A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Resources - Tale of Two KingdomsAuthor: Heather A. Kendall
Guardian Books
2006  413 pages 
ISBN: 1-55452-003-7

Good versus Evil – a universal theme for books and movies. In Heather’s book, we see where that theme originated and follow the struggle of the two kingdoms down through the ages from before the beginning of time until the final defeat of Satan.

The work is large in scope pulling the theme from the pages of the Bible. It is a refreshing look at the struggle and how God wants us to handle the tug of the kingdom of Satan in our lives. The attacks of Satan, beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, are well researched and documented.

In the New Testament, God tells us to have the mind of Christ. In the Old Testament, Satan tries to instill in Eve his mindset – to become like God, to usurp the throne from the Father. “After some thought Eve took some of the fruit, ate it, turned to Adam, and gave him a piece to eat also. This he did. The battle lines were drawn, and Adam and Eve were the first human casualties in the war between Satan and the Lord God.”

I love the following quote that is a comment on God’s reaction to the fall of man. “God had a plan of salvation. He was not caught off guard, wondering what to do. From that moment on, there are two types of people – those who believe that God will provide for their salvation and those who do not think that they are sinners in need of a Saviour. As a result there will always be friction between God’s people and Satan’s.”

Each chapter ends with a short section called, ‘Points to Ponder’ which helps the reader review the material presented in the chapter and focus on the message. A very clear plan of salvation is presented in the book. An example of this is found on page 75. “The yearly Day of Atonement was significant in the life of the Israelites. The events of that day encouraged them to focus on the fact that their sins were forgiven for one year because of the death of another. ‘Then before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins’ (Lev. 1:30). One goat took the punishment that they deserved. Another goat carried their guilt far away. One goat represented the justice of God. Sin must be punished. The other goat showed the mercy of the Lord. The sin of the believer is forgiven. This is the clearest picture so far to illustrate God’s plan for our salvation. After the death and resurrection of the promised Seed, God never demanded another payment. Jesus paid the penalty once for all time. Justice and mercy wed at the cross.”

I like how the author connects the events of the Bible with our lives and shows the parallel between their stories and ours. One example is Enoch in Genesis 5 which Heather also connects with Jude (Jude 1: 14-15). The message the world needed was the same in both of these situations and is the same for our generation. She also uses stories from her own family life to illustrate points.

There is much evidence of research in the pages of this book which gives us a fresh look at the ‘story’ of the Bible. Heather quotes authorities on various topics, backing up her opinions and research.

This is an excellent book for personal or group Bible study. You can purchase the book by visiting Heather’s website www.tale2k.com .

—Reviewed by Sharon Dow, educator, speaker, and author of Antipas: Martyr.

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