For the last 8 years or so, I have been studying the book of Revelation more intently. Not in the doomsday sense that tries to directly connect a 2,000 year-old book to the political climate of today. No, it was with the purpose of understanding the beauty of Christ and his victory for a suffering people. The most impactful and rewarding part has been slowing down and studying all of the Old Testament allusions that line every single passage of this wonderful apocalyptic and prophetic epistle.
In God’s grace and perfect timing, the Teleios Academy from Grace Church in Memphis, Tennessee asked me to write this work to add to their wonderful series of inductive Bible studies and commentaries. I was floored, humbled, and so excited. The writing process was the most thrilling labor I have experienced in a long time. I benefited greatly from studying and writing. Thank you so much for the opportunity!
One of my longings for the last 8 years has been to have something accessible but still challenging enough to get the precious people at Kaleo Church, where I pastor, in this book that is unlike any other because it is from the perspective of the resurrected and exalted Christ. I could write so much more but I’d rather you check it out yourself. I hope you enjoy!
Another encouraging and humbling part of this was the endorsement of a former professor of mine. He was pastoral in his teaching and scholarly in his understanding of the Bible. Dennis Johnson was the most impactful professor I ever had and he often exalted Christ in the classroom with tears in his eyes. He says this about the book:
Wes Van Fleet’s Worthy Is the Lamb! blends sound, insightful biblical interpretation with pastoral passion and wisdom. Pastor Van Fleet shows us how to take to heart God’s message in the book of Revelation by listening for echoes of the Old Testament, by grasping unseen realities that the visions’ symbolism unveil, and by adoring Jesus the Lamb, who through his blood defeated the devil and through his resurrection now reigns on high, sovereignly controlling history toward his final victory and our full joy. In this intensive study, we see God’s true purpose for this climactic book of the Bible: not to confuse us with puzzles nor to terrify us with doomsday scenarios, but to probe Christians’ consciences, to fortify Christians’ courage, and to sustain Christians’ hope for the return of our King and the new heaven and earth he will bring.
Dennis E. Johnson
Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology
Westminster Seminary California
Author, Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation
Old Testament Allusions 