From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology

by T. Desmond Alexander (Editor)

Personal stories aren't enough to offer individuals peace when they question their own existence. But the Bible's story comes not from humanity, but from God. Author, T. Desmond Alexander, suggests that God has given us the reasons for creation and our existence in the Bible. ”by resolving an intricate plot that sheds light on the entire story,“ Alexander writes. Using this theory to start from the denouement, or resolution, in Revelation's last verses and work backward, Alexander pieces together the Bible's overarching plot. The resulting picture reveals the reasons for creation and life that have eluded those who seek to answer life's biggest questions without first placing themselves in God's story.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion, Old Testament

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 2008

About the author

T. Desmond Alexander (PhD, The Queen’s University, Belfast) is senior lecturer in biblical studies and director of postgraduate studies at Union Theological College in Belfast, Ireland. He is the coeditor of the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

Reviews

[Ben Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book of biblical theology I've read. It clearly and decisively argues it's main point - that the meta-story of the Bible is not adequately understood without a clear view of God's intentions in creation, His Kingship over creation, and the great hope of life with Him in the New Jerusalem.

Below is a summary excerpt from the concluding chapter:
"As we move from Genesis to Revelation, a consistent and coherent pattern emerges, centred on the idea that God created this earth with the intention of constructing an arboreal temple-city. This unique metropolis, as God’s abode, will be inhabited by people who display the holy nature of God himself. While the opening chapters of Genesis allude briefly to God’s blueprint for the earth, his plans are almost immediately overturned – for Adam and Eve betray their Creator and give their allegiance to his enemy. Expelled from God’s presence, they forfeit their unique status as viceroys of the divine king. Against this tragic background, the rest of the biblical meta-story describes how God acts to reclaim the earth, and especially its people, from Satan’s control. ... Through Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God the Father, Satan is defeated, preparing the way for the future establishment of God’s uncontested reign in the New Jerusalem."

I recommend this book heartily to all, and hope it encourages you as it has done for me.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to biblical theology. A bit less dense than some other recent work (Hamilton, "God's Glory..."), but a bit more demanding than others (Goldsworthy trilogy). I originally heard about this from various footnotes in Jim Hamilton's book, and was given a copy of it at the most recent SBC.

Alexander covers quite a bit of ground under 200 pages, looking at various themes in biblical theology such as the role of the temple/church, sacrificial system, the new Jerusalem, and other new creation themes. This would be a great little book to give to folks who are looking to take a peek at the world of typology / biblical theology.

[Jeremy Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

In tracing the meta-narrative of Scripture and giving emphasis to the motif of God’s divine presence, Alexander provides an engaging, biblical, and concise commentary on the fate of those who belong to God through faith in Christ. This is a great introduction to biblical-theology!

[Rachel Winkler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my very favorite books I’ve read for seminary so far. Such a great, concise, readable, engaging overview of the meta-story of Scripture. Alexander does a phenomenal job summarizing so much in such a relatively short book, drawing out the major themes running throughout the arc of redemptive history. This was such a good review and reminder to me of creation and re-creation, the already-not-yet in which we live, of Eden lost and the coming Eden restored. Praise God for His mercy in Christ, and for the hope and eager anticipation He has given His church for the New Jerusalem!

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent. If you want to see some of the beautiful interconnectedness of the Old Testament and the New Testament, work your way through this book!

[Collin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good stuff in here! Lots was borrowed from other works I have read as well so it felt a bit repetitive, though Alexander offers a unique perspective.

[Lindsay John Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Special thanks to Penny Glover and IVP UK for providing a review copy of this book. Read full review at mydigitalseminary.wordpress.com]

T. Desmond Alexander has provided the church with a magnificent work of Biblical Theology that is both accessible and scholarly.

From Eden to the New Jerusalem attempts to give a big picture (meta-narrative) of God’s plan for creation by tracing six central themes throughout the Bible. With this thesis, Alexander hopes to address an area of neglect that he sees in Biblical scholarship, showing how the Biblical storyline works as a whole.

