Acknowledgements xvii
Preface xv
Introduction: The Most Extraordinary Letter 1
The Apocalypse: It is Not the End of the World 2
Why This Book is Needed 3
Our True Eternal Hope 4
Five Key Movements 5
A Note on the Genre of Revelation 6
Key Terms Defined 8
Conclusion 11
1. Less Like a Home, More Like a Train 13
Why Did God Create Everything? 13
God is Love Because God is Triune 15
Was Eden "Perfect"? 17
A Garden that Needed Guarding 18
The First Sin 20
A Place of Probation and Potential 23
Preconsummate Stage 24
The Promised Eternal State 26
2. The Emerald Throne 31
Behind the Scenes 32
World of Color 33
The Throne Room 36
The Song Without Cease 39
Casting Crowns 42
Equal Rewards 44
Only God Is Worthy 49
Sing to Yahweh a New Song 50
Excursus: Eternal Life 51
3. The Scroll of Salvation 55
Who Is Worthy? 56
Behold the Lamb 58
A Final Sacrifice 62
God Will Set All Things Right 65
4. The Coronation of Heaven's King 69
The Royalty of Jesus 70
The Coronation 72
Jesus the Prince 75
A New Song 76
The One Who Is Worthy 77
The Multicultural People of God 80
Ear-Shattering Worship 82
God and the Lamb 83
The Wrath of the Lamb 84
Paving the Way for the Parousia 86
5. The Wedding of Two Worlds 89
A Kainos Creation 90
A Sea-less Existence 92
Recreation in the New Creation? 97
Heaven on Earth 99
The Death of Death 103
God with Man 106
6. God's Thesis Statement 109
The Thesis of Redemption 109
My Imagination Ceased 112
Who Is the Alpha and the Omega? 114
What is Excluded from the New Creation? 116
What About Hell? 117
The Father's Love for Us 120
The Eschatological Nature of Resurrection Bodies 123
7. The Most Holy Place 129
The New Jerusalem: A People and a Place 130
God's Global Temple 134
No Need for a Temple 137
City of Light 140
Infinitely Happy in an Infinitely Happy God 143
Eden in Our Hearts 147
8. The World Created for the Son 149
Paradoxically Nostalgic and New 150
The Life-Giving Garden 150
The Tree of Life 153
Looking into the Eyes of the Creator 157
The Kingdom of the Son 164
Jesus Is So Much More 167
9. Conclusion: The End Is the New Beginning 169
Welcome to Chapter One 170
Where Do We Go From Here? 172
Bibliography 175
