Rating: 
Summary: preterism
Review: I do not like this book. I fully disagree with Gary Demar. Although Math 24 is a important chapter of the bible it isnt the only authority in interpreting Revealation. He uses this chapter more than any of the others that deal with end times prophecy. He closes Revelation with the destruction of Jeruselam by the Romans in 70 AD when he himself says your not suppposed to do that in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A worthwhile read.
Review: I first heard of Gary DeMar on The Bible Answer Man radio show a couple of years ago. At the time I held to the five points of Calvinism, but attended a dispensational church. To say the least, I was confused as to what to believe concerning the end times. By default, I held to a rapturist viewpoint, with premillennialism and the seven year tribulation to boot. But hearing DeMar blew my mind. I was driving home from church on a Sunday evening and had to keep driving to listen to the whole show - I was floored by his denials of all of the major tenets of what I was taught. And the fact that ole Hank endorsed him gave him credibility in my eyes (not that I agree with everything Hank says - ie his views on election etc).
The Bible Answer Man is rerun later in the week, so when it played again I was with my fiancee and we both listened to it. By this point DeMar had me questioning, but I left it at that. Oddly enough, I went to our local Christian bookstore a month or so later and saw End Times Fiction (which was surprising, cause it's not a good store!). I bought that, as well as Hoekema's The Bible and the Future and Riddlebarger's A Case for Amillennialism.
I read DeMar first and was struck by it. He's very readable and easy to understand and he made a great critique of much of what I believed.
The strenght of the book was his ability to tear down the dispensational arguments of Left Behind. It became easy to see that Biblically there is no secret rapture or any of the other unique distinctives that dispensationalism holds to.
The weakness, for me, was that DeMar didn't do the greatest job at constructing a new theology for me to consider. I was left without dispensationalism, but didn't really have anything to build in its stead. What he did provide was hard for me to believe - I have since rejected many of his preteristic and postmillennial views.
So, I rejoiced at DeMar having exposed the truth about Left Behind's theology, but was scared because I didn't really know what to believe. Trying to read Hoekema's book was horrible (although it is an EXCELLENT treatment of the subject) because I had no foundation to understand what he was talking about. I would recommend Riddlebarger as an intro to eschatology.
I also would recommend DeMar but with the caveat that you should read it alongside other books to help find a place to rest eschatologically (pardon the pun).
Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile read.
Review: I first heard of Gary DeMar on The Bible Answer Man radio show a couple of years ago. At the time I held to the five points of Calvinism, but attended a dispensational church. To say the least, I was confused as to what to believe concerning the end times. By default, I held to a rapturist viewpoint, with premillennialism and the seven year tribulation to boot. But hearing DeMar blew my mind. I was driving home from church on a Sunday evening and had to keep driving to listen to the whole show - I was floored by his denials of all of the major tenets of what I was taught. And the fact that ole Hank endorsed him gave him credibility in my eyes (not that I agree with everything Hank says - ie his views on election etc).
The Bible Answer Man is rerun later in the week, so when it played again I was with my fiancee and we both listened to it. By this point DeMar had me questioning, but I left it at that. Oddly enough, I went to our local Christian bookstore a month or so later and saw End Times Fiction (which was surprising, cause it's not a good store!). I bought that, as well as Hoekema's The Bible and the Future and Riddlebarger's A Case for Amillennialism.
I read DeMar first and was struck by it. He's very readable and easy to understand and he made a great critique of much of what I believed.
The strenght of the book was his ability to tear down the dispensational arguments of Left Behind. It became easy to see that Biblically there is no secret rapture or any of the other unique distinctives that dispensationalism holds to.
The weakness, for me, was that DeMar didn't do the greatest job at constructing a new theology for me to consider. I was left without dispensationalism, but didn't really have anything to build in its stead. What he did provide was hard for me to believe - I have since rejected many of his preteristic and postmillennial views.
So, I rejoiced at DeMar having exposed the truth about Left Behind's theology, but was scared because I didn't really know what to believe. Trying to read Hoekema's book was horrible (although it is an EXCELLENT treatment of the subject) because I had no foundation to understand what he was talking about. I would recommend Riddlebarger as an intro to eschatology.
I also would recommend DeMar but with the caveat that you should read it alongside other books to help find a place to rest eschatologically (pardon the pun).
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Expose' of "Left Behind" Theology
Review: I have really enjoyed this book. It is a real eye-opener that reveals the contradictions and flaws in LaHaye's Theology. Not that I don't enjoy the "Left Behind" books. I do. I just disagree with alot of their theology. But as far as story line goes, I enjoy the fiction. DeMar does a great job of respectfully showing the cracks in the "Left Behind" eschatology and gives a very viable alternative to Dispensationalism. He lets the Bible interpret the Bible. I highly recommend this book to those who already question "Left Behind" theology and also for those who don't, but want to better understand where the "other side" is coming from. One word of warning. If you are a brave Dispensationalist who actually reads this book, be prepared to have your theological world shook up a bit. Especially if you take the time to actually look up the references and study them in their biblical context. You may be surprised at what you discover.
Rating:
Summary: Finally someone rightly divides the Word of truth...
