A Christ-centered Approach

to Last-Day Events

Norman Gulley
Copyright © 1998 by
Review and Herald ® Publishing Association
International copyright secured

The author assumes full responsibility for the accuracy of all facts and quotations as cited in this book.

Unless otherwise noted, Bible texts in this book are from the Holy Bible, New International
Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan
Bible Publishers.
Bible texts credited to Moffatt are from: The Bible: A New Translation, by James Moffatt.
Copyright by James Moffat 1954. Used by permission of Harper & Row, Publishers, Incorporated.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, © The Lockman
Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977.
Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982,
by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bible texts credited to RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©
1946, 1952, 1971, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.
Texts credited to RV are from The Revised Version, Oxford University Press, 1911.

This book was

Edited by Gerald Wheeler
Copyedited by Eugene Lincoln
Jacket designed by Ron J. Pride
Cover photo/illustration: PhotoDisc/Ron J. Pride
Typeset: 11/12 Times

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

02 01 00 99 5 4 3 2

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Gulley, Norman R.
Christ is coming! : a Christ-centered approach to last-day events
/Norman Gulley.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.

1. Seventh-day Adventists—Doctrines. 2. End of the world.

3. Second Advent. I. Title.
BX6154.G85 1998
236—dc21 98-23498
CIP

ISBN 0-8280-1335-7
 “For more than 30 years Norman Gulley has been teaching and writing about the last things.
His doctoral dissertation focused on Karl Barth’s eschatology, and Gulley brings a depth of re-
flection and richness of research to this book. Christ Is Coming, the pinnacle of his life’s work,
makes a major contribution to the Adventist Church and to Christian thought in general. What im-
presses me most about this book is Gulley’s love for Christ and the assurance that He brings as
we face the end-time.” William G. Johnsson, Ph.D.
Executive Publisher and Editor
Adventist Review

“Seventh-day Adventists for too long have anticipated the end of this world with fear and trep-
idation. Norman Gulley successfully challenges that premise. He demonstrates that ‘the real time
of trouble is for those who hate God’s people, and seek to eradicate them.’ The author has given
us a work that encompasses far more than predictions about last-day events. It summarizes the
lifework of one who has taught systematic theology for almost 40 years.”
Rose Otis
Vice President
North American Division

“At last a thorough treatment of the Adventist doctrine of eschatology with a solidly biblical
and Christ-centered focus! Eschatology is treated wholistically, within the larger perspective of
the biblical worldview and the major alternative worldviews and end-time movements. This book
will be an invaluable guide to last-day events for college and seminary students as well as pastors
and laypersons. I plan to use it as my textbook for my seminary class in biblical eschatology.”
Richard M. Davidson, Ph.D.
Old Testament Department
Andrews University Theological Seminary
J. N. Andrews Professor of Old Testament
Interpretation and Chair

“Gulley’s book provides an exciting, positive picture of the Second Coming for those whose
faith is in the Lord. It is well grounded in Scripture, written in an easy-to-grasp style, yet provides
additional material for those who wish to dig deeper. A must read for every Adventist who believes
and hopes for the soon return of our Lord.” Randall W. Younker, Ph.D.
Director, Ph.D./Th.D. programs
Andrews University Theological Seminary

“A comprehensive, sensible, thoroughly Adventist, thoroughly Christ-centered look at a

doctrine of the end-times. This book fills a major gap in Adventist publication.”
Jon Paulien, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament Interpretation
Andrews University Theological Seminary
 “Christ Is Coming! is the most comprehensive volume on last-day events in the light of the
great controversy that has ever been written. With its focus on Christ instead of the crisis, it brings
hope to the heart and refreshes the soul.” Jack J. Blanco, Th.D.
Dean, School of Religion
Southern Adventist University

Norman Gulley’s book Christ Is Coming! is a comprehensive, yet easy-to-read discussion

of the major issues regarding salvation, the understanding of Scripture, and the end-time
prophecies. Its evaluation of the deceptive end-time doctrines of our time is beneficial for every
reader. Its greatest contribution is the consistent application of the everlasting gospel to the
prophetic Word of God.” Hans K. LaRondelle, Th.D.
Professor Emeritus of Theology
Andrews University Theological Seminary

Christ Is Coming! is written to give the reader step- by-step instructions on how to prepare
for the final events in the great controversy. Gulley takes complex contemporary themes and de-
velops them into a simple, concise writing style for average people.”
Oliver J. McKinney
Ministerial Association Secretary
Southern Union Conference

“If you are serious about watching and working while awaiting the parousia of our Lord,
Norm Gulley’s thoroughgoing volume will help render the journey informed and expectant. I’ll
be keeping my copy close at hand.” Mervyn A. Warren, Ph.D., D.Min.
Chairman of Religion
Oakwood College

“The book is fragrant with hope, faith, and confidence in Christ’s soon return, and I’ve
been deeply moved by it. Those who know and love Norman Gulley as a teacher will hear his
voice in every line, and if they listen carefully, they will hear Christ’s voice as well.”
Ed Christian, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English and Bible
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

“One of the most popular religion classes at Southern Adventist University is Last-Day Events,
taught by Norman R. Gulley. From years of experience and deep study he offers a unique textbook
that is for all members of the church.” Leo Van Dolson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Religion and
Health Evangelism
Southern Adventist University
 “With the impressive thoroughness we’ve come to expect, Norm Gulley has done the Seventh-
day Adventist Church and the Christian church in general a great service in preparing a textbook
on last-day events. . . . It holds a wealth of immediately relevant information that every concerned
and committed Christian will want to read.” Warren Ashworth, Ph.D.
Professor of Religion
Pacific Union College

