Heaven and Hell – A Review by Paul Yeulett

Edward Donnelly’s wonderful preaching gifts translate very naturally into the printed word, and in this book he addresses the most ultimate subjects which any of us could consider. The opening four chapters deal squarely with the horrors of eternal punishment, yet they are marked by utter fidelity to the biblical text and by a profound pastoral sensitivity which anticipates the response of the reader at every turn. Any believer who completes these chapters will certainly experience a renewed burden for the terrible plight of the lost.

In the second half of the book, the five chapters on heaven emphasise that God himself is the great focus for the believer when he passes into glory. Our joy will be full because we will see him, and we shall be like him. Quite simply, ‘heaven means being with Jesus’ (p.80).

There are few books I have read which have so compelled my attention as this. When I quoted parts of it to my own congregation, people in the church immediately begun enquiring how they might obtain a copy. This book, approached in the right spirit, will produce both depth of solemnity and elevated, pure joy. It will cause us to meditate more frequently on eternity, and how needful it is that Christians should be men and women whose minds are lifted up beyond today’s immediate concerns.