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The End of the World as You Know It: What the Bible Really Says about the End Times
Thinking about the end times isn't supposed to terrify youChristians rightly turn to the Bible to make sense of our times. But so often we get the wrong answers because we ask the wrong questions.In The End of the World as You Know It, Matthew L. Halsted challenges common end-times assumptions and points us back to Scripture. Each chapter reevaluates a popular question in light of the Bible's own Will Christians be raptured? What is the mark of the beast? When we let Scripture direct our questions, we get better—and more hopeful—answers.The Bible was written for us, but not to us. We must bridge the gap between Scripture's ancient context and our own. Reading end-times texts in their ancient context helps us understand our present and future. And when we do, we find that God's word brings peace, not fear and confusion.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 26, 2023
I began my journey as a Christian in the early '90s. The churches I attended were greatly influenced by US-style fundamentalism. During that period, numerous books were being written on the subject of the End Times, and I read many of these Western-centric, scary, and speculative books in an attempt to make sense of the Book of Revelation for myself. While entranced by the confidence and "insight" of these writers, I remained unconvinced. I had no idea that there was another way of looking at these scriptures. How I wish I had Halsted's book back then! Halsted writes, "If people are reading end-time texts and walking away with worry and dread, something is wrong." Halsted begins by outlining a key principle of Biblical interpretation: Scripture was written for us, but not to us, meaning we need to understand what it meant to the original hearers. He then moves on to explore the meaning of "end times." This book examines most of the key "end time" scriptures, events, and figures with Biblical, historical, and intellectual integrity. I highly recommend "The End of the World as You Know It" as a great introduction to the Book of Revelation and eschatology, and to serve as an antidote to speculative nuttiness. It is important to note that this is an introduction to the subject, written at a very accessible level for the average person. This book is a great starting point that many people will find satisfying, but can also serve as an introduction for advanced readers looking to explore more academic writings by G. K. Beale, Richard Baulkham, and Michael Gorman.
April 15, 2024
In this book, Matthew Halsted's goal was clear enough, to read the Bible in its own context. Also, to help Christians today to stop their me-centric eschatology and to read the Bible backward in light of Christ's coming, which he calls "the Jesus angle". This helps to remind "[ourselves] that it is not all about us. It’s about Jesus (9)." Overall, I think this approach is great. In the rest of the book, he tries to break down what each passage would have meant to the original audience and then seeks to exegete the passage. Ultimately, if you want a book that really tries to understand the "original" context of the book of Revelation, the mark of the beast, the tribulation, and the anti-Christ, then I think this book is for you. While I had a few minor disagreements here and there, ultimately every single one of us Christians will agree with Halsted, Jesus wins and this is the ultimate message of hope.
January 12, 2024
As a follower of Dr. Matthew L. Halsted “The Bible (Unmuted)” podcast I became aware that Lexham Press was seeking people to review Dr. Halsted latest book The End of the World as You Know It: What the Bible Really Says about the End Times (And Why It’s Good News), release date 7 February 2024.
https://www.amazon.com/End-World-You-...
Fortunately, I was selected to be one of the reviewers. I will not receive any compensation from Dr. Halsted or Lexham Press; but I did receive a “do not distribute” PDF electronic copy of the book from Lexham Press. I am not a Biblical scholar, nor pastor or professor. I am just your typical person on the pew who desires to understand what the Bible has to say.
Dr. Halsted’s book is on the “book” of Revelation in the Bible. There are many popular books and movies based on Revelation, there are many interpretations of Revelation- by scholars, pastors, and internet experts. Matthew Halsted is a Biblical scholar, a college professor, and has the heart of a pastor. His book is written with the non-expert in mind. There are footnotes for the inquisitive reader; but not to the point of distraction; consequently, the book is a pleasant, enjoyable, and informative read.
Chapter 1: Are we in the End Times?
