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ETERNAL JERUSALEM: JERUSALEM/ZION IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO "NEW JERUSALEM" AS THE NAME FOR THE FINAL STATE IN REVELATION 21-22 by Lois Katharine Dow, B.Th., B.A., M.A., M.Th. A dissertation submitted to the Faculty ofMcMaster Divinity College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario 2008 SUMMARY Ph.D. in Christian Theology McMASTER DIVINITY COLLEGE Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: Eternal Jerusalem: Jerusalem/Zion in Biblical Theology with Special Attention to "New Jerusalem" as the Name for the Final State in Revelation 21-22. AUTHOR: Lois Katharine Dow SUPERVISORS: Stanley E. Porter, Mark J. Boda NUMBER OF PAGES: xi+ 339 11 McMASTER DIVINITY COLLEGE Upon the recommendation of an oral examining committee, this dissertation by Lois Dow is hereby accepted in partial fulfdment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Theology Date: March 26, 2008 iii ABSTRACT Dissertation Title: Eternal Jerusalem: Jerusalem/Zion in Biblical Theology with Special Attention to "New Jerusalem" as the Name for the Final State in Revelation 21-22. Name: Lois Katharine Dow Institution: McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Degree and year of convocation: Ph.D. in Christian Theology, 2008 The thesis of this dissertation is that the picture of the New Jerusalem in Revelation draws upon antecedent Jerusalem/Zion theology to provide a meaningful depiction of the final state of believers in Jesus as both communion with God and life as a community. This biblical theological study uses a canonical approach that includes an examination of extra-biblical Second Temple literature as an aid to accessing NT understandings of OT texts. Previous studies of Jerusalem do not cover the entire canon, focus on historical or literary issues rather than theology, or access only OT texts clearly alluded to in Rev 21-22 rather than the entire theological tradition about Jerusalem, which culminates in the "New" Jerusalem. The Pentateuch foresees Jerusalem's role as place of contact between God and Israel. In the Historical Books, David completes the conquest of Canaan by taking Jerusalem and establishing YHWH's cult there. But because of the sin of the kings and people God abandons the city for a time. Jerusalem after the return from exile is still less than ideal. In the Psalms, Jerusalem is depicted as God's inviolable holy mountain. The prophets proclaim punishment for sinful Jerusalem but future restoration to the kind of ideal state described in the Psalms. Jerusalem/Zion can be seen as the ultimate goal of both the First and Second Exoduses. Non-canonical Second Temple literature emphasizes the pre-Davidic role of Zion as place of God's contact with humanity. The Babylonians could not have taken the city without God's co-operation, and even then, the Temple furnishings were secretly preserved. Zion's cosmic importance and eschatological role are often emphasized, with emergence of belief in a heavenly Jerusalem. In the New Testament, earthly Jerusalem rejects the Messiah, and so forfeits its role as link to glorious eschatological Jerusalem. Old Testament prophecies of renewal are instead fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus, emergence of the church, and ultimately the New Jerusalem. Revelation 7 and 21-22 use renewal of Zion passages from the prophets to depict the final state as a place of deep intimacy with God, community among all believers, intense experience of life, and complete eternal safety from sin and evil. This was God's plan since creation. Jerusalem as the goal and focus of God's people on their journey towards him in the Old Testament foreshadows the New Jerusalem as their destination at the end of the age. The dissertation closes with suggestions for practical application and further study. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank my supervisors, Stanley Porter and Mark Boda, for their many excellent suggestions and diligent attention to their task of guiding me through to the completion of this dissertation. Special thanks go to my husband, Dr. Thomas E. Dow, for more suggestions, freeing me from other tasks, and giving constant encouragement as I saw the work through to the end. I am grateful also to McMaster Divinity College for giving me employment and scholarships that provided the financial support for this work. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . v1 INTRODUCTION . 