DOCSLIB.ORG

Patriarch Without a Narrative: Deconstructing / Reconstructing the Saga of Isaac in Genesis 25-26

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Patriarch Without a Narrative: Deconstructing / Reconstructing the Saga of Isaac in Genesis 25-26 PATRIARCH WITHOUT A NARRATIVE: DECONSTRUCTING / RECONSTRUCTING THE SAGA OF ISAAC IN GENESIS 25-26 DAVID RICHTER The book of Genesis is often referred to as the book of the Patriarchs, the Patriarchs of ancient Israel being Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But these three patriarchs by no means get equal time. Abraham is the central figure in four- teen chapters, Jacob in fifteen, Joseph – who isn’t even a patriarch, actual- ly—gets the last fourteen chapters. But Isaac figures in only four chapters. And his first and most vivid appearance is as the uncomplaining child taken to be sacrificed in God’s test of Abraham (Gen. 22), and in his last appear- ance, in Genesis 27, Isaac is old and blind when he blesses the disguised Ja- cob by mistake. Scholars have talked about Isaac as a transitional figure, a mere link be- tween Abraham the hero of faith, the folk hero of southern Judea, and the crafty trickster figure Jacob, associated more with the northern plains. Is there a real Isaac to talk about, other than the child of Abraham, the father of Jacob? We get a truncated saga of Isaac as a grownup, but it occupies only the last half of chapter 25 and all of chapter 26 of Genesis. A suspicious or deconstructive reading of this Isaac saga would decompose it into a series of type-scenes, story sequences that appear in slightly different form in other biblical texts, with the same roles played different characters. These type- scenes are blocked out in Appendix A, almost every event in the Isaac saga seems to be a variation on similar episodes in the much longer Abraham saga. Isaac tries to pass off Rebekah as his sister (Gen 26:7) just as Abraham had introduced Sarah as his sister to Pharaoh in Egypt Gen 12:13) and to Abimelech in Gerar (Gen 20:2). Isaac leaves Gerar wealthier than he arrived, just as Abraham left both Egypt and Gerar loaded by gifts from their kings. Isaac experiences theophanies, divine appearances, advising him on conduct and promising blessings of land and progeny, just as Abraham did. And as in the Abraham saga, there are disputes over water rights, negotiations with David H. Richter is Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at Queens Col- lege and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His most recent books are Reading the Eighteenth-Century Novel (Wiley-Blackwell 2017) and A Companion to Literary Theory (John Wiley and Sons 2018). 74 DAVID RICHTER foreign monarchs, ending in covenants of friendship between peoples. In Ap- pendix C the events of the Isaac saga are displayed in parallel columns with both wife-sister episodes from the Abraham saga, and the number of similari- ties is striking. It reads as though a scribe had patched a rudimentary Isaac saga from bits and pieces of the Abraham saga, and even telegraphed his in- tentions with a hint to the reader: Isaac dug anew the wells which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham. and he gave them the same names that his father had given them (Gen 26:18). I think we need to deconstruct the Isaac saga in a different way, because arguably the time sequence has become jumbled, and to understand what is going on in Genesis 26 we need to restore the correct order. Once we have done so, it will be clearer what happens when, and where, and why. We begin by mentioning five peculiarities of the Isaac saga that indicate that the se- quence had been disordered. The most obvious is the fact that Jacob and Esau are born and grow up in Genesis 25, which ends with Esau the hunter selling his birthright to Jacob for the proverbial mess of pottage. But the twins play no part in chapter 26, until the two final verses of the chapter, where we are told that Esau, now forty years old, and has married two Canaanite women who make Isaac and Rebekah completely miserable. But in the first 33 verses of chapter 26, Isaac and Rebekah seem to be a young couple without any children in tow, so much in love that they sport with one another in broad daylight.2 At the min- imum, therefore, we might take chapter 26 to be an unmarked flashback, but as we shall see, it’s a bit more complicated than that.3 A second peculiarity has to do with the wife-sister episode. Unlike the two wife-sister episodes in the Abraham saga, this one does not result in the wife going into the foreign monarch's harem. Instead Isaac is reproached by Abimelech for attempting to deceive the Philistines about their relationship in a way that created danger for Rebekah. Nor does it result in gifts from the foreign monarch to the patriarch, as in both the Abraham stories. Isaac