REVELATION

and the End of All Things

Second Edition

Craig R. Koester

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 /

www.eerdmans.com

© 2001, 2018 Craig R. Koester

All rights reserved

First edition 2001

Second edition 2018

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Koester, Craig R., 1953-

Revelation and the end of all things / Craig R. Koester.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8028-7578-5 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. Bible, N.T. Revelation — Commentaries.

I. Title.

BS2825.53 K64 2001

228’.07 — dc21

00-069199

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, http://nrsvbibles.org/, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

For Matthew and Emily

CONTENTS

Preface to the Second Edition

Preface to the First Edition

1. Interpreting the Mystery

Future Prediction or Timeless Truth?

History, Politics, and Reform

Apocalyptic Fever, Disappointment, and Tragedy

Rapture, Tribulation, and Armageddon

Historical and Literary Study of Revelation

Silence or Song?

Venturing Forward

2. Christ and the Churches (Revelation 1–3)

A Revelation—A Prophecy—A Letter (1:1–8)

In the Presence of the Living One (1:9–20)

Not All Readers Are Alike (2:1–3:22)

3. The Scroll Unsealed (Revelation 4–7)

The Creator (4:1–11)

The Lamb Who Was Slain (5:1–14)

The First Six Seals (6:1–17)

The Redeemed: 144,000 and a Great Multitude (7:1–17)

4. Trumpets of Terror and Hope (Revelation 8–11)

The First Six Trumpets (8:2–9:21)

Judgment Interrupted (10:1–11)

Suffering, Witness, and Glory to God (11:1–14)

The Kingdom of the Lord (11:15–19)

5. The Beast and the Lamb (Revelation 12–15)

The Woman, Michael, and the Dragon (12:1–18)

The Two Beasts (13:1–18)

Judgment, Blessing, and Endurance (14:1–20)

Lord of the Nations (15:1–4)

6. The Harlot and the Bride (Revelation 15–19)

The Seven Bowls of Wrath (15:5–16:21)

The Great Harlot (17:1–18)

Babylon’s Funeral (18:1–24)

Hallelujah, the Lord Reigns (19:1–10)

7. The End (Revelation 19–22)

The Great Battle (19:11–21)

The Millennial Kingdom (20:1–6)

Final Conflict and Final Judgment (20:7–15)

The New Jerusalem (21:1–22:5)

The End Is Near (22:6–21)

Discussion Questions

Bibliography of Works Cited

Index

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

The first edition of this book appeared at the beginning of the new millennium. My intent was to make the best in current scholarship on Revelation accessible to a wide range of readers, while engaging issues that were generated by the use of apocalyptic literature in popular media. The book first became available around the time of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC, on September 11, 2001, events that were sometimes called “apocalyptic.” In the years that followed, continued shifts in global politics contributed to ongoing speculation ...

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About Revelation and the End of All Things (Second Edition)

Since its first publication in 2001, Revelation and the End of All Things has been a highly readable guide to one of the most challenging books in the Bible. Engaging the questions people most frequently ask about Revelation and sensationalistic scenarios about the end of the world, Craig Koester takes his readers through the entirety of Revelation, offering perspectives that are clear and compelling.

In the second edition Koester provides new insights from recent scholarship and responses to the latest popular apocalyptic voices. Study questions make this new edition ideal for use in classrooms and study groups. Revelation and the End of All Things offers an accessible, engaging, and profoundly hopeful interpretation for students and general readers alike.

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