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Spiritual Role of the Jerusalem Temple in History and Tradition

Spiritual Role of the Jerusalem Temple in History and Tradition

WONG Fook Kong

This article investigates the spiritual role of the Jerusalem temple from the perspective of creation and temple building. On the one hand, the creation story in Genesis does not mention divine temple building activity like some other ancient Near Eastern creation stories. On the other hand, the importance of the Jerusalem temple for Jewish spirituality is undeniable. Thus the question of whether or to what extent it was important during the period of its existence arises. It is the thesis of this paper that while the Jerusalem temple has always been important, it was more important in traditions than in the history of its existence. As early as the period of the Pentateuch and some of the psalms, there arose a notion of the temple that went beyond that of a local shrine in Jerusalem. This probably corresponded to a more universal concept of YHWH than that of a local god. As YHWH was understood as the God of the world, the world became his temple. From this perspective the creation story in Genesis does not lack temple building activity; creation itself was the temple. It is this cosmic vision of the temple that became important in Jewish spirituality, especially after the destruction of the Second Temple.

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Message from the Editor of Issue 48

Editor's Note: Wu Guojie Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the number of people infected worldwide has exceeded 250 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 5 million. This number does not include poor third-world countries with weak testing capabilities and inability to determine the cause of death. Due to the epidemic, the lives, economy, and travel of people around the world have been affected to varying degrees; for example, people have to wear masks when going out, maintain social distance, the number of gatherings is limited, quarantine is required when entering the country, travel has been greatly reduced, related industries have laid off employees, and unemployment has Rates thus increase and so on. In this environment, church gatherings have also been affected to a considerable extent. During the period when the epidemic was severe and gatherings were restricted, physical church gatherings were suspended, and online live broadcasts and video conversations became necessary alternative modes; even if the epidemic eased and physical gatherings reopened, online Synchronization has also become the new normal. In the face of this disaster, which is called the "pandemic of the century," what resources does the Christian faith have that can help the church respond and turn the crisis into an opportunity? This issue of "Sandow Journal" takes "Epidemics and Disasters" as the theme, and brings together different scholars to discuss it from the perspectives of the two Testaments, doctrinal theology, and practical theology, hoping to enlighten modern Christians on how to deal with the challenges of this era. ...