"Blessed" (Nancy Guthrie)

TITLE: Blessed
AUTHOR: Nancy Guthrie
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (272 pages).
 

The book of Revelation is one of the most mysterious and some say difficult books to understand. With the many numeric signs, images, symbols, visions of wars, and destruction, people tend to be intimidated into avoiding the study of the book altogether. Author and popular Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie know it personally. This is especially when she was called to teach a class on Revelation at her church. After pushing aside initial reservations, she was struck by the way the apocalyptic text begins: "Blessed." That sparked her interest and laid the foundation for this Bible Study guide on Revelation. From this inspiration, she aims to help others in overcoming their fears about this letter. She deals with fears of not understanding it enough; concern about controversial interpretations; misguided views about the letter merely about the future without existential relevance; and other uncomfortable reasons for not studying the text at all. She then goes on to describe the reasons why we should be studying Revelation. Using one of the most popular words to hook our interest, she chooses the lens of Blessing to uncover 12 promises in Revelation. 

1. Blessing of Hearing the Revelation
2. Blessing of Seeing Jesus Glorified
3. Blessing of Being Known by Jesus
4. Blessing of Worshiping Jesus
5. Blessing of Protection
6. Blessing of Being on Mission
7. Blessing of Living and Dying in Jesus
8. Blessing of Getting Ready for Jesus' Return
9. Blessing of Preparing to be the Bride of Christ
10. Blessing of Sharing in the Resurrection
11. Blessing of Living in the New Creation
12. Blessing of Keeping Jesus' Words

Each chapter follows the same format. Based on an introductory a passage from Revelation, Guthrie typically begins with a personal story or illustration to highlight a need in our lives. She then moves forth to open up the meaning of the Revelation passage with a particular eye on the promises of the text to us. She then describes the relevance of the blessings and how we can be blessed. 

My Thoughts

When the word "beatitude" is mentioned, most people would think of the beginning of Jesus' famous sermon on the mount. Here, the author gives us 12 blessings to ponder upon and relate them to God's promise to us. Using such a lens of blessings helps disarm readers from their oft fear-driven resistance to study Revelation. Guthrie does a good job of pointing out the reasons why people avoid Revelation and why they should study Revelation. This should calm readers' anxiety over tackling this often misunderstood letter of John. Guthrie shares her own story about her initial fears and subsequent openness to studying the text. This is something that should encourage those of us still sitting on the fence about whether or not to take the plunge. If one does after reading this book, it would have worth the price of the book. 

The strength of this book lies in its simplicity and easy-to-follow framework. The letter of Revelation is written to encourage believers in the midst of great persecution. It is also a reminder to anticipate future events that are coming fast and furious. Compared to some other more academic and technical writings, this book is written for the layperson. It is one thing to pack all the technical material into the book but yet another to arrange the book according to themes. As far as the study of Revelation is concerned, this is one of the simplest thematic approaches I have come across. Kudos to Guthrie for giving us another resource to aid us in the study of the Bible, especially, the more difficult ones. 

Finally, learning about the blessings of Revelation should not be the end of the study. Rather, it should spur us to discover more of the treasures and insights either textually, thematically, or theologically. Till then, if one has never read or studied Revelation, let this book guide one to start the journey of learning and discovery.

Nancy Guthrie teaches the Bible at her home church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as at conferences around the country and internationally, including her Biblical Theology Workshops for Women. She is the host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast from the Gospel Coalition and the author of numerous books, including Even Better than Eden and Saints and Scoundrels in the Story of Jesus. She and her husband are cohosts of the GriefShare video series and lead Respite Retreats for couples who have faced the death of a child. 

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.