The Times of the Gentiles – Norman Mellish

It is good to see a further volume in the writings of Norman Mellish. Those who have enjoyed his previous books on Revelation and Philippians will find much to kindle their interest in this commentary on a pivotal book of prophecy. This is not a detailed exposition of the whole book of Daniel but covers the prophetic sections, largely from chapter 7 to the end. However, in setting the background of the prophecy, Mellish covers chapters 1 and 2 also.

As with previous volumes, there is a wealth of alliterative outline. Similarly, as with the author’s book on Revelation, the reader should not expect to find that the writer’s interpretation of the book will conform to others they might have upon their bookshelves. For example, there is no reference to the Roman Empire as part of the vision of Daniel 2. In fact, neither does he see Daniel 2 and 7 as being the same kingdoms from different perspectives. Rather, the kingdoms of chapter 7 are seen as contemporary rather than consecutive. On the little horn of chapter 8, Norman Mellish sees this as a clear indication that the Man of Sin comes out of some aspect of the former Grecian empire.

Prophecy has always been a topic where a divergence of opinion is likely and this book may well be viewed in that light. However, in some areas it would have been helpful to understand a little more of the author’s reasoning. What the reader will gain from a perusal of this book is a clear setting forth of the writer’s views and much food for thought. The only disappointing feature of the book is the seeming lack of careful proof reading.