons on Old Testament Prophets. Mennonite Weekly Review (June 3, 2007 – August 26, 2007).
“Walter Wink and Peace Theology.” In Frederich W. Weidmann and D. Sieple, eds. Enigmas and Powers: Engaging the Work of Walter Wink. Pickwick Publications, 2007. 74-78.
“Jesus’ Confrontation with Empire.” In Nathan Yoder and Carol Scheppard, eds. Exiles in Empire. Pandora Press, 2007. 27-41.
Scholarly Presentations
“Conversations on Homosexuality: Three Lectures.” Portland Mennonite Church, Portland, OR. February 5-6, 2010.
“Contemporary Theology in Light of Anabaptism” and “Theology as If Jesus Matters.” Papers presented to the London Mennonite Forum. September 10-11, 2009.
“Mercy, Not Sacrifice.” Cross Currents Seminar (Five Lectures). London Mennonite Centre. September 12, 2009.
“A Biblical Understanding of Justice.” Devito Lecture. Waynesburg (PA) University. March 17, 2009.
Justice Apart from the Law (and Empire): Paul’s Deconstruction of Idolatry. American Academy of Religion Annual Meetings. Chicago, November 1, 2008.
World So Full: My Quest for Understanding. Journeys with Jesus Colloquy. Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, October 17-19
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 9, 2015
Sadly, Grimsrud gets many of the small things right, but is wrong at the core.
Commentators on Revelation usually interpret it as allegory, present-day history, or literal prophecy (fore-told history). Grimsrud falls in the allegorical and present-day history camps. To do so, he has to mudge up many passages that are straightforward and obviously literal.
For example, he says that the 144,000 from Rev. 7:1-8 represent the "whole people of God in the Old Testament and the New Testament." The number can not represent a literal 144,000 saints because "the multiplication by 1000 implies infinity or innumerability." First, the 144,000 are by definition not innumerable, because John just enumerated them quite precisely. And secondly, they don't "represent" anything, they are quite clearly and literally 144,000 (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes) children of Israel saved out of the Tribulation (which Grimsrud also apparently does not believe is a literal period of horrible tribulation in future history).
Then, he says that these 144,000 from vs. 1-8 are the same as the "great multitude" in 7:9. 144,000 is clearly NOT a "great multitude, which no man could number", nor are they the same two groups of people, because John just numbered the one group, and the other cannot be numbered!
Later, Grimsrud says these 144,000 symbolize "the whole people of God. This vision is a sign that God is still in control." Forgive me for laughing, but there are 6 billion people alive in the world today; 144,000 saved would hardly constitute a sign that God is still in control! There will be billions of people in heaven, from the beginning of time to the last saint saved in the tribulation. The purpose of the horror of the last days is for God to destroy Satan and his forces and drive untold millions of sinners to salvation before it is too late! It is sad that Grimsrud's God is so small and powerless.
I won't go on, but let me point out one last absurdity--the placement of the millennium sometime between Christ's first and second comings! Grimsrud is necessarily vague about the timing of this, because there is no thousand-year period between 33 and 2003 AD when Satan is not deceiving the nations, and when saints are living and reigning with Christ.
I don't mean to castigate or belittle Grimsrud, except as a representative of those who so sadly misinterpret and misunderstand the book of Revelation. I don't understand everything here, and I don't know if LaHaye and Jenkins have it 100% right in their "Left Behind" series, but I do know that Revelation relates real future events that will occur in real time on the real Earth. There is no need to spiritualize or allegorize these events. They may not all make human sense, but they must be understood to be literal.
A God worth serving can make that happen.
Commentators on Revelation usually interpret it as allegory, present-day history, or literal prophecy (fore-told history). Grimsrud falls in the allegorical and present-day history camps. To do so, he has to mudge up many passages that are straightforward and obviously literal.
For example, he says that the 144,000 from Rev. 7:1-8 represent the "whole people of God in the Old Testament and the New Testament." The number can not represent a literal 144,000 saints because "the multiplication by 1000 implies infinity or innumerability." First, the 144,000 are by definition not innumerable, because John just enumerated them quite precisely. And secondly, they don't "represent" anything, they are quite clearly and literally 144,000 (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes) children of Israel saved out of the Tribulation (which Grimsrud also apparently does not believe is a literal period of horrible tribulation in future history).
Then, he says that these 144,000 from vs. 1-8 are the same as the "great multitude" in 7:9. 144,000 is clearly NOT a "great multitude, which no man could number", nor are they the same two groups of people, because John just numbered the one group, and the other cannot be numbered!
Later, Grimsrud says these 144,000 symbolize "the whole people of God. This vision is a sign that God is still in control." Forgive me for laughing, but there are 6 billion people alive in the world today; 144,000 saved would hardly constitute a sign that God is still in control! There will be billions of people in heaven, from the beginning of time to the last saint saved in the tribulation. The purpose of the horror of the last days is for God to destroy Satan and his forces and drive untold millions of sinners to salvation before it is too late! It is sad that Grimsrud's God is so small and powerless.
I won't go on, but let me point out one last absurdity--the placement of the millennium sometime between Christ's first and second comings! Grimsrud is necessarily vague about the timing of this, because there is no thousand-year period between 33 and 2003 AD when Satan is not deceiving the nations, and when saints are living and reigning with Christ.
I don't mean to castigate or belittle Grimsrud, except as a representative of those who so sadly misinterpret and misunderstand the book of Revelation. I don't understand everything here, and I don't know if LaHaye and Jenkins have it 100% right in their "Left Behind" series, but I do know that Revelation relates real future events that will occur in real time on the real Earth. There is no need to spiritualize or allegorize these events. They may not all make human sense, but they must be understood to be literal.
A God worth serving can make that happen.
June 18, 2014
The book is free on his website where most of it is posted: peacetheology.net
The book is good for its anabaptist perspective: It avoids the kind of blood-thirsty notion of God that a lot of sloppy interpreters get on first reading. It also highlights that Revelation is primarily about the character of the witness of the church, which means a call to non-violence resistance of idolatrous powers as well as obedience to the point of martyrdom.
Personally, this is a great intro resource, especially since it is free online. However, I would recommend Joe Mangina's theological commentary on Revelation (which am reading alongside this for prep for a bible study), which is more in depth, but has the same approach.
The book is good for its anabaptist perspective: It avoids the kind of blood-thirsty notion of God that a lot of sloppy interpreters get on first reading. It also highlights that Revelation is primarily about the character of the witness of the church, which means a call to non-violence resistance of idolatrous powers as well as obedience to the point of martyrdom.
Personally, this is a great intro resource, especially since it is free online. However, I would recommend Joe Mangina's theological commentary on Revelation (which am reading alongside this for prep for a bible study), which is more in depth, but has the same approach.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews