4 Stars Out Of 5
Who Will Be In Heaven and Who Won't?
July 19, 2015
Quality:
4
Value:
4
Meets Expectations:
4
This book, available only as an e-book, was written by a layperson who has no training in theology. By training, Dwight Carlson is an Internist, Psychiatrist and Author. This book begins with a forward by Dr. John A. Huffman that tells us what the book will be about and sets the tone for it. Three people, Dr. Paul E. Pierson, Rev. Dr. Herbert Hoefer and Rev. Joe Handley, have added endorsements of the author which are each paragraph-length. This book contains eleven chapters. The author quotes often from sources, documenting his findings. This book concludes with an Afterward. The author includes acknowledgements and ends with Endnotes for all his documenting sources.
I was not sure what to expect in this book. If I had not gotten informed about how God is revealing Himself and working in closed lands and hostile areas, the material in the first chapters would have been disconcerting, to say the least. I think the author seems to have read some of the materials I have, along with others. He provides quotes and documentation about how God has revealed Himself to those who have not heard the Gospel, through means like dreams and visions, miracles, and answered prayers. I read quickly through this book, as it has subheadings and is not a long book. It did not take even a week for me to read this book. I was rather surprised but pleased at a quote he included from a Mormon who professes trust in Jesus only for salvation. I applaud the author's efforts to try to avoid universalism about the disturbing teaching about Hell. I liked it that he tried to keep following Jesus separate from any culture, including from Western culture or non-Western cultures. Yet I think he cited sources more from modern testimonies than from Scriptures to make his points. But this author has done his research. I see little wrong with his doctrine and he does affirm the teaching of Hell. In fact, he states that anyone who professes to follow Jesus, if he is genuine, will prove it by a radically changed life and a drastically changed heart. I found myself wanting to know how "radically" my life had to be changed and how "drastically" my heart had to be transformed to be Heaven-bound, according to this author. I wanted him to expand more on that. I think that this author, when he wrote the book, deliberately wanted to make it abundantly clear that there will be shocks in Heaven when finding who made it as well as those who did not make it. I'm glad that he did not go into graphic detail about what Hell will be like and, actually, I think that his view on it is a bit less disturbing, concerning the teaching of total annihilation. If the author wanted to avoid giving offense to people of minority faiths, I think he has done a good job. I felt that this book needed more backing up from Scripture itself about the way of salvation, especially from the Gospel of John or from the Epistle of Romans.
Though I want to, I feel a bit uncomfortable recommending this book to those who are non-Christians, because I think the author needed to offer clarification concerning the reach and scope of the lengths God will go to draw people to Jesus. He does admit that "job-like" believers (those who seemed to have had real faith in God without hearing about Jesus) seem to be a small minority. But he needed to include that disclaimer in the first chapter of the book, not the final chapter. But I would recommend it to those who need Jesus, thought the Warning at the beginning of the book seems to be for followers of Jesus. I recommend this book for every Pastor, as it will not only remind them to preach on Heaven and Hell and how to be fit for the one and avoid the other, but so that they know that God cannot be put in a box. I recommend this book for every Western Christian who is interested in world missions, is planning on going to minister outside the West, supports Western missionaries or Western mission agencies. This book will educate them on the difference between leading people to the Person of Jesus Himself and "Westernizing" and "Christianizing" them.
I received this e-book free of charge through Booklook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give this book a positive review.