Conditional Futurism

"James Goetz leads us on a tour of the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, to explore what it has to say about future judgment and salvation. He well appreciates that biblical prophesies can have multiple fulfillments and takes this into account in his wide-ranging explorations. Concerning judgment, he argues that the many biblical texts relating to the future are not simply unconditional predictions of what will happen but are conditional outcomes. If we repent, we can avoid the consequences that God says will be our fate. Goetz even holds out hope for postmortem conversion, even from within the Lake of Fire itself. This is a perspective that warrants careful consideration and further exploration."

Robin Parry

author of The Evangelical Universalist



"James Goetz's thoughtful defense of 'Conditional Futurism' should have great appeal to any evangelical who yearns for a wider hope. He persuasively argues, first, that Bible prophecies concerning future punishment typically forecast what will happen unless (or until) certain conditions are met and, second, that a strong biblical warrant exists for the possibility of postmortem conversions. His interpretation of the New Jerusalem with gates that never close is especially powerful in this regard."

-Thomas Talbott

Emeritus Professor of Philosophy

Willamette University



"James Goetz's Conditional Futurism surveys the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, focusing on predictions, especially predictions of judgment. He concludes that these predictions were always conditional; that God would always relent if the recipients would repent. This leads him to the conclusion that even the antichrist might repent and be reconciled to Christ, and to the conclusion that postmortem conversions are also probable."

-Dale A. Brueggemann

Missionary-Educator



"Though never a credo of orthodoxy, the belief that not a single created being--even Lucifer himself--stands outside God's redemptive reach has a history nearly as long as the Church itself. In Conditional Futurism Goetz analyzes key biblical covenants and prophecies through this grid in a simple, straightforward presentation that suggests the Church rethink its position on postmortem conversions and end-time prophecy. All students of the Bible will find Goetz's selection and treatment of biblical passages both stimulating and challenging."

-Rob Starner

Professor of Greek and New Testament

Southwestern A/G University



"Goetz has written a readable study suitable for lay readers interested in biblical end-times prophecies. Starting with a high view of Scripture, he challenges the idea that these prophecies depict what will happen, arguing that, instead, they can plausibly be seen as characterizing what would happen in the absence of repentance. Especially in the case of conservative evangelicals, this book may motivate needed reassessment of popular interpretations of end-times prophecies."

-Eric Reitan

Oklahoma State University