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The New Jerusalem People as Place, Not Place for People

The New Jerusalem People as Place, Not Place for People THE NEW JERUSALEM PEOPLE AS PLACE, NOT PLACE FOR PEOPLE by ROBERT H. GUNDRY Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA Symbolic language fills the Book of Revelation as it fills other apocalyptic literature. We may therefore presume that the descrip- tion of the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:1-22:5 deals in symbolism. Our presumption is rewarded when we read of the city's coming down out of heaven, stretching out and up to unheard-of dimen- sions, having gates that each consist of a single pearl, being paved with gold that can be seen through, and so on. Such language invites symbolic interpretation, whatever the nature, whether con- crete or abstract, of the reality so described. But the New Jerusalem is a very large symbol. Its description occupies a whole chapter or more. Therefore we may rightfully expect that the details of the description contribute small, individual symbols to the large, overall symbol, even as contem- porary interpreters of Jesus' parables have come to understand that although we must resist allegorism, the longer the story that con- stitutes a narrative parable, the more likely it is that some details of the parable have their own significance within the overall meaning.' 1 A http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Novum Testamentum Brill

The New Jerusalem People as Place, Not Place for People

Gundry, Robert H.
Novum Testamentum , Volume 29 (3): 254 – Jan 1, 1987
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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1987 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0048-1009
eISSN
1568-5365
DOI
10.1163/156853687X00119
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

THE NEW JERUSALEM PEOPLE AS PLACE, NOT PLACE FOR PEOPLE by ROBERT H. GUNDRY Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA Symbolic language fills the Book of Revelation as it fills other apocalyptic literature. We may therefore presume that the descrip- tion of the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:1-22:5 deals in symbolism. Our presumption is rewarded when we read of the city's coming down out of heaven, stretching out and up to unheard-of dimen- sions, having gates that each consist of a single pearl, being paved with gold that can be seen through, and so on. Such language invites symbolic interpretation, whatever the nature, whether con- crete or abstract, of the reality so described. But the New Jerusalem is a very large symbol. Its description occupies a whole chapter or more. Therefore we may rightfully expect that the details of the description contribute small, individual symbols to the large, overall symbol, even as contem- porary interpreters of Jesus' parables have come to understand that although we must resist allegorism, the longer the story that con- stitutes a narrative parable, the more likely it is that some details of the parable have their own significance within the overall meaning.' 1 A

Journal

Novum Testamentum – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 1987

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