Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University
Dissertations Graduate Research
2008
"The Anchor of the Soul that Enters Within the Veil": the Ascension of the "Son" in the Letter to the Hebrews
Felix H. Cortez Andrews University
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations
Part of the Philosophy Commons, Reading and Language Commons, and the Religion Commons
Recommended Citation Cortez, Felix H., ""The Anchor of the Soul that Enters Within the Veil": the Ascension of the "Son" in the Letter to the Hebrews" (2008). Dissertations. 26. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/26
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Thank you for your interest in the
Andrews University Digital Library
of Dissertations and Theses.
Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation.
ABSTRACT
“THE ANCHOR OF THE SOUL THAT ENTERS WITHIN THE VEIL”: THE ASCENSION OF THE “SON” IN THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS
by
Felix H. Cortez
Adviser: Jon Paulien ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Dissertation
Andrews University
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
Title: “THE ANCHOR OF THE SOUL THAT ENTERS WITHIN THE VEIL”: THE ASCENSION OF THE “SON” IN THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS
Name of researcher: Felix H. Cortez
Name and degree of faculty adviser: Jon Paulien, Ph.D.
Date completed: July 2008
Problem
This dissertation studies the nature of Jesus’ ascension to heaven and its role in the argument of Hebrews.
Method
The study consists of an analysis of those passages in which Jesus’ ascension is referred to directly (Heb 1:6; 4:14-16; 6:19-20; 9:11-14, 24; 10:19-22) and a study of the imagery Hebrews uses to couch its theology, giving special attention to the role of this imagery in the progression of the argument. The study is both exegetical and theological in nature, seeking to provide an analysis of specific passages as well as systematization of their import. Results
The six passages that refer explicitly to Jesus’ ascension in Hebrews (1:6; 4:14-
16; 6:19-20; 9:11-14, 24; 10:19-22) associate the ascension with different aspects of
Jesus’ achievements. Hebrews 1:6 relates the ascension with Jesus’ enthronement (also
4:14-16); 6:19-20, with his appointment as high priest; 9:11-14, 24 and 10:19-22, with the inauguration of the new covenant. All of these events form part of Jesus’ exaltation at the right hand of God (1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2) and contribute to his identity as “Son.”
These achievements of Jesus have an intriguing similarity to the achievements of righteous Davidic kings in the Hebrew Bible: After ascending the throne, the righteous
Davidic king would (1) renew the covenant between God and the nation, (2) cleanse the land, (3) build or repair the temple, (4) reform the cult and reorganize the priests and
Levites, (5) promote the reunification of Israel, and (6) achieve rest by defeating the enemies. Finally, the rise to power of the Davidic king often coincides with (7) the emergence of a faithful priest. The Hebrew prophets and those early Jewish documents that continue to hold fast to a Davidic hope project these achievements into the future and elevate them to an eschatological dimension.
Hebrews argues that Jesus fulfilled these expectations: Jesus is the “son” enthroned at the right hand of God (1:3, 5-6), he has defeated “death,” the enemy (2:14-
16), built the “house of God” (3:1-6; 8:1-5), and provided “rest” for his people (4:1-10).
His ascension to the throne implies as well the emergence of a new faithful priest of the order of Melchizedek (chaps. 5-7) and a reformation of the cult—specifically of the law of sacrifices (9:24-10:18) and priesthood (7:13-28). The new king cleanses his people
(9:11-14), mediates a new covenant (9:15-23), and reforms the cult by establishing one sacrifice that is effective “once for all” (9:24-10:18) and multiple spiritual sacrifices
(13:10-16), all of which conclude in a joyous celebration at Mount Zion (12:22-29)—as the reforms of ancient Jewish kings did.
In other words, the study suggests that Hebrews conceives the ascension as the inauguration of Jesus’ office as “Son” at the “right hand of God” (Heb 1:3, 13; 4:14-16;
8:1-2; 10:12-13; 12:1-2) and that it understands the title “Son” as the fulfillment of the promise made to David (2 Sam 7:12-15) which is claimed for Jesus explicitly in Heb 1:5.
Chapter 1 states the problem and analyzes the two answers that have been offered in scholarly literature (the Day of Atonement and the Inauguration of the Sanctuary as typologies or analogies to Jesus’ ascension). It also introduces the delimitations and methodology of the study. Chapter 2 presents the findings regarding the expectations of the rule of righteous Davidic kings both in the Hebrew Bible and early Jewish documents. Chapter 3 analyzes the ascension passages in Hebrews and their relationship to the fulfillment of the expectations regarding a future righteous Davidic king. Chapter 4 presents the results of the study.
