Sitting on the back deck of my home one afternoon, my young teenage son, Jonathan, told me that he no longer believed in God. I cannot say I was surprised. Yes, he grew up in a Christian home, often at a Christian school, in a great Christian youth ministry, with parents who had daily devotionals and sought to live Christian lives. His father was a preacher at a large church. But Jonathan had severe depression and great social anxiety. His mother and I had begun to worry about him several years before as he slid into adolescence sad, lonely, and lost. His belief in a loving God had eroded after months, and then years, of pain. I knew that he had lost his faith when I began to notice that he no longer sang in church.
Well, that same Jonathan Young has since returned to the Lord with a vengeance, becoming a deeply spiritual person, baptizing many of his friends, marrying a Christlike woman, and now serving as a minister himself. And this year, Jonathan published a commentary on Revelation, satisfyingly naming it “The Song of the Lamb.”[1]
Of course, I’m terribly proud of my son for this work, but independent of that, I can wholeheartedly recommend Jonathan’s Song of the Lamb for you and your church.
Reading Revelation as a Whole
The book reads like a well-educated conversation about Revelation, starting with an introduction to the book and moving section by section afterward. Jonathan takes a largely Amillennial-Preterist approach to Revelation, believing that the book addressed the circumstances of the churches to whom it was originally written, although Jonathan does a good job applying the message to our age. He knows that the book addresses a great salvation to come, the gathering of the nations, the restoration of Israel, and the resurrection of the dead into a new creation. But other than that, Jonathan does not see as much eschatology in Revelation as many others have, even going so far as to say that the book does not “add any afterlife theology” to Scriptures (p. 114).
For Jonathan, the book of Revelation is what it says it is: a message to the church as it was suffering persecution, the loss of the Jewish Temple, and an uncertain future. Jonathan makes much of these early church sufferings, reminding the reader that the fire in Rome under Nero with its traumatic persecution of Christians and the destruction of Jerusalem with its dislocation of Jews created a world of panic for Christians. In response to this panic, Revelation offers encouragement, using powerful symbols largely drawn from both the Old Testament and contemporary Roman life.
The message of Revelation, Jonathan explains over and over again, is that suffering is the means by which God will bring the nations to Himself in a final and great salvation. The churches under Roman persecution, then, must stand firm, knowing that God intends to use their suffering for salvation. This message offers great hope, and one can feel throughout that Jonathan himself greatly feels this hope.
“The message of Revelation, Jonathan explains over and over again, is that suffering is the means by which God will bring the nations to Himself in a final and great salvation.”
As to the question of how to interpret Revelation, Jonathan cuts through many of the complicated schemes proposed throughout history to offer a simple way to understand the book: just read it. All in one sitting. Focus on the whole of the book, rather than dissecting it into small pieces and trying to find a direct correspondence of things in the book to things today.
As an analogy, Jonathan points out that if one were to dissect the story of the prodigal son looking for some imagined corresponding event throughout history for each phrase in the parable, one would never understand the simple story. In the same way, when we continually dissect the book of Revelation, constantly searching for small bits of the book outside its own narrative (or its own milieu), we misunderstand the book. The book was written to be heard in one setting. So that’s how we should hear it. As Jonathan writes, “Revelation is one, great, epic message that uses vivid images that serve a purpose and make sense when you realize the images themselves are not the point” (p. 3). Jonathan does an excellent job unfolding this message.
Roman Emperors and Christian Witnesses
Jonathan has a strong knowledge of the world of Revelation: Roman history, ancient literature, and the early Christian church, and he weaves this knowledge into his interpretations. For example, his knowledge of ancient history leads him to the unusual conclusion that the emperor of Revelation is not Nero or Domitian, as often assumed, but rather Vespasian. Jonathan makes a compelling case for this, using ancient literature and numismatics to explain Vespasian’s role in the fall of the Temple as well as in the revival of Rome, and showing these themes in the book of Revelation. Jonathan’s evidence is compelling enough to have convinced me that he is right about Vespasian. And he convinces me that it matters.
Another example of his historic insight is found in his discussion of the two witnesses of Revelation 11. These two are not mystical figures of the end times. Rather, they are the two most important Christian figures of the first century (and beyond): Peter and Paul. As Jonathan points out, the martyrdom of these two apostles added to the trauma of the early church, and Jonathan interprets their role well in the book of Revelation.
“His knowledge of ancient history leads him to the unusual conclusion that the emperor of Revelation is not Nero or Domitian, as often assumed, but rather Vespasian.”
Jonathan’s insight into Greco-Roman history is also demonstrated in his analysis of the term “Apollyon” (9:11). Arguing that the horrific destruction often described in Revelation is actually Jesus turning Roman religion against the Romans themselves, Jonathan explores Revelation’s use of the word “Apollyon.” He notes that the evil king over the army of demons is called “Apollyon” in Greek and “Abaddon” in Hebrew. Apollyon is not a translation of the Hebrew Abaddon, but rather a different term meaning something different: “to destroy.” Here’s where Jonathan’s insight is clearly seen, for “Apollyon” sounds almost exactly like “Apollo” in Greek. And who adored Apollo? None other than Nero, who often depicted himself as Apollo on his coins and in person. The leader of the evil armies is a corrupt version of Nero.
Patterns Throughout Revelation
Jonathan’s sensitivity into ancient Greek literary techniques helps him see various patterns to the book of Revelation often missed by the more theological interpretations of the book. He frequently notes chiasms in Revelation, climactic structures, synecdoche, and the like. These are used by the author to create patterns for understanding the text, and they are sometimes experienced by us as a form of artistry. Jonathan is even sensitive to the actual Greek text of Revelation, noting, for example, that the rough Greek grammar of the book is a deliberate act of counter-culturalism by the author.
His section on numbers in Revelation (pp. 258ff.) is brilliant: 7 is the number of perfection, 4 the number of the whole earth, and 12 the number of God’s people. But Jonathan points out intricate uses of these numbers in ways that most miss. For example, “the Lamb” in Revelation makes the whole world perfect, and “the Lamb” appears 28 times in Revelation, which is 7 x 4! In addition, the fourfold phrase “all nations, peoples, tribes, and tongues” appears 7 times in Revelation. Jonathan shows many such examples of numbers in Revelation—so many that one must conclude these uses of numbers cannot be a mere coincidence.
“7 is the number of perfection, 4 the number of the whole earth, and 12 the number of God’s people.”
More than most, he rightly understands the importance of the Hebrew Scriptures, arguing that Revelation does not merely cite the Old Testament with great frequency, but rather considers itself a sequel to the Old Testament. For example, where Ezekiel could only see under the “sea of glass,” John now crosses it and sees it from above (4:6). Here again, Jonathan shows his breadth of knowledge of the scriptures, never missing a hint of the Old Testament and pointing out its significance in his analysis of Revelation.
A Pastoral Tone
My favorite part of Jonathan’s book is the pastoral tone it possesses, which makes it a warm and loving book. He cares about the church and about the reader of Revelation. He shows love to both, pleading with them to respond to Revelation’s message of holiness, purity, and good deeds. He sometimes painfully draws upon his own days of lostness in order to empathize with his readers. He genuinely wants to help his readers understand that suffering is the way to salvation.
He is especially interested in the common Christian, just as the book of Revelation is, and can sometimes chide the American church for being too spoiled to see what’s actually in Revelation. For example, he notes that a dirt farmer in the Caribbean would hear Revelation’s phrase “a quart of wheat for a denarius” (6:5) in an immediate way, fully understanding what it means. “But here in America,” he drily notes, “we have seminary professors sipping their coffee and smoking their pipes theorizing on what future event this thing known as ‘poverty’ will come to be.”