“This comprehensive volume is a must for all who want to hear the present heartbeat of
centrist Adventist eschatology.” Arthur N. Patrick, D.Min., Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor
Church History and Pastoral Ministry
La Sierra University

“A comprehensive and all-encompassing overview of where we are today in terms of last-

day events. Dr. Gulley has written a book that all Seventh-day Adventists should read, whether
they would agree with every point or not.” Clifford Goldstein
Editor, Liberty
This page intentionally left blank.
6
 Dedication
his book is dedicated to all my students, past, present, and future. What

T an inspiration and joy to have you in my classes! I dedicate the book to

those I have had the privilege of presenting last-day events to at camp
meetings, workers’ meetings, and weekend seminars. You too were such
a blessing to me! I look forward to more. I have learned from you. Last,
I want to dedicate the book to each reader, that you may be encouraged to joy-
fully face final events.

Acknowledgments
want to thank the Review and Herald ® Publishing Association for undertaking

I to publish this volume. I salute you for sensing the church needs a textbook/
sourcebook on last-day events. Special thanks are due Richard Coffen, vice
president for editorial; Gerald Wheeler, assistant vice president; Jeannette
Johnson, acquisitions editor; and Tim Crosby, editor-at-large. I am grateful to
these persons and to all the team who worked so well on the project. As always,
Gerald Wheeler did excellent work in editing.
I want to thank those who gave such kind and generous endorsements of this
book. Their words are an encouragement. Above all, I want to thank my Saviour
for the many ideas that came to me while looking at last-day events from His per-
spective. I have sensed His presence with me in the research and writing of this
books, and worship and adore Him for His gracious leading during the many years
of gathering and thinking through the data.
Grateful thanks to Peggy Bennett, director of libraries and her staff for obtain-
ing interlibrary loan books and articles through the McKee Library at Southern
Adventist University.
This page intentionally left blank.
8
 Foreword
he heartbeat of Adventism is succinctly expressed in the words of the

T Hymn, “We have this hope which burns within our hearts, hope in the com-
ing of the Lord.”
While early Adventists eagerly grasped the prophecies of the Second
Coming, their focus centered not so much upon the doctrine per se as on Christ
Himself. It was with tears of joy and eager anticipation that they looked forward to
seeing their Saviour and Lord. That hope is still the spirit of Adventism today.
As the good news of salvation through Christ alone and His soon return is broad-
cast by satellite and shared with others by millions of Adventists around the world,
the great controversy between Christ and Satan is intensifying. Planet Earth, filled
with people for whom Christ died, hurtles through the pre-Advent time zone with
comparatively few aware that they are heading toward the end of human history. The
faster we travel, the greater our need of the Holy Spirit to help us focus on Christ in-
stead of the crisis while at the same time recognizing the hazards along the way.
Dr. Norman Gulley has provided a comprehensive, Christ-centered volume on
end-time events, movements, and scriptural teachings crucial to our understanding
and safety. Postmodern thinking, which holds opposite values to be equally true;
spirituality without the authority of Scripture; theistic evolution without 24-hour days
of creation and a weekly Sabbath; worship as entertainment; and apparitions of Mary
with supposed messages from heaven are only a few of the hazards exposed.
While Dr. Gulley wrote Christ Is Coming! first as a textbook for Seventh-day
Adventist young people, I recommend it to all of whatever age and Christian per-
suasion whose hope is the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Robert S. Folkenberg
This page intentionally left blank.
10
 Contents

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

PART ONE l INFORMATION FOR THE JOURNEY

CHAPTER 1 l HOPE FOR POSTMODERNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Differences Between Modernity and Postmodernity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Difficulties in Postmodernity for the Study of End-time Events. . . . . . . . . . 31
Postmodern Theory Cannot Be Lived . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Limits to Pluralism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Opportunities in Postmodernism for Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The Gospel as Transcultural, Transgenerational . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
The X Generation and Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

CHAPTER 2 l THE LARGER BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

The Larger Worldview of Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

CHAPTER 3 l CHRIST KNOWS THE FUTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Process Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Process Theology as Threat to Christianity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
The Issue of Personal Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
A Deeper Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
 12

Faulty Idea of Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

True Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
The Truth About God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Christ as Revelation of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Crossless Theology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

CHAPTER 4 l CHRIST IN CONTROL OF FINAL EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Escape From Egypt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Red Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Our Greatest Danger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Go Possess the Land. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The Other Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Other Giants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

CHAPTER 5 l SNEAK PREVIEW INTO LAST-DAY EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Importance of Daniel and Revelation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Entirely New Religious Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
The Book of Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
The Book of Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Another Major Division in Revelation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Two Further Structures in Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Great Controversy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

CHAPTER 6 l DISPENSATIONAL FINAL EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

System of Biblical Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
The Roots of the Movement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Dispensational Hermeneutics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Is the Present Return of Israel Prophetic? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Calvary as Christ’s Last Word About Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
The Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

CHAPTER 7 l OTHER VIEWS ON FINAL EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Nineteenth-Century Ideas About the End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
 13

Twentieth-Century Ideas About the End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Danger of Historical Criticism of Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Biblical Eschatology Is Three-dimensional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Christological Eschatology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

CHAPTER 8 l THE ROLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Earmarks of the Counterfeit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
How Satan Has Made a Counterfeit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Catholicism in the End-time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

CHAPTER 9 l THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

CHAPTER 10 l MODERN SPIRITUALISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

The Pretense of Spiritualism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
No Protection in Churches Against Spiritualism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Role of Spiritualism in the End-time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Masterpiece of Deception. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

