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The Latter Days in the Old Testament

Eschatology precedes soteriology. Find out why in this essay.

Two Ages: Evaluating a Biblical concept

If the cosmos has changed over time, as redemptive history has moved from through “five worlds” from creation (Genesis 1–2) to the new creation (Revelation 21–22), then there have also been covenantal changes, too. In the beginning, God made a covenant with Adam (Gen. 2:15–17; cf. Hos. 6:7), which is often called the “covenant of works.” Then, after the flood, God re-established a covenant with Noah and all creation. As Genesis 9:8–17 reports, God hung his bow in the sky as

Getting Into Macro-Eschatology: Seeing The Five Worlds God Has Made

Last Sunday I introduced something I called “macro-eschatology.” Macro-eschatology is an approach to redemptive history that sees the end of things (eschatology) as fulfilling, restoring, and superseding the beginning of things (protology). At the center of this approach to reading the Bible is the person and the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who stands at the center of God’s plan to unite all things in creation. As Ephesians 1:9–10 tell us, Christ is the one who will

The ABCs of Eschatology (Pt 2): 14 More Key words

Last time, I introduced fourteen key words for understanding some basic concepts in the study of last things (eschatology). Today, I will complete my basic glossary with fourteen more terms, in hopes that these definitions will help improve present and future discussions about eschatology. You can also listen to the Sunday School that explains many of these terms. And if you would like a handout of the glossary, scroll to the bottom. (15) The Intermediate and Final States. W

The ABC’s of Eschatology (Pt. 1): Key Words to understanding end times

Eschatology is a word that means the study (-ology) of last things (eschatos). And in that study there are lots of words that are familiar (*resurrection), unfamiliar (*preterist), and debated (*rapture). Likewise, terms like millennium and tribulation are ones that have multiple definitions, and figures like the *antichrist, whose common description may or may not match John’s use of the word. Knowing that sound doctrine and fruitful discussions require clear definitions,

Twelve Books to Read Before the End of the World

When I teach Systematic Theology to seminarians, I make students read two books on eschatology and I recommend about twenty. Since I recently began a Sunday School series on the subject of eschatology, I wanted to share that list with you. You can also listen to the classes here. The Two Most Important Books on Eschatology Benjamin Gladd and Matthew Harmon, Making All Things New: Inaugurated Eschatology for the Life of the Church (2016). This is my go-to book for eschatolog

A Genuine Convert: The Fourth Mark of a Healthy Church Member

When I was in high school, my family moved into a new home, and lets just say, “It was a fixer-upper.” I’ll never forget waking up the first morning in that ranch-style house and laying for what seemed like hours, hiding under the blankets as flies landed on my head. Gross! The floors were torn up … Continue reading A Genuine Convert: The Fourth Mark of a Healthy Church Member

Gospel Saturation: The Third Mark of a Healthy Church Member

What does it mean to be Gospel-Saturated? That is what we considered on Sunday night — this post is a few days late — when we took another look at Thabiti Anyabwile’s book What is a Healthy Church Member? His third mark of a healthy church member is to be filled to overflowing with the gospel … Continue reading Gospel Saturation: The Third Mark of a Healthy Church Member

Biblical Theology: The Second Mark of a Healthy Church Member

Whether you know it or not, you are a theologian! Being made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28), you are irreversibly created to think thoughts about God. But whether or not you are a good ‘theologian’ is another story. While everyone thinks about God — even the atheist who denies his existence — the … Continue reading Biblical Theology: The Second Mark of a Healthy Church Member

Expositional Listening: The First Mark of a Healthy Church Member

Thabiti Anyabwile, pastor of the First Baptist Church (Cayman Island), has written a very helpful book for local churches and church members. Addressing concerns about the spiritual health of church members, Pastor Anyabwile in his book What is a Healthy Church Member? gives 10 corporate disciplines that mark a healthy member of Christ’s body. Last night, the … Continue reading Expositional Listening: The First Mark of a Healthy Church Member

An Audio-Visual Primer on the New Perspective on Paul

What is the New Perspective on Paul? Over the last few months, this subject along with the biblical doctrine of justification has caught a lot of media attention. From the release of John Piper’s book on the subject confronting N.T. Wright (2007), to Wright’s response (2009), to the series of panels and discussions found here at … Continue reading An Audio-Visual Primer on the New Perspective on Paul

Four Volumes of Biblical Theology…for free!!!

Simon Gerrit De Graaf was a minister of the Reformed Church in the Netherlands during the early twentieth-century (1889-1955). During the course of his ministry he wrote a four-volume work called Promise and Deliverance. It is a comprehensive set of lessons tracing the redemptive story of salvation from Genesis to Revelation. While long in content, … Continue reading Four Volumes of Biblical Theology…for free!!!

John Murray on Systematic and Biblical Theology

Writing on the relationship between systematic and biblical theology, John Murray writes with great balance, saying Systematic theology is tied to exegesis. It coordinates and synthesizes the whole witness of Scripture on the various topics with which it deals. However, systematic theolgoy will fail of its task to the extent to which it discards its … Continue reading John Murray on Systematic and Biblical Theology

Covenant and Eschatology: The Divine Drama

Michael Horton’s Covenant and Eschatology: The Divine Drama is a book about theological method. Unashamed of his Reformed heritage, the Westminster professor, draws on the redemptive-historical insights of John Calvin, Hermann Bavinck, Geerhardus Vos, and others, to speak to issues of post-modern literary theory and the narrative theology of George Lindbeck, Hans Frei, and Nicholas Wolterstorff. As Kevin Vanhoozer puts it, “Messieurs … Continue reading Covenant and Eschatology: The Divine Drama

Hearing the Word of God

In his chapter on the way God speaks in the Bible, Michael Horton quotes Gabriel Fackre to argue that God’s speech comes to us through a unified series of prophetic utterances that God commands that we hear and believe. Fackre posits, The Bible is a book that tells an “overarching story.” While imaginatively portrayed, it is no … Continue reading Hearing the Word of God

From Sinai to Chile to Zion: Why Visual Aids Do and Do Not Help Us See Christ in the Bible

I am not a big fan of visual aids. So, when I preach or teach, I do not use powerpoint and rarely use other forms of multimedia to explicate the biblical text. There is much to debate here, but as a personal conviction, I aim at–i.e. pray for and work at– letting the Word of God speak in and … Continue reading From Sinai to Chile to Zion: Why Visual Aids Do and Do Not Help Us See Christ in the Bible

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