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God, Heaven, and Har Magedon: A Covenantal Tale of Cosmos and Telos
From the Author's It could be this octogerian's last book and there were several things I wanted to do. One was to provide a primer in covenant theology. Another was to make more accessible the gist of some of my previous biblio-theological studies and to do so in a form serviceable to a wider readership than most of my publications. The major move in this democratic direction was to enliven the analysis of the covenants by introducing the series of covenant administrations within the intriguing story line of Har Magedon, the mountain of God. Extending as it does from creation to consummation, the tale of Har Magedon readily accommodates the total history of the covenants . . . Moreover, quite apart from such considerations the current state of secularized and dispensational versions of "Armageddon" (fantastic fiction all) makes a review of the biblical Har Magedon motif timely. Though the covenants remain the theological foundation and heart of the matter, by its adoption as our narrative framework, Har Magedon becomes the dominant surface theme. As we track this theme through the Scriptures we discover a recurring pattern, an eschatological megastructure that appears in each of the typological world ages culminating respectively at mounts Ararat and Sinai/Zion and then once again, climactically, in the antitypical New Covenant age. This Har Magedon paradigm, which shapes our telling of the covenantal tale, consists in the following complex of establishment of a kingdom covenant by the Lord of Har Magedon; a meritorious accomplishment by the covenant grantee, triumphant in the Har Magedon conflict; a common grace interim before the coming of the covenanted kingdom; an antichrist crisis; consummation of the Glory-Kingdom through a last judgement victory of the covenant Lord in a final battle of Har Magedon. If only in condensed, digest fashion the present work is thus a comprehensive biblio-theological survey of the kingdom of God from Eden to the New Jerusalem.
310 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2006
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149 people want to read
About the author
Meredith G. Kline
22 books34 followersMeredith G. Kline was Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He received his B.D. and Th.M. degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) and his Ph.D. degree in Assyriology and Egyptology from Dropsie College. Professor Kline maintained an active writing and teaching ministry, serving on the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California. He was also an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The collection of essays in the recently-published Creator, Redeemer, Consummator, a festschrift written in honor of Dr. Kline, attests to the indelible influence his work has exerted on contemporary biblical and theological scholarship.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 23, 2021
This book is a mix of very good, and very, very, very bad. While containing brilliant insights into biblical symbology, Kline felt obligated to include every one of his unique (and often controversial) positions into this book.
He begins on a promising note. There is a “meta” reality to heaven, as it exists beyond our dimension. It is a holy location and contains sacred architecture. It is a palace/royal court (Dt. 26.15). Heaven is a temple that names God’s throne-site (Psalm 11 and 47). It is even identified with God in Revelation 21.22. “Heaven is the Spirit realm and to enter heaven is to be in the Spirit, Rev. 4.1” (9). Quite good.
He notes that in the biblical story we see a parallel warfare between two mountains, the mount of the Lord (usually, though not always Zion) and Mt Zaphon. Further Armageddon is Har Magedon and is not to be confused with the plain of Meggido, but that the Hebrew actually reads Har Mo'ed, the Mount of Assembly. And this is the part of Kline's argument that is truly good and noteworthy. Assemblies are “gathered together” throughout the Old Testament, and Rev. 16.16 points out the act of gathering.
Whenever Har Moed appears in the Bible (Isa. 14.13) it is always paired with its opposite, Hades or Sheol. Revelation pairs it with the pit of Abbadon (Rev. 9.11).
At the end of the book Kline identifies Har Magedon with Mt Zaphon in the North (251ff). This is a promising line of thought. Zaphon was the domain of Ba’al and can be seen as the center of wickedness. This makes sense if Gog is the Antichrist figure and comes “from the North.”
Zaphon was the Caananite version of Mt Olympus. This makes sense when we remember that Zaphon is paired with the Abyss. In Revelation 9 Apollyon (Apollo) is from the abyss. Apollo is the demon lord of the Abyss. (That's my argument, not Kline's). Kline also notes that when Har Mo’ed is mentioned, it is sometimes paired with the Abyss (Isa. 14:13-15; Rev. 16:16).
I will begin my analysis (and subsequent criticism) with his exegesis of Revelation 20.
Exegesis of Revelation 20
Background is Isa. 49: 24, 24. He is a Warrior who binds the Strongman (Matt. 12:29). Kline elsewhere identifies Jesus with Michael the Archangel, so Revelation 12:7-8 = Revelation 20: 1-3 (162).