The first theme is the presence of God on earth, which others are built upon. As a result this chapter proves to be the most substantial (61 pages out of 193 total), which is welcome considering the concept being foreign to many. … It is heavily grounded in Scripture and very persuasively argued. Unfortunately, Christ as the temple is only briefly touched on, which seems to me a significant oversight since Christ is not only the hero of our story, but also because He and His work are the hinge on which God’s presence turns from being limited to a holy building to indwelling a now-holy people. …
The final chapter was a little confusing as no clear overarching thesis could be discerned. An interesting comparison of Babylon to the New Jerusalem quickly morphed into a mini-‘sermon’ against capitalism. While this is natural in discussing Babylon, it felt like a misstep and distraction from the book’s overall purpose.

My most significant issues with the book are a) the neglect that Christ receives in some chapters rather than being central, and b) a lack of discussion about the role that heaven plays as a temporary waiting place for the New Creation.

However, I must praise this tremendous book highly. It is amazingly concise given the Scriptural wealth found within. Alexander sets a great example in his very clear writing, bringing sometimes-complicated truths down to earth for the rest of us in this thoroughly eye opening and Biblical book.

I would eagerly recommend this to both new and seasoned Christians, as I believe both would benefit greatly from this book.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working backward from Revelation 21-22, and taking that eschatological vision as the denouement of the salvation story, Alexander traces the themes of Eden, temple, and God’s plan for a worldwide city through the rest of the Scriptures. The book is well done, despite a few (unnecessary) rabbit holes along the way. If you’re familiar with Greg Beale’s work on the temple, you’ll find much in Alexander’s work that echoes this approach (though with greater brevity).

[Anthony Ingram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is the Bible to be read? Here is an important question and one that strikes fear and dread in the hearts of small group leaders everywhere. One reason for this is because the Bible, though canonized and normally collected into one volume, is actually an anthology of 66 individual books written over the course of millennia. In addition, the Bible contains almost as many literary styles as it does books. What are we to make of this? Are the Psalms to be abstracted and extrapolated into life principles? Are we to see ourselves in allegorized readings of the histories? What is our relation to the Law? What on earth are the prophets talking about?
T. Desmond Alexander, senior lecturer in biblical studies at Union Theological College in Belfast, believes the Bible has the answers to the most important questions a human can ask. “Why does the earth exist?” “What is the purpose of human life?” (9) But he contends, “the scholarly tendency to ‘atomize’ biblical texts is often detrimental to understanding them. By stripping passages out of their literary contexts meanings are imposed upon them that were never intended by the authors.” (11) His book From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology is an attempt to help interpreters by exploring the Bible’s unique story (9).

