Israel in the Past and Future
You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own (Leviticus 20:26).
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation... (Exodus 19:5-6).
I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people (Leviticus 26:11-12, NIV).
Israel entered into covenant with God. Israel was now a separated, or 'holy' people to the LORD.
An essential part of the covenant was that a 'holy' God would dwell among His covenant people. This was, and will be, the underpinning of the children of Israel's 'holiness'.
"The laws given in Exodus ... were important, but it was the sanctuary that was to be the "nuclear power plant," energizing the Israelites' faith and thereby transforming them into a potent, unified channel of divine revelation. While the physical structure of the sanctuary was crucial ... it was the resident Presence of God that made the place powerful, and it was through dynamic interaction with him in worship that the Israelites accessed his holy power" (Roy Gane, Leviticus, Numbers, NIVAC, Terry Muck, General Editor, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), p.54).
For Israel to keep the covenant, Israel had to obey God's voice. But Israel failed to keep her side of the relationship.
A 'holy' God could no longer 'dwell' in a sinful nation.
So Israel not only suffered the curse of covenant-breaking where by God cast His people out of the 'promised land' but more importantly God departed from the land of Israel. Israel was no longer a nation let alone a 'holy' nation.
But all was not lost as the covenant contained this promise:
and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live (Deuteronomy 30:2-3, 5-6, NIV).
As part of the 'renewed' covenant God will circumcise Israel's heart so she will be able obey His commands and by so doing Israel will be able to 'keep' her side of the covenant.
A 'holy' God will then be able to return to dwell with His people and Israel will fulfill her role as a kingdom of priests and a 'holy' nation and fulfil her now 'expanded' mission to the world
In the 'renewed' covenant Israel will also be reorganized to limit fallible human beings from falling short of God's high standards.
So in light of the call for Israel to be 'holy' this article will look at God's holiness, as He relates with His people, under the 'Old' Covenant and under the 'New/Renewed' Covenant.
In so doing, hopefully, it may lead to a better understanding and appreciation of God's holiness.
There are also added incentives to understanding a 'holy' God and a 'holy' nation.
The Saints as a 'holy' people
And ye [Israel] shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation (Exodus 19:6a).
I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the Tent of Meeting. But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death (Numbers 18:6-7, NIV).
While Israel was to be a "kingdom of priest" there was within this nation a 'priestly' tribe, the tribe of Levi. And within this tribe there were also a class of people who were 'priests'.
In the personal dimension, in their privileged access to God, the priests were of the highest grade of holiness, the Levites the grade below.
This tribe was to be the mediators between God and the people, serving in this function, first in an 'earthly' tabernacle and then in an 'earthly' temple.
"The Tabernacle seems to be the type of Christ and His Church now; the Temple, of Christ and His Church in resurrection glory..." (Ada R. Habershon, Study of the Types, (Grand Rapids: Kregal Publications, 1974), pp.54).
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people... (1 Peter 2:9).
"Peter applies to the church various terms originally spoken concerning Israel (cf. Exod 19:5-6; Deut 4:20; 7:6; Isa 43:20-1). But this does not mean that the church is Israel or even that the church replaces Israel in the plan of God" (Edwin A. Blum, 1 & 2 Peter, Gaebelein, Frank, General Editor, EBC, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), Vol.12, p.231).
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them... the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd (Revelation 7:15, 17, NIV).
The Church, that is the Saints, as a part of their reward, are to serve in the 'heavenly' temple in the presence of a 'holy' God. The 'earthly' Levites serve in an 'earthly' temple; the 'heavenly' Levites, the Church, serve, along with Christ, in a 'heavenly' temple.
[Note: In Revelation it also states that the 'saints' will "reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:10). Unfortunately some make the assumption that reigning "on the earth" implies being on the earth. But compare a modern parallel of the 'reigning' Queen of Australia that does not live in Australia. Cp. also 2 Chronicles 9:8. But this concerns more the other part of the reward of the saints].
With this in mind, the article now looks at a 'holy' God in relationship with a 'separated' people - in the past and future.
