Joel Beeke on Revelation

[Josh Williamson]

G'day,

Just wondering if anyone knew what position Joel Beeke takes on Revelation? I've found his series on SermonAudio, and just wanted to know where he stands on the book before I begin listening. Thanks.

 

[scottmaciver]

Joel Beeke would be Amil. What position do you hold to yourself Josh?

 

[Alan D. Strange]

I believe that Br. Josh wants to know whether Dr. Beeke's position is idealist, preterist, historicist, futurist, or some variant thereof. Is that what you wanted to know, Josh?

Peace,
Alan

 

[Josh Williamson]

I believe that Br. Josh wants to know whether Dr. Beeke's position is idealist, preterist, historicist, futurist, or some variant thereof. Is that what you wanted to know, Josh?

Peace,
Alan

Yes, that is correct.

 

[Josh Williamson]

Joel Beeke would be Amil. What position do you hold to yourself Josh?

I'm in the postmil camp, though I am going between historicist and preterist (still trying to nail down all my beliefs).

 

[Peairtach]

I've recently found a parallel commentary of preterist, historicist, futurist and idealist commentators' views very helpful, called " Revelation: Four Views , Revised and Updatd, a Parallel Commentary" (Nelson) by Steve Gregg. See Kenneth Gentry's review online. Gregg has trawled through many commentaties to put together this useful, and, I would say, enlightening, book.

Although I think Mr Gregg has done an excellent job on this book, I got the impression from his website that he was not strictly orthodox, on the doctrines of grace and on a lost eternity and I decided to buy the book secondhand on Amazon.

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[Josh Williamson]

G'day Richard,

I've heard mixed reviews about that book. However, it does sound rather interesting.

 

[Josh Williamson]

I was just listening to Dr. Beeke preach. He said he takes an eclectic to idealist approach to Revelation.

 

[Peairtach]

G'day Richard,

I've heard mixed reviews about that book. However, it does sound rather interesting.

It helps clarify your thinking on quite a complex scene to see what is sound and possible alongside the erroneous and plain "whacky".

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[Peairtach]

I was just listening to Dr. Beeke preach. He said he takes an eclectic to idealist approach to Revelation.

Yes. I'm an extremely moderate early date preterist postmillenialist with large injections of idealism, historicism and futurism.

E.g. Babylon is the apostate church including Rome, and the end of Babylon is yet future but in history.

E.g. Nero and the Roman Empire represented the Beast to the first century Christians, but the Beast goes on in lots of different forms after Nero.

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[Eoghan]

I would encourage you to listen to Joel (BEEKE! ) and judge his views as Biblical or not. Report back once you finish the series!

 

[Semper Fidelis]

This may not answer the question fully but here is what he and Mark Jones wrote in A Puritan Theology:

Practically, we can learn much from the Puritans through a study like this. While many of their predictions fell short over time, and while many current trends in theology have strayed from their eschatological optimism, the Puritans teach us that the life and ministry of the church is one of hope. As Iain Murray said, they were “men of hope.” Their hope

"...coloured the spiritual thought of the American colonies; it taught men to expect great outpourings of the Holy Spirit; it prepared the way to the new age of world-missions; and it contributed largely to that sense of destiny which came to characterize the English-speaking Protestant nations. When nineteenth-century Christian leaders such as William Wilberforce viewed the world not so much as a wreck from which individual souls must escape, but rather as the property of Christ, to whose kingdom the earth and the fullness thereof must belong, their thinking bore the genuine hall-mark of the Puritan outlook.90"

We desperately need this well-grounded hope. The state of the church in America today is marked by profound weakness and ignorance. Churches still abound, yet our nation is experiencing a religious famine. The Puritans remind us that one of the chief principles of the Christian life is hope. We must hope that God yet has work to do, and He accomplishes this through the ordinary means of grace and through the preaching of the Word. Let us be moved by the great hope of the gospel to join in the great work of promoting the gospel to go forth to cover the world as the waters cover the sea. And let us be stirred up to the fervency of prayer. Maranatha!


Beeke, J. R., & Jones, M. (2012). A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life (p. 788). Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

This may not answer the question fully but here is what he and Mark Jones wrote in A Puritan Theology:

Hi Josh, in the above named book Beeke also recommends Greg Beale's commentary on Revelation. He describes it as impressive.

 

[Pilgrim]

I was just listening to Dr. Beeke preach. He said he takes an eclectic to idealist approach to Revelation.

I just acquired the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible. While it would not be quite accurate to regard it as the "Beeke Study Bible," I doubt there is anything there that he strongly disagrees with. I haven't had much time to look in-depth throughout. But my recollection (not having it before me) is that the intro to Revelation suggests an eclectic approach and that no strong position is taken on the date, with it being stated that most have favored the later date. Reasons are given for rejecting both premil and postmil.