DVD Set Review: The Tabernacle — Rose Publishing

DVD Review: The Tabernacle

By Shawn Barnard, MDiv

Important Note: This review is for the 6-Session DVD and printable Leader Guide edition only. Therefore, other items in the Complete Kit For The Tabernacle DVD-based Bible Study were not available for review.

Rose Publishing is currently a leader in publishing study books that are attractive, well laid out, and very useful; most of them are truly eye-candy. It is no different with The Tabernacle 6-Session DVD.

I teach Tabernacle typology at a local Bible school; therefore, my expectations of Barnard’s teaching may be a little higher than most. Barnard is a good communicator and the multimedia features added to the lectures are very helpful in aiding further understanding. Unfortunately, the audio in the lectures is uneven (the right channel is very low and unclear); still, the images used are beautiful; I just wish they had used more of the relevant images throughout the presentations. Also, I’m not sure how I feel about some of the camera work; looking at the back of people’s heads may seem interesting to some while unnerving others.

Of course, most of the teaching was familiar to me; however, I did find one or two nuggets of gold in Barnard’s teaching. As is common with any typological teaching, I think that sometimes Shawn went beyond the Biblical evidence in some applications (e.g. the Trinity in the Tabernacle?), but overall he tries to stay grounded in Scripture. Further, I could not agree with his statement that, “Everything in Scripture points to and finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.” Most current scholars of Hermeneutics would not agree with that position. I think most of us can think of Old Testament passages that cannot point to Jesus in a typological fashion (descriptions of geographical locations, numbers, genealogies, descriptions of sinful behavior, etc.). That is not to say that Jesus is not present in the Old Testament; He certainly is present in every division of the Hebrew Bible! (See John 5:39: Luke 24:27, 44–45.)

All the video sessions come in one DVD; the second DVD contains marketing materials for the class and also a 96 page Leader’s Guide that is very nicely done and could be useful in teaching a class on the subject at your local church as it contains suggestions on group activities. Of course, the student’s would have to avail themselves of the Student’s Notes with fill-in-the-blanks elsewhere since they are not included in this package (see the Complete Kit for the Tabernacle from Rose Publishing that does include those).

Viewing all sessions takes about three hours; hardly enough time to give an adequate overview of the richness of the typology found in the descriptions of the Tabernacle plan and function. This need not be seen as a negative comment; I just wish Barnard took his time explaining each lesson in more detail; he seems to have more to share than he had time to. Maybe Rose Publishing will produce a more complete course on the subject (one also has to keep in mind that Rose has a book and other materials on the subject that can complement the DVD series). Having said that, I think the DVD study is an excellent primer on Tabernacle typology for the average church member. Get this resource. You won’t be disappointed.

4/5 Stars

Disclosure: The DVD set was received for free from the Rose Publishing book review program. The program does not require a positive review, only an honest one.

Book Review: Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul

Book Review: Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul by Lars Kierspel

The Kregel Charts of the Bible series books are a valuable addition to any Bible student’s library. In this volume Kierspel does a fine job in distilling the background, writings, and theology of the apostle Paul. If you have questions on current issues like women in ministry and the New Perspective on Paul, then the book will give you a synopsis of the most important arguments. His charts on Christology are nice. The book contains 111 charts of information plus commentary on theological positions and the best scholars representing them. There’s so much information here that any Bible student will have hours of theological fun exploring its contents.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Kregel Academic & Ministry book review program. The program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.

Book Review: Jesus the Messiah

Book Review: Jesus the Messiah: Tracing the Promises, Expectations, and Coming of Israel’s King

by Herbert W. Bateman IV, Darrell L. Bock, Gordon H. Johnston

The hard cover is nicely designed and the full color graphics, maps and text boxes inside make it easy on the eyes and are helpful for understanding certain concepts/comparisons. One thing this book does is use footnotes instead of endnotes. Kudos! Having to go to the back of the book every time I want more information on something is usually a pain (!) and the publishers of Jesus the Messiah made it really easy to just look at the bottom of the page to find that information. To other academic publishers: Footnotes should be used every time!

The book’s content is excellent. It is obvious that the writers are experts in their fields and have thought long and hard on these issues. The introduction is a must-read to understand the background and presuppositions the writers bring to their trade, as well as the way the book is to be understood. I agree with the authors that if God is the One that inspired and superintended the writing and preservation of the Scriptures, then the canonical contextual interpretation is to be preferred and keeps in sight the big picture of God’s unfolding revelation.

The use of an actual Hebrew font for certain words when needed is great. Also, the indexes at the back of the book are very useful, especially the Scripture index, which is the first place I go to in academic books when researching a specific Scripture. The time it saves the reader is exponentially huge over time.

I will confess that I spent more time with Johnston’s contribution of the “Messianic Trajectories in Isaiah” because I am working on a thesis on the subject. I have to say the amount of research and the fact that the authors are conversant with both classic and up to date works was refreshing.

I am personally more conservative than some of the positions the authors have to accept in order for their work to be respected in academia. Conservative Christians should know they don’t have to accept every conclusion the authors arrive at. Look at the evidence and make up your own mind. Otherwise, the book is highly recommended.


Disclosure: The book was received for free from Kregel Academic & Ministry review program. The program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.

Book Review: The Gospel According to Isaiah 53

Book Review: The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 by Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser

The book's subtitle: Encountering the Suffering Servan in Jewish and Christian Theology is an apt description of the journey one embarks on when delving into the pages of this book.
A great contribution to the scholarly investigation on the identity of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. As an apologist I often wished that the book was a little stronger in its affirmation of the Messiahship of Jesus, especially over against the Jewish claims to the contrary. However, since the book seeks to be a scholarly resource for the student, some of the polemics have to be toned down. For a stronger case for Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy I would recommend Michael L. Brown's series on Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus.

I do recommend this book, however, for its scholarly value. I usually try to read anything Bock writes about Jesus and this was a quite informative journey.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Kregel Academic & Ministry review program. The program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.