An awesome literal approach to a biblical subject most biblical scholars won't touch...sex! Finally, someone who is willing to interpret the scriptures on the specifics on courtship, marriage and the sexual adjustments that occur between newly wedded couples. The epitome of romance...to hide such foundational truths of marriage in such a poetic form. Do your marriage a favor, read this book and learn how to enjoy your mate!

Most people probably aren't even aware of the content of one of the most interesting books of the Bible: The Song of Solomon. This book contains valuable details about true Biblical lovemaking. We have all heard of the supposed restrictive and oppressive limitations placed upon us by the Bible. Not so! Explore the rich and wonderful prose of beautiful lovemaking within the realm of the marriage. A most enlightening book!

This excellent book is recommended reading for both Jews and Christians alike. Indeed, people of all religions would do well to access the information detailed here.

The author, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, himself a Jew & having received Orthodox Jewish training, addresses the apparent 'controversy' surrounding the person of Jesus.

The writer addresses the many questions pertaining to the characterization of Jesus of being either just a 'good teacher', a 'prophet', a 'well-meaning but confused religionist', or whether in fact Jesus was/is the Son of God, the Hebrew Messiah prophesied in Scripture.

At the beginning of this superb book, the learned writer acknowledges that Jesus of Nazareth effectively stands as an enigma in Jewish history. Whilst being hailed by countless millions as their Saviour/Messiah, the name of Jesus has also been used by some in relation to the condemning of innumerable Jews and as an excuse to take countless Jewish lives.

Subsequently, Jesus has been largely ignored by Jews except for a few references in the Talmud and in some Jewish legends. The author illustrates that there is no uniform Jewish opinion concerning the person of Jesus, with views ranging from 'he never existed' to him being 'a great Jewish prophet'.

The book analyses the life of Jesus including his birth in Bethlehem of Judea and how he taught his small group of disciples who were all as Jewish as himself.

The author states that anyone who sets themselves the task of studying what the Old Testament has to say about the coming, prophesied Jewish Messiah will find in the Book of Isaiah numerous predictions that portray the Messiah as one who is going to suffer humiliation, physical harm and finally death in a violent manner, with the death being stated as a substitutionary death for the sins of the Jewish people.

On the other hand the author also states that one will likewise find the Jewish prophets also speaking of the Messiah coming as a conquering King who will destroy the enemies of Israel and set up the Messianic Kingdom of peace and prosperity. A seeming paradox and a stumbling stone to many Jews, but which Christians interpret as the first and second coming of the Messiah....Jesus. This issue is studied in depth in this book and is excellent reading, with reference also made to sections of the New Testament.

The Jewish 'objections' to Jesus are also examined in detail as are the 'definitions' of what exactly is a 'Jew', a 'Gentile', a 'Christian' and a 'Hebrew Christian' and how they relate to each other. A classic study.

The book also includes interviews on this subject with almost 40 Jews concerning what they each believe about Jesus. These embrace Rabbis, actors, homemakers, hairdressers, indeed people from all walks of Jewish life.

The book contains a wealth of information and a variety of differing opinions, which are studied in light of Scripture.

As a Christian my own beliefs are self evident, but no matter how you view this subject, the Jewishness of Jesus cannot be denied. Highly recommended.

The Hebrew Christian (or Messianic Jewish) scholar, Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum, goes through the entire Hebrew Bible -- the Law, Prophets and Writings -- and shows that Jesus Christ was prophesied in many places. He has a knack of communicating deep material in an easy-to-understand way. Where necessary, he analyzes the original Hebrew, and is erudite on Jewish interpretations of the passages.

It fills an important gap, because most Christians seem exclusively concerned with the New Testament, and forget about the Old Testament on which it rests.

His introduction is important, and warns against sensationalising, e.g. the claim that Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies at his first coming, when there are less than 100. Another error is forgetting that the Bible is a progressive revelation of God's Messianic program, foreordained from eternity but worked out in history. This results in falsely assuming NT understanding by OT saints who couldn't have had this.

The book provides many fascinating insights, e.g. into Genesis 4. There is also deep analysis of well-known prophecies. For example, he shows that Isaiah 7:14 was indeed prophesying a virginal conception of the Messiah, and that almah really does mean 'virgin' not 'young woman'.

