­Book Review: Eschatology: Biblical, Historical, and Practical Approaches edited by D. Jeffrey Bingham and Glenn R. Kreider

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Book Review: Eschatology: Biblical, Historical, and Practical Approaches edited by D. Jeffrey Bingham and Glenn R. Kreider

The book is edited by two Dallas Theological Seminary graduates so the overall perspective will be from that Seminary’s ideological point of view; though the writers come from different universities, including three former professors of mine at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It is refreshing that the ideology behind this study is one of Biblical trustworthiness; one will not have to worry about whether the authors think Paul was mistaken in his prophetic views (as some liberal Christians assert).

Part 1 introduces the foundations for a doctrine of the future, including a good chapter by Charles C. Ryrie himself. Part 2 is a Biblical theology of the future, examining what the Bible itself has to say on the topic, division by division (Historical books, the Prophets, the Synoptic Gospels, etc.). I was surprised to find myself enjoying the historical part of the book, and the analyses on part 3 will be helpful to anyone wanting a primer on, say, Augustine’s view of the future, or that of John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, or Jürgen Moltmann. Overall, the authors made an excellent effort in laying out the basics of each view. Part 4 brings in the praxis of a doctrine of the future to contemporary situations.

Of course, as other books, my personal theological stance on prophecy is not represented since I am not a traditional or progressive Dispensationalist, but no one expected the authors to be perfect. :-)

Finally, I applaud Kregel for printing the footnotes at the bottom of the page (as opposed to endnotes that one has to hunt down to make sense of), making it more useful to students and scholars; the book is much, much better because of this.

A solid 4/5 stars

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Kregel Academic & Ministry book review program. The program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.

Book Review: Apostle of the Last Days: The Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul by C. Marvin Pate

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­Apostle of the Last Days: The Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul by C. Marvin Pate

Book Review:

C. Marvin Pate is a well-known name in New Testament Theology, particularly in eschatology; having written and edited other books on the subject, this time he focuses his attention on Paul’s eschatology.

Pate rejects the New Perspective on Paul being advocated of late by some important Pauline theologians (e.g. N.T. Wright, Jamed D.G. Dunn) and opts for the traditional view. Because that view is highly controversial and is making big waves in contemporary Paul studies, a more detailed refutation of their basic convictions would have enriched Pate’s book.

Having in mind that Paul lived in a time where Greco-Roman culture and Jewish Theology were the “locations” where Christianity was born, Pate seeks to find a place of reconciliation between the vacuity of “realized eschatology” (a la Preterism) and the politically invested “consistent eschatology” (totally futuristic). The Bible seems to favor an “already/not yet” eschatology, especially in light of the reality of a first and second coming of Jesus. The term used to describe it is “inaugurated eschatology;” a middle-of-the-road view that takes into account both sets of Scriptures used selectively by the other two positions.

The many tables present to elucidate Pate’s views are a testament to the amount of work invested in preparing the book, although the inclusion of an annotated bibliography would have made the book immensely more valuable for Pauline research. Others will also miss an index of topics covered in the book.

A word of caution: It is somewhat problematic to use eschatology as the hermeneutical lens through which one reads Paul’s theology, and it may lead to selective use of evidence rather than an all-encompassing theological exploration of Paul’s convictions. Pate does his best to avoid this pitfall but readers may disagree on the level of his success/failure to do so.

The book packs a punch and is recommended as a decent theological primer to Pauline eschatology.

4/5 Stars

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Kregel Academic & Ministry book review program. The program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.

Book Review: A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days

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Book Review: A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days by “Rabbi” Jonathan Bernis

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Unfortunately, I have some issues with the way the book is marketed. It announces a “Rabbi” on the front cover, but Bernis admits inside that he is not an actual Jewish Rabbi, but a self-called “Messianic Rabbi;” that is, no university or yeshiva granted him the title. Most people probably expect Bernis to be a former Jewish Rabbi converted to Christianity.

I am also a little uncomfortable with the content. In my Kindle version, at location 1161, Bernis mentions “the book of Josephus” as one of his sources; but Bible students know that Josephus wrote more than just one book. It was surprising to me that the editors didn’t catch this.

On the positive side, the book makes for an interesting read and keeps the reader engaged. Bernis’ warnings about ‘newspaper eschatologists’ and inaccurate or fabricated ‘prophecy fulfillments’ are right on the money. Too many self-proclaimed prophecy teachers are sensationalistic rather than exegetical when it comes to Bible prophecy (most leave the Bible aside to engage in countless speculations).

The book may work as an introduction to Jewish–Christian eschatology, but to learn more about prophecy from a Messianic Jew, I would probably suggest Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s The Footsteps of Messiah. Though pricey, it is a good resource.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Net Galley book review program. The program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.

The Global-Warming Deception by Grant R. Jeffrey

The Global-Warming Deception

Global warming’s hidden agenda: a global socialist government 

The worldwide effort to combat man-made global warming is history’s most far-reaching hoax. In The Global-Warming Deception, Grant R. Jeffrey documents the orchestrated campaign of political pressure, flawed science, and falsified data—all designed to sell an environmental lie and bring the West to its knees.

United Nations agencies use the threat of rising ocean levels, crop failure, expanding deserts, and the extinction of species to convince western nations to surrender their sovereignty. As these developments play out, we see the globalists consolidating their power.
In The Global-Warming Deception, you will find proof that:

   • Laws and regulations to reduce carbon emissions are designed to destroy the free-enterprise system and drain wealth from western nations.

   • The religion of eco-fundamentalism denies the existence of God and substitutes in His place the worship of the earth.

   • The coming economic collapse, hastened by global-warming laws, will lead to international chaos. A one-world government will be presented as the solution, followed by the arrival of the Antichrist. Your liberty is at stake. Now is the time to learn all you can about the socialist-Marxist elite that is advancing the false threat of global warming—the most deadly deception in history.

The Global-Warming Deception
Paperback
224 pages
Retail: $14.99

NEW
Our price: $5.99

Book Review: The End by Mark Hitchcock

Book Review: The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days

I was somewhat excited when reading Hitchcock's introduction to his book in which he admits he would like this book to become the successor to J. Dwight Pentecost's classic Things to Come. So, I was hoping Hitchcock's would be a worthy replacement. Of course, I was expecting scholarly treatment of most eschatological issues. I was dissapointed because The End is really not a the level of Pentecost's treatment of pro and con views on various prophetic positions. Do not get me wrong, however. I read almost everything Hitchcock writes on the subject and he is a good author on eschatology. The End is written at the popular level and most Christians would benefit from reading it. For those that know about Bible prophecy this book will not cut it. This one is not Hitchcock's magnum opus, yet. An overview, it is. Complete, it is not. In no way could a prophecy student do without getting the older classic by Pentecost or even Walvoord's Every Prophecy of the Bible.

Hitchcock would do well to update Pentecost's Things to Come for a new generation as he has done with some of Walvoord's classics.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Tyndale House Publishers. The program does not require a positive review, only an honest one.