Review: I must admit, I get caught up in Left Behind mania from time to time. I've read half of the books. I've listened to a few on CD in the car. I've met co-author Jerry Jenkins on his book tours. I even think it's great when local morning newscasters talk about reading the latest book in the series. However, all emotionalism and hype aside, something always made me uneasy about the books and their theology. I just couldn't seem to find the verses to support their multi-layered, fanciful theology. End Times Fiction tells me why: the verses don't exist. I just finished reading Gary DeMar's book and now I'm beginning to wonder what Tim LaHaye is up to (besides building a massive marketing empire based around his books -- much like Bruce Wilkinson has done with his ridiculous Prayer of Jabez book). If the Bible is as clear as DeMar indicates that it is, why is LaHay continuing to support, defend and propagate a theology as flawed as any a member of a cult would put forth. End Times Fiction slowly, carefully and clearly tackles each of the theological points found in LaHaye's enormously popular Left Behind books (and in his recently published -- or re-issued -- books on prophecy), comparing LaHaye's statements with verses he uses to support them. They don't match. What LaHaye is telling the world just can't be found in Scripture. If you've read the Left Behind books (as I have), or know someone who has, or if you've been scratching your head trying to figure out how all of the the weeks, years, events and predictions fit with Scripture, you need to read this book and pass it along. Scripture isn't as esoteric as LaHaye makes it out to be. Nor is it as convoluted and spooky. Gary DeMar's book makes things very clear and plain. But be forewarned: After reading this book, you won't look at the Left Behind books -- or their author Tim LaHaye -- the same way ever again. Yet, you may just come away with an even stronger, more biblically sound and solid, faith. And that's a very good thing, indeed.
Rating:
Summary: preterism
Review: I recommend anyone interested in end-times prophecy read "End Times Fiction". I'm not a expert with eschatology but Dr. Demar case against Dr. Lahaye's end-times theology is substantial. Dr. Demar does a excellent job of summarizing the problems with Dr. Tim Lahaye's Pre-Trib Rapture Pre-millennial eschatology. Dr. Demar uses the Left Behind series time-line to show that all of the major proofs for this end-times theology are based upon deduction not scriptural proof. Read the book and test everything.
Rating:
Summary: Is Left Behind's Theology Fiction?
Review: I recommend anyone interested in end-times prophecy read "End Times Fiction". I'm not a expert with eschatology but Dr. Demar case against Dr. Lahaye's end-times theology is substantial. Dr. Demar does a excellent job of summarizing the problems with Dr. Tim Lahaye's Pre-Trib Rapture Pre-millennial eschatology. Dr. Demar uses the Left Behind series time-line to show that all of the major proofs for this end-times theology are based upon deduction not scriptural proof. Read the book and test everything.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Should Not Be "Left Behind"
Review: If you are interested in the Bible, or Eschatology (end times stuff) this book is not an option. I cannot explain to you how great this book is or how much it will teach you about what the Bible says about the end times. If you or anyone you know reads the "Left Behind" series, there is no question to if you should read this book too, YES YOU SHOULD. Get it. If you agree, great, if you don't, great, at least you will be able to tell people why. Just get it, it is great.
Rating:
Summary: What if many things you think are future are past?
Review: In an era when to say that you don't believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church is tantamount to abandoning orthodoxy altogether, Gary DeMar provides a timely alternative to this eschatological paradigm and promotes a view firmly rooted in sound hermeneutics and the testimony of church history.
It doesn't take much to notice that the Left Behind book series is taking the world by storm. People are fanatic about these books, and even more fanatic about the theology behind them. Unfortunately, what many do not realize is that the theology undergirding the Left Behind series is an eisegetical (reading into the Scripture questionable presuppositions) approach to understanding the Bible. As a result, many are being mislead and are misleading others in regards to a false hope.
What is more, many in the secular world, because of the popularity of this doctrine (and it should be noted that popularity is never a plumbline for truth), are coming to equate to whole of Christendom with this "Armageddon Theology." Consequently, the Body of Christ is presenting a wonderful opportunity for the world to "throw the baby out with the bath water" and discount Christianity altogether, despite the fact that the Scriptures nor the majority of the Church's testimony maintain such theories.
I work in a bookstore where, because of the recent events of terrorism, many are coming in and asking about books about the end times. When handed End Times Fiction, most are immediately reluctant to even consider to possibility that the views they espouse are unbiblical. In answering a matter before they hear it, they automatically discount a very biblical approach. Thus, like many others, they are buying into a "newspaper exegesis," and subscribing to false view of the future.
I hope you won't do the same with DeMar's new book. It's a must read, and even if you don't end up agreeing with him, it will be well worth your time to consider an eschatological view held by your brothers in sisters in Christ not only presently, but throughout the history of the Church. Further, you will be more sensitive to the possible weaknesses of your own understanding of the end times, and this will foster humility in dealing with a subject that is many times accompanied by an ignorant dogmatism.
Chapters include subjects such as: the Rapture of the Church, the Great Tribulation,the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast, and others.
Enjoy a book that just might change your life (literally, for you Dispensationalists out there)!!
Rating:
Summary: Using The Bible to interpret the Bible
Review: It's easy to latch onto the "Rapture"-mania of current times. One compelling reason is the perception of desperate times, and the wish to hold onto something that makes it seem a less personally-challenging era. Demar takes the most popular version of apocalyptic vision in Christian fiction, the Left Behind series (which many are reading as non-fiction accounts of what is to come) and shows how alternative interpretations of events in the Bible can be found by reading *gasp* The Bible! While less important to his piece, he also brings in relevant Biblical history, but does clearly state when assumptions are based on the Bible or history.The merit of this work comes in the numerous quotations from the Bible to discuss these ideas, and explicitly stating the assumptions that go into scriptural readings to arrive either at the LaHaye or the Demar belief system of Rapture and the Second Coming. This book makes you think, and perhaps even read the Bible for yourself. There are many different ideas about what the Bible actually says will happen "in the future". Christians and Biblical scholars alike would do well to understand them all and where in the Bible they come from. I have grown as a person and as a Christian by reading this work.
|
