from an email January 28, 2007
I finished reading a book that my uncle recommended to me a couple years ago. I finally got around to reading it. :) For those who want a good "out of the box" type book on the book of Revelation I'd recommend it. It's called "Reversed Thunder" and it's written by Eugene Peterson (the same guy who did the Message translation of the Bible).
In the book Peterson encourages the reader to study Revelation understanding that the author John is not only a pastor and theologian, but also a poet. For me, as an analytical engineering guy, it was different... but really good.
It's definately broadened my understanding of the Revelation and whet my appetite for the day we see our Saviour face to face!
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"A pastor takes actual persons seriously as children of God and faithfully listens to and speaks with them in the conviction that their life of faith in God is the centrality to which all else is peripheral." (pg 3)
God bless our pastors, elders and leaders! May we all listen and speak to others in the same way. Understanding that their life of faith is of primary importance!
"The Christian community needs theologians to keep us thinking about God and not just making random guesses." (pg 5)
And MAN do I love reading and studying the stuff the theologians come up with :)
"Scripture is God's Word to us, not human words about God. Reading Scripture as if it were the writings of various persons throughout history giving their ideas or experiences of God, is perhaps the commonest mistake that is made in reading Scripture." (pg 18)
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16)
"The Revelation has 404 verses. In those 404 verses, there are 518 references to earlier scripture. If we are not familiar with the preceding writings, quite obviously we are not going to understand the Revelation. John has his favourite books of Scripture: Ezekiel, Daniel, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Isaiah, Exodus. But there is probably not a single canonical Old Testament book to which he doesn't make at least some allusion ." (pg 23)
Pretty sweet eh? So many references to the nation of Israel, the 12 tribes, the beasts, the tribulation and everything else that is also mentioned in the 39 books of the Old Testament.
"Prayer is the most practical thing anyone can do. It is not mystical escape, it is historical engagement. Prayer participates in God's action. God gathers our cries and our praises, our petitions and intercessions, and uses them." (pg 95)
Peterson spends a whole chapter on prayer focusing on Rev 8:3. I'll join him in saying it... Pray! Participate in God's action!
"Difficult or not, [witnessing] must be done. Successful or not, it must be done. God wills that his redemptive activity in history and among persons be known." (pg 110)
It's true! Like I've been taught: "Successful witnessing is taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God".
"And so there is a command: "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings" ( Rev 10:11). Witnessing is not an option. It is not a special assignment given to the especially articulate ." (pg 110)
Can I get an "Amen"?! As the pastor said at church this morning "All of us must preach the Word!" Each of us are ambassadors of Christ, sent into the world on his behalf to declare the truth of what He has done. May we be faithful to the calling we have received!
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