For some time now I have been interested  in the typology of Israel in relation to Christ and the NT church. Among the books I have found helpful are David E. Holwerda’s Jesus and Israel: One Covenant or Two, O. Palmer Robertson’s The Israel of God, Hans K. Larondelle’s Israel in Prophecy: Principles of Prophetic Interpretation, and Meredith Kline’s Kingdom Prologue. James Dennison also wrote a very helpful article that appeared in Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 171 – December 1977, pp. 6-11, 32. This particular article is titled “The Exodus and the People of God.” You can read it here. There are variations of this concept in the writings of N.T. Wright, James D.G. Dunn and Peter Leithart as well. The problem with the later authors is that they fail to see the fulfillment of the moral demands of the law in Jesus Christ. This is the beauty of the biblical teaching of Christ, as the true Israel, who obeyed the demands of the law in every way that Israel failed. I have written an article considering some of the typological structures of Israel in relation to Christ in the Gospel of Matthew. You can find that article here.

One of the chief promises God made to Abraham was that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand of the sea. The point is not that we try to calculate how much sand there is and then draw a numerical parallel. Obviously there is too much sand on the shore to number. Throughout the period of revelation, from the time of Abraham to Christ, we find hints that the LORD is fulfilling this promise. One such place is 1 Kings 4:20 where we read, “Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.” God had been faithful to His promises. He had multiplied Abraham’s descendants and given them a king after His own heart (i.e. David) and then a prince of peace (i.e. Solomon). Judah and Israel were prospering by the hand of the LORD. These words come right after the account of Solomon’s rise to the throne and right after God gave Solomon whatever he asked for–wisdom and understanding. The verse is crucial in this context. It is no small detail that Judah and Israel are said to have been “as the sand by the Sea in multitude.” There is a relationship between what is said in 1 Kings 4:20 and 1 Kings 4:29. Back in chapter 3 we learn that Solomon’s request for wisdom is based on the fact that he was called to rule and to govern God’s people. Solomon said, “Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours (1 Kings 3:8-9)?” God did just what Solomon asked and gave him the wisdom and understanding he needed to shepherd His people. In 1 Kings 4:29 we are told, “God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.” God gave Solomon wisdom commensurate for the task. The people were as numerous as the sand on the sea so God gave Solomon a heart so full of wisdom it could not be measured. There is of course a typological relationship, between Solomon and Christ, at work here.

When we come to the New Testament we see that God’s people need the greater than Solomon, who is Himself the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1). We need one “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” We need Him to rule us with His saving grace and wisdom. He is the one who fulfills the promise to Abraham and who rules the true descendants of Abraham (Gal. 3:9; 29) with His wisdom. In Him a people from every tongue, tribe, nation and language are redeemed (Rev. 5:9). We need the seed of Abraham and the greater Solomon to redeem us and rule us with His wisdom. But we also need the wisdom that Christ provides. This is why James writes: “If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and without reproach. But let him ask in faith with no doubting…” We are to come to the greater than Solomon so that we also may receive wisdom and understanding. Our God will give us largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore if we ask for it as Solomon did. Ministers especially need to ask for wisdom since they have been called to watch over, and care for, the people of God. Oh that the Lord would grow his flock and give his shepherds wise and understanding hearts.

Here .

Here is the audio from the 2009 Next Conference :

The Preeminence of Christ (Joshua Harris)

Christ’s Incarnation (D.A. Carson)

Christ’s Life (Kevin DeYoung)

Christ’s Death (C.J. Mahaney)

Christ’s Resurrection (Sinclair Ferguson)

Christ’s Return (Sinclair Ferguson)

HT: Justin Taylor

Over at Historia Salutis, the Rev. Jim Cassidy has a very nice explanation of two of our Lord’s miracles recorded in Mark 6. The divine nature of Christ is exhibited in His mighty works as the Good Shepherd, the God of Israel spoken of in Psalm 23 and elsewhere in the OT. You can read it here .

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone in the church warn against proof texting. Proof-texting, of course, is that method of defending theological truth by means of appeal to one particular verse of the Bible. I readily admit that often proof-texting is abused and used to draw faulty conclusions. This is most evident in the false teaching of the cults and heretical sects of Christianity–specifically with regard to their doctrine of God, Christ, man and salvation. Within orthodox Christianity, it is seen in the realm of eschatology and ecclesiology.

