Paul Luckraft reviews 'The Epic of Eden' by Sandra Richter (IVP Academic, 2008)

A suggested method

How to do ‘church’ at home

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Charts of Bible Prophecy’ by HW House and R Price (2003, Zondervan)

Two books on the Hebrew language.

Chaim Bentorah is a teacher of biblical Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic from the Chicago area. We review two of his books below.

Chris Foster reviews ‘Hebrew Word Study’ by Chaim Bentorah (Whitaker House, 2016)

On walking into any Christian bookshop, one will come across numerous devotional books with all sorts of slants. When I first saw the Hebrew Word Study, I was sceptical that this would be any different from or better than others. The size of it, and the cost (I bought my copy for just under £20 from Amazon), would normally be enough to put me off. But it had been recommended to me by someone who had spoken about the joys of the Hebrew language, and I was intrigued by the thought that delving into it could “reveal the heart of God”.

Indeed, Bentorah believes that “If we take the time to study the Hebrew language, we can see the true beauty of God’s word and come to know God and His heart in a much deeper way.”

So I bought the book and started reading. Within a few pages I knew that the title was justified in claiming to reveal at least a little of the heart of God - and I was engrossed.

Exploring Roots and Meanings

In each of the 90 studies, the author starts with a verse from the Bible, takes a key word or phrase, and looks at the original Hebrew word that has been translated into English. He then explores the root and various meanings of the Hebrew word, which often don’t make it through into the English translation. He looks at other passages where this word is used in the scriptures to compare and contrast. Then, finally, he revisits the passage he started with, illuminating it further using some of the meanings he has drawn out of the Hebrew.

If you are looking for a book that will take you into the riches of the scriptures without you having to learn Hebrew, this is a good place to start.

As an example, in one study (p145) we read Psalm 27:5: “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion”. We find that the word translated ‘trouble’ (ra’) is related to the word which David used for 'shepherd' (ra’ah) in Psalm 23:1 when he wrote “The Lord is my shepherd”. How can this be? Bentorah goes on to explore this in some detail, relating it to the trouble one feels when one’s shepherds let one down.

Positive and Uplifting

In each chapter, the author draws out meanings that are positive and uplifting. The studies are not set out in any particular order, so the book could be read every day as a three-month devotional series, or more sporadically. There is a Hebrew-English and English-Hebrew index at the back, as well as a glossary of terms.

One doesn’t need to have learnt Hebrew to read this book (though it may possibly deepen one’s understanding to have a grasp of Hebrew letters). The author takes the reader through step by step, so it is not at all difficult to read. If you are looking for a book that will take you into the riches of the scriptures without you having to learn Hebrew, this is a good place to start.

‘Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God’ (448pp, hardback) is available from Amazon for £19.34. Also on Kindle.

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Learning God’s Love Language’ (True Potential Inc, 2018).

This book is described as a guide to personal Hebrew word study and can be seen as a companion to Bentorah’s previous Hebrew Word Study devotional.

The complexity of the Hebrew language means that each word can have a wide range of meanings; any book which can help us to navigate through this variety of renderings is to be welcomed, especially if, as the author claims, he has written for individuals “regardless of his or her educational background, cultural experience or level of spiritual maturity” (p11).

Warning: Esoteric Influence

However, a warning should be sounded here as Bentorah states his intention to take us beyond the words and into the “ancient rabbinical esoteric meanings behind each letter of the Hebrew alphabet” (p12). Indeed, the bulk of the book is dedicated to a letter-by-letter exploration in which the author stretches each Hebrew letter into the realm of the enigmatic and cryptic. These rather dubious extensions at times seem fanciful and even rather worrying.

Bentorah explains that he draws from numerous ancient Jewish sources, admitting that “Some information does come from the mystical books of the Kabbalah” (p39). He adds that he does not embrace Kabbalistic teachings and has studied them only as “a reference to develop my skills with the Aramaic and not to gain any spiritual insights” (p39), but this nevertheless may still be off-putting for some, and may rather contradict his claim to appeal to readers regardless of spiritual maturity. Certainly discernment is needed here.

Bentorah’s esoteric leanings rather contradict his claim to appeal to readers regardless of spiritual maturity – certainly discernment is needed here.

