Sign of the Last Days When

By Carl Olaf Jonsson

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0914675095
• ISBN13: 9780914675099
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Commentary Pr
• Length: 271 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

good, not great

a very interesting history book, with a twist.it beats up the beleif that this century is unique, which makes it unpopular with jehovahs witnesses.the information is quite easy to follow, but the style lets it down a bit.a book well worth the effort though. a must for SERIOUS jehovahs witnesses.

A Wonderful Read

The Sign of the Last Days deals with the belief taught in many denominations that the prophecies in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 refer to our generation. The most well known of these groups are the Jehovah's Witnesses. This belief includes the idea that pestilences, famine, earthquakes, war and most social problems took a drastic turn for the worst at about the turn of the last century. The belief implies that things were pretty good until recently, and now things are rapidly going downhill in a handbasket. In some ways this is true, but is this the complete story? After reading this book the reader will be thankful to be alive today, and will count his or her blessings. The authors, both active Christians, do a masterful job evaluating historical trends as related to the concerns usually included in the "Last Days" teaching. For those who love history this book is a fascinating read. And for all Christians it will help you place your faith on an historical basis. For anyone interested in eschatology, the book is a must. The book is also a must for anyone interested in the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Was Jesus Referring to Our Time in His Last Days Prophecy

The author, Carl Olof Jonsson, sees Billy Graham, Hal Lindsey ("The Late Great Planet Earth"), Jehovah's Witnesses, the Worldwide Church of God, and others as misrepresenting Jesus's eschatalogical discourse in a similar way.This is surprisingly good reading material for anybody interested in New Testament eschatology.Jonsson devotes most of the first 200 pages of the book to historical analysis of famines,wars, pestilences, crime, and earthquakes to present a strong case that we live in one of the safest times in history. So, if Jesus really meant that he would return during a particularly dangerous time, we could be sure that he wouldn't come now.The copious references, charts, and quotations inspire confidence in the material.Jonsson shifts gears by doing scriptural analysis in a chapter called the "Myth of the Composite Sign" to show a different way Jesus's words can be read without taking liberties with the text. This frees the reader from the assumption he needs to look for a particularly troublesome time.The last 30 pages or so include interesting appendices, including correspondence with seismologists and a detailed analysis of the Greek word "parousia" to present the case that it has the idiomatic meaning of "coming" in Matthew 24. So students of the Bible are confusing themselves when they insist on the basic meaning of "presence."The book is underpriced and you will probably want to read it two or three times.Jonsson cites some authors with unusual views. I was motivated to track down and buy at least one book just from reading his footnotes.