does become wealthy in Gerar, but it is by farming the land and reaping rich re- wards for his labor: Isaac sowed in that land and reaped a hundredfold the same year (Gen 26:12). It will become significant, as we shall see, that Isaac is the only patriarch who is primarily a farmer rather than a herdsman, like Abraham and Jacob. JEWISH BIBLE QUARTERLY PATRIARCH WITHOUT A NARRATIVE 75 The third peculiarity is the discontinuity between Genesis 26:22 and 26:23. Isaac’s servants have found an excellent water source in Reḥoboth that is uncontested by the natives of Gerar, but after naming it Isaac immediately leaves for Beersheba for no apparent reason. Why would he do that? The fourth peculiarity begins at 26:26. Isaac has already left Gerar and its environs, so why has Abimelech come all the way to Beersheba with a pro- posal for a treaty between him and Isaac? What does either of them get out of the deal aside from a nonaggression pact that could have been achieved simp- ly by ignoring each other? In connection with this treaty, we have met King Abimelech before, and when Abimelech wanted a treaty with Abraham he brought along his muscle man, Phicol chief of his troops (Gen. 21:22). And in chapter 26 Abimelech and Phicol have again both come to Isaac, but there seems to be a third person present, Ahuzzath his councilor (Gen. 26:26). Who is this fellow Ahuzzath and why has Abimelech brought him along? Finally, there are two theophanies in chapter 26, the first at verses 2-5, and the second at verse 24. In both God promises blessings upon Isaac through the merit of Abraham. But why are there two of them? Appendix B contains a hypothetical reconstruction of the entire Isaac saga beginning with his marriage to Rebekah. Isaac and Rebekah are married at Beer-lahai-roi at the end of Genesis 24. Then there is a famine, and they move to Gerar, where God makes his appearance. God approves their move to Gerar, but warns them not to go to Egypt. In Gerar Isaac farms and be- comes wealthy, his wealth inspires the envy of the natives, and Isaac is there- fore told to move out. The household moves to the Wadi of Gerar, where Isaac and his servants dig wells, concluding with a successful and uncontest- ed well at Reḥoboth. It is at this point that Isaac makes the unexplained move to Beersheba. It is possible that the reason they have done this is that Rebekah is barren, and Beersheba, as we can tell from a close reading of Genesis 21, is Isaac’s birth- place, the place where his mother Sarah’s barrenness came to an end in Isaac’s own miraculous birth. It is also the place from which Isaac set out with his father for the sacrifice on Mount Moriah. This is clearly the appropriate place for Isaac to pray to God for children. God responds right away that he will multiply Vol. 48, No. 2, 2020 76 DAVID RICHTER Isaac’s descendants. In other words, Rebekah will conceive, conceive multi- ply; in fact she is going to have twins. While he is still at Beersheba right after the second theophany, King Abimelech arrives together with his muscle man Phicol: he wants to make a pact with Isaac for reasons we will get to later. After the covenant has been made, we return to Rebekah and the twins struggling with each other within her womb in chapter 25, which exasperates Rebekah to thoughts of suicide. Then, following chapter 25 to the end, we learn about the birth and youth of Esau and Jacob, their very different characters, followed by the trade of the lentil stew for the birthright at the end of chapter 25, which is followed by the two verses at the end of chapter 26 about Esau's second mistake, his disas- trous marriages, which in turn lead to the drama of the stolen blessing in chapter 27. I think this re-ordering makes better sense of the events of Isaac and Rebekah’s life together. Shuffling verses around may not seem a very respectful way of treating the book of Genesis, but strange sequences, incoherent chronologies, abound in the Hebrew Bible. The most obvious of these is Exodus 25-31, in which God gives Moses instructions and specifications for the creation of the Tabernac- le. But the function of the Tabernacle, as we are told much later, was to cre- ate a separate space for God away from the Israelites, because of God’s rage against them over the creation and worship of the Golden Calf, an episode that is in chapter 32 of Exodus.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pachad David on the Torah Part II
