Shining Like the Sun: A Biblical Theology of Meeting God Face to Face

by David H. Wenkel

This is the first sustained, whole-Bible treatment on the theme of meeting God face to face. Starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation, the author systematically covers the major events in salvation history, all of which reveal the beauty of encountering God's grace in abundance.

Genres: Theology

176 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2016

Reviews

[Becky Pliego · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super interesting. I love biblical theology and had not paid attention to this thread in the Biblical narrative, so I learned a lot.

Highly recommended.

Our pastor recommended us this book and here is his full review:

https://dougwils.com/books-and-cultur...

[Jeroen Kloosterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit is een heel goed Bijbels-theologisch boek over het zien van Gods aangezicht. Met name het hoofdstuk over Openbaring gaf me nieuwe inzichten. Aanrader over dit onderwerp!

[Blake Western · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather difficult book to read. It is difficult to follow some of the author's thoughts. It is a book that would probably appeal to theologians and Bible scholars more than laymen.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is probably the most holistic treatment of the "face to face" theme in the Bible. In 200-ish pages, Wenkel travels from the Garden of Eden to the New Creation, spending some time en route with Jacob, Moses, the wilderness generation, Manoah and his wife, David, and others.

His basic thesis is that "those who meet God face to face are changed" - although it's not always easy to follow his arguments as he unpacks that statement. I was particularly unsure about what he meant by describing the "capacity of people to physically reflect the glory of God in their bodies and particularly in the face."

There are also some surprising omissions in the New Testament - 1 John 3:2 doesn't make an appearance, and nor do 1 Cor 15:51-52, or Phil 3:20-21, to name just three. And there are some questionable exegetical and logical conclusions. In discussing the new creation, for example, he states: "It is because the people of God are changed by the righteousness and grace of God that they can see him. Again we see the thesis of our study maintained: those who see God face to face are changed." But I don't see how the first statement supports the thesis: rather, it asserts that those who are changed see God face to face.

That said, there are some helpful sections, and I'm thankful for how David Wenkel has pulled together several different threads connecting with the theme in Scripture. But in the end, I didn't find this book entirely satisfying.

[Wes Van Fleet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for biblical theology, and an even bigger sucker for the theme of seeing God face-to-face throughout the Bible. Bringing these two together made me like a kid in a candy store. The chapters are short, the content is rich, and the overall thrust of the book was worshipful. Highly recommend.

[Gregory Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shining Like the Sun is Dr. Wenkel's new contribution to the church and the academy. Few authors have written on the theme of meeting God face to face, and dare I say that none have done it as holistically as him. In Shining like the Sun, Dr. Wenkel builds a comprehensive biblical theology on the subject starting with Adam and Eve walking with God in the Garden to saints seeing God in the New Heaven and Earth. In that journey, he covers popular stories like Jacob wrestling with God, Moses at Mount Sinai, Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration, and many more. Dr. Wenkel’s thesis is that experiencing God’s presence leads to change—people change spiritually and often physically. As we consider man’s encounters with God throughout the tapestry of biblical history, it enlightens and encourages the human spirit—creating a thirst for more of God. I commend Dr. Wenkel for his work, as it is both academically robust and spiritually nourishing!