Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

The following is a review of a book I received as an early reviewer. Normally, I post such reviews on Amazon and Library Thing where I received the book. Since I was puzzled enough by Matthew 16:18¹ to write a story about it, I am posting my review here as an alternate way of looking at that verse.

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This is a powerful book on many levels. It makes an argument for universal salvation of all human beings in the past, present and future. Since God wills all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4²), there are biblical grounds for this position.

This is the first volume of a proposed trilogy. It addresses the concept of the “harrowing of hell”. This harrowing occurred after the death of Jesus when He descended into hell and it was completed before He rose. This was when the gates of hell fell from the inside. They could no longer prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18) to keep the church captive. The church now included everyone on both sides of the gulf which separated Lazarus from the rich man (Luke 16:19-31³). Everyone, every captive, left. Christ is the Victor, the hero of this event.

The author makes his argument by first discussing the meanings of “Sheol” or “Hades” as the place where the spirits of the dead waited for salvation, “Gehenna” as an actual garbage dump and “Tartarus” as a place for angels. He then describes the divide within Sheol mentioned in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Paul revealed that the Gospel was also for the gentiles, the people with the rich man on other side of the divide.

The victory over Hades from (Matthew 16:18) is next explained as a Trojan horse kind of attack on hell from within. He provides an early church confirmation of his position and especially noted the vision of Perpetua from 208 AD which referenced crushing of the head of the serpent.

With the above argumentation in place, the author provides a three part imaginative narrative of what happened during this harrowing. The story is powerful and brings the argument to life. You will encounter Adam and Eve, Moses and Elijah, the thief on the cross along with even Jesus’ betrayer Judas.

The last chapter goes through a history of church teaching on the harrowing of hell from the early church which took it for granted to the modern church which viewed it as allegory if at all. Indeed, I don’t recall hearing the term before. A week before reading this book, I was trying to make sense of Matthew 16:18. Was the church the rock catapulted against the gates of hell from the outside to bring those gates down? Was this an event we were still to prepare for? Those were the kinds of thoughts going through my head. I understand better now what happened after reading this book.

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1. Matthew 16:18 KJV – And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ↩︎
2. 1 Timothy 2:4 KJV – Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. ↩︎
3. Luke 16:19-31 KJV – 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
   20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
   21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
   22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
   23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
   24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
   25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
   26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
   27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
   28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
   29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
   30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
   31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. ↩︎