The relationship between the glory of YHWH and the spirit of YHWH in Ezekiel 33-48

 

 

Pieter De Vries

Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam

Correspondence

 

 

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ABSTRACT

Ezekiel is not only the prophet of the glory of YHWH but also of the Spirit of YHWH. What is the relationship between these two con-cepts? I restrict myself in this article to the last part of Ezekiel (33-48). In this final part of the book, we see how the Spirit of YHWH, who transforms and revives Israel, paves the way for the return of the glory of YHWH portrayed in the last vision. In the final vision, we read of a stream of water flowing from the temple. The water starts from the place where the כבוד of YHWH is present. Tins water must be related to the Spirit of YHWH. Not only the people but also the land is transformed. The message of the transformation of a com-munity by the Spirit of YHWH is followed by the final vision where the glory of YHWH is evidently present in the sanctuary and even the land itself is transformed by the Spirit of YHWH; this is the climax of the message of Ezekiel. Hie presence of the כבוד of YHWH in the hearts and lives of the people of Israel is closely related to the presence of the כבוד of YHWH in the sanctuary. All is summarized in the name of the city: YHWH is there.

Keywords: Ezekiel, glory of Yhwh, spirit of Yhwh, hypostasis, temple vision

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A INTRODUCTION

Clearly, the concept of the glory of Yhwh (כבוד־יהוה) is the most fundamental concept of the Book of Ezekiel. It is true that the concept of the Spirit (רוח) of Yhwh does not have such a fundamental place in Ezekiel as does the concept of the glory of Yhwh. Ezekiel is first and foremost the prophet who saw the glory of Yhwh. Nevertheless, we must recognize that the concept of the Spirit of Yhwh is very important to Ezekiel. It is with good reason that he has been called not only the prophet who saw the glory of Yhwh, but also the prophet of the Spirit of Yhwh.¹ In this article, I analyze the theologically relevant refer-ences to רוח in the last part of Ezekiel. Apart from the occurrences of ריח in the sense of "side" in Ezek 42:16-20, all the occurrences of רוח in the last part of Ezekiel are theologically significant.

By far the majority of the theologically relevant references of רוח in the last part of Ezekiel occur in the vision of the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezek 37:1-14). The only theologically relevant reference to רו_ח in the final vision occurs in Ezek 43:5. We find this reference in the literary subunit that describes the return of the glory of Yhwh to the new temple. In this article, I will also pay attention to what is said in the final vision about the water flowing from the temple. Although in that passage (Ezek 47:1-12) the ח_ח is not mentioned explicitly, we shall see that both its presence and the presence of the כבוד of Yhwh are presupposed there.

 

B THE PREPARATION FOR THE RETURN OF THE GLORY OF YHWH

Ezekiel 33 is the turning-point of the book of Ezekiel. Its content is closely related to Ezek 24, the closing chapter of the first part of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 24 predicts the fall of Jerusalem, while we read in Ezek 33:21 how the fact of this fall is announced to the prophet by a fugitive from Jerusalem. In Ezek 33:21, we find the last instance in Ezekiel where the name of Jerusalem is mentioned. Apparently, for the prophet this name is so intimately bound up with the sinful past that the people must distance themselves from it. We do not encounter the name of Jerusalem in Ezekiel's prophecies of restoration and salvation.²

The prophecies against the nations are placed between Ezek 24 and 33. This placement indicates that the content of this section must primarily relate to the chapters that follow, in which the restoration and salvation of Israel are proclaimed. Ezekiel 33:11-20 makes clear that salvation can never be separated from repentance. In Ezek 33:11, we find the most urgent call to repentance in the whole book. Yhwh here swears an oath that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He connects his own name and innermost being to this attitude.³ This most urgent of calls is also the last call to repentance in Ezekiel. In Ezek 33:22, the mouth of the prophet is finally opened. From now on, the prophet will bring a message of hope and salvation. Until this point in the book, only glimmers of hope have been seen (Ezek 6:8-10; 11:41-21; 16:60-63; 17:22-24; 28:24-26). Repentance is necessary for exiles. Hereinafter, Ezekiel announces that Yhwh himself will give to the people of Israel the ability and willingness to repent. It is in this way that the glorious future will become reality. In this context Ezekiel speaks about the spirit. Mostly it is the Spirit of Yhwh and at other times the spirit of Israel renewed by the Spirit of YHWH.

The restoration of Israel is portrayed in Ezek 34-48, whose climax is the return of the glory of Yhwh to the new temple. This return is inextricably linked to the renewal of the people and the land of Israel by the Spirit of Yhwh. It is the last part of Ezekiel in particular that shows the close connection between the glory of Yhwh and the Spirit of Yhwh. Ezekiel 34-48 is the counterpart of Ezek 8-11, the chapters that describe the departure of the glory of Yhwh. The restoration is more than a return to the status quo ante. Back-sliding from Yhwh will no longer be a possibility in the future that is prophesied.

The unit of Ezek 34-48 has a chiastic structure:⁴

A 34:1 -31 A prophecy of the kingship of Yhwh and a renewed Davidic monarchy

B 35:1-36:15 A prophecy consisting of two tableaux in which the land of Israel is claimed against foreign oppressors

C 36:16-38 An anthology concerning the spiritual transformation of Israel and blessings connected therewith

D 37:1-14 The central vision of Israel's spiritual and political transformation

C' 37:15-28 A sign act concerning the political transformation followed by an anthology of blessings flowing therefrom

B' 38:1-39:29 A prophecy in two tableaux in which the safety of Israel against foreign oppressors is affirmed

A' 40:1-48:35 A vision affirming the return of the glory of Yhwh to a new temple and the ultimate kingship of Yhwh in a renewed land and a new city

This structure reveals the fundamental nature of the third vision of Eze-kiel.⁵ This is the only vision in which the glory of Yhwh is not mentioned, but in this vision the Spirit of Yhwh plays a fundamental role. While we have two references to חח in Ezek 36, there are ten such references in Ezek 37:1-14.⁶ Nowhere else in Ezekiel do we find such a high number in one literary unit.⁷ It is tempting to see it as no mere coincidence that the total number of references to רוח in Ezek 36-37 is twelve.⁸ In other parts of Ezekiel, too, we find this num-ber twelve.⁹

The fact that Ezek 37 explicitly foretells the removal of the traditional animosity between Judah (representing the south) and Ephraim (representing the north), with the result that that there will be a single people to whom one king will be given, is an indication that the number of twelve references of רו_ח is not without intent.¹⁰ Not only in Ezek 37 but also in the final vision, the equality of all the twelve tribes of Israel is stressed. This is part of the future restoration effected by the Spirit of Yhwh and finally accomplished with the return of the glory of Yhwh.

Given the inner logic and structure of the book of Ezekiel, there is no fitting place to mention the glory of Yhwh in Ezek 36-37. Ezekiel 8-11 describes the departure of the glory of Yhwh from the old temple in Jerusalem. Only after a new temple is erected as his dwelling-place can and will the glory of Yhwh return. As we shall see later, this will be in a new temple that is sepa-rated from the new city. The significance of Ezek 36-37 is that it shows us the necessary preparations for the return of the glory of Yhwh. The content of these chapters makes clear that the people of Israel, who have been character-ized many times as a rebellious house (בית מדי) heretofore, will be totally renewed.¹¹ The effect of this total renewal will be that a future turning-away from Yhwh will be impossible. The desire to do so will be completely taken away. Thus, a situation will be created such that the glory of Yhwh can dwell permanently in the midst of the people of Israel.

