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(This list of recommended readings was sent to a study group in 2009. Some of the comments reflect my initial responses to what I had read at the time. More than 10 years have since past but the materials are still relevant, perhaps more so now). (RG)

A word of caution/clarification:
If you are looking for doctrinal purity in these works, a la SDA truths- you may be disappointed. My recommendation is that you sift everything thru the Biblical sieve, whether it has the imprimatur of Pacific Press, R&H, or any other publishing house. Some of the context where Scripture is referenced in some of these works may not agree with our understanding, but it will be unwise to ”throw out the baby with the bathwater,” as the saying goes.

“ A little learning is a dangerous thing
Drink deep or taste not the Paerean Spring
For shallow draughts intoxicate the brain
But drinking deep will sober you again!”
unknown

-The Coming Collision- Global Law vs US Liberties by James L. Hirsen. (Non-ASDA) Available from Amazon books.

When I found this book in April 2002 it immediately opened up to me an area of concern that I suspect will be instrumental in last day events- the effect of Global Law on US Constitution and national life. Since then I have conducted much research and compiled as much material on the subject to show its relevance to end time events in the USA. This little book is an eye-opener when considered within the context of globalism and one world government. It shows how the infrastructure for the implementation of universal laws is already in place. Enlightening and provoking.

-American Idols- the Worship of American Dream- by Bob Hostetler and Josh McDowell- (Non- SDA) available at the ABC or Amazon.

If you dare to take an inventory of what you really believe, not merely doctrinally, but practically, then you NEED to read it. This book expands the parameters of idolatry into areas that are just frightening, because they are so true and so pervasive.

-Words that Hurt, Words that Heal- Rabbi Joseph Telushkin- (Non-SDA) available from Amazon or other booksellers.

A very thought-provoking book that offers deeper meaning to the words of Jesus especially concerning the fact that we are to be judged by every word that we speak! This book explores the power of words and the potential destructiveness of negative speech etc. I have become more careful in my words because of what I learned here and because of the “black balls” which Sr. White spoke of (see You Can Survive later on below). Other books by Telushkin on Biblical and Jewish Wisdom are a bit pricey but good reading.

-This Little Church went to Market- by Gary Gilley- (Non-SDA) available from www.thebereancall.org.

I dare you to get this book and read it! I urge you to do so! Then as you read, compare what you read with what you see, hear and know happening in your local and North American SDA congregations in particular. If this book does not cause you to seriously think on the contents then I am sadly mistaken or just blind. I highlighted almost every page of this book to the extent that I find very little fault with the authors’ arguments, and am ashamed and perplexed by the fact that we, the custodians of present truth, may be blind as to where we are and where we may be heading.

-This Little Church Stayed Home- by the same author.
It is the follow-up to the first book so it will be very challenging too.

-Showtime for the Sheep- by T.A. McMahon. (Non-SDA) Available from Berean Call.

If you are still intrigued by the movie The Passion of the Christ, you MUST read this little book. Perhaps you were urged to see it or purchased the movie. I just could not put down the book once I started reading. If our people could have this level of insight! Read it and share it.

-You Can Survive- by Jere Franklin. Available at the ABC.

This is a very important and practical book that is needed by SDA’s. It contains practical information- spiritual, economic, social, physical etc., for living in these last days. Some of the more provoking thoughts contained are- the “black balls” of criticism that Sr White talks about; the importance of not being offended etc… Make it part of your library.

-Hidden Heresy- by Thomas Mostert. Available from the ABC etc.
An SDA Pastor reveals the subtle spiritualism present among us. We need to know these things and guard well the avenues to our souls- what we read, hear and see.

-Tidings from the Northeast- by Marc Alden Swearingen- Available from Remnant publications.
This book tackles Daniel 11. The author admits that he avoided this chapter and was fearful about dealing with it because he felt that he could not understand it. It is very clear and insightful. We need to read and study it carefully.

- Prophecy’s Dr Jekell & Mr.Hyde- Stephen Bohr
Excellent Biblical vindication of the separation of Church and State…A Must Read. Only 79 pages. Available from Remnant publications or Secrets Unsealed.

- Worship at Satan’s Throne- Stephen Bohr
Excellent must read….NO SDA should neglect this book…available from the same source above.

-Graffiti in the Holy of Holies- Clifford Goldstein
A powerful analysis of the subtle yet dangerous attacks on the Sanctuary and EGW from within the SDA Church……..Available from the ABC

-The Word of God for the People of God- edited by Ron Du Preez etc.
A powerhouse of individual Bible studies from a large cross-section (31) of SDA writers on various Biblical subjects….A great resource for study and appreciation of SDA scholarship. Available from the ABC.