Against premillennialism he argues that the chiastic structure of Revelation 12-20 favors Gog/Magog happening before the millennium.
a. Rev. 12.9. Dragon
B. Rev. 13:14. False Prophet
C. Rev. 16:13-16. Dragon, Beast, False Prophet
B’. Rev. 19.19-20. Beast and False prophet
A’. Rev. 20:7-10. Dragon.
And since they all refer to the same time period, and to the same event, this means premillennialism is false. Maybe. The chiasm is good but chiastic literature doesn’t always refer to the same event (many of the historical books form one whole chiasm, yet refer to various events).
Kline admits that the biblical evidence supports premillennialism as well as amillennialism (170). Nevertheless, he argues that the millennium is the church age (171ff). Kline identifies the first resurrection in Revelation 20 as….I’m not quite sure. It seems he says “opposite of the second death” (176), so is it conversion? I think he is saying it is “the intermediate state of believers.”
Sed contra:
1* There are numerous premil responses to the claim that the binding of Satan = Jesus’s ministry. If the events refer back to Rev. 12, and Satan is bound and can’t deceive the nations, then what exactly was Satan doing in Rev. 13? Kline interacts with zero premillennialists (or postmils, for that matter).
2* He says the two resurrections, if interpreted literally, would confront us with a bizarre scenario (175). Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean it is logically or textually false. And biblical supernaturalism is strange.
3* Interestingly enough, Kline doesn’t deal with the conclusion of Christ’s argument. If Christ has bound the strongman, then he is plundering his house. This sounds like Christendom and dominion!
Kline argues that postmillennialism is wrong because it cannot account for the final apostasy at the end (186). On Kline’s account it is hard to understand how there can be an apostasy, since history is always getting worse. I have to wonder how familiar with postmillennial writings Kline really is. Kline then can’t avoid a few cheap shots: “The melding of church and state and its coercive power, the arrangement which theonomic reconstructionism regards as the kingdom ideal to be attained during the millennium, is precisely what is anathematized in the Apocalypse” (186).
No Reconstructionist argues for this. Indeed, they have written books outlining the various covenants in society and how church doesn’t control state. Kline isn’t engaging in scholarship at this point. He is using scare tactics. His analysis isn’t just wrong. It beggars belief.
Kline only once deals with specific postmillennials, and that is David Chilton in a footnote on p. 269.
This book suffers from severe repetition. Page 185 is almost identical to p. 268. Some paragraphs are word-for-word the same.
A Discussion on Common Grace
Kline tells us that we live in the common grace age, but he never gives us a detailed discussion of what is the content of common grace. Kline argued that some of God’s more extreme measures (Canaanite genocide) are actually intrusions of God’s final justice. Well, yes and no. True, that was a positive command and not to be repeated by the church today. However, we do not see biblical evidence of an ‘order’ or ‘sphere’ of common grace. Is this a time or sphere of common grace? But even if it is, God’s blessings fell upon elect and non-elect within theocratic Israel.
What does it mean to rule according to common grace? How could we even determine which application of “common grace” is more “gracey” or right than the other one? General Franco of Spain probably had more common grace than either Hitler or Stalin, yet one suspects that the modern advocate of intrusion ethics wouldn’t praise Franco’s regime.
As Klaas Schilder notes, it is true that sin is being restrained. But by similar logic the fullness of Christ’s eschaton is not fully experienced. Apparently, it is restrained. (and this is true. So far, so good) If the first restraining is “grace,” then we must–if one is consistent–call the restraining of the blessing “judgment.” Kline’s position falls apart at this point.
He begins on a promising note. There is a “meta” reality to heaven, as it exists beyond our dimension. It is a holy location and contains sacred architecture. It is a palace/royal court (Dt. 26.15). Heaven is a temple that names God’s throne-site (Psalm 11 and 47). It is even identified with God in Revelation 21.22. “Heaven is the Spirit realm and to enter heaven is to be in the Spirit, Rev. 4.1” (9). Quite good.
He notes that in the biblical story we see a parallel warfare between two mountains, the mount of the Lord (usually, though not always Zion) and Mt Zaphon. Further Armageddon is Har Magedon and is not to be confused with the plain of Meggido, but that the Hebrew actually reads Har Mo'ed, the Mount of Assembly. And this is the part of Kline's argument that is truly good and noteworthy. Assemblies are “gathered together” throughout the Old Testament, and Rev. 16.16 points out the act of gathering.
Whenever Har Moed appears in the Bible (Isa. 14.13) it is always paired with its opposite, Hades or Sheol. Revelation pairs it with the pit of Abbadon (Rev. 9.11).
At the end of the book Kline identifies Har Magedon with Mt Zaphon in the North (251ff). This is a promising line of thought. Zaphon was the domain of Ba’al and can be seen as the center of wickedness. This makes sense if Gog is the Antichrist figure and comes “from the North.”
