R.C. Sproul, Unseen Realities: Heaven, Hell, Angels and Demons. Christian Focus, 2011.

Parts Three and Four: Angels and Demons

The third part of Sprouls book is the longest of the four, which means, naturally, that for him, its the most interesting and the most important. Its topic: angels. He commences with a discussion of the modern worldview of the subject and while mentioning Bultmann, he does so without disparagement. He simply states Bultmanns views and then moves on immediately to his own. He further, and I think correctly, suggests that when the Bible does speak of angels, more often than not the focus is their heavenly activity rather than their earthly. But he errs when he opines that There is an army of angels who are sometimes called seraphim and sometimes called cherubim, terms that Scripture seems to use interchangeably (p. 97). This is clearly not the case at all as both words are used in the Hebrew Bible with distinct meanings. Overall, Sproul will please those who accept the notion of the intervention and intrusion into our world of super-human powers. And he will not please those who reject such ideas. And, to be fair to him, every reader should know that Sproul is preaching to the choir. He isnt interested in persuading agnostics or unbelievers; hes interested in offering words of encouragement and comfort to those who share his worldview. Judged on those terms, Sprouls treatment of angels has to be judged a success in spite of the fact that he gets a number of technical details wrong (for example, the distinction Scripture draws between cherubim and seraphim). The final, and shortest section of the book considers Satan and his underlings. Karl Barth wisely observed once that speaking of demons and giving them even a little attention was probably a bad idea because they were hardly worthy of it. And then he went on to do exactly that, because he had to since Scripture had. And that seems to be the disposition Sproul has towards the subject. He recognizes the existence of Satan and demons (and is surprised by people who believe in God but dont believe theres a devil), but he also has little time to spend on them. Suffice it to say, Sproul is certain of their existence and power and he is equally sure that satan and his hoards are defeated by Christ. Sprouls work is interesting, engaging, and even enjoyable. Will it be palatable to most academics? Certainly not. But hes not writing for that crowd. His audience is something other altogether, and they will love his book.

Jim West, Quartz Hill School of Theology