-Spiritual Junk Food- Cathy Mickels and Audrey McKeever (NON-SDA).

An expose of the junk theories and methodologies that are currently employed to “win the youth” of Christian churches. A challenging read for SDA’s who are unaware of the onslaught already taking place in out battle for the youth……Available on amazon etc.

- Politics and Prophecy- Reinach & Reinach ed.
Here is a Religious Liberty book containing 13 essays on HOT issues relative to Religious Liberty by several different SDA writers. A most excellent MUST HAVE and MUST READ book…..Available from the ABC

Feeding Our Obsession With Easy Christianity
by Thomas white and John M Yeats

(This little book of 238 pages challenges us as Christians to consider how far corporate America has invaded church operations and has contributed to our desire to model after the world systems and principles. The non-Adventist authors paint a challenging, but real picture of many evangelical churches and perhaps too many SDA congregations as well). RJG


Book Cover Notes


“Are we serving junk food for the soul?


We live in a fast food nation, where service is efficient, products are peer- tested and size is king. And this consumer- driven approach is seeping into the church.


Across the country, churches are creating entertaining, pop- culture- savvy services that feel more driven by the market than by ministry. On the menu? A proven blend of dynamic music, high -tech dazzle, and topical teachings. And just like any successful business, churches are launching campuses that build on their brand.


But is the franchised church of today leading to the disenfranchised believers of tomorrow? Though thousands flock to these services, how many lives are truly changing? Have we traded real truth for relevancy?”



You can survive!

by Jere Franklin

Book Cover Notes


“If there was a plan whereby you can avoid most disasters, wouldn't you want to know about it? If you would, then you need to read this book. It includes chapters on: the joys of country living, medical preparation for the end time, wilderness survival, log cabin building, a garden to kitchen cookbook, a financial plan and inspirational stories of faith. In the near future this information will be invaluable.


Liberty Magazine’s Lincoln Steed remarks on this book:


‘Any reader who applies himself diligently to this book will be rewarded and uplifted. A sincere and practical outline for survival and revival.’”



1919


The Untold Story of Adventism’s Struggle with Fundamentalism

by Michael W Campbell

(Every seriously committed SDA who desires to understand the challenges that face our Church today must read this little book. In 120 pages the author unfolds events of that year that place our present relations with Evangelical churches in proper context). RJG


Book Cover Notes


“In 1919 the world was reeling from the destructive forces of World War 1, American Protestants were uniting against Modernism in 
defense of the inerrancy of the Bible, and Adventists were recovering from the 1915 death of Ellen White, their beloved prophet.

Needing to confirm the movement's identity in rapidly changing times, some 65 Adventist leaders, editors, and Bible teachers met from July 1 to August 9, 1919, in Columbia Hall on the campus of Washington Missionary College near Washington DC. Their discussions were candid and often heated, prompting A. G. Daniells to occasionally ask stenographers to stop their recording work. Minutes of the conference were buried in the archives and would eventually be rediscovered in 1974. Today the Seventh- day Adventist church continues to grapple with issues raised at that epochal event.”



No Fear for the future


Affirming Adventism's Divinely- Directed Origin with Ethical Principles for the Endtime People
by Ron du Preez

(This book should be a used as a manual for Adventists to understand not only the historical but the prophetic context of the movement. And along with an understanding of our divinely-appointed mission the author provides intriguing ethical guidelines for living morally upright lives in such a complex world of.) RJG

Book Cover Notes


“Many preachers on six continents proclaiming the second advent.

A meeting in Paris resulting in socialism that changed the world.
The writing of a manuscript on the evolutionary origin of humans.
A major centuries- old apocalyptic prophecy meets its fulfillment.
A novel concept that faithful believers are snatched up to heaven.
A teenager’s trance initiates a new surge of spiritualistic phenomena.
Multiple Bible translations arise causing considerable confusion.

Amazingly all of these major movements transpired in the mid- 19th century. At this very point in time, centering around the pivotal year of 1844, a small but bold band of Bible believers began to rediscover and reemphasize a few frequently forgotten teachings of Scripture.”


