Revelation, By John Christopher Thomas And Frank D. Macchia

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442

Book Reviews

John Christopher Thomas and Frank D. Macchia,Revelation(Grand Rapids,

Michigan: Eerdmans, 2016). 692 pp. $36.00 paperback.

The biblical book of Revelation has confounded many theologians, pastors, and laypersons throughout the centuries. Revelation has been a foundation for wild theological ideas as well as deep discourse and conviction. It calls to its readers, wooing and shocking them; but for all its influence Revelation remains an oft misunderstood and misapplied section of scripture. John Christopher Thomas and Frank Macchia’s work Revelation is an answer to the confusion that has clouded the book. Thomas and Macchia seek to make Revelation accessible not only to those in academia, but also to pastors and congregants who seek to faithfully interpret the scriptures. The book is structured in two major sec- tions: commentary written by Thomas and theological reflection written by Macchia. While the sheer heft of this work is substantial (over six hundred sev- enty pages) at no time does the reader feel lost, stagnant, or overwhelmed. The authors invite the reader to participate with them on a journey through “the most sensual document in the New Testament, filled with references to things seen, heard, smelled, touched, and even tasted!” (1).

Revelation’sthesis may be simply described as this: to assist the modern day Christian in understanding a complex biblical text and applying its theolog- ical concepts to an ever-deepening faith. In this pursuit, Thomas and Mac- chia have more than achieved their goal! While Revelation’s complexities and nuances are acknowledged and dissected, at no time will readers feel that the authors are talking down to or patronizing them. Revelationdoes not shy away from difficult topics, including a section on “Disastrous Interpretations” (44– 47). Thomas also makes it clear that despite some interpretations in the past, the female gender is not maligned in Revelation, stating “though Revelation includes negative images of women, they are never denigrated because of their gender but are assessed on the basis of their behavior and relationship to God” (21). This theme carries throughout as the seven churches are also evaluated based on their relationship and behavior.

The first seventy-two pages of Revelation are labeled as “introduction” but could more aptly be described as “foundation.” While it is certainly possible to open Revelation to a specific chapter and verse for those insights only, every reader would be well served to travel through the introduction carefully. The content found in the introduction provides a basis by which the rest of the work should be understood and sets the reader up for success. From the introduc- tion, Revelationmoves into over three hundred pages of commentary. Readers with an academic background will be familiar with the structure of progress- ing through scripture one passage at a time, verse by verse. It is refreshing to

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this writer to find that the commentary section does not become entangled in endless debates about every possible meaning of a phrase or word. Rather, Thomas succinctly lays out information in an almost melodic fashion. Refer- ences to other Johannine works are common.

The final two hundred twenty pages of writing consist of theological reflec- tion by Macchia. These pages are sectioned into discussions of God, Christ, Holy Spirit, Church, Salvation, and Eschatology. Although this portion of Rev- elation was written by a different author, the reader will not notice any lack of continuity. The work continues seamlessly from commentary into theology while retaining its readability. Macchia is clear throughout these pages that although Revelation has a future dimension, it is not to be interpreted—as it has often been in the past—as a prescriptive prophecy in which every detail willbeliterallymanifestedinmoderntimes.Amainthemeisthatsalvation,jus- tice, the church, and future events belong to God, and God is sovereign over all: “The one God of Israel who rules over all, who redeems, and to whom all loyalty belongs” (407). Revelation as a book declares the sovereignty and supremacy of God. Above all, this gives Christians hope as they seek to align their lives and worship in a way “that anticipates the kingdom to come” (623). One of the most powerful and inspiring statements in the theological section of Revelation is found in the conclusion: “Eschatology means that hope is not put to shame, because it is rooted in the Creator’s faithfulness to the creation, the crucified and risen Lamb’s victory, and the Spirit that pours the triumphant love of God realized in Christ into our hearts” (623).

Perhaps the most valuable contribution this commentary makes is that it may be easily understood by Christians in every situation of life. Thomas and Macchia make the book of Revelation accessible to everyone, while still remaining faithful to a robust historical and theological tradition. Revelationis not only for the theologically elite; it is for Christ-followers with the desire to understand scripture and pastors who long to take their flock on a journey of hope. Revelation as a work demands action from its reader—deepening faith, contemplation, intellectual pursuit of God. As a text that expounds upon the text of scripture, Revelation carries inside its pages a sense of excitement and wonder at the glory of God, and evidence of years of dedicated pursuit of bib- lical and theological knowledge. Truly, this is not just an academic work, but also an answer to a specific call of God for Thomas and Macchia. Revelation will prove to be an integral resource in the years to come and is highly recom- mended.

Hannah Siegmund

Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida hjsiegmund@seu.edu

PNEUMA 40 (2018) 389–452

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