CHAPTER 11 l THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Challenge to End-time Christians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Extensive Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Astonishing Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Roots and Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Importance of Acts to Tongues-speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
The Debate on Tongues in Acts and Corinthians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Biblical Evaluation of Tongues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
The Two-Baptism Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Tongues as a/the Sign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Why Spirit Baptism After Conversion in Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
The Real Meaning of the Full Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
The Function of the Spirit Since Pentecost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
The Sign of the Spirit’s Presence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Tongues and the “Spirit of Truth” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Non-Christian Tongues-speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
“Christian Tongues” Induced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
 14

Bypassing the Conscious Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Linguistic Analysis of Tongues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Why Tongues? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Tongues Movement as Fulfillment of Prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

CHAPTER 12 l THEOSOPHY: ROOTS OF THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT . . . . . . 159

Where We’ve Come So Far . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
The End-time Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
New Age of Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Brief Overview of Roots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Theosophical Preparation for the New Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Helena P. Blavatsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Alice A. Bailey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Reappearance of Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
The Coming Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

CHAPTER 13 l THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT AND END-TIME EVENTS . . . . . . 179

When Does It Begin? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
New Paradigm Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Humanity Taking Charge of Evolution? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Global Consciousness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Global Union and the Antichrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

CHAPTER 14 l THE NEW AGE ATTACK ON JESUS CHRIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

In the End-time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
False Gospel Promoted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, 1907. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
The Urantia Book, 1955 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
A Course in Miracles, 1976 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Is One Greater Than Christ to Come? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
 15

CHAPTER 15 l THE CHRISTIAN COALITION AND THE ENDGAME . . . . . . . . . 211

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

CHAPTER 16 l DOMINION ESCHATOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Goal: World Dominion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

CHAPTER 17 l PRECURSORS OF END-TIME ESCHATOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Savonarola in Florence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
John Calvin’s Geneva. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Oliver Cromwell in England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Puritans in England and New England. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Religion and State United in Other Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Confusion of God’s Kingdom With the World’s Kingdoms . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
The Kingdom in Premodern Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
The Kingdom in Modern Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Biblical Views of the Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

CHAPTER 18 l YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

The Trump Card in the End-time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Debate About Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

CHAPTER 19 l THE INTERMEDIATE STATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

He Saw Her Last Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
The “Already” and “Not Yet” Eschatological Tension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Intermediate State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

CHAPTER 20 l PURGATORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

More Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Where Did the Idea Come From? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Protestants Take Note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

CHAPTER 21 l HOLISTIC VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Contemporary Holistic Anthropology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
 16

What About Soul Sleep? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

CHAPTER 22 l THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF DEATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

Old Testament Insights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
New Testament Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Death and Spiritualism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Death as the Last Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Christ’s Return and the Resurrected Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Christ’s Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Christ’s Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

CHAPTER 23 l THE DEBATE ON HELL HEATS UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299

The Hell-Death Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Those Opposing Hell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

CHAPTER 24 l THE CASES FOR AND AGAINST HELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305

Taught in Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Taught by Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Examples Seeming to Confirm Hell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
The Case Against Hell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

CHAPTER 25 l THE BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW AND HELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

The Question of Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

CHAPTER 26 l THE BATTLE AGAINST THE SABBATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325

Satan’s Guise in Attacking Christ and His Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
A Look at History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333

CHAPTER 27 l THE SABBATH IN CRISIS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

Three Views on the Sabbath. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Old and New Covenant Dichotomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Sabbath Not Rejected in the New Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
 17

Sabbath Not a Creation Ordinance? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Sabbath as Temporary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Sabbath as a Creation Ordinance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
The Creator/Redeemer Dichotomy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

CHAPTER 28 l SATAN’S SUNDAY SABBATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

Sunday in the New Testament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Sunday Worship in the New Testament Questioned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Origin of Sunday Observance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Sabbath as a Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Sunday as a Moral Commandment?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Sunday and Religious Liberty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

CHAPTER 29 l THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351

Sabbath as Essence of the Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Types Met Fulfillment in Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Sabbath More Than a Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Sabbath Remains for Christians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
The End-time Sabbath Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
How to Prepare for the Coming Crisis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357

CHAPTER 30 l THE REAL ISSUE IN THE COMING SUNDAY LAW . . . . . . . . . 358

The Purpose of the Sabbath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Sabbath as Creation Ordinance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Sabbath Unfolded in Salvation History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Old Testament Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
New Testament Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
The Real Issue in the Sunday Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
The Final Exodus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

CHAPTER 31 l EVOLUTION: A THEORY IN CRISIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375

The Mission of Seventh-day Adventists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Massive Influence of Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Influence on Christians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Evolution of Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
 18

Recent Publications Calling Evolutionary Theory Into Question . . . . . . . . 379

The Parameters of Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Causation as a Part of Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
The Origin of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

CHAPTER 32 l EVIDENCES AGAINST EVOLUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388

Descent or Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
The Function of DNA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Complexity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
The Human Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
The Cell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396

CHAPTER 33 l EVOLUTION UNDER FIRE AND AN END-TIME CHALLENGE . . 398

Natural Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
The Fossil Record Doesn’t Support Darwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Punctuated Equilibrium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Cambrian Explosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Cladistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Molecular Biology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Evolutionary Logic Questioned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Evolution as a Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
The Changing Evolutionary Worldview and the Challenge
to Seventh-day Adventist Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408

CHAPTER 34 l THE PRE-ADVENT JUDGMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410

Jesus Understands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
The Pre-Advent Investigation in Its Biblical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Pre-Advent Judgment in Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

CHAPTER 35 l THE GOOD NEWS OF THE PRE-ADVENT JUDGMENT . . . . . . . 427

Day of Atonement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Pre-Advent Judgment in Hebrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Revelation Corroborates Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
The Good News About the Pre-Advent Judgment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
 19

