The Book of Revelation (also known as the Revelation of John) is a difficult book of the New Testament, but Pastor Rolf Svanoe recommends a book that can facilitate the study of Revelation in Bible study groups. He told Gloriscope: “The Book of Revelation is all about worshipping God and the Lamb. It is not a book about the future. It is a book revealing Jesus Christ. That is what true prophecy is.”

Posted 12:15pm, Feb 08 2008 in Minneapolis USA - London 6:15pm
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Come, Lord Jesus: A Study of Revelation, by Mark Braaten. Liturgical Press (Collegeville, Minnesota), January 2007, 168 pages, paperback, $14.95 U.S. You can read an excerpt from the book here.

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By Rev. Rolf Svanoe for Gloriscope

Worship God!
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
(The Bible, Revelation 19:10b NIV, NKJ, NRSV)

Last fall, I led an adult Bible study in my church on the Book of Revelation. I wanted a resource to share with my group of Bible study faithful. We chose Mark Braaten’s excellent little commentary Come, Lord Jesus: A Study of Revelation.

Mark explains in his Foreword that he wrote this book for his father, who had complained that he couldn’t find a good introduction to the Book of Revelation that made sense to him. The book was the result of a Doctor of Ministry dissertation on teaching the Book of Revelation. That alone says something about the quality of the book. The book is divided into thirteen chapters plus an introduction. We took a chapter a week.

Several things commend Braaten’s book for Bible study groups. Mark is a pastor who writes with a pastor’s heart and sensitivity. He writes clearly and with an engaging style that makes Revelation easier to understand. His goal is to teach and connect with ordinary laypeople who have no formal biblical background.

While Braaten writes in a way that is accessible to most laypeople, he draws on some of the best in biblical scholarship. His major conversation partners are M. Eugene Boring, G. B. Caird, and Craig Koester. In fact, Dr. Craig Koester was one of his advisors for his Doctor of Ministry work at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Braaten brings together the best insights from recent research on Revelation.

Come, Lord Jesus presents a responsible alternative to the abusive interpretation of Revelation exemplified in Dispensationalist theology and the popular “Left Behind” series. His argument is not a direct attack on this misinterpretation and misuse of Scripture. There are others who do a better job of that (see Barbara Rossing’s book The Rapture Exposed). Braaten grounds his interpretation of Revelation solidly in its first century context, and then makes contemporary application in ways that help readers today connect with the message of this book.

As a pastor who has used Braaten’s book in the trenches with my own congregation, I recommend it without reservation. My parishioners found it very helpful and understandable. They have less fear now when it comes to reading Revelation. I also write this as a student myself, engaged in a Doctor of Ministry degree in Biblical preaching at Luther Seminary, and currently writing a dissertation on preaching the book of Revelation. My research in this field is extensive. There are few Bible study resources on Revelation as responsible and helpful for ordinary laypeople.

Pastor Rolf D. Svanoe, a native of Wisconsin, serves Peace Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as Associate Pastor responsible for worship planning and adult education. He has a B.A. degree in music performance from Augustana College (1978) and a Masters of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary (1982.

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TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

Published in the U.S.A. Copyright © 4T4C News Corp. 2008. All rights reserved.