End Times Annotated

Bibliography
OVERVIEW

Want to learn more? Want to check my sources? I’m preparing this annotated bibliography to help.
These aren’t all the books I’ve read, but they’re the ones I think would be most helpful to others.

I’ve divided the sources into contrary views first (people that hold to the pre-tribulational perspective
and think I’m crazy!) and then sources I recommend (people who helped me get to the view I now hold
and presented in the videos). And since it’s annotated, you’ll get a comment from me about each
source! I don’t expect you to go read all these books, but I’d be thrilled if you read even one or two! If
you want my recommendation if you can only read one or two … for lay level reading, go with Trent
Hunter’s book. For academic reading, go with GK Beale’s book on the Temple.

CONTRARY VIEW
SOURCES

Gleason L. Archer, Paul D. Feinberg, Douglas J. Moo, and Richard R. Reiter, Three Views on the
Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulation?, Zondervan, 1996. The Three View series is extremely
helpful, since each author gets to lay out his/her case and then respond to the other authors. I don’t
fully agree with any of the arguments presented by these three authors, but this book is a good
introduction to the issues on a scholarly level. An updated version has been released that replaces the
mid-tribulation view with a pre-wrath perspective.

Darrell L. Bock, Craig A. Blaising, Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr, and Robert B. Strimple, Three Views on the
Millennium and Beyond, Zondervan, 1999. Similar to the book above, this book is an interaction
among guys with different millennial positions. This book is a great introduction to what the orthodox
positions on the end times are. Reading Three Views books also helps us be more humble when
interacting with people holding other views, because we realize they sometimes make good points.

Abner Chou, The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers: Learning to Interpret Scripture from the
Prophets and Apostles, Kregel, 2018. I had read Chou’s earlier thoughts in online articles, but like
most academics, I’m guessing he used those articles as the basis for this book. Chou argues against
the ‘sensus pleniour’ perspective — the idea that some texts carried meaning deeper than the authors
themselves originally knew.

Charles H. Dyer, The Rise of Babylon, Moody, 2003. Charlie Dyer was the academic vice president of
Moody when I graduated, and I received a copy of his newest book, this book, around that time. I
thought Dr. Dyer must be brilliant to see all the connections between Saddam Hussein and the rise of
Iraq (which Dyer equates with biblical Babylon). Of course, after George W. Bush got done with
Saddam, Dyer has had to re-frame his arguments around newer historical figures. That whole drama
really undercut my trust in ‘newspaper exegesis,’ the practice of interpreting the Bible in light of
whatever is currently happening in the Middle East.
Tommy Ice, Dr. Thomas Ice - The Pre-Trib Research Center. Dr. Ice has submitted so many articles
that a general link to his database should be sufficient. I find Ice’s tone rude and arrogant while his
reasoning is weak.

Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, The Left Behind Collection, Tyndale, 2014. The complete 12-book
fiction set that has sold over 63 million copies and influenced more peoples’ end times views than any
other source, including the Bible.

Larry Norman, I Wish We’d All Been Ready, Upon this Rock LP, Capital Records, 1969. I’m not being
cheeky including a song in this bibliography. My youth group sang this song constantly. I memorized
this song, and it was the only song I could finger pick on the guitar. Several youth conferences I
attended used this songs to give a ‘get saved so you don’t get left behind’ gospel invitation. I suggest
that many people got their view of the rapture more from this song than from the Scriptures.

Ron Rhodes, The End Times in Chronological Order: A Complete Overview to Understanding Biblical
Prophecy, Harvest House, 2012. This is another book I haven’t read, but I am including because
Rhodes is a frequent radio guest on hard-core pro-pre-trib rapture radio. First off, Rhodes is arrogantly
ambitious in his title. Secondly, this is the same boiler plate pre-trib dispensationalism that has been
around for nearly a century, so it’s interesting that Rhodes is claiming to have put together some clear,
‘new’ guide.

Charles Ryrie, Dispensationalism, Moody, 2007. The ‘gold standard’ book about dispensationalism
literally has the system as its title. Ryrie championed dispensationalism in the 2nd half of the 1900s.

Robert L Saucy, The Church in God’s Program, Moody, 1972. A classic pre-tribulational textbook on
ecclesiology (doctrine of the church), Saucy lays out the case for how the church is a interlude into
God’s bigger overarching plan.