But is all proof-texting wrong? I wonder if there hasn’t been an over reaction to the abhorrent theology of the cults and sects, and to the aberrations of sound theology in the dispensationalist and postmillennial camps of Christendom. Everyone practices proof-texting of some kind, and it is entirely right to do so. The Apostle Paul did it relentlessly. One only has to consider his method of defending justification by faith alone in Galatians 3, or his explanation of individual, eternal election in Romans 9, or his eschatology in 1 Corinthians 15. In fact, it could be argued that Paul defends every doctrine of Scripture by proof-texting from the Old Testament. The use of the OT in the NT is a systematic application of contextual proof-texting. So what is the principle that needs to be established before we can practice a biblical proof-texting? This answers to this question could fill, and have filled, volumes. It seems, however, that a very basic answer can be given based on discussions of exegesis being governed by systematic and biblical theology.
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Our last post concluded on a small slice of the infra- and supralapsarian views of grace by saying it was a real issue and not a myopic study of flavors. How one perceives the moment of regeneration directly contributes to views of adoption, faith, baptism, forgiveness, sanctification, scripture and sacrament. For Bavinck and the Reformed, these doctrines ultimately arrive at our fellowship with other believers and may impact personal faith in God.

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This is very exciting news! Ronald Alexander, son of the Rev. Eric J. Alexander has constructed a website in honor of his father’s life and ministry. You can access it here. You will find a biography, sermons he preached at St. George’s Tron during his 20 year ministry , and links to other resources. This site will be a great blessing to the church since Rev. Alexander is one of the best gifts Christ has given His church in our day. Among the sermon series posted are those on Job, Daniel, Malachi, The Sermon on the Mount, Galatians, and 1 Peter. There are also topical series on Acceptable Worship (John 4), Call to Clarity (Matthew 16), School of Discipleship (Studies in the Life of Peter), The Bible, The Godhead and the Church, Words from the Cross, Knowing Christ, Scripture in the Life and Teaching of Jesus, and The Doctrine of Salvation (Ephesians 1). All the sermons that Rev. Alexander preached at the Tron will be online here in due time.

You can also find other sermons and lectures by Eric Alexander here .

The Yale University and University of Glasgow sponsored Jonathan Edwards and Scotland Conference, for which I went to Scotland, ended last Tuesday. There were several significant lectures given. Of the ones that I was able to attend, David Bebbington’s lecture, “A Historical Review of Revivals,” Adriann Neele’s talk, “Petrus Van Masstricht: Exchanges in Scotland, the Netherlands, and America,” and Michael McClenahan’s, “New England’s Nemesis: John Tillotson and the dismantling of Puritanism,” were the most intellectually valuable.

David Bebbington did a outstanding job (which is typical of his work) of outlining a history of revivals throughout the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Focusing on the different circumstances and theologies that lay behind each period of revival he persuasively argued that God was at work in each and every true revival. If these lectures are published I think you will find Bebbington’s work a worthwhile source of history on the subject. I am amazed at how much this man can unpack in so short a period of time.

Adriann Neele explained that Edwards depended on Van Massticht’s Theoretica Practica more than any other work. He went on to outline Van Masstricht’s work, drawing a convincing connection between Edwards’ History of the Work of Redemption and the later part of the Theoretica Practica. What I did not know prior to this talk was that Van Masstricht replaced Gijbertus Voetius at the Univeristy of Utrect. Van Maastrict was also a disciple of Johannes Cocceius. This is especially important since Van maasrtict’s Theoretica was the basis for Edwards’ History of the Work of Redemption. Edwards’ biblical theological approach to the Scriptures seems to have been on account of Cocceius, whether he realized that in his adoption of Van Masstricht’s principles or not. I wonder whether Van Masstricht  wed the pietistic approach of Voetius to the Biblical Theological approach of Cocceius. This would be a an interesting subject to pursue further as the two camps were sort of antithetical during the Nadere Reformatie.