Prepare to meet your God, O Israel
Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, but Moses alone is to approach the LORD: the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him" (Exodus 24:1-2, NIV).
"Approaching God is a serious matter. This is why it must be done only on God's terms. Even the Israelites, whom God has just delivered from Egypt, whom God calls his "son," cannot simply walk up as they please. There are certain rules and regulations that must be followed...
"Moses, Aaron, his two oldest sons (Nadab and Abihu), and the seventy elders are to ascend the mountain. At least one of the reasons for doing so is "to worship"...
"The action depicted here echoes 19:12-24, which contain the rather complicated set of instructions regarding who may and who may not approach the mountain and ascend it...
"We should also pause here to remind ourselves of the significance of the partitioning of the mountain... the fact that fewer and fewer people are granted access to Mount Sinai the closer we get to the top is reflected in the construction of the tabernacle (and later the temple). That is, the tabernacle was built with Mount Sinai as a pattern. Without forcing the matter too much, something along the lines of a three-part division seems to be at work in verses 1-2. Moses alone is permitted to go up to "approach the LORD". The priests and elders may come up, but they have to worship at a distance. The people may not come up at all (cf. 19:12). These two verses, therefore, are a fitting opening chapter that will lead us to the final section of the book, the building of the tabernacle" (Peter Ennis, Exodus, NIV Application Commentary, Terry Muck, General Editor, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), pp.399, 487-488).
The Cult
"The Bible makes it plain that the sacrificial system of the OT began as soon as man had sinned. The specialized institutions of national worship, however, was given by God through Moses at Sinai" (R. Laird Harris, Leviticus, EBC, Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1990), Vol.2, p.519).
"In the centuries before the kingship, the cult was the centripetal force that held the tribes together as Israel, the people of God. It was here that the identity and character of Israel was formed. "Cult" refers to every dimension of organized service to a deity. In Israel it included the Tent of Meeting, furniture, artifacts, and priests as well as the rituals, sacrifices, and sacred seasons" (John E. Hartley, Leviticus, WBC, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992), p.lxvii).
"Various proposals have been made to explain the sacrifices described in Leviticus. Here, in summary, are three.
"(1) Sacrifice can be seen as a gift... The gift recognizes what comes from God and gives part of it back to God...
"(2) The notion of communion can also underlie sacrifice. Communication or relationship with God and with other members of the community may be enriched in the sacrificial meal...
"(3) Other sacrifices in Leviticus relate to atonement; they are intended to heal a relationship that has been fractured... By restoring the covenant relationship, sacrifice functions to keep chaos and social disruption at bay. Those who move into the realm of chaos can return to the realm of order by the way of rituals of incorporation including sacrifice. The Priestly tradents assume that because sin and impurity will occur and disrupt relationship with God, sacrifices provide a means to repair that relationship" (W. H. Bellinger, Jr., Leviticus, Numbers, NIBC, OT Editors, Robert K. Hubbard Jr & Robert K. Johnson, (Peabody, Hendrickson Publishers, 2001), pp.10-11).
The Tabernacle
(Diagram from Peter Ennis, Exodus, NIV Application Commentary, p.520; Altar of Burnt Offering changed to reflect square shape and proportion).
"Much has been made of the dimension of the tabernacle, and rightly so... The entire structure measured 150' on the north and south sides and 75' on the east and west, thus forming a rectangle made up of two squares 75' by 75'. The one square constituted the outer court, in which was placed the altar of burnt offering, roughly a 7'6" square structure, and the wash basin at the entrance of the Holy Place. Inside the other square was the Holy Place, a rectangle measuring 30' by 15', the same proportions as the tabernacle as a whole. The adjoining Most Holy Place measured a perfect 15' square.
"... the three-part structure of the tabernacle, moving from the lesser to the greater degrees of holiness, reflects the gradations of holiness on Mount Sinai. The tabernacle is modeled after a higher reality: the dwelling place of God.
