Customer Reviews

Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination

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It never ceases to amaze me how Eugene Peterson so easily exposes the lie of what we in the West have come to call "reality." His book Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer changed my worldview and revolutionized my prayer life. This book--Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, has done just as much (and more) than Answering God.

Reversed Thunder has truly awakened my imagination. It has turned how I approach the Word of God on its head (I don't even feel like I approach it anymore--it approaches me). For the first time in my life, I feel that the Bible is not just some mystic book that speaks from somewhere in the mists of the past--it is living (how many times had I heard that and given mere intellectual assent?) and speaking to me always.

Each chapter of this book is vital. Eugene Peterson has distilled the lessons of a lifetime in these pages--they are transformative. As an aside, I read Brigitte Hanhart's children's adaptation of Tolstoy's Shoemaker Martin while I was reading Reversed Thunder--the messages of these books powerfully reinforce one another (in other words: I strongly recommend reading them together).

I give Reversed Thunder my highest recommendation.

Have you become immersed in interpretations of the varied and even gross symbolisms in the Book of Revelation? Have you missed the introductory statement that it is "the revelation of Jesus Christ"? He gave His revelation, His last words, through the listening ears and the seeing eyes of His devoted friend, St. John, theologian, poet and pastor. The author of Reversed Thunder has caught the sweep and practicalities of Revelation through his insights into Jesus' last words, His ultimate words, on such subjects as the church, prayer, evil, politics, heaven. Jesus' call for us in the here and now is to worship God and to this theme we can respond, "Amen." This book invited repeated reading, always with an open Bible, time for meditation, prayerful worship. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Simply the best book I have read on Revelation. Peterson's book is about about God, the person. The focus on revelation is about the revelation of Jesus Christ. So many people get interested in everything except God, loosing themselves in symbol hunting, last day prophecies, intrigue with numbers, speculating with frenzied imaginations on times and seasons, despite Jesus' severe stricture against it. (Acts 1:7) Our salvation, our focus, is on Christ. Our timing is the looking at our present, the silence within us, God's very presence living within ourselves. The timing and sense of urgency of God is not the same as living with the sense of hurry, as it is urgent for us to look inside ourselves, use our imagination with God's Spirit and discern the revelation of Jesus Christ in others through Him and in Him in ourselves.

Over the past year, Eugene Peterson has become my favorite author (along with Dietrich Bonhoeffer and John Piper). After reading Peterson's books Run With the Horses (the life of Jeremiah) and Where Your Treasure Is (the Psalms), I was eager to read more by him. I was not disappointed by this book.

Peterson sets off at the beginning to lay down the truth that the Apocalypse was not written as a treatise on "things that must soon take place," to be analyzed for chronology and fulfillment. Rather, it was written by a caring pastor guiding his people through the threat of caesar-worship. It is a book solely about the distant future, but a collection of poetic images that serve to evoke hope and order in the present churches of Ephesus. I am so grateful that Peterson emphasizes the fact that all apocalyptic is meant to be practical in the here-and-now. "Eschatology is the most pastoral of all the theological perspectives, showing how the ending impinges on the present in such ways that the truth of the gospel is verified in life 'in the middle'" (9). "There are predictive elements in some prophecy (and some in the Revelation), but they are always in service to a present message" (21).

Peterson walks through a chapter or two of the Revelation at a time, keeping in mind the three inseparable roles of John as he writes what is revealed to him: pastor, poet, and theologian. For Peterson, real theology is only seen and understood as it is worked out in our daily living; all theology is imminently practical. Just like the Apostle in his day, Peterson lives to combat the Gnostic duality that embraces the "spiritual" as something belonging to another world or sphere, and not upsetting our finely crafted lives.

If Peterson sees any unifying theme or purpose behind the images of the Revelation, it is undeniably WORSHIP. Worship--the fitting participation of God's people in response to his actions--is for God's people a taste of heaven even now. Worship matters: it orients our lives to God and keeps us hopeful. Failed worship--focusing on what people are doing rather than God--leads to chaos. "Worship is the essential and central act of the Christian. . . . Worship is the act of giving committed attention to the being and action of God. The Christian life is posited on the faith that God is in action" (140-41).

The book, though, is not without its flaws. Taking perhaps a bit too much poetic license in interpreting the visions, I believe Peterson often sees things in Scripture that, while they may ultimately be correct, are simply not evident from the text itself. For example, in reference to the "sea of glass", he writes of how this is clearly a reference to the baptismal font (63). All in all, though, this is an illuminating, stirring, and utterly pastoral reading of the New Testament's final book. With discernment--and do understand, this is NOT a commentary--this book will make an excellent aid to anyone wanting to learn more about the Revelation.

Peterson reduces the complicated and poetic eschatology of the Revelation to a simple thesis: God is in control of history. And since the beginning and end are good, we who are "in the middle" must prayerfully trust the Author in spite of our trials, as we turn the next page.

If you're expecting line by line interpretation of the last book of the New Testament, do not buy this book. If you have read the Revelation of John and are wondering how to move from details to the 'big picture' this is the perfect book.
Peterson brings to high relief the major themes of the Scriptures. The chapter titles preview this: "The Last Word on Christ"; "The Last Word on the Church" and so on... Poetic, encouraging and challenging all at once. The chapters I enjoyed most were on scripture and on Christ: I reread them before I continued the book. This is a book worth keeping and rereading. Peterson's writing is much like CS Lewis', don't read this book if you have "God in a Box" brand of Christian theology. Read it if you dare.

This book is incredible. Eugene Peterson takes his readers to depths unreached by other authors on Biblical books. And he makes it practical -- nothing he writes is beyond our daily lives. Eugene Peterson isn't your "typical" Christian author either -- this is a big plus. He doesn't write in Christian jargon. He writes superbly, beautifully. Peterson has become my favorite author -- right next to C.S.Lewis.

This is fabulous book about the Book of Revelation.Rather than continue to be consumed by fanatical views of Revelation become enlightened.This book expanded my views and understanding like no other book I have read about this book in the Bible.Rather than stand on the sidelines waiting for signs of the end times,read this book and experience and understand the Revelation as we live it day by day.This is a very thought provoking book.

Look no further; read no more. Settle in and digest this book slowly. Peterson weaves the threads of biblical themes into an understandable symphonic and pastoral commentary of Revelation

I'm not sure I would have said that you could read and understand Revelation as a "devotional" book, but with Peterson's insights I can now say it. Revelation is a wonderful study and adventure as you take along this book as your guide. You will find that it will inspire you to prayer, worship, devotion, repentance, and hope as you read through Reversed Thunder.

Everyone needs to have this in their library not for the didactics but for the amazing devotional that it is. I highly recommend this read.