Conclusion
Davidic traditions function as an essential subtext of Hebrews and provide the necessary force to its hortatory argument. The author of Hebrews argues that Jesus’ exaltation in heaven as the eschatological Davidic king brings about the fulfillment of
God’s promises for his people: entrance into rest, an intercessor, cleansing from sin, and the restoration of the covenant. On the other hand, Jesus’ exaltation also demands their allegiance to him; otherwise, they will suffer the judgment of God. He exhorts them, then, to “hold fast the confession” so that they may inherit the promises of God. Andrews University
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
“THE ANCHOR OF THE SOUL THAT ENTERS WITHIN THE VEIL”: THE ASCENSION OF THE “SON” IN THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS
A Dissertation
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Felix H. Cortez
July 2008 © Copyright by Felix H. Cortez 2008 All Rights Reserved “THE ANCHOR OF THE SOUL THAT ENTERS WITHIN THE VEIL”: THE ASCENSION OF THE “SON” IN THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS
A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy
by
Felix H. Cortez
APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE ______Faculty Adviser, Director of the Ph.D./Th.D. Program Jon Paulien Roy E. Gane Dean, School of Religion Loma Linda University ______Roy E. Gane Dean, SDA Theological Seminary Professor of Hebrew Bible and Denis Fortin Ancient Near Eastern Languages ______Richard M. Davidson J. N. Andrews Professor of Old Testament Interpretation ______John K. McVay Professor of New Testament President Walla Walla College ______Harold W. Attridge Date approved Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament Dean, Yale Divinity School To Alma
In the hope that I might not forget How much I owe her
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ...... ix
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...... x
Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ...... 1
Statement of the Problem ...... 5 State of Affairs: The Day of Atonement Ritual Provides the Analogy to Jesus’ Ascension ...... 9 Critique of the State of Affairs: A More Limited Role for the Day of Atonement Imagery? ...... 19 There Is Absence of “Affliction of the Soul” in Relation to Jesus’ Entrance into the Heavenly Sanctuary ...... 19 The Azazel Ritual Is Omitted ...... 22 The Sprinkling of Jesus’ Blood in Heaven Does Not Refer to the Day of Atonement Ritual ...... 25 The Day of Atonement Provides Only a Secondary Imagery to Jesus’ Sacrifice ...... 28 Summary ...... 30 Alternative Suggestion: Moses’ Inauguration of the Sanctuary Provides the Analogy to Jesus’ Ascension ...... 31 Critique of the Analogy to Moses’ Inauguration of the Sanctuary ...... 36 A Third Way: The Enthronement of the Ideal Davidic King Provides the Analogy to Jesus’ Ascension ...... 40 Delimitations and Methodology ...... 49
II. THE DAVIDIC COVENANT AND THE EXPECTATION OF AN IDEAL KING IN THE HEBREW BIBLE AND EARLY JUDAISM ...... 51
The Institution of the Davidic Covenant ...... 54 Is the Davidic Covenant Unconditional? ...... 57 What Is the Relationship between the Davidic and the Mosaic Covenants? ...... 61 The Davidic King as Covenant Mediator: He Renews the Mosaic Covenant under “Better Promises” . . . . . 63
iv The Davidic King as Reformer of the Cult: He Reorganizes the Priesthood and the Service of the Temple ...... 68 The Davidic King Is Confirmed in God’s House and Kingdom: The Davidic Covenant in 1 Chronicles 17 . . 72 Summary ...... 75 Righteous Kings and the Davidic Covenant in Monarchic Israel ...... 76 Solomon ...... 77 Asa ...... 82 Joash ...... 85 Hezekiah ...... 89 Covenant Renewal ...... 90 Re-Consecration of the Priests and Temple ...... 92 Re-Inauguration of the Service of the Temple ...... 95 Re-Consecration of the Nation ...... 96 Celebration of Passover ...... 98 Rest from Their Enemies ...... 101 Josiah ...... 101 Cleansing of the Land ...... 102 Repair of the Temple ...... 103 The Book of the Law Is Found ...... 104 Renewal of the Covenant ...... 105 Reorganization of the Cult ...... 106 Summary ...... 108 The Davidic Covenant in the Rest of the Hebrew Bible ...... 109 The Psalms ...... 109 Psalm 89 ...... 109 Psalm 132 ...... 111 Other Psalms ...... 112 The Pre-exilic Prophets and the Davidic Covenant ...... 113 Amos ...... 113 Hosea ...... 116 Micah ...... 117 Isaiah ...... 119 Exilic Interpretation of the Davidic Covenant ...... 131 Jeremiah ...... 131 Ezekiel ...... 142 The Post-Exilic Prophets and the Davidic Covenant ...... 149 Haggai ...... 149 Zechariah ...... 152 Conclusion ...... 162 The Davidic Covenant in Early Judaism ...... 164 Wisdom of Ben Sira ...... 165 First Maccabees ...... 175 Psalms of Solomon 17 ...... 178 Dead Sea Scrolls ...... 183
