Rethinking the End of the World

"Christianity's purpose involves more than saving souls and spotting signs of the soon return of Christ. We who seek to be found in Christ are called to be faithful in the meantime to the call to spiritual maturity and be active participants in God's present work of restoring all things to their created purposes. Cooper has it right--as so many do not. We must not let our excitement about tomorrow distract us from the tasks and possibilities of today!"

--Barry L. Callen, dean emeritus of Anderson University, editor of Aldersgate Press, editor of the Wesleyan Theological Journal



"Thinking about the end times as a formative influence on Christian living now is a refreshing twist after a half century of battling charts and self-absorbed timelines. In this book, Cooper brings perspective and sanity to the frenetic activity of predicting the end of the world by describing the powerful influence it has on forming us to live in the present as God intends."

--Kevin Mannoia, chaplain, Azusa Pacific University; president, International Council for Higher Education; Former Bishop, Free Methodist Church; and former president of National Association of Evangelicals



"Dr. Cooper has written an important book with a critical reminder to the church and its leadership: the world doesn't have to end for the abundant life of the Kingdom of God to begin. As a result, Cooper discovers, and reminds us, that the apocalyptic literature in Scripture is not limited to focusing on the 'unknown' future, but also on the very real present. Something we modern evangelicals have too often missed."

--Gary Black, Jr., assistant professor of theology, Azusa Pacific University Seminary, co-author of The Divine Conspiracy Continued



"If you think you could predict what a book on Revelation would be like, think again. Cooper has written a book that facilitates the kind of spiritual transformation that the book of Revelation itself was meant to accomplish, while helping us avoid the dead-end issues that typify so many discussions of Revelation. A truly helpful book!"

--Ken Schenck, dean of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University



"Cooper directs the eyes of the church upward and inward as we read Revelation together, not outward to (mis)interpret modern day signs found in the daily newspapers. Cooper has helped recalibrate our interpretative compass as we align trajectory with our ancient Church Fathers right down to other contemporary apocalyptic readers--like Eugene Peterson--who help us revision Kingdom reality."

--David Smith, vice president for academic affairs, Kingswood University