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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Essential Reference Work in Eschatology, May 26, 2000
Dr. Morey is well known in Christian apologetic circles and counter-cult ministry, and this book is one of his best works. It is also a contemporary classic in the genre (eschatology). The book is divided into two parts, each with 5 chapters. Part I, Exposition, concentrates on the explanation and application of key principles of biblical interpretation as they relate to the subjects of death and the afterlife. The five chapter titles of Part I are: 1) The Hermeneutics of Death, 2) Body, Soul and Spirit, 3) Sheol, Hades and Gehenna, 4) Immortality, Resurrection, and Everlasting Life, and 5) Punishment: Conscious and Eternal. Chapters 1 - 3 discuss 6 key interpretive principles, the nature of humankind, and the Hebrew & Greek words used in the Bible to refer to human nature and certain places in the afterlife. Chapter 4 is short and acts as a sort of preface to the much longer Chapter 5 which, as the chapter title suggests, argues that hell is conscious and unending punishment for sin. Biblical terminology is analyzed along with the usage of terms in Rabbinic literature, the New Testament Apocrypha, and Patristic writings. Part II, Defense, takes the conclusions of Part I and strengthens them with an apologetic approach that addresses anti-biblical contemporary belief systems regarding death and the afterlife. The 5 chapter titles of Part II are: 6) The Present Situation, 7) Materialism, 8) Annihilationism, 9) Universalism, and 10) Occultism. According to Dr. Morey, materialism is the reduction of everything to matter. Annihilationism is the theory that the wicked pass into non-existence either at death or at the resurrection. Universalism is the idea that all men will find themselves ultimately in an eternal state of bliss, and Occultism involves communication with the spirits of the dead. There are two appendices. The first was written by Dr. Alfred Edersheim and is entitled "On Eternal Punishment, According to the Rabbis and the New Testament." The second appendix is a compilation of additional readings from Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (two early Church fathers). Overall, this book is an essential reference work in the study of anthropology and eschatology. It was one of the works that contributed to my personal belief that God alone is "eternal" (without beginning or end) and everything else is either temporal or "everlasting" as He wills. Although "eternal" and "everlasting" are sometimes used synonymously, the uniqueness of God must be preserved and the fact that God can sustain someone in existence forever must not be forgotten.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best book on the teaching of the Bible on the afterlife, December 11, 1997
This book by Dr. Robert Morey is in my opinion the best argument in print on the biblical teaching of the life after death. I did use it extensively when writing a major technical paper at the teological faculty of the University of Aarhus, Denmark. The subject for the paper was an investigation of the arguments used by the socalled "annihilationists" (for example John Stott, Clark Pinnock, John Wenham, Michael Green, Fudge, the Seventh Say Adventists and Jehovas Witnesses). I read nearly every book I could find on this subject in danish, norwegian, swedish, german and english. Many of these books did provide good and strong arguments but no one did outrange this book by Dr. Robert Morey. Morey takes the arguments of the annihilationists one by one and demolishes them totally. By this book NOW - before it goes out of print! Klaus Dahl, Denmark
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Most Thorough on the subject, June 16, 2003
As a Bible college graduate and seminary student, I have read literally hundreds of theological books in my life from many different perspectives--including opinions in which I would greatly disagree. Regardless if you agree or disagree with Morey, this book has got to be the most complete and thorough exegetical thesis on the topic of death and the afterlife I have ever read. Where some authors give simple, watered-down insights for those who may not grasp the deeper meanings of things (and this is not said in an offensive way, just an honest way), Morey spends considerable time "teaching" on the rules of Hermenuetics before he even so much as mentions the topic of death in the opening chapters. He then takes time to exegete just about every Scripture in the Bible pertaining to death and the after life. He also goes into a very intense history lesson pertaining to death/afterlife as it related to the philosophical beliefs of the cultures that were contemporary with the Bible's authorship. He also goes into an examination of Jewish and church history, which is very interesting. I am not sure if what I am about to say is negative or positive, but I must state that this book is not for beginners to sit down and read. It is clearly written as a seminary textbook. Sometimes people have simple questions about death and unless they understand deeper, more complex issues in theology, the book will probably be over their head. Again, this is not a critique--it is just reality. For a beginner to read this book would be like a first grader walking into an advanced calculus class trying to grasp what was being taught. But, to give Morey the benefit of the doubt, how can one make a subject like this any simpler without taking away the advanced knowledge? For instance, if a first grader were to ask a rocket scientist, "What is Rocket Science?", where would the scientist begin? The questions about afterlife and death demands more than a simple answer. As stated in my opening paragraph, there are other authors who give simpler, watered down insights for those who may not grasp the deeper meanings of death and the afterlife. It may be that one should read them first to build a foundation of eschatological understanding. While other books may state what they perceive as "truth," many do not contain the reasons why the "truth" is what it is. Once one gets a theological foundation built, then this book should be read. Morey not only gives you his belief about death/afterlife, he also gives you a reason why he believes what he believes. Regardless of how difficult a read the book is due to the depth of the subject matter, I would suggest reading this book. If you feel issues are over your head, sit down and digest it a few pages at a time (as I had to do at times!) even if it takes you a year. I think once you understand Morey's point of view, you will appreciate it more. And, you will walk away with a seminary education in the process!
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