CHAPTER 36 l THE MILLENNIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

The Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Postmillennialism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
Dominion Theology—A Form of Postmillennialism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Amillennialism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Dispensational Premillennialism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Historic Premillennialism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
Why the Millennium Is in Heaven, and Not on Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
A Closer Look at Revelation 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
The Purpose of the Millennium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
The Everlasting Kingdom Reign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455

CHAPTER 37 l HOW TO HAVE ASSURANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458

The Good News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Christ in You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Devotion to Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

PART TWO l THE JOURNEY

CHAPTER 38 l IT’S THE END-TIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465

Look What’s Coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Gathering for the Journey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Where Should We Begin? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
So Let’s Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
The Other Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
What Happened Next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475

CHAPTER 39 l SATAN’S FINAL PUSH FOR WORLD DOMINATION . . . . . . . . . 476

Behold the Lamb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
A Gathering Under Way. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
The Christian Front and Sunday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
The Sunday Battleground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Satan’s Final Takeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
 20

CHAPTER 40 l ALL THE WORLD WONDERED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484

The Sea Beast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
America in the End-time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Strategy of the Christian Coalition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
Look Out—It Could Happen Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Another Trap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Fire From Heaven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Where Are We Now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491
The Bottom Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494

CHAPTER 41 l THE EARLY TIME OF TROUBLE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495

The Holy Spirit in Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Coming Pentecost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
The Stealth Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
The Thief in the Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
The Holy Spirit Resisted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
How Many Adventists Will Experience the Thief in the Night?. . . . . . . . . 501
How to Prepare for the Latter Rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
How the Disciples Prepared for Pentecost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Enoch as Mentor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
Results of the Coming Pentecost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506

CHAPTER 42 l A DOUBLE GATHERING UNDER WAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507

Two Gatherings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Another Vital Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Elijah a Type of the End-time Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517

CHAPTER 43 l THE GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518

Too Late . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Probation Closes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519
Satan’s Final Fling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Where Are the Saints? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Why the Great Time of Trouble? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Time of Judgment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
The Larger View of the Great Time of Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
 21

Other Events in the Great Time of Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530

The Great Time of Trouble as Remembered by Christ’s Bride. . . . . . . . . . 535
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536

CHAPTER 44 l THE GREATEST RESCUE OF ALL TIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538

The Importance of Calvary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Can Humans Delay the Advent? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540
Threefold Dimension of Last-day Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542
Two Pictures of the Second Advent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544
Armageddon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545
The Book of Esther. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552

CHAPTER 45 l THE OTHER JOURNEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553

The Great Divide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
The Mysterious Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
The Second Coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Homeward Bound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Heaven at Last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
How Could He Do It?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
An Unforgettable Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
The 1,000-Year Vacation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559
Going Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559
Armageddon, Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560
The Final Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560
An Empty Heaven?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562
Calvary Forever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563

