<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Excelent
Review: John Macarthur's Commentary on the book of Revelation is one the most complete and exhaustive commentaries produced in the last twenty years. The information covered in this book is extremely complete. Though out the book MacArthur takes the futuristic approach to the book of Revelation. He expands on almost every phrase explaining first the main idea behind that phrase and then going on to explain the meaning of some of the specific words. He generally used the Greek word to explain the meaning of the word and how this word can be applicable to us now a day. Though an extensive amount of cross-references MacArthur is able to give the preacher sufficient information to expound and apply the passage to a sermon or Sunday school lesson. Macarthur's analysis of the seven churches is one of the best done, he identifies the correspondent, the church, the city, the commendation, the command, and the council, and in great detail explains each of these points making the teachings behind the seven churches easy to understand. By the use of a great amount of quotes from other scholars we are able to see the view of other scholarly men and how those views are in accord or disaccord with Macarthur's view. This commentary in its 320 pages has the most valuable insights to book of Revelation that can be found anywhere. This book is useful for the layman and to the scholar the same making it an excellent book for the teacher, preacher, student and scholar.
Rating:
Summary: MACARTHUR AT HIS BEST
Review: The book of the Revelation - THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD - made UNDERSTANDABLE! Not hard and complicated but still sticking to EXACTLY what the text says without a lot of OPINION - this is a good work! Great addition to my library!
Rating:
Summary: MACARTHUR AT HIS BEST
Review: The book of the Revelation - THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD - made UNDERSTANDABLE! Not hard and complicated but still sticking to EXACTLY what the text says without a lot of OPINION - this is a good work! Great addition to my library!
Rating: 
Summary: Shows his dispensational bias
Review: While in general MacArthur's commentaries are good, in the case of Revelation his dispensational bias emasculates Revelation after chap 3. He does, as you would expect, do justice to the letters to the seven churches, especially Smyrna where he relates the martyrdom of Polycarp. His mention of the Greek is useful. His dispensational and pre-tribulation bias appears in his comments about Philadelphia (3:10). When discussing Rev 4:1 he falls into the familiar trap of saying that the church is nowhere mentioned in chaps 4-19 (p 145) and things go downhill from there. We get the usual litany of dispensational interpretations of Revelation; the 144,000 are a select group of Jewish believer (p 219); 11:1-2 refers to a rebuilt Jewish temple and a restored sacrificial system (p 294); the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah (p 300). One wonders why MacArthur writes a commentary on Revelation in the first place if the church is nowhere to be seen after chap 3. I have to ask how the 144,000 get converted if there is no one to evangelize them. While I agree that the word church does not occur in chap 4-19 what about the word 'saints' which occurs 12 times, not to mention 'servants' 6 times and 'prophets' 6 times. The more mainstream commentaries clearly do find the church after chap 3. Revelation has been a source of comfort to persecuted believers ever since it was written; shortly after which the church went through over two hundred years of persecution until the time of Constantine. I would rather not recommend MacArthur's commentary on Revelation; you would get a more balanced and relevant approach from the likes of Mounce, Krodel, Ladd, Johnson and Newport (who is useful because he came out from the dispensational system).
<< 1 >>
| 