The Silencing of Satan


The gospel of the investigative judgment

by Bradley R Williams

(If there is any doubt about the biblical soundness and relevance of that seemingly irksome doctrine, which many seem to avoid-the investigative judgment- this book will clear them up. No longer can the topic be considered a theological face-saving doctrine by Adventism. The subject is firmly embedded in Scripture and the author systematically dispels any arguments to the contrary. This is a MUST STUDY, not just a must read, for every Adventist.) RJG


Book Cover Notes


“In this book Seventh- day Adventist pastor, Brad Williams, gives new compelling proof of the investigation of the saints, new perspectives on why there is an investigation, and a more encouraging understanding of what God is looking for. He demonstrates how the investigative process builds Christian peace and assurance. He answers the most important

gospel - based objections detractors have with the investigative judgment doctrine. He also shows that the hour of God's judgment anno unced in Revelation 14: 6,7 was repeatedly prefigured in the history of God’s dealings with mankind. This unquestionably affirms its end time fulfillment (1844-) in Adventism’s experience and doctrine. Follow the example of more than a thousand others and read Silencing of Satan. See how the investigative judgment is better news and more biblical than you ever thought before. See why the Silencing of Satan is silencing critics of the doctrine of the investigative judgment."

Prayer:

-Walking the Pathway of Prayer by Violet O Cox, Ph.D.

Are you in a rut because you think God is not hearing your prayers? Do you struggle with the thought that maybe you don't know how to pray? Is your prayer life just about ready to expire? Don't give up! Just journey along the Pathway of Prayer. You will discover your prayer life will be forever transformed as you experience God in prayer! This book succinctly unpacks the nature of prayer and how it impacts every sphere of life.

Violet Cox earned a Master of Science in Speech Pathology from

She currently lectures in Neurogenic Communication Disorders at Cleveland State University. She is a passionate instructor as her students would say, but overall, her greatest passion is in praying and leading small groups in Bible study.

-Praying With Power by Kenneth D. Mulzac Ph.D.

Former Assistant Professor of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis at Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL.

 

-Prayer: by M.L. Andreasen

 

Category: Prophecy

-The Use and Abuse of Prophecy by Edwin de Kock

Among other things, this book surveys prophetic interpretation from the time of Jesus to the present, which clarifies why we believe in Protestant Historicism rather than Preterism or Futurism, both of which are derived from Catholic, Jesuit eschatology. This book also shows why the Bible must be true and debunks some false ideas about typology, such as the idea that the Dutch, the British, or the Americans are a latter-day Israel.

-Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History

By Edwin de Kock

This easy to read book is in harmony with the Historical School of Prophetic Interpretation, but also offers many new and sometimes startling insights.

“Exciting!” “Couldn’t put it down!” “We love this book and are devouring it!” “I could hardly stop reading it!” “Fresh, easy-to-read style. Compelling stuff!” These are a few of the readers’ reactions to Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History when it first appeared in 2001 and to the newly updated and amplified edition. Since its first release in 2001, accolades for the book have flooded in.

Reviewers, conference presidents, and outstanding scholars like Dr. William H. Shea, Dr. Jack Blanco, and Dr. Hector Ramal have all praised Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History. More than just a delightful read, Christ and Antichrist is thoroughly researched, with more than 1,000 references, garnering widespread academic respect. It has been assigned three times for Master of Divinity students at the Seventh-day Adventist

Seminary in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Edwin de Kock's forte is Biblical prophecy in the light of history, world literature, and contemporary international affairs. De Kock, though presenting weighty subject matter, has a pleasant and very readable style. But what is new about Christ and Antichrist?

This fascinating book covers an immense span of history from more than two hundred years before King

Nebuchadnezzar to the Second Coming. Its historical and literary insights about the Near East and the ancient Mediterranean world are penetrating. For instance, did you know that the poet Hesiod (c. 800 B.C.) wrote about the same four metals that appear in the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, in the same order? Or that he, too, equated the metals with stages of human society and said of the last that it was an “age of Iron … very vile and will grow steadily worse”? “It seems that when He communicated with the neoBabylonian king, the Lord used imagery which was already familiar in the ancient Mediterranean world,” says de Kock. Chapter 10 will be of special interest to readers who are fascinated by prophecy. This chapter is devoted to the biography of Christ, the Messiah, as described centuries in advance by Old Testament writers. These prophetic predictions matched the events of Christ’s life so accurately that the mathematical odds against them would fill the world with zeros! But what about the prophecies that were never fulfilled? Or perhaps you’ve wondered why Christians have so often killed Christians. You’ll find the answers to these and other questions in Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History.

