Upside-Down Apocalypse
Grounding Revelation in the Gospel of Peace
by Jeremy Duncan
Pub Date 05 Jul 2022
Herald Press
Christian




I am reviewing a copy of Upside Down Apocalypse through Herald Press and Netgalley:



Since it was written the Book of Revelation which deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity has intrigued and frustrated readers since it was written. How do we make sense of John’s prophetic vision of cosmic war in light the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does it mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the future of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it’s more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.





Jeremy Duncan draws on biblical scholarship and nonviolent theology to guide readers through the book of Revelation, understanding the vision of John in the light of the Jesus we know through the Gospels the full revelation of the Divine In Upside-Down Apocalypse.




I give Upside Down Apocalypse four out of five stars!




Happy Reading!

Upside-Down Apocalypse is a great introduction to Revelations and a great attempt at explaining what the author of the book was trying to convey. The book is meant for everyone, no matter what biblical background you have. Explaining what Revelation’s purpose, background and what apocalyptic genre is helped the reader clear up any incorrect misunderstandings of Revelations.

Reading this book, the reader will have enough of a historical and literary background to understand the book, with special details thoroughly explained such as the four riders, the women and the dragon, the meaning of the crowns, and armageddon. Jeremy goes through the book and provides historical context necessary for the modern reader.

Overall, this is a book that needs to be read slowly. The author can get off on a few tangents and lose the reader. One example of this was connecting Revelation to Isaiah. I have little knowledge of Isaiah so I had a hard time understanding how they were connected.

Overall, it is a monstrous task to take on such a subject and Jeremy made several things clear that have never been explained before.

Upside Down Apocalypse Review
Author: Jeremy Duncan

The Upside-Down Apocalypse by Jeremy Duncan is a refreshing take on the sometimes-cryptic book of Revelation. Jeremy approaches this misused Bible book with a nonviolent aspect. He shows how Christ is the answer to our desires for power, wealth, peace, and systems of evil. Jeremy shows how Jesus' kingdom contrasts with the kingdom of Domitian and the Pax Romana. Many have seen this book as Jesus coming back and "kicking butt." While the images in Revelation appear rather violent at first read, Jeremy shows that Jesus responds by giving his life which brings about a kingdom of love. The violent images are showing that the earthly powers fail in their lust for power and economic wealth.

Jeremy uses many Scriptures and cross references to back up his thinking. He sees Revelation as three different takes on the same scenario. It starts by talking to the individual churches. In take two, it explains how Jesus reaches out to the world. In take three, it shows how Jesus affects the cosmos. Sometimes the references Jeremy uses gets a little hard to follow as he goes into quite a bit of detail. He seems really excited to portray how the images in Revelation line up with the prophets and the gospels. Yet, it can be easy to get lost in the rabbit trails. I do appreciate his energy and excitement though. I also appreciate the fact that he redeems the book of Revelation from the violent images and theories portrayed by a good chunk of the Christian world.