v Words of the Luminaries (4Q504) ...... 184 Commentary on Genesis A (4Q252) ...... 188 Florilegium (4Q174) ...... 189 Commentary on Isaiah (4Q161) ...... 192 Sefer Hamilh (4Q285) ...... 194 Apocryphon of Daniel or “Son of God” Document (4Q246) ...... 197 Summary ...... 200 4 Ezra ...... 200 Josephus ...... 202 Summary ...... 205 Conclusion ...... 208
III. ASCENSION AND INAUGURATION OF THE RULE OF THE “SON” IN THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS ...... 212
“When He Brings the Firstborn into the World” (Hebrews 1:6): Ascension and the Enthronement of the Son ...... 213 Does This Passage Refer to the Ascension of Jesus? ...... 214 The Case for the Incarnation ...... 214 The Case for the Parousia ...... 216 The Case for the Exaltation ...... 219 The Enthronement of the Firstborn over the World to Come . . 224 The Catena Describes the Enthronement Ceremony of the Son ...... 224 The Enthronement of the Son Culminates His Victory over Death ...... 235 Enthronement as the Basis for Exhortation: The Son’s Exaltation Prefigures and Makes Possible the Glorification of the Sons ...... 248 Jesus as “Son” in Hebrews ...... 248 “Son” as a royal title ...... 252 “Son” as a filial title ...... 262 The Son and the Sons in the Argument of Hebrews . . . . 267 Summary ...... 273 “A Great High Priest Who Has Passed through the Heavens” (Hebrews 4:14-16): Ascension and Entrance into God’s Rest . 274 High Priesthood and Ascension “through the Heavens”. . . . . 275 Jesus Leads Believers into the Rest ...... 283 Hebrews 4:14-16 in the Argument of the Letter ...... 284 Hebrews 4:14-16 introduces the exposition of Hebrews 5-10 ...... 284 Hebrews 4:14-16 concludes the exhortation of Hebrews 3-4 ...... 287 The Exalted High Priest Helps the People to Enter into the Rest ...... 289
vi Summary ...... 300 “A Hope That Enters the Inner Shrine behind the Curtain” (Hebrews 6:19-20): Ascension and the Appointment of a Faithful Priest ...... 300 Ascension as Entering behind the Curtain ...... 300 The Ascension Shows the Unchangeable Character of God’s Promises ...... 306 The Role of the Ascension in Hebrews 6:19-20 ...... 306 Jesus Is the Hope Who Enters “within the Veil” ...... 311 Jesus Embodies God’s Oath Which Confirms His Promises to the Believers ...... 312 When Did Jesus Become a High Priest? ...... 317 Summary ...... 323 “When Christ Came as a High Priest of the Things That Have Come” (Hebrews 9:11-14, 24; 10:19-25): Ascension and the Inauguration of the New Covenant ...... 324 The Ascension Inaugurates the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:11-14) ...... 324 Hebrews 9:11-14 Describes Jesus’ Entrance into the (Heavenly) Sanctuary of the New Covenant ...... 326 The Day of Atonement in Hebrews 9:1-10 illustrates the transition between covenants ...... 327 Ta. a[gia denotes the Sanctuary of the new covenant . 341 “The greater and perfect tent” denotes the sanctuary of the new covenant ...... 348 The sacrifice of “goats and calves” does not refer particularly to the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement ...... 355 Hebrews 9:11-14 Understands the Ascension as the Inauguration of the Ministry of the New Covenant . . . 359 Hebrews 9:15-23 describes Jesus’ sacrifice and ascension as the inauguration of a new covenant ...... 362 The inauguration of the new covenant includes the consecration of the heavenly sanctuary ...... 373 Summary ...... 385 The Ascension Inaugurates the Fulfillment of the New Covenant Promises (Hebrews 9:24-28) ...... 386 The Ascension as an Act of Appearance before God on Our Behalf ...... 388 The Ascension Has the Purpose of Removing Sin and Executing Judgment ...... 390 Jesus’ ascension and the Day of Atonement ...... 398
The Day of Atonement and the inauguration of the first covenant in the argument of Hebrews . . . . . 406
vii Summary ...... 413 Ascension as the Basis for Exhortation (Hebrews 10:19-25) . . 413 The Ascension Is Described as Providing Full Access to the Presence of God ...... 413 The Ascension Is the Basis for the Exhortation to Approach God ...... 419 Summary ...... 425 “You Have Come to Mount Zion” (Hebrews 12:18-25): The Ascension of the Believers to the Heavenly Jerusalem . . . . . 426 The Believers Have Ascended to the Heavenly Jerusalem in the World of the Scriptures ...... 428 Hebrews’ Use of the Old Testament Creates a World in Which the Readers Stand in the Presence of God . . . . 435 God Performs the Events at Mount Zion through His Word ...... 442 The Audience’s Participation at Mount Zion Is What Provides Compelling Force to the Exhortation of Hebrews ...... 445 Conclusion ...... 449
IV. CONCLUSION: JESUS’ ASCENSION INAUGURATES HIS RULE AS THE ESCHATOLOGICAL “SON” OF GOD FULFILLING THE EXPECTATIONS OF A DAVIDIC RIGHTEOUS RULER IN THE OT ...... 454
