James Kallas Knihy

James Kallas analyzes four popular approaches Christians have taken toward the book of Revelation. He partially agrees with the "end of history" view, acknowledging its futuristic perspective on Christ's return while rejecting the notion that it solely addresses the world's final days. He condemns the "all of history" view as unscriptural and blasphemous for attempting to create specific timelines of human events based on the text. Emphasizing the timeless nature of God's promises to His suffering people, Kallas supports the "above history" view, asserting that the message is relevant to all people across all eras. He fully endorses the "in that history" perspective, which focuses on understanding Revelation in the context of its original audience—the Christians of Asia Minor—and their historical circumstances. Kallas documents his conclusions with biblical and historical examples, exploring the origins and style of apocalyptic literature. He explains that the overarching theme—the conflict between God and Satan—emerged from the despair of God's people during difficult times. He highlights the immediate purpose of Revelation, interpreting its symbolic language as a hopeful message from an imprisoned apostle to Christians facing severe persecution from Rome. Finally, he evaluates John's message for contemporary Christians.

"I have written what I would call 'descriptive' theology, as differentiated from what could be termed 'applied' theology. That is, my primary attempt has been to show what the motifs and concepts of the New Testament meant to those people then, rather than to seek to show what they might mean to us today. Only rarely, and only in passing, have I tried to 'apply.' Put another way, my main attempt has not been to apply these truths to our time. Indeed, I am often cognizant of the fact that I cannot! I am uncomfortable with many of the conclusions that have been forced on me by these studies. My purpose, then, is not to argue for the relevancy of these motifs as much as it is to point out the danger we face if we fail to reckon seriously with the obvious intent of some very obvious New Testament language."--Preface, page [9]