His foray into the murky numerical world of Gematria must also be read with caution. While this topic is certainly worth exploring, the author insists that “words with the same numerical value are in some way related” and could be the basis for fruitful meditation. Again, he is wanting to draw as much as he can from what he sees as a legitimate practice by the Jewish people who are the guardians of the ancient Hebrew language. He states that Gematria “has evolved over many generations of Jewish mysticism” but considers “their insights to be of great value” (p111). However, some of his examples left me floundering.

Some Valuable Information

Having said all that, there are some other sections outside of these central pages that are worthy of consideration: for instance, those on Jewish literature, the history of the Hebrew alphabet, and issues involved in translating from Semitic languages. The book provides very useful information in these areas.

The author, a Gentile who adopted a Jewish pseudonym, clearly enjoys exploring the delights and intricacies of what he calls ‘God’s love language’. Once you understand where his studies have led him then it is possible to make use of his ideas and decide how far to follow him.

‘Learning God’s Love Language: A Guide to Personal Hebrew Word Study’ (160pp, paperback) is available from Amazon for £11.54. Also on Kindle.

Faith: The means by which we get to know God.

Last week we examined the foundational principle of faith. This week we turn to how faith is put into practice in our daily lives.

1. The Word of God

The main means of acquiring knowledge is through the Bible, the word of God. This includes:

(a) Hearing God’s word: Paul wrote, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). Every time the word is read we should attentively listen, expecting God to speak to us.

(b) Reading God’s word: Paul wrote to Timothy, “…give attention to reading” (1 Tim 4:13). It is important to have a reading plan. Remember the purpose is not merely a knowledge of the Bible, but the knowledge of God himself.

Although it is a well-known cliché, it is still true, ‘you can know God as much as you want to’. Here are some interesting facts: if you read the Bible for 15 minutes each day you would read the whole Bible in less than a year; for a normal reader the whole Bible could be read in 71 hours; the Old Testament in 52 hours and the New Testament in 19 hours. If you read ten chapters a day, in 18 weeks you would have read the whole book. By coming to know God’s ways and works through reading, faith in him is encouraged.

(c) Studying God’s word: This involves taking a book of the Bible, or a doctrine, subject, or character, and collecting all the information you can to learn of him.

(d) Memorising God's word: Many times in Scripture we are exhorted to ‘remember'. The first essential is to receive truth in our hearts - and it is also profitable to have it in our memories.

Although it is a well-known cliché, it is still true, ‘you can know God as much as you want to’.

(e) Singing God’s word: So much Scripture has now been put to music. There is nothing better to offer to God than that which God himself inspired. We have available a whole book of Psalms.

(f) Writing God’s word: The kings of Israel had to write out all God’s instructions. Sometimes we learn more from verses by writing them because you note every word.

(g) Meditating on God’s word: Of all the ways of approaching the word of God, meditation is the most rewarding. Meditation is the practice of pondering, considering and reflecting on verses of Scripture in complete dependence on the Holy Spirit to give revelation of truth. When there is obedient response, the word is imparted within. This will bring forth worship, or praise, or thanksgiving, or prayer, or intercession to God. The more we inwardly receive from him, the more we have to give to him.¹

2. Prayer

Obviously we can never get to know someone without communication. By prayer we speak to God, thus increasing our knowledge of him. Through answered prayer our faith toward God is strengthened and increased. Our prayers are not dependent on eloquent speech, but on the honest outpouring of our hearts and love to him. Thank God, heaven is always open to us and we can speak to him at any time of day or night.

Through the word we discover the will of God, and when our desire is, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” then, as John wrote, we have confidence in prayer, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

3. Experience

Our trust in God is enhanced by many experiences, either our own, or those of others. The remembrance of the past faithfulness of God is often an incentive to trust him for the present and the future. The old hymn encourages us, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one; And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

How faith-building it is to read of God’s faithfulness to his people down through the ages. There are so many stories to thrill us: the walls of Jericho falling; the deliverance of Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah; the many miracles of Jesus; Peter's deliverance from prison, etc. All these stories, and some from your own life, prove that God can be trusted as the reliable, promise-keeping One.

Thank God, heaven is always open to us and we can speak to him at any time of day or night.

It is also refreshing to read the biographies of God’s servants who have proved God in so many circumstances: people like William Carey, David Livingstone, Madame Guyon, Corrie Ten Boom, Brother Andrew, and the work of Open Doors, Operation Mobilisation, Youth With A Mission and so many others who had faith in God.

4. Through the Church

By good teaching and pastoral care in our local churches we learn more about the greatness and goodness of God. Here, too, we rub shoulders with our brothers and sisters in Christ from whom we can learn so much.