Zaphon was the Caananite version of Mt Olympus. This makes sense when we remember that Zaphon is paired with the Abyss. In Revelation 9 Apollyon (Apollo) is from the abyss. Apollo is the demon lord of the Abyss. (That's my argument, not Kline's). Kline also notes that when Har Mo’ed is mentioned, it is sometimes paired with the Abyss (Isa. 14:13-15; Rev. 16:16).
I will begin my analysis (and subsequent criticism) with his exegesis of Revelation 20.
Exegesis of Revelation 20
Background is Isa. 49: 24, 24. He is a Warrior who binds the Strongman (Matt. 12:29). Kline elsewhere identifies Jesus with Michael the Archangel, so Revelation 12:7-8 = Revelation 20: 1-3 (162).
Against premillennialism he argues that the chiastic structure of Revelation 12-20 favors Gog/Magog happening before the millennium.
a. Rev. 12.9. Dragon
B. Rev. 13:14. False Prophet
C. Rev. 16:13-16. Dragon, Beast, False Prophet
B’. Rev. 19.19-20. Beast and False prophet
A’. Rev. 20:7-10. Dragon.
And since they all refer to the same time period, and to the same event, this means premillennialism is false. Maybe. The chiasm is good but chiastic literature doesn’t always refer to the same event (many of the historical books form one whole chiasm, yet refer to various events).
Kline admits that the biblical evidence supports premillennialism as well as amillennialism (170). Nevertheless, he argues that the millennium is the church age (171ff). Kline identifies the first resurrection in Revelation 20 as….I’m not quite sure. It seems he says “opposite of the second death” (176), so is it conversion? I think he is saying it is “the intermediate state of believers.”
Sed contra:
1* There are numerous premil responses to the claim that the binding of Satan = Jesus’s ministry. If the events refer back to Rev. 12, and Satan is bound and can’t deceive the nations, then what exactly was Satan doing in Rev. 13? Kline interacts with zero premillennialists (or postmils, for that matter).
2* He says the two resurrections, if interpreted literally, would confront us with a bizarre scenario (175). Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean it is logically or textually false. And biblical supernaturalism is strange.
3* Interestingly enough, Kline doesn’t deal with the conclusion of Christ’s argument. If Christ has bound the strongman, then he is plundering his house. This sounds like Christendom and dominion!
Kline argues that postmillennialism is wrong because it cannot account for the final apostasy at the end (186). On Kline’s account it is hard to understand how there can be an apostasy, since history is always getting worse. I have to wonder how familiar with postmillennial writings Kline really is. Kline then can’t avoid a few cheap shots: “The melding of church and state and its coercive power, the arrangement which theonomic reconstructionism regards as the kingdom ideal to be attained during the millennium, is precisely what is anathematized in the Apocalypse” (186).
No Reconstructionist argues for this. Indeed, they have written books outlining the various covenants in society and how church doesn’t control state. Kline isn’t engaging in scholarship at this point. He is using scare tactics. His analysis isn’t just wrong. It beggars belief.
Kline only once deals with specific postmillennials, and that is David Chilton in a footnote on p. 269.
This book suffers from severe repetition. Page 185 is almost identical to p. 268. Some paragraphs are word-for-word the same.
A Discussion on Common Grace
Kline tells us that we live in the common grace age, but he never gives us a detailed discussion of what is the content of common grace. Kline argued that some of God’s more extreme measures (Canaanite genocide) are actually intrusions of God’s final justice. Well, yes and no. True, that was a positive command and not to be repeated by the church today. However, we do not see biblical evidence of an ‘order’ or ‘sphere’ of common grace. Is this a time or sphere of common grace? But even if it is, God’s blessings fell upon elect and non-elect within theocratic Israel.
What does it mean to rule according to common grace? How could we even determine which application of “common grace” is more “gracey” or right than the other one? General Franco of Spain probably had more common grace than either Hitler or Stalin, yet one suspects that the modern advocate of intrusion ethics wouldn’t praise Franco’s regime.
As Klaas Schilder notes, it is true that sin is being restrained. But by similar logic the fullness of Christ’s eschaton is not fully experienced. Apparently, it is restrained. (and this is true. So far, so good) If the first restraining is “grace,” then we must–if one is consistent–call the restraining of the blessing “judgment.” Kline’s position falls apart at this point.
