Representing Zion

Judgement and Salvation in the Old Testament

Frederik Poulsen

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781317591443
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Historia
• Subtopic: Historia antigua

The prophetic books of the Old Testament offer a fascinating collection of oracles, poetic images, and theological ideas. Among the most prominent themes are those of judgment and salvation, especially concerning the fate of Zion. This place, where the people of God dwell, is alternately presented as either the object of divine wrath or the image of a salvific ideal. Representing Zion provides a thorough and critical study of the images of Zion in the entire prophetic literature of the Old Testament. The book challenges traditional interpretations of Zion and offers a fresh exploration of the literary and theological nature of the biblical writings. Zion has largely been treated by scholars as an image of the inviolable city consistently and unambiguously used by Old Testament authors. Representing Zion reveals the Zion motif to be contested, complex and profoundly theological—a reflection of the ambiguous role of YHWH as judge and saviour.

Part I
Zion in the old Testament

1
Isaiah

The Zion motif in the Book of Isaiah: where to begin? apparently, Zion forms a leitmotif throughout the entire book. the appearance of the term ‘Zion’ – forty-seven times – indicates the centrality of this theme in Isaiah. Recently, Ulrich Berges has asserted that ‘the book of Isaiah is a “drama of Zion” in which the readers or hearers witness the transformation of Jerusalem from a place of judgement into a place of eschatological salvation for both the people of God and the nations’.¹ In addition, antti laato has convincingly demonstrated that the destiny of Zion divides Isaiah on formal grounds: Isaiah 1–39 concerns the danger of invasion; Isaiah 40–55 concerns the return from exile and the rebuilding of the city and its temple; and Isaiah 55–66 concerns the future of Jerusalem.² as we shall see, Zion indeed serves a multifaceted role in Isaiah.

The term 'Zion'

The term ‘Zion’ (ציון) occurs forty-seven times in Isaiah: twenty-six times independently³ and twenty-one times as part of a construct relation: eight times as ‘mount Zion’ (הר ציון),⁴ four times as ‘daughter Zion’ (בת ציון),⁵ three times as ‘the daughters of Zion’ (בנות ציון),⁶ two times as ‘the mount of daughter Zion' (הר בת ציון),⁷ once as ‘inhabitant of Zion’ (יושבת ציון) in 12:6,⁸ once as ‘the fight for Zion’ (ריב ציון) in 34:8,⁹ once as ‘the herald of good tidings to Zion’ (מבשרת ציון) in 40:9¹⁰ and once as ‘those who mourn in Zion’ (אבלי ציון) in 61:3. In four cases, the name is associated with the terms for ‘city’ (קריה/עיר);¹¹ fifteen times it stands next to the name ‘Jerusalem’;¹² and twice it stands next to the name ‘Israel’ (46:13; 60:14).

Zion is called ‘the City of YhWh’ (60:14) and is a holy city (52:1). YhWh has founded Zion (14:32); he will reign on mount Zion (24:23; 52:7); and mount Zion is the place of his name (18:7). YhWh will fight for Zion and bring her salvation (29:8; 34:8; 46:13); here YhWh will finish his work (10:12). the word of YhWh goes forth from Zion (2:3), and here is his fire (31:9). Zion is a place to which YhWh returns (40:9; 52:8; 62:11); he dwells on this mountain (8:18), although he in another passage dwells ‘on high’ from where he fills Zion with justice and righteousness (33:5; cf. 1:27). his chosen people live on Zion (10:24; 14:32; 30:19); again, it is a place to which one returns (35:10; 41:27; 51:11). Zion is even identified with the people of YhWh (51:16). Zion is the last bastion (1:8), where the remnant of Israel will be saved (4:3; 37:32), while Zion at the same time is depicted as the place to which the foreign nations will come (2:3; 18:7). Zion is also portrayed as a woman, who thinks YhWh has forsaken and forgotten her (40:27; 49:14); yet he comforts her (51:3) and she gives birth to children (66:8). Finally, YhWh comes down to fight against mount Zion (31:4), ¹³ and we are told that Zion has become a wilderness and is left desolate (64:9). In sum, Zion plays a significant yet ambiguous role in the Book of Isaiah.¹⁴

Motifs, events and characteristics associated with Zion

As argued in the introduction, scholarly works on Zion have mostly focused on the motif of Zion as the last bastion against aggressive nations. such a view, for example, determines Gerhard von Rad’s examination of Isaiah.¹⁵ the concept of YHWH’s special protection of Zion indeed forms a main line of thought in Isaiah, in particular in the first thirty-nine chapters. since we shall return in the following to many of the passages listed, the present examination is only meant to be an initial sketch of texts and motifs; see chapter 7 for a more careful treatment.

Already in the initial chapter of the book, Zion is left as a besieged city while the land and cities surrounding her lie desolate (1:7–9). If YHWH had not spared some survivors (a remnant), the city would have suffered the fate of sodom and Gomorrah, that is, total annihilation. In 14:28–32, Zion is depicted as a highly protected place. YHWH has founded her, and the weak, poor and helpless among the people will find refuge here. the initial depiction of the enemy army that approaches to invade the city is found in Isaiah 5:25–30. It is YHWH himself who summons it, and its nature is almost superhuman: none of the soldiers is weary; their weapons, horses and chariots are prepared for battle; their cry is like that of a lion and their roaring like that of the sea. By the presence of the army, darkness covers all the land. In 8:6–8, we hear that the enemies are like mighty waters, which sweep into Judah and pour over her until they reach up to the neck. Furthermore, in 17:12, the noise of the attackers is likened to the thunder of the sea and the roaring of the mighty waters. on the one hand, Yh Wh clearly urges the hostile nations to come. o n the other hand, YhWh shows mercy, for he will protect his city (30:18–19). the foreign peoples flee far away (8:9–10; 17:13–14), and YHWH tramples the assyrian army on his holy mountain (14:24–7). In a tremendous manner, 30:27–33 portrays the appearance of the burning wrath of YhWh and the annihilation of the enemies by his breath of fire.

A subtle ambivalence undergirds the texts just mentioned. on the one hand, the assyrian army and the hostile nations are in YHWH’s service and fulfil – as an instrument of his wrath – divine judgement against the chosen people because of their sins. on the other hand, the enemies are exactly those YHWH needs to defeat in order to manifest himself as the saviour of his city. an illustration of such ambivalence is expressed in the song of ariel in 29:1–8. ¹⁶ In vv. 1–6, YHWH Mourns the arrogant city and besieges it in order to destroy it. In vv. 7–8, however,C YHWH Makes it abundantly clear that all peoples who fight against ariel are deemed to fail. In addition, 31:4–5 literally seems to express a paradox: v. 4 states that YHWH will come down to do battle against his city; v. 5, on the contrary, states that YHWH will protect and rescue Jerusalem. ¹⁷ In Isaiah, this ambivalence may be summed up by the notion in 14:26 of ‘the plan that is planned’ (זאת העצה היעוצה). First, YHWH judges his city by calling the enemies; then, YHWH saves his city by defeating the attacking nations; cf. 10:12: ‘When YhWh has finished all his work on mount Zion and on Jerusalem [i.e. judging his people], he will punish the arrogant king of assyria and his haughty pride [i.e. saving his people].’

The ambivalence in YHWH’s relation to his people as both their judge and saviour is part of a larger theological framework, which we – in the words of otto Kaiser – should refer to as ‘a theology of decision’ (Entscheidungstheologie).¹⁸ Within this framework, faith and trust in YhWh play a significant role, for instance, as in the famous verse about Zion as a foundation stone, a tested stone that will test the faith of the rulers of Jerusalem (28:16).¹⁹ the approaching enemies in 5:25–30 will place great pressure on the inhabitants of the city so that they – in fear of the imminent invasion – must decide what to put their trust in. do they rely on their weapons and support from foreign military powers (e.g. egypt, cf. 30:1–5; 31:1–3)? or do they solely rely on YHWH’s salvific intervention?