"This brings us to a matter of great importance for understanding the meaning of the tabernacle in its original setting. The precise measurements of the structure combined with the symbolism of the curtains and the furnishings are not without deep significance. The splendor and beauty of the materials used - fine fabrics, precious metals, and stones - affirm the goodness of the created world. The precise and perfect dimensions of the tabernacle indicate a sense of order amid chaos.
"... I am suggesting, as others have done, that to think of the tabernacle as an act of cosmic re-creation is precisely what the building of the tabernacle originally intended to convey. We have seem a couple of examples of the creation theme on the tabernacle ("created" in seven segments; the cherubim). The ornate and orderly structure of the tabernacle itself is another...
"The connection between the tabernacle and creation is aptly assessed by Levenson. According to him, the tabernacle (actually, his focus is on the temple, but the point holds nonetheless) and creation are two "building projects." They are not simply parallel, however, as if the former is a scaled down model of the latter.
"Rather, they implicate each other, and neither is complete alone. The microcosm is the idealized cosmos ... the world as it was meant to be, a powerful piece of testimony to God the creator, a palace for the victorious king. To view creation within the precincts of the Temple is to summon up an ideal world that is far from the mundane reality of profane life and its persistent evil. It is the ideal world which is the result of God's creative labors.
"In the midst of a fallen world, in exile from the Garden of Eden - the original "heaven on earth" - God takes another act of creation, a building project that is nothing less than a return to pre-Fall splendor. The tabernacle, therefore is laden with redemptive significance, not just because of the sacrifices and offerings within its wall, but simply because of what it is: a piece of holy ground amid a world that has lost its way. If this is a correct understanding of the tabernacle, we can see why the writer of Exodus devotes so much space to its description" (Peter Ennis, Exodus, NIV Application Commentary, pp.520-22).
"The standard measurement used for the Tabernacle description is the cubit. The lengths and numbers of the various parts are dominated by the numbers 5 and 10 (also the multiples 20, 50, 100), while the two- and three-dimensional character of the Tabernacle is modelled after the rectangle and the square... both of which are associated with the number four...
"A structural approach draws our attention to the relations between numbers and figures, rather than the numbers themselves... The unique cubic shape of the Holy of Holies, each side measuring 10 cubits, suggests a special kind of distinctiveness appropriate to its great sanctity. A similar contrast may be suggested by the fact that the walls of the holy place are double the height of those of the court walls.
"There may also be a number contrast between the static and dynamic aspects of the cult. The numbers 4, 5 and 10 are frequently found in the description of the tabernacle, which is a stable structure. The number seven, on the other hand, is dominant in the dimension of time, and a seven-day period is often mentioned in connection with rituals" (Philip Peter Jenson, Graded Holiness - A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World, p.96-98).
"The Entrance Vails [of the Tabernacle] were three in number. The first was "the gate of the court," 20 cubits wide and 5 high, hung on 5 pillars. The second was "the door of the Tabernacle," 10 cubits wide and 10 high, hung like the gate of the court on 5 pillars. The third was the "beautiful vail," also 10 cubits square, which divided the Holy place from the Holy of Holies. One feature of these three vails is remarkable. The dimensions of the vail of the court and those of the Tabernacle were different, but yet the area was the same. The former was 20 cubits by 5 = 100 cubits; the latter were 10 cubits by 10 cubits, equalling 100 cubits also. Thus while there was only one gate, one door, one vail, they each typified Christ as the only door of entrance for all the blessing connected with salvation. But note that the "gate" which admitted to benefits of atonement was wider and lower (20 cubits wide, and 5 cubits high); while the door that admitted to worship was both higher and narrower, being only 10 cubits wide, half the width, and twice the height (10 cubits high); thus saying to us, that not all who experience the blessing of atonement appreciate the true nature of spiritual worship..." (E.W. Bullinger, Number in Scripture, (Grand Rapids: Kregal Publications, 1976), p.143).
Graded holiness
Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:33).