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 463
viii LIST OF TABLES
1. King and House in 2 Samuel 7:16 and 1 Chronicles 17:14 ...... 73
2. Pattern of Rule of Righteous Davidic Kings in Monarchic Israel ..... 110
3. The New Covenant and the Covenants with David and Phinehas in Jeremiah ...... 142
4. Literary Relationship between Hebrews 4:14-16 and 10:19-23 ...... 286
5. Literary Relationship between Hebrews 3:1 and 4:14 ...... 288
6. Transition from the Daily to the Yearly Ritual in the Israelite Cult (the Day of Atonement) and the Transition between the Old and New Covenants in Hebrews ...... 339
7. Literary Relationship between Hebrews 9:9-10 and 8:13 ...... 340
8. The First Covenant and the Day of Atonement in the Argument of the Letter to the Hebrews ...... 401
9. Jesus’ Sacrifice and the Sacrifices of the Day of Atonement and First Covenant in the Argument of the Letter to the Hebrews ...... 404
10. Patterns and Foils That Explain the New Covenant Realities ...... 407
11. The Enthronement of the “Son” in Hebrews as Eschatological Amplification of the Achievements of Righteous Davidic Rulers . . . 461
ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AB Anchor Bible
ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library
ACCS Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
ACNT Augsburg Commentaries on the New Testament
ALGHJ Arbeiten zur Literatur und Geschichte des hellenistischen Judentums
AnBib Analecta biblica
ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung. Edited by H. Temporini and W. Haase. Berlin, 1972-
ANTC Abingdon New Testament Commentaries
AOAT Alter Orient und Altes Testament
AR Archiv für Religionswissenschaft
AS Assyriological Studies
AUSDDS Andrews University Seminary Doctoral Dissertation Series
AUSS Andrews University Seminary Studies
BBB Bonner biblische Beiträge
BBR Bulletin for Biblical Research
BDAG Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3d ed. Chicago, 2000
x BDB Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford, 1907.
BDF Blass F., A. Debrunner, and R. W. Funk. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago, 1961
BGBE Beiträge zur Geschichte der biblischen Exegese
Bib Biblica
BibInt Biblical Interpretation
BIS Biblical Interpretation Series
BJS Brown Judaic Studies
BNTC Black’s New Testament Commentaries
BR Biblical Research
BRLJ Brill Reference Library of Judaism
BSac Bibliotheca Sacra
BZ Biblische Zeitschrift
BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenchaft
BZNW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche
CBC Cambridge Bible Commentary
CBET Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CBQMS Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series
CBR Currents in Biblical Research
CJT Canadian Journal of Theology
ConBOT Coniectanea biblica: Old Testament Series
ConBNT Coniectanea biblica: New Testament Series
xi CRINT Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum
CSJH Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism
CTQ Concordia Theological Quarterly
DA Day of Atonement
DJD Discoveries in the Judaean Desert
EBib Études bibliques
EdF Erträge der Forschung
EKKNT Evangelisch-Katholischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament
EncJud Encyclopaedia Judaica. 16 vols. Jerusalem, 1972
ESEC Emory Studies in Early Christianity
EstAg Estudio Agustiniano
EvQ Evangelical Quarterly
ExpTim Expository Times
FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments
GNS Good News Studies
HALOT Koehler, L., and W. Baumgartner, and J. J. Stamm, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Translated and edited under the supervision of M. E. J. Richardson. 4 vols. Leiden, 1994-1999
HB Hebrew Bible
HDR Harvard Dissertations in Religion
Hermeneia Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible
Hex. Hexapla
HNT Handbuch zum Neuen Testament
HNTC Harper’s New Testament Commentaries
xii Hok Hokhma
HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs
HSS Harvard Semitic Studies
HTR Harvard Theological Review
HTS Harvard Theological Studies
IBC Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching
IBS Irish Biblical Studies
ICC International Critical Commentary
Int Interpretation
JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society
JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
JJS Journal of Jewish Studies
JNSL Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages
JPS Jewish Publication Society
JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament
JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament: Supplement Series
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series
JSPSup Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha: Supplement Series