For many years the book of Revelation has been to most of the Christian world like a terra incognita – an unknown land. After all, what do multiheaded beasts and warriors in blood-drenched robes have to do with the modern condition of the church or of the world? Even if one concludes that Revelation is historically referential in nature, there is no unanimity on what particular historical figures and events the book has in view. Indeed if one is a student of the history of the interpretation of Revelation, one recognizes a near 100 percent failure rate when matching up images and events in Revelation with particular historical figures.

It is not surprising that some of the Protestant Reformers were reticent to make pronouncements about Revelation. Calvin, the great exegete, decided that this was the one New Testament (NT) book on which he would not do a commentary. Luther, when he wasn't busy saying he didn't understand Revelation, in his first preface to the book expressed serious doubts about its apostolicity and prophetic character, but in his second preface he became enthusiastic about the book, seeing it as chronicling church history (including his own period). John Wesley, in his Explanatory Notes on the New Testament, simply passed along the views of earlier exegetes, in particular Johannes Bengel, with the disclaimer that he didn't necessarily think Bengel was correct but that what he had to offer was better than the alternatives. To say that some of the major founding fathers of Protestantism did not know what to do with this book is an understatement. Yet the plethora of modern interpreters and modern works on Revelation suggests a rebirth of hope in making some sense of this complex and challenging masterpiece. Perhaps now as we move into the twenty-first century and the third millennium of church history John's Revelation will give up some of its secrets. In any event it is a propitious time to attempt a more adequate interpretation of the work. “Let the reader understand” that what lies herein is but one reading of a complex and fascinating work.

A thank you to Craig Koester for reading the manuscript and making various helpful suggestions while he also was working on a Revelation commentary.