Michael Vlach, He Will Reign Forever: A Biblical Theology of the Kingdom of God, Lampion, 2017.
Vlach is the most recent dispensationalist to respond to the recent uptick in scholarly and pastoral
interest in biblical theology by trying to write a comprehensive dispensational biblical theology. While
the average reader will learn a lot just from engaging this level of scholarship, his overall arguments
fall flat when compared to more robust theological minds who have embraced other systems.

John Walvoord, The Millennial Kingdom: A Basic Text in Premillennial Theology, Zondervan, 1983.
Walvoord’s influence is still high in American evangelical churches, because of his popular academic
explanations of pre-tribulational theology.

Matt Waymeyer, Amillennialism and the Age to Come, Kress, 2016. In what was certainly a doctoral
thesis project, Waymeyer gives a thorough biblical critique of amillennialism. Interestingly, his best
defense of premillennialism comes from his comparison of Isaiah 65 to Isaiah 25.

Andy Woods, Ever Reforming: Dispensational Theology and the Completion of the Protestant
Reformation, Dispensational Publishing House, 2018. I haven’t read this book. But I see so many Andy
Woods clips circulating on social media that he has to be included. From listening to Woods online, I
can discern that this is the written form of his argument that figuring out the pre-trib rapture was the
necessary final step of the Reformation. This would have been news to the Reformers and everyone
else outside Andy’s theological camp! Andy certainly dives in with both feet to try to defend his
position.
 Kevin Zuber, The meaning of απαντασις in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: “Meeting the Dignitary” or
“Retrieving the Bride”? (Online Article) Zuber gives the argument for why the Greek term in 1
Thessalonians 4:17 could refer to Jewish wedding customs. As I argued in the videos, Zuber gives
little to no attention to how or why the Thessalonians themselves could or would have made such a
connection.

RECOMMENDED
SOURCES

Andrew Abernethy, The Book of Isaiah and God’s Kingdom: A Thematic-Theological Approach, IVP,
2016. A Wheaton prof and friend of a fellow pastor friend of mine, Abernethy does a great job showing
how Jesus is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of both a King and a Servant throughout the text of
Isaiah. This book is an easy-to-understand overview of the whole book. Well worth your time if you want
to understand Isaiah! I use it weekly for sermon prep right now.

Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation, Cambridge, 1993. Don’t let the short size of
this book fool you. It is rich and deep! The first book on Revelation I was assigned to read at Moody, I’ve
grown more and more shocked that I was given this book to read at that school. Bauckham points out the
symbolic parts of Revelation and sets the stage for a non-futuristic reading.

GK Beale, The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary), Eerdmans, 1998.
There are many commentaries on Revelation. This is the only one I’m including in this bibliography,
because it is far and away the best. It is the most thorough, provides the most OT context for Revelation,
and gives incredible historic context. This is, quite simply, one of the finest commentaries ever produced
on any book of the Bible.

Ibid, A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New, Baker, 2011.
By far the longest book in this bibliography at over 1,000 pages, Beale present a sweeping overview of
how God in Christ fulfilled all his promises from the Old Covenant era. This is at least master’s degree
level reading, but it will richly reward the determined and diligent reader.

Ibid, The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, IVP, 2004.
One of the most important books I’ve ever read, Beale expertly shows how the Garden of Eden is
designed to mimic the Temple. Thus, from the Garden to Israel’s place of worship to the body of believers
to the New Jerusalem, God has always dwelt with his people on earth. Tracing this theme throughout
Scripture will bring Scripture alive in new and incredible ways!

GK Beale and Benjamin Gladd, Hidden but Now Revealed: A Biblical Theology of Mystery, IVP, 2014.
This book traces the 27 times the word ‘mystery’ occurs in the New Testament and attempts to draw out
similarities among them. A fascinating study!

Michael L. Brown and Craig S. Keener, Not Afraid of the Antichrist: Why We Don’t Believe in a Pre-
Tribulational Rapture, Chosen Books, 2019. Brown lays out all the biblical evidence for why the rapture is
likely post-tribulational. Along the way, he confronts several of the most common arguments made by
advocates for the pre-tribulational position. This is written at an easy to understand, lay level.

Alistair W. Donaldson, The Last Days of Dispensationalism: A Scholary Critique of Popular

Misconceptions, Wipf and Stock, 2010. This is a book that received very little attention when published
until now. However, the author does a great job unpacking all the problems with dispensationalism and
pointing us toward a better way.
J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, God’s Relational Presence: The Cohesive Center of Biblical Theology,
Baker, 2019. This was not a well known book when it released, so I really thought I was doing some extra
credit reading something like this. The reward, however, was immense. Duvall and Hays suggest that
God’s relational presence is THE key to understanding the overarching storyline of God’s work on earth,
and then they set about proving it as they move book by book through the Bible. There are some
incredible nuggets of fresh understanding awaiting the patient reader in this book.

Gordon D. Fee, God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, Baker, 2014. Not
everything in this colossal, 900-plus page tome on the Holy Spirit, is directly relevant to eschatology.
However, Fee does show how the indwelling Holy Spirit is the final fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell
with his people.

Peter J. Gentry, Daniel’s Seventy Weeks and the New Exodus, Southern Baptist Journal for Theology,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (2010). The best analysis and explanation of the 70 Weeks section in Daniel 9.
Gentry provides a compelling timeline that shows the ENTIRE prophecy was fulfilled at Jesus’ 1st coming.
Truly a paradigm shifting article!

Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, God’s Kingdom through God’s Covenants, Crossway, 2015.
Gentry and Wellum introduce a new system, progressive covenantalism, that bridges between covenant
and dispensational theology. In this book, they lay out their system and explain why they think it best
interprets Scripture. So far, this is the best theological system I have found.

Michael J. Gorman, Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb
into the New Creation, Cascade, 2010. A great introduction to reading Revelation in its own time and
taking into serious consideration the original readers of Revelation. Gorman blows up the idea that
Revelation was written primarily for Christians who would live 2,000+ years after its original audience.
Gorman also points out the politically subversive nature of Christianity (because Jesus, not Caesar, is the
true King!), which is good, though some of his pointed applications might not fit the personal political
preferences of everyone who reads his book.

James M. Hamilton Jr., God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology, Crossway, 2010.
John Piper describes this book as the ‘type of overview of redemptive history that Jonathan Edwards
wanted to sit down and write.’ It’s that good. The title looks like it will focus on God’s wrath and anger, but
the book doesn’t focus there. Instead, it points out how grace has been God’s idea all the way since the
beginning. And Hamilton shows how so many OT stories find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

Ibid, With the Clouds of Heaven: The Book of Daniel in Biblical Theology, IVP, 2014. Hamilton gives the
best Christ-centered take on the prophecies of Daniel that I have found. Having preached Daniel before
reading this book, I wish I could have a re-do, because I really failed to see the connections to the gospel
and the overarching storyline of God.

Matthew S. Harmon, The Servant of the Lord and his Servant People: Tracing a biblical theme through
the canon, IVP, 2021. Harmon discusses what it means to be God’s servant and who fulfills that role and
how they fulfill it throughout the Old Testament. Then we see how Jesus, as the ultimate Servant of God,
brings together all those roles in his role as Savior-Servant.

J. Daniel Hays, From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race, IVP, 2003. A great resource
to show that including Gentiles into God’s people had always been God’s plan. Hays even shows several
often missed ways that this was previewed in the experience of the nation of Israel.

Richard B. Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels, Baylor, 2017.

Ibid, Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul, Yale, 1993. Hays produced these two career defining
books many years apart, the second after a devastating cancer diagnosis. In both books, Hays traces
how NT writers expected his readers to know the broader context of an OT quote or citation and to
interpret meaning from the broader context being brought to mind.

Anthony A. Hoekema, The Bible and the Future, Eerdmans, 1994. Hoekema lays out a defense of
amillennialism throughout this book. Its greatest value, however, is its chapter challenging
dispensationalism. In about 15 pages, Hoekema eviscerates the system from a biblical perspective. I had
one friend tell me he left dispensationalism just because of that one chapter!

Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum, Christ from Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals
the Full Glory of Christ, Zondervan, 2018. A personal friend from Moody, Trent teams with one of his
seminary professors to write an excellent book that gives little glimpses into how each story in Scripture
helps us see Christ as the big picture in God’s unfolding story by locating that story through looking back
and looking forward in the salvation history timeline as we study.

Dennis E. Johnson: Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation, P&R, 2001. I changed my mind
about Revelation commentaries. I’m also going to include this shorter, lay level commentary written from
an amillennial perspective. Johnson’s writing was clear and helpful, and I read this commentary like a
novel more than a study resource.

George Eldon Ladd, The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture,
Eerdmans 1990. Originally written in the mid-1950’s, Ladd’s deconstruction of the pre-tribulational rapture
was so thorough and eviscerating that the issue was settled for most academic scholars at that point.
Those who disagreed with Ladd basically ignored him instead of engaging his arguments.

Oren R. Martin, Bound for the Promised Land: The Land Promise in God’s Redemptive Plan, IVP, 2015.
Martin traces the land promise all throughout Scripture, showing how the New Testament revises and
expands it.