"... there were differing degrees of holiness, represented by the terms "holy" and "holy of holies" (that is, "most holy"). This gradation of holiness was reflected in the concentric architecture of the tabernacle and temple, with a most holy place at the center and zones of reduced holiness extending from it (Exod. 26:33-34; 1 Kings 8:6, 8). The three zones of holiness in the tabernacle (courtyard, holy place, most holy place) were coded by different colors and the increasing richness of the materials used to construct them. The intense holiness at the center of the sanctuary was produced by the active presence of God there (Exod. 29:42-44; 40:34-37; 1 Kings 8:11-13)" (Richard D. Nelson, Raising Up a Faithful Priest, (Louisville: Westminister/ John Knox Press, 1993), p.27).
(Diagram from Philip Peter Jenson, Graded Holiness - A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World, (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1992), p.20).
Holiness Spectrum
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I
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II
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III
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IV
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V
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Very Holy
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Holy
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Clean
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Unclean
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Very unclean
|
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Spatial
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holy of holies
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holy place
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court
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camp
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outside
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Personal
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high priest
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priest
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Levites,
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clean,
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major impurities,
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|
|
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clean Israelites
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minor impurities
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the dead
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(sacrificial animals)
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(sacrificial animals)
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(clean animals)
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(unclean animals)
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(carcasses)
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Ritual
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sacrificial
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sacrificial
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sacrificial
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purification
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purification
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(not eaten)
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(priests eat)
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(non-priests eat)
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(1 day)
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(7 days)
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Temporal
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Day of Atonement
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festivals, Sabbath
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common days
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|
|
(Philip Peter Jenson, Graded Holiness - A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World, (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1992), p.37).
Meeting a holy God
... at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD ... there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God (Exodus 29:42-46; cp. Ezekiel 43:4-7a).
"... the name for the Tabernacle (miskan, ...) suggests the permanent dwelling of God, as do the phrases 'before Yahweh'..., and 'bread of the presence'... The contents of the Tabernacle (the tent and its furniture, which includes a chest, table and bread, and lamp), together with the regular attention paid to them also imply that a permanent dwelling is meant. Although this imagery is qualified by its evident symbolism, it does not undermine the positive significance of presence. Israel is assured of ready access to God in his sanctuary" (Philip Peter Jenson, Graded Holiness - A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World, p.113).
"At Sinai, God commands Moses to construct the Tabernacle, thus setting the central institution of Israel's worship within a narrative framework. The Tabernacle's holiness is not eternal or essential, and the 'ground state' of its materials in the earthly realm is purity, so it has to be consecrated. Only then will God be able to meet with his people and preserve his holiness (Exod. 29.44). This takes place by anointing with holy oil (Exod. 40.9-11; Lev. 8.10-11), and the success of the ritual is made clear by the appearance of the cloud over the Tent of Meeting and its filling with the divine glory (Exod. 40.34)" (Philip Peter Jenson, Graded Holiness - A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World, p.93).
Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:33-34, NIV).
"The consecration of the Tabernacle had numerous implications for Israel's life and organization. It meant that a dedicated priesthood had to be instituted to perform holy rituals. They and the Levites had a responsibility to guard the Tabernacle and prevent the approach of any purity which would threaten its holiness. And since impurity of some sort could not be avoided, it was necessary to perform purification rituals periodically. And if this was not possible, it was expected that God himself would take active steps to protect his holiness, as is illustrated by a number of narratives (e.g. Lev. 10:1-3; Num 16-17)" (Philip Peter Jenson, Graded Holiness - A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World, p.93).
Holy/common & clean/unclean
Then the LORD said to Aaron... "You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses" (Leviticus 10:8, 10-11, NIV).
"That which is clean ... may be thought of as that which is in its proper place within the boundaries established by God in creation, and whose own external boundaries are whole and intact. That which is unclean ... is something out of place, out of what seems to be its proper category or niche, "out of bounds." The unclean is an anomaly, something that does not fit into a classification, or whose own external boundaries have been breached or are ambiguous in some way" (Richard D. Nelson, Raising Up a Faithful Priest, pp.21-22).
