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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Metzger Makes Sense!, February 6, 2007
This review is from: Breaking the Code - Participant's Book: Understanding the Book of Revelation (Paperback)
Are you intimidated by the book of Revelation? Are you confused by the many views people hold about this amazing book? Looking for a book that will help you understand what John saw and what his readers would have understood in the late first-century? If you are, then this book is for you.
Metzger makes sense of this special book we call Revelation. From the beginning Metzger claims that this book has been mistreated by two extreme views: those who concentrate all of their study on this one book and those who are fearful to even attempt to read and interpret it. Many have carelessly ignored the literary genre in which it was written... that being apocalyptic literature.
This little book works much like a commentary. It is easy to read as it is primarily a guide to understanding the "Code" or symbols John uses in this type of literature. I highly recommend this book to those who are concerned with the historical-grammatical approach to studying and interpreting the Scriptures. It is a wonderful book to use in a small Bible study group. (You can also purchase a video and a leaders guide) I have used this in a small group. My class loved it!
It is no secret that Metzger's book is for the common man. Meaning: those who have not spent their entire lives at school, do not have knowledge of Greek, nor have had the opportunity to study theology in an educational institution. Metzger has the common man in mind. I have had the privilege to do these things... yet I find this book to be a great little resource when doing introductory study on the book of Revelation.
There are plenty of books on the market for those who want to further explore the first-century world of John to our modern day. This book is for those who want a historical approach to the book. It is plain and simple. And this is what Metzger wanted to accomplish. Get this book and learn of the great hope that Revelation presents to those who are called "the overcomers!"
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid and readable, August 2, 2007
This review is from: Breaking the Code - Participant's Book: Understanding the Book of Revelation (Paperback)
The first thing one must admit in reviewing one of Metzger's work is that next to no one is qualified to review one of Metzger's works. One of the most noted biblical scholars of a century, it's unlikely that any casual reader can take aim at him.
That said, the book is written for the casual reader, and in that sense is very accessible and unintimidating. There are even points at which, for the scholar or preacher, one might wish he would go into more detail concerning the first century context. The details of the eruption of Vesuvius and the threat of the Parthians are eye-opening, but Metzger gives them each only a passing notice. Nontheless, for an introduction to the Book of Revelation from the perspective of one who is not anticipating a literal, science-fiction fulfillment of the book in the future, this is a perfect read.
What is strongest about the book is that Metzger unpacks some of the most significant images of the text: the beast, the prostitute, the dragon and the lamb. He shows the first-century implications for the Roman Empire and lets us into the heart of one of Jesus' disciples, comforting a persecuted congregation. He interprets the symbols the way apocalyptic literature should be interpreted, as cosmic projections of present-day events. And all of this is done within the realm of Christian orthodoxy. In the end, it's a solid, reliable, insightful, brief book by a humble and talented scholar.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but overly brief, May 3, 2010
This review is from: Breaking the Code - Participant's Book: Understanding the Book of Revelation (Paperback)
It is hard to say much on such a tiny, abbreviated book. Metzger strives to place Revelation in its historical context, and thus reads it as it would have been read in the first century, specifically in light of its many Old Testament references. He does this spectacularly for the first 30 pages of the book or so, as he explains the subtle messages to the Anatolian churches and many of the Old Testament references therein. However, the books starts to fall apart somewhat after this. It seems that at that point Professor Metzger was reminded of his page limit and popular audience, and as such it becomes extremely abbreviated and somewhat dumbed-down. A lot of the images are left unexplained, as are many of the historical references and Old Testament allusions.
In sum, I was rather disappointed because I expected a lot more from a scholar as eminent as Professor Metzger. However, I'm still giving it four stars because it is a good, easily available overview of Revelation and dismisses many of the fantastical elements that various crackpots have attributed to it over the years. If there is anything to be learned from this book, it is Metzger's own explanation that Revelation "means what it means, not what it says."
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