Teachings about the end times can clarify your beliefs and energize your own spiritual journey.
Christian concepts of the end times involve complex beliefs that have developed over the centuries. They range from popular ideas about the rapture when believers will be swept up to meet Christ in the air, to suspicions about the Antichrist who will deceive and enslave the world, to teachings about the millennium when Christ himself will return victoriously to earth to reign in peace for a thousand years. And Christians have disagreed, sometimes violently, on exactly how and when these events will occur-or whether they will occur at all.
With insightful and broad knowledge of the historical, religious and contemporary contexts of these writings, distinguished scholar Robert G. Clouse guides you through the fascinating and intricate world of apocalyptic literature. He examines key verses from Christian and Hebrew scriptures; visionary writings from Augustine and other Church Fathers; accounts of radical millennial movements of the 1600s; bold sermons from preachers such as Jonathan Edwards and Dwight L. Moody; and popular books circulating in our own day, including 1970s prophecy sensation The Late Great Planet Earth and the mega-bestselling Left Behind novels.
Accessible facing-page commentary explains the apocalyptic writings for you even if you have no previous knowledge of Christian teachings on the end times. Will Christ come on the clouds in power and in judgment? Or is it up to us to usher in the golden age of the millennium? Or is the millennium spiritual, made real only within believers' hearts?
This book will help you understand the complex Christian visions of the end of the world.
The phenomenon of Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins's Left Behind series is only the most recent entry in the development of the Christian ideas of the Last Days, or the coming of the Apocalypse, which have developed over the centuries. Readers who are curious about what supports the growing belief that God's Kingdom on Earth is imminently approaching will find answers in this book. With insightful and broad knowledge of the historical, religious, and contemporary contexts of the Apocalyptic texts, Clouse introduces readers to the beliefs and values held by those who rely on the promises found in the Book of Revelations.
"Thorough, balanced.... A must-read for serious students of our world and of the Bible."
-Donald K. Campbell, president emeritus, Dallas Theological Seminary
"Masterful.... [Traces] the biblical texts and Christian literature from the earliest centuries to the present.... A fine resource for the careful student."
-Dr. Homer A. Kent, president emeritus, Grace College and Theological Seminary
"A fascinating anthology of texts from the second century to the present, which provides a panoramic view of the development of eschatological [teachings] against the background of historical circumstances. Helpful ... and illuminating."
-Edwin Yamauchi, past president, Evangelical Theological Society and professor emeritus of history, Miami University (Ohio)
