Last Things First

Last Things First
by John V. Fesko
Mentor Books

John V. Fesko appears to be a new, young(ish) up-and-coming Reformed theologian and although I have seen his name before through a few articles found on the internet, this is the first book by him that I have read.

The book takes an interesting look at interpreting the three foundational opening chapters of the Book of Genesis using not only Christ as the key to understanding them, but in particular the Christ of eschatology. When viewed through these lenses, I was struck by just how many of the great themes of the Old and New Testaments are present there - often in embryonic form - in the first three chapters of Genesis.

Some of what Fesko argues in this book was new to me and refreshing to read. I thought it was fascinating the way he draws the parallels between the First Adam and the Second Adam (Jesus) in the Bible. I had also not really thought of Adam's role being prophet, priest and king rather than farmer when created, nor had I thought much about the Garden of Eden being a temple. The idea that our God-given work being essentially spiritual and religious rather than agricultural in subduing and dominating the world was so interesting and at once quite convincing. How much sense does it make of the rest of the Bible if Adam's task wasn't to be a gardener, but to extend the Garden of Eden - where God's presence was found in a special way on earth - to cover the whole earth and every person on the earth (Adam's descendants). This ties in beautifully with Christ's work and the consummation of all things under him when once again God will dwell with his people in a new heaven and earth, dominated by a holy city where God and people live in the closest bond of love forever!

Although the author is not explicit here regarding what view he takes of Genesis One, I got the impression he has sympathy for the framework interpretation. Having said that, nothing in the book is in any way contra the literal 24-hour view (or indeed any of the major views of Genesis One).

If the author's goal was to make us read Genesis 1-3 afresh and glean far more from it than how it relates to science and the length of the days, and if his goal is to help us to see "Christ in all the scriptures" then for this reviewer, he certainly succeeded.