Most everyone (in the west) knows that Revelation is about the end-times, the mark of the beast, the great tribulation, the return of Christ and of course the Antichrist. So, most of us come to read Revelation with preset assumptions and the biggest assumption is that it is all about us: the end time events in Revelation are not primarily about the seven churches of chapters 1-3 but are about events in their distant future: about our time. Dr. Halsted gives many examples from scripture that the phrase “end times” (or the equivalent Old Testament phrases like “then end of days”, “the latter days”), means more than a singular period just before the final events: “end times” can refer to a period that lasts hundreds or even thousands of years. Dr. Halsted does assert that Revelation has everything to do with the end times, but he shows that “end times” is not all about the future. The logical consequence of assuming that “end times” is all about the future, is that Revelation becomes a timeline for the future which he maintains is contrary to the Revelation’s intended message and just invites speculation. There are many footnotes in this chapter that directs the reader to supporting documents written by respected, bona fide Biblical scholars.
Chapter 2: How Should We Understand Revelation?
Having concluded that Revelation is not best read as a timeline of the future, Dr. Halsted presents his read of Revelation. An overriding principle of Dr. Halsted’s approach to Revelation is that it is an ancient letter that was written to a particular group of seven churches and addresses issues about them and their time. It should not be thought of as a “book”. Being a letter, it is reasonable to assume that it was meant to be easily understood. But to do that we must understand the recipient’s total context. The historical context is only part of their gestalt, we must also understand the literary context of the letter. Dr. Halsted explains that Revelation falls in 3 complementary literary categories (genre): as already mentioned it is a letter, but it is also an apocalypse and a prophecy. The modern “apocalypse” carries the connotation of war, doomsday, total annihilation. But to the Greek word “apokalypsis” that is translated as “revelation” connotes “that which is unveiled” or “unconcealed.” This is consistent wit the idea that the letter Revelation was meant to be understood- and that message was not so much an announcement of doomsday to the churches but an unveiling of what was going on so that they could better understand their current situation. The modern notion of “prophecy” is that it is primarily about “prediction”. Dr. Halsted shows through example and referencing Biblical scholars that biblical prophecy is not primarily about prediction: there is a predictive element, but it is primarily about “the word of God” speaking to His people who may need words of comfort, guidance, or warning.
Dr. Halsted reads Revelation as a prophetic, apocalyptic letter which was addressed to a particular group of seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. There is one more piece of Revelation’s total context: the historical context. Dr. Halsted very carefully explains the historical context of these seven churches by giving a most excellent overview of what was going on in the Roman Empire in general and in the Asian province in particular. He covers the topics of Emperor worship, Christian persecution, rivalry between the 7 cities in which the churches were located, and the ever-present pagan cults. In summation, there were dangers on every side for the Christians in this province of the Empire: a Christian could not worship any other God but the Messiah Jesus. Again, Dr. Halsted provides documentation for the content of this chapter. He uses both modern scholars and ancient Roman historians.
At the end of chapter 2 Dr. Halsted has established an overview of the complete context of Revelation. How important is that: As Dr. Halsted puts it:
“Here’s a good rule of thumb: if you want to understand the message of Revelation, you need to understand the genre of Revelation. Becoming familiar with its genre is not optional. It’s essential.”
Dr. Halsted views the first 3 chapters of Revelation has individual message to each of the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia which is in modern-day Turkey, and chapters 4-22 “was given to these seven churches for their edification, with other churches in the region no doubt hearing about and benefiting from the message as well.” Dr. Halsted makes the important point:” Revelation, as a letter, must have been written so that it could be understood by its recipients. Otherwise, what would have been the point of writing a letter? “
The other chapters of Dr. Halsted book are:
• 3 What Is the Mark of the Beast?
• 4 Will Christians Be Raptured?
• 5 Is There a Coming Time of Tribulation?
• 6 How Can We Know When Jesus Will Return?
• 7 What Can We Know about the Antichrist?
• Conclusion: What Now?