    Excerpt from the book PACHAD DAVID PART TWO Bereshit • Shemot Rabbi David Hanania Pinto ’’ Grandson of venerable and holy Rabbi Chaim Pinto Zatsal Translated by Mr Jeff Soussana New York 13th of Sivan 5778 Chevrat Pinto Institutions The Kollel of Lyon The Kollel of Dayanut The Kollel of Guemara Hevrat Pinto Ohr Haim Ve Moshe Pachad David Beith Ha-Midrash Beith Ha-Midrash The Kollel Yeshivat Chevrat Pinto Chevrat Pinto Orot Chaim U-Moshe Torat David Kollel for Kollel Kollel Baalei Batim Pninei David Kol Chaim Rehov Ha’ahouza 98 Ra’anana • Israël Tel: +972 98 828 078 +972 58 792 9003 [email protected] Translation Mr. Jeff Soussana Editions Chevrat Pinto 207 West 78th Street - New York NY 10024 Tel.: 1 212 721 0230 - e-mail: [email protected] Web: www.hevratpinto.org Offered Graciously - Not for Sale 3 BERESHIT Contents Bereshith.....................................................................................................................10 “Distance Yourself From Evil and Do Good” – And Only Good!..........................................................................10 The Infinite Wisdom of the Torah ...........................................................................................................................12 There Is no End to the Holy Torah ..........................................................................................................................14 .Humility Is an Absolute Prerequisite for Observing Torah ...................................................................................16
    [Show full text]
  • Interpretation of the Book of Genesis
    INTERPRETATION OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS BY FATHER TADROS Y. MALATY Translated by Dr. George Botros 2 3 4 AUTHOR’ S NOTE: The Word of God is the food granted by the Holy Spirit to the Church of Christ, to let her live continually renovated in spiritual youth; practicing no incapacity of old age or perishability. My good Lord gave me the grace, during the last few years, to study the Word of God, as experienced by the fathers of the early Church, as Spirit and Life. I began by going through meditations and interpretations of these fathers, in the hope that we also would live with the Spirit and thought of the early Church; enjoying, by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God active in us, until it raises us up to our heavenly Groom “The divine Word”, who is to come on the clouds, to grant us the fellowship of His glories, and to enter with us into the bosom of His Father, to be eternally with Him in His heavens. If I did not commit myself, in my interpretation, to the order of succession of the books as they come in the Holy Bible; My goal was not to author a comprehensive series of interpretations, but to enter with every soul into the secret place of the Word, and to enjoy Him as an eternal Groom, who fills the heart and mind and all the inner depths. Hegomen Tadros Y. Malaty 5 AN INTRODUCTORY STUDY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PENTATEUCH OR THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES 1- Unity of the five books.
    [Show full text]
  • Navigating the Use of Biblical Numerology in Nauigatio Sancti Brendani
    Providence College DigitalCommons@Providence Theology Graduate Theses Theology Summer 2015 Navigating the use of biblical numerology in Nauigatio Sancti Brendani Darcy E. Ireland Providence College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/theology_graduate_theses Ireland, Darcy E., "Navigating the use of biblical numerology in Nauigatio Sancti Brendani" (2015). Theology Graduate Theses. 7. https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/theology_graduate_theses/7 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theology at DigitalCommons@Providence. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theology Graduate Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Providence. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NAVIGATING THE USE OF BIBLICAL NUMEROLOGY IN NAUIGATIO SANCTI BRENDANI by DARCY IRELAND Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts in Theology at Providence College 2015 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………… iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………………………… viii Chapters I. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………… 1 II. “FATHER OF NEARLY THREE THOUSAND MONKS”: The Historical Context of Nauigatio S. Brendani……………… 5 III. “‘SEARCHING FOR SEVEN YEARS’”: The Intended Purpose of Nauigatio S. Brendani……………… 11 IV. “‘AFTER THE PASSAGE OF MANY TIMES…’”: Biblical Numerology in Patristic and Hiberno-Latin Works…… 18 V. “‘SUCH A GREAT MULTITUDE’”: Biblical Numerology as Literary Device in NSB………………… 37 VI. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………… 47 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………… 51 Appendices I. TABLE OF NUMBERS IN NSB………………………………… 67 II. NEW JERUSALEM IN BOOK OF ARMAGH………………… 92 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS One wintry day during the spring semester of 2012, a theology postgraduate student at Providence College interested in Augustine and early medieval Greek patristics perused the Latin and classics section of the campus library.
