Summary
Review
Many years ago, I purchased the first edition of this book that was published in 1997 to better answer the questions many people I knew had on the subject of “The end times” or “the last days” (i.e., Eschatology). It was hot topic then especially with the year 2000 fast approaching, and the influential teaching by some on how the Millennial bug would cause financial chaos, and usher in what they believed would be the great tribulation, and its part to play in the end of the world. For some, those who hold to a different understanding were considered at best ignorant Christians, and at worst unbiblical and theologically unsound. For many Christians, the details are not just confusing, but causes unpleasant and unnecessary division in the church.
As it is now 2024, obviously the predicted end of the world did not happen then. But that non-event has not slowed down the hardline disagreements among some Christians. Holding to a particular End-times / Last Days / Eschatological view / system is still at times for some, a non-negotiable core doctrinal belief. But I don’t believe that this should be the case.
If you are confused about eschatology, especially the different terminology used, or would just like to know more about the different views other Christians hold (and they all have biblical grounds) this is a good book to read. The book’s subtitle is an excellent description of the book: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Different Views of Prophecy. Who believes what about prophecy and why.
The author (who passed away in 2018) holds strongly to a theological position on eschatology, and briefly writes about it in a section on “Frequently asked questions”. However, his purpose is to present the many views others hold to in a fair manner without criticising their positions. And this he does well.
In this book the author describes the three major eschatological systems, namely Premillennialism, amillennialism, postmillennialism, and explains some of the key variant views within each system. I find it helpful that he points out the many variants especially within the premillennialism system. And to help explain each view, he has many helpful charts and illustrations that visually describe each view.
Another helpful aspect of this book is that the author goes beyond just describing the various systems and views. He also explains why they are so many variant views and how our methods of interpretating Scripture shapes our views.
Still another helpful aspect of this book is the author’s suggestions as to what we can do with the knowledge he has presented. Basically, practical actions that not just seeks to guide a person to decide on what view best fits his or her understanding of Scripture, but also the attitudes we should have, so there is love, healing, and unity with those who may hold different views.
This revised edition does an excellent job in reorganizing his chapters, adding new ones, clarifying questions that arose from his first edition, and updating things the charts for greater clarity. The book also contains an excellent glossary that will help define terms used in this book. A good book to read if you are interested in a good overview of “The Last Days”.
Reviewed by Pastor Paul