By  E.W. Bullinger (1837-1913)

Book Review by Robert Guenther
Unlike most Bible expositions that are being written today, Dr. E.W. Bullinger, and his work Commentary on Revelation, suggests that Revelation is written to and for Israel, and does not contain dispensational truth for the church today. He uses no less than 15 points to prove this fact in the first part of the book.

The book of Revelation begins with the apostle John receiving certain visions concerning the future of the nation of Israel which were confirmed by angels. These prophecies were recorded in great detail so that Israel would know what would be happening in the Lord’s Day.

“The Day of the Lord” is a time frame when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom here on earth for the purpose of judgment. This time is often referred to as the millennial reign of Christ, and is all future. During this time, Dr. Bullinger suggests that we, the church of the one body, will have no part in the judgments, or the blessings, that belong to that day. At the time of the writing of this book, Dr. Bullinger believed that the church of God would escape the tribulation which will precede this millennial age by recognizing the hope found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and 1 Corinthians 15.

 One of the traditional views that is dealt with in his book, is that the promises made to Israel are already accomplished, that the churches addressed in Revelation are time periods, not literal places. Some even say that the symbols, and the interpretation that the Holy Spirit gives them, are not satisfactory. Then they attempt to give their own interpretation of the symbols using other symbols, instead of using the explanation that God Himself has given. There are warnings given to those who would change the wording or the claims that are given in his book (Revelation 22:19, 10). These instructions are not written directly to us; but by application we should realize that God's promises are sure and true.

In reading this work, the future of Israel became clear to me. Many people study Revelation desiring to know what the future holds for them, but it's really Israel’s future that is revealed and not ours. The church will not be on this earth to witness the reinstatement of the nation of Israel as His chosen people. We should realize that all the promises made to Israel will be fulfilled.

If you are inclined to read and study the book of Revelation, I would encourage you to search out the many scriptures references given in this book and find out for yourself God's plans for Israel when he returns.