The Book of Revelation Made Clear by Tim Lahaye & Timothy E. Parker

The unique approach to a biblical book used by the authors is a good idea: there is a pre-quiz to test what you know, followed by the biblical passage, the authors' explanation of the meaning, and the quiz answers. As I began to read, I looked forward to learning much about this mysterious book. I concluded that three out of the four parts were effective; the one consistently weak link were the meaning sections, as they typically were more brief that the biblical passage, often either merely restating the passage or offering an unsupported viewpoint. As an example, in explanation of the meaning of chapter 17, verses 1 through 4, the authors say, "The 'scarlet beast' represents government. The 'woman' represents religion." Repeatedly as I read, I found myself thinking, "How do we know that?" A better name for this book would have been "The Book of Revelation Made Simple" or "One View of the Book of Revelation", for this great book is made clear only to those who either know no other views or who know other views but believe in a pre-Tribulation rapture. Only those would find the title apt, as no other views of Revelation are even mentioned, much less considered. This book presents the authors' view in a straightforward and simple way, so their view of Revelation is made clear. If that narrow focus is what you want, then this book is for you. If you are hoping for a scholarly discussion, or even one that justifies its viewpoints or considers several interpretations about the book of Revelation, look elsewhere. I received this book in exchange for my review of it.