­Book Review: Eschatology: Biblical, Historical, and Practical Approaches edited by D. Jeffrey Bingham and Glenn R. Kreider

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Book Review: Eschatology: Biblical, Historical, and Practical Approaches edited by D. Jeffrey Bingham and Glenn R. Kreider

The book is edited by two Dallas Theological Seminary graduates so the overall perspective will be from that Seminary’s ideological point of view; though the writers come from different universities, including three former professors of mine at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It is refreshing that the ideology behind this study is one of Biblical trustworthiness; one will not have to worry about whether the authors think Paul was mistaken in his prophetic views (as some liberal Christians assert).

Part 1 introduces the foundations for a doctrine of the future, including a good chapter by Charles C. Ryrie himself. Part 2 is a Biblical theology of the future, examining what the Bible itself has to say on the topic, division by division (Historical books, the Prophets, the Synoptic Gospels, etc.). I was surprised to find myself enjoying the historical part of the book, and the analyses on part 3 will be helpful to anyone wanting a primer on, say, Augustine’s view of the future, or that of John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, or Jürgen Moltmann. Overall, the authors made an excellent effort in laying out the basics of each view. Part 4 brings in the praxis of a doctrine of the future to contemporary situations.

Of course, as other books, my personal theological stance on prophecy is not represented since I am not a traditional or progressive Dispensationalist, but no one expected the authors to be perfect. :-)

Finally, I applaud Kregel for printing the footnotes at the bottom of the page (as opposed to endnotes that one has to hunt down to make sense of), making it more useful to students and scholars; the book is much, much better because of this.

A solid 4/5 stars

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: Interpreting the Prophetic Books: An Exegetical Handbook by Gary V. Smith

The idea behind the Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis series is an outstanding one. Short, to the point, yet scholarly and well documented. Gary V. Smith is a well-known scholar of the prophetic writings and is informed enough to write a useful handbook; and that he did. He covers the fundamentals, rather than just the essentials (see below). That is, Smith not only tells us how to interpret, but what to do with that information. Most commentaries/exegetical handbooks stop at interpretation.

PROS
• There are chapters on “Proclaiming Prophetic Texts” and “From Text to Application,” which are extremely useful in our day and age. Very few of us know how to preach from these texts without over spiritualizing them. Rather than giving God’s message, we usually end up giving our own (with the best of intentions, mind you).
• FOOTNOTES. Oh, yeah!  I love having footnotes rather than endnotes. This is a major plus for any academic work.

CONS
• The type is set in a small font; specially the Hebrew font. I had trouble reading some of the vowel markings. Not good. I understand the need to make the size of the book manageable, but please remember that 40-year-old and above also want to read scholarly books and continue studying.
• Some charts had too dark a background, which made reading the text more difficult.
• Maybe the content was a little too brief. Again, I understand the purpose behind the brevity, but at many points I was left wanting just a little more information. I would definitely love the book at double its current size.
• A little too critical of the text itself at some points. Since I believe the Bible to be completely inspired of God. Some of the current critical views do not settle well with me.

With that said. I would pick this book up first when beginning a study of the prophetic material, and work from there. It should not be the only source of information by any means, but it is a useful one.

3/5 Stars


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: A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days

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Book Review: A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days by “Rabbi” Jonathan Bernis

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Unfortunately, I have some issues with the way the book is marketed. It announces a “Rabbi” on the front cover, but Bernis admits inside that he is not an actual Jewish Rabbi, but a self-called “Messianic Rabbi;” that is, no university or yeshiva granted him the title. Most people probably expect Bernis to be a former Jewish Rabbi converted to Christianity.

I am also a little uncomfortable with the content. In my Kindle version, at location 1161, Bernis mentions “the book of Josephus” as one of his sources; but Bible students know that Josephus wrote more than just one book. It was surprising to me that the editors didn’t catch this.

On the positive side, the book makes for an interesting read and keeps the reader engaged. Bernis’ warnings about ‘newspaper eschatologists’ and inaccurate or fabricated ‘prophecy fulfillments’ are right on the money. Too many self-proclaimed prophecy teachers are sensationalistic rather than exegetical when it comes to Bible prophecy (most leave the Bible aside to engage in countless speculations).

The book may work as an introduction to Jewish–Christian eschatology, but to learn more about prophecy from a Messianic Jew, I would probably suggest Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s The Footsteps of Messiah. Though pricey, it is a good resource.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Net Galley 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.

The Global-Warming Deception by Grant R. Jeffrey

The Global-Warming Deception

Global warming’s hidden agenda: a global socialist government 

The worldwide effort to combat man-made global warming is history’s most far-reaching hoax. In The Global-Warming Deception, Grant R. Jeffrey documents the orchestrated campaign of political pressure, flawed science, and falsified data—all designed to sell an environmental lie and bring the West to its knees.

United Nations agencies use the threat of rising ocean levels, crop failure, expanding deserts, and the extinction of species to convince western nations to surrender their sovereignty. As these developments play out, we see the globalists consolidating their power.
In The Global-Warming Deception, you will find proof that:

   • Laws and regulations to reduce carbon emissions are designed to destroy the free-enterprise system and drain wealth from western nations.

   • The religion of eco-fundamentalism denies the existence of God and substitutes in His place the worship of the earth.

   • The coming economic collapse, hastened by global-warming laws, will lead to international chaos. A one-world government will be presented as the solution, followed by the arrival of the Antichrist. Your liberty is at stake. Now is the time to learn all you can about the socialist-Marxist elite that is advancing the false threat of global warming—the most deadly deception in history.

The Global-Warming Deception
Paperback
224 pages
Retail: $14.99

NEW
Our price: $5.99

Book Review: The End by Mark Hitchcock

Book Review: The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days

I was somewhat excited when reading Hitchcock's introduction to his book in which he admits he would like this book to become the successor to J. Dwight Pentecost's classic Things to Come. So, I was hoping Hitchcock's would be a worthy replacement. Of course, I was expecting scholarly treatment of most eschatological issues. I was dissapointed because The End is really not a the level of Pentecost's treatment of pro and con views on various prophetic positions. Do not get me wrong, however. I read almost everything Hitchcock writes on the subject and he is a good author on eschatology. The End is written at the popular level and most Christians would benefit from reading it. For those that know about Bible prophecy this book will not cut it. This one is not Hitchcock's magnum opus, yet. An overview, it is. Complete, it is not. In no way could a prophecy student do without getting the older classic by Pentecost or even Walvoord's Every Prophecy of the Bible.

Hitchcock would do well to update Pentecost's Things to Come for a new generation as he has done with some of Walvoord's classics.

Disclosure: The book was received for free from Tyndale House Publishers. The program does not require a positive review, only an honest 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.