Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) [Hardcover]

Grant R. Osborne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002 | Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

The Book of Revelation contains some of the most difficult passages in Scripture. Grant Osborne's commentary on Revelation begins with a thorough introduction and the many difficulties involved in its interpretation. He also examines elements that complicate the interpretation of apocalyptic literature.

As with all volumes published in the BECNT series, Revelation seeks to reach a broad audience with scholarly research from a decidedly evangelical perspective.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Grant R. Osborne (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of a number of books, including The Hermeneutical Spiral.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 896 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801022991
• ISBN-13: 978-0801022999
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 2.1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Grant R. Osborne (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been at Trinity since 1977. His areas of expertise include the Gospels, hermeneutics, and the book of Revelation. His numerous publications include The Hermeneutical Spiral and commentaries on Revelation, Romans, John, and Matthew.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 120 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for students and teachers March 11, 2003

By rossuk

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

More accessible for the student than Beale, he is very readable and lucid and the layout is clear. He compares the views of different commentators (useful because he cites Beale and Aune). He deals with most options on difficult passages before coming to his own conclusion. Despite its size he is not over detailed. His interpretation is eclectic, i.e. he combines preterist, idealist and futurist, with the futurist being primary rather than idealist. Premill on chap 20. Uses his own translation of the Greek, which is better than the NIV. He is very useful on the Greek and Greek text is transliterated. Footnotes are kept to a minimum and textual variants are left to the end of each section. There is a good bibliography and four indexes. The introduction is short (49 p) but adequate for the student. Comments on a paragraph at a time, individual verses are not indicated, which is a pity. He is a little weak on numerology and sometimes fails to see or mention contrasts such as the new Jerusalem the Bride and Babylon the whore.

Overall however, a very useful commentary, which I highly recommend for students, teachers and preachers. I found him hard to put down, he reads so well. He bodes well to become the standard evangelical commentary for students.

NB. Most seminary students should own Osborne and Mounce. A good starter on Revelation would be Koester Revelation and the End of All Things.

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars At the top next to Beale on Revelation June 12, 2006

By David A. Bielby VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a pastor who is studying and preaching from the Greek text through Revelation, and who audited Beale at Wheaton on Revelation, I find that this commentary is used on every sermon.

It's a first rate commentary with opinions that true scholars and regular pastors learn to respect even if they do not agree with him on every point. Sometimes when reading Beale there are so many references to apocalyptic literature and other sources that one can get overwhelmed. Osborne doesn't give as many references, but the other reviewer is correct...he's easier to read than Beale or Aune. I have several hundred dollars of the best commentaries I could find on Revelation. This one is one of the few that almost always makes it in my book bag (and it's pretty thick). I am unwilling to go without it when I have the potential of preparing a sermon at home rather than my office.

He sets apart special comments and exegetical points in shaded frames for quick reference. One time when we were discussing a particularly detailed and crucial point in class Dr. Beale excitedly said, I've got to call Osborne about this....which shows that if one of the top scholars in the world on Revelation is excited about calling Osborne...he must be great. And as I've used him, I agree. His stuff is great.

When they diverge, I usually go with Beale, but Osborne makes one think carefully and helps you work through issues in a different way than Beale does. The big differences are that Osborne has smooth reading, fewer references to research on most points, but about as much material in general as Beale.

Any pastor who is preaching from Revelation should refer to Osborne as well as Beale for indepth background on almost every nuance of the text one can imagine. So although I cannot say I agree with every single point in this book...it's easily a five star commentary that you need in your library and open on your desk as you research the textual issues and depths of this incredible grand finale of the bible...the book of Revelation.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Readable for those with some seminary education June 1, 2010

By Quentin D. Stewart

Format:Hardcover

Grant Osborne described himself at the time of writing this commentary as an idealist (symbolic interpretation) first and then a preterist (what has already taken due to the fact that Revelation was not written directly to 21st century Americans, but to the 7 churches in Asia and thus would be partially comprehensible to them) while allowing for futurist elements as well in his interpretation of Revelation. Before he finished his own very fine and readable commentary Aune's 3 volume and Beale's one volume commentary came out and so he was able to interact with some of the finest of the most recent Revelation commentaries to appear at that time. Osborne does a fine job of wrestling with the text and like most Trinity professors is always as fair as possible to competing views before stating his own conclusions. Osborne appreciates Revelation as an apocalyptic text, but it does not overwhelm his interpretation of it as might be the case with Aune. Aune is interesting, but perhaps excessively detailed. If you want an additional commentary to complement Osborne's than buy Beale's. If you are looking for an excellent single volume theology of Revelation then see Bauckham.