In light of the national and global circumstances in which we find ourselves today, the Reformed Fellowship board felt the need to edit, revise, and republish Rev. Henry Vander Kam’s Bible study book about the signs of the times for your studies!
It is far easier to fill a bookshelf with hyperbolic predictions and conspiracy theories from ostensibly Christian authors about the end of the world than it is to locate a level-headed, thoughtful, and relevant Reformed resource that summarizes the Bible’s teaching about the end times. But such studies do exist, and The Unknown Hour is one of them.
This Reformed Fellowship study is a revision of Rev. Henry Vander Kam’s unpublished Bible study The Signs of the Times.
Although directed primarily toward a churched audience, its simple explanation of Scriptural principles may hold interest for the curious nonbeliever as well. Addressing contemporary themes such as materialism, immorality, and fear, The Unknown Hour points readers to the course of redemptive history, the warnings of imminent judgment on the wicked, and the Lord’s unfailing promises to his Church.
Along the way, the authors helpfully introduce a variety of topics that generate controversy in Christian discussions of the end times, such as views of the millennium, the identity of the Antichrist, and the continued significance of the nation of Israel. Because of the book’s brevity, these discussions sometimes leave the reader wishing for a deeper and more nuanced treatment of such issues. The particular interpretations articulated in The Unknown Hour are not universally accepted, even within Reformed circles. Nevertheless, this is meant to be a primer on Scriptural eschatology, not a definitive and comprehensive doctrinal statement.
And as a primer, The Unknown Hour’s most significant accomplishment is that of connecting eschatology’s future focus with its very present point. The study opens by quoting Jesus’s invocation of the “sign of the prophet Jonah” against the Pharisees (Matthew 16). Jonah’s commission was to preach judgment to Nineveh, a city of abominable paganism that nevertheless repented and turned to God. As it relates to the end times, the sign of Jonah proclaims that there is still time to repent and cry out to the Lord, whose mercy is unfailing. The poignant call at the end of Revelation, “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17), resounds underneath each chapter of this study.
The Unknown Hour imparts sobriety and strength in tumultuous times. Because its message is firmly rooted in the eternal relevance of the Scriptures, this study is both timely and timeless. Ultimately, its end-times message issues a call not to consternation, but to comfort.
Mr. Michael R. Kearney is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He is a member of Covenant Fellowship Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA) in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.
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Table of Contents Preview:
1 The Importance of the Signs of the Times
2 The Danger of Misinterpretation
3 The Beginning of Sorrows
4 Persecution, False Teachers, and the Church
5 Life Before the Flood
6 Pagan Attempts at One World Government
7 The Consequences of Materialism and Pragmatism
8 Lawlessness as a Way of Life
9 Growing Doctrinal Laxity
10 Israel’s Return to the Homeland
11 The Mission Task of the Church
12 The Salvation of Israel
13 Mission Doors are Closing
14 The Antichristian Spirit in the World
15 The Nature of Anti-Trinitarian Theology
16 The Beast Out of the Sea
17 The Evil of Authoritarianism
18 The Beast Out of the Earth
19 The End of Division Between Nations
20 The Attack by the False Teachers, a False Church, and a World Government
21 Falling Away from God
22 The Man of Sin
23 Preparation for the End Times
24 The Antichrist Arrives with the Great Tribulation
25 Jesus’ Prophecy for Jerusalem and the Future
26 The Church’s Prayer for Christ’s Return
27 The Reward for the Faithful
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eBook (Kindle and eBook formats)
- 27 lessons, each with an accompanying illustration, "Searching Scripture" and "For Discussion" questions
- Charts, maps, diagrammed views of the millennium
- Glossary of symbolic numbers, emperors and rulers and terms used in the book
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Preview the book front matter, Chapter One, Glossary, and Diagrammed Views of Millennium
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