Heart June July 2020

fear god and Don’t Be Afraid
rEvIEWs
Prophecy Today UK reviews books, DVDs and other resources, both old and
new, which we hope will bless your walk with God. Read the full reviews of the
books below in the ‘Resources’ section on www.prophecytoday.uk
The New Christian Zionism
3. Do not be afraid: Whilst the whole
world fears the virus, God wants his
people to have a proper perspective
as found in Matthew 10:28: “Do not
be afraid of those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul. Rather,
fear the One who can destroy both
soul and body in hell.” We are
commanded to fear him not so we
can sit and tremble, but so we might
be freed from all other kinds of fear
and able to represent him rightly
and boldly to those who don’t yet
believe.
Today, the attitude that prevails
around the world is one of ungodly
fear, which “has to do with
punishment” (1 John 4:18). Why are
people afraid of being punished?
Usually because they feel guilty.
But the good news of the Gospel is
that Jesus came to remove the two
giants of fear and guilt from our
lives by shedding his precious blood
for us, so that we can enjoy perfect
forgiveness and freedom from the
fear of condemnation.
Through the pandemic, God has
given his people a tremendous
opportunity to reach out to the
multitudes with this glorious hope.
■ Aggy Efthimiou
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Gerald McDermott
IVP, 2016, 349pp
£18 (paperback). Available from Christian Friends of Israel and
Amazon
The main thesis of this excellent and important book is that Christian Zionism is
not “an outgrowth of premillennial dispensational theology” (p11). There is a long
history of Christian Zionists who lived before the emergence of Dispensationalism
and many Zionists who have come since have not espoused this particular theology.
The book, which contains contributions from a range of experts, arranged into four sections, stresses
the centrality of Israel and the Land to the whole Bible rather than just some eschatological (end times)
scheme. The return of the Jews and the re-establishment of their nation-state is clearly part of biblical
prophecy, but there is more to Christian Zionism than that.
Part Two, ‘Theology and the Bible’, considers the relation between the two testaments before looking at
Zionism in the gospels and the Pauline epistles. This more scholarly section is still very readable, and the
points excellently made.
In Part Three, chapters on ‘Theology and the Law’ (e.g. does modern Israel violate its covenantal call to
justice by its relation to international law?) and on ‘Theology and Morality’ (e.g. is modern Israel faithful to
the moral covenantal demands regarding its treatment of minorities?) are extremely helpful.
Part Four considers the future of Christian Zionism. This summarises the book and continues to stress the
theological case for being a Christian Zionist.
The book can be slow-paced at times, but key points are reinstated clearly and to good effect. Overall a
very informative and significant book. ■
The Sinner’s Charter
Author: Steve Maltz
Publishing info: Saffron Planet Publishing, 2020, 226pp
£10 + P&P (paperback). Available from the publisher’s website,
www.sppublishing.com
Maltz’s latest book asks ‘Are the Ten Commandments still for today?’ The title
indicates that what was once viewed by Western culture as a set of moral imperatives
has been skewed by modern thinking and flipped into something quite the opposite, creating a charter
for sinners to justify how the world should operate – whether in the entertainment industry, the business
world or private life.
Part One considers each Commandment in turn, with useful explanations of the original Hebrew and how
certain phrases should be properly read. Maltz also includes excellent research into our own times with
recent examples of how our culture has changed to reflect attitudes very different from those found in
God’s Word.
Part Two takes us through the historical journey of what happened to the Ten Commandments once men
got their hands on them. Beginning with the early Church we see how even Christians began to alter both
the words and the spirit of the Commandments.
Part Three looks again at each Commandment in turn with the aim of reclaiming them. Even if you feel
you want to challenge some of Maltz’s conclusions or ideas, the stimulus to your thinking will be valuable.
Finally, Maltz asserts that the Church must accept that it has lost sight of the certainties of God’s laws,
otherwise it will sink further into irrelevance. This book is a profound scrutiny of both the Word and the
world, capable of making a significant impact on individuals. ■
www.prophecytoday.uk