FAQs

Click on the questions below to see the answers

Does Rose Guide to End-Time Prophecy support one viewpoint of the end times over another?

No, Dr. Jones gives a fascinating and balanced explanation of the major views of "last days" prophecies that great Christian theologians have held. You will learn about the different ways Christians have interpreted the prophecies, and the biblical support for each one.

Does the book cover the millennium, Israel's role in the end times and the other big questions?

Yes, the Guide compares each viewpoint in depth but also provides an easy overview guide on the main end time issues. Nothing is left out. It even includes an important "words to know" section with clear definitions.

Is Dr. Timothy Paul Jones qualified to write about the end times?

Dr. Jones is an award-winning writer on Christian history, a biblical scholar, and a life-long student of end-time prophecy. He presently serves as a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy is an encapsulation of the teachings he has done at numerous churches and at the seminary level for more than 20 years.

How is the book organized so readers can make sense of the end times? Table of Contents?

The Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy is an easy-to-understand overview. It goes through the key portions of Scripture and explains different ways that Christian scholars have interpreted them. Clear charts and illustrations show the picture. Even if you know what you believe, you owe it to yourself to know why, and to understand the other views. 192 pages, 9.5 x 7.75 inches

Table of Contents

Ch. 1 Keeping Your Eyes on the Right End

• Nine false prophets who misled people. Gives 4 reasons to study end times.

Ch. 2 Apocalypse Now and Then

• Basic explanation of Apocalyptic Literature (Book of Revelation, Daniel).

Ch. 3 What Christians Agree About When It Comes to the End of the World

• Includes the 3 truths that all Christians affirm.

Ch. 4 Words You Need to Know When It Comes to the End of the World

• Defines 12 key terms relevant to end-times studies.

Ch. 5 What Happens After the End

• Describes what the Scriptures say about heaven.

Ch. 6 How the Beginning Points to the End

• Includes God's promises and covenant with Abraham and the end times. Explains different ways that Christian interpret the fulfillment of these promises.

Ch. 7 The Kingdom That Was, Kingdom That's Yet to Be

Ch. 8 The Prophetic Perspective

• Offers explanations of Gog, Ezekiel s Temple, etc., and includes possible locations for the Ark of the Covenant.

Ch. 9 Daniel's Double Vision

• Includes a comparative analysis of Nebuchadnezzar's dream (The statue with a head of gold, chest of silver, legs of bronze) and Daniel's vision of beasts.

Ch. 10 The Mystery of the Seventy Weeks

• Show various ways that Christians have calculated the book of Daniel's 70 weeks.

Ch. 11 Why People Missed the Promised Messiah

• Explains 4 reasons why some people of Jesus' day did not recognize him as Messiah.

Ch. 12 What Jesus Said About the End of the World

• Explores 3 truths about end times from Jesus' parables. Examines Jesus' Olivet Discourse from 2 interpretive views, using phrase-by-phrase analysis.

Ch. 13 Cast of Characters at the End of Time: The Heroes

• What are the 24 elders, the 144,000 witnesses, the great multitude; and the 2 witnesses who die?

Ch. 14 Cast of Characters at the End of Time: The Villains

• Describes the 7 characteristics of the Antichrist, and the symbolism behind the dragon, the 2 beasts, and the mark of the beast (666).

Ch. 15 Understanding the Book of Revelation

• Explains 21 symbols in Revelation from 4 different views, using verse-by-verse analysis.

Ch. 16 Overview of Amillennialism

Ch. 17 Overview of Postmillennialism

Ch. 18 Overview of Dispensational Premillennialism

Ch. 19 Overview of Historical Premillennialism

Ch. 20 A Quick Guide to Four Views of the End Times

• Diagrams and explanations of the four views. Includes names of key pastors, theologians and scholars who hold each view.

Glossary of terms

Notes Carefully annotated book with well-supported arguments (184 endnotes)

Index

What are other people saying about the book?

Even if you have your own view, you owe it to yourself to understand it more fully, and to understand the other biblical interpretations.

"In the midst of eschatological debates and arguments, this book provides a refreshingly fair and irenic approach to a difficult and sensitive topic. It will certainly help the reader to understand the breadth of theological issues involved in discussing the end times. Most importantly, it places the reader’s attention on the issue the Scriptures emphasizes: the glory of God and His faithfulness to His Word. Having this biblical perspective makes this book a must read for those in the church to rightly grasp the content and beauty of eschatology."
-Dr. Abner Chou, Master's College, Santa Clarita, CA

"For decades, Christians have taken one side or another in the interpretation of the Bible's future events. I like the 'different views' approach because it allows believers to think and decide for themselves. Timothy's work avoids speculative extremes and helps us understand end-times prophecy from start to finish. I love the charts, diagrams, and pictures!"
-Dr. Hal Seed, founding pastor, New Song Community Church, author of Future History: Understanding the Book of Daniel and End Times Prophecy

