Title: Answers to the Most Important Questions About the End Times
Author: Dr. John Hart
Published by: Bethany House Publishers on August 16, 2016
Pages: 192 (Paperback)
Blurb: Everything You Need to Know about the End Times in One Guide
For everyone who is curious, confused, or even fearful about Jesus’ second coming, the Antichrist, the end of the world, the book of Revelation, and biblical prophecy, Dr. John Hart clearly and respectfully offers real, biblical answers. He reveals exactly what God’s Word says as well as what it doesn’t say, explaining how it impacts your family and friends. This slender volume answers everyone’s most-asked questions, and even includes a list of Bible references for further study.
My Take: This was a book that I was very eager to get my hands on as I’ve gone to Bible Studies on and off with some people who are very into the book of Revelation and trying to interpret today’s world as nearing the end times. Having listened to a few audiobooks of the Left Behind series, and knowing Christians with all sorts of conflicting views on how the book of Revelation should be interpreted, I was ready to dive into this one. After all, Dr. John Hart attended the Dallas Theological Seminary and teaches as the Moody Bible Institute. I’d say his interpretations can at least carry some weight for consideration.
I’ve read through Revelation twice in my five years as a Christian. The same with Isaiah and I’ve been through Daniel a few times more than that. I have a fairly good foundation in Scripture that I was bringing to the table before opening this book, but all from a casual reader standpoint. This review will, therefore, not dissect or dispute the information that was presented, but rather be about how things were presented and other aspects.
I loved how the book was broken into twelve chapters, each one answering a question about a different topic regarding the end times, such as what is the rapture, what nations will be in power during the end times, and what is the second coming of Jesus? While not all of these questions were burning questions for me, they all had clear value and some of the early questions helped build upon the information needed to understand a later topic. It was structured quite well, and each chapter ranged from ten to twenty pages in length, enough to approach it devotional-style and read a chapter a day for pacing purposes.
There is a lot of Scripture referenced throughout the book, and many times Dr. Hart provides context for the passages, whether it is the events or phrases surrounding the Scripture quoted or else delving into historical or cultural background necessary to gain a better understanding. All of this is structured to be friendly for both the person who has done a lot of study on Revelation as well as for those who are newer to the study of the end times. That is, I believe, one of the strengths of this book. Dr. Hart presents the information in a way that is neither watered-down nor overly dense and so it holds that appeal across a broad spectrum of readership. While it would have been nice to have seen more alternative beliefs explored in this book, that isn’t really what this sets out to accomplish. To have exhausted all possibilities on even one or two questions would have swelled this book’s length and made it less reader-friendly.
At under 200 pages, this book is a perfect addition to every Christian’s bookshelf and is likely to be something that is revisited many times over the years. It would also serve as an excellent small group study, allowing time to not only read through the chapter but really dig in as a group and do more digging into the passages and references mentioned throughout. I can see this being a great fit for many people, from lifelong Christians to new believers. Even if you encounter areas where his conclusions don’t quite line up to your own, he at least provides enough background as to why or how he reached that conclusion to make it a worthwhile read.
I was provided a free copy from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Author David Wiley 