We can share our joys and our sorrows, our victories and defeats, our needs and his supply. Here we can experience the support of one another in prayer and action and serving one another. We can learn much of the ways of God through other members of his body.

5. Miracles

When Jesus performed his first miracle in Cana of Galilee by turning water into wine, the faith of the disciples was greatly increased. “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him” (John 2:11). How wonderful it is to witness the supernatural power of God, proving that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”.

The Lord never did any miracle merely to attract crowds or satisfy their curiosity. His one purpose in all that he did was to bring glory to God that people might learn about him and, in learning, believe in him. One day Jesus was asked the question, "’What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:28-29). One of the greatest things we can do is to trust him.

Questions

1. As the Bible is the main means of getting to know God, how are you fulfilling this in your daily life? Are adjustments needed?

2. What is your most recent answer to prayer? How did it affect your faith in God?

3. How has your faith in God increased through your local church?

4. Reflect on God’s goodness to you. When did you last count your blessings? Why not do it now, and worship him.

Notes

1 For a detailed study of this important subject, the author has written a book: The Practice of Biblical Meditation (1982, Marshall, Pickering). The American title of the same book is Alone with God (Bethany Publishers).

This article is part of a series, re-publishing a booklet entitled 'The Biblical Basis of First Principles'. Click here for previous instalments.

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Any Complaints? Blame God’ by Martin Goldsmith (Authentic Media, 2008).

This is a concise and readable commentary on the Book of Habakkuk whose message is often overlooked but which ‘still speaks today’, especially in our ‘blame society’ where “Whatever happens to us, we feel we have the right to blame someone else and perhaps look for compensation” (p.vii).

Goldsmith, author of Storytelling, makes the valid point that whereas Habakkuk is small book with only three short chapters, this makes it all the easier to place it in its context and relate it to our day. Consequently, “it can then form a peg on which to hang the longer and more difficult prophets” (p.ix).

Well Set Out

The book is well set out with an introduction that covers the usual background (who Habakkuk was, the likely date of the book and its structure). At only a few pages it is concise, but more than enough for the general reader who wants to get to the text as quickly as possible.

The rest of the book consists of seven chapters – three on each of Chapters 1 and 2 of Habakkuk, and one on Chapter 3, the prophet’s final ‘praise song’, perhaps the most famous part of the book. This is not an academic commentary but it does explain the key words well and also applies the message to the Christian faith.

The book ends with a good bibliography and endnotes for those who want to pursue the studies further.

A Good Companion

Habakkuk is one of those biblical books where certain verses are better known than the book as a whole. Goldsmith’s commentary is best thought of as a companion to the text which helps us to get to know God better via Habakkuk and then to be able tackle life with greater faith.

One good approach would be to read Habakkuk all through, then to read Goldsmith’s book, then Habakkuk all through again. Most beneficial would be to do this all on the same day, perhaps as part of a retreat.

Any Complaints? Blame God (paperback, 231pp) is available from the publisher for £8.99.

Christians must take back territory lost to Disney.

A deeply disturbing report has highlighted what many have come to know, expect and even accept – that many of our children are missing out on religious education.

Flagging up the ‘state of the nation’ report published by the Religious Education Council and the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE), the Daily Mail headline ‘Death knell for RE in schools’ was, I think, a tad over the top.¹

However, the neglect of this aspect of education is very serious and, as with so many sections of our broken society, the Church is in part responsible.

The Reason for Education

The very motive for introducing education for all in the 18^th and 19^th centuries was so that children could come to know the love of God. It was, in the first place, so that they could be taught the Bible, which contains a treasure trove of teaching on all matters of life and which equips new generations with unsurpassed knowledge on how to live – not just with your mind and body, but with your heart and soul.

The Bible teaches repeatedly that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 9:10) and someone has said that godless education simply produces educated sinners.

The original motive for introducing education for all was so that children could come to know the love of God.

Deborah Weston, NATRE’s research officer, said: “By developing knowledge and understanding about different religions and world views in the security of a classroom, young people have the opportunity to engage with complex, diverse and constantly evolving subject matter.”² Indeed, what’s wrong with that – even for our humanist friends?