December 17, 2024
Great, but what a trip... Kline likes to make up words to no end, which—while entertaining—can at times become overwhelming. His theology is generally solid, though his covenant theology is slightly dubious. I strongly dislike his hard distinction between conditional and unconditional covenants, and his theology of the Spirit is... suspect. But the least I can say is that the book is thought-provoking, and encouraged me to think about theology from a new perspective. Not for the faint of heart, but an enjoyable read for the right person.
February 14, 2021
Ok, well... phew. A handful of things could be said about this, but I’ll keep it to a solid few. Meat and bones here. The meat was some really fine meat. Fatty, juicy, tender, savory.
1. I’m still trying to sort some things out about covenantal theology and my relationship to it, so I’ll leave all that aside for the time being.
2. The eschatological arguments (Kline promotes a variety of amillenialism) have more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. More than once he boasted of having finally nailed the coffin for and buried six-feet-under both premillennialism and post... and I for one don’t see how he’s done anything of the like. Both were still alive and kicking last I checked, and Kline didn’t persuade me to budge one inch on my premillennial views. So there.
3. Chapter six was worth the price of the book twice over, and left me in a state of head-exploding emoji. 🤯 Spoiler alert... there’s more than you’ve thought happening at the battle of Armageddon.
4. I’m grateful for electronic reading devices. Kline is the sort of fellow who likes showing off his vocabulary, and I may not have made it through this without the feature to hold down on the word and press “look up”.
5. Plenty of really good stuff here. Appendix 3 on death and martyrdom was also fabulous. Some of the federal stuff with Adam and Christ really made me think. (Again, still sorting some of it out.) Glad I picked this one up. With a title like that it would have been hard to ignore.
1. I’m still trying to sort some things out about covenantal theology and my relationship to it, so I’ll leave all that aside for the time being.
2. The eschatological arguments (Kline promotes a variety of amillenialism) have more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. More than once he boasted of having finally nailed the coffin for and buried six-feet-under both premillennialism and post... and I for one don’t see how he’s done anything of the like. Both were still alive and kicking last I checked, and Kline didn’t persuade me to budge one inch on my premillennial views. So there.
3. Chapter six was worth the price of the book twice over, and left me in a state of head-exploding emoji. 🤯 Spoiler alert... there’s more than you’ve thought happening at the battle of Armageddon.
4. I’m grateful for electronic reading devices. Kline is the sort of fellow who likes showing off his vocabulary, and I may not have made it through this without the feature to hold down on the word and press “look up”.
5. Plenty of really good stuff here. Appendix 3 on death and martyrdom was also fabulous. Some of the federal stuff with Adam and Christ really made me think. (Again, still sorting some of it out.) Glad I picked this one up. With a title like that it would have been hard to ignore.
April 12, 2018
It is a very excellent biblical theology of God's moutain where he meets his people = Har Megedon (a theme in general), that is to say that Kline study how the Bible from Genesis to Revelation develop this subject.
This book mix a lot of stuff, covenants, kingdoms (of God and Satan), the important moutains : the moutain of Eden, Ararat with Noa, Sinai with Moses, Zion with Israel during the monarchy period ; Christ and the antichrist, creation and new creation.
It is quite complete (really frm Genesis to Revelation) but the part on Genesis (essentially from Adam to Abraham) is a summary of his book on Genesis 1 to 22 called Kingdom Prologue. This book is in a way next part of Kingdom Prologue. But it really deals only with the Exodus, Israel's assembly at Sinai, the conquest with Joshua then jump to David. Then you find a big section on Daniel (the difficult chapters with periods and numbers), Revelation (the Beast, Satan, the millenium, second coming of Christ, the last battle of Har Magedon, the consummation of the world and a bit on Jesus ministry.
I definitively recommand it (especially as it deals with Israel at Moses and David time, the end time and new testament era) along Kingdom Prologue (from Adam to Abraham) and Glory in our midst (deals indirectly with the prophetic period as it studies Zechariah). If you have these three volumes, you have probably one (with Vos and Beale) of the best ever complete study of the Bible (a virtually exhaustive biblical theology)
This book mix a lot of stuff, covenants, kingdoms (of God and Satan), the important moutains : the moutain of Eden, Ararat with Noa, Sinai with Moses, Zion with Israel during the monarchy period ; Christ and the antichrist, creation and new creation.
It is quite complete (really frm Genesis to Revelation) but the part on Genesis (essentially from Adam to Abraham) is a summary of his book on Genesis 1 to 22 called Kingdom Prologue. This book is in a way next part of Kingdom Prologue. But it really deals only with the Exodus, Israel's assembly at Sinai, the conquest with Joshua then jump to David. Then you find a big section on Daniel (the difficult chapters with periods and numbers), Revelation (the Beast, Satan, the millenium, second coming of Christ, the last battle of Har Magedon, the consummation of the world and a bit on Jesus ministry.