Fruchtenbaum also shows that Isaiah 53 was really talking about the Messiah, as shown by the context. It is provides vital apologetic for witnessing to non-Christian Jews, because he shows that the vast majority of Jewish commentators, including Maimonides, believed that the passage is Messianic. The supposedly 'Jewish' view that it's referring to Israel is a fairly modern revisionist interpretation that was fiercely resisted by Rabbi Crispin as 'forced and far-fetched'.

There are also very valuable chapters about the plurality, unity and Triunity of the Godhead in the OT. The appendices also have much of value, including Daniel's '70 sevens' prophecy, 'How did the Wise Men know?', 'How the NT quotes the OT' and 'Jewish Objections to Jesus'.

I am also a Hebrew Christian or Messianic Jew, and think this book is unexcelled for Jewish insights into Yeshua Hamashiach. I think the only likely 'answers' to this book will be ad hominem, arbitrarily defining people like Fruchtenbaum and me as non-Jews, although we believe in the Jewish Messiah who fulfilled prophecies of the Hebrew Bible, and believe the New Testament also written entirely by Jews (including Luke!).

Dr. Fruchtenbaum has masterfully written on the issue of Israel in systematic theology -- a topic often overlooked by Dispensationalists. His clear exegesis and well placed conclusions make for an easy read. His objectivity is also comendable. Dr. Fruchtenbaum takes about 300 pages to explain all non-dispensational perspectives. Very helpful!

There are two draw-backs to the work. First, while there is a handy scripture index in the back, there is no topical index. Since it is systematic in scope, oftentimes identical issues are discussed under different subheads. The lack of topical index in the back may have been due to the 18 page table of contents but an index in back would be very helpful in remebering where everything is located in the large, 1,100 page book.

Secondly, although this is a fabulous work, Fruchtenbaum occationally makes unguarded and hermeneutically hollow statements. For example, on page 613, refering to the three measures of meal in the Parable of the Leaven (Matt. 13:33), he writes that this passage is pointing "to the fact that Christendom develops into three main divisions: Roman Catholoicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism." This is inconsistent with dispensational bible interpretation.

All in all, this book should be required of all Christians who are ready for a little 'meat' in their diet.

Whether you practice the Jewish religion or consider yourself to be a believer in Yeshua (Jesus), you will want to read this book. It is a gold mine of information. The author's first language is Hebrew. He brings a view to the study of the Scriptures and therefore of Israel that uncovers truth long searched for.

This is must reading for anyone who cares about Christian-Jewish relations.

Shalom

Recommendation:

Highest Rating for believers who want to gain more insights and learned understanding into their faith, its origins and purposes.

Summary:

Dr. Fruchtenbaum's unique and very Jewish research fills a very dangerous (replacement theology) and limiting void (actually canyon) in Christian understanding and perspective. As Christians, we look at the bible through our own limited gentile eyes, and interpret everything as if it belongs specifically to us. But, Dr. Fruchtenbaum goes through the other 90% of the bible that specifically deals with Israel (the true vine, the chosen people, the people of the covenant ) and Abraham (the friend of JHWH). After all, JHWH's entire plan for mankind is through Israel. Christianity is only a temporary (but, very uniquely blessed) solution to Israel's temporary blindness (non-belief in Jesus as the Messiah).

As Paul writes "everything aforetime was written for our learning." The laws, sabbaths, history and prophecies. All of these Jewish items were written for us to learn and understand JHWH's plan and prophecies. But, this only occurs through Israel.

Review:

Dr. Fruchtenbaum's work, thoughts and writing style is logical, well-researched, deep and insightful. But, he writes so you can easily follow him and understand his subjects, arguments, and conclusions.

Dr. Fructenbaum takes the reader through the information, logic and interpretations and related verses in a manner that actually teaches the reader to improve their abilities to think (in terms of biblical interpretation). In completing this book, the reader will learn a great deal about Judaism and Christianity from the proper Jewish perspective and thought patterns. More importantly, the reader would learn how to read the bible effectively in order to logically understand the scripture and its deeper complexities and interpretations as well as learn how to think through what he has read in order to come to his own conclusions.

The book is thorough, deep and well resourced, well referenced with extensive bibliography and thorough biblical references, as well as direct references to bibliographical resources on each page.

If there is a drawback to this book (notwithstanding "A reader from Omaha, NE USA's" excellent November 14, 2000 comments) the book is deep, has a lot of information, and requires time and effort to go through (1052 pages!!). Conversely, Dr. Fruchtenbaum makes the journey easy and well worth the effort. Further, the book would not be as significant if it lacked these attributes.