Alexander argues here that the Bible in all its diversity of genre is in fact one “meta story” supported at both ends by the first three chapters of Genesis and the last three chapters of Revelation (10). Each of the parts contributes to a whole which, according to Alexander, should never be far out of mind. The individual stories are unified by the contribution each one makes to the progress of certain major themes that expand and come clearer into view as they run through the meta story. The meta story then is the major context within which each individual book is to be interpreted.
Believing the Bible to be one story, Alexander concludes that the end of that story is one place, maybe the best place to find many of its main elements, perhaps in their fullest expression. The method he employs then is to use the last several chapters of Revelation as a vantage point, and taking up several of these major themes individually, he surveys each one from the end (10). Specifically, the themes he finds in Revelation and consequently the ones he chooses to elaborate are the presence of God, the throne of God, the Devil, the slaughter of the Lamb, the tree of life and its connection to the concept of wholeness, and the New Jerusalem.
More space in the book is given to the presence of God than any other theme, probably for at least two reasons. One is that Alexander, with quite a bit of detail traces the presence of God across seven movements, that is the various ways by which God has dwelt with humans over the course of history. These are the Garden of Eden, the tabernacle, the first temple, the second temple, the Incarnation, the Church, and the New Jerusalem (15-19). The second reason is that the residence of God with His people is where the whole thing is going. “God is...committed to making the whole earth His dwelling place” (58). For God to live among His people is the very “blueprint” of creation (45,74), a term Alexander uses several times through the book to say that this has been God’s intention from the beginning. Beginning at the end in Revelation 21:1-3, this is worked out thoroughly because it is of primary importance to what Alexander sees as the purpose of all creation. Indeed this is the idea behind the book’s title.
Next, from Revelation 22:1-3 the concept of the throne of God is taken up. In the garden, Adam and Eve are given the status of royal representative or “viceroy” (76). They have been delegated authority from God in order to represent His rule over creation—to exercise authority on His behalf. But this situation is short-lived. When the serpent comes tempting, far from exercising dominion over it, Adam and Eve obey it, dethroning God as it were. “They not only give it control over the earth, but they themselves become its subjects” (79). Alexander’s path to God’s restored sovereignty runs through Israel as a theocracy and the church as the kingdom of God (79) ending up in the New Jerusalem where God will be unquestionably King and man His viceroy once more.
As it turns out, “the serpent is more than an ordinary snake” (104). He is the dragon and devil of Revelation 20:2 and, as a result of his deception in the garden, the current ruler of this world. He is in a sense, the ruler of the kingdoms of earth and the re-establishment of God’s rule means the utter defeat of him and those who side with him.
Alexander begins the discussion of the slaughter of the Lamb by establishing the significance of Jesus Christ as a Lamb in Revelation and then he connects the dots from Christ as the Lamb slain to the Exodus Passover. The slaughter of lambs had been an ingrained part of Israel’s identity since its origin as a nation. Upon their exodus from Egypt, God instituted the Passover ritual where a lamb is slaughtered, its blood applied to the doorframe of each Israelite’s house, and the animal roasted and eaten. According to Alexander, these three aspects of the ritual, the killing, the blood, and the eating correspond respectively to the concepts of atonement, purification, and sanctification. Taken together, these form the basis for Israel’s holiness, and therefore, her redemption standing as the people of God. Alexander draws out these elements of the Passover ritual as obviously typical of Christ the Lamb and his slaughter. Atonement is accomplished by His death, purification by His blood, and sanctification by partaking in the Lord’s Supper which parallels the eating of the Passover meal.
Alexander goes on to specify that holiness is connected not only to cleanness but also wholeness. He points to Leviticus 21:16-23 in which the LORD tells Moses that none of Aaron’s offspring who have any blemish (blind, lame, etc.) may be priests. And, “the issue of bodily wholeness explains why the Gospels have such an interest in the ability of Jesus both to restore those who are disabled and to bring to life those who are dead” (153). In the garden after the Fall, man was alienated from the Tree of Life and therefore from the means of rejuvenation and consequently wholeness. But in Revelation 22:1-3 we see the Tree of Life restored to its central place, so humans can fully expect to find wholeness there once again (155-156). This wholeness is characterized by ecological and social transformation. This social aspect is seen in that there will be people from every nation feasting from the Tree.
Alexander concludes with a more focused look at the New Jerusalem. This is done indirectly by contrasting the New Jerusalem which is called the Bride, with Babylon which is called the Great Whore—two “women” who could not possibly be more opposite. The New Jerusalem will be everything the nations of this world never were.

