FROM ETERNITY TO HERE

FROM ETERNITY TO HERE----A book review

This book by Frank Viola was published earlier this year, 2009, by David C Cook. It is basically Frank's attempt to establish in our minds that God has always had an "ultimate purpose" in creation. This ultimate, eternal purpose was, and still is, to have a companion (bride/wife) to rule and reign throughout eternity with His Son Jesus Christ. This is very similar to the theme of "Destined For The Throne" by Paul Billheimer published back in 1975. Much of the church has been focused on getting "fallen man" back into relationship with God, which was broken by the sin of Adam in the garden of Eden. This was part of the reason for God the Father sending Jesus the Son into our world, but not the total reason. It would seem that the Father wanted to enlarge His family, so to speak, from three to many members. When He created Adam in His own image, He said it is not good that man should be alone. He put Adam to sleep and removed from his side a bride/wife, called Eve. Apparently when Adam was created perfect in God's image, he contained both male and female gender qualities. Once these qualities where separated, they could reproduce children after their kind, and fill the earth with Godly offspring. However as we know from scripture, before this could happen, Satan was allowed to introduce his original sin of rebellion into the human race through Adam. So instead of the earth being populated with Godly offspring, it became contaminated by a race of sinners! The rest is history that is well recorded in our Bible.

Frank divides his book into three parts.

Part one---A Forgotten Woman: The Bride of Christ.

The first 11 chapters are devoted to developing this theme, from the creation of Adam with a woman inside of him, through to Jesus, who in sense, also had His Bride inside of Him. When Jesus shed His blood through the spear wound in His side on the cross, His bride was born, so to speak, although she was not introduced to the world until after the resurrection of Jesus.

Part two---An Eternal Quest: The House of God.

The next 9 chapters tell the story of how God has always desired to dwell with His people on planet earth. From the Garden of Eden, when He would come down to be with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening, through the time of Moses, and the tabernacle in the wilderness, this was always His desire. Then He allowed Solomon to build a temple that He dwelt in until it was destroyed. At last He came to earth Himself in the person of His Son, and when Jesus was rejected and killed, He came to live in the Church, through the person of the Holy Spirit! One day according to the last two chapters of the Bible, He will set up His headquarters for eternity here on the renovated planet earth!

Part three---A New Species: The Body of Christ and The Family of God.

The last 7 chapters cover the history of how the church developed through the gospels, the book of Acts, and the epistles, to become the permanent home for God throughout eternity. I guarantee you that a careful, prayerful, read through this book will give you a new appreciation for the Church that Jesus said He would build. (Matt 16:18) Bear in mind that what we have seen as the church, is certainly not the Church Jesus was talking about. The true Church, the Body of Christ on earth, is the "Community of The King"! Are you part of this Body? If not--- why not? You can be, by becoming a follower of Jesus!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer