A profoundly decisive change in world history is on the horizon-a transition from governance under fallen man to a government from God Himself. Jesus Christ is going to return and reign over the world with perfect justice. Prophecies in the Bible tell us that due to the rebellion of man against his Maker the time leading up to the second coming of Christ will be intense. In this book, you will find answers to these questions: - What will the last days be like? - What will happen when Jesus returns? - What is the rapture and when will it occur? - How can I prepare for what is coming?
In the book of Amos the language about land is used extensively, including terms and ideas such as Zion, YHWH’s bringing of Israel into the land, references to various sanctuaries and places, harvest and famine, the relationship between the northern kingdom and Judah, and references to the land of other nations. However this subject of the land has never been studied as a theological topic in its own right, but only as part of other themes. This work follows a synchronic reading of Amos and employing textual, literary and historical criticism the author carries out a careful theological analysis of the land. Although the findings are set in the context of the entire book of Amos, the study focuses on chapters 7-9 to explore the topic with closer detail.
Many current Bible intro volumes focus more on theories about the biblical text than on the text itself. They lack the simplicity that has become increasingly crucial as basic biblical literacy has declined. Robert Kugler and Patrick Hartin seek to remedy that problem by turning readers back to the text at hand. Their Introduction to the Bible surveys the content of all the biblical books, section by section, focusing on the Bible s theological themes.
This is a study in the interpretation of Paul with a focus on an interpretation of Romans 9 to 11 as a defense of God’s faithfulness to Israel. The study begins with reviews of three historical approaches to studying Paul’s relationship to the Judiasm of his era, the third anchoring Paul with the Judaism of his time (Second Temple Judaism). It then moves to an interpretation of his writings from a broad framework within that Jewish sociocultural paradigm. The study suggests that Paul’s letter to the Romans provides a defense of Judaism, and Romans 9 to 11 provides an argument for God’s faithfulness to Israel. Romans 11, particularly 11:25–32, presents a picture of Israel’s redemption and how gentiles relate to Israel’s redemption, through the mercy they have received via Israel. Gentiles are seen as instrumental in the redemption of Israel. Romans 11:25–32 should be read as a missional paradigm to Israel.
The rich findings of recent exploration and research are incorporated in this completely revised and greatly expanded sixth edition of this standard work on the Maya people. New field discoveries, new technical advances, new successes in the decipherment of Maya writing, and new theoretical perspectives on the Maya past have made this new edition necessary.
This book investigates the nature of the hope for the house of David in the final form of the book of Zechariah. It focuses particularly on the following themes: the roles of Joshua and Zerubbabel; the nature and identity of the Shoot; the coming King; the Shepherd; and the Pierced One. It challenges the scholarly consensus, going back to the thesis of Julius Wellhausen, that the high priest took over the role and prerogatives of the pre-exilic monarch in the early post-exilic period. Instead, Zechariah merely envisages Joshua the high priest being reinstated to the temple duties that were undertaken before the exile. Furthermore, Zechariah does not identify Zerubbabel as the promised future Davidic king ("Shoot"). Rather, Zechariah demonstrates a hope for the restoration of a Davidic king who will have a key role in temple building after the time of Zerubbabel. The belief that Zechariah 9-11 and 12-14 are oracles that seek to reinterpret prophecies that have become problematic is also challenged. There is no strong evidence that the hope for the house of David in Zechariah 9-14 contradicts the presentation of Zechariah 1-8. This thesis shows how these later chapters continue and develop many of the themes related to the Davidic hope in Zechariah 1-8. The picture of the Davidic hope that emerges from the book of Zechariah is consistent with the expectations of earlier prophets and confirms that the book, when read as a whole, provides a strong impetus for later messianism in the post-exilic period.
The Bible is literature as well as a sacred text. For this reason, the application of contemporary methods of literary criticism to the study of Scripture can yield rich benefits. Robert Karris' examination of Luke's Passion account exemplifies this approach. Karris argues that Luke reveals his theology through his artistry, particularly in the themes he chooses to develop and the means by which he does so. These themes provide Karris with an important insight into two questions: Why, in Luke's understanding, was Jesus crucified, and what was the significance of that death? Faithfulness is one more important theme Karris discovers in Luke's Gospel. Luke's Jesus portrays God as endlessly faithful, forgiving, and merciful, even to those unfaithful to him. Justice also surfaces as a clear theme in Luke. Jesus associated with outcasts and preached justice toward victims of his day. When the religious leaders of that time apposed this life-style of justice, Jesus assumed the role of the suffering righteous one. The author concludes by examining Luke's interest in the eating habits of Jesus. By no accident was Jesus slandered as a drunkard and glutton. Hies practice of eating with the unrighteous asserted that the seats at God's banquet table were reserved for the outcasts and the sinners. Karris's study shows that Luke saw the reason for Jesus's death to be rooted in the reason for his life. His conclusions will have value for both the student of Scripture and the individual or group interested in the issues of justice and society.
From the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, Europeans struggled to understand their identity in the same way we do as individuals: by comparing themselves to others. In Savages, Romans, and Despots, Robert Launay takes us on a fascinating tour of early modern and modern history in an attempt to untangle how various depictions of “foreign” cultures and civilizations saturated debates about religion, morality, politics, and art. Beginning with Mandeville and Montaigne, and working through Montesquieu, Diderot, Gibbon, Herder, and others, Launay traces how Europeans both admired and disdained unfamiliar societies in their attempts to work through the inner conflicts of their own social worlds. Some of these writers drew caricatures of “savages,” “Oriental despots,” and “ancient” Greeks and Romans. Others earnestly attempted to understand them. But, throughout this history, comparative thinking opened a space for critical reflection. At its worst, such space could give rise to a sense of European superiority. At its best, however, it could prompt awareness of the value of other ways of being in the world. Launay’s masterful survey of some of the Western tradition’s finest minds offers a keen exploration of the genesis of the notion of “civilization,” as well as an engaging portrait of the promises and perils of cross-cultural comparison.
This monumental work presents a careful, well-argued alternative reading of the Greek text of Mark-a reading that pays special attention to such literary devices as word order, chiasm, inclusio, asyndeton, and the historical present tense. Driving the commentary is Gundry's provocative, seldom-defended thesis that Mark's Gospel constitutes a straightforward apology for the shameful manner of Jesus' death; as such Mark is essentially an evangelistic tract rather than an obliquely written handbook of Christian discipleship and church life. "Sure to become recognized as the heavyweight English commentary on the Gospel of Mark.... This massive commentary, rich with exegetical detail and critical assessment of the secondary literature, makes an important contribution not only to Markan research but also to the study of the historical Jesus." - Christian Scholars Review
Drawing on both primary texts and archaelogy, Wilken traces the Christian conception of a Holy Land from its origins inthe Hebrew Bible to the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the seventh century.
Compares those active resistance movements which burst into public view in China and "cultural resistance", which instead lies unspoken in everyday action. This book argues that certain areas of life defuse attempts at cultural domination by resisting and dissolving all unified interpretation.
A metaphysical encyclopedia of more than three hundred crystals, minerals, and gemstones, detailing their applications for self-healing and spiritual and emotional development, along with vivid color photographs of each stone"--Provided by publisher.
Introduces a radical new perspective on the historical foundations of monotheism, based on the enigma of the Copper Scroll of the Essenes. • Confirms the link between ancient Judaism and the pharoah Akhenaten. • Decodes the system of measurements encrypted on the Copper Scroll that has confounded scholars for over 50 years, leading to the identification of fabulous lost treasures. • Points to a radical new understanding of the origins of monotheism. The famous Dead Sea Scrolls comprise the oldest collection of Biblical documents ever discovered. Of the Dead Sea Scrolls, none has baffled experts more than the 2,000-year-old Copper Scroll, discovered in 1952 by a team of Bedouin led by Henri de Contenson of the Ecole Biblique in East Jerusalem. Appearing to be a list of buried treasure engraved on copper pieces, the Copper Scroll is considered to be the work of a secretive Jewish sect of devout Essenes, who lived by the Dead Sea around the time of Jesus. No one has been able to explain its meaning or discover any of the 64 locations where the Biblical treasures it lists were buried. Robert Feather, combining his background as a metallurgist with his journalistic expertise, has unraveled the enigma of the Copper Scroll in a fascinating study that takes the reader on a journey from ancient Mesopotamia, through Canaan, into Egypt, and back to the shores of the Dead Sea. His exploration links the scroll to the ancient Egyptian king Akhenaten, confirming a long suspected influence of this pharaoh's religious beliefs on those of the Hebrews. The author's findings not only reveal the locations of most of the treasures listed on the Copper Scroll, but they also point to a radical new understanding of the origins of monotheism--the basis of the three great religions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
The book puts the current interest in historical Jesus research into a proper historical context, highlighting Gnosticism’s lasting influence on early Christianity and making the provocative claim that nearly all Christian Churches are in some way descended from Roman Christianity. Breaking with the accepted wisdom of Christianity’s origins, the revised history it puts forward challenges the assumptions of Church and secular historians, biblical critics and general readers alike, with profound repercussions for scholarship, belief and practice.