While it may appear somewhat awkward at first, ultimately I think the arrangement of the book is one of its great strengths. While taking up each of the themes individually may make a short, neat summary hard to pull off, what the reader is left with are very clearly defined mental “shelves” to use J.C. Ryle’s word. The method is this: Stand in Revelation, cast a line to Genesis and reel back to Revelation. But rather than applying that method to the book as a whole, the process is repeated for each theme so the categories remain crisp, each one able to bear its own weight. Because each strand is kept separate, there is never a point where the reader is dealing with a ball of yarn. In the end, this method makes the themes very memorable, a valuable characteristic when dealing with a book as diverse as the Bible. This way of doing it also emphasizes the importance of each theme in relation to the others. The themes are not in competition with one another, rather each one depends on the others and each one is essential.
There is also time devoted at the end of almost every chapter to application of the theme to the Christian. The book is very pastoral in this way. Why should we care about the theme we have just been investigating? Alexander generally takes the time to spell that out and seeing how each theme applies serves as a source of refreshment throughout the book. Taken together, these sections provide the most direct access to how the book answers the two questions Alexander set out to answer: Why does the earth exist? What is the purpose of human life?
Without a doubt, the book is the product of many years of deep thinking about these issues. The chapters are at once full and succinct. Naturally, one could spend the rest of his life studying any one of the subjects Alexander takes up here, but for the purposes of this book, each is very well put.
With that in mind, probably the weakest of the chapters is the one about the Tree of Life. I simply expected it to be more—arboreal. The majority of the chapter is spent in building up to the connection between the Tree of Life and the concept of wholeness, by establishing a spectrum of holiness and uncleanness. This connection seems (whether it is in reality or not) contrived and maybe could have been done more convincingly. The next move is not to trace either the Tree or wholeness through Scripture with any great detail, but to briefly mention both and then take up with a very generalized “ecological transformation” (157). Nevertheless, the chapter does end where it intended, with every nation, whole once again, feasting from the Tree of Life.
One of my favorite chapters has to do with the slaughter of the Lamb. The connection to the Passover is clear. But at one point (129), Alexander is at pains to show that the “Passover ritual is about consecrating the people as priests”. This is concluded from the observation that the ritual ceremony for the Aaronic priests includes the same elements as the Passover. Not only is this assertion, as far as I can tell unnecessary to make his point, it raises several questions. If the Passover consecrated every Israelite as a priest, why would an Aaronic priesthood be needed at all? Admittedly, this is not a major issue in relation to the book and may not be worth the mention except that this line of thinking seems to go against the method Alexander is advocating. This interpretation seems to have been done in an Old Testament vacuum where the Passover ritual equals the priests’ consecration ritual. If the New Testament is to be kept logically prior, these two should be seen to shine light on different aspects of the cross, not on each other. That is, the Passover points to a better sacrifice and fuller redemption and the priests’ consecration points to an eternal priesthood where perfect mediation between man and God is possible.

Alexander has shown that while we read the Bible’s individual stories, we must keep the big picture in mind if we are to really answer the questions of why the earth exists and what is the purpose of human life. He also shows that viewing it from the end, is a very effective way to do that. The presence of God, the throne of God, the Devil, the slaughter of the Lamb, the Tree of Life, and the New Jerusalem are all major themes running throughout the Bible’s story, and with his heels dug in New Earth soil, he reaches back to Genesis and gives each of these strands a good yank. He invites us to see the colors and and breathe the smells of New Earth while we stroll through Moses and the Prophets. In these ways I believe this book will go a long way to relieving some of the anxiety felt by those small group leaders and any others who feel the weight of the Bible’s complex diversity.

[Khera Cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually really enjoyed this!

[Trevor Wheeker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a fantastic overview of the biblical narrative as a whole, however at times left me dissatisfied and wishing for some clarification Specifically his choice to exclude a section highlighting Christs incarnation as a significant piece of the “motif of Gods divine presence on Earth” as he describes it. Overall, a great book.

[Keenan Casteel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great “Big Picture” Overview of Scripture

Eschatological in its nature, this book looks at 7 themes carried throughout the Bible from creation, to fall, to redemption, to consummation. Alexander shows us how God is working his plan from Genesis to Revelation and bringing it to completion in the person and work of Jesus.

[Rafael Salazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful exercise in biblical theology. Glimmering with insights taken from the comparison of the pre-fall realities and their ultimate fulfilment in the New Jerusalem. On a devotional note, Alexander has made me more eager to witness the realities that await the saints in the new City of our God.

[Connor Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to biblical theology and a necessary resource in any pastor's library

[Ben Omer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to biblical theology and I was gripped with every page. It was fascinating. I don’t necessarily agree with everything in the book, but I love how he shows the entire Bible in its complete arch fitting together perfectly.