 

C PREPARATION FOR THE RETURN OF THE GLORY OF YHWH: THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT OF YHWH (EZEK 36:25-27)

For Ezekiel, Israel's history is a record of constant failure to comply with the divine will. Salvation is only a possibility because of the regard that Yhwh has for the honor of his name.¹² As early as Ezek 11:14-21, the spiritual renewal of Israel has been announced.¹³ In Ezek 36, a much broader description of this renewal is given: Yhwh will gather his people from the nations (Ezek 36:24). Being spiritually unclean, they will be cleansed with water (Ezek 36:25). In order that the glory of Yhwh can return to the new sanctuary, the people of Israel must be clean both in the cultic and the moral sense.

We can see a parallel between Ezek 36:25 and Num 8:15. In Num 8:15, we read how Moses cleanses the Levites in order that they may serve in the tabernacle. In Ezek 36:25, the whole people of Israel is cleansed by Yhwh himself in order that they will in future be able to enter the outer court of the sanctuary and will be able and willing to serve Yhwh. Yhwh uses his רוח as instrument to cleanse the people.

The people of Israel will receive a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek 36:26). The giving of a new heart (לב) and a new spirit (רו_ח) are inseparably connected to each other. Nevertheless, there is a difference. While Yhwh promises Israel that he will give a new heart to them (ונתתי לכם לב חד־ש), he assures them that he will place a new spirit in them (וריח חד־שה אתן בקו־בכם).

While it is stated in Ezek 36:26 that Yhwh will place a new spirit in the people Israel, in Ezek 36:27 he explicitly assures them that it is his own Spirit that he will give within them. Now we learn that the רו_ח mentioned in Ezek 36:26 is the רו_ח of Yhwh himself. The verbal sentence found in Ezek 36:27 does not open with the verb as usual, but with the object, namely ואת־רוחי (my Spirit). This word order emphasizes "my Spirit." We ought to translate it: "And my Spirit I will give within you." After this statement, we read the result of the gift of the Spirit of Yhwh. This result is that the people of Israel will walk in the statutes of Yhwh and obey his rules (Ezek 36:27).

There is a close relationship between the prophecy of the gift of a new spirit, connected with the gift of the Spirit of Yhwh himself in Ezek 36:26-27, and Jeremiah's prophecy of the new covenant in Jer 31:31-34. Apart from the commonality of the word רוח, there are striking linguistic parallels between these two passages. Ezekiel appears to be influenced by Jeremiah.¹⁴ Ezekiel does not use the word "covenant" (בךית) in this context, but he does mention God's covenant with Israel elsewhere. For Ezekiel, too, the return from exile is due to the covenant and to the covenant faithfulness of Yhwh (cf. Ezek 16:60-61). In Ezek 37, we read of the covenant of peace that Yhwh will make with his people. That covenant will be an eternal covenant (Ezek 37:26). In remem-bering his original covenant with Israel, Yhwh renews his covenant. While the word "covenant" is (just as in Ezek 11:20) not used in Ezek 36, we find the covenant formula in Ezek 36:29.¹⁵

In his covenant faithfulness, Yhwh will maintain and renew his cove-nant. His only reason for doing so is the vindication of his own name (Ezek 36:20-23). An essential part of the renewal of the covenant and the new exodus is the gift of the Spirit. In Ps 51:13 (12), we find David's prayer for a clean heart and willing spirit. At issue here is moral and inner renewal by God's Spirit. Ezekiel predicts in Ezek 36 that in the future, in conjunction with mate-rial bliss, such a renewal will happen on a national scale. In the future, the boundaries of the physical Israel will be conterminous with the borders of the spiritual people of Yhwh.¹⁶ What in Ps 51:13 (12) is stated in an individual context as a prayer is in Ezek 36:26-27 formulated as a promise guaranteed by Yhwh himself for the whole people of Israel. Of course, the renewal of indi-viduals is a part of the national renewal. In the future, every member of the people of Israel will receive the Spirit of Yhwh within him.

For Ezekiel, the Spirit of Yhwh is the central gift of the new age. The renewal wrought by his Spirit is the answer of Yhwh to the sins of Israel that were the cause of the exile. The gift of the Spirit as an abiding presence in the hearts of the members of the people of Yhwh is the crowning blessing of the new age.¹⁷ The fact that Israel will be the people of Yhwh and that Yhwh will be their God is indissolubly related to the gift of the Spirit. The Spirit gives substance to the covenant relationship and is its seal.¹⁸ In Ezekiel's expectation of a future bliss, the Spirit of God is not just a one-off gift, but becomes a good which cannot be lost.¹⁹

Ezekiel strongly emphasizes that the new future for Israel is solely possible due to Yhwh and not at all based upon better behavior on Israel's part. As I noted in the first part of my article, Ezekiel has been called, in recognition of this emphasis, the Calvin of the OT.²⁰ Yhwh himself takes responsibility both for Israel's transformation and for the future covenant relationship and bles-sings.²¹ Changed behavior is not the condition but the fruit of work of Yhwh. In Ezek 33:11, we find the most emphatic but also the last call to repentance in the book of Ezekiel.²²

From Ezek 34 onwards, we only read about the transforming and renewing activities of Yhwh. He is creating a new people with a new king and a new city and above all a new temple. I would emphasize that this does not allow us to conclude that the call to repentance has no real significance for Ezekiel. The significance of the call to repentance in the first part of Ezekiel is underlined in the last part, among other ways, by the fact that we find in 36:32 two imperatives whereby Israel is called upon to be ashamed (בושו) and confounded (והכלמו).

The Spirit of Yhwh is the instrument Yhwh uses to purify and renew his people.²³ Only by the infusion of the Spirit of Yhwh will the people of Israel be enabled and made willing to serve Yhwh. The repentance to which the people of Israel are called becomes a reality by the gift of the Spirit of Yhwh.²⁴Only after the people of Israel have received the Spirit of Yhwh do they come to a sincere confession of sin as stated in Ezek 36:31: "Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations." Loathing oneself for one's sins is for Ezekiel an essential element connected with the gift of the Spirit of Yhwh and renewal by the Spirit of Yhwh.

There are many parallels between the Holiness Code of Leviticus and Ezekiel.²⁵ Given this, the difference of emphasis between Ezek 36:31 and Lev 26:40-42 is striking. When we compare these two passages, we see that in Eze-kiel the priority of the work of Yhwh is emphasized more than it is in the Holiness Code. In Leviticus, it is first confession of sins by the people that is mentioned and only then is it stated that Yhwh will remember his covenant. For Ezekiel, confession of sin is the fruit of the life-giving work of the Spirit of Yhwh. It does not precede Yhwh's remembering of the covenant. Moreover, in Jer 31 we see that shame for sin is a fruit of the work of Yhwh (Jer 31:19), but Ezekiel is in this respect even more outspoken than Jeremiah.²⁶ While Jeremiah points to the compassion of Yhwh, Ezekiel speaks only in terms Yhwh's determination to vindicate his own name. The gift of the Spirit must be seen in that context. Its result is that the people of Israel will know Yhwh, or to quote exactly: "Then they will know that I am Yhwh" (Ezek 36:38).²⁷

 

D PREPARATION FOR THE RETURN OF THE GLORY OF YHWH: THE VISION OF THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES (EZEK 37:1-14)

Even more fully than at the end of Ezek 36, we see in Ezek 37:1-14 how fun-damental the work of the Spirit of Yhwh is to the accomplishment of the spir-itual transformation of the people of Israel. Nowhere else in the Book of Eze-kiel do we see such a deliberate play on the variety of meanings of רוח as in Ezek 37:1-14: the vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. The account of the vision (Ezek 37:1-10) is followed by an oracular pronouncement of salvation (Ezek 37:11-14). In Ezek 37:1-14, רו_ח occurs with the meanings of "spirit," "breath," "wind" and "side." Stated slightly differently, we encounter רו_ח in this unit with a meteorological, a theological and an anthropological meaning.

