Researchers continue to spend time and money looking for ways to prolong life. However, the reality remains the samewe are all going to die at some point. Written with creativity and honesty, The Last Enemy speaks to Christians facing death or troubled by its inevitability. It brings clarity and hope to the subject of death and dying by exploring our emotions and reactions, the pain imposed by the Enemy, and Jesus' triumph over sin and death. The Last Enemy encourages readers to focus on what matters most and prepare for ultimate victory.
The Last Enemy
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About the Author
Michael E. Wittmer is Professor of Systematic Theology and director of the Center for Christian Worldview at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.
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More About the Author
I teach theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and I enjoy writing books on important theological topics that can be read by any interested person. Many scholars write for other scholars. While it's important to write books that don't oversimplify and are credible with other scholars, my ministry is to write books for the church.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Darryl Dash
Format:Paperback
I can't imagine writing a book proposal for a book on death. Intended audience? Everyone. Marketing plan? That's the hard part. How do you market a book on death? It's a topic that most of us would rather avoid, and many of us do until it's too late.
But that's exactly why we need a book on death. Particularly, it's why we need a book like The Last Enemy Mike Wittmer. Wittmer faces this challenging subject with a keen mind, a quick wit, and penetrating insight.
The layout of the book is simple. The first half of the book examines death, our last enemy. Wittmer describes death's causes, consequences, and the psychological warfare it inflicts upon every member of the human race. The second half of the book explores Jesus' victory over death. Specifically, it explores how Jesus overcame death in his cross and resurrection, and how this secures heaven and the New Earth -- much better than the disembodied heaven that most seem to imagine. A final few chapters conclude the book with practical advice for those nearing the end of life.
There are a few reasons I love this book.
First, Wittmer has a gift for clearly communicating theology. And from what I hear in funeral homes and even at funerals, we need it. I think I've heard more bad theology preached at funerals than I have almost anywhere else. Not only is it bad, but it's also profoundly unhelpful. Wittmer does a good job of explaining what the Bible says, and he does so in a way that is clear and helpful.
Second, Wittmer writes well. Really well. If you can write a book on death and make it funny and interesting, then you are a good writer indeed. He kept my interest, made me laugh, and moved my emotions. How can you not like paragraphs like this one?
"Life is too short to read bland books or watch movie sequels. There isn't enough time for gossip, grudges, or plotting revenge. You don't have years to waste on what someone else things you should be or do. When you take death to heart, you'll tuck your children in every night, make some meals from scratch to share with friends, and go barefoot every chance you can. You'll take hungry bites from the peach of life, and when the juice runs down your chin and all the way to your elbows, you'll wipe it with your shirt."
Finally, I love this book because what Wittmer writes has the power to change our lives. Why wait until it's too late to begin applying death's lessons to our life now? If we miss out on death's lessons, and if we live life without the hope of Jesus' victory and the coming New Earth, we miss out on some important lessons we need in order to live well. Wittmer helps us learn these lessons now when they can make a difference in how we live.
You may never have thought, "I need to read a book on death," but that shouldn't stop you. Read The Last Enemy. It's a subject none of us can avoid, and the lessons contained in this book can make a huge difference in your life - and in your death.
But that's exactly why we need a book on death. Particularly, it's why we need a book like The Last Enemy Mike Wittmer. Wittmer faces this challenging subject with a keen mind, a quick wit, and penetrating insight.
The layout of the book is simple. The first half of the book examines death, our last enemy. Wittmer describes death's causes, consequences, and the psychological warfare it inflicts upon every member of the human race. The second half of the book explores Jesus' victory over death. Specifically, it explores how Jesus overcame death in his cross and resurrection, and how this secures heaven and the New Earth -- much better than the disembodied heaven that most seem to imagine. A final few chapters conclude the book with practical advice for those nearing the end of life.
There are a few reasons I love this book.
First, Wittmer has a gift for clearly communicating theology. And from what I hear in funeral homes and even at funerals, we need it. I think I've heard more bad theology preached at funerals than I have almost anywhere else. Not only is it bad, but it's also profoundly unhelpful. Wittmer does a good job of explaining what the Bible says, and he does so in a way that is clear and helpful.
