BEYOND THE FINAL CURTAIN
What Happens When We Die
By Richard Roe
Zaccmedia. 140 pages. £7.99
ISBN 978 1 909 824 553
When this self-published book arrived with a request for a review, I thought I would quickly read the first chapter to decide whether to write a review or return it to en.
The Foreword convinced me it was dealing with the important subject of preparing for the final deadline when we stand before our maker to give an account of our lives. An introductory explanatory chapter about Scripture gave the impression that this was a book written with the non-Christian in mind. Was this a book I could read and give to an enquiring friend, I wondered?
Hopeful start
The main subject matter was then introduced by a second introductory chapter about funerals in general, followed by Chapter One, entitled ‘It’s your own funeral’. Thus far it was thought-provoking. I thought I would continue, write a review and hope for the opportunity to give the book away.
However, as I continued, I came to the conclusion that I would not want to pass this book on to an enquiring friend. While it is full of the Lord Jesus and the writer clearly wishes that others come to trust him, I found the style of writing slightly confusing and meandering. The author’s purpose seems to be to provide some kind of Bible overview of death, judgment and salvation, but he follows lines of thought that, while perhaps clear to him, were not always clear to me. Some considerable Bible knowledge is assumed on the part of the reader and numerous references to details of various Bible passages all contribute to an overall lack of coherence.
Uncompromising
The author is to be commended for his uncompromising trust in the authority of Scripture; for his fearless declaration of the reality of eternal punishment; for stating that there is no other way of salvation apart from our Lord Jesus; and for his desire that others come to know the Lord Jesus. However, as a clear evangelistic tool dealing with death I cannot recommend it. I would suggest instead Colin Smith’s, Heaven and how I got there.