Ezekiel 37:1 starts with the words: היתה עלי יד־יהוה (the hand of Yhwh was upon me). By means of this expression, this unit is connected to the appearances or visions of the glory of Yhwh.²⁸ Although the Masoretic accents suggest otherwise, we have to take יהוה and ברו_ח together.²⁹ריח יהוה (the Spirit of Yhwh) must be seen as a stereotyped term in this clause, of which Yhwh or the hand of Yhwh is the subject.³⁰ It is by or in the Spirit of Yhwh that the prophet is brought to the valley (הבקעה).

This introduction also makes clear that of all the shades of meaning of רוח that occur in this literary unit, the meaning "Spirit of Yhwh" is the most fundamental one. The word הבקעה (the valley) connects this unit with Ezek 3:22-27: the final part of the calling vision of the prophet. There, we find two occurrences of הבקעה (Ezek 3:22, 23). Because the reference is to a particular valley, one may infer that the meaning is that the same valley is where Ezekiel was first commended to perform symbolic acts (Ezek 3:22-5:17).³¹

In Ezek 37:lb-3, the condition of Israel is compared with scattered dry bones. Ezekiel 37:4-8a describes a positive, transformational event. The prophet is commanded to prophesy to the bones (Ezek 37:4). Yhwh promises that he will place רוח in them (Ezek 37:5). In Ezek 37:5, רו_ח can be understood both as "spirit" and "breath." Certainly, there is a close connection here between the human and divine ריח. When Ezekiel prophesied, a sound was heard, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together (Ezek 37:7).

Out of a total of 32 occurrences of קול (sound, voice) in Ezekiel, we find 18 of them in the visions of the glory of Yhwh. Eleven of them occur in the calling vision. Therefore, with the use of the word קול too, a connection is sug-gested between the vision of the dry bones and the visions of the glory of Yhwh, and especially a connection with the calling vision. The same can be said of the word רעש. Of the five occurrences of רעש (rattling), we find two of them in the calling vision (Ezek 3:12, 13) and one in the vision of the dry bones (Ezek 37:7). In connection with the prophetic ministry of Ezekiel, we find three references to קול in Ezek 33 (Ezek 33:4, 5, 32). This first reference to קול after Ezek 33 makes clear that the prophetic ministry of Ezekiel will bear fruit.

After Ezekiel has prophesied to the bones, we read in Ezek 37:8b: ורוח אין בהם: (there was no spirit/breath in them). רו_ח can be seen here as referring both to the human and divine Spirit. Kutsko sees a parody here of idols and their images. The reformed bones lack ריח, just as idols do.³² Although having a certain degree of transformational effect, the prophesying of Ezekiel seems in the first instance to be fruitless. In Ezek 37:9, Ezekiel receives the command to the prophecy not to the bones, but to the רו_ח. In Ezek 37:10, both Ezekiel's obedience to this command and its wonderful result are reported.

When Yhwh commands Ezekiel to prophecy to the ריח ,ריח can be understood both as "spirit/breath" and "wind."³³ In name of the Lord Yhwh, Ezekiel has to tell the רו_ח to come from the four directions of the wind (רוחות). The winds may represent the divine Spirit or breath that blows in every corner or the earth.³⁴ A relationship is suggested here with the calling vision of the prophet, in which we see a link between the סערה (windstorm) and the רו_ח החיה (Spirit of life).³⁵ Both in Ezek 37:9 and 10, רו_ח takes the article. Whereas before this point in Ezek 37 רו_ח has denoted wind or breath/spirit in general, now, with the definite article, the רו_ח is clearly the ריח that will blow on the dry bones and bring them to life. הריח must be understood here, just as in Ezek 1:12, 20, as the Spirit of Yhwh.³⁶

The two stages of the vision in Ezek 37:10 chime with the two stages of the creation account in Gen 2:7. There, we read that Yhwh God first formed the man of dust from the ground and then breathed the breath of life ( נשמת חיים) into his nostrils. Both in Gen 2:7 and Ezek 37:10, the verb נפח (breath) is used. The parallels between Ezek 36-37 and Gen 2 stress that there is a rela-tionship between the giving of life in creation and the giving of life in recrea-tion. While it is true that the word ח_ח is not used in Gen 2:7, we do read already at the beginning, in the account of creation in Gen 1 that the Spirit (רו_ח) of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Gen 1:2). We can conclude that the same power of the Spirit of God/YHWH that was manifested in creation is manifested in recreation, and more particularly in the moral recreation, of man.

The two stages in which the resurrection to life of the people of Israel occurs also correspond to the two stages of the calling of the prophet. Accord-ing to Ezek 1:28, the prophet responded to the vision of the glory of Yhwh by falling on his face. In this state, he heard a voice commanding him to stand up so that the glory of Yhwh could speak to him (Ezek 1:1). It is the ח_ח that ena-bles the prophet to obey this command when He enters the prophet and sets him on his feet (Ezek 2:2). A similar experience is recorded in Ezek 3:23-24. As we saw already in the former article, the prophet is the model for the people of Israel.³⁷ This vision assures the prophet himself that his prophetic labors will bear fruit.³⁸

In Ezek 37:1-10 we have the vision, while the explanation follows in Ezek 37:11-14. Verse 11 plays a pivotal role: it is the turning-point of the whole literary unit and explains the occasion for the vision. The restoration of the people of Israel from exile will be as the raising of dried-out human bones to become living persons. The explanation of the vision ends with Yhwh's assurance: "And I will give my Spirit within you (ונתתי רוחי בכם), and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am Yhwh; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares Yhwh" (Ezek 37:14). In Ezek 37:14 the announcement of Ezek 36:27 - "I will put my Spirit within you" (ואת־רוחי אתן בקו־בכם) - is repeated in slightly different words. This shows us that the vision of Ezek 37:1-10 and its explanation in Ezek 37:1-14 must be seen as an exposition of the announcement given in Ezek 36:26-27.

The occurrences of רוח both in Ezek 36:27 and Ezek 37:14 refer to the breath and Spirit of Yhwh as the source of life. Used of man, the term רו_ח in Ezek 36-37 is close in meaning to the breath of life given to man at his crea-tion. No life is possible apart from this רו_ח. That is true of natural life but also -as we can see even more clearly - true of a moral life that is pleasing to Yhwh. The future deliverance of Israel and the moral renewal connected with this deliverance is depicted in Ezek 37 as a resurrection of the dead wrought by the Spirit of Yhwh.³⁹

 

E THE SPIRIT AND THE FACE OF YHWH (EZEK 39:21-29)

Between the announcement of the miraculous return and moral renewal of the people of Israel in Ezek 36-37 and the final vision of the prophet in which he sees a new temple, a new land and a new city in Ezek 40-48, we find in Ezek 39-39 a description of the demolition of the hostile powers who sought to destroy the people of Israel after their return to the promised land. Ezekiel 38-39 can be seen as a fully-fledged commentary on Ezek 28:24-26, the passage which is the crux of the whole Book of Ezekiel.⁴⁰ What was briefly mentioned there is elaborated here, namely that Yhwh will judge the nations in order that both the nations and Israel may know Yhwh. In his judgments of the nations, Yhwh displays his glory (Ezek 28:22) and vindicates his holiness before the eyes both of the nations and of Israel (Ezek 28:22, 25; 38:16, 23; 39:27).

