Climax of Prophecy (Revised)

The Book of Revelation is a work of great significance. Yet among the major works of early Christianity included in the New Testament, it has received the least attention from scholars. Professor Bauckham looks closely at Revelation's own literary dynamics as a closely integrated literary whole. He investigates Revelation's intertextual relationship with the Hebrew Bible, illustrating how constant disciplined allusion to the Old Testament scriptures is a key element in the way Revelation conveys meaning. There is fresh study of the relationships between Revelation and other Jewish and Christian apocalypses. And there is extensive examination of Revelation's contemporary context. Revelation emerges as a work of meticulous literary artistry, remarkable creative imagination, radical political critique and profound theology. Above all, its central message, portraying itself as the climax of the biblical prophetic tradition and claiming to reveal the secret of God's purpose for the final coming of God's kingdom, appears with fresh clarity. This comprehensive investigation continually breaks new ground. Some of Revelation's distinctive literary techniques are identified and studied for the first time; and a wide range of new evidence from Revelation's literary and historical contexts is brought to the elucidation of the text.