Today’s interview is with Dr. Tom Schreiner, the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Professor of Biblical Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Schreiner has written a ton of books, including several we love, including his Romans commentary and biblical theology. While Dr. Schreiner has done lots of work in Paul’s letters and elsewhere in the NT, we talk to him about the book of Revelation! He has already written a short commentary on Revelation and has a forthcoming book on the topic—but he is working on a longer commentary on Revelation as well. Here we talk about:
- The central theme of the book of Revelation
- The biggest mistakes people make when they come to read Revelation
- The most important Old Testament books for understanding Revelation
- Some of the hiccups with reading the book “literally”
- Reading the symbols & numbers in Revelation: 7; 12; 144,000
- Revelation as apocalyptic & prophecy
- How Satan parodies God, such as with the “false trinity”
- How Satan deceives today
- Schreiner’s process for writing commentaries
- If God could give Dr. Schreiner one clarification on the book of Revelation, what would it be?
- New creation millennialism
Terms/Ideas Referenced:
- Amillennialism: the 1,000 years of Rev. 20 are symbolic of right now, the “church age,” and at the end of this symbolic millennium, Jesus’ second coming will occur—in sum, the millennium has been realized and we live in it now
- Premillennialism: Christ’s second coming is before ('pre') the millennium; then Jesus will reign on the earth for a 1,000-yr. period (typically, but not always, a literal 1,000 yrs. in this view)
- Historic premillennialism: “historic” because many early in the church held this view—Jesus returns prior to a millennium on the earth, but after any period of “tribulation” in the present or future ("posttribulational")
- Dispensational premillennialism: still premillennial, but often with the emphasis on a future (usually 7-yr.) tribulation and also emphasizing God having future plans for Israel not fulfilled in the church (a "pretribulational" rapture of the church in this view)
- New creation millennialism: in another’s words, “the thousand years of Revelation 20:1-10 begins at the glorious, world-shattering coming of Jesus Christ and has the new creation as its setting”
Recommended Resources from Dr. Schreiner
Other Radically Normal interviews:
- On Tour w/ Caroline Cobb (#84)
- Union with Christ w/ Kyle Worley (#81)
- Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits w/ Dr. Ashley Hales (#76)
- The Importance of Deuteronomy w/ Dr. Kyong-Jin Lee (#73)
- The Missionary Heart of the Book of Exodus w/ Dr. W. Ross Blackburn (#70)
- The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self w/ Dr. Carl Trueman (#67)
- Religious Liberty for All w/ Dr. Andrew Walker (#64)
- Freedom from Sin w/ John Elmore (#61)
- God’s Glory Above the Clouds w/ Captain Dan Griffin (#53)
- Hebrews 11 & Working to God’s Glory w/ Trillia Newbell (#38)
- Courage, Integrity & the Future w/ Dr. Russell Moore (#32)
- Apologetics & Theology w/ Dr. Gavin Ortlund (#26)
- The Ascension of Christ w/ Dr. Patrick Schreiner (#23)
- Interview w/ Pastor Tommy Nelson (#14)
- Interview w/ College Pastor Nate Hilgenkamp (#12)
- Interview w/ OU Baseball Coach Britt Bonneau (#4)
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