Albertus Pieters

An analysis of the text and history of interpretation of various sections of Revelation, particularly the extended images.

Pieters begins with an extensive introduction, discussing who wrote Revelation, when, the nature of other apocalypses, how God speaks through imagery in Revelation, and an analysis of various interpretive schemes of Revelation. He then provides an overall view of the book and its main cycles, and then begins his analysis of various sections, both the text itself and the various ways it has been interpreted, with specific challenges to the historicist and dispensational premillennial perspectives: the introduction, the letters to the churches, the heavenly scene, the seven seals, the angel and the book, the temple and the witnesses, the woman and the dragon, the war in heaven, the beasts, their problems, the seven bowls, the bride vs. the whore, armageddon, the millennium, the judgment, the heavenly city.

Throughout Pieters presents his understanding of the text, as best as he can make sense of it, and his views generally would be reckoned as part of the "spiritualist" school. His concern is primarily understanding the imagery in the context of the rest of Scripture rather than the attempt to make specific application to later events. Whereas the reader may not always agree with the final conclusion Pieters presents, at least he always presents a variety of views and "shows his work" as to why he has greater faith in some rather than others.

This is a great introduction to Revelation and analysis of most of its images, making up in theme what it may lack in detailed analysis. It is good for it to be back in print, and should be considered by anyone attempting to make sense of Revelation.

Pieters also provides perhaps the best money quote on the seven trumpets on p.98:

"As for the great happening of the trumpet series, I do not take much interest in locating them here or there in history, for it seems to me I know them. Have we not ourselves twice, in 1914-1918 and again in 1939-1945 seen the bottomless pit opened, and the heavens darkened by swarms of evil things that issued from it? Has not the thunder of the two hundred million hellish horsemen shaken the earth in our own day, so that we can never forget it? So it seems to me, as I see the pageant unroll, act after act; and finally I turn away with profound confidence in the plans of Him that sitteth on the throne, written in the unsealed orders that are in the hands of the Lamb."… (more)