하나님의 거룩한 나라 : 에스겔 37:15-28을 중심으로

Abstract

After the introduction of a series of actions in 37:15a-17b, God commands Ezekiel to perform a curious symbolic action (37:19a-20c) and prophesy its implied meaning (37:21a-28c) before the eyes of Ezekiel’s contemporary audience (‘the children of your people’ in 37:18b). God’s expectation that they will be asking questions concerning the meaning in 37:18a-e is located in a central position in the text, and functions as the starting point for the following prophecies, thus binding them together into the whole discourse.BR In terms of participants, however, when one perceives the fact that the implied meaning has nothing to do with Ezekiel’s contemporary audience but with ‘the children of Israel’ (37:21c), which is a reference to God’s real people in the future (cf. 37:23d-25e and 37:27b-c), one has to ask why God intends them to watch the curious symbolic action, to listen to the hopeful message for the future, and to hear what the implications of these signs will be. In light of this detail, God’s eleven actions to ‘the children of Israel’ (37:21c-28c) in the message need to be dealt with.BR In the message of hope, the fact that unity is highlighted throughout the discourse is obvious. The root אָחד ‘one’ occurs eleven times in the discourse, and each of these occurrences signify one nation that shall not be divided, and that shall be reigned over by one shepherd. What does this imply for the unity of this prophecy? In God’s eleven activities, the one nation of the children of Israel will be established in the future on the mountains of Israel, and will never be in contact with any defilement again (37:21c-23c). God’s servant David as the only shepherd will rule over them, and they will observe God’s ordinances and statutes (37:23d-24e). All of these actions will culminate into an eternal covenant and the establishment of God