All students of Scripture and theology must be grateful to the Banner of Truth for this long-awaited series of volumes. It has been almost impossible to obtain a set of Owen on Hebrews. It is probably the most sustained exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews ever written, and displays all of the great Puritan scholar’s gifts as a theologian and an exegete. It also represents the climax of his scholarly career. Indeed, when he had finished these volumes Owen said that he was ready to die, his life’s work completed.

It is a measure of the scale of the work that this volume and Vol. 18 are merely introductory! This means that we must read over 1,000 pages before we come to the beginning of Owen’s exposition of the actual text, in Vol. 19.

Here is a writer who takes us into the very presence of God and delves deeply into the mysteries of his grace. When we study Scripture with Owen we share his sense of awe and mystery in the face of revelation.

Owen begins this volume by dealing with the normal introductory matters such as canonicity, the date and place of writing, the question as to whom it was addressed and various other issues. In the second section he deals with the ‘Messiah’. Under this head he examines the OT promises and prophecies, including a detailed study of Daniel. He then demonstrates that Jesus was the Messiah. In the third section he deals with the various institutions of the Jewish church referred to in the Epistle and explains their meaning and function. These include the law, the priesthood, the tabernacle and the sacrificial system.

This book (and the other six volumes) are not for those who like difficult questions of theology summarized in two pages without footnotes and preferably with pictures! But for the serious student of theology, here is treasure indeed.