Assisted by seven (N.B.) allies, Gog of the land of Magog and prince of Meshech and Tubal leads a final attack on the land and people of Israel. Using images from past invasions, Ezekiel describes the attack led by Gog. This attack is not caused by Israel's sins as in former days, but is used by Yhwh to display and vindicate his glory among the nations more clearly than ever before. Without any assistance by Israel, the enemies are completed destroyed. The only task for Israel is to bury the bones of the slain.

The nations surrounding Israel once witnessed how Yhwh invited the Babylonians to punish the people of Israel. Now Yhwh demonstrates that when the Babylonians had conquered Israel and destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, it was not he himself who was defeated. Yhwh allows Gog and his allies to invade the land to plunder it in order to destroy them. So Yhwh will vindicate himself before the eyes of the nations and they will know that he is Yhwh (Ezek 38:23).

In the past, the people of Israel had defiled the land by their idolatry, sexual impurity and social injustice. After the attack and defeat of Gog, the land is polluted by the corpses. This time, the pollution is caused by the people of Israel and is not moral but cultic, and is caused by the nation's enemies. According to the Mosaic legislation, purification is thus required (see Num 19:11-22). By burying the bones, the people of the Israel of the future will - in contrast to their forefathers - not pollute but cleanse the land.

Here we see a concrete result of the renewal of the people by the Spirit of Yhwh and their receiving of the Spirit of Yhwh. By glorifying himself (הכבדי) in this way, Yhwh will bring it about that the people of Israel receive a name (Ezek 39:13). Thus Israel has a share in the glorious acts of Yhwh.⁴¹ It is remarkable that in Ezek 39:13 we do not see a connection between the glory of Yhwh and his own name, as is usual in the OT, but rather we see a relationship between the glory of Yhwh and the name of people of Israel.⁴²

In the context of the relationship between the glory of Yhwh and the Spirit of Yhwh, it is especially Ezek 39:21-29 that is important. This passage is not only the conclusion of the Gog pericope but also the bridge to the final vision of Ezekiel.⁴³ Both the כבוד (Ezek 39:21) and the רוח of Yhwh (Ezek 39:29) are mentioned in this unit. Ezekiel 39:21-24 and Ezek 39:25-29 are two tableaux of a balanced and symmetrical whole.⁴⁴

 

 

These tableaux show us the relationship between the manifestation of the כבוד of Yhwh and the fact that he no longer hides his face from the people of Israel. Closely related to this last fact is the outpouring of the Spirit of Yhwh mentioned in Ezek 39:29. Nowhere else in Ezekiel is the close relationship between the כבוד of Yhwh and רוח of Yhwh as clearly visible as here. This occurrence is very important because of the bridging function that Ezek 39:21-29 has with regard to the final vision of Ezekiel: the vision of the return of the כבוד of Yhwh. What was already made clear in Ezek 36-37 is repeated here: the return of the כבוד of Yhwh is only possible once the רו_ח of Yhwh is given to or poured out upon the people of Israel.

By the complete destruction of Gog and his allies, Yhwh displays his glory among the nations (ונתתי את־בבוךי בגרם) (Ezek 39:21). כבוד always refers to the כבוד of Yhwh in conjunction with the verb נתן and syntactically is in these cases always the object of the sentence. In all the other cases where the כבוד of Yhwh is the object of נתן, it never contains the element of hypostasis.⁴⁵ Because of the fact that נתן in Ezek 39:21 is connected with the preposition ב, Daniel I. Block thinks of כבוד almost as an objective, concrete reality like the glory that went before the people of Israel during their wanderings through the wilderness and that took up residence in the sanctuary.⁴⁶ I am more hesitant than Block to see this element in Ezek 39:21. When used in the sense of hypostasis, as is the case with the other occurrences of the כבוד of Yhwh in Ezekiel, the כבוד of Yhwh is always connected with the temple or with the heavens as its dwelling place. Nevertheless, I do not completely reject Block's proposal that also in this passage כבוד has the notion of hypostasis.

In Ezek 39:21, כבוד is deployed above all in the sense of the mighty and glorious power of Yhwh. This is undergirded by the words parallel to כבוד in Ezek 39:21, namely משפט (judgment) and יד (hand). Also, Block says that if the prophet initially had the sight of the glory of Yhwh as an objective, con-crete reality, he quickly moves from the visual image to the experience of his interfering presence in human history.⁴⁷ The glory of Yhwh is revealed in the return of the house of Jacob and in Yhwh's mercy on them. In these mighty acts in which his glory is manifested, Yhwh shows that he is jealous for his holy name. In a secondary sense, the notion of the כבוד of Yhwh as a hypostasis may be present here.⁴⁸

The judgment upon Israel is worded in Ezek 39:23-24 with the expres-sion that Yhwh hides his face (סתר פנים) from the house of Israel. The depar-ture of the כבוד of Yhwh, narrated in Ezek 8-11, was the concrete expression of the hiding of the face of Yhwh. The result was the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. That Yhwh hides his face no longer is not only seen in the fact the he manifests his כבוד among the nations, but also - and, we may say, even more so - in the outpouring of his רוח upon the house of Israel.

In the past, Yhwh had poured (שפך) out his wrath (חמה) and indignation (זעם) on the house of Israel because of their sins and transgressions against him (Ezek 7:8; 9:8; 14:19; 20:8, 13, 21, 33, 34; 22:22, 31; 36:18).⁴⁹ The outpouring of blood (דם) by the house of Israel is especially mentioned as the cause for this (Ezek 16:38; 18:10; 22:3, 6, 9, 12, 27; 23:45; 33:25; 36:18). Besides, it is stated that the lovers of Israel's youth (the Egyptians) had poured out their whoring lust (תזנות) upon her (Ezek 23:8).

The outpouring of his Spirit by Yhwh is the reverse of the outpouring of his wrath and indignation.⁵⁰ It causes the end of the outpouring of blood, of whoring lusts and of any other form of unrighteousness, because after Israel has been gathered in from all the nations, the Spirit of Yhwh makes Israel able and willing to walk in the statutes of Yhwh. The fact that Yhwh no longer turns away his face, the manifestation of his glory and his hand, and the outpouring of his Spirit, all refer to the same action of Yhwh.⁵¹

The Spirit of Yhwh is the manifestation of his very being.⁵² In Ps 139:7, the psalmist confesses that it is not possible to escape from the Spirit or face of Yhwh. In Ps 104:29-30, Yhwh's hiding of his face is seen as the cause of death or the end of life of creatures, and the sending of his Spirit as the cause of the giving and renewal of life. Just as in Ps 104:24-26 and 139:7, so in Ezek 39:29 the close relationship between the Spirit and the face of Yhwh is expressed. In Ps 51:13 (11), the psalmist expresses his fear that God will take his holy Spirit from him. The Spirit of Yhwh signifies the presence of the very being of Yhwh as the cause of joy and gladness (Ps 51:14 [12]).⁵³

The notion of the outpouring of the רוח shows us that רו_ח must be seen in this context as a kind of objective divine reality that imbues men.⁵⁴ We can even say that in this context, the רו_ח is regarded as a kind of liquid. The verb שפך is used literally in the OT of ash (Lev 4:12), blood (either in sacrifice [Exod 29:12] or murder [Gen 9:6]) or other pourable substances (Exod 4:9). When he outpours his Spirit, Yhwh is present in his very being among and within men. In the OT, we have six occurrences of the expression of the out-pouring of the רו_ח of Yhwh. Three times, the verb שפך is used.⁵⁵ The outpour-ing of the רו_ח of Yhwh inaugurates the new age of salvation.⁵⁶ We see this ele-ment in all the occurrences of the announcement of this event in the OT.⁵⁷

The final age, the age of salvation, is the age of the Spirit. The Spirit of Yhwh, which was only imparted intermittently under the OT dispensation, will in the final age be the possession of all God's people. The outpouring of the Spirit is the sign and seal of the renewed covenant of Yhwh. It is a mark of the ownership of Yhwh. As the sign and seal of the renewed covenant, the outpouring of the Spirit is also the guarantee of new life, peace and prosperity.⁵⁸ By pouring out his Spirit on Israel, Yhwh guarantees that the destruction of the city and the temple will never happen again. Through all subsequent ages, Israel will live in peace and prosperity in the land, walking in the statutes of Yhwh.

