D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks (Downers Grove: IVP, 2002). $12.24.

Reviewed by Mr. Shane Lems

Prophetic and apocalyptic sections of the Bible can be just plain confusing. I assume I do not have to fill space here to explain the multitude of views on prophecy and apocalyptic texts, or how these views lead to all sorts of wacky conundrums. I agree with Tremper Longman III: Sandy’s book, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks, is clear-headed. It sets forth an intelligent approach to reading, interpreting, and preaching these genres. Let me point out a few strong areas first.

Strengths
Sandy has studied linguistics—this much is clear. His section on biblical metaphor is most helpful. He rightly chides students of Scripture for trying to interpret all genres of Scripture by one set of rules, and encourages us to pay attention to different genres and how they are interpreted. He bluntly, and rightly, in my opinion, notes that, “If we fail to grasp the inherent metaphorical nature of language, we will fail to understand prophecy” (p. 59).

I also appreciated how Sandy emphasized the point that we have to notice how a certain biblical statement functions rather just looking at what it says. Stated differently, we may not want to be too quick to extract doctrinal nuggets from an apocalyptic section when the author of that text may have been trying to do something to the reader/hearer instead of teach him or her propositional truth. For example, when I say to my son, “I’ll give you a million bucks if you don’t fight with your brother for two days,” he immediately knows what I am trying to do by the statement--make him not fight with his young brother (though he may try to over-literalize my words for a big reward!). Having made these statements, I must assure the reader that I am adamant that we can and must find support for our doctrines of grace from all genres of Scripture. Indeed, Sandy makes the point that the illocutionary effect of a prophecy, for example, may include doctrinal truths.

Sandy also talks about how prophecy works, what makes it tough, how they have or have not been fulfilled, and how apocalyptic texts function. I also thought that Sandy’s bibliography/citations were helpful in areas I wished to study more in depth. This is one of those books that may seem elementary for many who have been preaching/teaching from the Prophets for many years. However, I am quite sure it will be useful for even the season preacher or teacher who has not studied linguistics in depth. I read the book thinking about preaching, and was very pleased with how much of the information can carry right over into the pulpit for the benefit of the congregation.

Weaknesses
I do wish that Sandy would have had an entire chapter on the prophets themselves. He rightly mentions that the prophets were covenant prosecutors first and foremost, but he does so in the middle of the book and only in a few short pages.

David Schnasa Jacobsen, Preaching in the New Creation: The Promise of New Testament Apocalyptic Texts (Philadelphia: Westminster John Knox, 1999). $16.47.

Reviewed by Mr. Shane Lems

First of all, I give this book three cheers or five stars, whatever the rating system may be. It is an excellent resource to study before preaching apocalyptic literature. Although Jacobsen’s focus is on the New Testament, it easily applies to the Old Testament as well. The main thrust of the book is that we should take care to notice what an apocalyptic text is doing instead of stopping short and noticing only what it says. That is, an apocalyptic text—just by the very genre—comforts Christians who are exiles waiting for the great day of homecoming. Similar to speech-act, we might call this “genre act,” that genres do something to God’s people, more than just instruct. Jacbosen continually uses this lens as he explains how to preach apocalyptic texts.

Jacobsen has helped me be very sensitive to the genre out of which I am preaching. Thus, when I preach an apocalyptic text, the main point is comfort, and doctrines of eschatology are sub points—perhaps even sub-sub points in some cases. Be sure to grab this book if you are interested in preaching from apocalyptic texts! There are even large parts of the book where Jacobsen walks through a rather detailed “how to” do what he is advocating. I also thought his section that explained apocalyptic rhetoric was enlightening.

In closing, the strengths of this book far outnumber the weaknesses. Jacobsen is not in the Reformed tradition, so obviously the book is not specifically Reformed. However, I can honestly say this book on a distinct area of homiletics/hermeneutics has helped me just as much as some Reformed books on the same.