Rhor presents an accessible, chapter-by-chapter explication of the fascinating symbols that fills the Bible's most challenging book.


D.H> Lawrence famously said, "When we read Revelation, we feel at once there are meanings behind meanings." Suffice it to say, this difficult book admits to many possible readings. According to Rhor, it's a shame recent readers often think Revelation has just one: The end of the world is coming, and Revelation tells how it's going to happen. Rhor calls this the "millennial" interpretation, and while it has many supporters, he thinks it causes only "eschatological confusion." To help alleviate this confusion-and restore the book's true message of Christian comfort-Rhor offers a new take that characterizes it first and foremost as a complex grouping of symbols. He gets his cue from the Greek word semaino, which appears in the first verse, roughly, semaino means "to give a sign, " and Rhor argues that "Revelation is an unveiling of Jesus Christ by means of symbols." His book, then, is a refreshingly open-minded effort to figure out what that "unveiling" means. And from the heft of his time, readers will recognize that this is no small task. To do so, Rhor mainly relies on the original text itself, as much of his project is devoted to careful readings of passages from Revelation. However, the author also relies on the rest of the Bible, and he's eager to fall back on other scriptural text to explain particularly difficult images. Rhor describes himself as a sort of enthusiastic amateur scholar, but his lack of formal training is a strength, his tone is unpretentious and his style simple and straightforward. Throughout, it's clear that he wants to make Revelation easier, not harder. However, Rhor also has a solid understanding of basic biblical Greek, and this knowledge not only deepens his insights but also lends him additional credibility.


A discerning new take on Revelation that opens up the confounding text.


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