Second To The Last For The Year

God is clearly directing my steps, from diving into a study of the Covenants and now into Biblical theology. The importance of learning this subject cannot be overemphasized enough. As I progress into it I realize the utter illiteracy of modern Christians who are desperately unable to translate the truths of Scripture to everyday troubles and therefore have absolutely no desire to go into serious Bible study since they cannot see the hope there is at the end. This is partly because the pulpit leaves out the uniformity of God's counsel in redemptive history as a progressive revelation in an unfolding fashion in their study. The beauty of God's Word is turned into something merely academic when Scripture is understood to be a collection of disconnected stories and not part of a whole, and thus it falls outside the interest of the layman. He cannot make anything of it. An understanding of Biblical theology addresses these and more.

Typology - Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ by James M. Hamilton, Jr.

When you read the Bible, have you ever noticed parallels between certain people, events, and institutions? Should we understand Noah as a kind of new Adam, and if so, does that somehow point us to the second Adam? How are we to interpret these similarities?

In Typology--Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns, author James M. Hamilton Jr. shows that the similarities we find in the Bible are based on genuine historical correspondence and demonstrates how we recognize them in the repetition of words and phrases, the parallels between patterns of events, and key thematic equivalences. When read in light of God's promises, these historical correspondences spotlight further repetitions that snowball on one another to build escalating significance.

This book stimulates fresh thinking on the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and will help pastors, preachers, and students better understand the dynamics of inner-biblical interpretation. It explores several of the "promise-shaped patterns" we see in the Old Testament including:

• Adam and New Adam
• Prophets, Priests, and Kings
• The Righteous Sufferer
• Creation
• Exodus and New Exodus
• Marriage

Hamilton shows that the prophets and sages of Israel learned to interpret Scripture from Moses and his writings. And by tracing the organic development of subsequent biblical patterns, he explains how these patterns created expectations that are fulfilled in Christ. Jesus himself taught his followers to understand the Old Testament in this way (Luke 24:45), and the authors of the New Testament taught the earliest followers of Jesus how to read the Bible through a typological lens.

Typology--Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns equips pastors, bible teachers, students, and serious Bible readers to understand and embrace the typological interpretive perspective of the biblical authors. You will learn to read the Bible as it was intended by its original authors while cultivating a deeper love and appreciation for the Scriptures.

The Earth is Flat According To God's Word. It is a globe according to modern thought.

I have been studying this fascinating subject for about 8 years now with the help of 3D computer models since it falls within my field of expertise and have arrived at the conclusion that what we have been made to believe has all been fabricated. It is surprising to me how many well-meaning Christians and even preachers who strongly contend for the truth would suddenly be lax about it when this subject arises just because it goes against their assumptions of what is "scientifically true". These same preachers will readily ridicule proof, without searching for truth, but will readily rebuke an unbeliever of the gospel who does the same thing - not realizing the "scientific" model argues for evolution and chance, while the flat earth model contends for Scriptural evidence and logic. So the issue is not about what you know, but about what is true. 

I heard a preacher non-chalantly employ Isaiah 40:22 against an inquirer, quoting that the LORD is "he who sits upon the circle of the earth" The circle here is the word חוּג in Hebrew. Pronounced as "khug", meaning a flat circle or compass. You would think Isaiah would know the difference between a circle and a ball which he uses in chapter 22 verse 18. A circle is not the same as a ball - דּוּר (dur), and the preposition before that is צְנֵפָה (tsenephah) meaning toss. You don't toss a compass. You toss a ball. A circle can be and is often a flat circular plane. A ball is not because it has volume. 40:22 could have read "he who sits upon the ball of the earth" but it doesn't. Can you even begin to imagine how Revelation 1:7 is possible on a globe model?

While you are at it chew on this for a moment: this is a page from the 1971 Hammond Atlas. 

Terra Firma, the Earth Not a Planet: Proved From Scripture, Reason and Fact (Classic Reprint) by David Wardlaw Scott

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Excerpt:
I am now an old man, and, had I consulted my own comfort, would never have penned a line of this book, as for some years I have had cataract in both eyes, so that it was not without difiiculty that I. Could read or write. So great, however, appeared to be the need, and being still anxious to serve my generation, I determined to undertake this work, in order to expose the fallacies of Modern Astronomy, which are so contrary to the Word of God, and so conducive to the promotion of Infidelity. I do not enter the lists arrayed in the panoply of Neo Science, to fight this great Goliath, but only with a few pebbles of the brook, yet I trust that, with God's blessing, the attempt may not be altogether fruitless.

More on Biblical Theology.

The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God (New Studies in Biblical Theology, vol. 17 | NSBT)

G.K. Beale argues that the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the end-time reality that God’s presence, formerly limited to the Holy of Holies, would be extended throughout the cosmos. Hence, John’s vision in Revelation 21 is best understood as picturing the new heavens and earth as the eschatological temple. His stimulating exposition traces the theme of the tabernacle and temple across the Bible’s storyline, illuminating many texts and closely-related themes along the way. He shows how the significance and symbolism of the temple can be better understood in the context of ancient Near Eastern assumptions. He offers new insights into the meaning of the temple in both Old and New Testaments.

