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

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 tabernacle motif in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Woo posits that the author of Hebrews presents the heavenly tabernacle 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 tabernacle'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 tabernacle, 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. Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Figures Tables Acknowledgments Abbreviations PART I THE HEAVENLY TABERNACLE Chapter 1 Heavenly Tabernacle Eschatology 1.1. Spatiotemporal Eschatology and the Heavenly Tabernacle 1.1.1. Spatiotemporal Eschatological Language in Hebrews 1.1.2. Reconciling Eschatological Space and Time in Hebrews 1.2. Survey of Scholarship on the Heavenly Tabernacle 1.2.1. Tabernacle as Dualistic Representations (The Platonic/Philonic and Cosmological Views) 1.2.2. Tabernacle as Social and Community Participation 1.2.3. Tabernacle as a Rhetorical, Literary Device 1.2.4. Tabernacle Bifurcated into Future-Spatial and Present-Spiritual Realities 1.2.5. Tabernacle as Spatially Realized Chapter 2 Approaching Tabernacle Space 2.1. Methodology: Tripartite Critical Spatial Theory 2.1.1. Reconciling Space 2.1.2. Applying Edward Soja’s Thirdspace 2.2. Thirdspace in Biblical Studies 2.2.1. Against an Anthropocentric Critical Spatiality 2.3. Thirdspace and the Heavenly Tabernacle 2.4. Excursus: Cynthia Westfall’s “Space and Atonement in Hebrews” Chapter 3 The Background of the Tabernacle 3.1. The Heavenly Tabernacle in the Context of Hebrews 3.1.1. Historical Context 3.1.2. Literary Context 3.1.3. Structure 3.2. Spatial and Temporal Limitations of the Earthly Tabernacle 3.2.1. Mt. Sinai’s Limited Access 3.2.2. Spatial Limitation 3.2.3. Temporal Limitation PART II. FIRSTSPACE AND SECONDSPACE Chapter 4 Heavenly Ascent: Hebrews 4:14 And 6:19–20 4.1. Firstspace: Passing through the Created Heavens 4.1.1. Passed through the Heavens 4.1.2. Depicting the Heavenly Journey in the Earthly Tabernacle 4.2. Secondspace: Clearing the Heavenly Path Chapter 5 The Archetypal Pattern: Hebrews 8:5 (Exodus 25:40) 5.1. Firstspace: A Standing Structure in the Heavens 5.1.1. The Context of Hebrews 8:5 and Exodus 25:40 5.1.2. Exodus 25:9 and 40 in Early and Late Judaism 5.1.3. The Interpretative Tradition of Exodus 25:40 5.2. Secondspace: Showcasing the Heavenly Tabernacle 5.2.1. Intensification of Tabernacle Revelation in History 5.2.2. Centering on the Heavenly Home Chapter 6 The Greater and More Perfect Tent: Hebrews 9:1–14 6.1. Firstspace: Entering Once and for All 6.1.1. Through the Tabernacle or By Means of the Tabernacle? 6.1.2. The Antithetical Schema of Hebrews 9:1–10 and 11–14 6.1.3. On the Character of the Transcendent Heavens 6.2. Secondspace: From the Cross to the Sanctuary 6.3. Summary PART III. THIRDSPACE Chapter 7 Believers’ Spatial Awareness 7.1. Complete Access and Full Entry 7.2. First-, Second-, and Thirdspace Interplay 7.2.1. The Grounding of Firstspace 7.2.2. Mutual Cooperation of Spatial Trialectics 7.3. Upward- and Forward-Looking Chapter 8 Thirdspace Priestly Activity 8.1. Thirdspace Cultic Language 8.1.1. προσέρχομαι and εἰσέρχομαι 8.1.2. λειτουργός and λατρεύω 8.2. Confidence, Boldness, and Conscience 8.3. Thirdspace Movement 8.3.1. Vertical or Horizontal Priestly Service 8.3.2. Vertical and Horizontal Priestly Service Chapter 9 Conclusion 9.1. Part 1: The Heavenly Tabernacle 9.2. Part 2: Firstspace and Secondspace 9.3. Part 3: Thirdspace 9.4. Contributions, Implications, and New Avenues of Research Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors