From http://www.templestudiesgroup.com/Symposia.htm:

Symposium V will be held on Saturday 2 July 2011, 10am-4pm. Since 2011 is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, the subject will be The Temple Hidden in the Bible.

• Dr Paul Joyce [Oxford] Images of the first Temple hidden in Ezekiel.

• Dr David Sheppard [Chester] The Temple hidden in the Isaiah Targum.

• Dr Scott Mandelbrote [Cambridge] Temple images in early printed Bibles.

• Dr Margaret Barker The Temple in Kings and Chronicles.

We cannot understand texts by simply reading them

–Mainstream Christianity is being converted into an ethical humanism–we are moving away from doctrines like the resurrection. The liturgy is being converted into an opportunity for celebration of ethical humanism–this is nothing short of a blasphemy. Souls need to understand the way the doors of eternity open (through the liturgy).

Written texts demand traditions of interpretation – most sacred things  need to be kept secret and are not written down. In the  liturgical texts of the Catholic Church, the Father has resolved the Fall of Adam. How does this flesh become eternal? Through what means are we resurrected? (These are answered in the liturgy)

Modern theology doesn’t understand priesthood – who is the priest?  What does priesthood effect? I (Dr Hemming) have learned much about the priesthood from my friends among the Latter-day Saints. Who does the Melchizedek Priesthood concern? Priesthood re-conciliates heaven to earth – provides a way for the fallen to  be before the throne of God continually – it is a means to theosis. It is the means given for us to return to God.

But priesthood is not mentioned in Genesis. In the  Testament of Adam, we read ”Adam, Adam do not fear, you wanted to be a god, and I will make you a god, but not now.”  Adam is speaking to Christ.

The Book of Treasures specifically says that Adam is a priest  — a high priest.

Adamic priesthood is linked to Aaronic priesthood – to be vested in gold garments of Onyx.

Both the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods are at work in the sacrifice of Abraham –- Levitical priesthood makes visible the works of the Melchizedek/Heavenly priesthood. The sacrifice on the earth parallels the sacrifice in heaven.

The Priesthood should be understood through the liturgical texts.

The Adamic/Levitical priesthood is how we offer gifts to God – the Melchizedek priesthood is how God translates our gifts into higher heavenly gifts.

The parts of the liturgy that have been removed are the parts that originally were not to be written down  — they weren’t written down until the Middle Ages, so people now think they were a late addition – but they weren’t meant to be shared.

In the liturgy, there used to be a “preparatory” sacrifice before the Eucharistic sacrifice. (The preparatory sacrifice representing the earthly/Levitical Priesthood and the Eucharistic sacrifice representing the heavenly/Melchizedek Priesthood) There are two different kinds of priesthood at work here. There is one that remains and one that was lost and needs to be restored. I desire that my church would restore this full understanding.

The bishop is meant to be a high priest.

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This was a fantastic paper and I apologize that my notes simply do not do it justice. I would be very pleased to see Dr Hemming continue with this research and look forward to his further results in the future.

Verbal Echoes of Genesis 1-3 in the New Testament

–Ordinary words; distinctive words; quoted words; Temple-related words.  There are many words in the Greek New Testament that seem to have been deliberately given preference (over other alternatives) to emphasize a relationship to the Temple.

Examples:

–”Serpent” lifted up in John 3

–John 15 – the “true vine” is a manifestation of Tree of Life

–Many verbal connections – 40 verbal echoes of Genesis in NT

–Adam’s rib — Jesus’ side = birth of faith for disciples

–Jesus is the way – the way back to Eden

–Jesus is the “icon” of God

–Jesus breathes upon the disciples and they receive the Holy Ghost

–Dust of tabernacle mingled with bitter water — in Septuagint it is “living waters”

Compilers of Bible didn’t make these connections explicitly, but write with the understanding that their listeners would be familiar with these temple themes.

Temple-Thematic Allusions to Adam

Eden and the Temple are very closely related. The Garden of Eden in Genesis is portrayed as a holy sanctuary.

Jubilees 3:26-27 — Adam offered incense on altar – a high priestly duty

The writers of the NT understood Eden and Adam in this temple context.