BIBLICAL INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565

NAME INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
TOPICAL INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
This page intentionally left blank.
22
 Introduction
ur planet rushes toward its ren-
O dezvous with destiny. Time is
running out. Will we make it to
the third millennium? One thing
is certain. People around the
world sense that something is coming.
Never before have people around the
world had so many angel encounters.
Never before have there been so many
apparitions of the virgin Mary. Never
before have psychics become so widely
accepted. Never before has spiritualism
had such a worldwide impact, as seen in
the New Age and charismatic move-
ments. Never before has the Catholic
Church had such global influence.
Never before have Christians been in a
position to dominate American politics
as in the Christian Coalition. Something
is going on behind the scenes.
Planet Earth moves like a plane
on a transoceanic flight. It has been a
long time since takeoff, and the trip
has been bumpy at times. Yet look
ahead. A dreary, dark, dense sky
threatens. Black, surly storm clouds
gather along the whole horizon. They
begin to surround and shake the
plane. No detour offers an escape
around the storm. Planet Earth must
move into it. The most stupendous
crisis of all time is about to unfold.
The early time of trouble, the great
time of trouble, and the time of
Jacob’s trouble loom large ahead.
Even now turbulence batters the
planet as it enters the fringes of the
coming storm.
Recently, near the beginning of the
semester, I took a survey of some stu-
dents at Southern Adventist University
who were studying last-day events.
The results showed that 49 percent
worry about the present pre-advent
judgment, 56 percent are scared of last-
day events (in fact, 41 percent would
rather die than go through last-day
events), 37 percent believe they gain
entrance to heaven through Christ’s
sacrifice plus their human efforts, 50
percent are not sure they would be
saved if they died today, and yet 88
percent claimed they know Christ as a
personal friend.
That is a stunning revelation, when
you realize they represent a cross sec-
 24
C HRIST I S C OMING !
tion of Seventh-day Adventist youth
from all over the United States and
other countries, studying a variety of
majors. They are among the final gen-
eration, yet many do not want to be part
of it. Something is radically wrong
here. And who could say that the re-
sults would be any better if we re-
searched older people?
To be afraid of last-day events is
human. Who wants to exchange a com-
paratively normal existence for what is
just ahead? Yet it will be our finest hour,
one we’ll speak about forever in eter-
nity, as we shall see later. It is the time
when Satan faces resounding defeat. He
knows this and is out to take over not
only the world but Christians too!
As never before, Christians need
faith: a faith that keeps a steady gaze
on the coming Christ beyond the crisis.
Christ, and not the crisis, should oc-
cupy their minds. For not so much what
is coming as who is coming should oc-
cupy the mind. The outcome of a foot-
ball game is not over until the fourth
quarter. Satan causes havoc in final
events, but Christ will have the last
word. But that’s not all. Christ will be
with His people through those final
events. He promised, “Never will I
leave you; never will I forsake you”
(Heb. 13:5). His presence will mean
everything to His followers. He will do
for them what they could never do for
themselves. Many people look at final
events as if they have to go through
them alone. No wonder they remain
petrified! But Christ longs that His
people look to Him. Jesus asked if
when the Son of man returns, would He
find faith in the earth? (see Luke 18:8).
Perhaps here is the problem. Few will
have the necessary faith. Faith in Him
will make the decisive, determining
difference for the journey through end-
time turbulence.
In this book we will look frankly at
the coming crisis, but not apart from the
present and coming Christ. As we rapidly
move toward the third millennium, it is
time to let Christ liberate us from the
shackles of fear. Do you long to hope
again? Or even for the first time?
Since 1960 college and seminary stu-
dents have taken my last-day events
class. It has been a joy to proclaim the
good news about final events through
these classes and seminars in different
parts of the world. My conviction is that
many Christians are far too scared of
final events. But when they hear of com-
ing events in their Christ-centered con-
text, fear falls away. “Then you will
know the truth, and the truth will set you
free” (John 8:32). For nearly 40 years
I’ve rejoiced to see thousands of persons
begin to hope again. I have written this
book so that you too may stop fearing
coming events. Satan is in the business of
getting Christians fixated on what is
coming instead of on Christ.
By the way, I surveyed those stu-
dents at the end of the semester. Ninety-
six percent had lost their fear of last-day
events. What a dramatic change
wrought by Christ! They gained free-
dom to rejoice in Him and now face
final events as their privileged destiny.
So can you! May God bless you and
give you freedom too. l
Norman R. Gulley, Ph.D.
Professor of Systematic Theology
Southern Adventist University
 Preface
ookshelves bulge with last-day-
B events books that claim to predict
the events awaiting us. They
speak about the new world order,
the New Age movement, the se-
cret rapture, the alleged role of Israel in
the end-time, Armageddon, and the mil-
lennium. Other books supposedly tell us
about life after death, with alleged re-
ports from resuscitated human beings
returning to speak about what they ex-
perienced. More books report on the
coming one-world government, the mil-
lennial kingdom, and America’s role in
final events. Reconstructionists, dispen-
sationalists, and historicists all have
their own ideas.
We need to know what is out there
and how to evaluate it. This book does
some of that for you. Above all, we need
to see what Satan’s strategy is through
such movements. He is using the New
Age movement, the charismatic move-
ment, spiritualism, channeling, the Chris-
tian Coalition, and dominionists to take
over the planet. As Christ’s followers, we
need to know how the concept of process
theology undermines final events.
This book also looks at ideas that
have a definite bearing on final events.
Satan will use Sunday sacredness and
the state of the dead as two pillars in the
end-time. We will evaluate them.
Today many people question the con-
cept of hell, the view of the immediate
survival of the soul at death, and
Darwinian evolution. As Christians, we
need to know about such debates and
the biblical answers to them. All of
these impact on last-day events. The is-
sues of death and hell will form a part
of final events for most Christians.
Catholics add purgatory to the contro-
versy. The proponents of all three con-
cepts present them as final events for
the individual in a way that grabs the
focus from coming global or cosmic
final events. What does the Bible speak
about them? We need to know, so that
we have an answer to give our Christian
friends as well as having protection for
ourselves. In an unprecedented way in
the end-time Satan will confront
Christians with what seems to be their
dead loved ones.
Evolution challenges the first
 26
C HRIST I S C OMING !
angel’s message of the book of
Revelation. Sunday directly attacks the
third angel’s message. Both messages
play a central role in final events.
We’ll study their meaning and expose
the counterfeits launched against them.
And we will explore the real issue in
the coming Sunday law and examine
the deeper meaning of the Sabbath for
survival through those final events.
This book will consider the importance
of the pre-Advent judgment. All these
things are vital to a preparation for
final events and to give us insight to
face them unafraid.
After looking at how to interpret
end-time events and evaluate end-time
movements and end-time doctrines, we
then take the journey through final
events. If you want to skip to the jour-
ney and take that first, then come back
to the other sections, that is fine. But
much in the earlier material will help
make the journey clearer and equip you
for the real journey just ahead. l
Unless otherwise stated, I have used the New
International Version of Scripture throughout.
 Part One

