Saturday, February 28, 2015

Book Review: The Thrill of Hope

"The Thrill of Hope" helps believers focus on Revelation in a new light, one of hope and assurance, not doom and gloom.

Overview: What are we to do with the Book of Revelation? Some Christians skim the book and glean a superficial understanding of the text; others spiritualize Revelation or label it as unworthy of concentrated study. Many simply ignore John's final letter entirely.

But by neglecting Revelation, the church is missing out on the blessing that the Lord bestows upon those willing to give the book a patient hearing—the thrill of hope.

In The Thrill of Hope, Bruce Green walks with the Apostle John through the open door of heaven and witnesses the wonderful blending of history and hope. God's people may be oppressed, but evil won't prevail. Wrongs will be righted. Those who have the faith and courage to stand strong will be vindicated. However, victory doesn't happen by chance; it is the promised result of a strong and steadfast hope given by God.

Accessible and easy to understand, The Thrill of Hope provides an enlightening and encouraging analysis of the book of Revelation. In short, digestible chapters, Green unveils the major themes of John's message, challenging us to live in hope and holiness. Helpful FAQ sections are interspersed throughout the book, and discussion questions following each chapter make it suitable for Bible class, small group, and individual studies. Those who are waist deep in the woes of the world will be lifted from the mire by a renewed confidence in the sovereign Christ—the One who reigns in hope.

Dawn's Recommendation: 4 of 5 Stars

What I Liked: It is a great book to start reading right before you start reading Revelation and a great book to read as you continue reading Revelation. It helps explain symbolism. It helps with any fear readers might have of reading or studying Revelation. The book talks about Revelations' major theme and gives some history to the times in which John received the revelation. I enjoyed the FAQ sections and the questions at the end of every chapter, which helps readers go deeper (my education background loves that!).

What I Didn't Like: The book isn't as intense a study on Revelation as I wanted, but that was not the authors intent. His intent was to leave readers focusing on the hope that Revelation reveals.  The book did that job nicely. 

To get to the level of detail that I wanted in my personal study of Revelation, I read "The Thrill of Hope", read Bible and internet commentary, and developed my own list of questions/answers as I studied Revelation. With all of that together, I found my study very well-rounded. 

Disclaimer: I received this complementary book from the publisher through BookCrash in exchange for my honest review.


How do you feel about the Book of Revelation?


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