Michael McClenahan gave consideration to Edward’s polemical responses to John Tillotson in regard to Tillotson’s rabid arminianism. Sadly, the electricity went out during his lecture making it more difficult to pull together all the material he had to present on Monday and then finish on Tuesday. It was a helpful talk which posited Edwards’ writings on good works in contrast to much of what Tillotson was promulgating.

I also benefited from David Jones’ lecture on Edwards’ connection to the Welsh evangelical ministers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Jones did an exceptionally good job in relation to Edwards’ influence on William Williams, the noted theologian and hymn writer.

It was at this conference that I spent some time with William and Carine MacKenzie, owners of Christian Focus publication. Their commitment to Christ was incredibly refreshing, and the presence of so many of the good books they have published was a great encouragement at a highly scholastic conference on Edwards.

Our last post summarized Bavinck’s definition of sin as a non-physical ethical force that is not exactly ‘non-being’ but certainly strives in that direction. Death, the result of sin, was pronounced as judgment in Genesis 2 but there is more mystery and complication to this ‘death sentence’ than there is certainty.

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I have recently written a post over at Historia Salutis that deals with Old Covenant Theocratic sanctions in redemptive history. You can find this post here.

In our last few posts we’ve been plowing through Bavinck’s analysis of original sin and what was lost by the fall. Human beings did not become ‘sub’ creatures after breaking the covenant or works, but something changed. The original relationship and integrity with God was destroyed when sin took advantage of the commandment. Here is a brief look at Bavinck’s analysis of the nature of sin in what he describes as ‘mystery in variety’.

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Revelation 1:5-10 really is the master key to unlock the structure of the book. While the throne of God, the trumpets, bowls, and seals all play a central role in this book, the book would be, as I noted in the previous post, meaningless without its Christological structure. Put simply, the book is about Jesus Christ–specifically with regard to His first and second coming. And is this a surprise to us? It shouldn’t be if we have come to see that the Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ and the work He does in His first and second coming. Isn’t this what Jesus taught to His disciples on the road to Emmaus, concerning the doctrine of the Old Testament, when he said to them, “O foolish ones and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and entered into His glory ?” There, Jesus proceeded to open the Scriptures and “beginning with Moses and the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself .” Peter also explained this when he wrote, “10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (1 Peter 1:10-11).”
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When I was an intern at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, I had the privilege of working with Dr. David Apple and the mercy ministry outreach. From a youth, my dad frequently took me to nursing homes where he would help lead worship services. John H. Skilton, late Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, introduced my father to this great need. John visited almost every nursing home in Philadelphia. He left a testimony of real desire to see the kingdom of God advance in the lives of needy men and women.

Nursing Home ministry is a responsibility and privilege that is often overlooked by the church. I think there are a several reasons for this. First, you will never grow a church by ministering in a Nursing Home. You will never get a sudden surge of people into the church pews (or cushion seats if you are more cutting edge) by focusing on Nursing Home Ministry. Your church will not visibly grow, but Jesus’ church will. I imagine that there have been many elderly men and women who have come to saving faith on account of some loving child of God coming into a Nursing Home, or Assisted Living Center, and spreading the love and the word of Christ. The fields are rip for harvest in a Nursing Home.

Another reason Nursing Home/Assisted Living ministry has not received greater emphasis is on account of the fact that it takes a great deal of commitment and care. Most of us, if we are honest, do not want to commit to or care about things like ministering to needy, sick and dying people. Sadly, I know that this is true in my own life.

The final reason nursing home ministry is not carried out more frequently is on account of the lack of training. It takes a great deal of training to understand how to ministry to needy people. It can often be difficult, because of our lack of knowledge. We cannot lay all the blame on the first two reasons. It is on account of this that David Apple and I brought Ed Verbeke, former chaplain of the RPCNA Retirement Home, to Tenth to do a one day training seminar. Ed is a dear friend, who preached at Anna and my wedding. Ed has "Brittle Bone Disease" and has been the subject of care and need for most of his life. Despite (or perhaps on account of ) this malady, Ed is one of the most productive Christians I know. The grace of God, working through Ed’s own needs, has enabled him to care for and serve those who are needy. Ed has a unique gift in ministering to the elderly and shut-ins. I think you will find that this seminar contains some of the best training for Nursing Home Ministry available. You can find the videos here .

You can also find a Nursing Home manual, written by Tom McCormick, posted below the videos. Tom has served in Nursing Home ministry for many years and had his introduction to it through Dr. Skilton.

The second introduction, or the second feature of the introduction, of the book of Revelation is actually a Triune salutation. John writes:

“Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits before the throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and freed from our sin with His own blood and has made us kings and priests to our God.”

There are several significant details in the salutation. In the first place, it is a Triune blessing. Grace and peace come to the people of God from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is not so clear on the surface, because of the way in which each Person of the Godhead is spoken of, or from the order in which each member of the Godhead is mentioned.

John describes the Father as “Him who is and who was and who is to come.” He is the everlasting God. The One who has no beginning and no end. Though the Father is not mentioned by any particular name, and though this same description is applied to Jesus in verse 8, the construct necessitates this interpretation. The Father has already been mentioned at the beginning of the book by the name “God.” It is surely taught in Scripture that the Father and the Son are each God in every way that makes Him God. Deity is clearly attributed to the Spirit as well, in such places as Acts 5 where it is said that Ananias and Saphira have lied to the God by lying to the Holy Spirit. But, in the realm of redemption (i.e. the work of the economic Trinity) the Father is often referred to simply as “God.” The other confirmation is the reference to the Spirit and the Son in the subsequent verses.

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The introduction to the book of Revelation is of supreme importance if we are ever to come to a right understanding of its content. There are actually two introductions. The first comes in verse 1:1-4. The book opens with these words:

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia

There are several significant features of this introduction. Too often, we rush into the details of this grand vision without first recognizing the significance of the more basic truth of the nature and source of this book. John opens with a brief summary of the theme of the book. This book is nothing less than a revelation of Jesus Christ. This very basic interpretive key is frequently overlooked. The book of Revelation is not, first and foremost, a prophecy about particular events in human history; neither is it simply a code to be unlocked. It is an unveiling (as the word ‘revelation’ means) of the Person and work of Christ. This theme is developed a bit further in verses 5-8–where the first and second coming of Christ are in view. Everything that will be discussed in the subsequent chapters is understood with relation to the Lord Jesus Christ and the work He accomplishes in His two advents. The visions span the entire period of redemptive history between Christ’s first and second coming.

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First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS has recently added a page where you can download audio files of talks, given over the past 5 years, at the Twin Lakes Fellowship . You can find them here . It looks like they may be in the process of adding more.

Here are the complete MP3 audio files from my ordination service:

Dr. Philip G. Ryken – Sermon Preached at the Ordination of Nicholas T. Batzig (1 Cor. 16:1-9)

Rev. James T. Obrien – Charge to Nicholas T. Batzig

Dr. James E. McGoldrick – Charge to the Presbytery

Here is a sermon by Joel Beeke on Christ being forsaken at the cross.

I want to take a moment to introduce a new website. Camden Bucey has recently founded Historia Salutis to be a Reformed, biblical-theological website. For those of you who are not familiar with the title, I’d like to explain its significance. The title Historia Salutis simply means “the History of Salvation.” Most of our readers will be familiar with the theological phrase, ordo Salutis, which means the Order of Salvation (or the order of the application of salvation). The historia salutis is the work of Jesus Christ in obtaining salvation for us by His perfect life, atoning death and glory-obtaining resurrection. He is the Elect One, the Justified One, the Adopted One, the Sanctified One and the Glorified One. It is only as we are united to Him that these particular blessings come to us. The historia salutis is, in the words of the late John Murray, redemption accomplished. The ordo salutis is, in his words, redemption applied. It is out sincere desire to emphasize both the accomplishment and the application of redemption, but this site will be singularly devoted to the biblical teaching of the accomplishment of our salvation. We wholeheartedly agree with the words of Sinclair Ferguson: “Our indicatives must be weighty enough to support our imperatives.”

I have recently posted a short article there on the Biblical Theology of the Trees of the Garden.

