Shalom Yesterday, Today, and Forever

Book excerpt: When we hear the word shalom we think first of the common Jewish greeting. Then, perhaps, we consider the promise Jesus, the Prince of Peace, gave to his followers to grant them a peace the world cannot provide. In the Bible, the word shalom means much more than the absence of hostility—it means harmony and prosperity. Shalom refers to life as it was meant to be, as it should be, where sin is gone and love reigns. In this book, theologian Mark DeVine employs the well-known but little-studied Hebrew word to illuminate the three dimensions of relationship God the Creator designed human beings to enjoy: (1) the relationship between God and his people, (2) the relationship between God’s people as his children, and (3) the relationship between God and his people in the place, the home God made for them and made them for. DeVine gives special attention to the third dimension, the home God provides to his people. Shalom Yesterday, Today, and Forever offers a more fully evangelical and orthodox comprehension of redemption while avoiding the pitfalls that often jeopardize creation-friendly theologies.