Product Description
Blessed, by bestselling author and speaker Nancy Guthrie, provides individuals and small groups a friendly yet theologically robust guide to understanding the book of Revelation.
Over 12 chapters, Blessed covers the full text of the book of Revelation, exploring its call to patient endurance as God’s sovereign plans for judgment and salvation are worked out in the world. In this book, Guthrie shows how Revelation is less about when Jesus will return and more about who we are to be, what we are to do, and what we can expect to endure as we wait for Jesus to return to establish his kingdom in the new creation.
With a friendly and engaging tone, Blessed takes the fear, intimidation, and confusion away from studying Revelation, providing a solid and accessible resource that individuals and small groups can use to study this important yet often avoided book.
Understand the Book of Revelation: Helps readers make sense of Revelation’s unique apocalyptic symbolism, visual imagery, and Old Testament allusions
Transformative Personal Application: Every chapter asks and answers the question, What does it mean to hear and keep this part of Revelation and thereby experience its promised blessing?
A Focus on What Is Clear and Uncontroversial: Highlights Revelation’s call for a costly allegiance to Christ and a refusal to compromise with the world rather than focusing on interpretive approaches and disputes
Paperback, 272 pages
Publication Date: May 2022
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Blessed by Hearing the Revelation of Jesus (Revelation 1:1–8)
Chapter 2: Blessed by Seeing the Glorified Jesus (Revelation 1:9–20)
Chapter 3: Blessed by Being Known by Jesus (Revelation 2:1–3:22)
Chapter 4: Blessed by Worshiping the Worthiness of Jesus (Revelation 4–5)
Chapter 5: Blessed by Being Protected by Jesus (Revelation 6–7)
Chapter 6: Blessed by Being on Mission for Jesus (Revelation 8–11)
Chapter 7: Blessed by Living and Dying in Jesus (Revelation 12–14)
Chapter 8: Blessed by Being Ready for the Return of Jesus (Revelation 15–16)
Chapter 9: Blessed by Being Prepared as a Bride for Jesus (Revelation 17:1–19:10)
Chapter 10: Blessed by Sharing in the Resurrection of Jesus (Revelation 19:11–20:15)
Chapter 11: Blessed by Living in the New Creation with Jesus (Revelation 21:1–22:5)
Chapter 12: Blessed by Keeping the Words of Jesus (Revelation 22:6–21)
Bibliography
General Index
Scripture Index
Endorsements
“Some Christians avoid the book of Revelation, thinking it is only for the brilliant or the paranoid. In this clear and engaging book, Nancy Guthrie walks us through the meaning of this crucial book of the Bible, showing us how it is about blessing. This book wouldn't fit in a conspiracy theorist’s underground bunker, but it is needed for people who wonder how the fears and worries and regrets of our lives can be transformed by what Jesus showed John on the island of Patmos two thousand years ago. After reading Blessed, you will never again skip past Revelation in your Bible reading but will turn there with wonder and confidence, expecting to see Jesus. It will leave you informed, pondering, and, yes, blessed.”
Russell Moore, Public Theologian, Christianity Today; Director, Christianity Today's Public Theology Project
“The book of Revelation is daunting and even discouraging for some believers, and we have a tendency to ignore it. Nancy Guthrie has written a wonderfully clear, accessible, and faithful interpretation of the book. The theological vision of the book is captured in her exposition, but the book doesn't stop there. Guthrie explains in a remarkable way how the book of Revelation applies to us today. Laypeople, students, and anyone who wants to understand the book of Revelation will profit from reading and studying this book.”
Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“The only thing more frightening than the book of Revelation is Christian books about the book of Revelation—the deluge of cross-references, the eye-wateringly complex predictions about the future, the various millennialisms. Not so with this book. Nancy believes that, like all of Scripture, Revelation is intended to make sense to ordinary Christians. Its meaning is well within reach to anyone who is willing to read—prayerfully and carefully in context—the words on the page. Nancy makes it seem so simple, vivid, heart-warming, and practical—surely that’s what God intended when he gave the prophecy to his servant John as a blessing for all who read it and take to heart what’s written in it.”
Andrew Sach, Pastor, Grace Greenwich Church, United Kingdom; coauthor, Pierced for Our Transgressions and Dig Deeper
“This guide through the book of Revelation is exactly what is needed for individuals and groups who want to study Revelation without being intimidated. It is solidly researched and sound but written with a wide audience of readers in mind. It is engaging and winsome, with attention to personal applications. Guthrie commendably stands with readers in admitting when there are challenges and difficulties. But she encourages people not to stop when confronting challenges, but to continue to learn from what is clear in the message of Revelation. As the title indicates, the book shows us the blessings to be found in Christ.”
Vern S. Poythress, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Biblical Interpretation, and Systematic Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary
“I was helped tremendously by this book. Nancy carries us through Revelation with anticipation and wonder. While some readers will not agree with all of Nancy’s conclusions, we will all stand with her in awe of a great God. We will leave with a renewed sense of endurance to flee evil and to cling to Christ until we reach the end.”
Colleen J. McFadden, Director of Women's Workshops, The Charles Simeon Trust
“What I often mean by the word ‘blessed’ is not even close to what Christ secured for us. If you want to know how much better, read this book.”
Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California
“Nancy Guthrie reminds us that Saint John wrote about dragons, eagles, and beasts—not to fuel twenty-first-century speculation about their precise, physical referent, but to motivate the church towards godliness in the midst of a pagan culture. Revelation invites the church to gather around the throne of the holy God, Lamb, and Spirit and worship in every aspect of life. We need more books such as this on the capstone of the Bible’s storyline, and I’m eager to see how God will use this volume for his glory!”
Benjamin L. Gladd, Professor of New Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary
Author:
Nancy Guthrie teaches the Bible at her home church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as at conferences around the country and internationally, including her Biblical Theology Workshop for Women. She is the author of numerous books and the host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast with the Gospel Coalition. She and her husband founded Respite Retreats for couples who have faced the death of a child and are cohosts of the GriefShare video series.
