Tales of Forever
The Academia.edu Book Review
Tales of Forever: The Unfolding Drama of God’s Hidden Hand in History
“An intriguing piece of research… A tale of intrigue, and the pushing and pulling of sacred texts through history. A major element of Smith’s research is this idea that the ties between these ancient texts and the promises of God were hidden, yet hiding in plain sight… Smith challenges us to peel back layers of historical decisions to see these sacred texts in a new light… almost like a historical detective story… a testament to God’s control and faithfulness…”
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The Academia.edu Fireside Chat Transcript
Welcome back to In Depth With Academia, where we dive into the academic research in a way that’s a bit more digestible. I’m Richard Price, CEO of Academia.edu, and today we’re exploring a rather intriguing piece of research by W. Kent Smith titled Tales of Forever: The Unfolding Drama of God’s Hidden Hand in History, Book One. Now, if you’re the type who loves a good mystery mixed with theology, then hang tight because this is going to be a journey of its own. So let’s jump right into the heart of it.
This work by Smith tackles a pretty profound question: Is the God of The Bible really in control of human history? And does God actually keep promises made to humanity? These are huge questions that honestly have been on the minds of believers and skeptics alike for, well, pretty much forever, right? The book focuses on a long-lost prophecy supposedly given to Adam and Eve.
This 5,500-year messianic prophecy, promising that the Messiah would come to rescue humanity. It’s a tale of intrigue, a prophetic timeline, and the pushing and pulling of sacred texts through history. This book is all about rediscovering a prophecy almost obscured by time, a timeline in The Septuagint Bible, suggesting a 5,500-year period from Adam to Jesus Christ, as opposed to the traditionally more accepted 4,000-year timeline we find in other versions of The Bible.
The significance of this particular timeline, Smith proposes that the timeline serves as a testament to God’s control and faithfulness, suggesting that traditional chronologies might obscure rather than clarify the story of God’s promise. Now, let’s talk a bit about what’s in these pages. Kent Smith unearths, if you will, these long-forgotten tales by diving into works like The First Book of Adam and Eve, The Book of Enoch, and others once considered part of the biblical canon but relegated to obscurity over the centuries.
And guys, here’s the kicker. Many of these texts once stood side by side with books of the modern Bible, respected by early Christians and even referenced by Church Fathers. Smith doesn’t shy away from pointing fingers at historical movements. He claims that political powers had a hand in picking which texts made the cut and which didn’t. After all, the formation of the biblical canon was as much a political roller coaster as any other human endeavor. Smith challenges us to peel back layers of historical decisions to see these sacred texts in a new light, inviting both skepticism and belief along the way. A very balanced approach, wouldn’t you say?
A major element of Smith’s research is this idea that the ties between these ancient texts and the promises of God were hidden, yet hiding in plain sight. There are multiple layers and lenses through which we can view these extraordinary tales if we choose to look beyond our traditional mindsets. It almost feels like a historical detective story. Why were certain books left out of the canon and are they deserving of a fresh look? And what if—what if—these stories of figures like Enoch, who is said to have walked with God, or the ancient tales of Adam and Eve, carry deeper meanings for us today? Can these retellings engage us in a conversation about faith, humanity, and history in ways we haven’t considered? And oh, there’s a central theme here around the five sacred things, like The Ark of the Covenant and The Great Pyramid of Giza, objects holding the key to evidence of God’s influence over history. Now that’s a bit of a sweeping assertion, but Smith lays it out there asking us to ponder on these connections.
In wrapping this up, Smith isn’t necessarily pushing for a wholesale conversion to his viewpoint, but rather he prompts us to consider these perspectives objectively to explore the evidence he lays out. It’s an academic inquiry after all, sparking curiosity more than convictions. So folks, whether you’re a historian, a theologian, or just someone who loves diving deep into alternative narratives, Smith’s work might just stir something in you, make you question, or even just make you curious to know more. And there we’ve unearthed a glimpse into W. Kent Smith’s Tales of Forever. Remember, these are pieces for us to ponder, to discuss, and sometimes even to disagree on freely. That’s the beauty of academic exploration. It’s not about having all the right answers, but learning to ask the right questions.
Well, that’s all we’ve time for today. Thank you for joining me on this journey through history, faith, and intrigue. If you fancy diving in yourself, Smith’s book is out there waiting to be explored, or explored again, until our next intellectual adventure. Keep questioning, keep exploring, and hey, keep being curious. I’m Richard Price, and this was In Depth With Academia. Catch you next time.
Previews of Tales of Forever
To read more, go to:
A CASE FOR THE TALES—to read a work that sheds light on long-lost truths that most modern-day Christians know nothing about.
IN OUR DARKEST HOUR—to discover God’s greatest proof of His control and faithfulness the world would ever know.
A LIST OF THE FIVE—to learn how five sacred things tell the ultimate tale of God’s intention toward humanity.
SOME FOREWORD THINKING—to learn of a tale stranger than any fiction, of the ultimate tale of God’s intention toward humanity.
THE HIDDEN BOOKS—to learn how a subject once reserved for the elite and esoteric is now open for the layperson to investigate.
ARGUMENTS FOR AUTHENTICITY—to see how a four-fold nature of truth became a tradition of biblical interpretation in the early Christian Era.
SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE—to see how typology expounds that certain events, persons, or statements in The Old Testament pre-figure Christ.
THE STAGE IS SET—to find out why the God of The Bible is so interested in typology, in shadow and substance.
A MATTER OF STYLE—to ask, if Jesus never spoke in iambic pentameter, then why do Bible translators depict Him as doing so.
THE CURTAIN RISES—to learn of ancient literary treasures that give us a glimpse into humanity’s spiritual origins and destiny.
THE MAN FROM FOREVER—to see how the story of Enoch as a type of Christ provides the building blocks for countless mythological motifs.
DAWN OF TIME—to learn of a story that reveals how God nurtured Adam and Eve during every phase of their lives.
FIRE AND BLADE—to learn of a story of the man whom God told to sacrifice his son and how Satan reacted to his attempt.
TRIAL BY FURY—to learn of a story of Pontius Pilate that reveals why he acted the way he did during his encounters with Jesus.
THE NEXT PARADIGM SHIFT—to see that, in nearly every generation what was thought to be true was overturned by a new way of seeing things.
PILATE: AS THE PUBLIC DEFENDER—to see how Pontius Pilate provides a universal mirror for all who investigate the age-old mystery: “What is truth?”
A HERO FOR THE AGES—to learn that even in our fallen state, our brains are hardwired to interpret the frequency of the Divine.
A CAPSTONE TO TIME—to discover The Great Pyramid of Giza defies any attempt to dismiss that it might contain the ultimate expression of truth.
