How should the millennium (thousand years) in Revelation 20 be interpreted? In this article Beale reviews J. W. Mealy's After the Thousand Years, and engages critically with his interpretation and methodology.
The interpretation of how Hosea 11:1 uses Matthew 2:15 has a troubled history. Beale gives a short overview of interpretations before he offers his grammatical-historical and biblical-theological approach. Beale concludes that Matthew makes a comparison between Jesus as the "son" with the "son" of Hosea.
In this Introduction the author gives a small peek into a broader discussion about the authority of Scripture in evangelical circles of biblical and theological scholars. Beale reacts to what he sees as a reassessment of the traditional evangelical view of the Bible’s inspiration formulated especially in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978).
How God can be considered to be morally good while at the same time he does things in the Old Testament that do not appear to us to be good? Examples are the imprecatory psalms and God’s command to Israel to exterminate every man, woman, and child of the Canaanites (e.g., Deuteronomy 20:12-18). Beale considers in this part of his introduction some proposed solutions to this apparent paradox.
This interview reflects mainly on what biblical theology is emphasizing: a redemptive-historical reading of Scripture.
The New Testament's use of the Old Testament is a difficult issue. How should we understand Jesus and his apostles' exegetical method and their presuppositions? Beale reflects on this hermeneutical issue. Related issues like typology are touched upon.
Why does God communicate through symbolism in the book of Revelation? Is Revelation to be understood primarily as literal or symbolic? Beale argues that the popular approach to Revelation—interpret literally unless you are forced to interpret symbolically—should be overturned.
How can severe calamity exist in a world governed by a good God? The author reads Revelation 6:1-8 as an answer to the question whether suffering is merely part of a chaotic world.
In this interview Beale reflects on what he sees as some of the contributing factors to what he has called the "erosion" of the belief in the inerrancy of Scripture in evangelicalism.
In this interview Beale articulates some of the consequences of denying the inerrancy of Scripture.
Beale investigates the background of the beast of Revelation 13:18 and Revelation 17:9 in the book of Daniel, particularly Daniel 12.
This article reflects on the hermeneutical issues involved in the use of the Old Testament in the book of Revelation.
Beale notes the cultic affinities drawn between the garden of Eden and the temple of Israel. The word pair usually translated as "cultivate" ('abad) and "keep" (shamar) occur together in the Old Testament elsewhere referring only either to Israelites "serving" God and "guarding" (keeping) God's Word, or to priests who "keep" the "service" (or "charge") of the tabernacle.
In this article Beale argues that some Old Testament and early Jewish references to a heavenly temple in the latter-days have contributed to the depiction of the Holy Spirit appearing as fire and other associated features in Acts 2.
"The fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5:22 appears to be a general allusion to Isaiah's promise that the Holy Spirit would bring about abundant fertility in the coming new age. Isaiah's repeated prophecies (especially Isaiah 32 and, above all, Isaiah 57) that in the new creation the Spirit would he the bearer of plentiful fruitfulness, are at the forefront of Paul's usage.
This article continues the argument that certain Old Testament and early Jewish references to a temple form the background for the Holy Spirit appearing as of fire and associated features in Acts 2. It examines a number of Old Testament citations in Acts 2 in order to determine whether or not they relate to a temple theme.
Beale interacts with the views of Peter Enns on biblical history writing and its bearing on New Testament hermeneutics.
This is a review of Justification and Variegated Nomism: A Fresh Appraisal of Paul and Second Temple Judaism, vol. 2. The book is an evaluation of the New Perspective on Paul.
The popular understanding that "latter-days" refers only to the end of the world needs radical adjustment. Beale demonstrates how “inaugurated eschatology” sheds light on a Christian understanding of the end times. The theological idea of the relation of the indicative to the imperative in the New Testament is used to enhance such an understanding.
Eschatology is a present reality that should shape the life of the church. Beale argues that the origin of the office of elder is partly related to the inauguration of the latter-day tribulation. This article discusses this inauguration of the tribulation in some detail, and also takes a look at the motivation for godly living during these end times.
Beale addresses the New Testament uses of the Old Testament that appear to have a meaning inconsistent with the original meaning of the original context. Examples are: John 19:36 claiming to be a fulfillment of Exodus 12:46, and Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2:15. Beale argues that Old Testament writers knew more about the topic of their speech act than only the explicit meaning expressed.
Beale reacts to the view of evangelical colleagues that God has inspired all of Scripture in such a way that the marks of human fallibility are woven into it. As background to his argument against such a position, Beale notes that the apostle John was given the same prophetic commission to write the Word of God as Ezekiel was.
This article reviews Peter Enns's book, which articulates a view of biblical inspiration and hermeneutics that has not traditionally been held by evangelical scholarship. The article reflects on the writing of history by Old Testament authors, in the light of Enns's positive approach to myth.
Can we say that the book of Daniel is the essential key to understanding the book of Revelation? This article argues that it is basically correct to assume it. Common themes between Daniel and Revelation are explored.
This lecture reflects on hermeneutical issues related to the New Testament's use of the Old. The author uses Revelation 21:1–Revelation 22:5 as a case study, where passages like Ezekiel 37:27, Ezekiel 40-Ezekiel 50, and Isaiah 54:11-12 are used.
This article is about the inspiration and authority of Scripture. G. Beale argues from the book of Revelation and other parts of the Bible that since God's character is unswervingly true, His written Word is also unswervingly true.
