Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple

(Hardback)

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The biblical Book of Revelation frustrates and fascinates many people with its imagery and apocalyptic tone. Most popular interpretations of the book rely on a perspective known as dispensationalism, popularized by the Scofield Bible and more recently the Left Behind series of novels. Yet there are many problems with this popular way of reading Revelation, and until now, few alternatives have been available that were easy to understand.

In Revelation for the Rest of Us, Scot McKnight with Cody Matchett explore the timeless message of Revelation and how it speaks to us today with a courageous challenge to be faithful witnesses to Jesus while standing against the ever-present reality of worldly authorities. The writer, John, stimulates the imagination to see the world differently, through the eyes of God, presenting a "divine politic" that subverts the anti-god patterns of governments, empires, and those in power.

McKnight addresses the popular misconceptions about the book, explaining what John means in his use of the images of dragons, lambs, and beasts, and how the symbolism of Revelation speaks powerfully to the present day--though not in the way most people think. Drawing from the latest scholarship, they present an understanding of Revelation for anyone interested in deepening their personal study of the Bible as well as preachers looking to communicate this timeless message today.

McKnight offers in this book a discipleship manual for discerning the immoralities of political powers and how the church can be both an agent of resistance and transformation.

John designed his Book of Revelation to disciple readers into dissidents of the ways of the world and empire. John describes that empire with the term "Babylon." Babylon is a timeless image of empire, militarism, economic exploitation, injustice, and oppression. The Book of Revelation disciples Christians through worship and the courageous challenge of faithful, or allegiant, witness to the slaughtered-Lamb. John's dissident disciples can discern the presence of "Babylon" in our world and learn to speak up, speak out, and walk in the way of the Lamb. He disciples us by stimulating our imaginations to see the world and "Babylon" through the eyes of God, and in so doing John presents a "divine politic," a view of government and power that subverts the anti-god patterns of "Babylon" today.

Reviews

'A brilliant, fast-paced narrative that does so much more than make an incomprehensible book comprehensible. It shows us how white evangelicals lost our theological grounding, becoming the very monster we were supposed to resist; it emboldens us to become dissident disciples, leaving team dragon and returning to the side of the Lamb; and it gives us hope that a world where justice rolls down like water will one day be more than a dream. This is the most powerful interpretation of Revelation I have ever read, reorienting us away from bizarre prophecies and fiction bestsellers back to the truth of the gospel. You do not want to miss it.' * Beth Allison Barr, James Vardaman Professor of History at Baylor University and bestselling author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth *
'Finally, someone makes sense of the confoundingly beautiful mystery that is the book of Revelation. McKnight and Matchett's Revelation for the Rest of Us not only debunks speculative, spectacular, and specious interpretations, it explains Revelation's prophetic message of God's justice and peace, the way of the Lamb. Reading Revelation is a trumpet call to 'dissidents,' God's people, to faithful public discipleship in today's 'Babylon' built by arrogance, greed, exploitation, and militarism. McKnight and Matchett refocus attention on the true center of Revelation: worshiping God on the throne and the Lamb.' * Lynn H. Cohick, provost/dean of academic affairs, Northern Seminary *
'If Revelation is not a book for speculation about the antichrist and the millennium, what is it Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett have gifted the church, especially (but not only) its evangelical wing, with a revelation about Revelation. It is a call for dissident discipleship. This challenging but also pastoral book is a must-read for anyone concerned about the new forces of Babylon confronting the church and the world today.' * Michael J. Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, St. Marys Seminary & University, Baltimore *
'A fascinating and engrossing book about one of the most puzzling--and hopeful--books of the Christian Bible. Revelation is about how to live as dissidents in the Babylon of our time, how to hope actively for the New Jerusalem, the home of God and the goal of creation.' * Miroslav Volf, Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology, Yale Divinity School, founding director, Yale Center for Faith & Culture, and coauthor of The Home of God *

Author Bio

Scot McKnight (PhD, Nottingham) is the Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. He is the author of more than fifty books, including the award-winning The Jesus Creed as well as The King Jesus Gospel, A Fellowship of Differents, One.Life, The Blue Parakeet, and Kingdom Conspiracy.