Tuesday Tome - The Throne, the Lamb, and the Dragon

The New Testament book of Revelation has always been a bit of a problem for me. Sure, I like the parts about God making all things new and wiping away all tears from our eyes. I'm thrilled that the crucified Lord Jesus is alive forever and holds the keys of death. The new Jerusalem sounds fantastic and makes me want to say, "Amen, come Lord Jesus!" I'm inspired by the great songs of praise as the throngs upon throngs gather to sing a new song of praise in every language declaring, "Worthy is the Lamb!"

On the other hand, there are all those monsters and plagues that make Revelation perplexing and disturbing. It's like the scary house on the end of Bible Street. There are all those cryptic descriptions and symbols that evade understanding. Add to that descriptions of times, places, and events that swirl together in a cloud of confusion. Then, to complicate things further, we have all those writers and teachers and pastors who claim to understand everything and turn it into a bunch of timelines and charts. They make it sound as though it's a code they've cracked or a series of mystical secrets they've somehow be given special eyes to see. It's no wonder that most of us are frightened, confused, or apathetic about it all.

Having said all that, I'm happy to say I've found a great little book to that could give you a new perspective on Revelation. It's by Paul Spilsbury, and it's called The Throne, The Lamb, and the Dragon. It's one of the best introductory overviews I've seen and is an easy read of only about 150 pages. This book is written not for theological specialists, but rather for everyday Bible readers trying to figure out what to do with that famous yet baffling book at the end of the New Testament. I highly recommend it!

From the Back Cover...
The book of Revelation has long intrigued, puzzled and even frightened its readers. Surely it is the most misunderstood book in the Bible. And some faulty interpretations of Revelation are so entrenched in the consciousness of Christians that they are regarded as "gospel truth" and provide riveting plot lines for end-time fiction. But behind the ancient multimedia show that is Revelation lies a message both simple and profound. It is told in a language and grammar of faith that was clearly understood by its first Christian audience.

Much as a music video would scarcely have been understood by first-century citizens, though it is immediately understood by youthful audiences today, so we are puzzled by and misread Revelation. Paul Spilsbury has studied Revelation in the company of its best interpreters, those who have taken the time to enter the minds of the first-century Christians for whom it was originally written. And what has he found? Within the central images of a throne, a lamb and a dragon lies the answer. The gospel clearly proclaimed. The glory of God awesomely illumined. The work of Christ memorably embodied. The nature of evil hauntingly disclosed.

Here is a guide that will help us hear Revelation speak, once again inspiring grateful worship and calling us to costly discipleship.

Ron Spilsbury is professor of New Testament and chair of New Testament studies at Canadian Theological Seminary in Calgary, Alberta.