Concerning this issue, Isaiah contains two crucial narratives which stand in serious opposition: the account of the unfaithful King ahaz (Isa. 7) and the account of the faithful King hezekiah (Isa. 36–7). ²⁰ significantly, these narratives are related on formal grounds.²¹ First, they are introduced by dating formulae (cf. 7:1; 36:1). second, the events portrayed in the narratives take place on the same spot: ‘at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller’s Field’ (cf. 7:3; 36:2).²² third, both events end with a similar phrase: ‘the zeal of YhWh will do this’ (cf. 9:7[6]; 37:32). Fourth, and most importantly, ahaz and hezekiah react differently to the imminent danger of invasion: ahaz is seized with panic and refuses to put his trust in YHWH, whereas hezekiah keeps calm and turns to YhWh in the temple. ²³ In sum, in the phrase of Kaiser, ahaz’s decision leads to divine judgement, whereas hezekiah’s decision leads to divine salvation. In sharp contrast to ahaz’s unbelief, hezekiah’s attitude provides a model of faith.²⁴

In the ahaz narrative it is initially stated that the city cannot be conquered (7:1). YHWH tells the prophet Isaiah that ahaz and the people will not fear the approaching army (7:4). as long as they stand firm in faith, the army will not succeed (7:7, 9). nevertheless, ahaz fails to do so by not asking for a sign (7:12).²⁵ the punishment for this unfaithful deed is harsh: YHWH will bring terrible days upon them, in which the assyrian super power will come and ravage the land (7:17).²⁶

In the hezekiah narrative the army of the assyrian King sennacherib stands at the walls of Jerusalem after having captured all the fortified cities of Judah. the king’s Rabshaqeh (chief messenger) scornfully asks on what hezekiah relies (36:4). through the polemical statements of the Rabshaqeh, we are indirectly informed that hezekiah reigns in the belief that YHWH will rescue them and that the city will not be given into the hands of the assyrian king (36:7, 15, 18). the Rabshaqeh continues his taunt: when other countries’ gods could not protect their countries against the mighty king of assyria, how could YhWh do it? ²⁷ despite these threats, hezekiah stays calm, goes into the temple and asks Isaiah to pray for the remnant of survivors that is left in Jerusalem (37:1–5). answering hezekiah’s confession to God as the creator of heaven and earth and king over all kingdoms (37:16–20), YHWH promises that he will rescue them and save the city (37:30–5). during the night, the angel of YHWH kills 185,000 in the camp of the assyrians. Because of this slaughter, King sennacherib leaves and the city has been rescued – by YHWH’s salvific intervention! In sum, the hezekiah narrative displays two central features of the Zion theology. First, it is stressed that – due to the faithfulness of King hezekiah – YhWh will save his city. second, it adopts the dramatic element of the Völkerkampf that salvation occurs in the very last moment at the very last bastion, Zion (see also 8:4–10; 10:27b–34; 14:24–7; 17:12–14).

the hezekiah narrative contains another important Isaianic theme, namely the concept of a surviving remnant on Zion.²⁸ Initially, 1:9 states that YhWh only leaves a few survivors. 10:20–3 likewise points out that although the people of Israel are numerous like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return (cf. the first of the three symbolic names in Isa. 7–8: ‘shearjashub’; a remnant will return). In 30:12–17, YHWH punishes the majority of the inhabitants of the city, because they were unfaithful to his word; only a small remnant will be saved. according to 37:30–2, however, this remnant will again be turned into a people of prosperity. the vision in 4:2–6 informs readers that those who are left in Zion will be called holy and their sins will be washed away. mount Zion will serve as a pavilion which will offer shade from the heat and shelter from storm and rain.

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Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of abbreviations
• Preface
• Introduction
• Part I Zion in the old Testament
• Part II The Zion Motifs: Between Judgement and Salvation
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index of scripture
• Index of names
• Index of subjects