Discovering The End Of Time

Apocalyptic millennialism is embraced by the most powerful strands of evangelical Christianity. The followers of these groups believe in the physical return of Jesus to Earth in the Second Coming, the affirmation of a Rapture, a millennium of peace under the rule of Jesus and his saints, and, at last, final judgment and deep eternity. In Discovering the End of Time, Donald Akenson traces the primary vector of apocalyptic millennialism to southern Ireland in the 1820s and ’30s. Surprisingly, these apocalyptic concepts – which many scholars associate with the poor, the ill-educated, and the desperate – were articulated most forcefully by a rich, well-educated coterie of Irish Protestants. Drawing a striking portrait of John Nelson Darby, the major figure in the evolution of evangelical dispensationalism, Akenson demonstrates Darby’s formative influence on ideas that later came to have a foundational impact on American evangelicalism in general and on Christian fundamentalism in particular. Careful to emphasize that recognizing the origins of apocalyptic millennialism in no way implies a judgment on the validity of its constructs, Akenson draws on a deep knowledge of early nineteenth-century history and theology to deliver a powerful history of an Irish religious elite and a major intersection in the evolution of modern Christianity. Opening the door into an Ireland that was hiding in plain sight, Discovering the End of Time tells a remarkable story, at once erudite, conversational, and humorous, and characterized by an impressive range and depth of research.

The book of Revelation begins and ends with guarantees that its inspiring message leads to blessing. Popular Bible teacher and author Ron Rhodes guides readers on an encouraging journey through this prophetic book, interpreting its picturesque language and revealing its reassuring promises. Each short chapter is perfect for a group Bible study or a personal quiet time and includes... Scripture Reading and Insights—a short passage of Revelation and easy-to-understand notes on each verse Major Themes—brief summaries of the most important ideas Digging Deeper with Cross-References—several other passages readers can look up on relevant topics Life Lessons—practical and helpful applications to everyday life Questions for Reflection and Discussion—thought-provoking starters for group discussions or personal journaling Readers who may have been confused or intimidated by Revelation will appreciate this easy-to-understand and practical presentation of its empowering truths.

Fundamental science will one day come to an end, argues Russell Stannard. Ultimately there will be experiments too vast to finance, areas of knowledge the human brain cannot comprehend, evidence that forever eludes us. His book explores the likely boundaries of our quest to understand the nature of time, matter, consciousness, and the universe.

A startling exploration of the history of the most controversial book of the Bible, by the bestselling author of Beyond Belief. Through the bestselling books of Elaine Pagels, thousands of readers have come to know and treasure the suppressed biblical texts known as the Gnostic Gospels. As one of the world's foremost religion scholars, she has been a pioneer in interpreting these books and illuminating their place in the early history of Christianity. Her new book, however, tackles a text that is firmly, dramatically within the New Testament canon: The Book of Revelation, the surreal apocalyptic vision of the end of the world . . . or is it? In this startling and timely book, Pagels returns The Book of Revelation to its historical origin, written as its author John of Patmos took aim at the Roman Empire after what is now known as "the Jewish War," in 66 CE. Militant Jews in Jerusalem, fired with religious fervor, waged an all-out war against Rome's occupation of Judea and their defeat resulted in the desecration of Jerusalem and its Great Temple. Pagels persuasively interprets Revelation as a scathing attack on the decadence of Rome. Soon after, however, a new sect known as "Christians" seized on John's text as a weapon against heresy and infidels of all kinds-Jews, even Christians who dissented from their increasingly rigid doctrines and hierarchies. In a time when global religious violence surges, Revelations explores how often those in power throughout history have sought to force "God's enemies" to submit or be killed. It is sure to appeal to Pagels's committed readers and bring her a whole new audience who want to understand the roots of dissent, violence, and division in the world's religions, and to appreciate the lasting appeal of this extraordinary text.

A new look at the first few seconds after the Big Bang—and how research into these moments continues to revolutionize our understanding of our universe Scientists in the past few decades have made crucial discoveries about how our cosmos evolved over the past 13.8 billion years. But there remains a critical gap in our knowledge: we still know very little about what happened in the first seconds after the Big Bang. At the Edge of Time focuses on what we have recently learned and are still striving to understand about this most essential and mysterious period of time at the beginning of cosmic history. Delving into the remarkable science of cosmology, Dan Hooper describes many of the extraordinary and perplexing questions that scientists are asking about the origin and nature of our world. Hooper examines how we are using the Large Hadron Collider and other experiments to re-create the conditions of the Big Bang and test promising theories for how and why our universe came to contain so much matter and so little antimatter. We may be poised to finally discover how dark matter was formed during our universe’s first moments, and, with new telescopes, we are also lifting the veil on the era of cosmic inflation, which led to the creation of our world as we know it. Wrestling with the mysteries surrounding the initial moments that followed the Big Bang, At the Edge of Time presents an accessible investigation of our universe and its origin.

A fascinating blend of poetry and science, Ben-Oni’s poems are precisely crafted, like a surgeon sewing a complicated stitch. The speaker of the collection falls ill, and takes comfort in exploring the idea of “Efes” which is “zero” in Modern Hebrew, using that nullification to be a means of transformation.

Since the day Jesus ascended into heaven, the church has eagerly awaited his second coming. And during the intervening years too many Christians have focused their study of the Bible entirely on discovering the end-time signs of his coming. Does Jesus expect us to focus on dates and signs, or does he want us to instead develop a healthy and mature apocalyptic spirituality as we await his coming and the culmination of his plan of redemption and restoration? Many of today's Christians lack a basic understanding of apocalyptic spirituality or do not understand God's mission through the church. Consequently they fail to see and appropriate the rich truths that can be learned and applied to their lives today. Yes, Revelation is a book for today! This book begins by explaining how the historic misinterpretation of end-time Biblical literature has distracted Christians from their true spiritual development and mission. It then explains how developing a proper apocalyptic spirituality can lead believers to healthy applications of end-time teachings. Discover how apocalyptic Biblical literature can help you see the redemptive work that God has in store for us today while we await his imminent return.

Why wonder or worry about the future? God has given you a sneak preview. With all that’s transpiring in the world, people can’t help but wonder what the future holds. Will there ever be peace on earth? How long will the world live under the threat of terrorism? Is a one-world ruler on the horizon? God has already provided answers to these questions in the book of Daniel, which sets forth His blueprints for the future. In fact, when you understand the prophecies Daniel reveals, every other prophecy in the Bible will fit somewhere in the plan. If you want to understand the future, if you want to know what will happen in the “end of days,” you need to begin with the prophecies of the Book of Daniel. Join me on this glorious adventure into the future. --Kay Arthur The 40-Minute Bible Studies tackle vital issues in short, easy-to-grasp lessons for personal or group use–with no homework required.