The Book of Revelation

Chosen as an Outstanding Academic Book for 1991-1992 by ^RChoice

Critically examines the language, literature, history, and social setting of the Book of Revelation. After discussion of the importance of the apocalypse genre, Thompson considers the form and structure of the book, the unified world created by it, and the social conditions that prevailed whilst it was being written. Originally published in 1990.In this important new study, Thompson examines the literary and linguistic characteristics of the Book of Revelation and analyses their relationship to the situation of the Asian Christians to whom the Book is addressed. Using both literary and archaeological sources, he reconstructs the social and political conditions of life in the province of Asia under the emperor Domitian at the end of the first century AD and attempts to determine the place of Christians and Jews in that social setting. In this way he is able to situate the text in its true context and shed new light upon its intended meaning.