"... holiness (and its opposite, the profane) represent the divine relationship to the ordered world, and the clean (with its opposite, the unclean) embraces the normal state of human existence in the earthly realm. The holy-profane pair represents (positively and negatively) the divine sphere, and this may be distinguished from the human sphere (which is marked by the opposition between clean and unclean). The presence of a holy God and a holy sanctuary in the midst of Israel ensures that these two points overlap in a complex way...
"There is a crucial distinction between holy objects and holy persons. The holiness of objects is permanent, and they can never again enter the profane sphere...
"Priests, on the other hand. Live both in the profane and holy spheres, though at different times. In order to minister in the holy sanctuary, the priests had to be holy themselves, and to this end they were consecrated at Sinai (Lev. 8-10). But in contrast to holy objects, their holiness was only active in the holy area, and there was no penalty if the priest became unclean outside the sanctuary" (Philip Peter Jenson, Graded Holiness - A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World, p.49).
"[In verses 10-11] comes the statement expressing the fundamental duty of the priests. Two highly important duties of the priests are ... "to make proper distinctions," that the law requires and ... "to teach," the people the decrees that Yahweh has given (cf. Ezek 44:23). The priests interpret the law in response to specific situations put to them by members of the congregation. Their judgments are to rest on proper distinctions between ... "the holy" and "the common," between ... "that which is ritually clean" and "which is ritually unclean" (cf. Ezek 22:26). The "holy" is anything set apart for sacred use, such as all the objects in the area of the Tent of Meeting. Once an object becomes holy, it is separated forever from common use. The "common" refers to what is used in the normal, daily course of life. It is ordinary. The distinction between the "clean" and the "unclean" refers to matters of ritual purity. The unclean is something that has become ritually contaminated and may not be brought into the area of the sanctuary. The common by contrast is neutral. It is not by nature unclean. Rather it is simply that which is outside the area of the sanctuary. But whatever becomes unclean must be disposed of or else go through a process of purification in order to be pronounced clean. The unclean must never enter an area that is holy, lest it be consumed. Thus a person who is in a state of ritual impurity must be careful not to approach the sanctuary, but outside of that he suffers no harm. The dominant requirement place on him is that he purify himself ritually so that he can worship at the sanctuary. A person who is ritually clean is free to worship Yahweh" (John E. Hartley, Leviticus, WBC, p.135).
You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them (Leviticus 15:31, NIV).
Whoever touches the dead body of anyone and fails to purify himself defiles the LORD'S tabernacle. That person must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean; his uncleanness remains on him (Numbers 19:13, NIV).
"In 15:31 the words "by polluting my Tabernacle" do not limit the possibility of the sanctuary's defilement to an impure person physically entering the sacred precincts. The implication is that anyone in the camp could defile the sanctuary simply by being illegitimately impure, that is, without undergoing proper purification (cf. Num. 19:13, 20). If it seems strange that impurity could travel through space in this way, keep in minds that we are dealing with dynamic conceptual categories rather than contagious transmission of physical entities (e.g., microorganisms)... The Israelite camp was simply a larger unit of defined space, within which severe enough impurity defiled that which was most sensitive to it: the sacred domain of the sanctuary (cf. Num. 5:1-4)" (Roy Gane, Leviticus, Numbers, NIVAC, pp.260-1).
"Only if the categories of clean and holy could be maintained in the realm of worship and in a society as a whole could an ongoing relationship with Yahweh the holy God be possible" (Richard D. Nelson, Raising Up a Faithful Priest, p.21).
Israel's Failure and God's Departure
And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing - the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary?..." (Ezekiel 8:6, NIV).
"God is perfectly holy and lives in the tabernacle [and later the temple] among the people, but this holy God cannot dwell in the midst of sin and impurity. The people are called to holiness, so God will continue to be present with them and to give them life. Without God's holy presence holding it together, the community could splinter and lose its distinctiveness. Without the divine presence, Israel has no purposeful identity" (W. H. Bellinger, Jr., Leviticus, Numbers, NIBC, p.7).