A second drawback (ironically, opposite to the above) is that because the book is so extensive, it skims explanations and references to certain interpretations that are discussed within subsections of subsections. For example: in chapter X. "A Dispensational Israelology", section B. "Israel Present", subsection 1. "Israel Present", sub-subsection e. "The Mystery Kingdom" where Dr. Fruchtenbaum discusses the 9 parables of Matthew 13:1-53. Here he discusses the parables and their interpretations, but leaves out supporting references, ex. parabolic "birds" are symbolic of evil spirits (symbolic definition given by Christ himself in Matthew 13:18).

(Sorry, I coincidentally used the same pages to comment on as did the good reader from Omaha).

Please note that it would be far too much to ask Dr. Fruchtenbaum to give this detail as it would (at some point) interfere with the general mission of the book. But, it is an issue as readers dig deeper into the book's topics, research and interpretations non-the-less. It should be noted that in making this book Dr. Fruchtenbaum dramatically shortened his original 2,200 page tome. I can only suppose that the point above was induced to accomplish this dramatic reduction.

Final Note:

For readers who wish to gain additional insights into Dr. Fructenbaum's ministry and teachings, I recommend his audio tapes at ariel.org. Although, they have poorer audio qualities than other tape ministries, the tapes fully support the Dr.'s research and teachings.

This book is not for the babe in Christ. Incredible compilation of events surrounding the return of Christ. Based out of Revelation, Mr. Fruchtenbaum takes you through the entire Word to look deeply into end times events. This book is heavy, both in physical weight and also spiritual studies. Allow for LOTS of "quite time" to dig into the Word and this book.

Never has eschatalogical events been laid out so clearly. No guess work, no newspaper exegesis. Just biblical scholarship. Fruchtenbaum just gleans the prophets and uses the Book of Revelation like a road map. This is a book that I pick up time & time again.

This book is a must for prophecy students. It covers all topics and puts all the puzzle pieces together so one can understand what will happen in the future.

Bob Dylan seems to be one of those artists who are like a mirror. You see what reflection you wish to portray. Having read Jonathon Cotts Dylan,where Dylan is a great poet,Stephen Pickerings Dylan, where he is a wandering Hebrew prophet,I decided on this book. Well, the theology here is an odd mix of fundementalism and Hebrew-christian potpurri. Hey, you can take Dylan songs to justify union busting{union sundown],though I hardly think that is the intention. Ignoring the vast corpus of Dyans work to justify this is simply cheap.Dr. Fruchtenbaum may or may not be a good theologian. Howwever, this book is about HIM, not bob dylan. I was very,very disappointed at the questioanble theological viewpoint and the tedious pedantic postruing and lecturing. Thomas Merton near the end of his life was preparing a study of Bob Dylan. Now THAT would have been interesting and fruitful. This is not.

This book is unique, combining sound-bites from the lyrics of a legendary musician with a more detailed and systematic exposition by one of the most erudite theologians around. The brief but plentiful extracts from Bob Dylan display a consistent Christian faith, and it would be impossible to do him justice without understanding what drives him at the deepest level.

The more detailed writings of his fellow Hebrew Christian, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, serve as excellent commentaries, although they were written independently. The author has done a remarkable job in combining them in this way. Of course the systematic theologian has more words in the book, but it's unfair to deny that the book is about Dylan as well, since it's his insights that head each of the many topics studied.

It's sad that some people resent the fact that some stars have great faith. I've seen it in my country with the seething resentment of journalists in the secular Australian media when 19-year-old Aaron Baddeley received his Australian Golf Open trophy and publicly declared Jesus as saviour, and that his faith in Christ is crucial to his success.

Rich in history and doctrine, this book delineates, perhaps the "best of," both Dylan and Dr. Fruchtenbaum (both of whom I highly esteem). It could be considered a primer for Fruchtenbaum's work in understanding Hebrew Christianity. It should, as well, be considered a major work in showing how this faith pertains to many of Bob Dylan's mysterious lyrics. It will not only enlighten those who read it, but encourage them as well. Ronnie Keohane has put together a wonderful resource for understanding the Jewish basis of Christianity, how Israel and the Gentiles are co-heirs in Christ Jesus, and how Bob Dylan has poetically grafted his faith and music into one.