"It doesn't take long for a discussion of the end times to get kooky, hyper-complex, or both. If you're afraid to talk about the last days because you're afraid you'll wind up gazing at byzantine prophecy charts or listening to someone talk about how you ought to be storing up food and weapons, this book is for you. Timothy Paul Jones, one of the most brilliant scholars in the Christian world, takes the words of Jesus seriously, all of them, including the ones about the end. He takes them so seriously that he refuses to hide them under a bushel of scholarly jargon or of sensationalistic hype. Read and be blessed."
-Russell D. Moore, Provost, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"It seems that the Christian interest in the end times will never end. Unfortunately, much confusion reigns within the various evangelical camps regarding what the other camps believe. If you are interested in really understanding the several evangelical approaches to the end times this study is a must! Dr. Jones knows his material well and presents it clearly. I highly commend Dr. Jones for his intelligent, fair, and practical presentation of the Four Views of the End Times."
- Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., Th.D., Author, He Shall Have Dominion and Before Jerusalem Fell

"I was sent a copy of the book Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy with the request to consider writing an endorsement for it. Quite frankly, I had no desire to do so, as I quit reading books on prophecy when I graduated from Bible College over 35 years ago. You see, while in college I backed up with Scripture, to my satisfaction, several contradictory views on how to interpret the book of Revelation. That resulted in me laying aside the whole area of end-time prophecy and saying I am going to focus instead on discipling nations, as commanded by Jesus. I figured, eschatology was obviously ambiguous, and to fight and argue over interpretations was unprofitable to the furthering of the administration of God, which is by faith (1 Tim. 1:4).

However, when I first glanced at this book, I was struck by the full color charts on almost every page. I love charts, as so much information can be communicated so clearly in such a small amount of space. They captured my eyes, were easy to read and laid out multiple views of eschatology side by side, without feeling a need to judge any of them. Instead they simply showed the key unique emphases of each interpretative view along with its scriptural basis.

As I began to read I really got excited. Timothy Paul Jones was not putting anyone down. He was not judging or condemning or insisting his view was right and everyone else was wrong. As a matter of fact, he was not even stating what his view was. He was simply, honestly and clearly presenting the four major views of Revelation in a clear, concise, orderly manner.

So then I asked myself, but why even care about these four different ways of interpreting the book of Revelation? And as I turned to the next page (page 72), the author asked the question, "Why does it matter?" obviously fully in tune with his reading audience (which is something I absolutely love about the book). Then he gives the best answer to that question I have ever heard. It is so we know and appreciate the historical positions the church has held on the book of Revelation, so we can be informed and so we can learn to respect and honor those who hold positions different from ours. Well this is refreshing, and as God has been telling me that I need to honor all people. In my early Christian life, I was trained to judge and put down everyone who held a view different than mine, so I destroyed the unity of the body of Christ, because of my theological beliefs on things which were not essential to the message of salvation by faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is an outstanding book, which clearly and simply lays out four differing views of end-time prophecy, providing scriptural support for each, showing the unique approaches each view takes, and encouraging you to understand and not judge those who disagree with you. Finally we can honor and love all people (1 Pet. 2:17) as we consider various views of interpreting end time prophecy. What a gift to the body of Christ. Thank you Timothy Paul Jones!

Now I want to read other books Dr. Timothy Paul Jones has written, plus I want to sell your book off our website, and add it as the first and only course on eschatology our university has ever offered."
—Dr. Mark Virkler, Founder and President of Christian Leadership University

What are some of the features of the Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy?

• A thorough explanation of the different ways Christians interpret the Book of Revelation.
• Daniel's prophecy of the seventy weeks from different points of view.
• The four main Christian views of the millennium: Amillennialism, Postmillennialism, Dispensational Premillennialism, and Historical Premillennialism.
• Terms in the Book of Revelation: the Beast, 666, Armageddon, Antichrist, and Great Tribulation.
• A timeline of end-times events from a Dispensational and a non-Dispensational perspective.
• Jesus teaching about the end times in Matthew 24, known as the Olivet Discourse, and two ways of understanding them. The most important beliefs about the end times that all Christians hold.
• Fantastic art. Dozens of charts, photos, diagrams, and explanations.
• Side-by-side comparison charts of the different views.

I'm a professor. How can I get an examination copy?

Please visit http://rosepublishing.wordpress.com/desk-copy-policy/ to request an examination or desk copy.

Can I use Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy as curriculum for a small group study?

Yes, you can. We also have a 6 session DVD-based study that includes leader and participant guides called Four Views of the End Times also by Timothy Paul Jones. Click here to learn more about it.

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