The outpouring of the Spirit of Yhwh is the answer of Yhwh to the Exile. Psalm 51: 12 (10) speaks of the presence of Yhwh in the form of his Spirit in the individual believer. When the promise of the outpouring of his Spirit is fulfilled by Yhwh, he is present in and with the whole people of Israel, and indeed in a more abundant way than ever was the case before. Never will there be any cause to fear that Yhwh will hide his face and take away his Spirit. When Yhwh pours out his Spirit, he will make known his holy name and will not let his holy name be profaned any more (Ezek 39:7).

The promise of the outpouring of the Spirit surpasses the gift of the Spirit mentioned in Ezek 36-37. In Ezek 36:27, the Spirit enacts moral transformation; in Ezek 37:10 he gives life, signifying the return from exile and spiritual rebirth. Ezekiel 39:29 alludes to the challenge uttered by Moses: "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them" (Num 11:29).

In accordance with Joel 3:1, 2 (2:28, 29) we must suppose that the gift of prophecy is given to the whole people. In the redeemed land, there will be a prince (the title of kingship is not accorded to the ruler in the final vision). There will be priests (a high priest will no longer be necessary).⁵⁹ Prophets are no longer needed, because all Israelites will be prophets. While Ezekiel had in his own day to warn of false prophetesses (Ezek 13), in the age of salvation false prophecy will never be a danger again.⁶⁰

Because the Spirit of Yhwh is the manifestation of his very being, we can say that in the future Yhwh will be present in the hearts of Israel in the way of a kind of hypostasis. The presence of Yhwh in the hearts of his people by means his Spirit, has a counterpart in his presence by means his glory in the future temple. So we now turn of the final vision of Ezekiel.

 

F FINAL VISION: THE MEASURE OF THE SANCTUARY AND ITS OBJECTS

It is clear that once Yhwh has conquered Gog, Israel will never again be frightened or assaulted by any enemy. The hiding of Yhwh's face was expressed in the destruction of the city and its temple. This was only possible because the כבוד of Yhwh had departed from the sanctuary. When Yhwh has outpoured his Spirit and no longer hides his face from Israel, the only thing that will still be lacking is a new sanctuary as the abode to which the כבוד of Yhwh can return. In Ezek 36-37 and Ezek 39:21-29, a description is given of how Yhwh will have prepared the people of Israel, by the giving and outpouring of his Spirit, for the return of the כבוד of Yhwh to a new sanctuary. Although a new sanctuary was already promised in Ezek 37:26-27, in Ezek 40-48 the real-ity of this sanctuary with a new city and a renewed land is portrayed in detail. In contradistinction to the former situation, the sanctuary lies outside the city. The sanctuary is the center and the city is subordinated to it.⁶¹

Both the city and the sanctuary lie in a sacred square, 25,000 cubits long and 25,000 cubits broad, as described in Ezek 45:1-6. Unique to the HB is the emphasis here not only on the holiness of the sanctuary but also its environ-ment. The holy square is called קדש קדשים (Ezek 45:3; 48:12). The only differ-ence in the designation of the adytum, or innermost part of the sanctuary, is the absence of the definite article. The most holy place is called קדש הקךשים (Ezek 41:4).

The city, which itself is a square of 4,500 cubits long by 4,500 cubits broad (Ezek 48:16), is located in the southern part of the greater square. This part itself is 25,000 cubits long and 5,000 cubits broad. The sanctuary, too, has the form of a square. Its length is 500 cubits and its breadth 500 cubits (Ezek 42:16-20; 45:2). The form of a square is very important in the Book of Ezekiel. Like the number twenty-five and its multiples, it is a symbol for holiness and sanctity.

We cannot be completely sure whether it is the quarter of the priests or the quarter of the Levites, both of which are 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad, that is located at the northern side of the sacred square. I prefer the view that the quarter of the priests, in whose midst the sanctuary is situated, forms the middle part of the sacred square. If so, then the sanctuary, having the altar as its own center, is at the very center of the sacred square.⁶² Block prefers the view that the quarter of the priests is located to the north side. His argument is that we see an ongoing gradation of holiness as we move from the south to the north. There is an intensification of holiness and sanctity running from the city and its suburbs in the south to the quarter allocated to the Levites and the quarter of the Zadokite priests in the north, and in the middle of it lays the sanctuary.⁶³1 leave it to the reader to decide which view he or she prefers.

Just as the victory of Gog was solely the work of Yhwh, the same is true for the new sanctuary. While in the case of the building of the tabernacle (Exod 25:1-9) and Solomon's temple (1 Chr 29:1-9) preparations are men-tioned in the form of the gathering of materials, this is not the case with the sanctuary in the final vision of the book of Ezekiel. The final bright future of Israel is exclusively the product of the monergistic actions of Yhwh ⁶⁴

The sanctuary that Ezekiel sees in his final vision is not built by man ⁶⁵ The only thing Ezekiel has to do is to measure and describe it. Apart from the outer wall surrounding the whole complex of the sanctuary, the tables where the sacrifices are slaughtered, the altar and the table in the holy part of the sanctuary, only measures of length and breadth are given. What is really important is that in moving from the outer wall to the holy of holies, there is an increasing degree of holiness. In the tabernacle in the wilderness, there were three spheres of holiness; in Solomon's temple five; and in the sanctuary that is shown to Ezekiel, seven (note that number again). We may speak, then, of graduated holiness. The key function is the sacrificial service.

Apart from the outer wall, which stresses the border between the sanctuary inside and all that lies outside, the only heights is mentioned are of those objects of the sanctuary that have directly to do with the sacrificial service. These are the four tables used for the slaughtering of the sacred animals, the table for the bread and the altar. All these objects are constructed as squares. The breadth and the length of the four tables is a cubit and a half (Ezek 40:42), those of the table for the bread two cubits (Ezek 41:22) and those of the altar hearth twelve cubits (Ezek 43:16). Thus the centrality of sacrificial service is underlined in more than one way.

 

G THE FINAL VISION: THE RETURN OF THE GLORY OF YHWH

Between the description of the sanctuary itself (Ezek 40:6-42:20) and the description of the altar and its initiation (Ezek 43:12/13-27), we have the report of the return of the כבוד of Yhwh to the most holy place (Ezek 43:1-11/12).⁶⁶ Just as the כבוד of Yhwh left the sanctuary from the east, it now returns from the same direction (Ezek 43:3-5). When the כבוד of Yhwh has entered the most holy place, the prophet is lifted up by the Spirit (רוח) and brought to the inner court of the temple. It may be said that because he is enabled by the רו_ח of Yhwh to be in the right location, the prophet sees that the כבוד of Yhwh fills the sanctuary or house of Yhwh and hears the כבוד of Yhwh speaking out of the most holy place (Ezek 43:5-6). In this way, the relationship between the כבוד of Yhwh and the רו_ח of Yhwh is indicated in the final vision. Apart from its uses in the meaning of "side" (Ezek 42:16-20), this is the only occurrence of the word ריח in the final vision of Ezekiel.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that the chariot with the cherubim is not mentioned in the final vision of Ezekiel. The new sanctuary replaces the func-tion of the chariot with the cherubim. The same word כסא (throne) that is used in Ezek 1:26 and 10:1 for that chariot is used in Ezek 43:7 for the sanctuary. This also serves to explain for the elaborate and detailed description of the sanctuary found in the final vision of Ezekiel. The new sanctuary is both the place of the throne of Yhwh and the place of soles of his feet (Ezek 43:7). In the Book of Ezekiel, these designations are not used for the old temple in Jerusalem. The only reason that that temple is mentioned by the prophet at all is to lay bare Israel's contempt of Yhwh in having defiled his name. The disconti-nuity between the old and the new sanctuary is emphasized in Ezekiel.⁶⁷

