15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wanna know about Angels? A Dr. of Theol. offers new insight!, October 6, 2004
This review is from: Angels Among Us (Paperback)
Do you want to know about Angels? Then this is the right book for you. The author is a Doctorate of Theology, the subject at hand, and is an authentic person: Dr. Rhodes doesn't hesitate to tell you when he doesn't know something, like for example, just how many angels are there?
He debunks myth after myth, like for example, the myth that Jesus is the Archangel, Michael. This is useful regarding the Jehovah's Witnesses claim to the contrary. And, he provides us with unique "trivia," nuances you'd otherwise miss: For example, did you know there are varying degrees of depravity & wickedness among fallen angels? Page 203 sure tells us there are -and offers proof from the Bible!
His book is a lot like Dr. Billy Graham's book on angels, especially for its high reliance on scripture, but he goes into much more detail (and his book is nowhere near as boring or dull!). Also, he not only quotes Dr. Graham but also cites many other sources to put things in context, while remaining true to the Bible when he quotes the church forefathers or contemporary experts. Like Billy Graham, he includes just enough modern day angel encounters to keep things interesting, and interesting it is, a resource you will no doubt want to keep handy for future reference. Especially when that knock at the door comes from various religious missionaries espousing things he's debunked and documented with scripture.
He's especially good at quoting from these modern day new-age "experts," who would have you "contact your angel," and he masterfully debunks those myths early and often!
Dr. Rhodes is the seasoned author of many books, a "big plus" here, but one bone of contention I have if I can ever contact him or his publisher is this: His book, "Angels: What You Need to Know Quick Reference Guide," is NOT available anywhere! I would ask him or his publisher if, by reading this book, "Angels Among Us" I was able to get all the information that I missed in his previous book. Is it out of print? Why can't any book dealer get that book?
Another thing I'd ask the author hinges on serious interpretations of his reading of the "Angel of the Lord." Dr. Rhodes is fascinating in his exploration of the topic, in which he differentiates between "an" angel of the Lord and "the" angel of the Lord, the latter, he claims to be Jesus. He aptly points out that mention of "the" angel of the Lord suddenly "no longer appears after the incarnation," that is, after Jesus was born (page 121), implying Jesus WAS the angel of the Lord. But is it really Jesus in all cases the author says?
I admit it's hard to say. He skillfully points out that in Zech. 1:12-13, "the" angel of the Lord interceded to the Lord on behalf of people, one of the functions of Jesus, both when on earth and now the intercessor in heaven at the right hand of the father. But, is the angel of the Lord, also mentioned in Zech. Chapter 3 really Jesus? That would make no sense if Joshua the High Priest were also Jesus, as many say, taking on our filthiness and sin. "Joshua" is a form of the Hebrew "Yeshua," that is, Joshua the High Priest may be Jesus, as Roland Buck says in "Angels on Assignment," another book I highly recommend.
Rhodes carefully documents how worship of an angel in general is prohibited. (On page 122, he cites Rev. 22:8-9, to which I add Rev. 19:10.) However, he also claims in the same breath that the angel in Joshua 5:15 was Jesus and demanded worship. Is he correct? (Interestingly enough, scriptures in Joshua 5:13-15 describe this being as a "man" and as a "captain of the host of the Lord," but not as an angel, and certainly not as "the" angel of the Lord, hinting the late Rev. Roland Buck may have been told the truth, when Chrioni said that it was HE who visited with Joshua, not Jesus precarnate.)
Again, I can't tell if this was Jesus, but Rhodes does NOT entertain the possibility that Joshua merely "fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him What saith my lord unto his servant?" (verse 14)
This is highly significant, because Joshua does NOT worship the angel; he merely worships, with no object of worship specified! And, while he doesn't make this argument, I mention that the calling the angel "my lord" was merely a title, like "dear sir," not an indication it was God. In fact, as difficult as this is to prove one way or the other, Reverend Buck in his book, "Angels on Assignment," says that an angel named Chrioni, a warrior angel who travels with Gabriel, was the one mentioned in Joshua, chapter 5, and that Chrioni is indeed a "captain," as mentioned in these verses, albeit not the highest angel, in God's army.
Dr. Rhodes misses this nuance, much to my chagrin, however, I will give him five stars. This isn't done lightly, as I don't give all the books I've read and reviewed a perfect score. For example, while I also highly recommend Dannion Brinkley's "Saved by the Light," I gave it only four stars due to problems that looked like they did not reconcile with Holy Scripture.
Dr. Ron Rhodes treats the subject of Angels with fervor and fact, meticulously addressing many different points that make you want to read on to get the answers, debunking common new-age myths, and truly lives up to his title: "ANGELS AMONG US: Separating Truth From Fiction." I highly recommend his Bible-based and riveting book.
Gordon Wayne Watts, Lakeland, Florida
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
