Thirty-five to forty years of looking for answers to questions. Did Christ really say that Hell contains a paradise? (Luke 16:20-25; 23:43 and John 20:17.) Will we really spend eternity in an unending worship service? If the church is raptured in Revelation 4:1, has Heaven really been waiting until after the church is removed to honor Christ's accomplishments from His first coming, as described in Revelation 5:9-12? Why is the New Jerusalem seen coming down from the new Heaven to the new Earth (Revelation 21:2)? If we are going to spend eternity in Heaven, why does God create a new Earth at all? Defending Our Hope seeks to share what I have come to understand as the Bible's answers to these questions. If you find Revelation confusing, I may only add to that confusion by offering yet another perspective. If you are confident that one of the current systems is sufficient, you will probably find my thoughts frustrating as I will challenge your views throughout. But if you're open to understanding God and His plans more deeply, I may provide insights that inspire you to dig further into your own study of the greatest treasure man can find on this Earth: the Word of God. As I lay out this attempt to provide a literal view, it may challenge what you think you know--or it may strengthen your understanding of what God has in store for humanity and how current events might simply be leading up to the events described in His Word. May the Lord bless all who read this book with wisdom beyond human understanding, that they may grow in their walk with the Lord.
