The three-dimensional, visionary architecture built strictly according to the Bible



Dr. Young-jin Min

Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D)
Former professor at The Methodist Theological University
Former head of general affairs at The Korean Bible Society
Chairman of the board of directors, Asia-Pacific region, The United Bible Societies
Distinguished Professor at Korea Baptist Theological University/Seminary
The Christian literature Society of Korea 100th year anniversary Catena- author of commentaries on the books of Exodus, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Judges, Ruth

When we observe the style of writing in this book, we are able to see that the author has employed the use of a conversational form of writing that uses honorific language to address the reader. The conversational style of writing is used to communicate contents that are difficult or complex. The author has shown a deep level of concentration in conveying the contents of the Ten Commandments and its explanation as well as the modern message it contains.
This book has a distinctive methodology and structure. In the preliminary stages prior to approaching the Ten Commandments itself, it provides a detailed statement about the covenants in general, the Sinaitic covenant, and Moses’ eight ascents to Mount Sinai before and after the establishment of the covenant. Only after discussing the introduction of the Ten Commandments does it deal with each of the Ten Commandments individually, one by one.
Before explaining each commandment, the author presents the readers with the scriptural reference of the text, Korean translated text, English translated text, and the Hebrew Masoretic text for each commandment. Then, he illuminates each commandment from five different angles. 1) His interpretation of the respective commandment, 2) detailed laws related to the respective commandment, 3) The fate of those who commit the sin of failing to adhere to the respective commandment, 4) Lessons about worship in relation to the respective commandment (for commandments 1, 2, 3, 4) and evangelical development of the respective commandments (for commandments 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), and 5) The redemptive-historical lesson of the respective commandment. The above five items are the fundamental framework of observation in which the author has employed in order to aid the understanding of the Ten Commandments.

The author’s explanation is not based on speculation. Rather, he chooses a method in which references are made almost entirely in the context of the Old and New Testaments and connected his explanations to them. The author himself confesses this. “The ‘golden pulse’ of the Bible was inexhaustibly vast and immense that I cannot seek out all even if I die and then die again. Only through the grace of God was I able to discover and root out a few stems of veins that derived from the Bible and publish the History of Redemption series.” (p.11, from the author’s forward)
The author takes many relevant verses from the Bible above and beyond what an average reference Bible may present. He then connects and weaves them to construct an astonishing multidimensional structure in the context of the Bible. His skills demonstrated in doing so are truly ingenious.
A spider web or a net is exquisitely intertwined yet orderly, and an information network or a broadcast network forms an elaborate network and delivers surprising messages.
As such, the author picks out relevant verses from the 929 chapters, which are 23,213 verses, from the 39 books of the Hebrew Bible, as well as the 260 chapters, which are 7,941 verses, from the 27 books in the Greek New Testament. He then meticulously weaves them together to deliver the original message of the Bible with a tremendously phenomenal ability. The author is actively utilizing the method of the Reformers, who were known to interpret the Bible through the Bible. Hence, even if a reader only read the part about the Ten Commandments, he/she would gain an in-depth experience of crisscrossing through all 66 books of the Bible.
The author quotes all reference material from the Old and New Testaments to explain the Ten Commandments. Yet he makes a rare exception when explaining the fifth commandment related to honoring one’s parents by referencing the classics of the Orient in addition to the Bible. As he states, “filial piety is a universal moral law of family relationships.
From a long time ago even in foreign countries, there was a law regarding filial piety that made it an inherent virtue and fundamental ethic” (p.299). He quoted the entire text of the 22nd story in the Myongshimbogam entitled Pal-ban-ga (translated as “Eight ironical poems”) in Chinese characters and included its Korean translation in this book.

The eight poems of the Pal-ban-ga are songs that depict a family of three generations living under one roof. The poems compare the eight contrasting attitudes of young parents when they are treating their old parents versus their young child while supporting the parents and raising the child. The eight ironical songs humorously criticize the contrasting hearts and attitudes of the young parents; they advise them to respect and honor their parents by giving examples. This appears to be an exemplary method of quoting from indigenous language or culture in explaining or interpreting the Bible and can bring positive results. The author demonstrates a truly extraordinary spiritual capacity that exceeds the norm in delivering God’s message regarding filial piety, by linking Myongshimbogam to the theme. Such a method of using the classics of the Orient employed by the author is expected to become a way to better enhance communication with readers in Korea, China, Japan and other countries using Chinese characters.

The viewpoint of the author in applying the Ten Commandments in our lives adheres to a stricter level of conservatism and exhaustiveness than any other. The author writes that “after the period of the New Testament, saints of today are keeping the Lord’s Day instead of the Sabbath (p.299),” and goes on to explain that in Christianity, the Jewish
Sabbath was fulfilled by the Lord’s Day, when the Lord was resurrected (p.289-290). Judaism would probably not accept such an interpretation; still, the majority of the author’s interpretations on the Ten Commandments are outstanding enough that Judaism would find it difficult to raise objections against them. Indeed, the author deserves to be held in honor for his exhaustive research of the Ten Commandments as it is opening for us a new horizon of redemptive history, well beyond the bars set by Judaism. Readers will feel indebted to the author in freely receiving his entire life’s work of deep and detailed research, which was carried out through sweat and tears as he pored over the Bible to read it over 1,800 times. I earnestly hope that all the work of God’s grace that has been granted to the author like waterfalls of blessings will be expressed through his precious books. I pray that they may be used as the bread of heaven and the grass of life to feed all the churches throughout Korea and the entire world.