Ben Shaw, Professor of Old Testament at GPTS, has started a series of posts, entitled “Notes on the Bible,” over at GPTS Rabbi. This is obviously inspired by Jonathan Edwards’ Notes on Scripture. Dr. Shaw has already worked his way through most of Genesis and part of Matthew. These are exceptionally helpful exegetical, biblical and systematic expositions of various texts. You can find the most recent links below:

Genesis 1-6; and Matthew 1-2
Genesis 6-12; and Matthew 3-4
Genesis 13-18; and Matthew 5
Genesis 19-23; and Matthew 5:43-6:34
Genesis 24-26; and Matthew 7:1-8:15
Genesis 27-35; and Matthew 8:16-10:39
Genesis 36-40; and Matthew 10:40-12:14
Genesis 41-44; and Matthew 12:15-13:9
Genesis 45-48; and Matthew 13:10-52

I cannot believe that there is an electronic copy of this masterpiece available online. C.C. Jones’ History of the Church of God is an amazing work, written by one of the greatest, yet lesser known, Southern Presbyterians of the 19th Century. The genius of this work is found in the way that Jones attempts to blend Systematic and Biblical Theology as he treats the Old Testament Revelation. I hope that all of you will take advantage of having access to this work. It is almost impossible to find a hard copy.

Gary Johnson reminded us of an article by Geerhardus Vos, published in the Princeton Theological Review 4.3 (July 1906), that dealt with the historical reliability of Scripture. With all the opinions about this subject being bandied about this article comes as a reminder that this debate is not a new one. You can read the article here.

Last week we interviewed Mark Garcia on Christ the Center. Mark is the author if Union with Christ and Two-fold Grace in Calvin’s Theology. You can listen to the interview here

A while back I posted a lecture that Sinclair Ferguson delivered at the first Westminster Confession of Faith Conference, hosted by RPTS. The lecture was on “Baptism and the Westminster Assembly” and was the most convincing historical defense of infant baptism I have heard. Now, Michael Lynch over at 21st Century Table Talk has given a summary of the main points. This is very beneficial since the lecture was a very intellectually full message. You can find this summary here. You can listen to the lecture here. The full MP3 set including this message can be purchased at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

The Jews of Christ’s day would have understood the words “My Father’s House” to be a reference to the Temple. This is more explainable in the context. God dwelt in the Temple and there were various rooms in the Temple for the Priests. We will revisit this idea when we come to speak of Christ’s preparing a place for His people. For now it will suffice to say that he Temple is, in Scripture (particularly in the book of Hebrews and Revelation) the place where God dwells with His people. Heaven is spoken of as being the true Temple. The earthly tabernacle and Temple were simply types of the Heavenly. So the Heavenly Temple is what is meant by the Father’s house. In his commentary on John, A.W. Pink made the following observations:

Again he noted:

Dr. Ben Shaw, Professor of Old Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has some interesting new posts on his blog GPTS Rabbi. His latest posts have to do with the issue of ethic Israel and the eschatological expectation. The first post, “Are we to expect a future mass conversion of Jews?”, can be found here. The second, “Romans 11:26,” can be found here.

I want to also recommend Dr. George Knight’s article “The Significance of ‘Israel’ in the Usage of the New Testament” in the Robert L. Penny edited The Hope Fulfilled: Essays in Honor of O. Palmer Robertson. And of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention O. Palmer Robertson’s incredible work The Israel of God.

Here is a series of lectures by O. Palmer Robertson given at Covenant Church (Houston, TX):
O. Palmer Robertson The Israel of God in the Past
O. Palmer Robertson the Israel of God Present and Future
O. Palmer Robertson Israel and the Priesthood of Christ (Heb. 7:1-15)
O. Palmer Robertson Israel and the Coming Kingdom (Acts 1:1-6)
O. Palmer Robertson The Israel of God and Romans 11 (Rom. 11:1-32)
O. Palmer Robertson The Gospel for All Nations (Matt. 24:1-14)
O. Palmer Robertson A Plentiful Harvest, Few Laborers (Matt. 9:18-38)

This June a very wonderful book will be released. P & R has published a festchrift in honor of Dr. O. Palmer Robertson. This volume will be a helpful compilation of articles centering on the history and importance of Biblical Theology, especially in the Vos/Robertson tradition. I have had the privilege of reading Dr. C.N. Willborn’s chapter on Biblical Theology in Southern Presbyterianism (a chapter, coincidentally, I had the privilege of helping to research). You can read about it further at the Ligonier Blog. This book should be on every one’s shelf. This is especially important for me to say since Richard Gaffin’s festchrift is getting so much publicity–and rightly so.