And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house... Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims... While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground... They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the LORD'S house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them... And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city (Ezekiel 9:3; 10:18; 11:23).
"For Ezekiel the movement of the divine glory would have had ominous significance. It signaled Yahweh's suspension of rule... the departure of the glory signals the end of a relationship that had existed for almost four centuries. The divine king has abandoned his residence" (Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel Chapter 1-24, NICOT, Robert L. Hubbard, Jr., General Editor (Grand Rapids, William. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998), pp.306, 326-27).
Promise of Return
This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain" (Zechariah 8:3, NIV).
"The prophet Ezekiel ... envisioned the divine presence leaving an unclean temple. This result was the devastating judgment of exile, yet this judgment also purified, so that the presence of God could return to a new Jerusalem" (W. H. Bellinger, Jr., Leviticus, Numbers, NIBC, p.8).
The 'Glory' Returns
And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east... and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house... And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name (Ezekiel 43:4-7a).
"The glory returns to the temple through the east gate, from the same direction in which it had earlier left" (Iain M. Duguid, Ezekiel, NIVAC, p.489).
"God had indeed returned to dwell among his people!" (Ralph H. Alexander, Ezekiel, EBC, Vol.6, p.969).
Ezekiel's 'Graded' Temple
(Concept from Iain M. Duguid, Ezekiel, NIVAC, p.473)
"... within the temple compound, the holiness of the different spaces and places was 'graded'... There was an outer court, immediately inside the wall. Its holiness is marked by being seven steps higher than ground level outside... Moving to another level of holiness, close to the very heart of the temple, he [Ezekiel] is then led into the inner court... Its increased holiness is market by an increase in height; eight steps up from the outer court...
"Finally, he arrives at the temple building itself, in the middle of the inner court. Its special holiness is represented by its being elevated yet again above the surrounding levels of the inner and outer courts..." (Christopher J. H. Wright, The Message of Eekiel, BST, pp.330-32).
Vision of Transformation
Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever (Ezekiel 43:9).
"Human geography shows that every society is organized in space. Changing the spatial organization of the society changes the society. Ezekiel 40-48 is a vision of a new society organized according to a new set of spatial rules. It is a temple society with controlled access to sacred space, based on a spatial theology of holiness" (Kalinda Rose Stevenson, The Vision of Transformation - The Territorial Rhetoric of Ezekiel 40-48), (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1996), p. xviii).
"Since holiness and impurity are dynamic, they are contagious, and can attach themselves to persons or objects to make them holy or impure... The presence of holiness ensures life, order and well-being. Impurity brings death, disorder, and chaos...
"The House of YHWH is designed to be the place where YHWH dwells in the midst of Israel, ensuring the well-being of the society. It is a holy place because YHWH dwells there...
"Jonathan Smith has divided Ezekiel's temple complex into "three zones of relative sacrality." The center zone from east to west contains the two East Gates, the Inner Court, the temple, and the Binyan. This is YHWH's zone. On the either side of this central zone, there are spheres of priestly domestic activities, which contain the priestly chambers (40:44-46; 42:13). On the other side of the priestly zones, there is the zone for the people. This zone contains the pavement (40:18) the chambers (40:17; 42:8), the kitchens (46:22).
"The areas which are completely defined are in the central zone, which is the most holy zone. In relationship to this most holy zone, the outer zones on the north and south are less holy. They are also less completely defined. The areas which are completely defined by length and width are in the most holy zone in the center. The areas which are incomplete are in the zones for the people, on the outer edges of the complex.
"The House of YHWH is not only the source of holiness, it is also the local point for impurity. Since impurity is dynamic and contagious, any impurity in society or cosmos is attracted to this holy place. Thus the House of YHWH is the place of mediation. This is why there are two most holy locations in the spatial layout of the House of YHWH... The Holy of Holies is the symbolic dwelling place and the altar is the place of purgation... The focus on the Altar expresses the understanding that societal and cosmic well-being needs more than the presence of YHWH. There is also need for a means of cleansing the society and cosmos from the effects of impurity. This is the function of the altar..." (Kalinda Rose Stevenson, The Vision of Transformation, pp.38-41).