Dr. Fruchtenbaum has written what amounts to little more than a tract on Messianic Judaism/Hebrew Christianity. For being so short, it is not without its problems. First, it leaves me wanting for a more concrete differentiation between Hebrew Christianity and Messianic Judaism, if such a distinction exists at all. Secondly, Dr. Fruchtenbaum, while having a view of who is Jewish and who is not, does not suggest any method for what to do with those who live as Jews (in a Messianic context or otherwise) and who either are children or converts or are "righteous Gentiles." Another point on his determination of heritage is that we have no way of telling if any Jews are really Jews at this point if we return to patrilineal decent because Jewish identity has been determined by females for the past two millennia; there is no suggestion of how we should deal with this issue should MJ/HC use patrilineal descent exclusively. Thirdly, the book is too brief. In just a few hundred pages, Dr. Fruchtenbaum has not given himself the opportunity to present a cohesive systematic theological outlook. Rather, he has simply given us something that brings up issues but does not address the organic relationship they have to each other. I'm not sure if he wrote this as his Master's Thesis or what, but it's not long enough (read: comprehensive) to pass must in my theology professor's classroom. While the intent is good (and that is really what I'm awarding three stars for) there is a great deal more to be done, particularly if MJ/HC is to ever present a unified doctrinal front or even begin to come to some sort of real consensus on how it will behave and where it will go from its current standpoint.

A scholarly work of unsurpassed teaching concerning the doctrines of Messinaic Jewish faith in Yeshua (Jesus). Written before the many Messianic Jewish congregations we have today, Dr. Fruchtenbaum's perception and Bible knowledge makes this book a must read.

DO NOT read this book expecting a true Jewish point of view.

I read this book with an open mind, but found the author to be harshly opinionated and brutal toward the religion of Judaism. He exemplifies this with his lacking knowledge of Judaism and what he perceives as the Jewish beliefs in God (and the coming of the messiah). He even goes as far as to say that Jews of today are not practicing REAL Judaism. Unfortunately, Mr. Fruchtenbaum fails to explain his reason(s) for this point of view...

Early in the book, the author attempts to provide various testimonies of Jewish leaders and rabbis and their thoughts on the significance of Jesus Christ, both historically and religiously. Reading on, it becomes evident that these testimonies may not be from actual Jews, but "Jews who believe in Christ." Because of this, the author loses credibility with the reader in providing true Jewish thoughts regarding Jesus.

Mr. Fruchtenbaum then repeatedly resorts to conversion tactics that claim "a Jew is more Jewish when he believes in Jesus." In reality, the Jewish religion has nothing to do with Jesus Christ, which is why there is a religion called Christianity. Of course, the author attacks this argument throughout the publication...

Additionally, the last section of the book is filled with testimony's of supposed Jews who discovered Christ in one way or another. Most are comical, hard to believe and actually become a sad insult to the reader's intelligence.

Conclusion: Please seek other publications to get a true Jewish perspective of Jesus and Christianity. Find something more challenging and truthful.

This book is a great introduction for those who want to know the truth about Jesus the Messiah. First, Fruchtenbaum documents what Jewish leaders say about Him. Then there is a very well written and in-depth study of the famous Isaiah 53, analysing the text itself and Jewish interpretations throughout the ages. The vast majority of Jewish commentators, including Maimonides, believed that the passage is Messianic. The supposedly 'Jewish' view that it's referring to Israel is a fairly modern revisionist interpretation (started by Rashi) that was fiercely resisted by Rabbi Crispin as 'forced and far-fetched'.

The next chapter looks at other OT passages, and the following one shows how the NT compares with the OT. While very deep, I strongly suggest that those wanting to find out more about the OT prophecies should read Fruchtenbaum's far more detailed book "Messianic Christology", also available from Amazon.

The following one is the very important question of why the Messiah had to die as our Substitute for our salvation.

Then Fruchtenbaum deals with Jewish objections to Jesus, and provides correct definitions of the terms "Jew", "Gentile" and "Christian". He shows that there are almost as many definitions of "Jew" as there are Jews! So to define a Jew as a "non-Jew" or "so-called Jew" simply because he or she believes in the Jewish Messiah and believes a totally Jewish book is just a self-serving stipulative definition. Fruchtenbaum presents the only definition that matters: the biblical one, that a Jew is a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, regardless of whether this person is a believer in Christ, an Orthodox Jew or an atheist.

It's indicative of anti-christian bigotry that some Orthodox Jews will call a Hebrew Christian like Dr Fruchtenbaum (or myself for that matter) a "non-Jew", although we are descendants of Abraham, believe in one God and in the divine inspiration of the Old Testament; but somehow an atheist who believes none of these things is still recognised as a Jew (many Israelis are atheists).

