The Spatiotemporal Eschatology of Hebrews:Priestly Participation in the Heavenly Tabeacle (The Library of New Testament Studies)

by: Luke Woo (Author)

Publisher: T&T Clark

Publication Date: 2024/8/8

Language: English

Print Length: 272 pages

ISBN-10: 0567714977

ISBN-13: 9780567714978

Book Description

There are two coexisting realities classified under New Testament eschatology:the temporal and spatial. While much scholarly attention has focused on the temporal, Luke Woo argues that the spatial aspect is either neglected or relegated to Platonic or cosmological categories. Woo thus seeks to provide a holistic understanding, by investigating these realities for believers under the heavenly tabeacle motif in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Woo posits that the author of Hebrews presents the heavenly tabeacle and all its high priestly activity in order to eschatologically situate, orient, and ground believers; thus enabling believers to actualize their heavenly, priestly identity by serving as priests on earth. Woo uses Edward Soja's Tripartite Critical Spatiality to analyze the heavenly tabeacle’s Firstspace, Secondspace, and Thirdspace features found in Hebrews 4:14; 8:1–5; 9:1–14. He suggests that Christ, in his resurrection and ascension, enters an actualized, heavenly tabeacle, which allows believers to spiritually occupy that sanctuary space in the presence of God, establishing a spatial orientation for believers who can identify as heavenly priests and be motivated to serve as such as they live on earth.

About the Author

There are two coexisting realities classified under New Testament eschatology:the temporal and spatial. While much scholarly attention has focused on the temporal, Luke Woo argues that the spatial aspect is either neglected or relegated to Platonic or cosmological categories. Woo thus seeks to provide a holistic understanding, by investigating these realities for believers under the heavenly tabeacle motif in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Woo posits that the author of Hebrews presents the heavenly tabeacle and all its high priestly activity in order to eschatologically situate, orient, and ground believers; thus enabling believers to actualize their heavenly, priestly identity by serving as priests on earth. Woo uses Edward Soja's Tripartite Critical Spatiality to analyze the heavenly tabeacle’s Firstspace, Secondspace, and Thirdspace features found in Hebrews 4:14; 8:1–5; 9:1–14. He suggests that Christ, in his resurrection and ascension, enters an actualized, heavenly tabeacle, which allows believers to spiritually occupy that sanctuary space in the presence of God, establishing a spatial orientation for believers who can identify as heavenly priests and be motivated to serve as such as they live on earth.