I highly respect the Dr Michael L Brown and I've followed him on his radio program and social media for some time. I was attracted to this topic partly because of the author and partly because of the topic. For myself I had evolved from a very pre-tribulation rapture view which I had largely inherited, to a mid-tribulation view which I arrived at after my own bible study. This book is very engaging and both authors have collaborated in a way that works well, including their own diverse backgrounds. The book provided many other bible points that I had not considered in my own study. I won't say that I have transitioned to a full post-tribulation position but I do feel that this book requires another reading alongside some new study. This is also a strength of the book which does not come across pushy, but does provoke thought.

When I was in college at a large Baptist university, I served for a year as a youth pastor at a tiny Southern Baptist church in a tiny town a short drive from campus. When I started, the pastor sat me down and said, We are a pre-millennial church. He wanted to know where I stood. I replied, with my 20-year-old attitude, "I'm a pan-millennailst; I believe it's all going to pan out in the end." A philosophy degree, an M.Div., and 30 years later, I have to say I might still answer the same way.



Micheal L. Brown and Craig S. Keener, on the other hand, have put a whole lot more thought and study into to answering the question. They make a couple of things clear about their mission in this book. First of all, they vehemently disagree with pre-millennial dispensationalism, and the accompanying anxiety about the antichrist and the tribulation. Second, they absolutely affirm that they recognize that good, faithful Christians may disagree on this subject and do not intend any spiritual superiority.



They challenge the pre-trib position with a blatant statement: show me a scriptural justification for it, and we will show you the context of the passage and explain why, when viewed in context, no scripture upholds a pre-trib theology. The good news is that even while covering a large amount of scripture and complex theological questions, the authors maintain a readable, accessible tone.



The bottom line here is very convincing. I could, with a bit of confidence, challenge my old pastor (lovingly and respectfully, of course) with a bit of discussion. I still don't understand why churches break fellowship with one another over this issue. I still believe it will all pan out in the end. We may or may not personally experience persecution and tribulation, but we know that at every stage of church history, many Christians have. Brown and Keener write, "the martyrs of the past are not calling out from their graves and urging us to be cautious and fearful. Instead, they are urging us to stand strong, to be of good courage, and to speak the truth boldly and without compromise."



I like Brown and Keener's conclusion: "Scripture announces one glorious future coming that is our hope, when the kingdom of this world becomes the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ." Maranatha.







Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

In the book Not Afraid of the Antichrist, authors Michael L. Brown and Craig S. Keener try to convince people that the rapture of the church won’t happen until the end of the tribulation. I find it interesting that their change of doctrinal theology was not spurred by Biblical discovery but by their interaction and first-handed experience with the persecuted church. This is their starting point. So I wonder what is next. They prayed for people that have not been healed therefore healing is not for today? Biblical theology is not dictated by our experiences.
Also it concerns me that “All Scripture translations, except where specified otherwise, are the authors’ own.” To me that is an immediate red flag when the translations of Scripture used are not mainstream translations that have endured countless questioning. No doubt there is no perfect translation but to write a book about a controversial issue and then use your own translation of the Bible to prove it?
I would not recommend this book. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Craig Keener's scholarly work, and was intrigued by the title of this book and its popular audience. The book did not disappoint in the sense that Keener and Brown were clear, easy to read and mixed a lot of theological argument with practical application and personal anecdote. Regardless of your personal beliefs about end times theology, Keener and Brown present a well-articulated case for their side of things. My only complaint about this book was at times I felt it a little repetitive and it avoided the topic in the title until nearly the end. Overall though it was a good read I would recommend to others!

Keener and Brown have done a great job of pointing out the discrepancies of the pre-tribulation (Left Behind) understanding of the end times. They engage the scriptures that are commonly used to prop up this belief and show how they are used out of context.

It is notable that both authors tell their stories of coming to Christ and being taught pre-tribulation doctrines, and then through studying the scriptures coming to accept a post-tribulation, single coming of Jesus Christ. Too often we read the works of someone who is espousing what they have always believed, not so here but you get the work of two men who have had open minds and allowed their studies to change their view-points. It also means that they can appreciate that there are other well educated people who hold differing views and while teaching against some of their beliefs, do not chide them.

There are three views that are used to explain Jesus’ Second Coming: the Pre - Trib, Mid - Trib and Post - Trib appearances of Jesus. However, the Mid - Trib view is not mentioned in this book, only the Pre and Post - Trib views are.
The authors give Biblical and historical references for why people believe that Christian believers could be raptured before or after the Tribulation. There were instances in the Old Testament where God protected those people who mourned over Israel’s sin and whom the Lord kept from the destruction that was given to those who participated in the sin. ( Ezekiel 9:4-6 )God also protected the Israelites in Goshen from the plagues that were visited on the Egyptians. The authors bring up the idea that as God had the ability to protect His people in the past, can He not protect them during the Tribulation?
The beliefs concerning a Pre - Trib rapture are mentioned, they include the verses that discuss being caught up in the twinkling of an eye and the verses that discuss two men or women working in a field and only one is taken. However they may also be interpreted to mean people will be taken up after the Tribulation when Jesus appears for a bodily transformation or for remaining during the Millennial Period.
This book will make you intelligently examine your beliefs about the Second Coming without damaging your faith - you can choose what to believe.