You can listen to some of Dr. Robertson’s lectures here.

Here is the link to Carl Trueman’s lecture titled “A Balancing Act.” Graeme Goldsworthy’s response, “Ontology and Biblical Theology,” can be found here. This is an important and interesting debate over the relationship between and prority of systematic and biblical theology.

In a day when the biblical doctrine of the Lord’s Day is under attack (as well as the doctrine of the pre-fall covenant of works) Geerhardus Vos’ teaching on the fourth commandment is a fitting place for us to turn. I remember that when I was wrestling with the teaching of a probationary period for Adam in Paradise I found James Dennison’s article on Vos’ view of the Sabbath to be a great help. You can find that article here.

The Lord set the Sabbath Day before Adam to show him that there was a higher blessing for him and his posterity to enter into. Had he obeyed he would have entered into that Sabbath rest. Because he sinned Jesus had to come to be the second Adam (to undo all that Adam had done and to do all that Adam failed to do). Dennison shows from Vos’ teaching on the Sabbath why it is important to see that the Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ but also why the fourth command is still binding in the New Covenant. This is a most helpful treatment.

As I have been working on my Th.M on the Song of Songs I have been more and more impressed with the biblical theology that structures Solomon’s thoughts. It has not been an easy task to bring together the biblical theological themes while at the same time doing justice to the text. Here is one small section of my work (which needs serious revision) that starts to develop these concepts in an attempt to prove the Christology of the greatest of Solomon’s Songs:

“As we look at the unraveling of the covenant promise in Scripture we soon begin to see that there is a sphere in which this promise occurs. What is lost by Adam in the Garden because of his sin is restored to man throughout redemptive history by Christ. The Garden of Eden is the first place where God dwells in communion with man. When man is forced to leave the Garden (representing the breach of communion between the creature and the Creator) he is driven into a world that is ravished by the effects of sin. Thorns and thistles now cover the ground. Fertile places become barren wastelands. Streams dry up and plants whither. When God chooses a people for Himself He brings them into the wilderness (representative of these effects of sin) and there He begins to fulfill His covenant promises to them. He comes to dwell with them, and He becomes like them by dwelling in the same place that they dwell (i.e. in a Tent). The Tabernacle is the first step in the restoration of Eden.
The presence of God is the source of living waters that is meant to make the people of God into a fruitful garden/vineyard. When God finally brings Israel into the promised land (also a partial renewal of Eden—a land flowing with milk and honey) He raises up a king, Solomon, to build a more established place of dwelling—the Temple. The Temple was to be inlaid with cedar. A diversity of botanical images were to be carved around it. The Temple really was a typical stepping stone in the restoration of Eden. Ellen F. Davis explains the significance of the decorative symbolism:

As the lengthy description of the Temple (1 Kings 6-7) shows, the Temple is designed as a Garden. Idealogicaly, it is a second Eden (legend has it that the Temple was built on the spot where the Garden of Eden stood). The cedar paneled walls were carved ‘all about with’ palm trees,’ open flowers, and cherubim (1 Kings 6:29). Before the Holy of holies stood ten golden lanpstands shaped like flowers (1 Kings 7:49). In the forecourt were two great bronze pillars (1 Kings 7:18-19, 42), each a stylized tree of life surmounted by a lily
shaped capitol. Nearby was a huge bronze basin also shaped like a lily (1 Kings 7:26). Small wash basins rested on stands with cherubim , lions and palm trees (1 Kings 7:36). Pomegranites, lions, palm tress, lilies and cedars. All these are features of the paradise that is both the lover’s landscape and the woman herself. The language of the Song leads us into the locked garden of the Temple precinct.(1)

The Scriptures teach that all these symbols (i.e. gardens, tents, various aspects of the Temple, and Jerusalem) find a rich fulfillment in Jesus Christ, and consequently in His people. Philip Ryken explains that the door of the Temple “really was like the gates of Paradise. And for many people the way of access was still denied. Unless they were priests they would never see the golden wonders inside. Only the High Priests would enter that most holy place. Yet however limited it was there was access. You see God was opening back up the way to Paradise. You might think of Solomon’s temple as a kind of spiritual portal. The paradise lost could be regained.”(2) The covenant promise of the restored presence of God comes to its climax, in that point in redemptive history, in the days of Solomon with the completion of the Temple. A glory cloud came down upon the holy place—representing the Divine presence. But Solomon understood, even at that time of fulfilled promises, that there was another temple that God would dwell in. No sooner had the glory cloud descended upon the place where the priests ministered that Solomon said to the people, “Will God indeed dwell on earth? Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less than this house that I have built (1 Kings 8:27).”

