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Powhatan Mennonite Church P.O. Box 220, 3540 Old Buckingham Rd. Powhatan, Virginia 23139-0220
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Library Nook…
Book review by Pres Nowlin A GOSPEL LOOK AT THE END OF THE WORLD A
review of THE KINGDOM OF THE BEAST and The End of the World Author J. C. Alexander - 379 pages, published by ACW Press,
2005 So
often discussions and books about the end of the world seem to be free floating.
One person will choose Ezekiel 38 and 39 as the key to understanding
God’s plan for the end times. Others
go to the seventy weeks of Daniel and all go the Revelation seeking a key to
prophecy. Then all is mixed up and
each one seems to have his or her own interpretation of the end.
Because of that tendency I tend to avoid books on prophecy.
The Habels (it is a blessing to see John and Janet in the library after
worship on Sunday, working to keep the library in shape) asked me to read “The
Kingdom of the Beast” and give an opinion on its suitability for the library.
I find it very suitable. The author, J. C.
Alexander, has taken a reasonable approach to the end times by turning to the
gospel of Matthew and the words of Jesus as the norm for interpreting the end
times. This approach takes the view
that any teaching on the end from any source must agree with the words of Jesus. Matthew 24 is the
controlling outline for “The Kingdom…”
The disciples ask Jesus the question, “Tell us, when will these things
be? And what will be the sign of
Your coming? And of the end of the age?” Alexander
proposes Jesus’ answer in verses 5-43 as the timetable of events of the end.
The timetable of Matthew 24 speaks of
eleven events or periods including the Church Age in which we live.
This age began with the Lord’s advent and will continue through the
Battle of Gog of Magog, Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the Great Tribulation, and
the General Resurrection. The times that follow the
Church Age (Matt. 24:8-21), according to Alexander’s interpretation of Matthew
24, will include the the Rapture of the Church, the Wrath of God on earth, the
Battle of Armageddon, the Millennial Reign, the White Throne Judgment, and the
descent of the Heavenly New Jerusalem. I recommend the book as
readable and reasonable for the student of prophecy and for the general reader
who would like to dig in a bit more. Since
there is not much of a consensus concerning the end times there will be many who
disagree with Alexander and the timetable he proposes.
The greatest value of the book, in my estimation, is the use of Jesus’
teachings as the norm for prophecy. |
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