God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology

818 Pages·2010·6.5 MB·English

by  James M. Hamilton Jr.

As readers of Scripture we long to know the message of the Bible as a whole.
We do not want to miss the forest for the trees. Unfortunately, there are few
books that help us to be faithful to the whole counsel of God. What a delight,
then, to read Jim Hamilton’s book where the story line of the Scriptures is
unfolded. Hamilton rightly sees that the glory of God is at the center of the
scriptural record, demonstrating with careful attention to the biblical text the
supremacy of God in both the Old Testament and the New. Scholars, students,
and laypeople will all profit from reading this work, which instructs the mind,
enlivens the heart, and summons us to obedience.”

Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament
Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“In an era when centers in general no longer hold, Hamilton makes a strong case
for the centrality to biblical theology of what C. H. Dodd called the ‘two-beat
rhythm’ of biblical history: salvation through judgment. Hamilton discovers this
theme in every book of the Bible and argues that it is the heartbeat of God’s
ultimate purpose: the publication of his glory. In seeking to do justice to
scriptural unity and diversity alike, Hamilton’s work represents biblical theology
at its best.”

Kevin Vanhoozer, Blanchard Professor of Theology, Wheaton College Graduate
School

“Centered on the important themes of salvation and judgment, Hamilton’s book
models well how a thematic approach toward biblical theology might be applied
to the whole of Scripture. It is to be warmly welcomed as an invitation to reflect
on biblical truth and an opportunity to dialogue on how the unity of the Old and
New Testaments may be articulated best.”

T. Desmond Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Director of
Postgraduate Studies, Union Theological College

“Who said that the search for a center in biblical theology is a dead end? In this
bold and courageous book, which deals with the entire Bible, James Hamilton Jr.
dons the mantle of an explorer in search of the holy grail of biblical theology. As
he journeys through the Bible, there are many sights in the biblical landscape
that will arrest the attention of those who accompany him, including the pivotal
revelation of God in Exodus 34:6–7. Hamilton’s thoughtful analysis and
reflection provide many insights into the biblical text. While you may not agree
with all of his conclusions, you won’t come back from your journey with him
without a greater sense of God’s majesty and glory. Rather than being a dead
end, this is a gateway into a new world.”

Stephen Dempster, Stuart E. Murray Associate Professor of Religious Studies,
Atlantic Baptist University
GOD’S GLORY
IN SALVATION
THROUGH
JUDGMENT

God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology
Copyright © 2010 by James M. Hamilton Jr.
Published by Crossway
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of
the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Amy Bristow
Cover photo: The Delivery of Israel—Pharaoh and his hosts overwhelmed in the
Red Sea, 1825, by Francis Danby (1793–1861); © Harris Museum and Art
Gallery, Preston, Lancashire, UK/The Bridgeman Art Library
Interior Design and Typesetting: Lakeside Design Plus

First printing 2010
Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise noted, translations of the biblical text are my own. I have
sometimes used the English Standard Version as a base text, altering it
somewhat, and always changing “Lord” to “Yahweh.”

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard
Bible.® Copyright © The Lock-man Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International
Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of
Zondervan. All rights reserved. The “NIV” and “New International Version”
trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by
Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Biblica.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from The New King James Version.
Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

Scripture references marked NRSV are from The New Revised Standard Version.
Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Published by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
U.S.A.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-58134-976-4
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-2133-1
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-2134-8
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2135-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hamilton, James M., 1974–
God’s glory in salvation through judgment : a biblical theology / James M.
Hamilton Jr. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58134-976-4 (hc)—ISBN 978-1-4335-2133-1 (pdf)—ISBN 978-
1-4335-2134-8 (mobipocket)—ISBN 978-1-4335-2135-5 (ePub)
1. Bible—Theology. 2. Salvation—Christianity. 3. Judgment of God. 4. Glory
of God— Christianity. I. Title.
BS543.H335 2010
234—dc22
2010021879
Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
SH 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For my mom and dad
who led me to know
the God who is glorified
in salvation through judgment
CONTENTS

Analytical Outline
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
A Strategy for Reading This Book
Abbreviations
1. Can the Center Hold?
2. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment
in the Torah
3. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment
in the Prophets
4. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment
in the Writings
5. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment
in the Gospels and Acts
6. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment
in the Letters of the New Testament
7. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment
in Revelation
8. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment
and Objections to Its Centrality
9. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment
in Ministry Today
Selected Bibliography
General Index
Scripture Index