This is one of the best novels I have read of late. I found it captivating and hard to put down. Here is a book that is not time-bound and therefore it will never be outdated.

The story takes place around the time of Jesus’ birth. It is written by someone who has done his research about the times between the Old and New Testament period. The author informs you in a easy style about the period of the Maccabees. Captivating is the story of intrigue and scheming at the courts of Egypt, Rome and Jerusalem.

Van Reest is a good storyteller. His love for the Bible and biblical times is evident from the start. He shows a good knowledge of the customs and mannerisms in Israel. Many fine details add to the quality of the book. You will be enriched in your understanding of the ways in the Old Testament. E.g. it tells you that the olives which were used as oil for the lamps had to be picked when they were not too ripe. Otherwise they would create too much smoke (p. 9). Or you learn that shepherds were not accepted as witnesses before a judge (p. 13).

Dr. T. Plantinga provided an excellent and lucid translation. I hope this book will find its place on the bookshelves in many homes, and that it will be read by young and old.

Source: Clarion

Many of the readers of the Standard Bearer will, no doubt, remember the genial Dutch journalist, K.C. Van Spronsen, who writes under the pseudonym, Rudolph VanReest. He travelled extensively in this country in the mid-forties, spending some time in Grand Rapids also. He sent back his impressions of the United States and the American people to the Netherlands, to be published in a series of articles in De Reformatie. Later he wrote a book about his experiences, Van Kust Tot Kust. His best-known book, Schilder’s Struggle for the Unity of the Church (Inheritance Publishers, 1990), was published some time after his death in 1979. VanReest as novelist, however, is little known here, although, according to the book’s cover, he has been rather prolific in this form of writing.

This English translation is smooth and easy to read. The translator has added biblical references that were not part of the Dutch edition. His purpose was that the book might "be used in Christian schools — not first as a work of literature, but also as a source of knowledge regarding the Biblical era in which the Saviour was born." Because the story follows closely the biblical narrative and frequently refers to the Old Testament laws and the psalms, there are many such helpful references.

The story takes place in Judea, mostly around Bethlehem and Jerusalem, from perhaps fifteen to twenty years before Christ was born to the return of Joseph and Mary from Egypt.

Whether or not VanReest actually travelled to the Holy Land is not stated, but he has succeeded in making the setting realistic.

Woven into the story are well-known characters from secular history. There is the murderous, lecherous Herod, his wife, Miriamne, and her brother, Aristobulus, his sister, Salome, and his son, Antipater, as well as Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and the emperor Augustus. There are biblical characters, too: the pious Anna, Simeon, Joseph and Mary, Zacharias and Elisabeth. And already on the first page we meet the supercilious Pharisees with their broad phylacteries, fearing even to touch those less holy than they.

The plot centres in Jacob, who is twelve years old as the story opens, and full of questions as he helps his father pick olives for the temple oil. It is his father’s wish that he become a priest, but Jacob is not at all eager to fulfill that wish. He is troubled by the inconsistencies of the Jewish religion and its leaders. The legalism of the Pharisees and their disdain for the common people, the hypocrisy of the rabbis — these are some of the things that Jacob can not harmonize with the instruction in the Scriptures which he has received from his devout parents. The temple service and the bloody sacrifices repel him. He wants to be a shepherd.

In time, Jacob meets Rachel, a neighbour of Zacharias and Elizabeth, and falls in love with her. They marry, but do not receive children. Jacob makes a deal with the Lord, promising that he will serve as priest, if God will give them children. It appears that God hears them, but when their daughter is born, Rachel dies. In his bitterness, Jacob moves to a little house on a hillside near Bethlehem and becomes a shepherd. When she is old enough, his little daughter, also named Rachel, joins him there. And so he is among the shepherds that hear the announcement of the birth of Christ, hear the song of the angels, and go to the manger to worship. It is in Jacob’s house that Joseph, Mary, and the Christ-child are living when the Magi come.