Numbers and Shape
In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south (Ezekiel 40:1-2).
"... in the construction [of the temple] there appears the figure twenty-five and its multiples: the gate (inside measurement) is twenty-five cubits wide; its length (outside measurement) is fifty cubits; a hundred cubits is the distance from gate to gate; the inner court is a hundred cubits square; so that the total measurement of the temple area, as the measurement in 42:15-20 makes quite explicit, is five hundred square cubits. This system of measurement is still effective in the undoubtedly later description of the allocation of land in chapter 48 in the measurement of the terumah [consecrated area] in the narrower sense (48:20) at twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five thousand. But that is not all. The measurement of the steps of the ascent at the level of the sanctuary begins with the figure seven, which is again significance here (40:22, 26). The inner court is reached by eight steps (40:31, 34, 37), while the level of the temple building is reached by a further ten steps (40:49, emended text). Thus the measurement of the steps forming the ascent as a whole again comes to the figure twenty-five. From this point of view one cannot suppress the question whether the figure in the date in 40:1, the twenty-fifth year, is not also to be evaluated in this context of numerical stylization" (Walther Zimmerli, Ezekiel 2, Translated by James D. Martin, (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983, English Translation), p.344).
(Map adapted from John B. Taylor, Ezekiel, TOTC, p.273). (Unit of measurement either 'cubits' or 'rods').
"In the landscape of the temple and land in Ezekiel the square shape is not simply an accident of design. It is rhetorically meaningful and it is intended to be the material representation of a theology of holiness... In Ezekiel 40-48, holiness has a shape. Both the Holy of Holies and the Altar are square. The same central zone of holiness also has the square spaces of the Inner Court, the House, and the Binyan [area]. In contrast, neither the zone for the priests, nor the zone for the people has a square area... The dimensions that are included are sufficient to define the spaces of YHWH's zone. In contrast, the area measurements in the zone of the priests and the zone of the people are incomplete. The measurements of area of one set of priestly chambers are given but not the other. However, except for the dimensions of the cooking areas in the four corners of the Outer Court, there are no dimensions given for the people. The shape of the cooking areas is the rectangle, the shape of the common, rather than the holy.
"The same distinction between the square and the rectangle, the holy and the common, is evident in the description of the central portion and the tribal divisions of the land itself...
"The shape of the holy is the square while the shape of the common is the rectangle" (Kalinda Rose Stevenson, The Vision of Transformation, pp.42 & 49).
"The increasing holiness is also represented by the decreasing size of entrances; the further in you go, the narrower the entrances becomes: fourteen cubits at the main entrance (40:48), ten cubits at the entrance to the larger sanctuary (41:2), and only six cubits at the entrance to the Most Holy Place (41:3)" (Christopher J. H. Wright, The Message of Eekiel, BST, p.32).
Holy/common & clean/unclean
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean (Ezekiel 44:23).
"... the focus shifts from the priests' cultic service before Yahweh to their function in Israelite society, referred to by Yahweh affectionately as "my people"" (Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 25-28, NICOT p.642).
"They are to teach my people... Verse 23 is based on Leviticus 10:10-11, which records this teaching function as part of the 'ordination' of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. Specifically, the content of their teaching was to ensure that ordinary Israelites knew the fundamental differences between the holy and the common and between the unclean and the clean. These were foundational to Israel's religious worldview. They symbolized within the everyday world of Israelites the holiness of Yahweh and all that was closely associated with him, and the distinctions between themselves and the rest of the nations. These were not merely taboos. They were badges of an identity and a mission which called for holiness of life and behaviour as well. In teaching these distinctions, the priests would have taught the rest of the Torah also, with its clear demand for Israel to live out the ethical responsibilities of their election and redemption..." (Christopher J. H. Wright, The Message of Eekiel, BST, Alec Motyer, OT Series Editor, (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 2001), p.350).
