The Topical Handbook of Bible Prophecy: Every Bible Verse on the End Times. By Ron Rhodes. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2010. 175 pp. Paper, $9.99.
A companion piece to his Popular Dictionary of Bible Prophecy: More Than 350 Terms and Concepts Defined, Dallas Theological Seminary alumni Ron Rhodes offers a helpful and easy-to-use tool for anyone interested in quickly finding Scripture references on topics relating to the end times. More than 300 names, locations, terms and concepts are listed alphabetically.
Properly titled as a handbook, Rhode’s work is a vast collection of Bible verses organized according to terms and sub-terms. For instance, under the entry for the Gospel of John (p. 86), Rhodes lists thirteen subjects relevant to this particular Gospel account, such as Messiah, Jesus came from heaven, Jesus is Christ, Jesus is King, etc. Next to each subject is a list of Scripture references. Many entries take up less than half a page, while some (e.g., Judgment, Messianic Prophecies, Millennial Kingdom) take up as much as three pages. Several entries also contain small tables highlighting various differences between terms. Judgment, for instance, includes a table showing how the judgment of the nations (Matt 25:32, 40; 25:31) is distinct from the Great White Throne judgment (Rev 20:11-13). This feature is extremely helpful both in understanding and in communicating the finer points of eschatology.
Free Grace readers will be encouraged to find that Rhodes, under the subject Overcomers (p. 116), gives sufficient Biblical references to show that loss of salvation is not implied (though a subsequent entry listing how overcoming “may” relate to rewards is puzzling). I also found helpful that some entries, such as Partial Rapture View (p. 118), included both the supposed Biblical references followed by Scriptural refutations for such a view. While I would have enjoyed perhaps a one or twosentence definition accompanying each entry, Rhodes’s objective seemed to be to create an easy-to-carry tool for pastors, teachers, and Bible students who may need to quickly locate relevant Bible passages. If this was his aim, Rhodes succeeded greatly.
Shawn Leach
Pastor
Minneola Community Church
Minneola, KS