It took me to heights of worship I hadn’t been to yet, because of Gods sovereignty throughout all of biblical history.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Eden to the New Jerusalem was my first experience with biblical theology. As an introduction to the discipline, I found Alexander’s work informative and well written. The biggest impact this book had on me was the discovery of how self-referential the Bible is. For example, the process of tracing the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman throughout the entire Bible was fascinating. It opened my eyes to the power of doing theme studies, and left me truly awestruck by the continuity, complexity, and absolute staggering beauty of the Bible.
The only critique is the sub-title of the book, An Introduction to Biblical Theology. Alexander does not define what biblical theology is or how it differs from systematic theology. As someone who has never studied biblical theology, I am still unclear to what the discipline is exactly. It seems that rather than define the practice of biblical theology, Alexander lead by demonstration. And so, without referencing a definition, I would deduce from this book that biblical theology is the practice of interpreting the biblical text to find patterns, themes, and meaning that the original authors intended.
Another positive aspect of Alexander’s book is how thoroughly referenced it is. He admits that some of the topics he covers require more research than he was able to give attention to in this small volume. In those places he provides extensive references to other people’s work. The footnotes are so exhaustive that Alexander’s work could be used as a study tool for digging deeper into the topics he covers. For example, in the chapter titled “Dealing with the Devil” there are over fifteen references to external sources. This is true of all the other chapters as well. It is a great collection of resources for future study.
Alexander began this book by looking at Revelation, and the way the new heavens and new earth will be. Starting at the conclusion of all things and seeing the state things will eventually be restored to shed new light on Scriptures that before I never understood the greater significance of. By reading the events of the Bible with the ending in mind, one can see the slow and steady unraveling of God’s plan. It gives events in the Bible new meaning and greater significance.
Being so knew to biblical study I don’t feel qualified to critique the work of someone who has dedicated their life to its study. I don’t yet have enough knowledge to compare against as if to find some discrepancy. I was learning so much while reading this book that I read it over the course of two sittings and loved every bit of it.
I am brand new to serious biblical study. I came to this book as a true beginner of biblical theology. If the audience was intended for the layperson, then I would deem Alexander’s work a success. I know that Alexander’s work is going to continue to provide value for me. Alexander has an amazing talent for structuring his work so that you are led, chapter by chapter, until you understand his message fully. This book also awakened in me a ravenous desire to know and understand more. It made me realize that the Bible is the most magnificent and beautiful gift we have ever been given. Its depths can be searched for a lifetime, and you will still be surprised by its beauty. On every page the main theme shown through – that God’s plan is inevitable and is being furthered toward completion every day.

[Rachel Turnbill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great, informative, and helpful book for anyone wanting a detailed breakdown of God’s plan for creation, the effects/consequences of sin, and the new heavens/new earth! The only reason I didn’t give it five stars was due to it being pretty wordy sometimes and a more difficult flow to follow, especially with all the footnotes everywhere. This book shed a lot of light and eliminated a LOT of confusion for me about what the New Jerusalem is, the importance/meaning behind the OT temples, priesthood, holiness vs. cleanliness, the fall of man, and God’s plan to restore us, as told from Genesis alll the way to Revelation.

I learned a lot from this book and it has definitely already shaped the way I see both God- not just as our Creator but as a holy, good, and patient Father- and Jesus- not just as our Savior but also as the fulfillment of many OT prophecies and the ultimate step toward fulfilling God’s creation blueprint for us. I would have loved this resource earlier in my walk, but then again, maybe now was a better time to read it, since all of the theology terms might have intimidated me too much had I read it earlier 😂 would definitely recommend!!

[Pamela Kilzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down. In the book’s defense: this probably isn’t a great season of my life to read such an academic piece. By the time I finished taking care of 2 littles all day, wrestling them to bed and then cleaning up their mess, I wasn’t really in the right mindset to read about the New Jerusalem. That being said, I wasn’t super impressed by T. Desmond Alexander. I loved the book’s storyline, and felt like it had a few golden nuggets that were interesting. However, I really didn’t learn much new information. Alexander repeats himself a lot—which I get was partly the point to demonstrate the circular narrative of the Bible—but it was still annoying. Also, and I hate to say it… this book was boring. Bummer! It’s such an awesome concept and I’m someone who truly loves nonfiction, so for me to say it was boring is really a travesty. But yes, I wish that Alexander would’ve spiced things up just a little bit. Maybe then I wouldn’t have been so tempted to fall asleep while reading it.

[Landen Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all honesty, I would've rated this one a 3.5 stars if possible. Alexander provides a biblical case for the metastory and its themes. He provides a lot of scripture and tells the story from start (Genesis 1-3) to the finish (revelation 21-22). I enjoyed reading this book and it had a lot of great information regarding how we should understand the Bible and its themes, although it seems incomplete and unfinished. This was an introduction book but it seemed rather unstructured and assumed a prior knowledge of a lot of the topics discussed in the book. The structure was also hard to follow along with, it seemed like Alexander threw out ideas and never elaborated on them further, while dwelling on certain ideas for much too long. This is just me being picky, but I think it's a quick and good read for insight on the Bible's meta narrative and types (specifically the tabernacle and the new Jerusalem).