As you can see chapters 3-7 are topics over which Christians have differing views. No matter which interpretation one takes on a particular topic, no matter if Dr. Halsted concurs with that interpretation, Dr. Halsted’s book provides a valuable framework to talk about the various interpretations. By providing the historical and literary genre of Relation people have a framework to hear and understand what is for us from what was said to those seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. As Dr. Halsted puts it:
“By first looking at how it would have been understood by its original readers, you will discover that Revelation has just as much (if not more) to say about the present era as it does about the distant future. Far from being scary, you’ll see how it’s full of comfort and relevant application for today—and all time.”
https://www.amazon.com/End-World-You-...
Fortunately, I was selected to be one of the reviewers. I will not receive any compensation from Dr. Halsted or Lexham Press; but I did receive a “do not distribute” PDF electronic copy of the book from Lexham Press. I am not a Biblical scholar, nor pastor or professor. I am just your typical person on the pew who desires to understand what the Bible has to say.
Dr. Halsted’s book is on the “book” of Revelation in the Bible. There are many popular books and movies based on Revelation, there are many interpretations of Revelation- by scholars, pastors, and internet experts. Matthew Halsted is a Biblical scholar, a college professor, and has the heart of a pastor. His book is written with the non-expert in mind. There are footnotes for the inquisitive reader; but not to the point of distraction; consequently, the book is a pleasant, enjoyable, and informative read.
Chapter 1: Are we in the End Times?
Most everyone (in the west) knows that Revelation is about the end-times, the mark of the beast, the great tribulation, the return of Christ and of course the Antichrist. So, most of us come to read Revelation with preset assumptions and the biggest assumption is that it is all about us: the end time events in Revelation are not primarily about the seven churches of chapters 1-3 but are about events in their distant future: about our time. Dr. Halsted gives many examples from scripture that the phrase “end times” (or the equivalent Old Testament phrases like “then end of days”, “the latter days”), means more than a singular period just before the final events: “end times” can refer to a period that lasts hundreds or even thousands of years. Dr. Halsted does assert that Revelation has everything to do with the end times, but he shows that “end times” is not all about the future. The logical consequence of assuming that “end times” is all about the future, is that Revelation becomes a timeline for the future which he maintains is contrary to the Revelation’s intended message and just invites speculation. There are many footnotes in this chapter that directs the reader to supporting documents written by respected, bona fide Biblical scholars.
Chapter 2: How Should We Understand Revelation?
Having concluded that Revelation is not best read as a timeline of the future, Dr. Halsted presents his read of Revelation. An overriding principle of Dr. Halsted’s approach to Revelation is that it is an ancient letter that was written to a particular group of seven churches and addresses issues about them and their time. It should not be thought of as a “book”. Being a letter, it is reasonable to assume that it was meant to be easily understood. But to do that we must understand the recipient’s total context. The historical context is only part of their gestalt, we must also understand the literary context of the letter. Dr. Halsted explains that Revelation falls in 3 complementary literary categories (genre): as already mentioned it is a letter, but it is also an apocalypse and a prophecy. The modern “apocalypse” carries the connotation of war, doomsday, total annihilation. But to the Greek word “apokalypsis” that is translated as “revelation” connotes “that which is unveiled” or “unconcealed.” This is consistent wit the idea that the letter Revelation was meant to be understood- and that message was not so much an announcement of doomsday to the churches but an unveiling of what was going on so that they could better understand their current situation. The modern notion of “prophecy” is that it is primarily about “prediction”. Dr. Halsted shows through example and referencing Biblical scholars that biblical prophecy is not primarily about prediction: there is a predictive element, but it is primarily about “the word of God” speaking to His people who may need words of comfort, guidance, or warning.
Dr. Halsted reads Revelation as a prophetic, apocalyptic letter which was addressed to a particular group of seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. There is one more piece of Revelation’s total context: the historical context. Dr. Halsted very carefully explains the historical context of these seven churches by giving a most excellent overview of what was going on in the Roman Empire in general and in the Asian province in particular. He covers the topics of Emperor worship, Christian persecution, rivalry between the 7 cities in which the churches were located, and the ever-present pagan cults. In summation, there were dangers on every side for the Christians in this province of the Empire: a Christian could not worship any other God but the Messiah Jesus. Again, Dr. Halsted provides documentation for the content of this chapter. He uses both modern scholars and ancient Roman historians.
