The Christian’s hope is the visible, bodily, glorious return of the Lord Jesus on the clouds of heaven ushering in the resurrection of the body, the public vindication of the Triune God, His Christ and His people at the last judgment, and the everlasting enjoyment of covenant fellowship with the Saviour in the new creation.
David J. Engelsma writes on eschatology in the service of the church’s hope. This volume treats the magnificent subjects of the intermediate state and the millennium. The bulk of this book is devoted to a rigorous analysis of the latter, with a vigorous defence of Reformed amillennialism. Especially thorough is Engelsma’s critique of postmillennialism, which he rightly sees as a threat to Reformed churches. Both postmillennialism and dispensational premillennialism subvert the church’s hope, for postmillennialism fixes the believer’s hope on a golden age within history in which the church will be dominant—a carnal victory—and dispensationalism proclaims a fictitious rapture, which will snatch the church out of the world in order that God can fulfil His program in history with the Jews keeping the ceremonial law in the land of Israel for 1,000 literal years. Both views not only misdirect the church’s hope but also leave her unprepared for the future.
As Engelsma demonstrates, the last things—centrally the coming of Christ—are the purpose and goal of all the revelation of God in Scripture, from beginning to end. This book will encourage the believer as he or she heeds our Lord’s instruction regarding His return: “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Pet. 1:13).
“I’m enjoying Engelsma’s first volume about reformed eschatology and the confusion caused by the various millennial theories, its exponents and champions. This is a great resource. I am looking forward to the second volume.” – W. Midlands, England