Ever since the Dead Sea Scrolls were unearthed in 1947, a small group of scholars has exerted a jealous control over access to the originals. This policy has hindered understanding of these priceless texts. Now expert Robert Feather exposes a shocking conspiracy at the heart of biblical and archaeological studies, and shines a bold--and sure to be controversial--light on the Scrolls, linking the isolated Essene cult at Qumran with Jesus Christ and the Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, founder of monotheism.
More than any other prophet, Jeremiah struggled to understand God's will for him and for the people of God. This volume on the first twenty chapters of Jeremiah recounts the story of this poet-prophet and opens up for the reader one of the most personal books of the Old Testament. Carrying forward brilliantly the pattern established by Barclay's New Testament series, the Daily Study Bible has been extended to cover the entire Old Testament as well. Invaluable for individual devotional study, for group discussion, and for classroom use, the Daily Study Bible provides a useful, reliable, and eminently readable way to discover what the Scriptures were saying then and what God is saying today.
Concise yet comprehensive, manageable and affordable, T&T Clark Study Guides are an invaluable resource for students, preachers and Bible study leaders. Each book in the series gives the reader a thorough introduction to a particular book of the Bible or the Apocrypha and includes: • An introduction to the contents of the particular biblical book • A balanced survey of the important critical issues • Attention to literary, historical, sociological, and theological perspectives • Suggestions about critical appropriation of the text by the contemporary reader • Reference to other standard works through annotated bibliographies. All the books in the series, formerly published by Sheffield Academic Press, are by leading biblical scholars and the authors have drawn on their scholarly expertise as well as their experience as teachers of university and college students.
The printed word in the Holy Scriptures reveals all the truths that God in His infinite wisdom wants us to know. The Bible tells us that all creation in heaven and on earth is destined to follow a preset plan that is under God's total control. This book explains that preset plan as God's Script. God's Script reveals several themes that run from Genesis to Revelation. God's Script will show you how you personally have a role in God's eternal mystery drama.
Value priced! The Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary offers clear and concise commentary on every passage in the NLT in one handy volume. Previously published as The New Bible Companion, this helpful resource also includes introductions to each Bible book, an article about the theme of the entire Bible, and detailed maps of places mentioned in Scripture. Sunday school teachers, pastors, and anyone who studies the Bible will find this commentary a great starting point for learning about God's Word. Teachers, pastors, and anyone wanting to learn more about the Bible will rely on the Tyndale Reference Library for solid, evangelical scholarship packed into concise, user-friendly reference works.
The second volume of Robert M. Doran's magisterial The Trinity in History continues his exploration of the Trinitarian theology of Bernard Lonergan, focusing now on the notions of relations and persons and connecting the systematic proposals with the so-called "Third Quest for the Historical Jesus." Doran not only interprets Lonergan's major work in Trinitarian theology and Christology but also suggests at least a twofold advance: a new version of the psychological analogy for understanding Trinitarian doctrine and a new starting point for the whole of systematic theology. He links these theological concerns with Ren? Girard's mimetic theory, proposes a theory of history based in Lonergan's scale of values, and creates a link between exegetical and historical scholarship and systematic theology.
Antagonistic Tolerance examines patterns of coexistence and conflict amongst members of different religious communities, using multidisciplinary research to analyze groups who have peacefully intermingled for generations, and who may have developed aspects of syncretism in their religious practices, and yet have turned violently on each other. Such communities define themselves as separate peoples, with different and often competing interests, yet their interaction is usually peaceable provided the dominance of one group is clear. The key indicator of dominance is control over central religious sites, which may be tacitly shared for long periods, but later contested and even converted as dominance changes. By focusing on these shared and contested sites, this volume allows for a wider understanding of relations between these communities. Using a range of ethnographic, historical and archaeological data from the Balkans, India, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Turkey, Antagonistic Tolerance develops a comparative model of the competitive sharing and transformation of religious sites. These studies are not considered as isolated cases, but are instead woven into a unified analytical framework which explains how long-term peaceful interactions between religious communities can turn conflictual and even result in ethnic cleansing.
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