I definitively recommand it (especially as it deals with Israel at Moses and David time, the end time and new testament era) along Kingdom Prologue (from Adam to Abraham) and Glory in our midst (deals indirectly with the prophetic period as it studies Zechariah). If you have these three volumes, you have probably one (with Vos and Beale) of the best ever complete study of the Bible (a virtually exhaustive biblical theology)
June 29, 2023
This book is a unique and fascinating introduction to the storyline and covenants of the Bible. At its core, what Kline does is establish the typological patterns we see repeated within the storyline of Scripture. He places this storyline in the larger Biblical cosmology which allows him to demonstrate how unified the types of the Bible are. At the center of this typo-covenantal storyline is Har Magedon, the Mountain of God. Kline demonstrates the centrality of this theme to telos of all creation and biblical revelation. Though not an easy read, this is definitely a thought-provoking one. Kline is saturated in Scripture and recognizes the organic unity of the Bible. His covenant theology deviates from the classical presbyterian view in many ways, but he has much scripture and theology to back up his views which ought to be considered carefully.
December 28, 2021
Jam packed, deeply insightful, difficult, and edifying. This is the best introduction to Meredith Kline on the market. Kline markets it as an introductory volume for a lay audience but he doesn't write a lay audience book.
In many ways, this book takes all of his unique insights across multiple books and articles then packages them in a neat little system. Kline takes Vosian Biblical Theology and expands it. This is in now in my top 10 favourite books outside of the Bible. I plan to re-read it regularly. If you pick this up, read it slowly and with an open bible. Kline's insights only make sense if you track with his exegetical references.
In many ways, this book takes all of his unique insights across multiple books and articles then packages them in a neat little system. Kline takes Vosian Biblical Theology and expands it. This is in now in my top 10 favourite books outside of the Bible. I plan to re-read it regularly. If you pick this up, read it slowly and with an open bible. Kline's insights only make sense if you track with his exegetical references.
January 16, 2022
Kline did an excellent job discussing Covenant theology and the Historical redemptive narrative as seen in the Bible using the "Mountain of God" as his foundation. His ability to point out patterns, types, and shadows from the pages of Scripture is thought provoking and at times amazing. I think that in several places he reaches a bit and in an effort to be unique and groundbreaking stretches things too far. However, it was an enjoyable read and it did help me in my understanding and appreciation for God and His wonderful work of redeeming His people.
May 31, 2022
Only reason I didn’t give it five stars is that I remain unconvinced of arguments against the traditional view of the Christian Sabbath. (A helpful corrective: Richard Gaffin’s 1986 article, “A Sabbath Rest Remains for the People of God.”)
Given those caveats, here is an eschatologically-charged primer on covenant theology, baptized in Tolkienesque imagery that casts the biblical drama (rightfully) in terms of a fully-historical apocalyptic epic.
Given those caveats, here is an eschatologically-charged primer on covenant theology, baptized in Tolkienesque imagery that casts the biblical drama (rightfully) in terms of a fully-historical apocalyptic epic.
October 5, 2018
A short but dense and comprehensive survey of covenant theology focusing on the theme of "Har Magedon", the Mountain of God. Although it's a rather technical and advanced work, it's certainly worth the effort. There isn't a wasted word or sentence in the entire book. It needs to be read (and re-read) slowly and carefully.
December 14, 2024
I enjoyed the part about the epiphanic Elohim-Yahweh parousia cloud that endoxated the Holy Glory-Spirit and Alpha Radiated across the universe after the Deluge. The postulation in this book concerning Har Magedon and the eschatological concept of God’s Mount of Assembly was fascinating. It’s quite dense, but the man’s 85 or something when writing this. I’ll let it slide, Meredith.
February 29, 2020
A deeply researched and thought-out book on many topics that few seem to address compellingly. Really appreciate Kline’s willingness to address Biblical matters that many in the 21st century find strange and neglect.
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September 12, 2019God, Heaven, and Har Magedon is not currently available at local libraries.
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May 12, 2023Late book of Kline's. Good overview of his two-register fantasy. Odd this inspired both the Radical Two-Kingdom theology, and the Federal Vision.
February 25, 2012
An incredible book. Basically, Kline traces out the unfolding drama of Scripture using the motif of Har Magedon, the Mount of Assemby, from Genesis to Revelation. The book was written late in Kline's life and is a mature reflection on his thought, written at a more general audience. Next to Kingdom Prologue, this is a must read for preachers and teachers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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