The Signs of the New Temple: The Tabernacle Signs in John’s Gospel
Ebook
Recent monographs on Johannine signs tend to focus on a single sign. Other studies that examine multiple signs mainly focus on the first half of John's Gospel. In Christian circles, most preachers and believers remain preoccupied by the traditional view that John's Gospel contains only seven signs. However, what constitutes a sign for John, and how signs function to achieve the purpose of the Gospel (John 20:30-31) is far from settled.
Three features of this book explore important clues for solving this puzzle: (1) a fresh hypothesis that Jesus's signs correspond to the four tabernacle signs (a pot of manna, Aaron's staff, the bronze altar cover, and the bronze serpent), which makes sense given the tabernacle/temple theme of John's Gospel; (2) a complete study that examines Johannine signs in the whole Gospel systematically to reveal how signs develop the book's purpose; and (3) an adaptation of a sociolinguistic theory to examine the corresponding texts of the Old Testament and New Testament in light of how language functions in a social event. The author will show how Jesus's signs fulfill the functions of the four tabernacle signs, and how Jesus's crucifixion is the "all-inclusive" sign in witnessing to his identity.
“Start with a Gospel that heavily features tabernacle and temple imagery. Recognize some clear parallels with the contents of the ark of the covenant. Rummage around to see how many more you might find, all aided by a sophisticated use of systemic-functional linguistics. Mix thoroughly with the ongoing scholarly discussion about identifying signs in John, and out comes this book! Is it the definitive solution to the problem? I doubt it. Is it by far the most creative and provocative attempt at a solution? Most definitely!”
—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor emeritus of New Testament, Denver Seminary
“Tat Yu Lam is to be commended for attempting a new and fresh approach to an old and important exegetical question in the Gospel of John. Many will agree with her critique of the traditional ‘seven signs,’ though all may not concur with her conclusion. Regardless, she has advanced previous scholarship and made us think more deeply about the biblical text, which is always a good thing.”
—Steve Booth, academic dean and professor of New Testament and Greek, Canadian Baptist Theological Seminary and College
“The Signs of the New Temple is thought-provoking and deserves to be read. Tat Yu Lam has taken a fresh approach to the interpretation of the Johannine signs by attending closely to their correlation with the four physical signs in the Old Testament tabernacle. Doubtless this important monograph must be included in all future discussion of the signs or the new temple in the Fourth Gospel.”
—Mavis M. Leung, associate professor of biblical studies, Evangel Seminary, Hong Kong
- Title: The Signs of the New Temple: The Tabernacle Signs in John’s Gospel
- Authors: Stanley E. Porter, Tat Yu Lam, Maureen W. Yeung Marshall
- Publisher: Pickwick Publications
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666770087, 9781666770063, 166677006X, 9781666770070, 1666770078, 1666770086
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666770087
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-02-08T13:33:33Z
Tat Yu Lam is associate dean at the Institute of Christian Ministry of the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong. She has presented several papers in biblical studies at conferences in Canada, America, and Austria. Before receiving her PhD, she spent nearly eight years in Tanzania with SIL as a scripture use specialist and translation advisor.