Review: "Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes"

 

Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes (A Background and Application Commentary) by Tremper Longman III is a new volume in a series of commentaries that seek to work from the fact that the Bible of the New Testament authors was the Old Testament, and, as they write, they write with the Old Testament Scripture, history, and symbols of what we call the Old Testament in mind.  Thus, it is difficult to understand the New Testament fully without seeing it “through Old Testament Eyes.”

This is a commentary I was specifically looking forward to and plan to work through diligently.  I am working on understanding the book of Revelation for myself – not based on theories that lack nay basis in Scripture – but by looking at how the authors of the time would have understood what John wrote.

As commentaries do, this commentary goes through the text of the Gospel and explains it – though not every verse.  The original languages are used sparsely, so this is not a barrier to ministers or teachers using this commentary.

In addition to the running commentary, there are shaded blocks of several types: “what the structure means,” “through Old Testament Eyes,” and “going deeper.” The first looks at significant structural issues that make a difference in interpreting the text, the second shows the connection of the texts between the testaments, and the third explores the issue or term in the text and invites personal reflection on what this means practically.

The commentary ends with a list of the locations of the three shaded types of blocks, of the abbreviations, of the three types of shaded blocks (as above), and a selected bibliography, endnotes, and a Scripture index.

 This commentary, and the others in the series should prove very useful for preachers and teachers to help them understand the fulness of the text better – especially as the two testaments relate to each other.  I certainly look forward to using this commentary – with others – to gai a better understanding of Revelation.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "Berzerk 2"

 

I have finally returned to the anime series Berserk.

These volumes are paginated from back to front and right to left, as the original language version is.

The series is by Kentaro Miura.

Berserk 2

The story opens introducing the reader to Vargas former court physician who became a torturer and cannibal.  the Black Swordsman is looking for the Godhand.  The Count – badly maimed finds them, and they fight. It turns out the Count is dead, and he is possessed by a daemon.  The Count is decapitated but revies ad captures Puck.  Guts tries to kill him again without success and attacks his fortress bringing carnage.  Puck gets out in time to see Guts fight the daemon.

The pages are more drawings than words. The art is living and takes the reader through the story with understanding.

The volume is marked with a parental advisory for the violence of the story and art.

I am going to continue reading.                     

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Exodus"

 

Exodus by Leon Uris is a story of liberation -- a story of the founding of the nation of Israel after centuries of oppression in Egypt, under the Nazis, and even as the promises made to the Jews after World War II lay dormant.

Uris novelizes the history of the founding of Israel in an expansive and very real story – one the reader can join into – largely focused on the journey of Jews from Cyprus to Israel.  Although this is a novelization, the history that is told is accurate.

Uris writes, “Israel, the bridge between darkness and light” (589).

The final scene of the novel is the celebration of the Passover – a time of joy looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, but they receive horrible news.  Even so, they begin the Haggadah in which they remember that Israel – her people – “go[] forth in triumph from slavery into freedom” (599).

A novel of heartbreak and hope.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].