And many religious people believe that the book of revelation offers no help anyway, because it cannot be understood. In this paperback edition it will continue to instruct serious students of the bible and theology. The book of revelation is often frightening and confusing to its readers. This prophetic book of revelation is both a warning against complacency and an encouragement in troublesome times. Both testaments can be divided into history instruction prophecy revelation is the only book of prophecy in the new testament.
Parts of the old testament, particularly in the book of daniel, are also written in the apocalyptic genre. Following two introductory chapters delineating the nature, necessity, possibility, and divisions of theology, henry clarence thiessen systematically address a wide range of subjects in eight major sections theism, bibliology, theology, anthropology, soteriology, ecclesiology, angelology, and. This edition of thiessens lectures in systematic theology is excellent because it is not calvinistic. In this view, the book contains neither historical allusions nor predictive prophecy. Book of revelation read, study bible verses online. The book of revelation often called the revelation to john, apocalypse of john, the revelation from jesus christ from its opening words, the apocalypse, the revelation, or simply revelation is the final book of the new testament, and consequently is also the final book of the christian bible. There is perhaps no more misunderstood book of the bible than revelation. Christ tells john to write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. Lectures in systematic theology 9780802835291 by henry c. Bible matthew henrys commentary revelation 5 revelation 5 matthew henrys commentary. The greek word for revelations is apokalupsis which literally means unveiling or taking off the cover a we are meant to understand the book of revelation. The book of revelation, the last book in the bible, is often misunderstood because there is so much symbolism in it. In fact, the opening passage contains a blessing to everyone who reads, hears, and keeps the words of this prophecy.
I encourage you to bring your insights to class to share with others. In the book of the scriptures god has published threatenings against the wicked as well as promises to the righteous. White is professor of classics and christian origins at the university of texas at austin, and acted as historical consultant for apocalypse. Having rejected the bible as the infallible and inerrant word of god and having accepted the. It addresses issues such as what the bible teaches about certain topics or. Apr 28, 2015 the book of revelation is similar to other literature of the time thats called apocalyptic, which typically includes visions, global clashes, endoftheworld warnings, and many, many symbols. In this comprehensive introduction to systematic theology, thiessen addresses a. Ellicott notes, there are no sufficient grounds for supposing that there is here any reference to the seventh apocalyptic trumpet rev. Four times the author identifies himself as john 1. The two stand as the alpha and omega of the revelation of gods work on earth. An explanation of the a priori argument in the embodiment of divine revelation written by henry c. Revelation is often described as a the revelation of john meaning the revelation to john 1.
Thiessen ably sets forth the conservative view of the new testament. Thiessen and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Systematic theology agent or spiritual agents, in one or many gods. The things john had already seen are recorded in chapter 1. Pursuing the climate of acceptance and inclusion ravi zacharias at ucla. G if ts, oce and t hepera on of t new testamen church. Recently when reading the latters presentation of the doctrine of salvation, i found that it gives a calvinistic viewpoint instead of the arminian viewpoint which i thought my earlier. The book of revelation, or the apocalypse as it is also called, is the last book of the bible. Numerous religious groups use this book to make prophecies, to scare, and to. And i saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. The book of revelation, a prophecy of warning and hope. In the first chapter, the risen and exalted christ is speaking to john. Some general comments about the book of revelation and its uniqueness.
The word revelation is from the greek word apokaluptis which means revelation or disclosure. Study the bible online using commentary on revelation 1 and more. Study the bible online using commentary on revelation 6 and more. Why was the book of revelation included in the bible. Buy a cheap copy of introduction to the new testament book by henry clarence thiessen. Jan 02, 2020 a simple outline for the book of revelation is found in revelation 1. An inscription, declaring the original and the design of it v. But what is meant by revelation revelation is that act of god whereby he. Condensing 20 centuries of church thinking into eight major sections, he also includes helpful subject and scripture indexes. It should be the last book of the bible that anyone seeks to become an expert on. For reasons we can only speculate on the decision to include it was made at the last minutetruly a cliffha.
If youre befuddled by the book of revelation in the bible, dont fret. Enock dyrness, wheaton college registrar, eulogizing dr. This is evident from the description of the reptile in genesis 3. The idealist school sees the book as a conflict of the agelong principles of good and evil with non historic elements. Aprioriargumentfordivinerevelation online christian library. Revelation 5 bible commentary matthew henry concise.
This concluding book of the canon is also commonly called the apocalypse. As a teenager, i remember being a bit frightened of the book of revelation. A commentary on the book of the revelation based on a study of twentythree psychic discourses by edgar cayce contents pages the lords prayer and the seven centers diagram 6 extracts from the readings 7 the book of the revelation with the edgar cayce readings. The smell of acne face cleanser filled the room as i dove into mysterious depictions of fourfaced angels, beasts from the sea and land, of massive angels, and 100pound hailstones being hurled to the earth. This view also ignores revelations prophetic character and, if carried to its logical conclusion, severs the book from any connection with actual historical events. Apocalypticism was not a new phenomenon among christians. Such is true of the last book of the bible, the book of revelation. Thiessen s an outline of lectures in systematic theology in syllabus form will welcome the appearance of the more complete work in book form. Revelation overview matthew henrys complete commentary. Although you might need a dictionary to read this book it helps you understand god more.
See all 14 formats and editions hide other formats and. See all books authored by henry clarence thiessen, including lectures in systematic theology, and introduction to the new testament, and more on. Henry clarence thiessen books list of books by author. As related to the present discussion, it may be stated thus. God has not seen fit to write the bible in the form of a systematic theology. The king and his kingdom 20 by third millennium ministries. This name indicates the meaning of revelation it uncovers matters that had been hidden and discloses events that would happen long after it was written. Many of the presbyters in attendance at the council of nicaea didnt want it in the bible.
May our heavenly father be pleased to use this book for his glory. In this book, the author is going through the six major world religions and he finds many christ figures who bear close likeness to the. Take a look at the basic structure of the book of revelation. The nature of apocalyptic literature, the use of symbolism and the consideration of various theories of interpretation become vital in the study of this book. The book of revelation, often called the book of revelations, revelation to john, apocalypse of john, the revelation, or simply revelation, the revelation from jesus christ from its opening words or the apocalypse, is the final book of the new testament, and therefore also the final book of the christian bible. Following two introductory chapters delineating the nature, necessity. The author believes that the plenary inspiration of the. The rise and fall of the antichrist appendix four a brief overview of the book of revelation. Lectures in systematic theology by henry clarence thiessen free ebook.
This chapter is a general preface to the whole book, and contains, i. Pack staggering events foretold in your bible will shock the whole world. Thiessen, the first dean of our graduate school, left an indelible impression upon itthough dead he yet speaketh. Bible living why you cant make a deal with god theologically driven. Book of revelation for dummies cheat sheet dummies. Full text of thiessen lectures in systematic theology, christian helps, orthodox christian teaching see other formats. The book of revelation is by far one of the most challenging books in the bible, yet well worth the effort to study and comprehend. Here are six myths christians believe about the book of revelation. Aug 02, 2001 what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in asia. The possibility of theology grows out of two things. Full text of thiessen lectures in systematic theology. The greek name of the bible book of revelation, apoka. Systematic theology is a discipline of christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the christian faith. A book sealed with seven seals, which could be opened by none but christ, who took the book to open it.
Lectures in systematic theology by henry clarence thiessen scribd. Yet it has a clear message for all who would devote themselves to its pages. However at some time i gave it away and bought the revised version. The was the title given to the book in the latin vulgate 3. Thiessens systematic theology book in bible school. It is, of course, the cryptic symbolism of revelation that makes it challenging to understand. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Introduction to the new testament book by henry clarence. Thiessen, please share your views of his theological position. Revelation is such a complex book, there are many things that people get wrong about this text. Thiessen was called from his labors while engaged upon the task of writing the book. Lectures in systematic theology henry clarence thiessen.
Revelation 1 bible commentary matthew henry concise. The futurist school sees the book from chapters four on as proclaiming prophecies yet to be fulfilledthis is the position of this writer. My question is, can a believer lose his salvation or be erased from the book of life if he does not overcome. The book of revelation also called the revelation of john or the revelation of st. The first six seals are a summary of the judgments distributed over the whole book. The wise men and the unknown god portraits s a personal spiritual journey of a christian theologian from the east to the west, exploring gods redemptive revelations throughout the world religions. Very important we note this and realize we cannot study revelation in the same way we study the book of romans.
In the book of revelation, the apocalyptic hopes of the early christian community find their clearest and most complete expression. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant john, 2 who testifies to eve rything he sawthat is, the word of god and the testimony of jesus christ. It ought to be no prejudice to the credit and authority of this book that it has been rejected by men of corrupt minds, such as cerdon and marcion, and doubted of by men of a better character for this has been the lot of other parts of holy writ, and of the divine author of the scripture himself. February 12, 2014 the story of the new testament canon is a fascinating one, with many twists and turns. John the divine is an example of apocalyptic writing a form that delivers a message using symbols, images and numbers. Lectures in systematic theology paperback november 9, 2006 by henry c. The book of revelation was written sometime around. Read revelation 6 commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. This summary of the book of revelation provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of revelation. The book of revelation is best understood as a sequel, the culmination of human history, which god began at creation, as recorded in the book of genesis. Revelation 6 commentary matthew henry commentary on the.
The genuineness, credibility, and canonicity of the books of. Interesting facts about the book of revelation only one hope. The newer editions beginning around the early 1980s are not nearly as good as this 1970s edition. Lectures in systematic theology by henry clarence thiessen is a very inspiring and helpful book. God is such a powerful and awesome being that we can. Its principal subject is to discover the purposes of god concerning the affairs of the church, and of the nations as connected therewith, to the end of the world. Henry clarence thiessen books list of books by author henry. Without a thorough understanding of the rest of scripture most of revelation will. Enduring word bible commentary revelation chapter 6.
There are those such as thiessen who understand the genitive to be objective referring to a revelation about christ, 2 but it is more probably a subjective genitive referring to a revelation by. It is the final promise of the lords return and the last invitation to salvation offered in scripture. The vision which opens the book and the verse that organizes it. David cox, a great eswordtheword friend who is dedicated to converting materials into bible software formats. This very powerful and dynamic teachingtool on the book of revelation shines a light on the symbolism and the mysteries of god revealed to. The scriptures the embodiment of a divine revelation. Will the church pass through the tribulation henry c. The book of revelation explained volume 4 other publications by the author dan iel and rev at on texts exam ned depressi on did j esu d c nd i to h ll. The bible is to the theologian what nature is to the scientist, a body of unorganized, or only partly organized facts. Jul 28, 2009 all i recently picked up henry clarence thiessen s lectures in systematic theology. Thiessens lectures in systematic theology has been. Revelation 1 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Revelation has been almost universally regarded as the most difficult book of the new testament.
Although revelation is often described as the revelation of john meaning that it is a revelation to john, 1 it is actually a revelation of christ 1. Book of revelation explained scripture by scripture. However, not all of gods revelations were written down. Phil sanders 4 the book of revelation the revelation of jesus christ a study of the book of revelation introduction. The revelation to john new international version the prologue 1. After thiessen died, his book was edited to make it calvinistic. The love of god is a prevalent concept both in the old testament and the new testament love is a key attribute of god in christianity, even if in the new testament the expression god is love explicitly occurs only twice and in two not too distant verses. It is a revelation that was received by the apostle john while he was in romanimposed exile on the island of patmos in the eastern mediterranean around 90 a. Understanding the book of revelation 3 understanding the book of revelation he book of revelation is placed last in the bible for good reason.
Revelation then becomes merely a collection of stories designed to teach spiritual truth. Great prophecies in the book of revelation show how and when these catastrophic events will occur. A brief overview of the book of revelation the rise and. This was the 1st book by larkin that i read and i am glad i did to anyone trying to understand revelations or anyone wanting to further their knowledge, read this book. The underwritten general and special revelations of god furnish no real answers to this question. His influence continues through his writings and through the lives which he trained for gods glad service. How accurate are the descriptions of these seven cities mentioned in the book of revelation according to archaeology and history.