Julia Diamond-Conway of RE Today, an exhibitor at the Christian Resources Exhibition, said there was no excuse for breaking the law by not offering RE in schools. She told CRE News:

In collaboration with NATRE, we produce many high-quality resources to inspire and inform children – for their lives both now and in the future. There is just no excuse for not following the law and teaching a subject so relevant in today’s society. Many people think RE is about issues from centuries ago and no longer relevant. But our material talks of modern times and uses modern techniques to involve children fully in the learning process.³

A Department for Education spokesman said: “Religious education remains compulsory for all state-funded schools, including academies and free schools, at all key stages and we expect all schools to fulfill their statutory duties.”⁴

Perhaps this latter phrase – ‘statutory duties’ - is part of the problem. We have lost the heart and soul of what education is really about. We treat people as computers. Back in the 19^th Century, Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, speaking on the subject of education in various countries, said: “The truth was that wherever everything was left to the government the subject became a machine.”⁵

A Deprived Generation

According to the report, 28% of secondary schools told the Department for Education that they gave no dedicated curriculum time to RE. It is estimated that this equates to 800,000 pupils being deprived of their legal right to learn about major religions and beliefs, leaving them without the religious literacy they need for life in modern multi-faith Britain.

It further called for “a clear public statement that it is not acceptable in any circumstances for a school to be failing to provide RE at any key stage as part of its broad and balanced curriculum.”

We have lost the heart and soul of what education is really about - we treat people as computers.

It would be quite wrong to conclude that today’s youngsters are not interested in the spiritual side of life. It’s just that many have been denied the chance of exploring these things. And this is where much of the Christian Church is failing them. The average person in the pew is tragically ignorant of the huge opportunities we still have for sharing the Gospel in schools. They simply accept the perceived, but misinformed, notion that God has been thrown out of the school window (perhaps, in part, due to the teaching of evolution as opposed to creationism) – and all we can do is lick our wounds and sulk over a very sorry state of affairs.

Yet in stark contrast to the USA, where it may surprise many to learn that Christian teaching is banned from schools, we have a wide open door. And as with the vision St Paul had of the man from Macedonia (Acts 16:9), many are saying to us: “Come over here and help us!”

Opportunities Still There!

Conscientious head-teachers are only too willing to welcome those who have a heart to teach (though not preach to) children about the love of Jesus. In some cases, even qualified RE teachers (who are not necessarily Christians, after all) feel out of their depth when asked to lead assemblies.

But Christian youth workers can (and do) step up to the plate with an authoritative, passionate and winsome approach to the subject. And if they win the trust of staff, there are many opportunities to support pupils through the school curriculum.

For example, Bible Society’s Open the Book project is becoming increasingly popular in primary schools as teams from local churches around the country lead assemblies through a dramatic reading of Bible stories.

I declare an interest in this subject as my wife is involved in visiting primary schools across the large metropolitan borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire. Along with other Christians, I have on many occasions accompanied her on various projects and witnessed the sheer delight of children – wide-eyed and open-mouthed – as they respond in rapt attention and wonder to the amazing stories of the Bible.

We share these stories because they are true – not fairytales – and yet there is something truly magical about them too! We need to take back territory lost to Disney and the like, and restore our confidence in the ‘greatest story ever told’. It should not surprise us that the Gospel story appeals to children. After all, Jesus said we could not enter the Kingdom of God unless we approached it as little children do (Matt 18:3).

It’s not that today’s youngsters are not interested in the spiritual side of life – it’s that many have been denied the chance of exploring these things.

Saving Priceless Souls

Our education has become too cerebral. Have we forgotten the importance of the soul? Jesus said: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?” (Mark 8:36). What price do we put on the soul of a child? It is priceless. Do we think that by filling them with facts they will live useful lives?

Jesus said he had come to give us “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10). Isn’t that what we would like to see in our children – that they would learn to live life to the full; knowing God, being comfortable with themselves, feeling secure in the love of Jesus and fulfilling a very clear purpose as they answer a particular calling on their lives?

Jesus put so much emphasis on children, and I’m told that Jewish tradition still bears that out in that those wishing to teach children, as opposed to adults, are required to spend far more time training for the role.

Jesus warned that in the case of those who cause any of these little ones who believe in him to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone tied around his neck and drowned in the depths of the sea (Matt 18:6). Denying the opportunity for children to hear about Jesus surely comes close to this – for you would be encouraging them to turn away from God and never know the joy of salvation and of sins forgiven.

A Calling of Great Honour

Without a compass, how do we find the way? Forget the Satnav and the iPhone. Without the measuring rod of the Bible, how will children know right from wrong; how will they discern lies from truth?

