Joy in Our Weakness: A Gift of Hope from the Book of Revelation

by Marva J. Dawn

Overview

Neither a commentary on the book of Revelation nor a devotional work — though it offers aspects of both — Joy in Our Weakness is instead a theological and practical guide that ushers readers into the very presence of Christ and His Lordship over the powers of evil. Marva Dawn writes compassionately for those who suffer, for this book was born out of her own struggles with physical limitations and chronic illness, and it is intended to help the whole Church learn how to find Joy in every circumstance of life, especially in trials and sufferings.

After outlining some important foundational principles in three introductory chapters, Dawn guides readers through the whole book of Revelation, pointing out the errors of those who try to calendarize the end of the world and instead delineating how The Revelation reveals Christ's Lordship, exposes the workings of the powers, and sustains those who suffer until evil is ultimately defeated. Now thoroughly revised for a wider readership, Joy in Our Weakness highlights The Revelation's original purpose — to comfort afflicted, suffering believers — and spells out a biblically grounded "theology of weakness," offering a rare gift to the Church today. A wealth of insight and encouragement truly awaits the readers of these pages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802860699
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	07/01/2002
Edition description:	Revised Edition
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Marva J. Dawn (1948–2021) was a renowned theologian, author, musician, and educator. Her many books include Reaching Out without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for This Urgent Time, A Royal Waste of Time: The Splendor of Worshiping God and Being Church for the World, and The Sense of the Call: A Sabbath Way of Life for Those Who Serve God, the Church, and the World.

Table of Contents

	Preface	x
1.	We Do Not Have to Be Afraid of The Revelation	3
2.	The Gift of Weakness	12
3.	God Is God, and We Are Wee	19
4.	1:1-3 and 9-11--A Vision to Sustain Us in Suffering: The "Mysterious" Purposes of God	26
5.	1:5-8--Who Is Christ for Our Suffering?	33
6.	1:12-20--Who Is the Son of Man?	39
7.	Chapters 2-3--Flaws and Virtues	46
8.	2:1-7--Ephesus: Losing Our First Love	52
9.	2:8-11--Smyrna: Limitations of Suffering	57
10.	2:12-17--Pergamum: The Importance of the Word	63
11.	2:18-29--Thyatira: True Authority	71
12.	3:1-6--Sardis: The Call to Renewal	78
13.	3:7-13--Philadelphia: An Open Door	83
14.	3:14-22--Laodicea: Whatever Our Limitations We Don't Have to Be Tepid	89
15.	4:1-11--The First Reason for Praise: The Gift of Life	96
16.	5:1-14--The Second Reason for Praise: The Lamb Who Saves by Suffering	103
17.	6:1-7:8 and 19:11-21--Don't Forget the First Horse of the Apocalypse!	109
18.	6:9-11 and 7:9, 13-15--Endurance: The Meaning of Biblical Patience	116
19.	7:9-17--The Third Reason for Praise: Hope for the Future	123
20.	8:1-6--Skills to Read The Revelation: Silence and Trust in God's Vindication	129
21.	8:6-9:21--The Persistence of Sin and the Immensity of Grace	135
22.	10:1-11:13--Asking the Right Questions in Our Suffering: How Long? and Meanwhile?	141
23.	11:14-12:17--42 Months, 1,260 Days, and 3 1/2 Years	149
24.	Chapters 12-13--Taking the Presence of Evil Seriously	156
25.	Chapter 14--Songs, Proclamations, and Harvests	163
26.	Chapters 15-16--We Wouldn't Want Love without Holiness	169
27.	Chapters 17-18--Fallen! Fallen Is Babylon the Great!	176
28.	19:1-21--Preludes and Wedding Songs	184
29.	20:1-21:8--The Ultimate Defeat of the Powers of Evil and the Present Reign of Christ	190
30.	21:9-22:7--The Beautiful City: An Agent of Healing	199
31.	22:8-21--"Come!": Living Now in the Coming Victory	207
	Epilogue: Qualities for a Theology of Weakness: Perspectives from The Revelation on Suffering	214
	For Further Consideration	218

Editorial Reviews

Johann Christoph Arnold
"How often I have read the book of Revelation, each time discovering new depths. But reading it yet again alongside Marva Dawn's wonderful new book, Joy in Our Weakness, I marvel at how much I have missed. Her second chapter is called 'The Gift of Weakness,' and Dawn, herself profoundly debilitated by brittle diabetes, uses the lens of her own weakness to bring us the gospel message in sharp new focus."

Eugene Peterson
"We live in apocalyptic times. The media keeps us abreast of catastrophe: 9/11, suicide bombings, famine and poverty, degradation and exploitation, political corruption and economic rapacity. What the media doesn't do is deal with the accompanying suffering, so much of it invisible. Marva Dawn guides us into dealing with the suffering, using The Revelation as her text — good news for a culture uncertainly divided between panic and complacency."

Craig Koester "Joy in Our Weakness invites us to discover the significance of Revelation for Christian faith and life. Marva Dawn brings questions raised by experiences, both the profound and the ordinary, to her reading of Scripture. As she reflects on the last book of the Bible, she helps us see the challenges, conflicts, and joys of life with new eyes. It is a book for the journey of faith."

From the Publisher