No king or priests are involved in the return of the כבוד of Yhwh to the temple. Here too, we see the difference between the old and new sanctuary. David had brought the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6). Given that no human involvement or preparation at all is mentioned with regard to the building of the sanctuary, the return of the כבוד of Yhwh is solely an action of Yhwh himself. That the new sanctuary has no ark must not be seen in any way as a deficiency. The absence of the ark from the new sanctuary stresses that only the presence of the כבוד of Yhwh itself matters and not a physical symbol of it.

The presence of the כבוד of Yhwh in the new sanctuary makes the dwelling of Yhwh in the midst of the people of Israel a reality. In the future, his holy name will not be defiled any more (Ezek 43:7). No sacrifices whose blood must be brought into the holy place or the most holy place will be needed any more. Once the כבוד of Yhwh has entered the sanctuary, the eastern gate of the outer court will be shut forever (Ezek 45:1). Never will the כבוד of Yhwh leave the temple again.

The appropriate response of the people of Israel to the return of the כבוד of Yhwh as described by Ezekiel is that they are ashamed (nip'al of כלם) of all the iniquities they have committed (Ezek 43:10, 11). In Ezek 36:32, we find this reaction described as commanded. There, it is a consequence of the gift of the רוח of Yhwh.⁶⁸ So the inward gift of the רו_ח of Yhwh and the outward manifestation of the כבוד of Yhwh both lead to being ashamed. By means of the shared root כלם, a link is made between the gift of the רו_ח of Yhwh and the כבוד of Yhwh.

 

H THE FINAL VISION: THE TEMPLE RIVER

Indirectly, as I shall show now, there is a strong hint as to the working of the ח_ח of Yhwh in the vision of the temple river in Ezek 47:1-11. In Ezek 47:1, the prophet sees water flowing from underneath the threshold of the sanctuary eastward. The prophet's excitement at the scene is reflected by the literary quality of the report, just as it was in his first vision of the כבוד of Yhwh.⁶⁹ The placement of this passage before the subdivision of the land among the tribes is essential. The water flowing from the sanctuary makes the tribal allotments equally fertile.

The main obstacle to be overcome is the barren wilderness of Judah. Now, Yhwh restores this wilderness to the state that surpasses her remote past, even though that past already had an Edenic character (Gen 13:10). The Dead Sea is known for its inability to support fish, but after the stream of water from the sanctuary has reached it, it teems with a great variety of fish comparable to the fish stocks of the Mediterranean Sea (Ezek 47:10). On the banks of the river and the shores of the Dead Sea (which name is no longer appropriate), all kinds of trees grow.

The symbolism of water in reference to the Spirit of God is not as obvi-ous in the Hebrew as is sometimes claimed, but some passages certainly sug-gest a connection (Isa 44:3; Neh 9:20).⁷⁰ The main symbolic connection between water and Spirit is the life-giving property of water. Ezekiel 36 sets out a connection between the moral renewal of the people of Israel by the Spirit of Yhwh (Ezek 36:27) and the gift of fertility to the land (Ezek 36:29-30).

The water originates from the place where the כבוד of Yhwh is present. The connection between the כבוד of Yhwh and the water flowing from under-neath the threshold of the sanctuary is made by the word מפתן (threshold). The word מפתן occurs four times in the Book of Ezekiel. Three times, it is con-nected with the departure of the כבוד of Yhwh from the sanctuary (Ezek 9:3; 10:4, 18). This last occurrence of מפתן in Ezek 47:1 is inseparable from the fact that the כבוד of Yhwh is present in the most holy place of the sanctuary. The stream of life-giving water flowing from under the threshold is a result and fruit of this presence.

The final vision of the Book of Ezekiel ends with the name of the new city. In Ezek 39:16, the new name for the city is given as Hamonah, a name derived from the word המון, a noun meaning "roar," "murmur," "crowd" or "abundance." While in the first part of the Book of Ezekiel המון is connected with the sin of Jerusalem and of the land (Ezek 5:7; 7:12-14; 23:40-42), in Ezek 39 it relates to the glorious victory of Yhwh over the armies of Gog and his allies. Hamonah as a city (Ezek 39:16) derives its name from the valley of the המון of Gog, where the bones of the soldiers of the armies of Gog and his allies are buried (Ezek 39:15).

The final name given to the new city, however, is far more glorious than the name Hamonah that it has already received. This name is not Jerusalem or New Jerusalem, but "Yhwh is there" (Ezek 48:35). In this name, both the pres-ence of Yhwh in the form of his כבוד in the sanctuary and his presence in the form of his רוח in the hearts of his people come together, although the empha-sis must fall on the כבוד of Yhwh as being identical with Yhwh himself more than his ריח is. In the final vision, the city is subordinated to the sanctuary, but its name is programmatic for the whole vision.

 

I CONCLUSION

A deliberate play on the different meanings of ריח is clearly part of the agenda of Ezekiel. Characteristic of Ezekiel is the great prominence that he gives to the רו_ח of Yhwh. The way in which Ezekiel refers to the רו_ח of Yhwh can be seen as a hint that the ריח of Yhwh was regarded by the prophet as a kind of inde-pendent or at least semi-independent personality. Although this point must not be overemphasized, it must not be overlooked either.

The רו_ח of Yhwh energizes Ezekiel to stand up before the כבוד of Yhwh and to do his work as a prophet. In this respect, the prophet is a model for the people of Israel. It is the רו_ח that as the central gift of the new age accomplishes the moral renewal of Israel. The ריח enables the people of Israel to live in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of Yhwh. By the out-pouring of the ריח, all the people of Israel are made prophets.

For Ezekiel, the gift of the רו_ח of Yhwh is a prerequisite for the return of the כבוד of Yhwh. Only because the people of Israel are renewed by the ריח of Yhwh will they no longer defile his holy name. The abiding and never-ending presence of the כבוד of Yhwh is only possible because the people of Israel are renewed by the ריח of Yhwh and have received his רו_ח. Fundamental to the enabling of the presence of the רו_ח of Yhwh in the hearts and lives of the people of Israel is the acknowledgment of their iniquities. In terms of system-atic theology, we can say that Ezekiel emphasizes godly sorrow for sin as a result of the presence and the work of the Spirit of God.

The river flowing from underneath the threshold of the sanctuary is an indirect reference to the רוח of Yhwh. So, indirectly, Ezekiel portrays the ריח of Yhwh also as a source of renewal of the land of Israel and especially of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea. The fact that the river flows from underneath the threshold of the sanctuary indicates that the presence of the כבוד of Yhwh in the most holy place is its source. There are several connections between the presence of the כבוד of Yhwh in the sanctuary and the רו_ח of Yhwh working and abiding both in the hearts of the people and the land.