In searching for a memorial plaque to a Jewish relative on the Thames Embankment, I was taken aback somewhat by a magnificent statue to Robert Raikes (1736-1811), founder of the Sunday School movement – a reminder that in days of yore, educating children with the Bible was seen as a calling worthy of great honour.

May it become so again!

References

1 Daily Mail, 18 September 2017.
2 Ibid.
3 Hall, D. RE in schools: No excuse to break the law. CRE News, 21 September 2017.
4 See note 1.
5 Speech to the House of Commons, 20 June 1839.

Paul Luckraft reviews 'The Routledge Introductory Course in Biblical Hebrew' by Lily Kahn (2014, Routledge).

This is a good investment for the serious student of biblical Hebrew and for those wanting to get a flavour of what such study would entail.

It provides a comprehensive introduction to the language and texts of biblical Hebrew, covering all the topics usually found in a first-year university course, including the writing system, pointing rules, parsing, and strong and weak verb paradigms.

Structured Around Stories

As would be expected, the essentials of vocabulary and grammar are presented in detail throughout the 40 units. But where this course differs is that after the first two introductory units, each of the remaining units is structured round a brief story, which sets up the vocabulary and grammar points to be studied.

Each unit also contains supporting exercises to reinforce the main points, and ends with a specific biblical text, which gives the student a good sense of progress towards the main aim of being able to read the Tanakh.

This is a good investment for the serious student of biblical Hebrew - and for those just wanting to get a flavour of what such study would entail.

The stories are constructed to form a graded cycle, featuring characters and storylines similar to those found in the Hebrew Bible. After each story comes a section explaining the new grammatical points introduced, followed by a variety of exercises including gap-filling tasks, analysis of biblical words and translating English narrative passages into biblical Hebrew.

The biblical passages chosen to round off each unit are narratives rather than legal or poetic passages, and contain some of the most famous stories of the Hebrew Bible in roughly sequential order, starting with the creation story and progressing through to Esther and Daniel. These passages may be abridged (though never re-written), especially in the earlier units, in order to prevent the student being overwhelmed with too many new items at once.

Well-Organised and User-Friendly

Although designed as a one-year course, for many it will take longer - but that is not a negative point. It can be used for self-study at one's own pace or to encourage group study (maybe even just in pairs). The aim is that by the end, the student will "have been familiarised with all of the main points of Biblical Hebrew grammar, have been introduced to the most frequently appearing biblical vocabulary, and have acquired the skills necessary to read the Hebrew Bible independently as well as to progress to intermediate courses" (p.xvi).

Course units present the essentials of Hebrew vocabulary and grammar structured around Bible stories.

This is a well-organised and clearly-presented course, with a user-friendly text design in which the Hebrew script is slightly enlarged to make it stand out more easily. The book ends with an extensive grammar reference occupying 28 pages, two glossaries (Hebrew-English and English-Hebrew) and a short but useful index.

Companion Website

Another significant plus point is the free companion website, which not only makes the cost seem less steep but also provides the student with a wealth of extra learning opportunities. Here the student can find audio versions of all the stories and biblical texts, 'flashcards' to help test knowledge, a vocabulary guide listing words by parts of speech and much more.

Lily Kahn is Lecturer in Hebrew at UCL where this course has been trialled extensively. The Routledge Introductory Course in Biblical Hebrew (446 pages) is available to purchase from the publisher for £38.99.

Clifford Denton's second article on the end times emphasises the importance of reading Scripture through the right lens.

The Masterpiece of the Bible

The Bible is like a tapestry. A multitude of themes trace their way through the scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. These themes intersect and overlap so that they are both single themes and part of a whole.

The picture of the end times is one of those themes. Echoes from Genesis are in Revelation. The plagues of Egypt remind us of the woes that God will pour out on the entire earth right at the end of time. We learn about the heart and mind of God, the separation of the saved from the unsaved, judgment on sin and much more.

So, to understand the end times, we must read the entire Bible.

Greek versus Hebrew

How, then, do we approach the reading of Scripture with the end times in view? We must beware of an overly-analytical approach. Western philosophy and scientific analysis emerged from ancient Greece. This has fostered methodical, 'logical' attitudes to world issues based on human rationality, but as far as the scriptures are concerned another mindset is needed.

Western education, influenced by those Greek patterns of logic, has unfortunately trained our minds away from the biblical, Hebraic mindset through which we should approach Scripture. This has even influenced our theology, including perspectives on the end times, contributing significantly to the divisions and conflicting conclusions on the topic which exist among Christians today.

