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To Hell with Hell—Does Love Win?

By on February 26, 2011 in Book Review, Eschatology, Video

If you are not familiar with Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, MI, I don’t know you need to go out of your way to get familiar with him. (By virtue that he pastor’s a church called Mars Hill does not mean he is in anyway connected to the ministry of Mark Driscoll). Undoubtedly though, his books may very well show up in front of you from time to time. He is the author of Velvet Elvis and a new book coming out at the end of March called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and teh Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. According to the publisher:

Rob Bell addresses one of the most controversial issues of faith—the afterlife—arguing, would a loving God send people to eternal torment forever…? With searing insight, Bell puts hell on trial, and his message is decidedly hopeful—eternal life doesn’t start when we die; it starts right now. And ultimately, Love Wins.

Love Wins? This is univeralism 101!

Kevin DeYoung, pastor of University Reformed Church in Lansing, MI has a great post regarding this book and has some points on why “we must remember why God’s wrath is necessary to make sense of the Bible, the cross, and our growth in godliness.” I like his seventh point the best:

Sixth, we need God’s wrath in order to grasp how wonderful heaven will be. Jonathan Edwards is famous (or infamous) for his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” It’s still read in American Literature classes, usually as a caricature of the puritanical spirit of colonial New England. But few people realize that Edwards also preached sermons like “Heaven is a World of Love.” Unlike most of us, Edwards saw in vivid colors the terror of hell and the beauty of heaven. We can’t get a striking picture of one without the other. That’s why the depiction of the heavenly New Jerusalem also contains a warning to the cowardly, unbelieving, vile, immoral, idolaters, and liars whose place is in “the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Rev. 21:8). It’s unlikely we will long for our final salvation if we don’t know what we are saved from.

I plan on getting Bell’s book once it is out. I think it is important to see what he is saying, however, only reading it as discerning as possible. That would be my advice to any reader…remember to read discerningly and know who the guy is you are reading and what presuppositions he brings with his book.

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An Evening of Eschatology

By on February 19, 2011 in Eschatology, Video

Eschatology (the study of last things) is one of those subjects people either love or love to ignore. It is very easy to get caught up in the details of how we expect God to do something and to be working, especially when we see so much unrest in the Middle East and surrounding Israel. Some people are “signs of the times” people who see every move made in and through Israel as just one step closer to the rapture.

Well, I’ve historically been one of these guys that likes to ignore eschatology—that is until a few years ago. I’ve certainly become no “signs of the times” kind of guy, but I think it is important to understand what God says in His Word about the last days. Many people tend to think we are living in the last days right now—I tend to agree.

Last night I had a group of ten or so guys down to the house and we watched a discussion panel that was called “An Evening of Eschatology.” It was filmed in coordination of Bethlehem College and Seminary and consisted of John Piper moderating a panel of three men, each of which represented a different view on the millennium. The entire presentation was just over two hours, but with the lively discussion and occasional humor of Doug Wilson the time passed quickly.

The three men that were in the discussion were:

Listening to these men was very refreshing in light of a lot of “left behind” theories and mentalities of eschatology that have crept into our society and thinking. I would encourage anyone to listen to these men on this panel. Then when you are done and want to go deeper go over to the Bethlehem College and Seminary website and read through some of the books listed there. Be sure you start with Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond.

The video we watched can be found by clicking here.

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