Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-89).

Thesis (Th. D.)--Grace Theological Seminary. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 189-207).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Temple Baptist Theological Seminary, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-105).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Grace Theological Seminary, 1983. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [61-68]).

Thesis (Th. D.)--Grace Theological Seminary, 1981. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [226]-237).

Thesis (Th. D.)--Grace Theological Seminary, 1952. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-137) and index.

No description available.

The subject of this dissertation is the biblical Cherubim. The Cherubim are mentioned in a fairly small number of texts in the Hebrew Bible; nevertheless, they are described in quite diverse ways. For instance, one distinctive feature is their outward appearance, which is portrayed in radically different ways in several books of the Bible. Do these distinctions merely reflect the varied views of the biblical authors, or, from the perspective of the entire biblical canon, does this variety and mutability reveal an essential feature of their nature? My hypothesis is that there is, in fact, a certain nucleus of biblical notions about the Cherubim. I demonstrate that, although various biblical writers represent the specific characteristics of the outward appearances of the Cherubim in their own ways, these differences testify, essentially, to the dynamic, changeable nature of the Cherubim. By employing the canon of texts collected in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, this dissertation argues that changeability is, in fact, the central biblical image of the Cherubim. The critical method employed in this work is canonical criticism developed by Brevard Childs. To illustrate a canonical approach in action, I look at the different biblical appearances of the Cherubim, drawing both positive and negative inferences about the function, role, and nature of these creatures as understood by individual biblical writers in conversation with their larger cultural, religious, and literary contexts. At the same time, I compare and contrast these specific instances against the background of the entirety and variety of biblical appearances. If one connects these depictions of the Cherubim with other biblical accounts, the following conclusions can be reached. First of all, the Cherubim appear as agents and therefore are real creatures. Second, the apparent changeability of their countenance indicates that they are spiritual creatures. Third, they possess a great degree of perfection; they are in direct proximity to God's glory and, consequently, are somehow involved in it. On the basis of these traits, the Hebrew Bible views the Cherubim as a special class, as angels sui generis.

Three concepts of the revelation of God as Jesus- (1:14-18) are unfolded throughout the Gospel in terms ratification of the covenant of the presence (zapic) of God (Exodus 33:12-34:10 LXX). First, (1:14, 17; no hendiadys) alludes to (Exodus 34:6), both depicting the graciousness and consistency of God's character (, 1:14b; 17:22). Jesus possesses (1:14b) and bestows God's character onto believers (1:17; 17:6, 22, 26) by the means of the Holy Spirit (1:32-33; 7:39; 20:22) as the Holy Spirit is full of (3:34; 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 19:37 + Zechariah 12:10 LXX). The divine character and legal corpus complement each other in believers (14:22; 15:4-5; 17:11, 21-23; 20:23) thus fulfilling the Scripture (10:35; Jeremiah 31:31-33; Ezekiel 36:26-28f.). Second, (1:16) alludes to the six (Exodus 33:12; 33:13, 13, 16, 17; 34:9-10 LXX) requests to confirm the presence of God. Each occurrence of (1:16) denotes the presence of God: it was regained at Sinai, reinforced in Jesus, and retained through the Spirit. The Gospel depicts ratification of the covenant of the presence of God as Jesus in accord with its articles. Third, all four covenantal aspects of confirming the presence of God are evident in Jesus: 1) the visible appearance of God (1:14a, 14:9), 2) the intrinsic character of God (1:14b, 17; 17:22), 3) the miraculous splendour of God (in Jesus' incomparable signs, deeds, wonders, and marvellous acts), and 4) the divine honour of God (in the Son glorified by the Father). In essence-the presence of God-the revelations of God at Sinai and as Jesus are the same. In quality, the latter surpasses the former in all three-aspects.

A much overlooked aspect of Matthew's Gospel is the theme of heaven and earth. A close examination of Matthew reveals that this theme is woven regularly and skilfully throughout the First Gospel and interacts with several other theological emphases there. Rather than being a reverential circumlocution for God, "heaven" in Matthew is part of a highly-developed discourse of heaven language. Matthew has developed an idiolectic way of using heaven language that consists of four aspects: 1) an intentional distinction in meaning between the singular and plural forms of oupsilonrhoalphavoc; 2) the frequent use of the heaven and earth word pair as a theme; 3) regular reference to the Father in heaven/heavenly Father; and 4) the recurrent use of the uniquely Matthean expression, betaalphaolambdaalphatau, "kingdom of heaven." After providing a detailed examination of the historical precedents for each of these elements, this thesis argues that this four-fold idiolect serves one overriding theological purpose: to highlight the tension that currently exists between heaven and earth or God and humanity, while looking forward to its eschatological resolution. This emphasis on the current tension between heaven and earth functions for Matthew in a number of important theological, pastoral and polemical ways in his first-century context.