The plot is plausible. The strength of the story lies in the skill with which VanReest has pictured life in Judea — political, social, and religious — in the fullness of time. Especially striking is his expansion of the story of Zacharias serving in the temple, a privilege that was his only once in twenty-seven weeks. He pictures Zacharias as longing to be the one upon whom the lot would fall to burn incense, as never having had that wish fulfilled before, although now he was old; and when he does not believe the message of the angel Gabriel, it is part of his punishment that he cannot serve out the remainder of this ministration, for now he has a blemish — dumbness. There are also numerous illustrations of the use of the psalms and the quoting of Scripture by the people in their daily life. And the words of Christ come to mind as Ozias, Jacob’s brother-in-law, explains why he must soak and stamp a piece of new cloth before he sews it to an older one: the new cloth will shrink, and tear the old.

There are shortcomings. It is hard to imagine that Zacharias would have waited to tell Elisabeth about the son they had been promised, until the days of his service at Jerusalem were ended and they had travelled a day’s journey home. It is equally baffling that on the night that Jesus was born, the shepherds are still puzzling over Zacharias’ vision, and no one seems to have heard about the birth of John, even though he must have been half a year old by this time.

More disturbing is the way VanReest deals with the story of the Magi. He sees them as three Babylonian sages, who have for some time been observing that the stars have been speaking a lively language, that there has been a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn; when that happens, a great king will be born in the West according to their beliefs. After some discussion, which includes some talk about the futility of their own gods to do much for them, they start out for Jerusalem. In spite of this perception of the Star, the author pictures the Magi as seeing it over the house where the Child was — a strange mixture of the natural with the Wonder. A conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn aiming its rays at one small house! The reader, particularly the young student reader, should have his open Bible at hand when he reads.

As a historical novel the book is often sketchy; momentous events are sometimes given casual treatment. For example, in describing the mood of the people as they waited for the Messiah, we read: "And the poor people . . . also came to fear that they were under the wrath of God — especially when their Jewish homeland was severely shaken by a mighty earthquake in which tens of thousands of Jews lost their lives" (p. 111). Further, when Herod tried to commit suicide towards the end of his life, we read (p. 327), "A grandson who was on the scene prevented him." One would have expected a "who" and a "how."

Bearing in mind these caveats, enjoy the book, and be transported back in time to when God’s people waited in hope for the First Coming. You may even find yourself, as did this reviewer, humming the carol, "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus."

This book is an historical novel, meaning that it is a work of fiction meant to teach us about the times in which the action takes place. The setting is Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the years just before and up to the time that Jesus was born.

The author is successful in teaching us how the people lived and felt. We can see and hear and smell the cities and the countryside and we get a sense of what made people tick. There are God’s people expecting the Messiah to come at any time. There are other Jewish people, including the chief priests and Pharisees, trying to keep the lid on and please the Roman rulers. We get an intimate view of Herod’s life and household, of his cruelty and paranoia.

The thread that ties this together is the story of a man named Jacob. Born into a priestly family, he rejects the priesthood and becomes a shepherd. He is a nephew of the prophetess Anna who lives in the temple; he personally knows Zechariah and Elizabeth, to whom John is born. He is among the shepherds to whom the angels sang "Glory to God" on the hills outside Bethlehem; and among those shepherds who gave hospitality to the family of the Christ child.

The book is not gripping literature but I found it interesting and worth reading. It presents a vivid setting for the birth of Jesus. Van Reest is identified as a businessman and the author of a number of Dutch novels. The book has been well translated and reads well, but the printing job ought to have been better.

Another book by the Dutch author Rudolph van Reest had been into the English language, the first being Schilder’s Struggle for the Unity of the Church (I.P., 1990). Theodore Plantinga has shown himself to be, once again, a superb translator and can take much of the credit for producing a fine book apparently free of Dutchisms — no easy task! The footnotes he provides are not present in the original Dutch, De grote Verwachting, but they help the reader to understand the text.

Van Reest’s novel is based on biblical history, and deals with the years surrounding the birth of Christ. As stated in the preface, most of the characters are the author’s creation, but some historical figures are included, e.g. Herod, the Magi, Joseph and Mary. Whether his characters are fictional or not, van Reest is very accurate in his portrayal of them. His thorough knowledge and understanding of Scripture — both the Old and New Testament — becomes apparent to the reader.

The story outlines the life and struggles of young Jacob ben-Ishboseth. He is of the priestly line but has no desire to serve in the temple. His family, together with many other Jews in Jerusalem, long for the coming of the Messiah, Israel’s great expectation. Herod rules part of Palestine at this time and takes for wife one of the Maccabeans, in order to find favour with the Jews. This does not achieve the desired result, and what follows is a sordid tale of bloody intrigue and hatred. Jacob ben-Ishboseth meanwhile has become a simple shepherd and is privileged to hear the angels’ message at the birth of the Christ.

I have read many novels classed as "biblical fiction" but this book is outstanding in comparison — both in clarity and truthfulness. I must confess to being a little disappointed at its ending — I would have liked to read more about the life and impact of the Messiah, now that He had finally come. However, a good book generally leaves one a little sorry that it has ended! I enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it. It is suitable for young and old alike.

Source: Reformed Perspective February 1992

Through the avenue of fiction the author takes the reader to Israel at the time of Christ’s birth. Through the eyes of Jacob ben-Ishboseth, the main character, it is easy for the reader to get caught up in the turmoil and intrigue that marked that era.

The author captures for us the great insecurity King Herod felt and the evil way in which he responded to it. Also, one sees the difficult decision that Jacob ben-Ishboseth must make. Does he follow his father’s heart’s desire and become a priest, a job from which he recoils, or does he follow his own longing to become a shepherd? His final choice ultimately results in a life changing decision for him.

This book is a great teaching tool. Throughout the narrative the reader becomes better acquainted with what was involved in the preparations for sacrifice, the view of that society toward shepherds, and the hardness of that culture to Christ’s birth. Interwoven throughout is a beautiful story illustrating God’s sovereign dealing with a society that has no room nor desire for Christ. We see the insecurity of the apparently secure, the faithlessness of the apparently religious, God’s working in the lives of people others overlook, and the hopelessness of all without God’s intervening grace.

This is an encouraging book for our own time. It can be profitably read by teenagers and adults. Where needed, the author has included Scripture texts at the bottom of the page for reference to back up various aspects of daily life or to reference verses that are quoted in the text.

With this book, Mr. Van Reest provides the reader with a well-paced, well-written work that properly focuses the readers’ attention on God’s sovereign, gracious work in the lives of people and culture itself.

Source: Fire on the Mountain September/October 1993

Through the avenue of fiction the author takes the reader to Israel at the time of Christ’s birth. Through the eyes of Jacob ben-Ishboseth, the main character, it is easy for the reader to get caught up in the turmoil and intrigue that marked that era.

The author captures for us the great insecurity King Herod felt and the evil way in which he responded to it. Also, one sees the difficult decision that Jacob ben-Ishboseth must make. Does he follow his father’s heart’s desire and become a priest, a job from which he recoils, or does he follow his own longing to become a shepherd? His final choice ultimately results in a life changing decision for him.

This book is a great teaching tool. Throughout the narrative the reader becomes better acquainted with what was involved in the preparations for sacrifice, the view of that society toward shepherds, and the hardness of that culture to Christ’s birth. Interwoven throughout is a beautiful story illustrating God’s sovereign dealing with a society that has no room nor desire for Christ. We see the insecurity of the apparently secure, the faithlessness of the apparently religious, God’s working in the lives of people others overlook, and the hopelessness of all without God’s intervening grace.

This is an encouraging book for our own time. It can be profitably read by teenagers and adults. Where needed, the author has included Scripture texts at the bottom of the page for reference to back up various aspects of daily life or to reference verses that are quoted in the text.

With this book, Mr. Van Reest provides the reader with a well-paced, well-written work that properly focuses the readers’ attention on God’s sovereign, gracious work in the lives of people and culture itself.

Source: Focus Winter 1992/1993