Blessed Hope: The Autobiography of John F. Walvoord

...he has kept the "blessed hope" of the pretribulational Rapture alive and well.

It would be impossible to write the history of the evangelical church of the last half of the twentieth century without giving Dr. John Walvoord a prominent position. For more than sixty years he has stood, without apology, for the literal interpretation of all Scripture, particularly Bible prophecy. More than any other one man he has kept the "blessed hope" of the pretribulational Rapture alive and well.

As president of Dallas Theological Seminary for forty years, he guided the training of more young ministers than any other person in America. He brought together one of the most qualified seminary faculties ever assembled. Names like Charles Ryrie, Dwight Pentecost, Merrill F.Unger, and Stanley Toussaint-all men committed to the literal interpretation of the Word of God and the literal, physical return of Christ to set up His millennial kingdom.

Dr. Walvoord's writings, particularly on prophetic subjects, are interesting yet scholarly, inspiring while not being Christian while at the same time meaningful to the Bible scholar. He is one of the most quoted pretribulational writers in the world.

Today's church owes a great debt to this man. Anyone who emphasizes the imminent coming of Christ, as has Dr. Walvoord, has helped to fire the spirit of holiness, evangelism, and missionary vision in the hearts of pastors and believers. Dr. John Walvoord has done for the present-generation church what John Nelson Darby did in the nineteenth century-he has kept the torch of prophetic expectation alive and well in the hearts of missions.

FROM THE FOREWORD BY TIM LAHAYE