[Jordan Parmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a good job threading the whole biblical narrative together in context of God's presence.

Since the fall starting in Genesis, it demonstrates how each major stage of the Biblical text re-establishes God's presence with His people. The book starts by exploring the motif of the temple (Eden, Tabernacle, Jerusalem) and then how this motif is carried forward to the church today under Christ. The middle of the book goes into depth about the conflict between Christ and Satan and how Christ atones, purifies, and sanctifies believers. In the end, we see the dichotomy between Babylon and Jerusalem and how the Garden of Eden motif is re-established in Revelation.

It is an approachable book and not a difficult read. If you need a nice, succinct summary of how the larger Biblical narrative stitches together, this is a decent resource.

[Pig Rieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alexander’s work serves as an introductory level book to biblical theology by way of example. The author picks up Revelation 21 & 22 and after arriving at the central ideas jumps back to begin the theological themes from Genesis. Tracing ideas like from holy garden to holy city and the vicarious death of the lamb, the author looks to see how God progressively develops these ideas reaching culmination in Christ.

Due to the work’s method of picking up Revelation 21 & 22 themes, the book doesn’t always seem to fit together. Though one can understand the author’s intent, the work feels like a series of biblical theological essays rather than a book. Additionally, themes do not always feel adequately explained and explored.

All of this being said, the work proves to be a fine example of biblical theology though in some ways this reader felt more could be desired.

[Grace Boone · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my first reads on theology, so I'm not entirely sure how to critique or to not critique this, but I think I'm going to give it 3.5 stars and round up. Alexander lays out well founded and logical points in each chapter, even though it felt a bit disjointed at times. He sometimes got a bit carried away with a few narratives, in my opinion, mostly the parts on capitalism (which I felt were out of left field). I thought the bookends (Genesis and Revelation) were his strong suits, so I would have obviously enjoyed if the middle portions were slightly more dense, comprehensible, and distinct. Overall though, this is a great introduction to theology. I'm not sure how much I'll pick it up again, if any, but I know the messages and themes will stick with me.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 reads: #31
Rating: 4.5 Stars

What a delightful exploration of God's intent to dwell with man on earth.

Chapter 2 (temple motif) and chapter 3 (restoration of mediated rule) were particular highlights. Other themes explored include the pattern of opposition against the Kingdom of God, redemption accomplished through the Lamb, and the hope of full transformation (including social and ecological aspects).

All of these themes are traced throughout Scripture, but primary focus is given to their fulfilment in Christ and culmination in the new heavens and earth. Therefore, this book consistently reflects on Revelation 21-22 which inspires Christian hope and encourages living presently in the light of that hope.

This comes highly recommended!

[Chase Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and almost gave it 5 stars but I just couldn’t do it. The reason being that in some places he made some statements that I thought were a bit of a stretch, and not necessarily grounded in Scripture. Although I do love how he connected the entire Bible to the revelation made to John in chapters 21-22 of Revelation. This book does a great job of connecting the Old Testament to the New Jerusalem and how there are traces of it throughout Scripture. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to further study the Old Testament in its relation the New.

Read good books

[Marc Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a handful of introductions to biblical theology recently, but this has probably been my favorite. It focuses on the final two chapters of Revelation and the first three chapters of Genesis, showing the numerous threads that connect them both (and everything in between). It is a short book, but might be a little advanced for the average church goer. Vaughn Roberts’ little big picture book might be a bit easier for every church goer, but Alexander’s is much richer.

[David Velasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to help you see the major themes that run throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I especially enjoyed the last two chapters. Chapter 6 helped me understand better the book of Leviticus and chapter 7 gives an interesting contrast between two cities: Babylon and the New Jerusalem. Very convicting!

[Samuel Bierig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read as an Introduction to Biblical Theology!

[Shane Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 reads: 16/52

Rating: 4.5 stars

[Caleb Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the consistent hope of the New Jerusalem. A little difficult in some parts but it was definitely worth it.