Leading scholar Daniel Block helps students of the Bible understand the big picture of God's covenants with humanity as they play out in both the First and the New Testaments.

After fifty years of teaching and preaching around the globe, Block brings a lifetime of study and reflection on the First Testament and relationship with God to this comprehensive volume. The book focuses on God's covenants as the means by which God has reached out to a fallen humanity. It examines the heart and history of God's redemptive plan and shows why the covenants are essential for our understanding of the Bible.

Understand the Bible through the Lens of God's Covenants

This volume helps students of the Bible understand the big picture of God's covenants with humanity as they play out in both the First and the New Testaments.

"This is one of the most nourishing books of biblical theology that I have read. The accumulated fruit of a half century of faithful and scholarly Bible study and teaching is evident on every page. With courageous exposure of the damaging ways by which different Christian tribes--including evangelical ones--have relegated, negated, or simply ignored the First Testament, Block showcases the glorious redemptive coherence and missional hope of the grand covenantal narrative structure of Scripture. Every chapter is enriching, with illuminating exegesis from all over Scripture."
--Christopher J. H. Wright, Langham Partnership; author of The Mission of God

"A creative and exhaustive study of covenant and covenant-making in the Bible that draws attention to the underlying logic and remarkable continuity of the biblical covenants. Block makes a compelling case for adopting new categories to describe this central aspect of God's redemptive project. Consideration of Block's proposal is imperative for anyone attempting to understand the biblical notion of covenant in the years to come."
--Michelle Knight, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

"This book, the fruit of a lifetime of careful study of the Bible, expresses Block's understanding of the way the entire Bible fits together. Regretting the tragic division between the First Testament and the New Testament that has come to characterize much of evangelical Protestantism's biblical interpretation and proclamation, he uses the theme of covenant to show how the Bible is telling one story in five acts. In a tour de force of biblical exegesis, he demonstrates that God's goal from creation onward has been for humans, sharing God's righteous character, to live in harmony with God and the cosmos. He then shows how, when that goal seemed out of reach due to human sin, YHWH devised a scheme of covenants that culminated in the Davidic covenant, by which the original goal will be achieved. Anyone who loves the Bible will be richly satisfied by this banquet Block has set before us."
--John N. Oswalt, Asbury Theological Seminary

"A rich, detailed, and accessible exposition of covenant in the First and New Testaments. We receive not only an overview of how covenant factors into every phase of biblical history but also a grand picture of how the entire Bible coheres marvelously under the hand of God. If you struggle to see how seemingly disparate First Testament themes like creation, sin, law, and exile are interwoven with covenantal ideas and have deep relevance for Christians today, this is the book for you!"
--Jerry Hwang, Singapore Bible College

"This fascinating and beautifully written study of biblical covenants from First Testament to New Testament will be valuable to a wide range of readers. Everyone interested in the Bible will benefit from Block's wise reflection on the theological unity of the Bible's diverse texts. Students, pastors, and scholars will find in this book a treasure trove of insight from years of study and meticulous research."
--Frank Thielman, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"At last, Block has written his magnum opus! With characteristic rigor and boldness, Block sweeps aside false dichotomies and stale debates to invite fresh reflection on the 'one continuous story of divine redemption.' His book does a tremendous service to Christians struggling to see continuity between the Testaments. Students and scholars alike will appreciate his exegetical insight and synthesis of the Bible's teaching on covenant."
--Carmen Joy Imes, Biola University

"In Covenant, Dan Block has done a great service for scholars, pastors, teachers, and everyone interested in the structure and logic of the Bible. This is a comprehensive survey of the Bible's message organized around a concept critical to properly appreciating the meaning and significance of the most-read book in human history. Throughout, the reader will find a treasure trove of information, framed and communicated through Dan's characteristic combination of humility, warmth, clarity, thorough research, openness to critical discussion, and personal devotion to the God who speaks and brings us to himself through covenant."
--Dan Wu, Moore Theological College

"Block's Covenant guides readers through the cosmic story of God's plan of redemption through the framework of covenant. Block charts the covenantal story, which begins in Genesis and comes to its dramatic climax as Jesus Christ appears in the New Testament, fulfilling the divine plan. It's a journey that uncovers the heart of God in profound ways, draws the reader into Scripture's great drama and God's great mission, and culminates with the resounding sound of worship. An inspiring and valuable read!"
--Beth Stovell, Ambrose University

"Block has written a masterful survey of his approach to a coherent structure and framework for understanding the Bible. This book is the fruit of decades of research, and Block is the model of a godly and excellent scholar."
--Josh Moody, senior pastor of College Church, Wheaton, Illinois; president and founder, God Centered Life Ministries

About the Author
Daniel I. Block (DPhil, University of Liverpool) is Gunther H. Knoedler Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He lectures and preaches around the world and is the author of numerous books, including For the Glory of God and commentaries on Deuteronomy, Judges-Ruth, and Ezekiel. Block has also been involved in the production of the New Living Translation of the Bible.

