The End of the World as You Know It by Matthew L. Halsted is, first and foremost, the good news about the end times. Dr. Halsted goes to extensive effort to demonstrate that the second coming of Jesus and whatever world events may correlate to Christ’s return are, in fact, hopeful promises–the ushering in of the eternal Kingdom of God. It is what we hope for as followers of Jesus. I felt that Halsted’s optimistic tone contributed much to the conversation. He is cordial but critical of what I would call Evangelical Folk Religion (my words, not his)–the predominant view of the end times among Christians. Halsted does not favor any millennial view but does disassemble some of the popular notions regarding a rapture, the Great Tribulation, and the Antichrist, setting these events squarely in their historical context and idealistically allowing for future fulfilments in the symbolic patterning of their historical fulfilments. Hasted’s genre analysis of the book of Revelation was helpful in framing his arguments. One argument he made most coherently was regarding the epistolary nature of Revelation. He argues that the original audience must have understood the general flow of the revelation as it would have been read in the early church and largely disregards any purely futurist notions not framed in the historical context. I felt this careful analysis reflected other NT scholars, such as Beale, Carson, and Wright, who are highly influential in NT studies. I would have preferred to hear Dr. Hasted present a millennial view, although, after hearing him teach personally on the millennium, I now understand his reasons for not doing so in the book. Still, it seems like a hole in an otherwise very complete work. The book has an essence of scholarship to it, which makes sense, given Dr. Halsted’s credentials. However, the book is very accessible to any reader, I would say, who reads at a high school reading level. Very well-written and easy to follow. Overall, this is a 5-star work. Great job, Dr. Halsted, and thank you for your valuable contribution to this popular discussion!