Are there weaknesses to the book? Well, as Jonathan’s father, I cannot find any. But somebody else might note that the book is long, 399 pages long. Some of this length is due to writing out many Scriptures, rather than merely making references to them. Some of it is due to the conversational nature of the book. Either way, you’ll find yourself spending a good deal of time walking with Jonathan through Revelation.
“We have seminary professors sipping their coffee and smoking their pipes theorizing on what future event this thing known as ‘poverty’ will come to be.”
In addition to its length, there are so many scriptures quoted in the book that the reader can get lost in the text. It can be difficult to remember where one is in Revelation. Of course, many citations of Scripture is a strength, but perhaps, someone else might suggest, there could be a few more clear guides about where one is in the text, such as including more clearly marked headings, subheadings, and subpoints.
And one might suggest that comparisons of the corruptions of Rome and the corruptions of America and modern Israel are a bit harsh (see pp. 322ff.), but maybe not.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Revelation has both attracted and mystified the church for centuries, it has also been the happy hunting ground for pretty much every extravagance in Christian history. Jonathan Young has written a book that is smart, accessible for the average reader, and deeply pastoral. He has shown that Revelation offered a message of hope for first century Christians facing severe trauma. But it is also a message of hope for us. Their sufferings, the book promises, will break out into the salvation of the world. Ours will too.
Congratulations on this book, Jonathan. It’s wonderful to hear you sing again.
[1] See Jonathan Young, Song of the Lamb: The Beautiful and Powerful Art and Message of Revelation (Self-published, 2024). Available at Amazon.
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Singing the Song of the Lamb: A Review of Jonathan Young’s Commentary on Revelation
By David Young | Bio
A Tennessee native, David Young is a founder of New Day Resources and a board member of the Renew Network. He began ministry work at the age of 16 by preaching for his local congregation, and throughout his career, he has worked for churches in Missouri, Kansas, and Tennessee; taught New Testament at several universities; and has traveled widely teaching and preaching. He is also the author of several books including Resilient: Standing Firm in a Hostile World (Renew.org), King Jesus and the Beauty of Obedience-Based Discipleship (Zondervan), A Grand Illusion (Renew.org), The Rhetoric of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark (Fortress Press, co-authored with Michael Strickland), and A New Day: Restoring the Revolutionary Mission of Christ’s Church (New Day Resources). David holds a B.A. from Freed-Hardeman University, an M.A. from Harding School of Theology, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in New Testament from Vanderbilt University.
Sitting on the back deck of my home one afternoon, my young teenage son, Jonathan, told me that he no longer believed in God. I cannot say I was surprised. Yes, he grew up in a Christian home, often at a Christian school, in a great Christian youth ministry, with parents who had daily devotionals and sought to live Christian lives. His father was a preacher at a large church. But Jonathan had severe depression and great social anxiety. His mother and I had begun to worry about him several years before as he slid into adolescence sad, lonely, and lost. His belief in a loving God had eroded after months, and then years, of pain. I knew that he had lost his faith when I began to notice that he no longer sang in church.
Well, that same Jonathan Young has since returned to the Lord with a vengeance, becoming a deeply spiritual person, baptizing many of his friends, marrying a Christlike woman, and now serving as a minister himself. And this year, Jonathan published a commentary on Revelation, satisfyingly naming it “The Song of the Lamb.”[1]
Of course, I’m terribly proud of my son for this work, but independent of that, I can wholeheartedly recommend Jonathan’s Song of the Lamb for you and your church.
Reading Revelation as a Whole
The book reads like a well-educated conversation about Revelation, starting with an introduction to the book and moving section by section afterward. Jonathan takes a largely Amillennial-Preterist approach to Revelation, believing that the book addressed the circumstances of the churches to whom it was originally written, although Jonathan does a good job applying the message to our age. He knows that the book addresses a great salvation to come, the gathering of the nations, the restoration of Israel, and the resurrection of the dead into a new creation. But other than that, Jonathan does not see as much eschatology in Revelation as many others have, even going so far as to say that the book does not “add any afterlife theology” to Scriptures (p. 114).
For Jonathan, the book of Revelation is what it says it is: a message to the church as it was suffering persecution, the loss of the Jewish Temple, and an uncertain future. Jonathan makes much of these early church sufferings, reminding the reader that the fire in Rome under Nero with its traumatic persecution of Christians and the destruction of Jerusalem with its dislocation of Jews created a world of panic for Christians. In response to this panic, Revelation offers encouragement, using powerful symbols largely drawn from both the Old Testament and contemporary Roman life.
The message of Revelation, Jonathan explains over and over again, is that suffering is the means by which God will bring the nations to Himself in a final and great salvation. The churches under Roman persecution, then, must stand firm, knowing that God intends to use their suffering for salvation. This message offers great hope, and one can feel throughout that Jonathan himself greatly feels this hope.
“The message of Revelation, Jonathan explains over and over again, is that suffering is the means by which God will bring the nations to Himself in a final and great salvation.”
As to the question of how to interpret Revelation, Jonathan cuts through many of the complicated schemes proposed throughout history to offer a simple way to understand the book: just read it. All in one sitting. Focus on the whole of the book, rather than dissecting it into small pieces and trying to find a direct correspondence of things in the book to things today.
As an analogy, Jonathan points out that if one were to dissect the story of the prodigal son looking for some imagined corresponding event throughout history for each phrase in the parable, one would never understand the simple story. In the same way, when we continually dissect the book of Revelation, constantly searching for small bits of the book outside its own narrative (or its own milieu), we misunderstand the book. The book was written to be heard in one setting. So that’s how we should hear it. As Jonathan writes, “Revelation is one, great, epic message that uses vivid images that serve a purpose and make sense when you realize the images themselves are not the point” (p. 3). Jonathan does an excellent job unfolding this message.
Roman Emperors and Christian Witnesses
Jonathan has a strong knowledge of the world of Revelation: Roman history, ancient literature, and the early Christian church, and he weaves this knowledge into his interpretations. For example, his knowledge of ancient history leads him to the unusual conclusion that the emperor of Revelation is not Nero or Domitian, as often assumed, but rather Vespasian. Jonathan makes a compelling case for this, using ancient literature and numismatics to explain Vespasian’s role in the fall of the Temple as well as in the revival of Rome, and showing these themes in the book of Revelation. Jonathan’s evidence is compelling enough to have convinced me that he is right about Vespasian. And he convinces me that it matters.
Another example of his historic insight is found in his discussion of the two witnesses of Revelation 11. These two are not mystical figures of the end times. Rather, they are the two most important Christian figures of the first century (and beyond): Peter and Paul. As Jonathan points out, the martyrdom of these two apostles added to the trauma of the early church, and Jonathan interprets their role well in the book of Revelation.
“His knowledge of ancient history leads him to the unusual conclusion that the emperor of Revelation is not Nero or Domitian, as often assumed, but rather Vespasian.”
Jonathan’s insight into Greco-Roman history is also demonstrated in his analysis of the term “Apollyon” (9:11). Arguing that the horrific destruction often described in Revelation is actually Jesus turning Roman religion against the Romans themselves, Jonathan explores Revelation’s use of the word “Apollyon.” He notes that the evil king over the army of demons is called “Apollyon” in Greek and “Abaddon” in Hebrew. Apollyon is not a translation of the Hebrew Abaddon, but rather a different term meaning something different: “to destroy.” Here’s where Jonathan’s insight is clearly seen, for “Apollyon” sounds almost exactly like “Apollo” in Greek. And who adored Apollo? None other than Nero, who often depicted himself as Apollo on his coins and in person. The leader of the evil armies is a corrupt version of Nero.
Patterns Throughout Revelation
Jonathan’s sensitivity into ancient Greek literary techniques helps him see various patterns to the book of Revelation often missed by the more theological interpretations of the book. He frequently notes chiasms in Revelation, climactic structures, synecdoche, and the like. These are used by the author to create patterns for understanding the text, and they are sometimes experienced by us as a form of artistry. Jonathan is even sensitive to the actual Greek text of Revelation, noting, for example, that the rough Greek grammar of the book is a deliberate act of counter-culturalism by the author.
