Visions of the Lamb of God
A Commentary on the Book of Revelation
Andrew Scott Brake
Visions of the Lamb of God
A Commentary on the Book of Revelation
Copyright © 2019 Andrew Scott Brake. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
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This book is dedicated to several women in my life. To my mother, whose love for Jesus, the Lamb of God, was passed down to me. And to the female writers I have around me and far off in other parts of the world: my daughter-in-law, Emma, who brilliantly produces blogging accounts of daily life as a mother and wife (particularly of interest to me are the stories of my grandchildren); to my oldest daughter, Hannie, whose artistic imagination has led to inventive ideas for still-to-come children’s books and poetry; to my second daughter, Abbie, who edited this work, and whose own writing will one day require me to play a secondary character in the miniseries based on her novel; and, most lovingly, to my wife Lora, whose intelligence and integrity continue to inspire and encourage me to deeper communion with Jesus. Keep writing, Lora!
Preface
My interest in the “revelation of Jesus Christ,” the first words of the book of Revelation and the subject of this commentary, began when I was a child. I have a vivid memory, at six years old, of singing a song in my church about the second coming of Jesus. “Ten and nine, eight and seven, six and five and four; the countdown’s getting closer every day. Three and two coming through . . .” I don’t remember the rest of the song, but it began a years-long search for answers that lasted into high school, trying to make sense of the charts hanging on the walls and the occasional prophesy conferences. Like many other churches in the 1970s, my church was thoroughly dispensational, and so was I.
That is, until I was a sophomore at Wheaton College, sitting in Dr. Alan Johnson’s class on Revelation. Dr. Johnson was asking us a question about the background to a particular passage in the book. When no one could answer, he graciously and properly rebuked us all for not having the adequate knowledge of the Old Testament that was required for understanding Revelation. That class opened my eyes. I realized there were other interpretations besides those I’d been taught in my church back home (several of which are noted in the introduction that follows.) I also realized how instrumental understanding the Old Testament is for interpreting the New Testament correctly.
My fascination with and growing love for the last book of the New Testament grew even more deeply when I started to focus on the central character of the text. No, I’m not talking about the charts, predictions, or symbols, though there are many.
The central character of the text, and indeed the central character of all of life, is the Lamb of God who sits on his throne. The Lamb of God himself became the important interpretive key for me, not only as I preached through a series during my ministry as a senior pastor in Ohio, but throughout my own personal and devotional study as well.
In 2016, I taught a course at Jaffray Bible Seminary in Makassar, Indonesia, called Apocalyptic Literature: Daniel and Revelation, as part of our MA in Biblical Studies. There were about seven students in the class. I spent the bulk of the year before preparing myself to teach and to handle any questions that students might have. I had been teaching a class on ecclesiology and eschatology for about six years, so the subjects of the millennium, the timing of the second coming of Christ, and the important role of the Lamb of God were fresh in my mind.
What started out as rough English notes for an Indonesian group of students became a rough draft for a commentary at their insistence. This is the fruit of that study, but not just of that year; rather, this work is a culmination of my adoration of the Lamb of God, who takes center stage in Revelation. My hope is that the reader will see the Lamb too, in all his glory, honor, power, and might, and that the church is drawn deeper into a holy expectation of the Lamb’s glorious return.
Acknowledgments
I am very thankful for the students in my Revelation and Daniel class in Makassar, Indonesia, who encouraged me to develop my class notes into book form. I am especially grateful for Hanny Frederick, a graduate from our Biblical studies program and my pastor, whose critical thinking in that class helped both me and his fellow students to take the truth of the book of Revelation seriously as Scripture, God’s word.
I also acknowledge the grace given to me by the leader at the school, Peniel Maiaweng, who allowed me to have the office time to research and write. Given the demands of mentoring and teaching on campus, it is a special blessing to be able to capture and capitalize upon those hours to study and write in peace. Thank you also to my fellow colleagues, especially Christopher Luthy. You have all helped sharpen my thinking with regard to apocalyptic literature.
Thank you to my wife, Lora, who was usually sitting at the other end of the kitchen table, listening, as I gave exhortations from Revelation and ranted about strange theories or fanciful ideas influenced by the sways of church culture.
I particularly would like to acknowledge Abigail Pettit, my daughter, for the heavy lifting of manuscript editing. Busy with the revision of her own novel, her willingness to take on this task is very much appreciated. It is a great gift to have a daughter so talented!
Introduction
Nature of the Book
Revelation is one of the most intriguing books of the New Testament. It has long been my favorite for its exalted picture of Christ, its view of heaven, and the hope it gives to the church around the world. It has also, unfortunately, been a much-abused book by those who seek to know the timing of Christ’s second coming. Many have used Revelation as a guidebook for their own theories and, in doing so, have missed its exalted Christology and hope. The purpose of this commentary is to present a straightforward interpretation of Revelation that focuses on the Lamb, explaining its rich Old Testament background and symbolic nature.1
I take John, the apostle of Jesus, to be the most likely author (more on this below). John was a prophet, an apocalyptist, a pastor, and an apostle. Wrap all these concerns and genres together, and you get Revelation, a letter to the church in the midst of great trial. John wants to encourage the church to
