The Promise of the Future

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500 in stock

Weight 1.78 lbs
Dimensions 8.8 × 5.75 × 1.4 in
ISBN 9780851517933
Binding

Cloth-bound

Topic

The End Times

Original Pub Date

2000

Banner Pub Date

Nov 1, 2000

Page Count

560

Scripture

Whole Bible

Format

Book

Endorsement

‘I believe that you will find the study on which you are about to embark both intellectually satisfying and spiritually enriching. It will certainly inform you; more than that, it will help you to see what a glorious thing it is to be a Christian.’ — SINCLAIR B. FERGUSON

Book Description

Though we can never, in our time-bound state, know the future in detail, God in his mercy has not left us in complete ignorance of what is to come. His revelation in Holy Scripture has cast a flood of light on what would otherwise remain an impenetrable mystery.

Even among those who accept the Bible’s authority, however, there has never been complete agreement on what Scripture teaches in this area.

This major new examination of biblical teaching on the future of the individual, of the church and of the universe as a whole will be useful both to theological students and to informed non-specialists. Ranging over the whole field, it interacts extensively with recent literature on disputed issues, such as the nature of the intermediate state, the millennium of Revelation 20 and the doctrine of eternal punishment, always seeking to answer the fundamental question: ‘What do the Scriptures clearly teach?’ The Christ centred nature of biblical teaching on the future is emphasized, as is the importance of the church’s historic confessions for an understanding of eschatology. The chief note sounded is one of hope: ‘God’s people eagerly await Christ’s return because it promises the completion of God’ work of redemption…The future is bright because it is full of promise, the promise of God’s Word.’

Table of Contents Expand ↓

Foreword ix
Preface xiii
PART ONE: THE FUTURE IS NOW
1. Hope Nurtured by the Word 3
Staying within the Boundaries of God’s Word 5
Christ, the Lord of History 6
Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained 9
A Living and Certain Hope 10
 2. The First Coming of the Lord 12
Preparing the Way in the Old Testament 13
‘In the Fullness of Time’ – the New Testament 23
PART TWO: THE FUTURE BETWEEN DEATH AND RESURRECTION
 3. The Intermediate State 35
Two Biblical Themes 36
Unbiblical Views of the Intermediate State 43
The Intermediate State in Scripture 52
What about Purgatory? 63
PART THREE: THE FUTURE OF CHRIST
 4. The Second Coming of Christ 79
The Centrepiece of Biblical Expectation 79
A Consummating Event 87
Whose Time No One Knows 95
PART FOUR: THE FUTURE MARKED BY THE ‘SIGNS OF THE TIMES’
 5. Signs of God’s Grace 113
Introducing the Signs of the Times 113
Preaching to All the Nations 120
The Salvation of All Israel 127
 7. Signs of Opposition and Judgement – I 140
General References 141
Tribulation in the Olivet Discourse 142
Some Observations about Tribulation 146
The Great Tribulation 150
Signs of Opposition and Judgement – II 159
Apostasy 160
The Antichrist 167
Signs of God’s Judgement 178
PART FIVE: THE FUTURE OF THE KINGDOM
 8. Premillennial Views 189
Introducing the Millennial Views 190
Historic Premillennialism 194
Dispensational Premillennialism 205
 9. Postmillennial Views
A Comment about Terminology 219
A Brief Historical Overview 221
The Main Features of Postmillennialism 223
The Biblical Case for Postmillennialism 229
Amillennialism 233
 10. Evaluating Premillennialism
The Problem with Premillennialism 245
Christ’s Return and the Rapture 251
Israel and the Church 261
The Hermeneutic of Literalism 277
 11. What About Revelation 20? 296
The Premillennialist Case 298
The Millennium Is Now 304
The Binding of Satan 315
The Believer’s Reign with Christ 327
 12. Evaluating Postmillennialism 340
Defining Golden-Age Postmillennialism 341
Two Qualifiers 358
PART SIX: THE FUTURE OF ALL THINGS
13. The Resurrection of the Body 363
Biblical Themes regarding the Resurrection 364
The Nature of the Resurrection Body 370
The Resurrection/Renewal of All Things 376
A Recent Debate 378
Pastoral Questions regarding the Resurrection Body 384
 14. The Final Judgement
Questions regarding the Final Judgement 392
Degrees of Reward in the Kingdom of Heaven? 405
 15. The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment 420
The Problem of the Doctrine 420
Answering the Objections 428
 16. The New Heavens and New Earth 454
All New Things? Or All Things Made New? 456
Life in the Renewed Creation 469
To Enjoy God Forever 482
Selected Bibliography 489
Glossary of Terms 501
Index of Persons 513
Index of Selected Subjects 517
Index of Scripture References 525
References to the Apocrypha 538

 

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