Information
for the Journey
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28
 Chapter 1
Hope for Postmoderns
T
oday we’re in the midst of a pro-
found transition from what
scholars call modernity to a new
period they label as postmoder-
nity. The human race has en-
tered a new era that presents unpre-
cedented challenges and opportunities
to our study of end-time events.
Many have attempted to describe
postmodernity. “A massive intellectual
revolution is taking place,” Diogenes
Allen says, “that is perhaps as great as
that which marked off the modern world
from the Middle Ages. The foundations
of the modern world are collapsing, and
we are entering a postmodern world.
The principles formed during the
Enlightenment (c. 1600-1780), which
formed the foundations of modern men-
tality, are crumbling.” 1
Leith Anderson says, “We are ex-
periencing enormous structural change
in our country and in the world—
change that promises to be greater than
the invention of the printing press,
greater than the Industrial Revolution,
and greater than the rise and demise of
Communism. Our world is changing so
quickly that we can barely keep track
of what is happening, much less figure
out how to respond.” 2
Defined
We begin with a simple fact:
Postmodernity comes after modernity.
The seventeenth-century Enlighten-
ment, which dominated human quest
for knowledge and understanding for
200 years, launched the intellectual pe-
riod we call modernity. Scientific
method brought multiplied technologi-
cal benefits, but it also negatively af-
fected global ecology as well as
bringing the human race to the brink of
a nuclear holocaust. As a result, its ear-
lier belief in knowledge as inherently
good came to a shattering end. Thus,
early in the twentieth century thinkers
began to challenge the modern world-
view, and it continues to be questioned.
Postmodernity is also antimodernity.
The modern worldview included the ac-
ceptance of humanity’s inevitable
progress, often based on evolutionary
theory. We have now come to a genera-
tion that for the first time does not see
 30
C HRIST I S C OMING !
any inevitable better future. The opti-
mism of the Enlightenment, with its
vaunted belief in human reason, has
given way to pessimism and meaning-
lessness. It is as if the world has suddenly
awakened to a reality check. Whereas
scientific method, reason, and universal
objectivity influenced the modern world-
view, postmodernity rejects scientific
method, reason, and universal objectiv-
ity. The collapse of a unified, rational,
and meaningful worldview has thrown
the human race into a period in which
each person approaches reality from his
or her own particular presuppositions and
assumptions. No single worldview pro-
vides a meaningful assessment of reality.
“Defining the idea of postmodernism,”
Gary Phillips writes, “is a bit like nailing
down Jell-O.” 3
Differences Between Modernity
and Postmodernity
When it comes to comparing
modernity and postmodernity, a radi-
cal discontinuity overshadows the con-
tinuities we do find. First, let us look at
an example of continuity. The modern
antipathy to metaphysics and the tran-
scendental continues in postmodernity.
“While modernism categorically de-
nies the transcendent and spends a
great deal of time and effort attempt-
ing to prove that the transcendent does
not exist,” William E. Brown says,
“Postmodernism confronts the tran-
scendent with a yawn.” 4
Postmodernity especially champi-
ons liberation causes. If we have no
transcendent God, then human beings
themselves have to become revolu-
tionaries to bring change in their own
strength and in their own way. The
new worldview defends the marginal-
ized. Yet at the same time, as Carl F.
H. Henry notes, “religion is marginal-
ized and trivialized,” 5 and “Postmod-
ernists have genuinely given up on the
idea of absolute truth.” 6 What a para-
dox—they have an absolute mission or
right (to liberate), yet without an abso-
lute mandate or truth, which leaves
one wondering how even liberation
can be an absolute truth for them!
Modernistic philosophy shut God
out of our part of His universe. Its
closed continuum worldview rejected
any inbreaking of the supernatural
within the normal operation of cause
and effect. Huston Smith suggests that
the modern mind thought that “seeing
further in a horizontal direction would
compensate for loss of the vertical.”
But modernistic philosophy failed to
realize that human vision on the hori-
zontal plane is still confined within a
closed universe and is therefore
trapped in its own subjectivity. Smith
illustrates this vision with a line silhou-
etting the Himalayan range. Modernity
grabbed both ends and pulled it into a
straight line.7
Also modernity flaunted human
reason as the savior of all human prob-
lems. Such extreme rationalism was
not enlightened, although it was a
product of the Enlightenment. Post-
modernists rightly question such intel-
lectual arrogance, but go too far by
rejecting reason altogether.8 The solu-
tion lies between the two extremes,
employing a proper use of reason under
the guidance of Scripture to arrive at
solutions. After all, the God of all truth
invited humanity, “Come now, let us
reason together” (Isa. 1:18).
 31
H OPE FOR P OSTMODERNS
Difficulties in Postmodernity
for the Study of End-time Events
Postmodernism raises major diffi-
culties when presenting end-time
events. If we are to be relevant to our
generation, we must pay full attention
to the challenges that postmodernity
poses. The first thing we must keep in
mind is that we must think through
end-time events in light of the current
generation, not one that has already
gone. We must present final events
afresh for every generation. This does
not change the content, but it may
change the way we communicate it.
1. Opposed to System
How can one present a systematic
presentation of the journey through end-
time events when postmoderns reject the
very concept of such systems? We must
realize it’s one thing to reject a system,
and another thing to live a muddled life.
Often the very ones rejecting such sys-
tems still organize their day, plan their
vacations, and work in a routine manner,
arriving at appointments on time.
Modern life demands schedules,
whether for travel, business, or listening
to the evening news. We find an inbuilt
orderliness in air flights (sometimes),
television programs, and the publication
of Reader’s Digest, National Geo-
graphic, and U.S. News and World
Report, to name a few examples.
Postmoderns oppose systems only
on the theoretical level, not everyday
life. Yet there is no advantage to reject
something at the theoretical level that
proves eminently workable in ordinary
living. We can understand why post-
moderns want to discard the strictures
of modernity, the science that led to
ecological and nuclear threats to the
planet, but modernity has more to it
than that. It has a good side that contin-
ues in postmodernity, because life is
more orderly than the theory of post-
modernity allows.
2. Opposed to a Center
Although postmoderns reject the
idea of a center in every theory, they
cannot live out the concept in practice.
If God is not the center of a person’s
life, then someone or something else
will be. The Ten Commandments deal
with the problem up front. The very
first commandment says, “I am the
Lord your God, who brought you out of
Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You
shall have no other gods before me”
(Ex. 20:2, 3). The Deuteronomy ac-
count repeats it (Deut. 5:6, 7).
Humans are incurably worshipers,
an important fact to remember, because
the end-time confrontation will involve
worship, and all humanity will partici-
pate. The fact that human beings wor-
ship stems from their creation by God
(Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7, 20-25). God made
them for Himself. If they do not wor-
ship God, they will worship some other
god or gods, which is why religion
occurs in every culture, however primi-
tive or advanced. Creation has pro-
grammed human beings to seek a center
to their life, to give it meaning and se-
curity. Postmodernity has not lessened
the number of die-hard football and
baseball fans. Basketball still draws the
crowds, as do tennis, golf, and car rac-
ing. People still seek after Hollywood
stars and praise them on Oscar nights.
And work is often central to those want-
ing to get ahead, whether in profes-
 32
C HRIST I S C OMING !
sional or business life. Thus worka-
holism didn’t recede with the advent of
postmodernity. The effects of Creation
and modernity still live on in spite of
postmodernism’s decentering theory.
3. Opposed to Any Worldview
Unlike all prior ages, postmodernity
has no overarching worldview. Yet we
cannot possibly live up to this theoreti-
cal position. Postmodernity is a revolt
expressed in many different ways. One
way occurs through liberation theology,
