Breaking the Code

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An excellent introduction to the Book of Revelation - Rated
Breaking the Code makes for an excellent introduction and study guide to the Book of Revelation, a book that many Christians sometimes neglect, finding it too confusing or difficult to understand. Metzger is a noted Biblical scholar, but he wrote this book with the nontheological layman in mind, taking the reader step-by-step through the sections of the Book of Revelation, explaining each passage in a clearly understandable manner. He goes to great lengths to point out the beauty of the writing and the many blessings that God will bestow upon the faithful as the waves of tribulation break upon the corrupt earth.

The most striking piece of advice Metzger gives to the reader is this: the Book of Revelation does not mean what it says - it means what it means. By this, he means that the visions of John should not be taken literally - his description of Jesus, the dragon, the beasts, the Four Horsemen, the new Jerusalem, etc. Rather, such images are to be interpreted symbolically. Metzger puts great emphasis on the symbolic language that John uses, and in so doing he does a fabulous job of linking the content of Revelation to a myriad of Old Testament sources. He explains the numbers that keep appearing in the visions, such as seven and twelve, as representative of completeness. Another such number is 144,000 which is said to represent the saints in heaven - this particular reference has caused discord in the past, as some persons and groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, have interpreted this as the maximum number of people who will gain access to heaven, but Metzger argues that the number is used to represent all of those who remain faithful. In a similar vein, the seven churches mentioned early in the Book are meant to represent all churches - then and now.

Metzger makes many important points in these pages. He tells us, for example, not to expect the foretold events to happen in the order they appear in the Book itself. In this regard, he does an excellent job of demonstrating how later parts of the Book reinforce and present anew, from a fresh angle, information about events already described. He also does a good job distinguishing between information intended for John's contemporaries and prophecies concerning the Last Days.

In the same vein, Metzger follows in the footsteps of John himself by stopping at appointed times to extol the infinite love of God and to reassure believers of God's promise to protect them from the horrible events that will define the final days of the world. While many consider Revelation almost incomprehensible and disorganized, Metzger clearly proves that the book is built upon a solid, noticeably logical structure.

While he does greatly expound upon the symbolic nature of the visions, Metzger does not go into great detail about some of the more fascinating images the Book conjures up. Nor does he bog himself down in theological detail. When he gets to Revelation 20 and the thousand-year reign described therein, he refers only briefly to such concepts as the rapture, the tribulation and different schools of end-times interpretation (namely postmillennialists, premillennialists, and amillennialists) - as he points out, these terms are not to be found in Revelation, and the concepts have been assimilated from other portions of the Bible over the years. This truly is a very readable summary of the contents of the Book. Those seeking deeper commentary should continue their study elsewhere, and the author includes a bibliography to help point the reader to additional sources. One should not, however, accept all of Metzger's interpretations uncritically. Read the Book of Revelation yourself, consult other sources, and seek a level of personal understanding of the text if you really want to gain insight into this most difficult of Biblical Books.

A thoroughly useful book if taken on its own terms - Rated
Why 'Breaking the Code'? The main title actually does this book a disservice; what Metzger is trying to do is make the book of Revelation more accessible by breaking the very idea that there is some mysterious code underlying the book of Revelation which is beyond the capacity of the ordinary non-theologian. The sub-title is actually much more accurate - 'Understanding the Book of Revelation' - in terms of what Metzger is setting out to do. The avowed purpose of the book, as set out in the Preface, is to meet the needs of the non-theological reader, with a special focus on the literary form of Revelation and its spiritual message. Metzger notes that many church members tend to ignore Revelation because they see it as too difficult or mysterious for them; it is these members for whom the book is primarily meant. As a result, certain things follow: (a) What Metzger is trying to do here is to offer a path into Revelation, looking at its form, basic symbolism and structure rather than get bogged down in specific points of detail. It is more of an exercise in preparation for further study rather than a further study itself. (b) It is not a verse-by-verse commentary - more of a synopsis or overview, looking at key themes. It is only 100 pages or so long and as a result Metzger covers passages of several chapters in only a matter of pages. For example, Metzger spends only 15 pages on Chapters 6-11 of Revelation in his coverage. Which is by no means to say that there isn't plenty of substance here as well. His passages on the letters to the Churches are particularly informative and there is much focus of modern relevance and insight throughout the book. Those looking for a detailed commentary should look elsewhere. But for those looking for a readable introduction that sketches out the main themes and that provides an overview of a subject which they had hitherto found very difficult, Metzger's book is an excellent start.