Saturday, September 13, 2014

Chapter 8: The Cosmos Is A Temple

This chapter and chapter 7 are closely related. Both the chapters talk about the relationship between the Temple and the cosmos. This chapter is in a way easy to summarise because the author himself has summarise the points he tries to make in the chapter. So having argued, he finally gives the points he makes in the chapter this way: 

1. Whether it is in the Bible or the surrounding Ancient Near East culture, temple is viewed as a microcosm. It is not the biblical author borrowed the idea from the surrounding cultures; it's just that up to certain extent there is similarity in the way people thought.

2. The cosmos is understood in certain pattern by the people then; and the way they construct and design the temple is made to resemble their understanding of the cosmos. 

3. The function of the temple and the cosmos have similarities. For example, it is understood that God is to dwell in the temple, but it is also understood that the cosmos is the dwelling place of God. This is how temple is viewed as a microcosm. 


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