The book which all Christians must read again and again

Dr. Shin-theke Kang
Hebrew Union College (Ph.D)
Former professor at Yale University and
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
World renowned expert in Sumerian language
“Hebrew-Korean Study Bible (Old Testament)”
Translator


First and foremost, I would like to offer up a praise of thanksgiving to God who has allowed this book to come out from the land of Korea. I would also like to thank the author who has written this great book, which would probably come out once in ten thousand generations.
The author proclaims in the foreword of his book that all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are summarized in the Ten Commandments, and the entire content of the Bible revolves around the Ten Commandments. The author explains the proper and profound meaning of the Ten Commandments by exhaustively seeking out various verses in the Bible that directly correspond to the Ten Commandments. Through this book, I was able to understand that God’s entire plan of salvation through Jesus Christ is being revealed to us through the Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments are a bridge that connects the past and the future. I realized that just as we cross over between the past and the present through a bridge, the truth is that through the Ten Commandments the Old and the New Testaments unite. The great achievement of this book can only be accomplished by a Bible expert who loves God and has lived his entire life with the Word.
Until now, many scholars have carried out research and published many books on the Ten Commandments, and more books on the subject will continue to be published in the future. However, I feel that this book was completely different from all the others that have been out until now.
This book clearly outlines the distinctive characteristics as well as the essential redemptive-historical meaning of the Sinaitic covenant. Moreover, it depicts Moses’ eight ascents to Mount Sinai so realistically that it feels as if you are watching it reenacted before your eyes. I have seen other books that have given a cursory exposition of Moses’ eight ascents to Mount Sinai, but never have I come across any volume that gives such a clear and detailed description as this one.
While I was reading this book I saw vivid images of the 80-year-old Moses climbing up and down a rugged and steep mountain like a young man. Indeed, I vividly saw Moses offering God two fasting prayers of 40 days and one 40-day intercessory prayer as he climbed up and down Mount Sinai eight times in an effort to understand God’s Will.
I saw him bleeding in the hands and feet and his body drenched in sweat. His face was dark from being tanned by the sun yet it was glowing and gleaming. The author has accurately pinpointed the year, date, and the day of the week when Moses climbed up Mount Sinai and climbed back down, all based on the Bible. Also, he has listed all the events that occurred at each time in a manner that is easy to understand. The author has illustrated so vividly the conversations between the holy God and Moses and Moses’ fully obedient actions to God’s commands. I have read numerous scholarly works in the world, but never have I come across a book that testifies so vividly that makes you feel as if you are there to witness those very scenes. The author’s exposition of the Ten Commandments is on an entirely different level from other scholars’ works.
The author repeatedly proclaims that the Ten Commandments is a living covenant that gives life to His elect people of all generations and that Jesus Christ is at the center of that covenant. While reading through The Eternal Covenant for All Generations: the Ten Commandments, I was filled with a joy of discovering in the Ten Commandments the abundant spiritual jewels that are more beautiful and brighter than a pearl. I have dedicated my entire life to studying the Hebrew language and I prided myself in being an expert in Hebrew. And as an expert Hebraist, I could not hold back my awe at the profound insight and spiritual wonder of the author’s exposition of Psalm 119 where he takes the ten Hebrew words and relates them to the Ten Commandments. Indeed, such redemptive-historical interpretation strictly according to the original text is a marvelous exegesis that can be done only by someone who thoroughly understands the original scriptures.

Now I’d like to tell you that all Christians in Korea should purchase this book, keep it at the bedside table and read it over and over again. I ask that you read this book slowly, highlighting key sentences with yellow or red. As its contents are too vast, it is crucial that one reads it slowly to digest them.
When one reads this book, those with little faith will attain greater faith and those with greater faith will gain a stronger and a more assured faith. When you read the Ten Commandments repeatedly, you will be able to gain a proper knowledge of the Bible.
You will understand who God is and how precious the salvation through Jesus Christ is.
If I may dare have a hope, I hope that a “Ten Commandments movement” will take place in the churches of Korea with this book at the center. It seems that the Western Church has forgotten the importance of the Ten Commandments for a long time already.
The Western nations began to fall since the Western Church ceased stressing the Ten Commandments.
All posters of the Ten Commandments that used to be posted on government offices were removed. Crosses that used to be hung up in public areas are disappearing one by one, and instead, idols created by men are filling up those places. I earnestly pray that the churches in Korea would not mirror those in the Western Church. Nonetheless, we see that Korea is already emulating en masse the mistaken trends of the Western Church.
This is truly an unfortunate situation. The rise and fall and blessings of the nation of Korea come “from the Ten Commandments”.
This book contains the entire life of the author. It is a world-class book which deserves to be called the work that represents the churches of Korea. I will be praying behind the scenes for the author so that in soundness of health, he may continue to write such top notch books for the churches of the Republic of Korea and throughout the world. I give all the glory and honor to God for all these works and recommend this book to saints all over the world from the bottom of my heart.