Second, Wittmer writes well. Really well. If you can write a book on death and make it funny and interesting, then you are a good writer indeed. He kept my interest, made me laugh, and moved my emotions. How can you not like paragraphs like this one?
"Life is too short to read bland books or watch movie sequels. There isn't enough time for gossip, grudges, or plotting revenge. You don't have years to waste on what someone else things you should be or do. When you take death to heart, you'll tuck your children in every night, make some meals from scratch to share with friends, and go barefoot every chance you can. You'll take hungry bites from the peach of life, and when the juice runs down your chin and all the way to your elbows, you'll wipe it with your shirt."
Finally, I love this book because what Wittmer writes has the power to change our lives. Why wait until it's too late to begin applying death's lessons to our life now? If we miss out on death's lessons, and if we live life without the hope of Jesus' victory and the coming New Earth, we miss out on some important lessons we need in order to live well. Wittmer helps us learn these lessons now when they can make a difference in how we live.
You may never have thought, "I need to read a book on death," but that shouldn't stop you. Read The Last Enemy. It's a subject none of us can avoid, and the lessons contained in this book can make a huge difference in your life - and in your death.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By F. Szarejko
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Being a student of bioethics I have read much about death and dying. This brief book is the best I have read in 25 years of studying the topic. For my 87 year-old Mom this is a wonderful reminder of the promises we have in Christ while at the same time being a realistic look at the grief and suffering associated with death.
For the 63 year-old me, in addition to the reminder of promises made by God, it renews and stirs my faith in the resurrection of Christ and gives me a refreshing hope in the future both here and in eternity.
For my children and grandchildren, it provides a realistic look at the one inevitable experience all humans share, but also offers the promises of God to all.
A wonderful book and well worth reading, and rereading.
For the 63 year-old me, in addition to the reminder of promises made by God, it renews and stirs my faith in the resurrection of Christ and gives me a refreshing hope in the future both here and in eternity.
For my children and grandchildren, it provides a realistic look at the one inevitable experience all humans share, but also offers the promises of God to all.
A wonderful book and well worth reading, and rereading.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Honest, Hopeful Treatment Of Our Last Enemy--For The Dying and Living
May 11, 2012
By Jeremy Bouma
Format:Paperback
I've been contemplating death a lot, lately. Maybe it's because I just turned 32, and I see my young adult life quickly passing by. Maybe it's because I'm just coming out of "the land between," that murky, vacuous space where you're confused as heck about your purpose in life. Maybe it's because a childhood neighbor friend dropped dead of a heart attack a few months ago at the age of 29 on an afternoon jog in preparation for a police officer certification program--unlike your stereotypical donut-eating cop, he was in tip-top shape.
Perhaps it comes with age and perhaps it comes with greater life experiences, but I'm more aware of my own mortality and the mortality of those closest to me than ever before. Which is why I am really thankful for a new book by my friend and mentor, Mike Wittmer. For about a year now he's affectionally referred to his latest writing project as his "death book," and that's what it is, a book on death called The Last Enemy: Preparing to Win the Fight of Your Life.
Here's how this book launches into the biggest elephant in our collective rooms:
"You are going to die. Take a moment to let that sink in. You are going to die. One morning the sun will rise and you won't see it. Birds will greet the dawn and you won't hear them. Friends and family will gather to celebrate your life, and after you're buried they'll return to the church for ham and scalloped potatoes. Soon your job and favorite chair and spot on the team will be filled by someone else. The rest of the world may pause to remember--it will give you a moment of silence if you were rich or well known--but then it will carry on as it did before you arrived. "There is no remembrance of men of old," observed Solomon, "and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow" (Ecclesiastes 1:11).
You are going to die. What a crushing desperate thought. But unless you swallow hard and embrace it, you are not prepared to live."
I love that last line: unless you swallow hard and embrace death, you are not prepared to live. I must say, when I agreed to review this book for Mike, I wasn't prepared for the roller coaster ride of emotions I experienced as I faced and embraced the prospect of my own demise. I mean who really is? And who really sits down to actually contemplate it? Especially in such a youth-obsesed, decay-averse culture? But that's what I did, and a few hours later I am a better person for it.
