Vengeance Has Come

When approaching the Revelation of John, many Christians fall into several errors—they can hyper-sensationalize the content, they can turn the prophetic material into a series of newspaper headlines joined together by red string, or they can render John’s pastoral letter into a science fiction novel with little to no real-world application. Vengeance Has Come is a much-needed correction of those three errors. By grounding the Apocalypse squarely in the first century, approaching the prophecies through Old Testament lenses, and focusing heavily on application for the follower of Christ, Dave’s commentary is a welcomed breath of fresh air for any student of the Scriptures, whether it be a layperson or a pastor.

David Forsythe’s commentary on Revelation is an excellent bridge between the academic and the pastoral. The commentary is obviously aware of current scholarship on the Apocalypse but is aimed at the reader who wishes to see through the popular hype regarding the end times. As he makes clear, Revelation must be understood on its first century terms before it is to be applied to the present. His very helpful introduction clearly lays out the various approaches to both eschatology and the Book of Revelation. Its relative brevity makes it extremely helpful as a preaching and teaching guide within the local church or to recommend to any serious reader.

Finally, an honest approach to the importance of scriptural context in understanding the book of Revelation. The oracle of judgment from Jesus in Matthew 23 is given its place of importance as the last prophecy concerning Israel and for which the early church waited and anticipated to be fulfilled in a generation of time. Most Christians do not know the significance of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in AD 70 let alone its place in biblical prophecy. Vengeance Has Come clearly portrays God’s judgment on the covenant unfaithful Jews as key to interpreting the book of Revelation. Vengeance Has Come is a verse-by-verse analysis of the book of Revelation following the footsteps of the Reformed and Puritan forefathers while seeking to remain true to the inspiration of Scriptures as a unified message that ties the text to the first century recipients. Vengeance Has Come helps us to focus rightly on Jesus as the true revelation and builds trust in the sovereign rulership of King Jesus over the kingdom of man. The Messianic mission of Jesus will not fail. This message encourages us in our hope of eternal life, gives strength to our faith to live daily in perseverance, and ignites our love for God and others even as the circumstances that surround our lives get hectic similar to the days surrounding Jerusalem in the 1st century. We can draw great comfort and courage knowing that God is in absolute control of all things throughout history. David does something which most authors of commentaries do not do, and that is he identifies his theological presupposition up front so that the reader does not have to guess where he is coming from. I for one appreciate this. Whether or not you agree with his position, David gives an honest presentation that is consistent with his beliefs. This is a view that deserves the attention of serious students of the Bible. If nothing else, this commentary will force you to think critically about the different schools regarding the interpretation of the Revelation. I highly recommend this commentary on Revelation as a must have book for every pastor and serious Christian who wants to know and understand God’s word.

I want to thank my good friend David Forsythe for taking the time to write this commentary on Revelation. While I do not agree with all that he has written in this book, I have found it to be of benefit to read an exegesis of Revelation through a Preterist-Postmillennial lens. He has helped me to understand Revelation and challenged my own Idealist-Amillennial perspective. David goes through the book of Revelation verse by verse providing insights into the text for the contemporary reader. I recommend this book to those who are leaning toward Postmillennialism or for any others who are not afraid to have their own views challenged.