Last Days Handbook Review
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The stated purpose of Last Days Handbook is to ease the tensions and strengthen ties among (conservative) Bible believers. The author, Robert Lightner, surveys evangelical positions regarding eschatology to help the reader understand the differences within various view holders. Lightner notes that evangelicals simply have too much in common to lose to the opposition because of our differences in eschatology. Lightner does not advocate abandoning individual viewpoints, only broadening ones own knowledge of other views.
Lightner presents the various millennial and tribulation views held by evangelicals. He notes commonalities that all share regarding future events: 1) the immortality of the soul; 2) the conscious existence of the believer after death; 3) a future bodily resurrection; 4) future divine judgment; 5) future return of Christ; 6) an eternal state.
Lightner also highlights the new postmillennialism which is motivating present day social reformers such as Terry Sanford who proclaim that we must return to living according to the dictates of the Law and be active in forcing our society to conform to that value system. That section was very helpful in understanding the motivation behind that particular view.
One fundamental problem I had while reading this book was Lightners intent to provide an “unbiased” compilation of the various views by withholding his own view. Every viewpoint has built-in bias and it would have been better to have known his view, and possible biases, while he was attempting to explain to the reader the various theories.