Good Samaratin – man comes down from holy place and falls among evil men – is revived by a redeemer

Parable of two sons serving in vineyard – one says he will do will of Father, other says “I” but does not go

See in OT: Psalm 82:7; Hosea 6:7; Job 31:33; Ezek. 28:11–19

In NT: John 8:58 “before Abraham.” Luke 10:18, 30.

Adam as a “Son of God” (Luke 3:38)

NT has positive view of Adam

Luke 3: 38 – Adam is son of God – Adam and Jesus are a pair

–Son of God is a title of kingship – Adam and Jesus are both kings

–Adam was to rule over all – NT claims this for Jesus

Son of Man –- according to Marvin Sweeney – Priest serving in temple is supposed to represent Adam, so Ben Adam (Son of Man) is an appropriate title

The Marriage of Adam and Eve (Matt. 19:3–9)

Matt. 19 – Gen. 2:24 — God joins man and woman in marriage — Adam is a married high priest – Malachi 2:10, 15 – wife of covenant (covenant marriage).

–Obligation of husband towards wife

–“cleave” – assumes covenantal loyalty

–”one in flesh” –establishment of new family unit — What God has joined together as one flesh

–”bone of my bone”  –2 Sam 5 – this is a covenantal formula — woman to be treated as part of man’s own body in covenant – “neither is man without woman and woman without man in the Lord”

Jubilees – Eden is the pinnacle of holiness – Adam serves as high priest there

– According to tradition, the high priest had to be married — Lev. 21:15 — marriage to a young virgin

–see also Ben Sira 49:15 – 50:1

–The high priest was required to atone for himself and his family — there is a tradition that there was a “standby wife” in case the high priest’s wife dies before the Day of Atonement — it was essential that he have a wife

Jesus was a high priest – Hebrews

Salvation through Childbearing and as a Righteous Couple (1 Tim. 2:13–15)

1 Tim. 2:13–15 – “she shall be saved through (dia) childbearing, if they (plural) continue in righteousness”

–Gen. 5:2 – man and woman together is Adam – rabbis said that he who is without a wife is not a complete person

–The couple as a complete “Adam”: 1 Cor. 11:11; Eph. 5:33; 1 Pet. 3:1–7

–parable of the wedding banquet — Christ as the bridegroom

Overcoming Physical Death through Christ (1 Cor. 15:20–23, 44–49)

1 Cor. 15:20–23 — all must die in order to be awakened to eternal life –-Gen. 3:17–19 —World to come is a return to that which existed before – return to the Temple

Paul’s chiastic and expansive use of Gen 2:7 (divine breath of life, pnoen zoes; mortal living soul, psychen zosan) — becomes: “The first man Adam was made a living soul (psychen zosa); the last Adam was made a quickening spirit (pneuma zoiopoioun).”

Where did Paul get idea of first and last Adam? Philo? Hellenistic Judaims? Stephen Molton argues that the resurrected Lord is still in the image of God- Power of last Adam to affect all mankind – opened temple to all people

Adam as an Archetype of Christ (Rom 5:14)

–Adam is archetype of Christ (Rom 5:14) – he is much more than the antitype – he is also the type. Parallels between the lives of Adam and the Son of Man echoed in the NT.

–Jesus is the gardener as Adam was ; both tempted by Satan ; both ate angels’ food; Adam’s body buried with incense; Eve saw Adam ascend to heaven; expulsion of Satan

–Compare Rom 5 to Hebrews — comparison of Adam and Jesus as high priest

–Without a temple theology, these connections do not make much sense

–In baptism we are stripped of garments given to adam and eve and given garments of glorious resurrection

The “Two Adams” window in the Cathedral of St. John in Lyon, France

Church is the assembly of the firstborns

Overcoming Sin through Christ (Rom 5:12–21)

Story of Adam and Eve is not a story of the origin of sin but process of becoming like God. Not inherited original sin, but sinfulness acquired by an evil course of life.

Corresponding one-to-one instances of grace, justification, and obedience.

The Restoration of All Things (Acts 3:21)

In baptism — clothing, death, resurrection (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3–4; 1 Cor. 15:53)

In community — unity, knowledge, perfect man, fullness (Eph 4:14)

In God’s image — form, likeness, glory, perfection (Phil. 2:5-6; 3:21)

Adam and Jesus serve as book ends – in the plan of salvation – we must be born in the physical and spiritual image of God.

