"Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes" (Tremper Longman III)

TITLE: Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes
AUTHOR: Tremper Longman III
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2022, (368 pages).
 

What comes to mind when we think about the book of Revelation? I wouldn't be surprised if the first thing that comes to mind is the letters to the seven churches, the various theological positions about the tribulation, or the frightening events of the Armageddon. That is one reason why many preachers continue to preach on these familiar chapters. Modern readers tend to dwell within these comfort zones. What if we could let the Bible interpret and read Revelation? What if we could see Revelation through the lens of the Old Testament? This is the key reason for this series on "Background and Application Commentary." The four key features include:

• Running commentary
• Interpretation via OT eyes
• Understanding the structure
• Deeper into application and implications for modern living

Longman starts his commentary with further observations about the general level of hesitancy in studying Revelation. He makes a case that if readers could be equipped with basic knowledge of the book's background and symbolism, they will be able to study the book more confidently. Interpretation requires authorial background, date approximation; genre awareness; and cross-references from other parts of the Bible. This book aims to supply us with more of the latter, especially from the Old Testament.

My Thoughts

Let me offer three thoughts. First, this book helps us in affirming the tight relationship between the OT and NT. In our doctrinal and creedal beliefs, the Bible has always been affirmed as comprising the Old Testament and the New Testament. In practice, however, there is a tendency for modern readers to focus more on the NT. Some of us have even forgotten that the Bible that Jesus read was the OT scriptures. The entire NT was written after Jesus' resurrection. Just as the editors of this commentary series said, "The New Testament writers were Old Testament people." It is hoped that this new commentary series will not only shed light on the NT from an OT perspective, but readers will also learn to bind together the entire Bible as one big story. Recently, there has been a slew of resources that remind us how both testaments shed light on each other. This is a positive development for Christians. Longman does not simply say it, he shows it. Using multiple references from the Pentateuch, Psalms, the Prophets, and the historical books, the author even brings in extrabiblical sources like the Apocrypha, Jewish literature, and the Church Fathers. 

Second, the author uses a wide range of OT examples to elucidate how the OT interprets Revelation. While some scholars use a lot from the book of Daniel, Longman goes further to show that Daniel is not the only OT prophet or text that we can view Revelation with. The throneship of the LORD helps us realize the majesty of the visions in Revelation. The sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham shows us the significance of the Lamb being slain as a sacrifice. The image of the OT Temple helps us extend the first and second temples to the Third temple, being the Church. Readers will find it fascinating to go back and forth between the two testaments to gradually see the many linkages. At some point, readers would appreciate more of the OT texts that they too would see the whole Bible as one big interrelated story. 

Finally, this book works well as a running commentary. With the easy references to verse-by-verse or passage-by-passage, readers will find the book readable and useful as a quick reference. I like the parts on "Going Deeper," which are essentially about relevance and applications for our modern world. There are multiple applications toward prayer, understanding persecutions, the role of the Church, the dangers of idolatry, the reality of hell, etc. 

Revelation is the last book of the Bible and it is well-known for many symbolic OT imageries. Some people avoid Revelation because of the many difficult-to-understand symbolism and awful visions. They also avoid the Old Testament because they find it hard to connect to the modern world. By writing a commentary to show us the relevance and relationship between the OT and Revelation, it is like Longman combining two less popular texts to drum up interest and serious study. This is a worthy effort and we should come away not only with a deeper appreciation of Revelation but also a more avid reader of the Old Testament. 

Tremper Longman III (PhD, Yale University) is Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies of Westmont College. He is the author of numerous textbooks, books, and commentaries and has edited and contributed to award-winning Bible reference works, such as the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writing and the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary.                                      

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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