Between The Cross And The Throne

Revelation is often considered one of the most confusing books of the Bible, and consequently it’s regularly overlooked or ignored. But no longer. In Between the Cross and the Throne, Matthew Emerson walks us through the book of Revelation, unpacking its complex imagery and pointing out major themes. In conversational tone, he reminds us that Christ died, but he has risen. The Lord reigns, but evil persists. We live between Christ’s ascension and his final conquest—and that should give us hope.

Believe it or not, as they stood at the foot of the cross, the original disciples who walked in close companionship with Jesus knew nothing of the real mission of the man they followed. They did not realize who Christ was, why He came, why He had to suffer, and what was to be gained by His suffering. They did not know what happened on the cross, or during the three days and nights in the tomb before His resurrection. They did not know why the incarnation was important, or that it even was an incarnation. All they could see was the undeserved suffering of their friend and rabbi. Now, legendary Bible teacher E. W. Kenyon reveals hidden truths there were not fully understood until the Pauline Revelation of the Epistles. Until God revealed these truths to the apostle Paul, no one understood why Christ came...why His death on the cross was necessary...or what exactly occurred in the tomb. They did not comprehend the good news: that because of these events, we now become the righteousness of God, people who can stand in God's presence without a sense of guilt, shame, or inferiority. This is the miracle of redemption and the miracle of New Creation. It is the confidence to overcome the devil, to heal disease, and to call Lazarus out of the tomb. To this day, far too many believers share the disciple's view of Jesus: a biographical account of the things He did, the words He spoke, and the suffering He endured. Because of this limited revelation, their Christian faith will experience the same fears and doubts the disciples were left with the day Jesus was crucified. Like the apostles at Pentecost, we must move beyond sense knowledge and into the Spirit realm. We must move beyond religion and into a living and active truth if we are to truly walk in a powerful and overcoming faith.

In this 2006 text, Daniel M. Gurtner examines the meaning of the rending of the veil at the death of Jesus in Matthew 27:51a by considering the functions of the veil in the Old Testament and its symbolism in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism. Gurtner incorporates these elements into a compositional exegesis of the rending text in Matthew. He concludes that the rending of the veil is an apocalyptic assertion like the opening of heaven revealing, in part, end-time images drawn from Ezekiel 37. Moreover, when the veil is torn Matthew depicts the cessation of its function, articulating the atoning role of Christ's death which gives access to God not simply in the sense of entering the Holy of Holies (as in Hebrews), but in trademark Matthean Emmanuel Christology: 'God with us'. This underscores the significance of Jesus' atoning death in the first gospel.

We may know the gospel. We may believe it—even proclaim it. But we also may assume the gospel and become lethargic. In this book Jared Wilson seeks to answer the central question, how do we experience and present the gospel in a fresh, nonroutine way in order to prevent ourselves and others from becoming numb? His answer may be surprising: “by routinely presenting the unchanging gospel in a way that does justice to its earth-shaking announcement.” We don’t excite and awaken people to the glorious truths of the gospel by spicing up our worship services or through cutting-edge, dramatic rhetoric, but by passionately and faithfully proclaiming the same truths we have already been given in Scripture. Wilson’s book will stir churches to live out the power of the gospel with a fervent, genuine zeal. After an explanation of the term “gospel wakefulness,” Wilson unpacks implications for worship, hyper-spirituality, godly habits, and sanctification, as well as other aspects of church life. Pastors, church leaders, and all in ministry, especially those who are tired or discouraged, will be uplifted, emboldened, and empowered by this book.

For much of Christian history the church has given no place to Holy Saturday in its liturgy or worship. Yet the space dividing Calvary and the Garden may be the best place from which to reflect on the meaning of Christ's death and resurrection. This superb work by the late Alan Lewis develops on a grand scale and in great detail a theology of Holy Saturday.The first comprehensive theology of Holy Saturday ever written, Between Cross and Resurrectionshows that at the center of the biblical story and the church's creed lies a three-day narrative. Lewis explores the meaning of Holy Saturday -- the restless day of burial and waiting -- from the perspectives of narrative (hearing the story), doctrine (thinking the story), and ethics (living the story). Along the way he visits as many spiritual themes as possible in order to demonstrate the range of topics that take on fresh meaning when viewed from the vantage point of Holy Saturday.Between Cross and Resurrection is not only incisive and elegantly written, but it is also a uniquely moving work deeply rooted in Christian experience. While writing this book Lewis experienced his own Holy Saturday in suffering from and finally succumbing to cancer. He considered Between Cross and Resurrection to be the culmination of his life's work.

ARE YOU VIEWING THE CROSS FROM THE THORN SIDE OR FROM THE THRONE SIDE? So many people view the Cross as their final destination. They see the crucified Jesus and that is as far as they go. When we come to the Cross, there are choices to be made and all of us need to make these choices or decisions in life. It is imperative that they are godly choices and not just based on human thoughts. On one side of the Cross, the thorn side, we often see Jesus still hanging on the Cross; therefore, it is up to us to do the works. On the other side of the Cross, the throne side, the Cross is empty and Jesus is sitting on His throne and has made a place for you and me to sit with Him. Our perspective will make all the difference between winning and losing in this life. We need a paradigm shift. A turnaround. I believe this book will help us do just that. Mel Tari Author, Like A Mighty Wind

What Does it Mean to Be "Crucified With Christ?" During his lifetime, renowned teacher A.W. Tozer was often invited to speak at seminaries, churches, and Bible conferences on the topic of the cross and its meaning for the Christian life. Now, in this never-before-published distillation of his best teaching on the subject, you will gain a fresh understanding of the cross's centrality to your walk of faith in Christ. The apostle Paul declared in his letter to the Galatians that he had been "crucified with Christ." But what does this mean? Is this a claim every believer can and should make? The Crucified Life is a comprehensive examination of these questions, answered with the deep, biblical thinking for which Tozer was revered. "God is ingenious in developing crosses for His followers," Tozer was fond of saying. At the heart of this book, you will find a call to follow Christ to the cross and be raised to new life--a call to live the crucified life.

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.