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.
“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)
Robert G. Clouse, considered the dean of Christian millennial
historians, is the author or editor of more than thirty books,
including The Meaning of the
Millennium: Four Views. He is
professor emeritus of history at Indiana State University in
Terre Haute. He is also an ordained minister and has served
churches in Iowa and Indiana.