While this book isn't for the faint of heart--be prepared for an honest, probing engagement of this important subject--it's a highly accessible book that's filled with Mike's special blend of wit, honesty, and pastoral sensitivity, and it all revolves around this single reality: death is our enemy. Unlike how many in our culture and even the church--particularly in the church--speak about death as a good thing, "a passing on" or "graduation" into a "better life," Mike makes the consistent, biblical appeal that death is not a good thing. Death isn't how it was ever supposed to be; it's our enemy that we have every right to shake our fist against. But the other reality is that death has been defeated by Jesus Christ. These two realities--death as enemy and death as defeated--form the two-part structure to this well-written, highly engaging devotional style book.
The first part is called "Know Your Enemy," and focuses on the reality of death; why it exists in our world (because of sin); why we experience it (as consequence for sin); and the pain of death which we have every right to mourn. The second part, though, makes plain the reality that death has been defeated, which Mike outlines in part two, titled "Trust Christ's Victory." Here, he walks through the effect of the crucifixion, resurrection, and Jesus triumph over death; the rest we can have in the face of death because of Christ's victory; our hope of heaven, not somewhere in outer space but right here on earth (see his excellent Heaven Is a Place on Earth for a fuller treatment of this subject); three practical chapters for those who are nearing the end of their lives on lamenting, living, and letting go; and a final chapter on finishing well.
What I love about this book is that it is written in short, easily accessible and approachable chapters in a devotional style and tone--chapters are 5 pages at the most. Then, Mike follows each chapter with 4 or 5 questions for reflection to help the read process what they've just read and their own feelings in regards to the chapter's content. Every chapter is rooted in Scripture; has just enough theological weight to keep it from becoming the typical sappy fluff that marks a lot of Christian engagement with death without getting bogged down; is filled with relevant, applicable sermon-esque stories to help drive the theme of the chapter; and engages the subject of death with incredible honesty and insight to help those nearing the end of life face their last enemy with hope.
As an almost-no-longer-young-adult, I found this book rather helpful and applicable to my own sense of purpose and destiny. There's something about getting honest with enemy death that puts things in perspective and reorients one's life trajectory. It might sound odd, but I think this could make a great gift for graduates of college or even high school, as much as a gift for grandma or grandpa, to help them honestly, yet hopefully, face deaths reality.
So buy this book not only for a friend or family member who is facing the prospect of death, but also for yourself--because the reality is one day you are going to die, and unless you face and embrace that reality, you are not prepared to live.
Perhaps it comes with age and perhaps it comes with greater life experiences, but I'm more aware of my own mortality and the mortality of those closest to me than ever before. Which is why I am really thankful for a new book by my friend and mentor, Mike Wittmer. For about a year now he's affectionally referred to his latest writing project as his "death book," and that's what it is, a book on death called The Last Enemy: Preparing to Win the Fight of Your Life.
Here's how this book launches into the biggest elephant in our collective rooms:
"You are going to die. Take a moment to let that sink in. You are going to die. One morning the sun will rise and you won't see it. Birds will greet the dawn and you won't hear them. Friends and family will gather to celebrate your life, and after you're buried they'll return to the church for ham and scalloped potatoes. Soon your job and favorite chair and spot on the team will be filled by someone else. The rest of the world may pause to remember--it will give you a moment of silence if you were rich or well known--but then it will carry on as it did before you arrived. "There is no remembrance of men of old," observed Solomon, "and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow" (Ecclesiastes 1:11).
You are going to die. What a crushing desperate thought. But unless you swallow hard and embrace it, you are not prepared to live."
I love that last line: unless you swallow hard and embrace death, you are not prepared to live. I must say, when I agreed to review this book for Mike, I wasn't prepared for the roller coaster ride of emotions I experienced as I faced and embraced the prospect of my own demise. I mean who really is? And who really sits down to actually contemplate it? Especially in such a youth-obsesed, decay-averse culture? But that's what I did, and a few hours later I am a better person for it.
