I’m glad to see Eckhard Schnabel’s 40 Questions about The End Times appear, not least because it puts me in good company!
His book appeared in 2011, my book Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches appeared in 2012. I had turned my manuscript into Crossway before Schnabel’s work appeared, and I didn’t know he held these views.
I’m thrilled to see that, independently of one another, we’ve arrived at similar conclusions on the relationship between the opening of the seals in Revelation 6 and the “signs of the end” in the Olivet Discourse in the Synoptic Gospels (compare his chart on p. 70 of 40 Questions and mine on p. 167 of Revelation).
Schnabel’s interpretation of the “abomination of desolation” would support Peter Gentry’s interpretation of relevant passages in Daniel (see esp. p. 156 in 40 Questions about The End Times).
I’ve paged through Schnabel’s book, reading selectively in sections that interested me, reading chapter titles and subtitles and chapter summaries. Each chapter title asks a question, and the question is typically answered in the subtitles. Here’s my favorite chapter title question and subtitle answer from page 247:
Chapter Title: Why Will Jesus Return?
First Subtitle: Jesus Will Return Because the Bible Says So
Amen!
It’s also good to see this resource providing a fresh take on a question often asked of those who hold the historic pre-mil view.
If I’m reading him correctly, Schnabel thinks that Gog and Magog and the nations who are deceived by Satan at the end of the millennium for the final rebellion in Revelation 20:7–10 are the wicked resurrected in the “second resurrection” (Rev 20:11–15, p. 276, 278).
That’s an interesting suggestion, but I’m more inclined to say that not all the wicked were slain at the second coming and that there will be those who submit to Jesus in the millennium though they do not belong to him. As soon as they get the chance to join Satan and rebel, they will do so. I don’t think the wicked dead are raised for the final rebellion.
This book asks and answers questions many have about the End, and I commend it for your consideration of these topics. Hearty thanks and congratulations to Prof. Dr. Eckhard Schnabel on 40 Questions about The End Times.
I am reading this book now and I just finished your commentary on Revelation. I noticed the similarities on the End Time Chart as well and I thought you both had the same approach on the Bowl, Trumpet and Seal judgments as well.
Both your commentary and this book have gone a long way to help me understand Revelation and eschatology much better. I have wrongly had a “once Jesus come back it will not matter what you think about the end times” attitude about eschatology. Really, it was a mask for my own lack of understanding in the area.
I am thankful for both of these books as they have given me an appreciation for and desire to study more eschatology!