For more information about such topics, I recommend Fruchtenbaum's "Hebrew Christianity", also available from Amazon.

The last chapter contains testimony from Jews who have come to know Jesus as Messiah, Saviour and God. And they were real Jews, and still are!

This small but complte book details you through a jewish perspective of Jesus, what the old testament says and the new testament also. If you want to have a good overview of how the jews see Jesus, read this book.

Sorry for the mistakes, i'm french canadian, and the book is just as good in french

This book is not helpful. It is difficult to read, poorly organized, and poorly written. Much of the material comes from quotes strung together. The arguments are often illogical. The explanations are incomplete. The use of quotations is even dishonest at times (crediting the exact same quote to two different authors [pp.39,41], making someone sound like they are supporting your position when they are not[Carson, p.45], even quoting A.T. Robertson in defense of their position when he is arguing for the opposite view [43]). Many statements are biblically indefensible ("In all instances, the expressions kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven refer to the coming millennial reign", p.44). The book ends up being more a very weak defense of strict dispensationalism than a theology of the church. Instead of helping a student develop a truly biblical theology of the church, it merely causes lots of confusion. For a much more helpful work, read Robert Saucy "The Church in God's Program."

While Mal Couch is the general editor of the book, it is unclear how the chapters are divided among the contributors: Thomas Figart, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Thomas Ice, and Russell L. Penney. The nineteen chapters are divided into three parts-The Biblical Doctrine of the Church, The Governing of the Church, and How the Church Ministers. In the first section, the author goes to great lengths setting up the material in the book from a dispensational point of view. Nine gifts of the Spirit are listed as having ceased; however, only one (the gift of apostle) is discussed at any length. Other topics in section one include the Church in Prophecy, the Apostasy of the Church, the Rapture of the Church and the Doctrine of Rewards. Section two discusses the church government-its development, doctrine, qualifications, and some practical applications for the church (e.g. choosing a pastor, and women in the church). The final section of the book discusses the ministry of the church including: Discipline, Building leadership, Missions, and Pastoral Care.
There are questions at the end of each chapter, which allow the reader to check his comprehension as well as stimulate further discussion. This practical help is characteristic of the book's structure of helpful lists (e.g. for leadership training, 240-46) and simple outlining. However, there are some weaknesses. On page 25, the author does not seem to sufficiently express the relationship of the biblical use of evkklhsi,a from the etymological meaning; for although he explains the word can mean "assembly," it might be confusing to read that the word "Technically... means "called out ones." Perhaps the chapter on the Rapture of the church-being the longest chapter in the book (26 pages)-is a little off balance in 283 pages. The author seems to frequently cut and paste large sections of other's work, which causes the reader to constantly refer to the endnotes to see who he is reading. And on page 56, the author mentions the title, From Sabbath to the Lord's Day without any reference at all to the author.
The book's dispensational position is immediately recognized from chapter one's rather lengthy discussion of Dispensational Hermeneutics. On page 43, the author argues that "petra," in Matt. 16:18, refers to Peter's confession, while taking into account the perfect passive participles of binding and loosing (45). He states the basis, requirement, and object of faith for salvation has been the same in every age, while the content of faith has changed with the various dispensations (34). The book argues for the first day of the week to be a day of worship but not a carryover from the Sabbath (56). In discussing Eph. 4:9-10, he interprets "the lower parts of the earth" as "Paul [picturing] Jesus as Prince who descended even to the grave in order that He might ascend even into the heavens" (57). In affirming the plurality of elders, the author remarks, "It is clear from this passage [Acts 14:23] and others that a plurality of elders is assigned for each church" (62). Furthermore, he explains, "It only makes sense that one would take a position of deacon before becoming an elder/pastor" (247). As far as restoration for divorced ministers, "Local churches open to placing divorced Christians into important positions (whether pastor/elder, or Sunday teacher) should consider a list of guidelines..." (286).
Generously speaking, the book seems to aid in filling the great need for literature on the theology of the church (at least on a practical note). Its mixture of doctrine with practical suggestions can makes it useful for both the minister and layman. Moreover, the straightforward style of the writer allows the reader to examine the legitimacy of each argument. I score it on the low side because of its lack of exegetical precision, and its piecemeal between author and sources. Robert L. Saucy, The Church in God's Program, seems to be in the top three for books concerning the church; but there is still a need for more.