A detailed, thought-provoking case for the real-time relevance of Revelation.
A biblical interpretation of the events of September 11, 2001.
In this straightforward debut work, Shephard takes readers verse by verse through the King James Version of the book of Revelation, laying out his case that the verses predict the rise of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, as well as the 9/11 terrorist attacks. For example, when Revelation 18:9 tells of a great city made desolate in one hour, Shephard pairs it with the terrorist attack on New York City. When Revelation mentions “the beast of the pit,” Shephard reminds readers that Saddam Hussein, the so-called “Beast of Baghdad,” was found by U.S. forces hiding in a pit. When Revelation 13:8 says that people whose names aren’t written in the “book of life of the Lamb” shall be “slain from the foundation of the world,” Shephard writes, “I’ll say it now, the ones that John is referring to are followers of the Koran.” The interpretations sometimes seem fuzzy or far-fetched (Revelation’s “two hundred thousand thousand,” for example, falls well short of the actual number of Muslims in the world), but the book appears to be intended as much as an expression of personal faith as a work of exegesis. It’s clearly aimed at fellow practicing Christians, as when the author writes that the evidence for his suppositions is “[t]he greatest evidence possible, the verses in the Bible.” The author also lays out the background and specifics of the Bush-era “war on terror” in painstaking detail, drawing from many sources. He defends his interpretations, in part, by contending that Saddam Hussein fulfilled the specifics of Revelation too closely not to be their object, but the book doesn’t discuss the idea that present-day people may be living in post-apocalyptic times. Overall, however, the book will likely stimulate discussion as a Christian analysis of Hebrew prophecy.
A detailed, thought-provoking case for the real-time relevance of Revelation.Pub Date: July 18, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4602-1838-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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