About the Author

Edwin de Kock, international lecturer, writer, famous Esperanto poet, and editor, has published in three of the thirteen languages he is acquainted with. His fascination with prophecy and history began in his native South Africa more than fifty years ago and culminated in eleven years of intensive research and reading for this book - as it reflected in more than 1,000 references to hundreds of sources. He has qualifications in theology, literature, education, and speech. In Israel, on Crete, and in Europe, he visited great museums, cathedrals, art galleries, and important sites connected with the contents of this book. He was a professional educator for more than thirty-five years, in South Africa, South Korea, and the United States, especially as a college teacher. He finished this career as a writing professor at the University of Texas, Pan American, from 1996 to 2000.

Endorsements

Thank you for sending me a copy of your very excellent book, Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History. I read it with great interest and think that you have done a tremendous job with the subject. For those who wish to go below the surface of simple Bible studies on prophecy this is a great book. Your grasp of both details and the big picture of correlating history with prophecy is impressive and goes far beyond our standard handbook.

I was very impressed with the way you brought so much Old Testament prophecy on the Messiah into such a compact and concise package as chapter 10. Your emphasis upon Hellenism, Greek language and Greek culture in chapter 8 goes beyond, far beyond what I have seen done in the context of prophecy. We often emphasize the impact of Hellenism upon the Near East but often do not look the other way, to Rome in the West. In Part 4 you have certainly hit the nail on the head by identifying the papacy in prophecy so clearly. Your discussion of the 7 + 3 = 1 0 horns goes far beyond our previous treatment, is excellent and brings out many previously unrecognized details. I liked your development in the stages of

the catechism's dealing with the fourth commandment of the Decalogue. It has gotten worse from Geiermann to McGuire. I am glad that you found my material on the year-day principle useful in chapter 23.

This is indeed a dividing watershed between Historicists on one hand and Preterists and Futurists on the other hand. Congratulations on the production of such an excellent book!

William H. Shea, M.D., Ph.D.,

Retired Professor of Old Testament, Andrews University, Berrien Springs. Former Associate Director, Biblical Research Institute.

I have read your book and also its well-done review by Shea in the Ministry magazine. What a monumental task! Having received an M.Th. from Princeton in Church History and having taught it, I was fascinated by your balanced approach. The research that has gone into this book is priceless. I personally gained some very important insights from it. It is an excellent resource to have on hand and also needs to go into the libraries.

Jack J. Blanco,

Th.D, retired Dean of Religion, Southern Adventist University.

Thank you so much for sharing your outstanding book, Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History. Frankly, laity give me books that they have written, and I usually am not impressed with them. Yours is a dramatic exception. It is well researched, well written and very readable. I congratulate you on using your God-given talents in such a fine way. Please know that I gladly recommend your book to anyone who wants to better understand prophecy. Your clear explanations provide outstanding guidance to the Bible student.

Stephen Gifford

President, Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I can now tell you how much I have enjoyed and profited by my completed reading of your Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History. So far as I can determine, this is the most comprehensive and thorough treatment of a very big topic to come along in very many years. Your obvious ease with and expertise in prophecy, history, and literature lend an authoritative ring to this book, which deserves to be known and read with care far and wide. Your research and organization impress me as much as authors like Uriah Smith and Le Roy Edwin Froom. Your appendix on literature and the Bible is absolutely priceless! I just hope this book blesses many, many lives.

Jerry A. Stevens

Editor, ADVENTISTS AFFIRM

Thank you for your Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History, which I have greatly enjoyed. It will, I am sure, be very valuable for our church as well as many other churches wanting to know about this theme, which is of such vital importance for the final decision. I especially want to congratulate you on the pleasant language you have used, considering it very important for the reader to enjoy this kind of eschatological reading. Also impressive is the immense quantity of references that clarify the theme and give authority to your writing. Without doubt, I recommend the translation of this work into Spanish, so that others can benefit by it. I sincerely congratulate you on producing such a valuable book and look forward to the volumes that are to follow in the near future.

Dr. Hector E. Ramal

Director, Adventist Theological Faculty, University of

Montemorelos, Mexico

It is a good, enriching book, Edwin, and I know that God will bless both of you for this monumental task. I very much enjoyed the extensive merging of history and prophecy. I appreciated the fresh insights on the early Germanic Christians, the early Christians in North Africa, etc.

-The Last Empire: The New World Order and the Counterfeiting of God’s Kingdom

By Vanderlei Dorneles: Doctor in Science, is a theologian and journalist. He has been teacher of theology and communication and is Associate Editor-in-chief at Brazilian Publishing House.