The message of the transformation of a community, followed by the final vision where Yhwh is evidently present in the sanctuary and the city, is the center and climax of the message of Yhwh to Ezekiel. The presence of the רו_ח of Yhwh in the hearts and lives of the people of Israel is closely related to the presence of the כבוד of Yhwh in the sanctuary. These are the reasons that the new city can be named Yhwh is there.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Correspondence:
Dr. Pieter de Vries,
Faculty of Theology
Free University
Amsterdam, De Boele-laan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Email: p.de.vries@vu.nl

 

 

1 Daniel I. Block, "The Prophet of the Spirit: The Use of RWH in the Book of Eze-kiel," JETS 32 (1989), 28; Wilf Hildebrandt, An Old Testament Theology of the Spirit of God (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 187-190.
2 Pieter de Vries, "Ezekiel: Prophet of the Name and Glory of Yhwh - The Charac-ter of His Book and Several of Its Main Themes," JBPR 4 (2012): 107-108.
3 In Ezek 14:6 and 18:32, we find calls to repentance. In Ezek 18:32, just as in Ezek 33:11, Yhwh states that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but in that instance this statement is not confirmed with an oath.
4 Thomas Renz, The Rhetorical Function of the Book of Ezekiel (VTSup 76; Leiden: Brill, 1999), 128.
5 The first vision is found in Ezek 1-3, the second in Ezek 8-11, and the fourth and final in Ezek 40-48.
6 Ezek 36:26, 27; 37:1, 5, 6, 8, 9 (4x), 10, 14.
7 In Ezek 1:4-28, we find six such references.
8 Perhaps - but here I am a little more hesitant - it is not without significance that when we count the number of occurrences of the verbs פוץ and קבץ in close proxim-ity, we arrive at a total of twenty-four (Ezek 11:16, 17 (3); 20:23, 34, 41 (5); 22:15, 19-20 (3); 28:25 (2); 29:12-13 (3); 34:5, 12-13 (6); 36:19, 24 (2). When these verbs occur in each other5 s environment, they are always used in the context of exile and restoration.
9 Twelve of the fourteen dates given in Ezekiel have to do with what is known as the word-event formula. In Ezek 8-11, we find twelve occurrences of the verb ראה. Pieter de Vries, De heerlijkheid van Yhwh in het Oude Testament en in het bijzonder in het boek Ezechiel (Heerenveen, NL: Groen, 2010), 72, 488. The number is not as significant in Ezekiel as the numbers seven and twenty-five. This numbers and their multiplies appear quite often in Ezekiel.
10 This fact can also be seen as an indication that Ezek 36:23b-28 forms part of the original text of Ezekiel. Because Ezek 36:23b-38 is not found in Papyrus 967, Johan Lust has argued that it is a later addition. Johan Lust, "The Ezekiel Text," in Sdf'er Mahir: Essays in Honour of Adrian Schenker (VTSup 110; Leiden: Brill, 2006), 161. However, Floyd V. Filson has argued that the putative format of the source from which it was copied made it possible that a homoioteleuton was the reason why the scribe skipped such a long passage. Floyd V. Filson, "The Omission of Ezek 12:26-28 and 36:23b-38 in Codex 967," JBL 62/1 (1943), 27-32.
11 Apart from the occurrence in Ezek 44:6, we find that all the references to בית מדי occur in the first part of Ezekiel. The first of these references is in Ezek 2:5 and the last is in Ezek 24:3.
12 Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology (vol. 2; trans. David M. G. Stalker; Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd Ltd., 1965), 227.
13 Pieter de Vries, "The Relationship between the Glory of Yhwh and the Spirit of Yhwh in the Book of Ezekiel. Part One," JBPR 5 (2013): 125, 126.
14 Von Rad, Old Testament Theology 2, 235; Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 1-24 (NICOT; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing, 1997), 353; Daniel I. Block, "The View from the Top: the Holy Spirit in the Prophets," in Pres-ence, Power and Promise: The Role of the Spirit of God in the Old Testament (ed. David Firth and Paul D. Wegner; Nottingham: Apollos, 2011), 196.
15 De Vries, "Relationship," 126.
16 Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 25-48 (NICOT; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing, 1998), 361.
17 Walter Eichrodt, Theologie des Alten Testaments (vol. 2/3; 4th rev. ed.; Stuttgart: Ehrenfried Klotz Verlag, 1961), 33; Charles H. H. Scobie, The Ways of Our God: An Approach to Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing, 2003), 276; Benjamin B. Warfield, "The Spirit of God in the Old Testament," in Biblical and Theological Studies (ed. Samuel C. Craig; Philadelphia, Pa.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1968), 149. In the latter article, Warfield draws a Ezek strong distinction between what he calls the theocratic and the individual Spirit. More than Warfield does, I emphasize the corporate nature of the promised renewal. In the promised future, the theocratic and the individual work of the Spirit of Yhwh will cohere.
18 Block, "View from the Top," 202.
19 we find the same expectation in the writings of other prophets. werner H. Schmidt, Alttestamentlicher Glaube (11th rev. enl. ed.; Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlagsgesellschaft, 2011), 157.
20 De Vries, "Ezekiel," 103. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Calvin, who is known for his emphasis on the glory and sovereignty of God, has also been characterized as the theologian of the Holy Spirit. "But above all he gave to the Church the entire doctrine of the work of the Holy Spirit, profoundly conceived and wrought out in its details, with its fruitful distinctions of common and efficacious grace, of noëtic, aesthetic and thelematic effects, - a gift, we venture to think, so great, so pregnant with benefit to the Church as fairly to give him a place by the side of Augustine and Anselm and Luther, as the Theologian of the Holy Spirit, as they were respectively the Theologian of Grace, of the Atonement, and of Justification." Benjamin B. Warfield, Calvin and Augustine (ed. Samuel C. Craig; Philadelphia, Pa.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1980), 21. In Calvin's emphasis on the Spirit of God, too, we can detect a relationship between him and Ezekiel.
21 willem VanGemeren and Andrew Abernethy, "The Spirit and the Future: A Canonical Approach," in Presence, Power and Promise: The Role of the Spirit of God in the Old Testament (ed. David Firth and Paul D. Wegner; Nottingham: Apollos, 2011), 339.
22 See note 2.
23 Lloyd R. Neve, The Spirit of God in the Old Testament (Tokyo: Seibunsha, 1972; repr. Cleveland, Tenn.: CPT Press, 2011), 49.
24 In her commentary on Ezekiel, Margaret S. Odell points in this context to Augustine. Margaret S. Odell, Ezekiel (SHBC; Macon, Ga.: Smyth & Helwys, 2005), 422. Augustine (Conf. X, xxix, 40) said: "Give what you enjoin, and enjoin then what you will." I give here my own translation of the Latin text. I used Confessiones: Latin text with Dutch translation by Dr. A. Sizoo. 2nd rev. ed. Delft: W.D. Meinema, 1948 When we try to understand and describe the relationship between the responsibility of man and the powerful work of the Holy Spirit at work in man, we are approaching the boundaries of a pure biblical-theological approach to the data. Reflection upon this relationship always has a more or less systematic-theological character.
