At a time when some prominent pastors, teachers and churches are de-emphasizing the Old Testament in sermons and studies, the author of a new book calls that "a shockingly misguided decision," offering his work, searching out the Gospel in all 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures, as a much-needed prescription.
"The Gospel in Every Book of the Old Testament," by Joseph Farah, has received rave reviews from dozens of Christian leaders, teachers and luminaries – from Franklin Graham and Mike Huckabee to Chuck Norris and Pat Boone.
Farah points out that what we call "the Old Testament" comprised the only Scriptures in existence when Jesus and the apostles turned the world upside down with the Gospel in the first century.
"It's all there in the Hebrew Scriptures," says Farah. "If you really want to understand the Gospel preached by Jesus, you absolutely need the foundation of what He used, and the apostles used, to teach the Gospel."
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Farah, a newsman who has studied the Scriptures for more than 40 years and has written or collaborated on more than a half-dozen Bible-oriented books that have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, calls his new one "the most important project of my life – one that has become an obsession of the spirit."
"Even though I sort of knew I would find the Gospel message of redemption and grace in every book of the Old Testament, it was still shocking for me to see it so widespread, so evident, so clear," he said. "If you have ever wondered what Jesus told his companions on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 when He 'expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself,' causing their hearts to burn within them, these are the only Scriptures that existed at that time. This Bible study He presented was, after all, following His resurrection. That suggests he believed His followers needed this foundation to understand His ministry."
Farah's book consists of 39 chapters, each one devoted to one of the 39 books of the Old Testament, from Genesis through Malachi.
"I consider it a reference book, a study guide, a resource for sermon prep as well as a breezy and non-scholarly read for any person who is looking for a better understanding of the foundation of the Christian faith," Farah says. "I wrote this book only because I was searching for it and couldn't find that it had been done before. I began my research not even thinking of a book. But then it became an obsession – a spiritually healthy one."
It's been called a "breakthrough Bible book" by some of the dozens of Christian luminaries who have previewed and enthusiastically endorsed it. It has also been hailed by ministries and missions organizations, such as Gospel for All Nations, as a breakthrough for spreading the Good News to the uttermost parts of the Earth, as Jesus commanded. And, after reading it, Franklin Graham selected it for placement in the Billy Graham Library when the book is released in hardcover in September.
"I'm so pleased at the overwhelmingly positive reaction the book has prompted from those who have previewed it," said Farah. "Their excitement has confirmed my own – that 'The Gospel in Every Book of the Old Testament' is a significant breakthrough in the way it demonstrates the presence of the redemptive messages of eternal life and restoration of our fallen world throughout all 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures. Once you see the way those messages have been consistently sown throughout all 66 books of the Bible by 40 different writers over 1,500 years, you start to realize the entire text bears the very miraculous fingerprints of the One True God. There's really no other conclusion one could draw."
Farah was inspired to test his theory that the Gospel could be found and documented in every book of the Old Testament when some familiar words of Jesus in the Book of Matthew seemed to jump off the page with new meaning for him. The specific reference was Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
"What was the Gospel that was preached by Jesus throughout Galilee?" Farah asks. "What was the Gospel He commanded His followers to preach throughout the world before He returned to set up His Kingdom on Earth that would bring peace, justice, abundance and a Garden of Eden-like paradise? It was 'the Gospel of the Kingdom' – the Gospel that informs people everywhere what Jesus is coming back to do for the whole world. Do you know where most of the information about this Kingdom is found in the Scriptures? It’s found almost everywhere throughout the Old Testament. And unless we go there and discover it, or rediscover it, we can't really fulfill Jesus' commandment to spread that Good News of the Kingdom."
Farah points out how eager Jesus' closest disciples were to see this part of the Gospel fulfilled. Jesus spent 40 days with them in His resurrected state before He dramatically ascended into heaven. The very last question His followers had for Jesus was this one, found in Acts 1:6: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus made it clear they had a mission to fulfill before His return – to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and to take this Gospel of the Kingdom to the "uttermost part of the earth." Then, as he instructed in Matthew 24, the fallen world would be restored – one in which He would rule and reign as "Lord of lords and King of kings from Jerusalem." This was the great promise that Peter said, in Acts 3:18, was foretold by all His prophets from Creation onward.
That, says Farah, is the Gospel thread that most of the world, including many believers, has not yet heard. It's also the "secret," he says, to finding the Gospel throughout the original Scriptures – the ones Jesus Himself and His apostles used to spread the Good News in the first century.
"I sincerely believe that this new book can be a blessing to believers and unbelievers alike, because it can bring the Old Testament new relevance for them," he says.
Can't wait until September for the release?
There's still time for you to get a commemorative Special VIP Advance Reader Copy, signed by the author, that will help ensure demand for this book is met by supply and that WND Books marketing efforts are not shortchanged by financial constraints. Best of all, you can do that with a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more.
Check out the final cover to watch for in whichever bookstores you like to shop. There's also an e-book version available at Amazon.com (though the book's final cover image hasn't yet been updated on the Amazon website) and at the WND Superstore, with more online retailers coming soon.