Oracles from Olivet
I chanced upon his latest book, Oracles from Olivet : The Eschatological Jesus (published in June 2008) and was impressed enough with his expository skills that I followed up by obtaining his other books: Discernment from Daniel, Revelation for Regular Readers, Operation Revelation: A Teen?s Script to Earth?s Final Curtain, and Forty-Four Fun Fables. As may be evident from the titles, Mr. Calaway specializes in interpretation of apocalyptic writings of the Bible, but he is quick to say ?not that radical stuff.? Lest you think this is dull, tedious reading, let me attest that his writings are anything but that; they are thorough, informative, engaging and present a scholarly yet entertaining commentary on the elusive end times. Following all the hype about the "Left Behind" series, these books assist readers in understanding exactly what the Bible tells about this future event, a time that almost everyone at some point has interest in and questions about, especially in the Bible Belt (now that was a term I?d never heard until I was living out west).
A Navy chaplain for 28 years, Mr. Calaway writes in language that all can understand, providing outlines, time lines, definitions, competing views and their pros and cons, and manages to intersperse personal comments that affirm for the reader that this is a writer who is speaking not to theological experts (though they could assuredly benefit from his study), but to someone he might be sitting down with for a cup of coffee. He presents alternative views and their supportive or problematic aspects, and offers his views and why he comes to that conclusion, never arbitrarily imposing his ideas but inviting readers to study and come to their own understanding. His sense of humor, compassion, and sensitivity show through in the little personal pearls you find interspersed throughout the books, and the fun fables are simply delightful?Aesop with a punch! He gives readers the facts contained in the Bible and ties them together between the Old and New Testaments in a way that makes the whole idea understandable and reassuring. The end times can be a heavy topic, but Mr. Calaway?s readers will come away with hearts that are comforted and minds that are enlightened.
