Unveiling the Cross
Beholding and Proclaiming the Whole Christ
| Weight | .47 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 22.22 × 14.28 × 2.54 cm |
| ISBN | 9781800404663 |
| The Author | Blackburn, W. Ross |
| Binding | Cloth-bound |
| Format | Book |
| Page Count | 272 |
| Banner Pub Date | 2025 |
| Subtitle | Beholding and Proclaiming the Whole Christ |
Book Description
In Unveiling the Cross, Ross Blackburn examines the Isaiah 6 vision of the Lord, ‘high and lifted up,’ in the light of New Testament revelation. Why did this encounter affect the prophet’s life so radically? What did he understand of the One on the throne? How is this ‘Day of Atonement’ scene connected to other heavenly visions in the Bible? In discussing these questions, the author discourses with two classic works, Hugh Martin’s The Atonement, and Sinclair B. Ferguson’s The Whole Christ. His treatment of Scripture – from the origin of ‘uncleanness’ in Genesis to the Lamb on the throne in Revelation – is incisive and masterful. Each page magnifies the Christ of the cross, the Christ of the throne, and the Christ who intercedes for his people. It is impossible to encounter this Lord of Hosts and remain unchanged.
‘Ross Blackburn combines the well-honed and enviable skills of an Old Testament scholar who shares his learning without flaunting it, of a well-read theologian who leads readers to doctrinal riches, and a pastor who clearly loves and cares for Christ’s flock. Unveiling the Cross is a richly textured and enriching work, written in a style that is as engaging as it is informative – in fact the very kind of book that simultaneously helps pastors expound Scripture (without doing the work for them!) and also enables all of us “ordinary” members to be both well taught and well nourished.’
—Sinclair B. Ferguson
Table of Contents Expand ↓
Isaiah 6
Preface
- Created for Communion
- The Perversion of Purpose
- The Recovery of Wrath
- Atonement
- The Crucified King
- The Conquering King
- From Fear to Freedom
- The Holy Spirit and the Triune God
- The Cost of the Call
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Description
Book Description In Unveiling the Cross, Ross Blackburn examines the Isaiah 6 vision of the Lord, ‘high and lifted up,’ in the light of New Testament revelation. Why did this encounter affect the prophet’s life so radically? What did he understand of the One on the throne? How is this ‘Day of Atonement’ scene connected […]
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Description
Book Description In Unveiling the Cross, Ross Blackburn examines the Isaiah 6 vision of the Lord, ‘high and lifted up,’ in the light of New Testament revelation. Why did this encounter affect the prophet’s life so radically? What did he understand of the One on the throne? How is this ‘Day of Atonement’ scene connected […]
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Description
Book Description In Unveiling the Cross, Ross Blackburn examines the Isaiah 6 vision of the Lord, ‘high and lifted up,’ in the light of New Testament revelation. Why did this encounter affect the prophet’s life so radically? What did he understand of the One on the throne? How is this ‘Day of Atonement’ scene connected […]
Aaron Lee –
In Unveiling the Cross, W. Ross Blackburn teaches you how to behold and proclaim the whole Christ.
Isaiah 6
This book is a brilliant examination of Isaiah 6, explaining it in light of the New Testament. Blackburn shows that the vision Isaiah saw is inextricably tied to seeing the crucified and risen Christ. Blackburn is well-read and wise, often speaking directly to preachers and offering deep insights that are both theologically rich and practically applicable.
I was most intrigued by how he relates the wording in Isaiah 6:1, where the Lord is described as “high and lifted up,” to the idea of Christ as a sacrifice. Blackburn connects this to John 12:36-41, suggesting that Isaiah saw the crucified Christ in his vision. Furthermore, he draws attention to how the “train of His robe” points to Christ as the High Priest, making a powerful theological link between the Old and New Testaments.
The Gospel
In Isaiah 6:8, Blackburn highlights the effects of the Spirit on the preacher, including a great love for God’s people and a profound confidence in the gospel. This makes the preacher, by necessity, a man of prayer—one who realizes that apart from the work of the Spirit, neither he nor his hearers will truly respond to the message of Christ.
Interestingly, the book ends with a reminder to preachers that persecution will come. Just as Isaiah asked, “How long, O Lord?” he also foretold a time when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” This serves as a calling for the church, and especially for those who shepherd her, to remain steadfast in proclaiming the gospel.
See and Preach
The call of the preacher is to preach Christ crucified. In order to do this faithfully, preachers must first behold Him in all His glory. Unveiling the Cross has deeply moved to behold the beauty of Christ and proclaim Him with greater passion and urgency.
I received a media copy of Unveiling the Cross and this is my honest review.
Marc Daniel Rivera (KristiyaKnow) –
W. Ross Blackburn’s Unveiling the Cross probes the meaning of Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6 of his prophecy—a vision of God “high and lifted up”—and draws out its far-reaching implications through the lens of the full biblical canon. Published by Banner of Truth in a beautiful cloth-bound format, this book is grounded in Scripture and steeped in the best of historic Reformed theology. It does not only examine Isaiah’s prophetic vision but also recovers the heart of Christian proclamation: Christ and him crucified.
Blackburn is convinced that in many quarters of contemporary Christianity—particularly in its preaching—the cross has been veiled rather than unveiled. He laments that the message of the cross has too often been relegated to the periphery, overshadowed by topics that may be important but are powerless apart from the cross. Thus, Blackburn aims to restore what he calls “the scandal of the cross” to its rightful centrality. He does so by leading readers through a theological journey that begins with creation and ends in the throne room of Revelation.
Central to the book is Blackburn’s exposition of Isaiah 6. He brings this familiar passage to life, not merely by analyzing the prophet’s reaction—“Woe is me!”—but by tracing how this moment stands as a template for gospel transformation. Isaiah sees the Lord in his majesty, confesses his sin, receives atonement, and is commissioned to go. Blackburn convincingly shows that gospel ministry—indeed, the Christian life itself—flows from a clear-eyed vision of the crucified and exalted Christ.
In one particularly illuminating chapter, Created for Communion, Blackburn demonstrates that atonement cannot be rightly understood without recognizing what has been lost. We were made to worship God in joyful intimacy, but sin has corrupted our very purpose. Drawing on personal reflections and cultural observations, he shows how modern believers often live spiritually disoriented lives—not primarily because of ignorance, but because we have not truly grasped the gospel. Blackburn diagnoses this as a crisis of communion: a failure to behold God rightly and therefore a failure to relate to him truly.
What I like most about this book is how it weaves together biblical theology. From Genesis to Revelation, Blackburn shows the consistency of God’s redemptive purpose. He explores the origin of uncleanness in Genesis, the holiness of God in Isaiah, the crucifixion in the Gospels, and the throne in Revelation—all pointing to the same Christ. At times, his prose is nearly doxological, as Blackburn invites readers not merely to study Christ but to behold him.
Final thoughts:
Unveiling the Cross is a much-needed book in our time of theological vagueness. Blackburn writes with clarity from the trenches of ministry, deeply aware of the spiritual fatigue and confusion many Christians face. His remedy is simple but profound: a fresh vision of the crucified and exalted Lord. And in seeing the Christ of the cross, one cannot help but say with the prophet, “Here am I, send me.”