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These notes from Jack Welch’s presentation are based on his handout and my own notes taken from his presentation. Please note that my posting of these notes from the Temple Studies Symposium is not necessarily done in the order that the speakers presented. Also, as I will be out of town the next few days and have no computer access, it may be a while before I can post the rest of my notes. My apologies! David Larsen

Adam and Eden are the beginning and the end of the Bible.

An overly literal reading of the text can obscure profound insights.

The Return to Eden was an important part of Christian teaching. See Cyril of Jerusalem, First Lecture on the Mysteries, 1.  Jesus is the last/second Adam & great high priest. The NT reverses story of Adam and Eve.

Original temple represented Garden of Eden. Sometimes the word “paradise” is not used in scripture — we often get forest, orchard, garden of delight, garden on plain, etc.

Ezekiel, a priest (Ezek. 1:3), described Eden as the mountain garden of the ‘elohim (Ezek. 28:13–14). The Genesis Eden was the garden where Yahweh of the Elohim (the “LORD God”) walked. Ezekiel’s Eden was the “garden of the gods” on the holy mountain of the gods/God (Ezek 28:12–19). The key figure in Ezekiel’s Eden became Adam. The figure in Ezekiel’s Eden was remembered as a high priest. In Ezekiel, the character driven out was the high priest. Ezekiel’s story is likely earlier than Genesis.

The figure in Ezekiel wore 9 different stones in Hebrew text, but twelve stones in Greek — just like high priest’s breastplate. He was a cherub, or was with the cherub.

In Exod. 25:8-9, 40 — Moses has a vision was the 6 days of creation. He had to replicate on earth what he had seen in his mounatin-top vision. Gen 1 = Exod. 14. The creation of Adam corresponds to the high priesthood.

The temple itself was built as a paradise place. The Great Hall of temple was decorated as a Garden, with cherubim and palm trees carved on the walls (Ezek. 41:15–20). The Temple was on a high mountain just as Ezekiel’s Eden is on high mountain (Ezek. 40:2).  He saw a river flowing from the temple, just as rivers had flowed from Eden (Ezek. 47:1–12).

Righteous are like trees in the temple of the Lord; there was a bronze serpent in temple; also a representation of the chariot(s) to the sun.

2 Enoch 8 — When the Lord returned to Paradise, he rested on throne under Tree of Life; When he returned to Paradise, seated on the chariot of cherubim, all the plants came into bloom, and the throne was set by the tree of life (Apocalypse of Moses 22:3-4).

The temple as Eden was the setting of the Book of Revelation: the heavenly city as a huge holy of holies (Rev. 21:15–16), the tree of life and the heavenly throne, the river of the water of life (Rev. 22:1–2).  – Christians in Holy of Holies. eating fruit of Tree of Life; restored access to the Tree of Life (Rev. 2:7; 22:3-4)

Adam created male and female in Gen. 1, and in Gen. 2 was formed from dust and then given breath of the Lord (Gen. 2:7). Breath of Life — ritual for giving life, power of speech. Only in Garden was Adam separated into distinct male and female beings. He was set “to till and to keep”. Word for till, ‘bd, is technical term for temple service, and keep, shmr, meant to preserve the tradition. Jewish interpretations did not think this was a command about gardening (Genesis Rabbah XVI.5).

Jubilees — Adam had to wait 40 days before entering Eden; Eve — 80 days — purification (Jub. 3:8-14). Adam burned incense as he left Eden (Jub. 3:27). Noah knew Eden as the holy of holies, and the dwelling of the Lord (Jub 8:19).

Apocalypse of Moses — Adam lost his garment of glory, the righteousness with which he had been clothed (Apoc. Moses 20:1–2). St Ephrem, “God clothed Adam with glory” (Commentary on Genesis 2). Adam and Eve in Paradise –garments of glory and beauty – Adam had been clothed with glory in Eden (Book of the Cave of Treasures, I). –Genesis doesn’t say what garment was lost.

At Qumran they wanted to regain “all the glory of Adam”…The knowledge of the Most High…the wisdom of the sons of heaven.” (Community Rule IV)

Adam’s garment of glory was woven by Wisdom, and Adam was proverbially wise -Job 15:7–8 — “are you the first man that has listened in the council of God?”

