The Makers and Teachers of Judaism - Charles Foster Kent

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way of declaring that Jehovah would prepare the way for the return of his people, if they would but respond when the opportune moment should arrive. Later Judaism, however, and especially the apocalyptic writers, interpreted literally and developed still further this picture of Jehovah's great judgment day until it became a prominent teaching of later Jewish and Christian thought.

      Similarly Ezekiel declared that the barren lands of Judah would be miraculously transformed and rendered capable of supporting the great numbers of the exiles who should return. In this respect Ezekiel became the father of the later priestly school to which belongs the author of the book of Chronicles, in whose thought the events of Israel's history came to pass, not through man's earnest effort and in accordance with the established laws of the universe, but through special divine interposition. It is difficult to determine whether Ezekiel himself was simply endeavoring to state dramatically that Jehovah would fully anticipate the needs of his people, or whether he did actually anticipate a series of prodigious miracles.

      VII. Ezekiel's Plan of the Restored Temple. Ezekiel, being a true prophet, fully realized that the fundamental question regarding the future of his race was not whether they would be restored to their home but whether or not they would guard against the mistakes and sins of the past and live in accord with Jehovah's just demands. The solution of this question which he proposes reveals his priestly training. With infinite pains and detail he develops the plan of a restored temple and ritual. The details were doubtless in part suggested by his remembrance of the temple at Jerusalem and in part taken from the great temples of Babylon. By means of this elaborate picture he declared his firm conviction that his race would surely be restored. His chief purpose, however, was to impress upon the minds of his people the transcendent holiness of Jehovah and the necessity that he be worshipped by a holy people. The entire plan of the temple, of the ritual, and even of the allotment of the territory of Canaan was intended to enforce this idea. His plan, if adopted, was calculated to deliver the people from the temptations and mistakes of the past. With this end in view Jehovah's sacred abode was guarded with massive double walls and huge gateways. Only the priests were allowed to enter the inner court, and a sharp distinction was made between the priests who were the descendants of Zadok and the Levites whose fathers had ministered at the many sanctuaries scattered throughout the land of Israel. The territory immediately adjacent to the temple was assigned to the priests and Levites, and its sanctity was further guarded on the east and west by the domains of the prince. His chief function was, not to rule, as had the selfish and inefficient tyrants who had preceded him, but to provide the animals and the material requisite for the temple service. The territory on the north and the south of the temple was assigned to the different tribes of Israel.

      No political or social problems clouded the prophet's vision. The entire energies of priest, Levite, prince, and people were to be devoted to the worship of the Holy One, whose restored and glorified sanctuary stood in their midst. Thus it was that Ezekiel reversed the ideals of the pre-exilic Hebrew state and presented that programme which with many modifications was adopted in principle at least by the post-exilic Judean community. In place of the monarchy appeared the hierarchy; instead of the king the high priest became both the religious and the civil head of the nation. Soon the Davidic royal line disappeared entirely, and the interests of the people centred more and more about the temple and its ritual. Although Ezekiel's vision was not and could not be fully realized, except by a series of miracles, this devoted priest-prophet of the exile was in a large sense the father of Judaism.

       Table of Contents

      [Sidenote: II Kings 25:27–30] Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year in which he became king, (561 B.C.) lifted up Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison to a position of honor. And he spoke kindly to him and placed his seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon, and changed his prison garments. And Jehoiachin ate with him continually as long as he lived. And for his support a continual allowance was given him by the king, each day a portion, as long as he lived.

      [Sidenote: Isa. 9:1–3]

       The people who have been walking in darkness see a great light,

       Those who dwell in the land of deepest gloom, upon them a light shines.

       Thou multipliest the exultation, thou makest great the rejoicing,

       They rejoice before thee as men rejoice at harvest time,

       As men are wont to exult when they divide spoil.

      [Sidenote: Isa. 9:4, 5]

       For the burdensome yoke and the crossbar on his shoulder,

       The rod of his taskmaster, thou breakest as in the day of Midian.

       For every boot of the warrior with noisy tread,

       And every war-cloak drenched in the blood of the slain

       Will be completely burned up as fuel for the flame.

      [Sidenote: Isa. 9:6, 7]

       For a child is born, to us a son is given,

       And dominion shall rest upon his shoulder;

       And his name will be Wonderful Counsellor,

       Godlike Hero, Ever-watchful Father, Prince of Peace.

       To the increase of his dominion and to the peace there shall be no end,

       On the throne of David and throughout his kingdom,

       To establish and uphold it by justice and righteousness

       Henceforth and forever. The jealousy of Jehovah will accomplish this.

      [Sidenote: Isa. 11:1, 2]

       A sprout shall spring from the stock of Jesse,

       And a shoot from his roots shall bear fruit.

       The spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him.

       A spirit of wisdom and insight,

       A spirit of counsel and might,

       A spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah.

      [Sidenote: Isa. 11:3–6]

       He will not judge according to what his eyes see,

       Nor decide according to what his ears hear;

       But with righteousness will he judge the helpless,

       And with equity will he decide for the needy in the land.

      He will smite an oppressor with the rod of his mouth,

       And with the breath of his lips will he slay the guilty.

       Righteousness will be the girdle about his loins,

       And faithfulness the band about his waist.

      [Sidenote: Isa. 11:6–8]

       Then the wolf will be the guest of the lamb,

       And the leopard will lie down with the kid;

       The calf and the young lion will graze together,

       And a little child shall be their leader.

       The cow and the bear shall become friends,

       Their young ones shall lie down together,

       And the lion shall eat straw like the ox;

       The suckling will play about the hole of the asp,

       And the weaned child will stretch out his hand toward the viper's nest.

      [Sidenote: Isa. 11:9, 10]

       Men shall not harm nor destroy

       In all my holy mountain;

       For the earth shall have been filled with knowledge of Jehovah

       As the waters cover the sea.

       And it shall come to pass in that day,

      

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