Admit it. All those chapters in Exodus and Leviticus on the Tabernacle really confuse you. I imagine you read them rather quickly when you are in that part of the Bible. What does this mean? Not that there is something wrong with you, but that we just need help. Enter this volume by J. V. Fesko and published by EP Books.

In 12 chapters he covers the building materials, the furniture (often a chapter for each piece), and ends with 2 chapters on Oholiab/Bezalel and the Sabbath respectively. In every chapter he tries to draw out the New Testament truth being taught in the Tabernacle.

Hardly any place in the Bible is so rife with typology. That’s what makes it difficult. Sometimes the New Testament, particularly in Hebrews, will spell it all out for us. At other times, we are on our own. The value in this book is that he makes appropriate suggestions for us. Whether we agree with his conclusion or not, he at least shows us not to be overly fanciful. We should tie the typology into the larger truths, not minute things. No suggestion he made seemed outrageous to me.

I appreciate his reminding us several times that this wasn’t just typological teaching, but a representation of a Tabernacle in Heaven. I fully agree with Mr. Fesko on that count.

This book will not be the definitive volume on the Tabernacle as long as we can still get to Soltau, Slemming, Haldeman, and Brown among others, but it is helpful. It might be all most families would need on the subject. I, for one, am glad to have it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 . 

Here’s real help! You are surely aware of the theological illiteracy of our day. Christians are often easy prey for cults because they so little know what they believe. Hand them the usual systematic theology book and they panic, or at least lay it aside quickly. Would you agree that we need more easily-digestible materials  to rescue confused Christians? This book written by Daryl Aaron and published by Bethany House meets a real need.

I’ll just admit it–I’m totally impressed with how well Mr. Aaron brought theology so clearly to us in this volume. I went in thinking that superficiality would drown this volume because of its daunting task to make us understand theology in a little over 200 pages, but that is not the case. This book is good, really good.

The strengths  of this book include understandable definitions, information on important divisions in Christian thought, and a clear love of Christ, His Word, and the theology that springs from it. It also succeeds in communication as many things are well put. I found myself underlining something in every chapter.

The book was at it weakest when in controversy. Particularly anything that touched  the Calvinism-Arminianism debate took a much more cautious approach. I suspect that was more the publishers guideline than the authors choice. Still, there is value in presenting both sides as objectively as possible and letting we readers decide for ourselves. The only big criticism I could make of this book is the lack of an index.

This book will be a real boon to younger Christians. For those of us who have most of the many works on systematic theology, this book is still a real asset. In my own studies I enjoy reading the larger works for understanding, but reading volumes like this to suggest how to teach it is helpful. I’d love for Christians everywhere to read this book.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 . 

Last month I reviewed another fine book in this series called Understanding World Religions In 15 Minutes A Day.

Would you like a juicy biography of Jesus Christ? How about one that brought the entire sweep of the Bible to bear on the subject? Then, you have what you are looking forward to in “Jesus: A Theography” by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola and recently published by Thomas Nelson.

Unlike other volumes on the life of Christ, the authors here take us back to eternity past. They vividly paint the scene in Heaven as Jesus leaves to come to Earth for us too. You probably won’t find that between the covers of others books on your shelves.

When the authors discussed Christ in both macro and micro version, they were providing great insights. Throughout the book they met a real need in giving a larger view. That is where many such volumes fail. They are able to wade through a sea of details to pull out the key ones that fill the canvas of the composite picture of God’s Revelation. Remember, it is the synthesized view that most leads to understanding.

You also had to love how they unlocked Jesus from some of the ridiculous stereotypes that have been around at least as long as Hollywood has been making movies about Him. They made Him so alive. You see Him as He surely was–always without sin yet righteously angry, laughing, talking, loving, even being funny. They showed Him with emotion–properly controlled of course–but with emotion nonetheless.

You might not agree with every conclusion they make but His death, burial, and resurrection is given its rightful place and they have a strong Christology. To make it all even better they can both turn a phrase and separate the important from the not so important. I never heard of a theography before this book, but am now convinced that it is exactly what we need.

They make it clear that Christianity is Christ. This book is important and flat-out good. I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 .