Writing from a Roman prison, the apostle Paul said: "For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain". It was for him the best way of explaining the essence of the gospel message. Elpis Israel means "the hope of Israel", and the book sets out in a systematic form Bible teaching about sin, death, and reconciliation and about the purpose of God to fill the earth with His glory as the waters fill the seas. The material was originally presented as a lecture series at various centres in Britain in 1848, and the author committed the work in writing immediately afterwards. The book soon became popular, and has helped many thousands of people to undertstand God's message about His future kingdom to be established on earth when Christ returns.