LINKS
|
Welcome to my personal website. Revelation: Mature Look
is my most comprehensive commentary on Revelation. It is a rewriting of my previous commentary
Revelation: Fall of Judea, Rise of the Church.
My earlier book Revelation: Fall of Judea, Rise of the Church
got its initial inspiration from the work of J. Massyngberde Ford who proposed that the early visions
in Revelation were preached by John the Baptist and were meant for the Judean people. John
the Evangelist, a disciple of the Baptist, was very familiar with the Baptist's ministry
and incorporated those visions into the Evangelist's own Book of Revelation. If this is
correct, it provided me a significant key to interpret the early visions in Revelation There's no
real reason to doubt it. The Baptist certainly had much to say announcing Christ, but very little of
what he said has been passed down in history. It makes sense that the Evangelist would have known what
the Baptist preached. After all, he was a disciple of John the Baptist. Ford cites other Biblical
scholars who also think the early visions were first preached by the Baptist.
I wrote Revelation: Fall of Judea, Rise of the Church for the
average reader. I state my case in plain, non-technical English so my readers can easily follow my
thinking. I quote long sections from Revelation and long quotations from Josephus, Suetonius,
and Tacitus for events leading to the fall of Judea. I included many long quotes so my readers need
not consult other reference works to verify what I say as they read my book. I quoted sufficient text
to show the quotes in context.
My new commentary Revelation: Mature Look contains two commentaries:
one an abridgement of my earlier commentary identifying the visions in Revelation to events that
occurred in the first and second centuries and had happened to the Judeans who were present when Jesus
lived out his life on Earth. I omitted my bibliography and long quotes to shorten my text, but everything
I claim can easily be discovered on The Internet whereas The Internet was not so readily available when
I first started my commentary in 1980.
I added a second futurist commentary where I identify future events that
will affect us if the visions in Revelation take place in our lifetime. I compare modern and future
events to the many apparitions of the Virgin Mary warning the world not to continue offending her son. I
think it is interesting how the visions play out when viewed as applying to past events occurring in the
first and second centuries as well as applying to the twenty-first century.
I also discussed the role Satan has played all through history as he
spreads his defiance against God onto the human race.
I hope you read my book and find it informative.
HERE ARE READERS REVIEWS OF REVELATION: MATURE LOOK
A review of Revelation: Mature Look by Diane Donovan of Midwest Book Reviews
Revelation: Mature Look
Maurice A. Williams
Independently Published
978-1717750051, C. 2018
Website: www.mauriceawilliams.com
Order Book from Amazon, $14.50
Followers of Maurice A. Williams might feel they already are familiar with his interpretation
of the book of Revelation. But Revelation: Mature Look, despite its having a similar title as
Williams book that appeared earlier, represents a complete rewrite of his 1988 original. Readers
should be cautioned to be sure they have the September, 2018 revised edition, which substantially
updates and revises the earlier treatise.
The scholarly review of Christian interpretations of the Book of Revelation are outlined in an
introduction which clarifies this survey's focus: "I wanted to put forth my conviction that
Revelation was directed to the people who heard it preached, as well as a prophecy to later people
about the end times. That would make my interpretation preterist in contrast to the futurist
interpretations so popular in the United States. I think it makes more sense that the preaching
of John would have warned the Judean people that their rejection of the Messiah would trigger
God's rejection of them and their nation's demise as well as a warning to future generations what
will happen to them if they also reject the Messiah when he returns."
As basic Christian concepts of the past are today refuted worldwide, Williams makes some important
points about Biblical teachings and their foundations: "I do not argue that the Bible is literally
true in every statement in the Bible because statements are easily twisted by people arguing against
the Bible. Instead, I am convinced that the Catholic Church is the one founded by Jesus Christ, and
he sent the Holy Spirit to preserve his church from error. I listen to his church. Christ never told
his apostles to write about his teaching: he told them to preach. Preaching by word of mouth would
have reached the common person of that time because very few people in the first century knew how
to read and write."
These statements, as set forth in his Introduction, clarify Williams' underlying beliefs, focus,
and contentions, setting the stage for the interpretation of end times which follows. Discussions
tackle the role of Lucifer in not just end times but everyday events, providing a step-by-step
interpretation that takes passages from Revelations (such as 'Rev. 6: 11-17 Great Day of Wrath
has Come.') and interprets them with an eye to explaining not just the message, but its delivery,
impact, and choices in presentation: "The vision of the ancient one has been interpreted in this
chapter and the preceding chapter. He is surrounded by twenty-four kings and four living beings
that appear to have unlimited power. This vision represents God. It uses symbols people can
understand, similar to the way a molecule of water is represented by symbols. It shows the three
persons in the one God and some activity of the three persons. And it uses symbols the Judean
people should have understood, since many of the symbols had already been used in previous
revelations."
Whereas other Biblical analyses of Revelations focus on interpreting Biblical content almost as
a stand-alone separate from choices in description and delivery, Revelation: Mature Look continues
the dialogue to explain symbolism, divine nature, preludes to Christ's ministry, and comparisons
between real-world events and visions as provided in Revelations.
In each chapter, Williams demonstrates an attention to not just spiritual messages and
interpretations, but how they were and are delivered to and perceived by Christians past and
present. His personal dilemmas in working out God's message and how the world responds to it
are another strong feature of an interpretation which goes beyond individual belief to probe
the history, psychology, and spiritual base of mankind and its relationship to God, Christ, and
Biblical messages as a whole.
References to Church history and in God's plan of salvation for the human race are backed by
footnoted references, Biblical passages, and discussions of the author's study not just of the
Bible, but of history.
The result will prove especially satisfying to Christian thinkers and scholars seeking a
multifaceted blend of historical and spiritual inspection and the author's own admonitions
and cautions based on the lasting impact of the lessons and predictions in Revelations: "You
probably don't realize it, but the Catholic Church now emphasizes Divine Mercy. If Jesus
Christ is going to return soon for the final judgement, you should take advantage of his
generous offer. Just throw yourself onto God's Divine Mercy and choose submission to Christ,
and Christ will do the rest and take you into his heavenly kingdom just like he took the good
thief when he said: today you will be with me in paradise."
|