At the end of chapter 2 Dr. Halsted has established an overview of the complete context of Revelation. How important is that: As Dr. Halsted puts it:
“Here’s a good rule of thumb: if you want to understand the message of Revelation, you need to understand the genre of Revelation. Becoming familiar with its genre is not optional. It’s essential.”
Dr. Halsted views the first 3 chapters of Revelation has individual message to each of the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia which is in modern-day Turkey, and chapters 4-22 “was given to these seven churches for their edification, with other churches in the region no doubt hearing about and benefiting from the message as well.” Dr. Halsted makes the important point:” Revelation, as a letter, must have been written so that it could be understood by its recipients. Otherwise, what would have been the point of writing a letter? “
The other chapters of Dr. Halsted book are:
• 3 What Is the Mark of the Beast?
• 4 Will Christians Be Raptured?
• 5 Is There a Coming Time of Tribulation?
• 6 How Can We Know When Jesus Will Return?
• 7 What Can We Know about the Antichrist?
• Conclusion: What Now?
As you can see chapters 3-7 are topics over which Christians have differing views. No matter which interpretation one takes on a particular topic, no matter if Dr. Halsted concurs with that interpretation, Dr. Halsted’s book provides a valuable framework to talk about the various interpretations. By providing the historical and literary genre of Relation people have a framework to hear and understand what is for us from what was said to those seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. As Dr. Halsted puts it:
“By first looking at how it would have been understood by its original readers, you will discover that Revelation has just as much (if not more) to say about the present era as it does about the distant future. Far from being scary, you’ll see how it’s full of comfort and relevant application for today—and all time.”
February 18, 2024
This book presented an eschatological approach to scripture of uncertainty and humility over dates and times and places. As much as I appreciated the author's emphasis on the historical context of scriptures like Revelation, I felt like the author's purpose was to disprove dispensationalist eschatology and theology rather than to examine the end times fairly. Some portions of Revelation were left out of the book and parts of Daniel. It's worth reading if you want a viewpoint different from Left Behind, but the book left me disappointed by the lack of fairness it treated many Christians and pastors who believe those things.
February 7, 2024
In "The End of the World as You Know It," Matthew Halsted brings the book of Revelations to life forcing you to ask hard and compelling questions about what you thought you knew about this prophetic apocalypse. There are some books that cause you to read the bible in ways never thought of, this is one of those books. You'll begin seeing the "end times" as John the Apostle saw them and look beyond well known pop culture ideas of what exactly this sometimes controversial final book in the bible say, bringing you peace and comfort in troubling times instead of fear and dread of tribulations to come. Instead of worrying about missing something you'll be assured that God is and will be with you through any trouble or tribulation you may be facing, just as he did for the first generation churches that this book was written to. I highly recommend getting this book, in fact get two and give one away to someone who may need this good word.
January 7, 2024
The End of the World as You Know It by Matthew L.Halstead is well-written and well-researched. It has an extensive bibliography, list of scriptural sources and subject index. This is all helpful to assist readers trying to understand “the end times.”
The author provides a well-reasoned description of the end times, based on more than just stories like “Left Behind”. We can’t fully rely on modern prophecy teachers. I agree with the author’s conclusion- all things will be made right in the end. We just have to wait and know that it won’t be “the end of the world”, “It will just be the beginning!”
Thanks to NetGalley and Lexham Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
The author provides a well-reasoned description of the end times, based on more than just stories like “Left Behind”. We can’t fully rely on modern prophecy teachers. I agree with the author’s conclusion- all things will be made right in the end. We just have to wait and know that it won’t be “the end of the world”, “It will just be the beginning!”
Thanks to NetGalley and Lexham Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
January 8, 2024
The End of the World as You Know It by Matthew L.Halstead is well-written and well-researched. It has an extensive bibliography, list of scriptural sources and subject index. This is all helpful to assist readers trying to understand “the end times.”