    [Show full text]
  • THE MEANING of EZEKIEL 44,6-14 in LIGHT of EZEKIEL 1–39 The
    THE MEANING OF EZEKIEL 44,6-14 IN LIGHT OF EZEKIEL 1–39 The question of the historical and literary background of Ezek 44,6-14 has been much discussed and answered in different ways. As the following out- line will show, Ezek 44,6-14 is usually interpreted either as a reference to a historical event outside the book of Ezekiel (perhaps mentioned in other bib- lical texts) or as an example of inner-biblical interpretation. While I do not reject either of these two approaches per se, the focus of this paper is on the question of whether Ezek 44,6-14 makes reference to earlier chapters within the Book of Ezekiel itself. When interpreting this pericope, intra-textual references should have priority over inter-textual and historical references. I will concede that there may be both intertextual and historical references in Ezek 44,6-14; I will argue, however, that the primary references are to preced- ing texts within the Book of Ezekiel itself. Any intertextual or historical ref- erence should be regarded as subordinated to the message of the book itself. Julius Wellhausen 1 identified the Levites in Ezekiel 44 with the priests of the high places that had been abolished by King Josiah, as reported in 2 Kings 23; he further identified the Zadokites with the priesthood in Jerusalem who had already been serving in the temple in Jerusalem before the time of Josiah. As such, he takes Ezekiel to be degrading the non- Jerusalemite Levites for the abominations they committed at the high places.
    [Show full text]
  • Genesis Part 3 Leader Guide (NASB and ESV)
    Genesis Part 3 Leader Guide (NASB and ESV) BECOMING A FRIEND OF THE FAITHFUL GOD: A STUDY ON ABRAHAM i Becoming a Friend of the Faithful God: A Study on Abraham Genesis Part 3 Leader Guide (NASB and ESV) © 1999, 2013, 2018 Precept Ministries International Published by Precept Ministries of Reach Out, Inc. Chattanooga, Tennessee 37422 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible® © The Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. www.lockman.org Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 8th Edition (4/2018) ii USING LEADER GUIDES Leader Guides are intended for you, the leader, to guide your Precept Upon Precept® and In & Out® discussions. They are designed to help you reason through the content of the lessons and to ensure you have understood what your group should have learned from their study. The guides offer effective plans for leading discussions. The Holy Spirit is your guide as you prepare. He is the one who knows what your group needs to apply to their lives. Pray for them as they study and for yourself as you prepare to lead the discussion.
    [Show full text]
  • Ezekiel 44 Part 52
    1 graceWORKS ! GOING DEEPER The Papou Study Bible is a daily study provided by me to help folks explore the depth and joy of the “conneXion” life of God. It’s my personal study, and is not intended as a doctrinal statement or statement of any church or denomination or congregation. It’s also my belief that “grace” works, and the servant of God should always want to go deeper. Multi- tasking as usual, I’m also calling this the “Papou Study Bible.” I’m writing it as if I were speaking to my girls who love me and any descendant they have that love their Papou too. And to anyone who wants to consider me a spiritual Dad or “Papou.” I want them to be able to study the Bible with Papou (grandpa in Greek) after I’m gone---and if they don’t, I’ll haunt them. The Scriptures say it’s noble to “search the Scriptures daily” to verify truth like the ancient Bereans did (Acts 17:11). My folks came from Berea. My incredible Dad (and your grandfather and great grandfather, guys), Vasil Charles Valekis taught me to do this like he did---every day until I die. He taught me and everyone I know to go to church no matter what and to put God first. While Mama (Maria Pagona Stratakis Valekis) never really did this, she made sure we listened to Daddy on this one. She would have hit us with a spatula or frying pan or worse if we didn’t. This is a simple sharing my “daily search.” And I’d like to think it is a continuation of God’s life through my Dad through me.
