Christian wife, mother, and author Heather Kendall had begun to question her knowledge about God's plan of salvation, so she decided to do an in-depth study on her own. Heather shares those findings, as well as her personal testimony, in her book A Tale of Two Kingdoms. Her main goal in writing this book was to show that God's plan of salvation has been in motion before creation and will continue through the end times. Her secondary goal was to show how Satan continually tried to interfere in God's plans but always failed. The book included "Points to Ponder" questions at the end of each chapter to help pull out main points for reflection, as well as a timeline, maps, and extensive lists of references for further study.

The book's language is very easy to read, and its content is divided into two main parts. The first part, titled "Waiting for the Promised Seed," takes us on an amazing journey of Bible history, beginning with the war in Heaven between God and Satan and ending with the "silent" 400 years between the Old and New Testaments. The second part, titled "Responding to the Promised Seed," begins with the birth of Jesus and takes us through His ministry, death, and resurrection, and the early church letters. The book ends with a comparison and contrast between Jewish and Gentile writers of the times and their beliefs.

A Tale of Two Kingdoms is a nice book for anyone wanting to "dig deeper" into the topic of salvation. It could be read by adults or teens, although I encourage parents to preview the book before allowing their teens to read it in case anything needs further discussion. It would also be great for small study groups or Sunday school classes. I found this to be a great Bible study tool, and because of my personal beliefs, much of it only solidified what I already believed about my own salvation. On the other hand, there were some parts I disagreed with. But every section of the books points you back to Scripture, so you can seek Truth for yourself and not just take the author's word for it.

This book was not put together overnight and cannot be read overnight, so expect to spend some time with it once you begin. It is extensive, well organized, well researched, and explained in detail based on the author's understanding of Scripture and historical documents.

Books that help explain the Bible are not usually at the top of my reading list, but reading A Tale of Two Kingdoms has changed my outlook. I can see where this type of book could be valuable to my understanding. Although I will always reach for my Bible first, this book makes a nice addition to my small collection!

Product review by Dawn Huffmaster, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2010