Sanctuary imagery in Hebrews 10:19-20 as a reflection of early Christians' understanding of Christ's high priesthood

Abstract

This dissertation examines the relationship between the cultic languages in Hebrews 10:19-20 and the sanctuary imagery of the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 27:53/Mark 15:38/Luke 23:45). The work consists of six chapters. The first chapter provides a survey of the history of research regarding the sanctuary imagery seen in the Synoptic Gospels and in Hebrews respectively. Also, it presents the issues in between, states the purpose for this study, its methods, assumptions, and limitations and strengths.

Chapter 2 presents the geographical context of the sanctuary imagery and introduces the concept of the gradation of holiness on the Herod's Temple Mount. Such understanding challenges the view that the temple curtain between the Holy Place and the Holies of Holies serves as the symbolic indication of God's holiness and His separation from His people.

Chapter 3 focuses on the significance of the sanctuary imagery in the Gospel of Mark. Attention is first given to the significance of the passage of the death scene (15:34-39) with enquiry into the function of the scriptural quotation, Psalm 22:1 in Mark 15:34. By means of Jesus' use of Psalm 22:1, Mark regards the sanctuary imagery as God's response to Jesus' sacrificial death immediately after his death and right in his death scene.

In the next chapter, the findings of the Chapter 3 are further examined in the wider narrative context of the book and on the platform of the employed Exodus typology. A comparison of the emphasis of the sanctuary imagery of Mark with those in Matthew and Luke is given. Compared to Mark's focus of the sanctuary imagery on Christology and soteriology of Jesus' salvation, Matthew's and Luke's gradually shift away from Mark's emphasis. This makes the "through the curtain" imagery in Hebrews 10:19-20 Christologically and soteriologically situated in traditions more likely of Mark than of Matthew and of Luke.

Chapter 5 devotes attention to the [dia tou katapetasmatos ; Special characters omitted.] imagery in Hebrews 10:20. The same Exodus framework in Hebrews is examined. Then, how the employment of the Exodus typology and the combination of the imageries of the Day of Atonement and the covenant inauguration shed light on the syntactic structure of Hebrews 10:19-20 is demonstrated.

Finally, chapter six concludes the whole work and provides implications to the issues of the structure and purpose of the book of Hebrews.