In God's Time: The Bible and the Future

by Craig C. Hill

Book Overview

Enormous confusion exists today concerning the Bible's teaching about the future. Millions of contemporary Christians are caught up in "rapture" fever, evidenced by the phenomenal success of the Left Behind novels. At the opposite end of the spectrum are those, such as the leaders of the Jesus Seminar, who believe that Jesus did not teach about the approaching Kingdom of God.

In God's Time offers an alternative to these two poles in the debate,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802860907
• ISBN13: 9780802860903
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Length: 237 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Good Summary of Mainstream View of Revelation

So many people view Revelation as a precise road map to the future or an ancient book, fine for its day (two millennia ago), but of no use today. In plain language, this book presents a middle ground: Revelation presents insights into the final conclusion at the end of time. (From the Christian viewpoint - God wins) A very good introductory study for those who have a biblical background, but have avoided Revelation, because Revelation seems to be solely for the fundamentalists, unknowable, or irrelevant.

Will Dr. Hill miss the rapture?

Up until now, nearly all the reading I have done on the End Times has come from one of two camps: the dispensational camp (mostly in the early years of my Christian walk before I wised up) and the reformed (more specifically, reconstructionist) camp. Despite their obvious and radical differences, both camps shared, at least theoretically, the view that the Bible is inerrant. "In God's Time" attempts to take a moderate, scholarly approach to eschatology and make it comprehensible to the layperson. In this regard, the book is a success.Author Craig C. Hill begins his work by establishing for the reader his approach to biblical interpretation, which is, again, a moderate, scholarly approach, using the tools of historical biblical criticism. Hardline inerrantists will probably opt out at this point (thus my tongue-in-cheek review title), but they will be missing a great deal. Rather than trying to make all the eschatalogical pieces from divergent sources fit together, Hill acknowledges the differences while at the same time accentuating the overarching theme of God's ultimate victory. Without succumbing either to the skepticism of the Jesus Seminar or the hysteria of the "Left Behind" devotees, the author gives a balanced, even-handed view of eschatology. This book can become a template for reading any prophetic literature contained in the Bible.Although the audience that could most benefit from a book like this will surely be the least receptive (if they even know about the book in the first place), this is a worthy antidote to much of the end-times silliness (including the "rapture" theory) that is rampant in today's world. Before you buy the next installment of the "Left Behind" series, pick this up instead.

A thoughtful, engaging examination of apocalyptic writings

In God's Time: The Bible And The Future by Craig C. Hill (Professor of New Testament, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C.) is an informed and informative contribution to the on-going theological debate about the Bible, the future, and the predicted day of Rapture. Taking a moderate stance between those who intensely burn with "rapture fever", and those of the Jesus Seminar who believe that Jesus did not teach about the approaching Kingdom of God, In God's Time is a scholarly, thoughtful, engaging examination of apocalyptic writings, the history of prophecy, patterns of theological orientation, and much, much more. In God's Time is a welcome and highly recommended combination of intellectual and theological discourse.

The End of the World

Let's face it; end times stuff is hotter than Hell right now. As Christians, or one interested in a deeper understanding of Christian spirituality and the Bible, many of us want to know what the hype's about. What's going on under the surface of all these different beliefs and movements in the church? Craig Hill treats this facinating subject with wit, humility, and thoroughly layperson-accesable scholarship.Liberal and conservative Christians alike need to read this book. Dr. Hill engages the reader with a fantasitic and engaging writing voice, simultaniously educating us about a subject at the very heart of Christian thought--from first to twenty first century! Understanding the currents of Apocalyptic thinking is indeed the only door through which one can fully grasp Jesus and the earliest Christians.This book is a tool waiting to be put to cataclysmically good use. Perfect for bible studies (materials and handouts can be printed out from its website), small groups, or just personal enrichment, don't miss this cogent and fun journey through the most essential of biblical topics.

A Much Needed Book

It seems that every year someone comes up with some new forecast based on careful study of the Bible and the Book of Revelation that predicts the end of the world. Whether it's the European Union as the twelve-headed dragon of Revelation, or Osama Bin-Laden as the anti-Christ, attempts to tie our times to the End Times abound. Authors make fortunes writing novels set in the End Times, spelling out the way it will happen. It's enough to give you a headache and to seriously doubt whether any sane, rational Christian can believe in this End Times stuff.Fortunately, Wesley Seminary Professor Craig Hill has provided the remedy to both our headaches and our discomfort. In his new book In God's Time, Professor Hill paves a middle way between overly literalist "Left Behind" theology and minimalist skepticism that dismisses anything about the End Times in the Bible as inauthentic. Hill demonstrates with great clarity and conviction why belief in the ultimate victory of God is essential to Christian faith, from our understanding of Jesus' resurrection to our hopes for the Kingdom. He looks at the traditions of apocalyptic thinking as they began in Judaism and were developed in Christianity. Hill provides a way for Christians to have hope in the future that is not dominated by hysterical nonsense or right-wing theology. There has long been a need for such a book in contemporary Christianity, and Dr. Hill has written it.Professor Hill's brilliant scholarship is combined with down-to-earth style. It is full of every-day metaphors and down-home examples and written in a style accessible to lay people without avoiding difficult and essential scholarly questions. Anyone interested in what the Bible has to say about the future, and anyone interested in the Bible in general, will find In God's Time an enjoyable and informative read.Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury designate, Richard Wilke, founder of the Disciple Bible study series, Tony Campolo, Jürgen Moltmann, Luke Timothy Johnson, Pheme Perkins, and Walter Brueggemann have all offered words of great praise for Professor Hill's much needed book and recommended it to laity and scholars alike. Without presuming in the slightest to be on a level with such scholars, I add my own name to the list of those strongly recommending this book for Christians everywhere.