While this book isn't for the faint of heart--be prepared for an honest, probing engagement of this important subject--it's a highly accessible book that's filled with Mike's special blend of wit, honesty, and pastoral sensitivity, and it all revolves around this single reality: death is our enemy. Unlike how many in our culture and even the church--particularly in the church--speak about death as a good thing, "a passing on" or "graduation" into a "better life," Mike makes the consistent, biblical appeal that death is not a good thing. Death isn't how it was ever supposed to be; it's our enemy that we have every right to shake our fist against. But the other reality is that death has been defeated by Jesus Christ. These two realities--death as enemy and death as defeated--form the two-part structure to this well-written, highly engaging devotional style book.
The first part is called "Know Your Enemy," and focuses on the reality of death; why it exists in our world (because of sin); why we experience it (as consequence for sin); and the pain of death which we have every right to mourn. The second part, though, makes plain the reality that death has been defeated, which Mike outlines in part two, titled "Trust Christ's Victory." Here, he walks through the effect of the crucifixion, resurrection, and Jesus triumph over death; the rest we can have in the face of death because of Christ's victory; our hope of heaven, not somewhere in outer space but right here on earth (see his excellent Heaven Is a Place on Earth for a fuller treatment of this subject); three practical chapters for those who are nearing the end of their lives on lamenting, living, and letting go; and a final chapter on finishing well.
What I love about this book is that it is written in short, easily accessible and approachable chapters in a devotional style and tone--chapters are 5 pages at the most. Then, Mike follows each chapter with 4 or 5 questions for reflection to help the read process what they've just read and their own feelings in regards to the chapter's content. Every chapter is rooted in Scripture; has just enough theological weight to keep it from becoming the typical sappy fluff that marks a lot of Christian engagement with death without getting bogged down; is filled with relevant, applicable sermon-esque stories to help drive the theme of the chapter; and engages the subject of death with incredible honesty and insight to help those nearing the end of life face their last enemy with hope.
As an almost-no-longer-young-adult, I found this book rather helpful and applicable to my own sense of purpose and destiny. There's something about getting honest with enemy death that puts things in perspective and reorients one's life trajectory. It might sound odd, but I think this could make a great gift for graduates of college or even high school, as much as a gift for grandma or grandpa, to help them honestly, yet hopefully, face deaths reality.
So buy this book not only for a friend or family member who is facing the prospect of death, but also for yourself--because the reality is one day you are going to die, and unless you face and embrace that reality, you are not prepared to live.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Death our last enemy
It is something that we do not usually think about unless faced with it. Death is our last enemy. This book is for those that have been given the gift of knowing that they are... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jeanie S
5.0 out of 5 stars
A bestseller on death?
If anyone can make a book on death a bestseller, it's Mike Wittmer. A lively, original, concise writer who combines solid biblical orthodoxy with a rare ability to communicate... Read more
Published 3 months ago by David Murray
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Last Enemy
Finally , an accurate description of what death really is. The total absence of God. Jesus did defeat this terrible enemy allowing us feeble humans to know that salvation and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ferdinand Lachance
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read It!
When he was still just a young man, Jonathan Edwards wrote out a series of resolutions and among them he included these words: "Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Tim Challies
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Last Enemy
I really enjoyed this book, It was very Insightful and Informative.
It starts out by dealing with the shock of you finding out that everyone will die and that is a curse from... Read more
It starts out by dealing with the shock of you finding out that everyone will die and that is a curse from... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Shelley Walling
5.0 out of 5 stars
death the last enemy
this is a very good e book i purchased from amazon e reader it will make you think if you are living wrong the devil will be waiting for you. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Thomas Adams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Always on My Mind
I recall sitting in a roomful of friends confessing that not one day went by that I did not worry that this might be the day I lose my life. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Terri McGarry
4.0 out of 5 stars
I found some of the book very encouraging and uplifting.
This book, The Last Enemy: Preparing to Win the Fight of Your Life, is about death but don't let that scare you away from reading it. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Irene's Christian Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does death make life absurd?
Often, the last thing you want to give to someone when they're struggling with the issues of life and death is a book. This book is an exception. Read more
Published 15 months ago by r brandon