The author provides a well-reasoned description of the end times, based on more than just stories like “Left Behind”. We can’t fully rely on modern prophecy teachers. I agree with the author’s conclusion- all things will be made right in the end. We just have to wait and know that it won’t be “the end of the world”, “It will just be the beginning!”
Thanks to NetGalley and Lexham Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
The author provides a well-reasoned description of the end times, based on more than just stories like “Left Behind”. We can’t fully rely on modern prophecy teachers. I agree with the author’s conclusion- all things will be made right in the end. We just have to wait and know that it won’t be “the end of the world”, “It will just be the beginning!”
Thanks to NetGalley and Lexham Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
March 27, 2024
I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
Good book discussing end time events, though some parts seemed to contradict what I've always believed. Definitely makes one want to dig deeper and really think about what and why it's saying.
Good book discussing end time events, though some parts seemed to contradict what I've always believed. Definitely makes one want to dig deeper and really think about what and why it's saying.
February 14, 2024
Great book, easy to read and clear about many things of Revelation
February 20, 2024
A wonderfully encouraging and challenging book about eschatology
March 28, 2024
Thanks Matthew for helping to break us out of the mold of "Cookie-Cutter Christianity" thinking. A must read for anyone who hasn't considered other views than the "Left Behind" brand of eschatology.
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October 21, 2024I found this to be a very helpful overview of what has been an intimidating subject: what is commonly known in the Christian church as the "end times."
January 30, 2025
Well balanced approach to a variety of topics that reminds of the need to focus on the biblical context rather than trying to fit the text to current events.
January 23, 2025
If you or a loved one have been the victim of Left Behind theology, you may be entitled to mental, emotional, and spiritual compensation.
One thing I truly love about reading is grappling with books that offer a vastly different perspective than what I was brought up believing, and Dr. Halsted does so wonderfully in this book!
I remember seeing Left Behind (the Kirk Cameron one) as a kid and living in constant fear that I was being left behind. Haven't seen my parents in 20 minutes? The rapture happened and now I'm in the tribulation! The Antichrist is gonna get me! While it seems silly looking back, this view of end times/Revelation inspires fear and worry more than anything else, at least it did for me. As I got older, and especially over the last few years, I abandoned that view, but never really replaced it with something else. All I knew is that I was tired of analyzing any current news event and seeing how it "fulfilled prophecy". Enter The End of the World as You Know It.
By surveying the Biblical text in light of its historical context, Dr. Halsted provides a much better way of understanding what the Bible has to say (and doesn't say) about the end of the age. He challenges many assumptions Christians tend to have about the rapture, the antichrist, or the mark of the beast and does so in a way that's humble and thoughtful. I came away from this book with a more profound hope regarding the arc of human history, the goodness of God, and the importance of living in the Kingdom of God now.
I would also highly recommend his podcast, The Bible (Unmuted)!
One thing I truly love about reading is grappling with books that offer a vastly different perspective than what I was brought up believing, and Dr. Halsted does so wonderfully in this book!
I remember seeing Left Behind (the Kirk Cameron one) as a kid and living in constant fear that I was being left behind. Haven't seen my parents in 20 minutes? The rapture happened and now I'm in the tribulation! The Antichrist is gonna get me! While it seems silly looking back, this view of end times/Revelation inspires fear and worry more than anything else, at least it did for me. As I got older, and especially over the last few years, I abandoned that view, but never really replaced it with something else. All I knew is that I was tired of analyzing any current news event and seeing how it "fulfilled prophecy". Enter The End of the World as You Know It.
By surveying the Biblical text in light of its historical context, Dr. Halsted provides a much better way of understanding what the Bible has to say (and doesn't say) about the end of the age. He challenges many assumptions Christians tend to have about the rapture, the antichrist, or the mark of the beast and does so in a way that's humble and thoughtful. I came away from this book with a more profound hope regarding the arc of human history, the goodness of God, and the importance of living in the Kingdom of God now.
I would also highly recommend his podcast, The Bible (Unmuted)!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews