n Biblical interpretation, we must remember we are a low context society relative to the high context society of the Biblical writers. Many of the meanings of terms and allusions are lost on us. It would be like someone 2000 years from now reading the diary of a 21st Century American and stumbling upon the phrase, "It was raining cats and dogs outside today!", and this futuristic person interprets that phrase literally.
Bauckman reminds us that the diction of Revelation alludes consistently and beautifully to events in the Old Testament. "The sea was no more", 21:4, what in the world does that mean? Only dry land on the new earth? No, it's an allusion to the chaotic primordial waters in the first chapter of Genesis, the waters that burst forth from the deep to destroy the earth during Noah's age. That natural evil will no longer exist in the New Order.

"They are virgins they have not defiled themselves w/ women", does this mean that there are only virgins in Heaven? No, it's a reference to *war*. Soldiers were to abstain from sexual relations w/ women before battle, like Bathsheba's husband in 2 Samuel. The war is fought and won by the slain lamb, Christ, and the soldiers participate by witnessing to the faith until the very end.

These are just two examples of the insights that the author provides the reader. I'm not sure I agree w/ all his points, but he makes a strong case for his, ostensibly, "symbolic" view of Revelation by placing the letter w/in the context of apocalyptic Jewish-Christianity undergoing Roman persecution. One of my favorite points he makes, is the "libertarian" message in Revelation, that God is 'Pantokrator', the Almighty, the all powerful, the God of nature, and the blasphemous Roman Empire ("Who is Like the Beast?" (another juicy poetic counter to "Who is Like God?" from Exodus, and also the Hebrew name for Michael, who of course plays an important role in Revelation)) attempts to replace God w/ its human institution. This deliciously implies the theological justification for Individual Liberty, that no Gov't should intervene between God and the conscience of the individual, for in doing so that is being like the Beast of Revelation.

Revelation is not only true in substance and message, but it is a work of *art*, something that the uber-literalists and Left Behind types overlook when ravenously searching for clues about the future.