Recognition of the United States as a contemporary empire has been common in the press and researches in economics, politics, and culture. However, long before this country became an empire, interpreters in the 19th century had already linked its emerging power to apocalyptic prophecies.

This book reviews that interpretation by considering American history since its religious and mythological foundation.

The author starts with the assumption that American culture is composed of a set of symbols, historical documents, official speeches, movies, and sermons that attach to the United States a messianic role in constructing a new world.

“THE LAST EMPIRE is an insightful and forceful presentation of Revelation 13 and America’s role in prophecy. Dr. Dorneles treats many aspects of American Imperialism from a fresh perspective, aided by his outside of North America vantage point. This is a must read for those with an interest in end-time events.”

George R. Knight, Professor Emeritus of Church History,

Andrews University

-The Financial Crisis in Bible Prophecy By T.H. Aka

Does the Bible predict a financial crisis at the end of time before the second advent of Christ?

Amos 3:7 states, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." In Bible prophecy God has revealed what is about to take place in the global economy before his return.

The financial crisis that began in 2008 continues today though masked by an ever-growing mountain of debt in Japan, Europe, China, and the United States. Uncertainty prevails in the financial markets and the economy. Many struggle to survive as jobs disappear and money fails. Find out God's purpose in allowing the financial crisis to hit the world and touch even His people and His church. Follow the author's personal experience of spiritual awakening and renewal as he links the story of the Financial Crisis to Bible truths. Most importantly, gain strength and encouragement to face the challenges that are sure to come as these events continue to their ultimate fruition.

Category: The Sanctuary

Practical Lessons for the Church Today

By F.C. Gilbert

Frederick Carnes Cohen was born in London, England, on September 30, 1867, to

Falk and Miriam Cohen, both of Jewish ethnicity and strict adherents to Orthodox Judaism. Before Frederick’s birth, the Cohens had fled Poland and Germany due to anti-Semitic persecution, and had at last settled in England during the time of Benjamin Disraeli’s first tenure as Prime Minister.

Frederick was raised as a strict Orthodox Jew, at one time entertaining the idea of becoming a rabbi. In 1886, shortly after his father died, Frederick immigrated to New York City – which he called “this great Jewish metropolis of the world.” It was there that he is believed to have changed his surname to Gilbert.

After a spell in New York, Gilbert relocated to Boston at the behest of a labor organization, and there happened to board with a Seventh-day Adventist family called the Fiskes. Previously expressing an animosity for Christianity, Gilbert was moved by the warmth he experienced from the Fiskes. Gilbert was baptized a Seventh-day Adventist in 1889, one of only a handful of Jewish converts to the denomination since its inception in 1863.

-The Sanctuary Service

By M.L. Andreasen

When we understand that the services of the tabernacle on earth are symbolic of the higher service above and that the entire ritual and all the sacrifices on the earthly altars pointed to the true Lamb of God, the sanctuary becomes of great importance. In it the gospel is foreshadowed and some of the deep things of God revealed.

By careful exposition of the Scriptures the author probes the meaning of Jesus Christ as our substitutionary sacrifice and our high priest in the heavenly courts. Andreasen's breadth of thought is stimulating, his concepts spiritually uplifting. This is a work that deserves to be an ongoing resource for Adventist study and meditation.

—William G. Johnsson

Category: Church History

-Lessons for the Reformation

By A.T. Jones

This book compares the history of the two greatest Republics, Rome and the United States and the relevance of their actions to Sabbatarians.

Jones traces the history of Sunday worship and the steady corruption of the Roman Catholic system and how it still seeks power to further its interests.

America's first Sunday law, passed in 1892 and signed by President Harrison, is described in detail--a "must read" for those who think it could never happen.

The Peril of the Republic of the United

States of America

By Percy T. Magan

Never was a republic founded on better principles, immortal principles—freedom of conscience and religious liberty. These were solidly sewn into the fabric of the U. S. Constitution. But, however great the Constitution and its principles may be, they can only stand if the people willingly choose to uphold them. A government by the people can never rise higher than the people themselves. P. T. Magan was a man ahead of his time. He was a reformer who feared nothing but displeasing God. Being friends with A. T. Jones, he was naturally inclined to thoroughly study this extremely relevant issue. In this book, Magan vividly shows how the principles that made America the defender of liberty were already being violated in his days. Now, shall we remain silent? Can we afford to lose religious liberty and freedom of conscience?

 

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