The Appearing of Jesus
Leslie Land
Transcribed by Professor Ian Shaw
86 pages, £7.50
Star Rating: 3
I confess to never having heard of Leslie Land before being asked to review this book. However, having read the book I would have loved to have met him or listened to his ministry.
The book opens with a short appreciation of this man; written by Professor Ian Shaw. Mr Land was Minister of Melbourne Hall in Leicester from 1947 until 1961 and his ministry, in the words of Professor Shaw, ‘was significant far beyond the realisation of many people at the time.’ This little book is carefully transcribed from tapes passed on to Professor Shaw of mid-week Bible School messages, which were given in the closing years of his time in Melbourne Hall. Professor Shaw set about the lengthy task of transcribing and editing these tapes so that we now have available these messages of Mr Land in this book. The structure of the original studies has not been changed although, as you would expect, the English has been edited in order to make the book more readable. Some questions have been added to each chapter to aid discussion, which could be useful for personal study or group discussion.
The subject dealt with is the second coming of Christ. If you are looking for definite answers to some of the disputed questions about the second coming then you will be disappointed by this book, as Mr Land is quick to acknowledge when he does not understand something. His purpose is to expound the Bible’s teaching on this subject but he does so with a certain modesty in his interpretations. He refuses to enter into the speculation that so many Christians seem to love but which often divides.
This book will give the reader an overview of a subject that has been neglected today and although there are many areas surrounding this subject that are not dealt with, there is much profit in reading this little book. Each chapter starts with an outline which I found to be helpful as it whets your appetite for the substance. This book is particularly useful for younger believers who perhaps have heard little preaching on this subject, but every believer will benefit from this little gem. We ought to be grateful to Professor Shaw for his patient work in making these sermons available to the wider Christian public. Of course, like all sermons and books on this subject, readers will not agree with everything that is written; however, this little book will at the very least increase our desire to learn more about this vital subject.
Noel Ramsey,
Leyburn