To understand the end times, we must read the entire Bible.

The Hebraic mindset is founded on faith and leads to a seeking after God through a prayerful walk. It is a mindset that encourages questions - but not questions of the philosophical kind that expect straightforward, rational answers. We must not approach God with our questions expecting to walk away with the single answer that ticks all the boxes of our theology.

Instead we find ourselves enquiring about aspects of a larger truth. Our questions are held in the background, in our spirits, and are part of an ongoing communication which results in God feeding us, edifying us and gradually revealing something richer and clearer on questions that are deeper than we first thought. Sometimes God hears one question and raises another as an answer. We find this in the biblical record of Jesus' own teaching.

A Walk of Discovery

For this walk God has provided us with Scripture, that wonderful tapestry of intertwining themes that builds into an overall picture.

The walk is both personal and corporate, so we each have a testimony that we share with others as they also share with us, as we sit prayerfully together with the scriptures open and as we share our questions.

Through Word and Picture

There are two main ways in which God communicates prophetically. One is in pictures; the other is in words. These are not independent. As we often say, 'a picture paints a thousand words'. Language gives rise to pictures in our imagination, and pictures can be described, interpreted and celebrated in words.

Nowhere are these connected forms of communication clearer than in the created universe, which God created in all its visual splendour to speak of himself. Psalm 19 expresses this profound truth: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard" (NKJV).

There are two main ways in which God communicates prophetically: pictures and words.

While scientific enquiry has revealed much about the laws of nature and the structure of the universe, giving many people of faith further understanding through which they praise God all the more, science has never proven or disproven the existence of a God of Creation. Indeed, more and more scientists in our day have become side-lined by theories of evolution that seemingly do not require a Creator. Far better to prayerfully gaze with wonder on Creation and let God speak of himself to us in his own way, by faith unspoiled by too much logical analysis.

Communicating Heart to Heart: Illustrations from the Arts

God made mankind in his image, so we (in a limited way) are able to express ourselves through words and pictures. Though we are all human and prone to impurity, through the expressions of the various creative arts, we can begin to understand how Creator God communicates to us.

A painted masterpiece will hang in a gallery and one can look at it for hours, seeing the overall picture, while from time to time focussing on a detail that makes up the whole. If the picture were broken down into individual details the overall impression would be lost.

Poets use words to convey their thoughts in the same way that artists use paints on canvas. Many of us fall short of understanding poetry if our scientific mindset seeks to over-analyse the structure of the poem, which was often (for some of us) how we learned to approach poetry at school. We were taught to dissect it through metre, rhyme, structure, figures of speech and so on, rather than just reading it.

C Day Lewis described this error in reading poetry, where the reader "doesn't take off his critical controls and allow the poem to pass direct to his imagination".¹ Lewis was considering what makes a good poem and how it should be read. He understood that a good poet communicates from his heart through particular choices and combinations of words – that is his craft. We, the readers, are intended to trust the poet as a communicator and allow him to speak to us through the end result of his writing.

How much more so than any human artist or poet does God, the Creator of language and all visual expression, seek to communicate truths to us heart to heart. And so to the key point of this article.

How much more so than any human artist or poet does God, the Creator of language and all visual expression, seek to communicate truths to us heart to heart?

God the Creator Communicates

The Hebraic way to approach Scripture's words, pictures and visions, including the passages relating to the end times, is to simply read them in a prayerful attitude as part of our walk with God. He is less concerned that they be scientifically analysed and more concerned to reach into our hearts and minds, to plant there the message behind the words and pictures – rather like C Day Lewis explained that poetry should be read.

This will not leave us with the overall picture alone, as a general abstraction. From time to time we will find ourselves focussed on a particularly relevant detail. However, this is not so we can reconstruct scientifically what God is saying, such as many have done with various time-lines of the prophetic scriptures, only to find that they have pushed the idea too far and into disagreement with someone else's system – or indeed into conflict with factual events as they unfold.

Let us trust God, the Greatest of all Communicators, and read together what he has said of the end times. Perhaps some of us should start afresh and read the scriptures with this renewed mindset. Simply read the entire Bible and see what God says. Do it the Hebraic way.

Next time: Harmony among the prophetic scriptures.

For other articles in this series, click here.

References

1 Introduction to A New Anthology of Modern Verse 1920-1940. Methuen, 1941 p XV.