    [Show full text]
  • All the People Said Amen Hosanna the Lord’S Prayer
    All The People Said Amen Hosanna The Lord’s Prayer You are not alone if you are lonely Hosanna hosanna Our Father, who art in heaven When you feel afraid you're not the only Hosanna in the highest Hallowed be thy name We are all the same in need of mercy Hosanna hosanna Thy Kingdom come, To be forgiven and be free Hosanna in the highest Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven It's all you got to lean on Give us this day our daily bread, But thank God it's all you need I see the King of glory And forgive us our sins Coming on the clouds with fire as we forgive those who sin against us. And all the people said amen whoa The whole earth shakes And lead us not into temptation, And all the people said amen The whole earth shakes yeah but deliver us from evil, Give thanks to the Lord for His love never ends For thine is the Kingdom And all the people said amen I see His love and mercy and the power and the glory forever. Washing over all our sin Amen If you're rich or poor well it don't matter The people sing Weak or strong you know love is what we're after The people sing We're all broken but we're all in this together God knows we stumble and fall I see a generation And He so loved the world Rising up to take their place He sent His son to save us all With selfless faith With selfless faith Blessed are the poor in spirit who are torn apart Offering For those of you who would like to continue Blessed are the persecuted and the pure in heart I see a near revival contributing to the mission and ministry of CKPC Blessed are the people hungry
    [Show full text]
  • Ezekiel 42-44, 1 John 1(New King James Version)
    Ezekiel 42-44, 1 John 1(New King James Version) Ezekiel 42 The Chambers for the Priests 1 Then he brought me out into the outer court, by the way toward the north; and he brought me into the chamber which was opposite the separating courtyard, and which was opposite the building toward the north. 2 Facing the length, which was one hundred cubits (the width was fifty cubits), was the north door. 3 Opposite the inner court of twenty cubits, and opposite the pavement of the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. 4 In front of the chambers, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, at a distance of one cubit; and their doors faced north. 5 Now the upper chambers were shorter, because the galleries took away space from them more than from the lower and middle stories of the building. 6 For they were in three stories and did not have pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper level was shortened more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up. 7 And a wall which was outside ran parallel to the chambers, at the front of the chambers, toward the outer court; its length was fifty cubits. 8 The length of the chambers toward the outer court was fifty cubits, whereas that facing the temple was one hundred cubits. 9 At the lower chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court. 10 Also there were chambers in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separating courtyard and opposite the building.
    [Show full text]
  • Ritual Innovation in Numbers 18?
    Scriptura 116 (2017:2), pp. 133-147 http://scriptura.journals.ac.za http://dx.doi.org/10.7833/116-2-1322 RITUAL INNOVATION IN NUMBERS 18? Esias E. Meyer University of Pretoria1 Abstract The paper engages with Numbers 18 in the light of the recent debate on ritual innovation. The focus is especially on verses 8-20 and the ‘portion’ of the priests, or more specifically the Aaronides. The intertextual links between Numbers 18 and other texts in Leviticus are first explored, including texts referring to the firstborn and the ban in Leviticus 27, but also Leviticus 3 and possible links with the peace offering. The article then seeks to find clarity on the diachronic relation between these different texts, before venturing into the debate on ritual innovation. Even- tually the article also explores the obvious interests of the priests and how ritualised texts are used in the service of economic innovation. Key Words: Ritual Innovation (Rituele innovasie); Numbers (Numeri); First born (Eersgeborene); Cult (Kultus); Sacrifice (Offer) Introduction In the introduction to a book on ritual innovation written in 2016, Nathan MacDonald writes:2 At first blush ‘ritual innovation’ would appear to be an oxymoron. What is ritual, if not a stereotyped behaviour that has to be practised consistently in order to be effective? In the rest of that essay MacDonald makes the point that some biblical critics have some- how been resistant to the idea that rituals can change or can even be invented, but that ritual theorists such as Catherine Bell and Ronald Grimes insist that those of us who think that ritual innovation is ‘counter-intuitive’ are simply wrong.