His section on numbers in Revelation (pp. 258ff.) is brilliant: 7 is the number of perfection, 4 the number of the whole earth, and 12 the number of God’s people. But Jonathan points out intricate uses of these numbers in ways that most miss. For example, “the Lamb” in Revelation makes the whole world perfect, and “the Lamb” appears 28 times in Revelation, which is 7 x 4! In addition, the fourfold phrase “all nations, peoples, tribes, and tongues” appears 7 times in Revelation. Jonathan shows many such examples of numbers in Revelation—so many that one must conclude these uses of numbers cannot be a mere coincidence.
“7 is the number of perfection, 4 the number of the whole earth, and 12 the number of God’s people.”
More than most, he rightly understands the importance of the Hebrew Scriptures, arguing that Revelation does not merely cite the Old Testament with great frequency, but rather considers itself a sequel to the Old Testament. For example, where Ezekiel could only see under the “sea of glass,” John now crosses it and sees it from above (4:6). Here again, Jonathan shows his breadth of knowledge of the scriptures, never missing a hint of the Old Testament and pointing out its significance in his analysis of Revelation.
A Pastoral Tone
My favorite part of Jonathan’s book is the pastoral tone it possesses, which makes it a warm and loving book. He cares about the church and about the reader of Revelation. He shows love to both, pleading with them to respond to Revelation’s message of holiness, purity, and good deeds. He sometimes painfully draws upon his own days of lostness in order to empathize with his readers. He genuinely wants to help his readers understand that suffering is the way to salvation.
He is especially interested in the common Christian, just as the book of Revelation is, and can sometimes chide the American church for being too spoiled to see what’s actually in Revelation. For example, he notes that a dirt farmer in the Caribbean would hear Revelation’s phrase “a quart of wheat for a denarius” (6:5) in an immediate way, fully understanding what it means. “But here in America,” he drily notes, “we have seminary professors sipping their coffee and smoking their pipes theorizing on what future event this thing known as ‘poverty’ will come to be.”
Are there weaknesses to the book? Well, as Jonathan’s father, I cannot find any. But somebody else might note that the book is long, 399 pages long. Some of this length is due to writing out many Scriptures, rather than merely making references to them. Some of it is due to the conversational nature of the book. Either way, you’ll find yourself spending a good deal of time walking with Jonathan through Revelation.
“We have seminary professors sipping their coffee and smoking their pipes theorizing on what future event this thing known as ‘poverty’ will come to be.”
In addition to its length, there are so many scriptures quoted in the book that the reader can get lost in the text. It can be difficult to remember where one is in Revelation. Of course, many citations of Scripture is a strength, but perhaps, someone else might suggest, there could be a few more clear guides about where one is in the text, such as including more clearly marked headings, subheadings, and subpoints.
And one might suggest that comparisons of the corruptions of Rome and the corruptions of America and modern Israel are a bit harsh (see pp. 322ff.), but maybe not.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Revelation has both attracted and mystified the church for centuries, it has also been the happy hunting ground for pretty much every extravagance in Christian history. Jonathan Young has written a book that is smart, accessible for the average reader, and deeply pastoral. He has shown that Revelation offered a message of hope for first century Christians facing severe trauma. But it is also a message of hope for us. Their sufferings, the book promises, will break out into the salvation of the world. Ours will too.
Congratulations on this book, Jonathan. It’s wonderful to hear you sing again.
[1] See Jonathan Young, Song of the Lamb: The Beautiful and Powerful Art and Message of Revelation (Self-published, 2024). Available at Amazon.
Get Renew.org Weekly Emails
Want fresh teachings and disciple making content? Sign up to receive a weekly newsletters highlighting our resources and new content to help equip you in your disciple making journey. We’ll also send you emails with other equipping resources from time to time.
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