tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1006479003534298455.post7856024114909755585..comments2023-10-12T07:59:31.827-04:00Comments on Antiquitopia: Hebrews 9:23 Really Bothers MeJared Calawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380681998833566514noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1006479003534298455.post-42311306963316092842013-08-25T09:13:24.362-04:002013-08-25T09:13:24.362-04:00Thanks James. That sounds very close to Milgrom&#...Thanks James. That sounds very close to Milgrom's theory for Leviticus (and see further Jonathan Klawans book on sacrifice and the temple). And that is where I had mostly leaned in my book. But I am not sure I have seen any other ancient source where the heavenly sanctuary has been, in fact, contaminated by humans. <br /><br />That is, as you said, the earthly sanctuary needs to be routinely purified to maintain the divine presence among the people, but we usually assume that God perpetually remains in the heavenly temple (God is already there; human beings are not). So it does make sense to find works where the human beings need to be purified before entering the divine presence in the heavenly temple (to rid of their sin and ritual impurities), but I just don't recall where the heavenly temple itself would have had to go through any such process.<br /><br />Ultimately this theory has to assume either that human beings' sins (while on earth) not only contaminate the earthly sanctuary but also the heavenly sanctuary (that is quite some powerful sin), or, perhaps, we are dealing with impurity of a different sort altogether (e.g., angelic sin). Or different types of sin affect different sanctuaries? Sins of the body the earthly; sins of the conscience the heavenly?Jared Calawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09380681998833566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1006479003534298455.post-21644019093077870032013-08-24T22:20:31.429-04:002013-08-24T22:20:31.429-04:00I find an answer that I believe was offered by Gor...I find an answer that I believe was offered by Gordon Wenham to be helpful. The earthly sanctuary was purified from the sin and uncleanness of the people to allow the holy deity to dwell in their midst. Jesus is depicted in Hebrews as leading the way for people to enter the celestial holy of holies. And so it would be purification from those same human contaminants, so as to allow human beings to enter the heavenly presence of God.James F. McGrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02561146722461747647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1006479003534298455.post-80296451663024410452013-08-24T21:57:54.933-04:002013-08-24T21:57:54.933-04:00Maybe. I wonder if there is something in 1 Enoch ...Maybe. I wonder if there is something in 1 Enoch that might relate at least in a general way.Jared Calawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09380681998833566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1006479003534298455.post-59341102739327286542013-08-24T19:41:54.867-04:002013-08-24T19:41:54.867-04:00It's from a much later text, but there is a pa...It's from a much later text, but there is a passage in Hekhalot Rabbati that says that the angels must purify themselves in rivers of fire when they return to heaven after interacting with human beings who are impure due to menstrual blood, seminal emission, and other sources of impurity. Could there be some idea of reciprocal pollution in Hebrews?Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17626228106192215280noreply@blogger.com