Revelation (New Covenant Commentary) Paperback – November 1, 2010

My church is currently doing a sermon series of the entire book of Revelation. I decided to read a commentary to receive more insight into what the pastor was preaching. This book did that quite well , it's a very accessible commentary written by a true scholar. I highly recommend it!

Gordon Fee led the translation team for the NIV. His commentary is clear and understandable. He does a great job of identifying interpretations of Revelation that are perhaps too thinly supported by scripture. This is also an amazing work in linking OT prophecies into the NT.

In this final volume of the New Covenant Commentary series, Dr. Gordon Fee opens up the text on its own merits rather than contrasting or debating alternative viewpoints. Providing a helpful perspective for interpreting Revelation, Fee notes that "what must soon take place" deals less with the End than with the readers' imminent threats. Since their lot in God's holy war was to be one of suffering, certain internal disorders among the churches cast doubt on their readiness and must be corrected.I could not agree more with Dr. Fee's statement that "one must join the heavenly host in worship, or John's whole reason for writing may get lost in the pursuit of details." Due to John's emphasis on the 7th seal (5:5), the scroll's contents are revealed after all the seals have been broken. Thus the opening of the seals reveal not the scroll's contents but the reasons for God's coming intervention. In fact, the martyrs of the fifth seal anticipate much of the rest of the book.Dr. Fee understands the famous passage in 20:1-6 as something of an interlude between Rome's downfall (19:11-21) and the judgment of Satan and all humanity (20:7-15). This interlude serves as a reminder that God's people---in particular those who have made the ultimate sacrifice---are neither defeated nor forgotten. He repeatedly points out that many of John's images cannot be imagined in literal detail but in terms of their intended impact. I would enthusiastically recommend this commentary.

This is a very well balanced resource from a recognized and well respected scholar. I greatly appreciate the time and words dedicated to exploring the contextual background that the original readers would have had on a political, economic, scriptural, and just experiential basis. The greatest benefit is that the author deals primarily with the message of the text, not molding the text around some preconceived eschatological scheme. I have used this book as a Bible Study resource, and the feedback I'm getting is extremely positive. One person said she has felt 'cheated' by other treatments of the book of Revelation; Fee's work is probably the greatest contributor to making this book speak so strongly to a hope that is still very relevant today, but in a way seldom presented from the last book of the Bible. I highly recommend this book.

Fee does an excellent job bring clarity to an often misunderstood and improperly interpreted text of Scripture without fear of upsetting those who have misinterpreted John's writings. Fee is truly one of the greatest expositors of the NT text in our generation and I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to understand Revelation. Although the text conflicts with almost everything I was ever taught about its content, I have been enlightened to its true meaning and intent, while not at all compromising my salvation. Tradition and popular teaching must take a backseat to truth and proper biblical hermeneutics to teach those in Christ the truth of Scripture instead of promoting what is generally accepted.

I've used this to teach on Revelation. While I don't agree with every image he interprets, I believe this is a great overall look at the book of revelation and a great starting point for those who want to look at Revelation and aren't interested in ideas proposed by "Left Behind." Fee gives a preterit view (basically that the images actually meant something to the people written to pertaining to the actual world around them, not just some sort of futuristic systematic end to the world.)

And excellent opportunity to read, inexpensively, from one of the formost biblical scholars of the 20th and 21st century. Profound and approachable he's commentary on revelation, the electronic source format makes referencing and citing a joy for the researcher.

As a real fan of Gordon Fee's work with the NICNT in 1 Corinthians and Philippians, I found this commentary very thin and lifeless. The exegesis was not up to Fee's usual standards, and seldom provided real insight into the text that a preacher/teacher would be seeking. It may be helpful for a layperson who had no technical ability, but is not worth half of the $30+ it cost.