Revelation Visualized

Rating:
Summary: Crazy, mixed up interpretations
Review: I always use this as a reference to more extreme and less rigorous interpretations of the Bible's final book. Unfortunately, much of this book has been superceded by events such as the reunification of Germany, the collapse of Communism and the steady growth of technological change - all of which together place the book on untenable grounds. I find it bizarre that, for example, the writers interpret some things literally (eg a literal 1000 years), but others symbolically (eg the 144000 in heaven).

For a more balanced viewpoint from a conservative point of view, I suggest "The Gospel in Revelation" by Graeme Goldsworthy.

Rating:
Summary: Revelation not only Visualized but explained
Review: It's unfortunate that many of Kirban's books are either out-of-print or hard to get. Many Christians familiar with Grant Jeffrey's or Hal Lindsey's works would find much familiar ground in Kirban's books. A born-again Arab, Kirban uses many examples from the Bible and then explains what they mean to us today. Kirban's co-author, Gary Cohen, is a born-again Jew. This is simply one of Kirban's best efforts. The entire book of Revelation is explained in both words and charts to create a crystal clear interpretation of the Bible's final book that you will remember forever. One of my favorite things about this book is that Cohen and Kirban never forget that the Apostle John wrote in the first century AD and did not have a modern reference source to compare to. This means that the Apostle John had no way of really describing what God was allowing him to see in the far future. But Kirban and Cohen do - and they take pains to go over every line of Revelation from the King James version, the most widely distributed translation. Verse by verse, Cohen and Kirban take passages from Revelation and explain them and their relevance to us today. I believe that it would be hard to find a more thorough dissection of scripture from a totally Christian perspective. And the viewpoints of Cohen and Kirban shine through so that they speak to all of us - from the Christian, to the Jew, to the Arab, and to everyone. If you want to really know Revelation, then I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Rating:
Summary: "A Christian and an Arab team up for a masterpiece!"
Review: Let me heartily recommend this book on Revelation--IF you can find it! Along with Tim Lahaye's 'Revelation Illustrated and Made Plain', these are the two best layman's commentaries on Revelation from a pretribulational, premillennial point of view.

As other reviewers have correctly pointed out, the authors include careful interpretation based on scripture, and thus avoid having John actually see helicopters and call them locusts (e.g., Hal Lindsey). As a former seminary student, I appreciate the lack of wild speculation by these authors, and their Middle Eastern background ands a depth of understanding lacking in other works.

The drawings and photos are excellent additions, and the charts are wonderful. Throughout this book, one is carefully led through the text line upon line (as Isaiah directs), and solid footing across difficult passages is the strength of this work. Almost makes Revelation an easy book to understand--especially as the events of today transpire around us!

I would recommend this commentary without hesitation. One can go deeper (Thomas; Walvoord) or more shallow (McGee), and still learn much from excellent commentaries. But one can hardly do better than this one. The sincerity, expertise, and desire to make sure we are never lost is ever evident through these pages. Exceptionally well done!!

Rating:
Summary: REVELATION IS TRULY VISUALIZED
Review: THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR ANY ONE SERIOUS ABOUT BIBLE PROPHESY. IN ALL MY YEARS OF STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD, I HAVE BEEN TRULY BLESSED BY THE BOOKS CONTENT, RESEARCH DATA AND THE COLLABORATION OF THE AUTHORS DR. GARY G COHEN (A BORN AGAIN JEW) AND SALEM KIRBAN ( A BORN AGAIN ARAB). I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE WAY EVERY SINGLE VERSE WAS ANALYZED AND RESEARCHED TO GIVE THE TEXT A CLARITY THAT IS RARE WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE. THIS SHOULD BE A PART OF EVERYONE'S COLLECTION WHO IS TRULY COMMITTED TO THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD'S ULTIMATE PLAN FOR MANKIND. GET THIS BOOK AND SHARE ITS CONTENT WITH EVERYONE. IT HAS TRULY BEEN A BLESSING TO ME.