"Under the assumption "like people, like priest" (Hos. 4:9), the burden of resolving the earlier problems (cf. Ezek. 22:26) rests on the shoulders of the priestly class. The call for a holy people begins at the top" (Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 25-28, NICOT, p.643).
The concern for and protection of the holy
And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat. And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments (Ezekiel 44:17-19).
"In Israelite law, holiness was not dangerous by itself. It was dangerous only to one who was contaminated with impurity or who acted in contravention to the laws. Therefore the priest, who daily handled the holy things, had to take special care with regard to his ritual cleanliness and actions...
"Throughout this chapter, the concern over the holiness of those having access to the central regions of the sanctuary is evident. Those who enter the inner parts of the sanctuary to minister in God's service must have a past history of faithfulness and must continue to walk in ways of the holy, lest they be destroyed in an instant by the holy God whom they serve.
"The concern for and protection of the holy. In ancient Israel, as elsewhere in the ancient Near East, a sanctuary was not a place to be entered lightly and unthinkingly. Rather, the sanctuary was seen as a danger zone, somewhat comparable to a nuclear power plant. In a nuclear power station, strict precautions have to be taken because of the special dangers of radioactivity, which can cause catastrophic effects if it is handled carelessly. Access to some areas of the site is strictly limited, and special clothing has to be worn for some processes to prevent lethal contact between those operating the plant and the radioactive material, and to prevent radioactivity being transmitted by them to the outside world. In an analogous way, the priests had to take special care in their dress and their conduct to avoid danger to themselves and to prevent dangerous levels of holiness being brought into contact with the general public.
"Nowhere is this caution more evident than in Ezekiel's vision. This is hardly surprising, given Ezekiel's own experience of seeing the Jerusalem temple defiled and subsequently destroyed by God's holy wrath. Anyone who personally witnessed the carnage caused by the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power station would understandably be concerned to tighten up regulations to guard against its repetition. In precisely the same way, Ezekiel's vision represents a tightening of the "holiness code of practice," a raising of the walls and reinforcing the steel of the containment chamber around the temple. Ezekiel is all too aware of something distant from our contemporary thinking: that it is a fearful thing for sinners to fall into the hands of the all-holy God" (Iain M. Duguid, Ezekiel, NIVAC, pp.503-05).
Dwelling Future and Past
"If Ezekiel considered himself somewhat in the role of a new Moses in the restoration of Israel's sacrificial worship at the altar (43:13-27), there is an even clearer echo of Moses in relation to the land. Just as Moses had described the boundaries of the land and allocated it in advance to the tribes of Israel before the original conquest, so Ezekiel now gives the boundaries of the land again and provides detailed tribal allocations in advance of the return from exile..." (Christopher J. H. Wright, The Message of Ezekiel, BST, pp. 359).
"... Ezekiel's understanding of Israel's tribal structure follows the traditional premonarchial order: (a) The land is divided into twelve tribal allotments (cf. Josh 13-19). (b) The tribe of Levi is excluded from the allocations. (c) The twelve-tribe system is maintained by elevating Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to full tribal status and assigning a separate territory to each (cf. 47:13)..." (Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 25-28, NICOT, p.722).
(Map/Diagram for the Future based on (1) Bob Pickle, Calculating the Circumference of the Earth, pickle-publishing.com/papers/ezekiels-city-circumference-of-the-earth.htm; and (2) Philip Peter Jenson, Graded Holiness - A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World, p.136); and Map/Diagram for the Past from (2).
"Ezekiel's territorial allocations respect the traditional genealogical relationships among the tribes. Distinguishing between the descendants of Jacob's wives (Leah and Rachel) and their handmaidens (Bilhah and Zilpah... The tribes descended from Jacob's primary wives enjoy pride of place, nearest the sanctuary, the eight Leah and Rachel tribes distributed equally, four on each side of the teruma. The tribes descended from the handmaidens are placed at the extremities, farthest from the sacred reserve" (Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 25-28, NICOT, pp.723-24).