Key Features

• Contains scholarly and accessible volumes written by well-respected Biblical scholars
• Includes notes that interact with the best of recent research and significant literature
• Engages the immense challenges facing today’s church
• Offers new insights and challenges established positions
• Encourages Christians to better understand their Bibles through biblical theology

Contents

• Cosmic Symbolism of Temples in the Old Testament
• The Expanding Purpose of Temples in the Old Testament
• The Expanding End-Time Purpose of Temples in the Old Testament
• The 'Already and not yet' Fulfilment of the End-Time Temple in Christ and His People: The Gospels
• The Inauguration of a New Temple in the Book of Acts
• The Inauguration of a New Temple in the Epistles of Paul
• The Temple in 2 Thessalonians 2
• The Inauguration of a New Temple in Hebrews
• The World-Encompassing Temple in Revelation
• The Temple in Ezekiel 40–48 and Its Relationship to the New Testament
• Theological Conclusions: The Physical Temple as a Foreshadowing of God's and Christ's Presence as the True Temple

Top Highlights

“Our thesis is that Israel’s temple was composed of three main parts, each of which symbolized a major part of the cosmos: (1) the outer court represented the habitable world where humanity dwelt; (2) the holy place was emblematic of the visible heavens and its light sources; (3) the holy of holies symbolized the invisible dimension of the cosmos, where God and his heavenly hosts dwelt.” (Pages 32–33)

“My thesis is that the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the cosmic eschatological reality that God’s tabernacling presence, formerly limited to the holy of holies, was to be extended throughout the whole earth. Against this background, the Revelation 21 vision is best understood as picturing the final end-time temple that will fill the entire cosmos. If correct, the thesis provides not only the answer to the above problem in chapter 21, but also gives crucial insight into an understanding of the biblical theology of the temple in both testaments.” (Pages 25–26)

“Consequently, the new creation and Jerusalem are none other than God’s tabernacle. This tabernacle is the true temple of God’s special presence portrayed throughout chapter 21.” (Page 25)

“Israel’s temple was the place where the priest experienced God’s unique presence, and Eden was the place where Adam walked and talked with God. The same Hebrew verbal form (stem) mithallēk (hithpael) used for God’s ‘walking back and forth’ in the Garden (Gen. 3:8), also describes God’s presence in the tabernacle (Lev. 26:12; Deut. 23:14 [15]; 2 Sam. 7:6–7).” (Page 66)

Praise for the Print Edition

The importance of this book lies not only in the competent handling of its chosen theme but in three other things: its evocative unpacking of the theme of the temple and its relations to broader structures of thought, including the kingdom of God; its modeling of the way biblical theology is to be done; and its capacity to cause readers to perceive fresh and wonderful things in the Scriptures, and to bow in worship and gratitude.—D.A. Carson, research professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Beale has written a comprehensive (and to my mind, convincing) biblical theology, centering on the role of the temple both in Scripture and in the Ancient Near East.—David Renwick, Lexington Theological Quarterly

I recommend this work for anyone wrestling with eschatological issues of fulfillment or handling temple texts that are dealt with in this book. As for me, I intend to have the book handy anytime I approach biblical theology as a guidebook in methodology.—Tim Barker, Truth on Fire

Book Description from Logos.

Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology of the Hebrew Bible (New Studies in Biblical Theology, vol. 15 | NSBT)

Christian theologians rarely study the Old Testament in its final Hebrew canonical form, even though this was very likely the Bible used by Jesus and the early church. However, once read as a whole, the larger structure of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) provides a “wide-angle lens” through which its contents can be viewed.

Stephen G. Dempster argues that, despite its undoubted literary diversity, the Hebrew Bible possesses a remarkable structural and conceptual unity. The various genres and books are placed within a comprehensive narrative framework, which provides an overarching literary and historical context. The many texts contribute to this larger text and find their meaning and significance within its story of “dominion and dynasty,” which ranges from Adam to the Son of Man, from David to the coming Davidic king.

Key Features

• Contains scholarly and accessible volumes written by well-respected Biblical scholars
• Includes notes that interact with the best of recent research and significant literature
• Engages the immense challenges facing today’s church
• Offers new insights and challenges to established positions
• Encourages Christians to better understand their Bibles through biblical theology

Contents

• A Book or a Ragbag: A Literary Approach to Old Testament Theology
• The Beginning, Middle, and Ending of the Tanakh: A Preview of the Storyline (Adam to David)
• The Narrative Storyline Begins (Genesis)
• The Narrative Storyline Continues (Exodus to Deuteronomy)
• The Narrative Storyline Continues: The Former Prophets (Joshua to Kings)
• Suspension of the Storyline – Poetic Commentary Begins: The Latter Prophets (Jeremiah to the Twelve)
• Poetic Commentary Continues: The Writings (Ruth to Lamentations)
• Ending of Poetic Commentary and Resumption of Narrative Storyline (Daniel to Chronicles)
• Typology and New Testament Reflections

Top Highlights

“A key purpose of genealogies in some contexts is to show a divine purpose that moves history to a specific goal.” (Page 47)

“It is the thesis of this book that, when the Hebrew Bible is read and reread (that is, viewed with a wide-angle lens), the faces of the biblical Rushmore—‘the purposeful pattern’—will be seen clearly, rather than the ‘textual patchwork’ in the face of the mountain.” (Page 30)

“The goal of Exodus is thus the building of the Edenic sanctuary so that the Lord can dwell with his people, just as he once was Yahweh Elohim to the first human beings.” (Page 100)

“They show that Sinai, not Egypt, is Israel’s largest roadblock to Canaan” (Page 101)

“Another way of describing this emphasis on human dominion and dynasty would be by the simple expression ‘the kingdom of God’. The earth is created for human dominion and rule, which reflects the divine rule. For human beings to function as the image of God they need a territory, a domain to rule over. And to have the land without human beings is also pointless, for the kingdom needs a king, the dominion a dynasty.” (Page 62)

Praise for the Print Edition

Dempster’s reading of the storyline of the Old Testament is fresh, provocative, helpful—and doubtless will prove to be the stuff of many sermons and lectures. His closing chapter points to some of the links that bind the Old and New Testaments together, an obviously urgent goal for the Christian preacher and teacher.—D.A. Carson, research professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School 

Book Description from Logos.