a quest for political power influenced by
Marxism. But even liberation theology
has a worldview, seeing God as in the
business of liberating marginalized peo-
ple. Thus the concept of liberation holds
the center of this worldview. This is but
one example of how a movement even
within postmodernity does have a
worldview in practice.
Modernity had both a center and a
worldview. Postmodernity has neither.
Yet, paradoxically, postmodernity finds
itself in a shrinking world that thinks
more in global terms, ranging from
economy to ecology. At the very time
when philosophy seeks to throw order to
the winds, a global village has emerged,
demanding even greater order. To this
extent, in many areas of life, a world-
view has been thrust upon the very rev-
olution that abandoned all worldviews.
4. Relativism
By rejecting any system, center, or
worldview, the only option left to post-
modernity was relativism. But rela-
tivism means that every individual has
a right to his or her own view. The
local situation has replaced the broader
context, situation ethics usurped the
moral code, and personal preference
pushed aside values. “If it feels good”
substituted for an objective norm.
Order gives way to chaos, hope to
nihilism, and the future to the ever-
present. Reality has no goal, purpose,
or fulfillment. Humanity has become
less than human.
Such dysfunctionality cannot sus-
tain a viable human existence. We
want meaning in our lives. Post-
moderns are desperate for meaning and
a future. More than ever, they need to
know the good news about final events
on Planet Earth.
Postmodern Theory
Cannot Be Lived
Having already noticed that it is
impossible to actually live out some
postmodern theories, we now take a
closer look at this fact. Friedrich
Nietzsche (1844-1900), father of post-
modernism, proclaimed God as dead
and promoted nihilism, or meaning-
lessness. Yet he discovered meaning in
a social movement of his time and pro-
moted it with gusto, thus demonstrat-
ing that he could not practice his own
theory. Jean-Paul Sartre’s (1905-1980)
world was one of meaninglessness, a
world without morals. Yet he couldn’t
live up to his theory when he signed the
Algerian Manifesto, “taking a position
as though morals have real meaning.” 9
A. J. Ayer suggested that only
mathematico-logical truths and empiri-
cal truths are meaningful. All other
statements that we cannot verify by
sense data are “nonsense.” Thus all
biblical statements are meaningless.
Such a view immediately confines
truth statements, or statements of
 33
H OPE FOR P OSTMODERNS
meaning, to a very narrow slice of life.
It forces us to renounce poetry, music,
religion, and art. But how can anyone
live in such a narrowly prescribed
world? Furthermore, the theory could
not stand under its own test for a truth
statement. After all, how can we possi-
bly test a theory of language that ac-
cepts only mathematico-logical and
empirical statements by that standard?
René Descartes (1596-1650), the
father of modernity, used the method
of doubt. David Hume (1711-1776)
took it to its ultimate conclusion, and it
plunged him into utter skepticism.
David K. Clark said that “Hume’s phi-
losophy left him completely in the dark
about what to think, whom to trust,
what cause to defend, or what activity
to pursue. Given modern requirements,
reason could not dispel his doubts. But
he noticed that the company of friends
put him in better spirits. So he turned to
dining and backgammon to heal his
epistemological depressions. His phi-
losophy, however, proved utterly im-
potent to avoid skepticism.”10 Hume
needed relief from his theory, for it
simply could not be lived.
Jacques Derrida claims that “all in-
terpretations are misinterpretation,” and
that a text has no clear meaning. But he
jettisoned his theory once when he was
misunderstood in a debate with John
Searle. “Believing that Searle’s exposi-
tion of his position had been unfair to
him, Derrida could not resist saying, at
several points in his reply, that Searle
had misunderstood him and misstated
his views, even adding at one point that
what he, Derrida, had meant should
have been clear enough and obvious to
Searle. This is indeed a very far cry
CIC-2
from the claim that Derrida’s essential
position cannot be stated as others can
(or that a reader should not try to grasp
the author’s intent!). Derrida thus aban-
dons this position, just as others do,
when he feels the need to replace a mis-
statement of his view with an adequate
statement of it.” 11
Stanley Fish is “one of the most in-
fluential literary theorists” 12 and “radi-
cal” reader-response theorists, focusing
on meaning in the reading community
rather than in the biblical text itself.13
Reader-response is an important part of
the postmodern scene. Fish goes so far
as to maintain that “the text as a formal
entity does not exist apart from the
reader’s interpretive act.” 14 In fact,
reader-response theorists believe that
readers are coauthors with the biblical
writers, and they give to the text the
meaning it should have. That is, the text
has no real meaning in and of itself.
How could life operate on Fish’s
theory? It would destroy any agree-
ment on the American Constitution, for
example, or any other document, so
that every citizen could interpret it as
he or she chose. It would put the very
concept of governance in jeopardy.
Traffic signs would have no standard
meaning, and driving would be haz-
ardous. Some may choose to drive on
the opposite side of the road, others
could agree that red traffic lights indi-
cate that you should drive straight
through the intersection and that stop
signs would mean you have the right-
of-way. Contracts would be impossible
and would bring business to a grinding
halt, for the same wording would imply
different things to different people.
If a text has no meaning in itself,
 34
C HRIST I S C OMING !
but only in the mind of the reader, then
no language would have meaning in
and of itself either. It would exist only
in the mind of the hearer. Life would
simply break down hopelessly on these
terms, for no one could ever be sure
that he or she could communicate.
How could one order from a catalog
over the phone? How could any TV
station present the evening news? What
purpose would weather reports have?
What would an emergency 911 call ac-
complish? What meaning would a doc-
tor’s diagnosis have? What would
university teaching accomplish? The
list is endless. It is simply impossible to
accept Fish’s reader-response theory
and make sense out of life.
Limits to Pluralism
The pluralism of postmodernity
also causes chaos. As Mortimer J.
Adler reminds us in his book Truth in
Religion, “a stable and peaceful society
cannot exist under the domination of
two or more competing governments
unless one is subordinate to the
other.”15 Adler shows that pluralism
has always existed when it comes to
matters of taste and is tolerable in that
context, but not in the context of truth.16
He notes that “anything that is trans-
cultural is clearly in the sphere of
truth.” Thus the pluralism endemic in
postmodernism cannot survive in prac-
tice in certain contexts.
Opportunities in Postmodernism
for Truth
Despite all its problems, however,
postmodernism does give opportunity
for truth to regain what it lost to mod-
ernism. Too often the church capitulated
to the threat from modernism instead of
resisting. The modern worldview had
more influence than the biblical world-
view, and the church surrendered to it.
The tragedy is now obvious as the mod-
ern worldview has itself retreated before
that of postmodernism.
1. Christianity’s Capitulation
to Modernism
Postmodernism has called mod-
ernism into question. Yet it is the very
modernism to which the church often
surrendered to keep its intellectual re-
spectability. Since the 1960s, in the
post-Vietnam era, many people have
turned away from the materialism of
the West to the mysticism of the East.
Some of them are seeking for what
they sense is missing in the West.
Turning to the East for fullness, they
explore Hinduism and Buddhism.
“Those dissatisfied with secular
modernity most often turn to the East
or to the distant mythic past,” says
William C. Platcher. “One reason
seems to be that Christianity cannot
criticize our culture very effectively if
it has already accepted many of the as-
sumptions of that culture as the price of
intellectual respectability.” 17
The fact is, as Stanley Grenz
reminds us, “most major Protestant de-
nominations” “ ‘defected’ to ‘mod-
ernism.’ ” 18 Unsure of their own biblical
foundation, they caved in to science and
to culture. But the collapse of mod-
ernism demonstrated the limitations of
science. Science cannot deal with ulti-
mate or existential meanings.
“Theology need cater to our prevailing
styles of thought only if it wishes to,”
says Huston Smith. “Nothing in the way

