“I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.” Isaiah 45:7
When God created the world, he brought perfect order out of what was “without form and void.” But with human rebellion against God leading to God’s curse, disorder was introduced into creation—disorder that we still see all around us today. Tracing the chaos to cosmos theme from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, pastor-scholar Sidney Greidanus reveals how God is restoring his creation through Jesus Christ, who has already begun to shine light into the darkness and will one day return to bring peace, order, and restoration once and for all. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter and a fourteen-session reading plan, this book is ideal for small groups as well as individual study.
The Short Studies in Biblical Theology series is designed to help readers see the whole Bible as a unified story—culminating in Jesus. Written by a host of trusted biblical scholars, pastors, professors, and leaders, the volumes in this unique series each trace an important topic throughout God’s word, from Genesis to Revelation, demonstrating the unifying flow of rendemptive history and exploring its relevance to the Christian life.
Insightful, accessible, and practical, these books are perfect for laypeople looking for bite-sized introductions to major subjects and key themes in biblical theology. Furthermore, pastors and professors will find this series to be an invaluable resource for brushing up on their grasp of the field as a whole. Series editors are Dane C. Ortlund, PhD, and Miles Van Pelt, PhD.
Endorsement
"Sidney Greidanus poured a lifetime of preaching Christ from the entire Bible and teaching others to do so into this guided tour of Scripture’s unfolding history of creation, redemption, and consummation. With brevity and clarity, he shows our beauty-creating God at work, bringing order to the ‘formless and void’ deep. Then, when Satanic lies and human rebellion injected chaos, disorder, desolation, and death, the Lord executed his eternal plan to redeem and reorder his creation through Jesus Christ. This study is full of God’s Word, set into context by Greidanus’s insightful comment. It offers fresh and ancient perspectives on Scripture’s unity and its central focus: Christ the Redeemer." - Dennis E. Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology, Westminster Seminary California; author, Him We Proclaim; Walking with Jesus through His Word; and Journeys with Jesus
Sidney Greidanus (PhD, Free University of Amsterdam) has taught at Calvin College, Calvin Theological Seminary, and The King’s College. Since his retirement from full-time teaching in 2004, he has devoted his time to writing commentaries specifically for preachers. He is the author of many books, including Sola Scriptura; Preaching Christ from the Old Testament; and The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text.