    [Show full text]
  • Ezekiel 44 Part 42
    1 graceWORKS ! GOING DEEPER The Papou Study Bible is a daily study provided by me to help folks explore the depth and joy of the “conneXion” life of God. It’s my personal study, and is not intended as a doctrinal statement or statement of any church or denomination or congregation. It’s also my belief that “grace” works, and the servant of God should always want to go deeper. Multi- tasking as usual, I’m also calling this the “Papou Study Bible.” I’m writing it as if I were speaking to my girls who love me and any descendant they have that love their Papou too. And to anyone who wants to consider me a spiritual Dad or “Papou.” I want them to be able to study the Bible with Papou (grandpa in Greek) after I’m gone---and if they don’t, I’ll haunt them. The Scriptures say it’s noble to “search the Scriptures daily” to verify truth like the ancient Bereans did (Acts 17:11). My folks came from Berea. My incredible Dad (and your grandfather and great grandfather, guys), Vasil Charles Valekis taught me to do this like he did---every day until I die. He taught me and everyone I know to go to church no matter what and to put God first. While Mama (Maria Pagona Stratakis Valekis) never really did this, she made sure we listened to Daddy on this one. She would have hit us with a spatula or frying pan or worse if we didn’t. This is a simple sharing my “daily search.” And I’d like to think it is a continuation of God’s life through my Dad through me.
    [Show full text]
  • The Book of Genesis
    The book of Genesis 01_CEB_Childrens_Genesis.indd 1 8/21/14 3:23 PM CEB Deep Blue Kids Bible © 2012 by Common English Bible “Bible Basics” is adapted from Learning to Use My Bible—Teachers Guide by Joyce Brown ©1999 Abingdon Press. “Discovery Central” dictionary is adapted from Young Reader’s Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition © 2000 Abingdon Press. All rights reserved on Deep Blue Notes, Life Preserver Notes, God Thoughts/My Thoughts, Did You Know?, Bet You Can!, and Navigation Point! material. No part of these works may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may expressly be permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act, the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Common English Bible, 2222 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37228-1306, or e-mailed to permissions@ commonenglish.com. Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible The CEB text may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor account for twenty-five percent (25%) of the written text of the total work in which they are quoted. Notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page of the work as follows: “All scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are taken from the Common English Bible, copyright 2011. Used by permission.
    [Show full text]
  • Thursday Evening Bible Study Teaching Summary for Week 34
    Thursday Evening Bible Study Series: the End Times – Bible prophecy about future events and periods Teaching Summary for Week 34 The Kingdom and the Covenants Part 6. The future Messianic Kingdom in Old Testament prophecy Five major subjects in the future prophesied Kingdom 5. The Temple : Worship in the Millennial Kingdom f. The Millennial Temple with its order of worship The future Millennial Temple, including the organization of the worship rituals within, is described in great detail in Ezekiel 40-48. In Ezekiel 40:5-43:27 , Ezekiel describes in great detail the vision he received concerning the Millennial Temple. We studied Ezekiel’s description in some detail last week. The Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, and Zerubbabel’s Temple were all constructed so Israel could perform the animal sacrifices and offerings that the Lord required in the book of Leviticus. At the end of last week’s study, we noted things in Solomon’s Temple that are not included in Ezekiel’s vision of the Millennial Temple: • No ark of the covenant (mercy seat) (Jer 3:16) • No cherubim above the mercy seat 1 • No tablets of stone containing the Mosaic Law • No pot of manna • No rod of Aaron • No golden candlestick • No veil • No showbread tables Now these things had the highest place and significance in the Tabernacle and Temples where the Levitical offerings were made. But they are not found in the Millennial Temple. All of this tells us that the sacrifices and offerings in the Millennial Temple will service a different purpose from those that were made under the Mosaic Law.
    [Show full text]