A Tale of Two Kingdoms by Heather A. Kendall is a book worth reading and owning. (this is saying a lot because I won't buy a book or recommend someone buy it unless it is incredibly good) It is a book that will draw you closer to God and help you see the the map of God's story better. The epic story unfolds as an "overview of the Scriptures is presented in an interesting and evangelistic way. Many will find the prophetic interpretation challenging."
Students of God's Word will want to devour this book.
Primary purpose:
To trace the development of God's plan of salvation through Jesus, the promised Seed, from its beginning to its triumphant end in the new heaven and new earth.
Secondary purposes:
1. To consider how Satan has continually tried to thwart God's plan of salvation, but he will never succeed.
2. In the Old Testament God declared Israel to be his special people. In the New Testament the church became God's special people. How did those first Jewish believers respond to this difficult transition?
Description:
The entire Bible is God’s story of salvation. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, everything was very good. This included Satan. Then puffed up with pride, Satan sinned by coveting the throne of God. Later, in the Garden of Eden, he was ecstatic when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. From that moment they became members of Satan’s kingdom. Yet God was not taken by surprise. Before creation the Triune God had already devised a plan of salvation. He loves us so much! Therefore God promised Adam and Eve that one would come who would destroy Satan’s power.
The Old Testament describes God’s gradual preparation for the coming of his Son. At first only a few believed and waited for the promised Seed. Then God formed the nation of Israel and set them apart as his special people. Through the prophet Daniel, the Lord even gave the Jews the due date for the arrival of Jesus. He expected his people to wait for the birth of the Saviour. When God was silent for 400 years between the Old and the New Testaments, people were not. The Pseudepigrapha or false writings describe the heart attitude of some of the Jews. These writers influenced many people. Finally, the promised Seed was born exactly when God planned.
Meanwhile, in the Old Testament, Satan actively tried to prevent the birth of the promised Seed. Realizing that Jesus was born did not prevent him from continuing to try to thwart God’s plan. At Jesus’ death, Satan likely thought that he had finally succeeded in his evil desires to usurp God’s throne. His plan, however, backfired. At his resurrection Jesus triumphed over Satan, once for all time. Now, until the end of the world, God’s kingdom is rapidly expanding. Satan is a defeated foe. One day Jesus will return to gather believers into the eternal kingdom and to judge nonbelievers.
Heather also includes her own testimony throughout the book. The Points to Ponder at the end of each chapter serve as devotional aids. A timeline, maps, and index help in Bible study.
The other book I received for review was God's Unfolding Story of Salvation. This is a Christ-Centered Biblical Storyline you won't want to miss. This is a Bible Study broken down into 38 Lessons that have you diving into the meat of Scripture. "No one can appreciate the size or shape of a forest without flying over top to view the big picture. The Bible is like a forest and individual books are similar to tress. Studying small portions of Scripture is worthwile and necessary. Nevertheless one of the first steps of discipleship after salvation should be an understanding of the big picture of the Bible."
Each Lesson is broken down into Scripture reading, questions, Reflection, and a Summary. The questions are thorough and thought provoking.
Description:
No one can appreciate the size or shape of a forest without flying over top of it to view the big picture. The Bible is like a forest and individual books are similar to trees. Studying small portions of Scripture is worthwhile and necessary. Nevertheless one of the first steps of discipleship after salvation should be an understanding of the big picture in the Bible. God’s Unfolding Story of Salvation will teach believers that the biblical storyline is Christ-centered.
Often people think of redemptive history only in terms of its promises in the Old Testament and its fulfillment in the New Testament. There is much more to the story than that. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit also points to Christ through preparation for his birth, pictures or types, and anticipation. Since God’s story ultimately affects each one of us, it is worth the time and effort required to understand it. If you do this, you will discover a pearl of great value. Forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God are the greatest needs of everyone past, present, and future. This redemption story brings glory to God and benefits believers.
Both of these books are recommended by me without hesitation. They are useful for instruction and to further your journey in learning God's Word and God better. You can purchase them Here, A Tale of Two Kingdoms is $23 and God's Unfolding Story of Salvation is $22. Visit Heather's website Here or her Blog Here.
To find out what other reviewers thought of these wonderful books head on over to Mosaic Reviews and check them out Here!
No comments:
Post a Comment