Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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55 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest Example of Interpreting the Bible w/ the Bible, October 17, 2000
One cannot interpret the Book of Revelation without using the rest of the Bible. Now all books on Revelation claim to use the Bible, but as a norm they prooftext the Bible rather than present a contextually consistent, fully Bible-interpreted presentation of the scripture all in line with one another. Chilton has done about as good a job as any human can do, short of just handing someone a Bible. This book is contextually consistent and historically consistent from beginning to end. This book also contains some interesting appendices which are challenging. The one on Zionism is extremely biblical, regardless that some would call it anti-semitic. If this particular appendix is anti-semitic, then so is Romans and Galatians and Hebrews, and so is Jesus and Paul. On the other hand, Chilton is a Tylerite and so holds to what would be termed a restoration of theocracy in the world (or just short of it), with which I disagree. This is found in another appendix but doesn't influence the commentary as a whole. The book is definitely Reformed in its theology, but Reformed des not equal postmillennial. Chilton is postmillennial and thus believes, in contrast to ALL other views of eschatology, that God wins, the Gospel succeeds, the promises to Abraham will be fulfilled, and the Church will be victorious. Chilton has produced the "long version" of Mathison's Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope." To be honest, I believe one would be hard pressed to refute Chilton's book without resorting back to selective prooftexting (the flawed Bible interpretation method of choice among most today). The book is covenantally based, but then, so is the Bible. The entire history of redemption to the end of the world is based on the covenant of God, especially seen in the promise to Abraham. God promised that every nation, tribe, tongue, people, and family would eventually be blessed by having the same faith in the Gospel as Abraham, and that this would be on earth (obviously, saving faith doesn't exist after the world is destroyed). Chilton proves from contextual use of Scripture that postmillennialism is, in fact, the only eschatological view that has existed in the entire history of the world that fits Scripture. The Old Testament is clear on this (read the Psalms and Isaiah 40 - 66). The New Testament is just as obvious. Well, many won't like this book because it lacks the sensationalism of premillennial views (look at the popularity of the "Left Behind" series). But then again, if one thinks that the saving of souls is truly sensational, then they might be willing to give up newspaper and evening news theology with its far-out ideas and come to something far more Biblically sensational: The saving of sinners. Chilton has set the standard. I know that no premillennial theologian will ever come close to refuting this book, because premillennialism is based on prooftexting the Bible plus the addition of politics and other things that will support their view. Postmillennialism is just based on the Bible; it needs nothing but the Bible. Postmillennialism is the only eschatological view that is Sola Scriptura. Chilton gets 5 stars for a great book and 5 more for setting an unsurpassable standard.
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33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Extreme, Mind-Changing Experience, June 29, 2002
In the last year, as I continued to study the dispensational, pretribulational, premillenial viewpoint, a good thought came to my mind...actually several thoughts did. #1 What culture was Revelation written to? #2 Why should I think Jesus was referring to some future temple when one was still standing as He gave the Olivet Discourse? #3 Why should I believe that a tribulation is still future for me? #4 Why should I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture if (a) there is not a future tribulation (b) there is no specific text that lays out undisputably a pre-trib rapture (c) there is no real difference between God's work among His people, whether Jew or Greek, slave or free?As I studied this commentary, these questions and many more were answered and I was rescued from the defeatology that I had been taught all of my life within the Baptist tradition. I now celebrate the victory on the cross as the greatest military victory of all time and live in His authority on this earth as His servant. I was so thrilled to see such insightful use of the Bible to interpret this book, much of the Baptist teaching I had heard on the book seemed to try and interpret it without the use of the rest of the Bible outside of Daniel, Matthew 24, and Thessalonians. I was also stunned by his knowledge of the culture of that day and how it applied to what John was writing about. It was far more in-depth than any of the Baptist teaching I had received that uses today as the frame of reference for the book to the exclusion of those to whom the book was written. Be prepared to change your eschatological view when you read this book. If you read it with a closed mind...it is your loss...don't blame the author. Please don't allow the prejudice of what you have been taught in the past prevent you from enjoying this book. I had to take a piece of humble pie with this book as my eschatological world was rocked and I discovered that I had been tragically wrong about this book. It's not a mystery book, but as its title states, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It WAS meant to be UNDERSTOOD. Praise glory and honer to His name for all ages. In Christ, Mark
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Commentary!!!, February 6, 2001
Chilton is a scholar as well as a great writer. Extrabiblical proof is not the foundation being used to support his exposition of a very difficult book (many historic scholars of scripture never attempted to explain this book). Chilton uses a biblical hermeneutic in which the bible really is interpreting itself-- God's Word is soley sufficient to clearly explain the book of Revelations. In addition, it has challenged me to fully explore the intricacies of the Old Testament-- especially the liturgical and priestly aspects. Finally, after years of reading speculative commentary on the book of Revelations and "end times" dogma, I was refreshed and had my hope restored for quality Christian scholarship.
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