7 Books on Eschatology
We must not mistake the theological frameworks that help us make sense of prophetic texts as worthy of our faith and confidence over the One who will make all things new. Christians attempting to understand Bible prophecies will encounter diverse theological perspectives within Christianity. Eschatology is the branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world, covering death, judgment, heaven, hell, the second coming of Christ, and the ultimate destiny of humanity. Studying a text like the book of Revelation is an opportunity to gain confidence and trust in the character, person, and work of God. However, we must remember that over the last 2,000 years, faithful, Spirit-led Christians have come to very different conclusions about eschatology.
Studying eschatology, we encounter theological terminology like dispensationalism, amillennialism, premillennialism, and postmillennialism. In the church, it has been said that for every “ism” there is a schism. For two thousand years Christians have speculated about eschatological signs and prophetic fulfillments. Studying apocalyptic passages in Revelation alongside the news of the day is a mediocre substitute for studying the book of Revelation in parallel with the Old Testament, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. In the end, eschatology is for the faint of heart; our hope is in the Lord, who will make all things new.
Recommending books about eschatology to a diverse Christian audience can be the religious version of talking about politics at work. The books below highlight a spectrum of isms Christians may hold about eschatology, historical source texts, and some advocating for particular views. In the end, our faith will be sight, and isms and schisms will be no more. “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people” (Revelation 22:20-21, NLT).
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Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy This overview of Bible prophecy is an easy-to-understand book that examines key portions of Scripture and shows different ways that Christians have interpreted them. This handy end-times explanation includes several timelines of the events before the second coming of Jesus Christ. This book includes those end-times prophecies charts, and helps people understand their own beliefs better, no matter which view they hold. |
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Heaven Picture Heaven the way Scripture describes it—a bright, vibrant, and physical New Earth, free from sin, suffering, and death, and brimming with Christ’s presence, wondrous natural beauty, and the richness of human culture as God intended it. Real people with real bodies enjoying close relationships with God and each other, eating, drinking, working, playing, traveling, worshiping, and discovering on a New Earth. Earth as God created it. Earth as he intended it to be. The next time you hear someone say, “We can’t begin to image what Heaven will be like,” you’ll be able to tell them, “I can.” |
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The Fathers on the Future: A 2nd-Century Eschatology for the 21st-Century Church Many today with an interest in eschatology face a problem: They have forgotten the past. Incorporating the basic foundation and structure of the second-century premillennial, futurist eschatology of Irenaeus of Lyons and other church fathers, this book develops and defends their positions through a thorough exegetical, theological analysis. It makes a case for a contemporary Irenaean premillennial eschatology, arguing that it is a reliable framework for a biblically defensible, theologically balanced, and historically informed eschatology. |
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Are We Living in the End Times? Dr. Tim LaHaye gives reasons for believing that the Rapture and the Tribulation could occur during our generation. Ours is the first generation that has the technology and opportunity to fulfill many of the prophecies of Revelation. |
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Apocalyptic Literature Apocalyptic Literature will be welcomed by teachers in search of an anthology for use in undergraduate courses in Jewish and early Christian apocalyptic literature,---Religious Studies Review. The texts are taken from standard English editions and are arranged according to the model developed by the Society of Biblical Literature's Genres Project. |
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End Times Made Easy End Times Made Easy is an essential primer for understanding the different views Christians have about the last days. In an unbiased way, this book explains what you need to know about the most common end times views. It includes important end-times terms with clear definitions and side-by-side charts comparing the views. Though no one knows the day or hour, Christians agree that Jesus will return just as he promised, and he calls his followers to be watchful and ready at all times. |
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The End: Everything You'll Want to Know about the Apocalypse The end times have seen a great amount of interest within the last two decades, but there hasn’t been a comprehensive overview of biblical prophecy and eschatology for more than five decades. Mark Hitchcock’s book is that comprehensive resource for the twenty-first century. It will provide a solid biblical foundation for Christians to explore the essential truths around this topic—the end of the world. |
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