The History of Redemption Series Book Five –
The Promise of the Eternal Covenant
God’s Profound Providence as Revealed in the Genealogy of Jesus Christ (The Postexilic Period)
“Dr. Park has wisely discerned that the protoevangelium of Genesis 3:15 is the dynamic that drives the history of God’s redemption of His people. These genealogies are necessary to confirm the faith of the people of God in the authenticity of God’s Word, which Dr. Park has already so ably helped us to see throughout the many centuries of the biblical drama.”
~Dr. Warren Gage, Professor Emeritus of Knox Theological Seminary
BOOK SYNOPSIS
The fifth book deals with the third period of the genealogy of Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew 1, which spans fourteen generations from the Babylonian exile to Jesus Christ. With some amazing charts and historical insights, this book sheds light upon the labyrinth-like history of the 600 years before Jesus’ birth.
This book has systematically organized and presented a Bible-based timeline containing the course of the vast world history that unfolds through the histories of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The book clearly reveals that the history of the world is tantamount to the history of redemption.
Why read it?
No other book has dealt with the 3rd period of Jesus’ genealogy in detail
– The very brief description of the 3rd period of generations in Matthew 1:12-16 has been commonly thought to be known as everything the Bible has written about it. That’s why there has been no book amongst hundreds of thousands of Christian books which dealt with the 3rd period of the genealogy in detail.
The author, however, shows the full understanding in depth of the Bible that no can parallel with through the fifth book of redemption series. This is evidence that the author has read the Bible 1,800 times intensively and has been praying every day for at least 2 hours and reading the Bible over 3 hours every day for more than 40 years. He breaks that common belief that has been held for 2,000 years that there isn’t any record of the 3rd period of genealogy except for Matthew by presenting findings and records of the 3rd period of genealogy in every case hidden all over the Old Testament.
There is everything you need to know about the Babylonian exile and the return therefrom
– It is easy to look casually look over the 1st chapter titled, “The History of Redemption and the Covenant of God,” because it may seem very dry and theoretical but in actuality this portion is the core essence of the book. Through the interpretation of the original Hebrew language, the basis of the entire Bible is clear and explained thoroughly.
After reading chapters 2, 3, and 4 which cover the 3rd period in detail, and then the 5th chapter “The History of the Babylonian Captivity, the Return, and the Post-exilic Period,” it’s as if a panoramic has unfolded before my eyes. The prophets and episodes in the latter part of the Old Testament that were scattered in our minds are finally organized in one line following their original significance. It is like each bead rolling here and there becoming one brilliant precious jewel. While Jesus’ genealogy is continuing down in a very dramatic way, we also see how the supremacy of Assyria passed to Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece and to Rome is explained. We could realize in depth that the administration of redemptive history includes all human history that we thought of as unrelated.
Understand the significance of the generations omitted from the third period of Jesus’ genealogy and God’s redemptive administration therein
– Some people might ask, “What significance does the fact that there are generations missing in Jesus’ genealogy for us Christians today?” The author demonstrates persistently and kindly that
▶ God made the covenant to save people from the time that people fell and
▶ there is Jesus Christ in the middle of the fulfillment of the covenant and
▶ the genealogy of Jesus Christ is connected to me right now.In here, readers eventually realize the relations between the title of this book The Promise of the Eternal Covenant and “the genealogy of Jesus Christ.” The genealogy is a compass showing the path of Jesus’ coming and includes the secret indicating the path we have to go now.
In order to save mankind, God’s promise of the eternal covenant came through Jesus Christ’s genealogy. That promise is now reaching the final stages of fulfilment. The same holds true for the secular history of mankind as well. Darkness is taking over and the world is falling into the chaos of enthralling darkness. In this situation, those who yearn for the Lord’s Second Coming must have ‘holiness’. Churches that exemplify peace on earth must reform themselves day by day. The Church’s true reformation begins by returning to the Word of God.
ACCOLADES
REV. WARREN A. GAGE, J.D., Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Knox Theological Seminary
Assistant Minister, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Director, Florida Institute of Humanities and Culture
With the fifth book published in English in his History of Redemption series of twelve volumes, Dr. Abraham Park completes his consideration of the threefold series of fourteen generations in Christ’s genealogy set forth in Matthew’s Gospel. This new book is simply wonderful.
The Bible was written in an era long before there were standardized conventions about regnal years, co-regencies, consistent calendars (there are Tishri and Nisan, civil and ceremonial New Years, along with enthronement accessions or ‘New Years’). It is a world where there are no clear markers and deep records or attestations of significant historical dates. Other imperial court registries (Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian) are marked with similar historical challenges. There are also differing methods of genealogical record keeping, with some records being ascendant, some descendant, some inclusive, and some stylized with numerous omissions. It is more than enough to cause the scholar to stagger, and has proven to be a fertile field for the biblical critic to mock the truth claims of Holy Scripture.
Dr. Park has a remarkable gift of sorting out, explaining clearly, and thus reconciling these often apparently contradictory data. He comes with a scholar’s mind but also with a pastor’s heart. He wants to secure the historicity of Scripture in order for his people to persevere in a deep confidence in the reliability and truth of God’s Word. Dr. Park is uniquely gifted for both tasks.
The fifth book offers fascinating background into the last cycle of the genealogies prior to Christ being born of Mary, wife to Joseph who was descended from Abraham and David. It is a worthy addition to the previous books which looked at the first two cycles of fourteen generations.
Most of the names treated in this new volume arise out of the “four hundred years of silence” when the Spirit of prophecy was silent in Israel. But fortunately there are historical records still extant which providentially give us the context for these lives. Dr. Park is a master of this history as well as extra-biblical literary records. It is wonderful to see how God’s providence was advancing the history of redemption through bringing to completion the ancient promise of the Seed of the Woman through the birth of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Park has wisely discerned that the protoevangelium of Genesis 3: 15 is the dynamic that drives the history of God’s redemption of His people. These genealogies are necessary to confirm the faith of the people of God in the authenticity of God’s Word, which Dr. Park has already so ably helped us to see throughout the many centuries of the biblical drama.
Moses’ valedictory to Israel challenged the people about to inherit the Promised Land to remember the generations that had persevered before them, all those who had only the promise of this inheritance to encourage them in their suffering. “Remember the days of old,” Moses wrote. “Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you” (Deut 32: 7). I can think of no better “father” and “elder” in the church today than Dr. Abraham Park. Ask him, and he will tell you that God is worthy of faith, for He has faithfully kept His promise in bringing the world a Redeemer, even Jesus Christ the righteous. Inquire of him, and Dr. Park will encourage you to join with all of us who have confessed our sins and known them to be covered by the blood of Jesus. Ask him, and Pastor Park will point you toward Jesus, Son of David, Son of Abraham, and Son of God! Jesus is all our hope. And He alone is worthy!