25 De Vries, Heerlijkheid, 303, 305, 397, 493-495; Michael A. Lyons, From Law to Prophecy: Ezekiel's Use of the Holiness Code (LHBOLS 507; New York: L&L Clark, 2009).
26 De Vries, Heerlijkheid, 397.
27 The phrase "אני יהןה" occurs 201 times in the OT, 87 of them in Ezekiel. De Vries, "Relationship," 120, note 40. The expression "ידע בי־אני יהוה" is even more typical of Ezekiel. Out of a total of 80 references in the OT, 64 of them are found in Ezekiel. To this figure of 64 must be added the five cases in which we have the expression " ידע כי־אני אדני יהוה." When we include these references, we have 69 occurrences in the book of Ezekiel out of a total of 80 in the OT.
28 See De Vries, "Relationship,114-116 יי.
29 See De Vries, "Relationship," 110, note 3.
30 Leslie C. Allen, Ezekiel 20-48 (WBC 29; Dallas, Tex.: Word Book Publisher, 1990), 182. When we take the hand of Yhwh as the subject, we have - as we might expect - a female verb-form in the first clause of Ezek 37:1 but a masculine form in the second part. Because of the preference of the Book of Ezekiel for masculine forms, this is not a fundamental objection. See De Vries, "Relationship," 119, 124. Also, if we understand יהוה as the subject, then רוח must be interpreted as the רו_ח of Yhwh.
31 Odell, Ezekiel, 451.
32 John Kutsko, Between Heaven and Earth: Divine Presence and Absence in the Book of Ezekiel (BJSt 7; Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2000), 101-149.
33 Richard E. Averbeck, "Breath, Wind, Spirit and the Holy Spirit in the Old Testa-ment," in Presence, Power and Promise: The Role of the Spirit of God in the Old Testament (ed. David Firth and Paul D. Wegner; Nottingham: Apollos, 2011), 35.
34 Block, Chapters 25-48, 377.
35 Averbeck, "Breath," 35.
36 De Vries, "Relationship," 117-119. Of the total number of thirty occurrences of רוח in status absolutus, eight bear the article (Ezek 1:12, 20 [2]; 5:2; 37:9 [2x], 10 [2x]). With the exception of Ezek 5:12, רוח refers to the Spirit of Yhwh. In Ezek 5:12 רו_ח has the meaning "wind." The context in which רו_ח is used here requires the article.
37 De Vries, "Relationship," 120.
38 Renz, Rhetorical Function, 209.
39 It is tempting to see the newness of this act of Yhwh also reflected in the language of Ezek 37. The use of qcital and weqätal forms where wciyyiqtôl forms would be expected is a feature of Late Biblical Hebrew that occurs throughout the Book of Eze-kiel (9:7; 13:6, 8; 19:12 ; 20:22; 25:12; 40:24, 35; 41:3, 8, 13, 15; 42:15). In Ezek 37:1-14, we find this feature five times: this is the highest density in Ezekiel. See Mark F. Rooker, Biblical Hebrew in Transition: The Language of the book of Ezekiel (JSOTSup 90; Sheffield: Sheffield University Press, 1990), 100-105; Moshe Green-berg, Ezekiel 21-37 (AB 22a; Garden City, Ν.Υ.: Doubleday & Company, 1997), 749.
40 De Vries, Heerlijkheid, 329, 330.
41 Block, Chapters 25-48, 470.
42 De Vries, Heerlijkheid, 127.
43 Ezekiel 39:21-29 is the interpretative conclusion of the Gog pericope. Certainly, this unit combines typical Ezekielian language with some linguistic features unique within the book of Ezekiel (e.g. רחם ;שבית !יעקב). That is no reason to deny the Ezeki-elian authorship of this unit. The special position of this unit within the book of Eze-kiel can be regarded as the explanation for this. Daniel I. Block, Beyond the River Chebar: Studies in Kingship and Eschatology in the book of Ezekiel (Eugene, Oreg.: Cascade Books, 2013), 122-124, 150-156.
44 Block, Chapters 25-48, 479.
45 1 Sam 6:5; Isa 42:8; 48:11; Jer 13:16; Mai 2:2; Ps 115:1.
46 Block, Chapters 25-48, 480-481.
47 Block, Chapters 25-48, 481.
48 The fact that the name (שם) of Yhwh is mentioned in Ezek 39:25 can serve as an argument that כבוד in Ezek 39:21 also has the notion of hypostasis. In the OT, we find many indications of a close relationship between the שם of Yhwh and the כבוד of Yhwh. De Vries, Heerlijkheid, 127. Although not to the same degree as the כבוד of Yhwh, the שם of Yhwh may have the features of a hypostasis. Tryggve N. D. Mettinger, The Dethronement of Sabaoth: Studies in the Shem and Kabod Theologies (trans. Frederic H. Cryer; ConBOT 18; Lund: Gleerup, 1982. Also the use of פנים (face) in Ezek 39:23, 24, 29 can be adduced as an argument that כבוד in Ezek 39:21 may have hypostasized traits. We may point to the close relationship between the פנים of Yhwh and the כבוד of Yhwh as a hypostasis in Exod 33:12-23. De Vries, Heerlijk- heid, 143. However, in the overall context of Ezek 39:21-29, the notion of a hyposta- sis for כבוד in Ezek 39:21 can at most be secondary.
49 In the first half of Ezekiel, we encounter the expression שפך חמה seven times (Ezek 7:8; 9:8; 14:19; 20:8, 13, 21; 22:22). It is tempting to see this as no mere coincidence, given the importance of the number seven in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezek 20:33, 34, we find the expression המה שפוכה.
50 Not only in the book of Ezekiel but also throughout the whole prophetic corpus, the verb שפך is used almost exclusively in a negative sense: the outpouring of blood, fornication, anger.
51 In my article on the relationship between the glory and the Spirit of Yhwh in the first part of the Book of Ezekiel, I have already pointed to the fact that the hand of Yhwh and the Spirit of Yhwh share the connotation of power. They are closely related concepts. De Vries, "Relationship,114-116
52 Jamie A. Grant, "Spirit and Presence in Psalm 139," in Presence, Power and Promise: Hie Role of the Spirit of God in the Old Testament (ed. David Firth and Paul D. Wegner; Nottingham: Apollos, 2011), 35.
52 Block, Chapters 25-48, 141.
53 Neve, Spirit of God, 74 argues that the Spirit of the presence of the fullness of the being of Yhwh appeared for the first time in the exilic period. He thinks that prior to that, it only referred to the mind, power or will of Yhwh. This seems to me to be an overstatement. In particular, Ps 51:13 (11) points in another direction. Positing Ps 51 in the exilic period would make Neve's argument a case of circular reasoning.
54 Cf. De Vries, "Relationship," 111,112.
55 Isa 32:15 (with the verb 44:3 ;(ערה (with the verb יצק); Ezek 39:29; Joel 3:1, 2 (2:28, 29); Zech 12:10.
56 Scobie, Ways of Our God, 275.
57 Joel 3:1, 2 (2:28, 29) is the closest parallel to Ezek 39:29. Usually, Ezek 39:29 is seen as an allusion to Joel 3:1,2 (2:28, 29). However, the reverse is also possible, due to uncertainties in the dating of the material.
58 Block, Chapters 25-48, 488; Block "View from the Top," 204, 205.
59 De Vries, "Ezekiel," 102, 103.
60 In Isa 32:15, the outpouring of the Spirit can be seen as a reversal of the outpouring of a spirit of deep sleep in Isa 29:10.
61 De Vries, "Ezekiel," 106, 107.
62 De Vries, Heerlijkheid, 368.
63 Block, Beyond the River Chebar, 180.
64 Ralph W. Klein, Israel in Exile: A Theological Interpretation (OBT; Philadelphia, Penn.: Fortress Press, 1979), 95; Jacqueline E. Lapsley, Can These Bones Live? The Problem of Moral Self in the Book of Ezekiel (BZAW 301; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2000), 160-173. '
65 De Vries, "Ezekiel," 107.
66 Ezekiel 43:12 can be interpreted both as the end of the description of the sanctuary followed by the report of the return of the כבוד of Yhwh and as the beginning of the legislation that follows. De Vries, Heerlijkheid, 358.
67 De Vries, Heerlijkheid, 360.
68 See page 5.
69 Block, Chapters 25-48, 689-690.
70 Hildebrandt, Spirit of God, 62-66.