By S. Van Mierlo

Book Review by Robert Guenther
This book is an exposition of the Scriptures using a scientific approach. Since this author is not well known to us, I will mention a few points about his background.

S. Van Mierlo was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1888, and didn't begin writing on the Scriptures until the early 1930s. He was a contemporary of Dr. Bullinger and Mr. Welch, and shared their quest to study the Word rightly divided. He spoke many languages, and new the Greek and Hebrew. He had several books published in the French language which have been translated into English by his son, John. His son also intends to publish to other books, The Teachings of the Apostle Paul, and The Way of Salvation.

In the secular world, Mr. Van Mierlo was a director of research activities in laboratories of an international tele-communications corporation in five European countries. Along with his research responsibilities he pursued other studies and archaeology, theology, philosophy, ancient writings, and records of abnormal phenomena.

The Divine Plan starts by introducing us to what the author calls the true scientific approach to bible study, which is “an objective explanation of a document without pre-conceived ideas and excluding the human element or bias, as far as possible... by applying the scientific method consistently, one may construct a ‘science of the Scriptures’ which continually draws closer to the truth.”

Mr. Van Mierlo gives us a broad overview of God's plan for mankind, starting with a time when God was the Word before anything else was. Then came Adam's creation and his ensuing fall. Next was the calling out of Abraham and his seed and the promises connected with him, followed by the Acts times to the present dispensation of the mystery. Then the future 1,000-year reign of Christ is mentioned in which Israel is restored to her place of blessing. After Satan's release, time of deceiving the nations, and final battle, he is destroyed. Then we see the old heaven and earth is destroyed and a new heaven and earth are created. (1 Peter 3:1-12) It is then that God becomes all in all in which man no longer needs a mediator, king, or priest, because mankind will be in perfect unity with the Son.

Our author concludes that if the scientific approach is used as a methodical examination of the Bible it will lead us to a fuller understanding of the truth.