Esau McCaulley, Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance: Davidic Messianism and Paul’s Worldwide
Interpretation of the Abrahamic Land Promise in Galatians, T&T Clark, 2021. OK, this book is now a
bargain with a paperback version available for $39! I paid $120 for a hard cover, and I waited and waited
for it to get cheaper. But finally, I wanted to read it so badly that I just paid the $120. And honestly,
McCaulley’s take on Galatians was worth that and more. This is a PhD dissertation, so it’s hard reading.
But the current Wheaton prof expertly shows how the land promise is realized in Jesus.

Vern S. Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, P&R, 1995. Poythress provides
fascinating insight into how the design and layout of the tabernacle reflects the gospel message in the
first half of this book. The second half gets very weird as it discusses theonomy, so that part can safely be
left unread.

Ibid, Understanding Dispensationalists, P&R, 1993. Poythress gently challenges dispensationalism,

though it’s clear that he can’t understand how anyone finds it remotely credible. But his good-hearted
attempt to understand and interact with the system is a helpful model for how to have such conversations
— and it can provide some good answers for people struggling with whether to stay or leave
dispensationalism.

John G. Reisinger, Abraham’s Four Seeds, New Covenant Media, 1998. A small and accessible
introduction into the question ‘Who are the descendants of Abraham?’

Kim Riddlebarger, A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times, Baker, 2013. This was the
first book I read outside of dispensational circles. I felt really rebellious and really scared. Like what if this
guy totally polluted my mind? The first thing I noticed was how committed Dr. Riddlebarger was to the
authority of Scripture. That immediately set me at ease and allowed me to consider his arguments.
O. Palmer Robertson, The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, P&R, 2000. An exceptional
study on the term and concept of Israel.

D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and
Apocalyptic, IVP, 2002. Sandy leads readers through a masterful study on how normal readers of
prophecies of Jesus’ first coming would have understood them. This leads him (and us) to question if we
should be so dogmatic about how we interpret prophecies about his second coming.

Thomas R. Schreiner, The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments,
Baker, 2013. The first big biblical theology that I read. This book was so good that I took a group of 5-10
aspiring leaders at my last church through this book on Saturday mornings for a year. Schreiner helps us
see how all Scripture fits together with Jesus as the key.

Preston Sprinkle, Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., Sam Hamstra Jr., C. Marvin Pate, and Robert L. Thomas, Four
Views on the Book of Revelation, Zondervan, 2010. This book unpacks the four main different
interpretative approaches to the book of Revelation. My view, the cyclical view, is probably closest to the
idealist view, but none of the four authors perfectly captures my view. But if you wonder how anyone
could read Revelation and not think it’s about the future, this is a great place to start.

Brian J. Tabb, All Things New: Revelation as Canonical Capstone, IVP, 2019. Tabb does the detail work
of tracing down all the connections between Exodus and Revelation in the seal, trumpet and bowl
judgments. The charts in this book are extremely clear and helpful.

Stephen J. Wellum and Brent E. Parker, Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between
Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies, B&H, 2016. This short book features a handful of chapters,
each written by a different contributor. Each short chapter attempts to answer one key challenge that was
posed to Progressive Covenantalism since it launched as a system a couple years before this book.

A Blake White, God’s Chosen People: Promised to Israel, Fulfilled in the Church, Cross to Crown
Ministries, 2017. A short and easy explanation, written by a pastor for lay people, that explains why the
promises made to Israel can be fulfilled for the church without God becoming a liar by failing to come
through on his word.

N. T. Wright, Christian Origins and the Questions of God Series: The New Testament and the People of
God (1992), Jesus and the Victory of God (1997), The Resurrection of the Son of God (2003), Paul and
the Faithfulness of God (2013), Fortress Press. Wright has been incredibly influential among younger
pastors and scholars. He has introduced the New Perspective on Paul in Pauline studies, and he has
championed a unique version of preterism in this well-regarded series. Candidly, I’ve only read the first
three of these books. I’m less interested in the New Perspective questions he addresses in his final
volume. But Wright argues, for example, that Jesus’ resurrection victory was the coming on the clouds
described in Daniel and used by Jesus in Matthew 24. Wright’s arguments are always worth a hearing,
and you will learn many things from him even when he doesn’t finally convince one. Wright does,
however, rightly champion the position that Israel remained in spiritual exile even after returning to the
land, because the exile could not end until sin was purged from the people. Read in conjunction with
Gentry’s article above, this explanation solved the Daniel 9 riddle.