H OPE FOR
of evidence requires that it do so.” 19
With respect to culture, I concur with
William C. Platcher that “Christianity
cannot criticize our culture very effec-
tively if it has already accepted many of
the assumptions of that culture as the
price of intellectual respectability.” 20
Accommodation closely accompanies
the desire for acceptance. To confine
Scripture to a cultural artifact is a case in
point. Then Scripture ceases to be the
Word of God to culture. Culture judges
Scripture instead of the reverse.
2. More Room for Religion
Modernism stifled religion by
closing the door to the transcendent
with its rejection of metaphysics. It
confined the parameters of possible
thought and study to a closed contin-
uum of cause and effect, so that it in
effect removed God from the realm of
human history. Science limited reality
to the observable, so that the religious
dimension of human experience could
occupy only an interior substitute for
objective reality. Now the collapse of
this modern worldview has radically
questioned such strictures.
“In a way that has never been possi-
ble in modernity, one can find philo-
sophical or rational space for ‘giving an
account for the hope that is in you,’ ”
Don R. Stiver comments. “In other
words, there is no philosophical hin-
drance that a priori calls such a response
into question. And given the importance
of reason in modernity, this renewed
sense of the rationality of religion opens
up a new social and cultural space for
religion. In other words, if the opportu-
nity can be seized, postmodernity al-
lows conceptual space for religion’s
35
P OSTMODERNS
stretching its arms and walking about in
a way not possible in the cramped quar-
ters allowed for it since the onset of
modernity. The danger is that it may
continue to pace back and forth in its all-
too-familiar constricted confines, not
knowing that the surrounding bars have
long ago rusted away.” 21
3. Intellectual Strength
of Christianity
Diogenes Allen, in his book
Christian Belief in a Postmodern World:
The Full Wealth of Conviction, speaks
of “a new openness for faith.” He re-
minds us that Christianity has been on
the defensive intellectually during mod-
ernism. During that period many have
declared that the post-Christian age has
dawned, “on the basis of physics, biol-
ogy, philosophy, psychology, sociology,
and anthropology.” 22
We are now in an age when philos-
ophy and science, once used to attack
Christianity, now find themselves
under siege. During the reign of mod-
ernism, Christianity came under severe
attack for the first time. This was a re-
volt against the authority found in
church and Scripture. Human beings
became their own authority, and
human reason ruled supreme. The his-
torical-critical methods of biblical
study did their devastating work on the
biblical documents. Evolutionary the-
ory radically called into question the
Genesis account of Creation, and geol-
ogy doubted the universal Flood story.
Human reason elevated itself above di-
vine revelation, thus bringing God’s
Word captive to humanity. But this
worldview is now collapsing.
As Allen notes: “No longer can