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God's Plan for Man: Contained in Fifty-Two Lessons, One for Each Week of the Year
"Originally published in 26 books of two lessons and a supplement in each book."
1018 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 3, 2013
This book contains an incredible wealth of information regarding nearly all doctrines of the Christian faith. It is a compilation of 52 weeks of previously published bible studies that cover everything from Genesis to Revelation. It is well-organized, and incredibly extensive in its scriptural proofs for every topic. My initial interest in this book came after using Dake's annotated reference bible for a few years and wanting to understand the bigger picture of God's plan for man (as the title obviously suggests).
I have not been disappointed. I have discovered a wonderful reference volume that will guide me to nearly all the relevant scriptures on any given biblical topic. I don't necessarily agree with 100% of what Dake concludes on every doctrine, but I have yet to find a single teacher or author with whom I agree 100%.
Regardless of what you choose to believe, it is clear throughout this volume where Dake gets his biblical backing. He leaves very little to human reasoning if it is not found in scripture, and backs up almost every statement with specific scriptural references. His insight is amazing and if he presents conjecture, it is rather clear as well.
If you want to seriously study biblical doctrines on topics that have largely been neglected in the Christian church for many years, or even take your study of a well-known doctrine deeper, definitely pick this up.
Some examples:
Dake's treatment of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is like none I've ever heard or read, yet it makes sense. Rather than generalizing all the terms that are used to described the giving/receiving of the Spirit, he lays everything out and includes all of them in his discussion. Once you read it and study the associated scriptures, it will, if nothing else, stretch your thinking about the ways that God has used/given the Holy Spirit for His work on the earth throughout history.
What exactly happens when we die? I realized after being a Christian for 18 years, I wasn't exactly clear on what the bible teaches about this. Reading Dake's book, I found again a wealth of scriptures and thorough explanations of the surrounding doctrines. Sadly, I also realized that this isn't really a well-taught topic in our churches either. The general extent to which it is explained seems to be that "we will go to heaven and be with the Lord for eternity." But what about the new heavens and the new earth, where we will judge angels, what does that mean? Will we really live in Heaven? How long will we be on the earth after the second coming?
So again, if you are serious about bible study and having a good understanding of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith, you should definitely get this book. It is not necessarily a book you'd read through from start to finish, but could very well be a reference that you go back to time and again. I have often found myself digesting only a page or two at a time out of the thousand pages present. I would highly recommend it.
I have not been disappointed. I have discovered a wonderful reference volume that will guide me to nearly all the relevant scriptures on any given biblical topic. I don't necessarily agree with 100% of what Dake concludes on every doctrine, but I have yet to find a single teacher or author with whom I agree 100%.
Regardless of what you choose to believe, it is clear throughout this volume where Dake gets his biblical backing. He leaves very little to human reasoning if it is not found in scripture, and backs up almost every statement with specific scriptural references. His insight is amazing and if he presents conjecture, it is rather clear as well.
If you want to seriously study biblical doctrines on topics that have largely been neglected in the Christian church for many years, or even take your study of a well-known doctrine deeper, definitely pick this up.
Some examples:
Dake's treatment of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is like none I've ever heard or read, yet it makes sense. Rather than generalizing all the terms that are used to described the giving/receiving of the Spirit, he lays everything out and includes all of them in his discussion. Once you read it and study the associated scriptures, it will, if nothing else, stretch your thinking about the ways that God has used/given the Holy Spirit for His work on the earth throughout history.
What exactly happens when we die? I realized after being a Christian for 18 years, I wasn't exactly clear on what the bible teaches about this. Reading Dake's book, I found again a wealth of scriptures and thorough explanations of the surrounding doctrines. Sadly, I also realized that this isn't really a well-taught topic in our churches either. The general extent to which it is explained seems to be that "we will go to heaven and be with the Lord for eternity." But what about the new heavens and the new earth, where we will judge angels, what does that mean? Will we really live in Heaven? How long will we be on the earth after the second coming?
So again, if you are serious about bible study and having a good understanding of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith, you should definitely get this book. It is not necessarily a book you'd read through from start to finish, but could very well be a reference that you go back to time and again. I have often found myself digesting only a page or two at a time out of the thousand pages present. I would highly recommend it.
September 23, 2019
This is the best teaching book on the Bible that I know about and have ever read.
September 6, 2021
Great Book! More than just for reference!
The author at times seems overkill in proving certain points. I think this can be extremely helpful for an inexperienced seeker. The abundance of scriptural references are perfect for those that want to take a deep plunge. The physical size of the book can be daunting. What I like most was the author’s conviction in that he had discovered TRUTH! Few speak with such conviction today. This work was published about 1950 over 70 years ago. No computers, internet, and other technologies we have today. It was this man’s passion for TRUTH, that allowed him to study the scriptures as thoroughly as he did. What if we pursued a work in this life to further discover the not so hidden truths of the Bible. It makes no sense, I dare say irresponsible even, to say that we arrived at this point by a cosmic accident (Big Bang). If not by accident then we must be here on purpose. Whose purpose? After reading this book, I am even more convinced that there is a purpose to our existence and it’s our job as humans to figure out where we fit into God’s Plan for Man.
The author at times seems overkill in proving certain points. I think this can be extremely helpful for an inexperienced seeker. The abundance of scriptural references are perfect for those that want to take a deep plunge. The physical size of the book can be daunting. What I like most was the author’s conviction in that he had discovered TRUTH! Few speak with such conviction today. This work was published about 1950 over 70 years ago. No computers, internet, and other technologies we have today. It was this man’s passion for TRUTH, that allowed him to study the scriptures as thoroughly as he did. What if we pursued a work in this life to further discover the not so hidden truths of the Bible. It makes no sense, I dare say irresponsible even, to say that we arrived at this point by a cosmic accident (Big Bang). If not by accident then we must be here on purpose. Whose purpose? After reading this book, I am even more convinced that there is a purpose to our existence and it’s our job as humans to figure out where we fit into God’s Plan for Man.
December 14, 2019
Excellent study of scripture from cover to cover. Truly a theologian in his own right. I find it somewhat discouraging that the Church Of God no longer owns him as one of their own.
April 7, 2022
Great book to help you dive deeper into the word of God.
May 27, 2022
This is a good book to me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2015
I grew up reading my Dad's Dake Bible. Dake went off the reservation in a lot of areas (he is a flat out tritheist) and often writes with a startling lack of humility and bravado. One can find here also the so called "Prosperity Gospel" before it was espoused by modern TV preachers. Irrespective of this, I have always found him interesting to read-- he was clearly a man of great faith-- which I find more refreshing than the more respected scholarship of someone like Bultmann.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews