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The Holy Epistle to the Hebrews, Volume 2
298 pages, Hardcover
Published June 22, 2025
About the author
D. Thomas Lancaster
44 books47 followersD. Thomas Lancaster is Director of Education at First Fruits of Zion, editor of Messiah Magazine, and author of the Torah Club commentaries and several books and study programs. He is also the pastor of Beth Immanuel Messianic Synagogue in Hudson, WI.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
September 14, 2026
I gave this book 2 stars because, for me, it confirmed that I can no longer stand by the theological direction represented here. Lancaster's treatment of Messianic Judaism particularly clarified this for me. He presents it as something distinct from Christianity, a different religion, even as a movement centred on Jesus, and that is not something I can agree with. I still support Messianic Judaism, but not the form of it that Lancaster seems to advocate or the direction I now see in First Fruits of Zion.
The book does contain interesting thoughts here and there, but for me they are more like cherries on a cake than enough to make me want to eat the whole cake. There are insights I can appreciate, but they do not compensate for the problems I see in the overall approach.
One of my biggest difficulties was the extent to which the interpretation depends on Lancaster's own translations, reconstructions, and speculation. He acknowledges that he speculates, but I found that there was simply too much of it. There is also a great deal of discussion of Jewish rabbis, sages, and Jewish interpretations of Hebrew concepts. These sources can certainly be valuable for understanding Jewish background, but in this book I felt they too often became more prominent than what the Letter to the Hebrews itself actually says.
For me, the central issue is that I wanted to hear more of Hebrews and less of what rabbis and sages say about related Hebrew and Jewish topics. Jewish context can illuminate Scripture, but it should not overshadow the biblical text itself.
FFOZ's teaching has changed considerably from what I originally encountered, and my own understanding has changed as well. I no longer abide by or endorse the theological teaching represented by FFOZ, and I can no longer recommend D. Thomas Lancaster or his books in the way I once did.
There are also broader areas of FFOZ's teaching and appreciation that now concern me, including the Church, Kabbalah, the Trinity, etc.
I still believe there is value in engaging with the Jewish background of Scripture, and I still support Messianic Judaism. My concern is with a theological framework in which Jewish sources and interpretations seem to receive more attention than the biblical text itself, and in which Messianic Judaism is treated as something separate from Christianity.
Overall, I would not recommend this book today.
The book does contain interesting thoughts here and there, but for me they are more like cherries on a cake than enough to make me want to eat the whole cake. There are insights I can appreciate, but they do not compensate for the problems I see in the overall approach.
One of my biggest difficulties was the extent to which the interpretation depends on Lancaster's own translations, reconstructions, and speculation. He acknowledges that he speculates, but I found that there was simply too much of it. There is also a great deal of discussion of Jewish rabbis, sages, and Jewish interpretations of Hebrew concepts. These sources can certainly be valuable for understanding Jewish background, but in this book I felt they too often became more prominent than what the Letter to the Hebrews itself actually says.
For me, the central issue is that I wanted to hear more of Hebrews and less of what rabbis and sages say about related Hebrew and Jewish topics. Jewish context can illuminate Scripture, but it should not overshadow the biblical text itself.
FFOZ's teaching has changed considerably from what I originally encountered, and my own understanding has changed as well. I no longer abide by or endorse the theological teaching represented by FFOZ, and I can no longer recommend D. Thomas Lancaster or his books in the way I once did.
There are also broader areas of FFOZ's teaching and appreciation that now concern me, including the Church, Kabbalah, the Trinity, etc.
I still believe there is value in engaging with the Jewish background of Scripture, and I still support Messianic Judaism. My concern is with a theological framework in which Jewish sources and interpretations seem to receive more attention than the biblical text itself, and in which Messianic Judaism is treated as something separate from Christianity.
Overall, I would not recommend this book today.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review