The Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch - by Kevin S Chen (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Did Moses write about Jesus? Kevin Chen challenges the common view of the Pentateuch as focused primarily on the Mosaic Law, arguing instead that it sets forth a coherent, sweeping vision of the Messiah as the center of its theological message. Building on the work of John Sailhamer, Chen provides a fascinating study and an exegetical basis for a Christ-centered biblical theology.

Review Quotes

"Evangelicals and other Christians often champion a 'Christ-centered' approach to the Old Testament, but there is no consensus on what this actually means. Building on the groundbreaking work of the late John Sailhamer, Kevin Chen offers a vision of the Pentateuch that grounds its messianic (Christ-centered) identity in the authorial intent of Moses and any subsequent (inspired) editors rather than in later interpretations and reinterpretations by New Testament authors or later Christian theologians. The result is a messianic vision of the Pentateuch that is text-driven and spiritually compelling, and makes a needed contribution to the discussion about how the Old Testament ought to be interpreted. Even scholars who opt for a different approach will benefit from deep, open-minded engagement with the methodological questions Chen raises in this helpful book."

"In this carefully researched work, Kevin Chen insightfully adapts and expands the methodology of John Sailhamer to illuminate the meaning of the Messianic vision of the Pentateuch. This widely engaging book contends that the network of Messianic prophecies found in the writings of Moses can be understood as a complex array or interrelated lenses designed and intended to project a coherent, sweeping vision of the Messiah at the center of their theological message. While wrestling with an array of complex hermeneutical issues associated with his approach, Chen thoughtfully contends that these intertextual relationships point to the presence of an authorially intended, unified Messianic theology in the Pentateuch. Offering perspective on matters of prophecy, typology, progressive revelation, and repetition, this volume offers readers much to consider with the hope of enabling biblical interpreters to read, understand, teach, and proclaim the Word of God in a more coherent and faithful manner."

"Kevin Chen has given us here a bold, fresh, groundbreaking study on how to understand the Pentateuch in the light of Jesus, Israel's promised Messiah. A nail in the coffin of Marcion's ghost! An important book worthy of serious engagement."

"Stepping on the shoulders of his mentor John Sailhamer, Kevin Chen has charted his own course in showing the importance of the Messiah to the Pentateuch. Particularly clear is his reinforcement and solidification of Sailhamer's distinction between the Pentateuch and Sinai/Deuteronomic Law. The Pentateuch's message is Gospel, as it looks to the future salvation of the Messiah. While scholars will not always agree with Chen's conclusions, his writing is clear, insightful, stimulating, and well researched. Using apt illustrations, Chen challenges us to take a new look at old texts, and the results speak for themselves."

"This wonderful book substantiates the claim that Moses wrote of Christ. It presents an abundance of textual and intertextual evidence from key passages, including the major poetic sections of Genesis 49, Exodus 15, Numbers 23-24, and Deuteronomy 32-33. Kevin Chen demonstrates that the Pentateuch has been strategically composed to reflect and refract a radiant Messianic light into the rest of the Old Testament and the New Testament. I hope and pray this book is read widely and carefully."

"Years ago I set out to understand the meaning of the Pentateuch as a follower of Jesus. After reading several commentaries on each of the books of the Pentateuch, I was disappointed to find precious little comment by scholars on the Messianic hope, suggesting to me that the Messiah had little if any place in the scholarly discussion of the grammatical-historical interpretation of the book. Dr. Chen's book represents a persuasive scholarly defense of the Messianism as part and parcel of the literal meaning of the Pentateuch. I highly commend this book for laymen and scholars alike."

About the Author

Kevin S. Chen is associate professor of Old Testament at Christian Witness Theological Seminary in San Jose, California. He completed his PhD in biblical studies under the late John Sailhamer at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and taught for nine years at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He is the author of Eschatological Sanctuary in Exodus 15:17 and Related Texts, and he contributed the study Bible notes on the Old Testament for the Worldview Study Bible.