Jesus and the End-Time Preface

I am not a specialist in the study of the end-time. My acquaintance with literature on the subject is no more than a smattering, and until I began working on this book I had very little to say on the subject either privately or from the pulpit. I come, not as a specialist, but as an interpreter. I have the conviction that the Bible offers itself for interpretation. On the subject of the end-time no less than other subjects it is a book for ordinary people, and any interpreter who gives it careful attention will find that it speaks plainly-not always, but often enough to keep him busy for a long time. Books on this subject for the general reader have, in recent years, been dominated by a single point of view (actually, a method of interpretation). My intention is to show another way of reading the Bible concerning the end-time-a way that is more natural and less complicated. My first interest is pastoral. One way or another, all theology relates to daily life; so if this book has a dominant motif, it is the responsibility of Christians to reflect the urgency of the end-time in their churches, homes, and daily work. It is, therefore, not an exercise in academic theology. Though I hope academic theologians will find merit in it, I hope even more to provoke serious interest in the end-time among Christians of all sorts. Everything in the book was first shared with a congregation, though in much different form. It is dedicated to these dear friends; they not only wait patiently for the coming of the Lord, they also had to listen to a great deal about it for a period of several months! As I shared with them, I tried my best to do it in ordinary language, but without sacrificing accuracy. I continue that habit in the book. Technical terms lend precision to an interpretation for those readers who understand them, but for the rest they cause rapid loss of interest. So technical discussions are reserved for the endnotes. These notes are more than bibliographical references; often they furnish further information and analysis for those who want to go a little deeper. I would prefer that you would read the book from front to back; that is the way it was written, and later discussions presuppose earlier ones. The work of interpretation is ongoing. This book is hardly the last word on the subject of the end-time. It is a contribution to a lively and important discussion in which all Christians are invited to share. I want to express my appreciation to all those who encouraged me in this task. Their communicating to me that I could do it helped me believe that maybe I could. I particularly want to thank Rev. J. Eldon Johnson, translator of Nils W. Lund's Israel and the Church, for making that work available in English; and Rev. Dan Monson, who, on the basis of a half-remembered quotation-all I gave him-found the Luther material that is quoted in the endnotes. Scripture quotations are, unless otherwise noted, from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. » Next Page — The Interpretation of the End-Time: Things New and Old » Table of Contents » Home