I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
Good book discussing end time events, though some parts seemed to contradict what I've always believed. Definitely makes one want to dig deeper and really think about what and why it's saying.

This was a really good book. Author presented everything well, easy to read and understand. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in escatolgy, a must read.

The End of the World as You Know It by Matthew L.Halstead is well-written and well-researched. It has an extensive bibliography, list of scriptural sources and subject index. This is all helpful to assist readers trying to understand “the end times.”

The author provides a well-reasoned description of the end times, based on more than just stories like “Left Behind”. We can’t fully rely on modern prophecy teachers. I agree with the author’s conclusion- all things will be made right in the end. We just have to wait and know that it won’t be “the end of the world”, “It will just be the beginning!”

Thanks to NetGalley and Lexham Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

I began my journey as a Christian in the early '90s. The churches I attended were greatly influenced by US-style fundamentalism. During that period, numerous books were being written on the subject of the End Times, and I read many of these Western-centric, scary, and speculative books in an attempt to make sense of the Book of Revelation for myself. While entranced by the confidence and "insight" of these writers, I remained unconvinced. I had no idea that there was another way of looking at these scriptures. How I wish I had Halsted's book back then! Halsted writes, "If people are reading end-time texts and walking away with worry and dread, something is wrong." Halsted begins by outlining a key principle of Biblical interpretation: Scripture was written for us, but not to us, meaning we need to understand what it meant to the original hearers. He then moves on to explore the meaning of "end times." This book examines most of the key "end time" scriptures, events, and figures with Biblical, historical, and intellectual integrity. I highly recommend "The End of the World as You Know It" as a great introduction to the Book of Revelation and eschatology, and to serve as an antidote to speculative nuttiness. It is important to note that this is an introduction to the subject, written at a very accessible level for the average person. This book is a great starting point that many people will find satisfying, but can also serve as an introduction for advanced readers looking to explore more academic writings by G. K. Beale, Richard Baulkham, and Michael Gorman.