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Title: Four Views on the Book of Revelation by C. Marvin Pate ISBN: 0-310-21080-1 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 April, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.67 (6 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Four views only confuses the issue.
Comment: 'Four' different views on 'one' subject might be helpful to beginners, on the otherhand it might also be confusing for them.
There can only be 'one' right answer concerning the interpretation of the Book of Revelation. 'Four' different views merely shows there is a lot of 'confusion' regarding this book of the Bible.
The Bible says "where there is evil and self-seeking, there is 'confusion' and every evil thing".
Rating: 2
Summary: Really Three Views
Comment: As other reviews have noted, the main disappointment here is that this book summarily dismisses historicism, which is a mainstay on any scholarly list of the four systems of interpretation.
Although it is true that historicism is no longer a popular view, it deserves full treatment for three reasons. First, historicism was the predominant protestant view for three or more centuries and should be include for completeness. Second, historicist are producing many books in response to the futurism of "Left Behind", making readers curious to know how these views fit in. Finally, it is not inconceivable that the ultimate truth will include some elements from each of the four camps, so one should be well-versed in all four views.
I certainly hope that the next version includes historicism, as well as the counter-point format.
Rating: 3
Summary: Mediocre Presentation of 4 Revelation Views
Comment: This book is actually a combination of four short booklets, each written by a different author. My rating is for the book as a whole, though my rating for each individual writer would differ. As an editor, Pate makes a commendable effort to be fair and open-minded with the views differing from his own position. If Pate had requested each author to respond to the criticism voiced by the others, this book would have been much more helpful.
The first writer is Kenneth Gentry, representing the Preterist view. His work is the best presented of the four positions, worthy of five stars. If anyone wants an very good explanation of the Preterist view in a nutshell, Gentry offers it here.
The second writer is Sam Hamstra, representing the Idealist view. He is a bit wordy in his presentation, and comes across as rather dull. I give him three stars.
The third writer is Marvin Pate, representing the Progressive Dispensationalist view. Ironically, his argument is the weakest and most difficult to understand of the four. He appears to be seeking an interpretation that will have something for everyone, but sacrifices substance and clarity in the process. What seems to be a combination of a preterist/futurist position is not appealing in the least. I give him two stars.
The fourth writer is Robert Thomas, representing the Classic Dispensationalist view. Thomas voices the usual mantra for this camp, claiming that his dispensational view is the only position that interprets Revelation literally. He then proceeds to explain the "actual meaning" of the various "symbols" described by the Apostle John! Still, he does a commendable job of presenting a very brief summary of this very complicated viewpoint. I give him four stars.
In summary, this book is more suitable for the college classroom than for the church congregation. I would recommend it to a fellow pastor or theologian, but not to a layman. Overall, it serves to refresh the memory of a person who has already determined his viewpoint, rather than to persuade the mind of a person who is still undecided.
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Title: Three Views on the Rapture by Gleason L. Archer, Paul D. Feinberg, Richard R. Retter, Richard R. Reiter ISBN: 0310212987 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 02 September, 1996 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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Title: Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond by Darrell L. Bock, Kenneth L. Gentry, Robert B. Strimple, Darrell L. Bock, Richard B., Jr. Gaffin ISBN: 0310201438 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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Title: Revelation: Four Views : A Parallel Commentary by Steve Gregg ISBN: 0840721285 Publisher: Nelson Reference Pub. Date: 14 May, 1997 List Price(USD): $32.99 |
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Title: Four Views on Hell by William V. Crockett, John Walvoord, Clark Pinnock ISBN: 0310212685 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 06 January, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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Title: Four Views on Eternal Security by J. Matthew Pinson, Stanley N. Gundry, Michael Horton, Steven Harper ISBN: 0310234395 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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