1 Significance of the Study . 1 The Method of the Study . 3 A Short History of the Discipline of Biblical Theology . 3 A Canonical Approach . 5 The Choice of the Topic. 14 Treating the Topic.... 16 Purpose and Aims of the Study . 19 Past Studies of Jerusalem/Zion Theology. 20 Study of Jerusalem/Zion in the Old Testament.. 24 Study of Jerusalem/Zion in Second Temple Literature.. 30 Study of Jerusalem/Zion in the New Testament.. 32 Study of Jerusalem/Zion in the Book of Revelation . 3 8 Study of the Temple Theme................................... 43 Study of the Biblical Theology of the Land . 44 Study of the City Idea . 46 Structure of the Dissertation . 48 CHAPTER ONE: THE TRADITION ESTABLISHED: JERUSALEM/ZION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT . 51 Introduction . 51 Jerusalem/Zion in the Pentateuch . 51 Abraham and Melchizedek: Genesis 14: 17-24 . 53 The Sacrifice of Isaac: Genesis 22: 1-19 . 54 The Song of the Sea: Exodus 15:1-18............................ 55 The Place the Lord your God Will Choose . 57 Summary of Jerusalem in the Pentateuch... 58 Jerusalem/Zion in the Old Testament Historical Books.... 60 Jerusalem in Joshua and Judges... 60 David's Conquest of Zion: 2 Samuel 5:6-10...... 60 David Brings the Ark to Zion: 2 Samuel 6 . 65 Zion and the Davidic Covenant: 2 Samuel 7 . 66 David Leaves the Ark in Jerusalem: 2 Samuel 15:24-26............. 70 Building the Temple in Jerusalem: 1 Kings 5:1-9:9................ 71 God Defends and Blesses Jerusalem/Zion . 74 Jerusalem Defiled and Doomed by Sin.. 75 Summary of Joshua to 2 Kings . 78 Jerusalem in Chronicles......... 79 Jerusalem in Ezra-Nehemiah. 84 Summary of Jerusalem/Zion in Chronicles/Ezra-Nehemiah. 88 Vl Jerusalem/Zion in the Psalms . 89 YHWH Establishes Zion . 90 Glorious Zion in the Psalms... 91 Zion as a Canaanite-Style Holy Mountain . 93 Chastened Zion.... 95 Zion's Future.. 97 Summary of Jerusalem/Zion in the Psalms . 98 Jerusalem/Zion in the Prophets...... 98 Jerusalem in Isaiah.. 101 Jerusalem in Jeremiah . 109 Jerusalem in Lamentations . 111 Jerusalem in Ezekiel . 113 Jerusalem in Daniel . 115 Jerusalem in the Minor Prophets. 117 Summary of Jerusalem/Zion in the Prophets: Two Messages.... 124 Conclusions regarding Jerusalem/Zion in the Old Testament.. 129 Zion the Place to Meet God... 129 Zion's Pre-Davidic History. 130 Jerusalem/Zion as the Goal of God's People....................... 130 Jerusalem/Zion's Link to the Davidic Kings... 130 The Chronic Problem of Human Sin. 131 Diversity in the Old Testament Picture of Jerusalem/Zion. 132 CHAPTER TWO: THE TRADITION EXPANDED: JERUSALEM/ZION IN EXTRA- BIBLICAL JEWISH LITERATURE ................................... 135 Introduction . 13 5 The Origins of Jerusalem.... 136 Abraham and Jerusalem............................................. 140 The Establishment of Jerusalem and the Temple under David and Solomon.... 142 The First Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple....... 147 Views of Jerusalem in Second Temple Times. 152 Jerusalem's Cosmic Importance..... 157 Eschatological Scenarios of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Literature ........ 162 Conclusion ........................................................ 170 Second Temple Views of Jerusalem and New Testament Reading of the Old Testament .................................................................. 171 CHAPTER THREE: THE TRADITION SHIFTED: JERUSALEM/ZION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT APART FROM REVELATION ........................... 173 Introduction . 173 Jerusalem in Matthew...... 175 Jerusalem Viewed Negatively ................................... 175 Jesus Replaces Zion as the Dwelling Place of God.................. 180 Jesus Replaces Zion as the True People of God and as Destination of the Pilgrimage of the Nations . 181 Conclusion . 182 vu Jerusalem in Mark . 182 Jerusalem in Luke-Acts ............................................. 185 The Gospel . 185 Acts... 192 Jerusalem in John ................................................... 200 Jerusalem in Paul ................................................... 206 Jerusalem in Hebrews ................................................ 215 Jerusalem in the General Epistles ....................................... 222 Conclusion . 223 CHAPTER FOUR: THE TRADITION FULFILLED: JERUSALEM/ZION IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION . 226 Introduction . ..
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