–clothing of Wisdom — like clothing of high priest; symbolism of vestments (Ben Sira 6:30-31), c.f. Teaching of Silvanus CG VII.4.89, 91; also Gospel of Thomas 78.

Life of Adam and Eve is background to Genesis: — Satan was driven from from Heaven and vowed revenge, as in Qur’an (see Life of Adam and Eve 12-16).

–Satan refused to worship Adam — he claimed was greater/older than Adam — Satan expelled from Heaven for this

This is the story behind Psalm 2 and Jesus’ temptations (Luke 4:7).

–Deut. 32:43

–Heb. — all angels are to worship the Son

–Devil asks Second Adam to worship him, to reverse his ancient humiliation

–angels serve Jesus on throne in the wilderness

–all heaven and earth worship the one on the throne

–possible that Adam and Eve story is far more ancient than book of Genesis, instead of a late fabrication

Ezekiel’s visions of the chariot throne leaving the temple were Adam leaving the temple/Eden. The “form and appearance” are technical temple terms. –Forms of the living gods, forms of living spirits — Similar ideas in the Qumran Songs of Sabbath Sacrifice — “form” often translated as Rock — should be the “invisible heavenly form”.

Later teachers–sin made it impossible for Adam to know his true self “Because of sin, it was not given for man to know the d’mut on high; were it not for this sin, all the keys would be given to him and he would know how the heavens and the earth were created…” (Abot de R Nathan, A39)

–King of Tyre was the invisible form of the King of Israel — the fallen high priest figure– Charges against Ezekiel’s fallen high priest figure resemble the words the words to unfallen Adam in Genesis

Adam is the image of the “form” of God

“Be beautiful and great and fill the earth with glory” — may be related to Adam being tall, lustrous, glorious

Genesis Adam was to subdue, kbsh, the earth and have dominion, rdh. But Micah 7:18–19 suggests “binding up” our iniquities.  Adam’s work was one of Atonement — upholding the eternal covenant, binding all things together. “Have dominion” rdh, understood as in 1 Kgs 4:21–24.

–Ezekiel’s vision — Adam’s duty to “subdue” is in Ezekiel “to seal”. Ezekiel’s jewelled figure perfect in beauty perfect in beauty and full of wisdom: Adam beautiful and wise. Jewelled figure corrupted wisdom and become proud through its beauty, filling the earth with vilence, and achieved only greatness in commerce.

–Who was the snake? There was a bronze snake in temple until Hezekiah destroyed it. — Wisdom promises to open eyes and make sons of God, like Satan’s promise (Gen. 3:5)–Satan took the form of the symbol of Wisdom, his first deception. (Think Satan as serpent is similar to “devil coming as an angel of light”)

–Adam’s disobedience was his attitude towards knowledge; he intended to eat Wisdom from the tree of life (Prov. 3:18). He  chose knowledge of good and evil over “wisdom”

Before he sinned, Adam could hear the song of the seraphim singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Testament of Adam 1:4), as in Isaiah 6. Adam took gold, frankincense and myrrh from Eden to remind him of the garden, the temple, that he had lost, and these were buried with him (Testament of Adam 3:6). The magi bringing them as gifts to Jesus is the first sign in the New Testament of the new Adam.

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This material is based on Margaret Barker’s handout together with notes of my own taken from her presentation.

Temple Church, London

The fourth Temple Studies Group Symposium will be on Saturday 6 November 2010, 10am-4pm at the Temple Church, London. Please note that Saturday access to the Temple Church is only via the Tudor Street entrance.

Confirmed speakers:

Professor Robert Hayward, Durham University; Dr Douglas Hedley, University of Cambridge; The Rev. Canon Dr Peter Doll, Norwich Cathedral; Professor John Welch, Brigham Young University, Utah; The Rev Dr Laurence Hemming, Lancaster University; Dr Margaret Barker.

Booking details:

Further details about the speakers will appear on this website. The cost for attending this Symposium is £35.00. The concession price for students with proof of status is £5.00. Booking a place in advance is essential, via templestudiesgroup@hotmail.co.uk. Payment may be made on the day in cash or by cheque payable to ‘Temple Studies Group’.