Jacob M. Van Zyl would have died of diphtheria at age nine if a doctor had not made a surprise stop at the remote farm and saved his life with an emergency tracheotomy. This miracle made Jacob consider a pastoral ministry. However, there was no money for the full-time seven-year study. His parents still struggled to overcome the devastating after-effects of the Great Depression and World War II. When his dad's boss offered Jacob an interest-free study loan he knew that God has opened the way once again.

He studied Hebrew, Greek, theology, and psychology. He pastured two local churches for several years. He has practiced pastoral counseling with individuals, couples and groups in churches and clinics for over thirty years. He received the degree D.Phil. in psychology for his research on the self-concept.

Thinking of the recent past, Jacob says, "When I 'retired' God gave me the toughest assignment of my life: Studying the whole Bible, chapter by chapter, trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit, reading commentaries, extracting the messages of each section, and putting it in my own words to share it with others."

And so a trilogy was born:

1. The Yearning of Yahveh (on the Old Testament),

2. The Yoke of Yeshua (on the four gospels),  and

3. The Yeast of Yerushalaim (covering Acts to Revelation).

Jacob admits, "I have discovered many treasures hidden in the field that I have passed over before. This mammoth task has been a profound blessing to myself, and I hope it will be of lasting value to many others as well."

As counselor, Jacob puts himself into the shoes of his clients, and as Bible student, he puts himself into the shoes of Bible characters. His training and experience in both theology and psychology show in his understanding of the Bible (its language, events, and messages) and in his understanding of people (their views, attitudes and actions).

His main passion as counselor was assisting the burdened to triumph over trials. In his Bible-studies, he combined his knowledge of scripture and human nature to help people in their daily struggles. His novels, The Broken Spear and The Baker of Capernaum  aims  to inspire victims to be victorious.

Excerpts (and the first 50 pages) from the Bible-studies are published on this web site. Click on the Home button on the left to get more information about the books and the author. 

Jacob welcomes feedback from readers. If you have a question or a comment, or if you need more info on a certain subject, click on the Give Feedback button.

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