From the Back Cover
Personal stories aren't enough to offer individuals peace when they question their own existence. But the Bible's story comes not from humanity, but from God. Author, T. Desmond Alexander, suggests that God has given us the reasons for creation and our existence in the Bible. "by resolving an intricate plot that sheds light on the entire story," Alexander writes. Using this theory to start from the denouement, or resolution, in Revelation's last verses and work backward, Alexander pieces together the Bible's overarching plot. The resulting picture reveals the reasons for creation and life that have eluded those who seek to answer life's biggest questions without first placing themselves in God's story.

About the Author
T. Desmond Alexander is senior lecturer in Biblical Studies and director of Postgraduate Studies at Union Theological College, Belfast. For ten years, he had been director of Christian Training for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Previous to that position, he lectured for 18 years in Semitic Studies at the Queen’s University of Belfast. He is the author of From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Main Themes of the Pentateuch and coeditor of Heaven on Earth. He is also the coeditor of New Dictionary of Biblical Theology and Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch.

Personal stories aren't enough to offer individuals peace when they question their own existence. But the Bible's story comes not from humanity, but from God. Author, T. Desmond Alexander, suggests that God has given us the reasons for creation and our existence in the Bible. ”by resolving an intricate plot that sheds light on the entire story,“ Alexander writes. Using this theory to start from the denouement, or resolution, in Revelation's last verses and work backward, Alexander pieces together the Bible's overarching plot. The resulting picture reveals the reasons for creation and life that have eluded those who seek to answer life's biggest questions without first placing themselves in God's story.

His commentary in the Apollos series (pp. 784; 2017) provides a detailed explanation of the text of Exodus, engaging with contemporary scholarship. Having written explanatory notes on Genesis for the ESV and NIV Biblical Theology Study Bibles, he is currently researching and writing a more detailed commentary on Genesis. In the area of Biblical Theology, Dr Alexander’s expertise is recognized by his appointment as a general editor for the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible and for a new series of biblical commentaries being published by Lexham Press under the general title, Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. He was one of the main co-editors for The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Inter-Varsity Press, 2000), contributed the chapter on Biblical Theology to The Routledge Companion to Modern Christian Thought (London: Routledge, 2013), and has written three introductory books on Biblical Theology: From Eden to the New Jerusalem (Kregel, 2009); The City of God and the Goal of Creation (Crossway, 2018); Face to Face with God: a Biblical Theology of Christ as Priest and Mediator (IVP, 2022). He is chair of the Biblical Theology Study Group of the Tyndale Fellowship for Biblical and Theological Research.

Thomas Schreiner, a respected scholar and a trusted voice for many students and pastors, offers a substantial and accessibly written overview of the whole Bible. He traces the storyline of the scriptures from the standpoint of biblical theology, examining the overarching message that is conveyed throughout. Schreiner emphasizes three interrelated and unified themes that stand out in the biblical narrative: God as Lord, human beings as those who are made in God's image, and the land or place in which God's rule is exercised. The goal of God's kingdom is to see the king in his beauty and to be enraptured in his glory.

From the Back Cover
"A wonderfully clear and faithful account of biblical theology. This book is both intellectually compelling and honoring to God and so deserves to be widely read."
--Simon Gathercole, University of Cambridge

"Having written major volumes on Pauline theology and New Testament theology, Tom Schreiner places a remarkable capstone on his work by tackling a biblical theology of the entire canon of Scripture. And he is up to the task, clearly and consistently tracing the theme of God as King and the ultimate triumph of the kingdom of God from Genesis through Revelation. Few volumes have dealt so comprehensively and so well with the grand narrative of Scripture from beginning to end."
--Mark L. Strauss, Bethel Seminary San Diego

"A book that wonderfully unites all the books of the Bible. Few authors have the command of learning, the gift of teaching, and the heart for God that this volume reflects. Digest this book to elevate your grasp of the Bible and to find your soul riveted like never before to the King in his beauty."
--Robert W. Yarbrough, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri

About the Author
Thomas R. Schreiner (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and professor of biblical theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He has taught at SBTS for twenty-five years. Schreiner is the author or editor of numerous books, including Romans in the BECNT series, Handbook on Acts and Paul's Letters, The King in His Beauty, New Testament Theology, Magnifying God in Christ, Interpreting the Pauline Epistles, and Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ.