The Drama Unfolds – Unveiling the Curtain of Revelation

'An outstanding book which seeks to make Revelation accessible to any person who wants to read it'

The Drama Unfolds – Unveiling the Curtain of Revelation
David Morris
Xulon Press
ISBN: 97781625092878
Reviewed by: Derek Fraser

The book of Revelation is often seen as a book to avoid in the Bible. Its obscure and bizarre imagery seems incomprehensible. A wide range of interpretations and views have developed around the book. There are those who see it as having little spiritual value at all, those who see it as that God will prevail, while others see it as describing complex end-time scenarios.

Some have understood the allusions and imagery in Revelation as references to modern events and nations. However most see the symbols in Revelation as referring to events and places familiar to its intended audience – 1st century Christians in Asia Minor.

In this book David Morris, a Baptist minister for almost 40 years in three different churches in London, Leeds and Cambridge, seeks to make Revelation accessible to any person who wants to read it. It is neither an intricate theological commentary nor is it just a devotional book.

Rather, it has been written very skilfully so that people come away from the book feeling blessed and encouraged by God. David takes as his key golden strand (which he traces through each chapter of the book) the words of chapter 1:3 'Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it.'

The material for this book originally came from a series of sermons on the chapters of Revelation by someone who is an excellent preacher and powerful communicator. The challenge is always how to translate that vitality and vibrancy, experienced through the spoken word, onto the printed page.

David has done an outstanding job in enabling the message of Revelation to come alive in each of its chapters. The delight of this book is that it provides good and sound exposition of the text with some worthwhile background and context, which is then skilfully applied to people’s lives. It is a marvellous resource for group Bible study as well as individual study since it includes a few questions at the end of each chapter to focus discussion and / or reflection.

It is one of the best books I have ever read on the book of Revelation. I have watched a local church women’s group use it. They have been enthralled, excited and deeply challenged by using this book as the basis for their small group studies in terms of real growth, surer faith and more certain conviction amidst the tumults and challenges of everyday life.

This really is a book not to miss.

Derek Fraser is a Chaplain at Cambridge University Hospital

Baptist Times, 29/08/2014

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