Solomon understood that the covenant promises, typified in the Temple that he had built, would be fulfilled in God Himself. Jesus explicitly declares Himself to be the antitype of the Temple. Despite the fact that the Temple He alludes to, at least referentially, in Matthew 12:6 and John 2:19-21 is not the one built by Solomon, it is hard to escape the fact that the redemptive significance of Solomon’s Temple in view as well. In the Gospels Jesus is said to be the plei/on Solomon and the mei/zo,n Temple. The building of the Temple was Solomon’s greatest achievement and it lay at the heart of the Davidic Covenant. Much of the language of the Song comes from the promises of the Davidic covenant and find their significance of the Temple. Though, at this point, we will not consider the role of the King-Shepherd in the Song that also can be demonstrated to be based on the Davidic Covenant.

This leads us to a few examples from the writings of Jonathan Edwards in association with what has been stated. Edwards’ is one of the few expositors in church history who was more consistent with a grammatical-historical method while always guiding these principles with a theological method. It could be said that, at times, he held a covenantal view of the Song. This can be demonstrated based on the comments he makes concerning particular symbols in the Song. Concerning the reference to “oil” in the Song, Edwards writes:

The excellencies both of bridegroom and bride are compared to spices, chap. 1: 12-14; 4:6, 10, 13, 14, 16; 5:5,13; 8:2, and ointment perfumed with spices, chap. 1:3; 4:10. The same spices were made use of to represent spiritual excellencies in the incense, and anointing oil in the tabernacle and temple, and also in the oil for the light.(3)

With regard to the symbolism of pomegranates he writes:

The fruits of the spouse are often compared to pomegranates in this song. Chap. 4:3,13; 6:7; 8:2. So the spiritual fruits of the church of God are represented by pomegranates in the tabernacle and temple. The spouse is in this song said to be like the palm-tree. Chap. 7:7,8. So was the church of Israel, whose representation were the seventy elders, typified by seventy palm-trees. Exod. 15:27. So the temple was everywhere covered with cherubim and palm-trees, representing saints and angels. 1 Kings 6:29, 32, 35; 7:36. 2 Chron. 3:5. So in Ezekiel’s temple. Ezekiel 40:16.(4)

In His comments on Song of Songs 2:14, Edwards’ suggests that the stairs are an allusion to the
stairs of the Temple:

“O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice.” There is probably respect here to the rock of mount Zion, on which Solomon’s house was built, or of the mountain of the temple, and to the stairs by which they ascended that high rock, to go up to Solomon’s palace. See Neh. iii. 15. and xii. 37. or the stairs by which they ascended through the narrow courts into the temple; it comes much to the same thing, whether we suppose the rocks and stairs referred to, to be of the mountain of Solomon’s palace or temple, for both were typical of the same thing, and both mountains seemed to have been called by the same name, mount Zion…Her love to the spiritual Solomon causes her to remain near his house, about the mountain on which his palace stands, watching at his gates, and waiting at the posts of his doors, and by the stairs by which he ascends to his house, but yet hides herself as if ashamed, and afraid, and unworthy to appear before him, like the woman that came behind Christ to touch the hem of his garment.(5)

Concerning the symbolism of the tent and curtain in chapter 1:5, Edwards again makes reference to the redemptive significance of the Tabernacle and Temple:

“As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.” That the spouse in this song is compared to a tent, and to the curtains of the tabernacle and temple, is an evidence that this song is no ordinary love song, and that by the spouse is not meant any particular woman, but a society, even that holy society, the church of God. It is common in the writings of the Old Testament to represent the church of God by a tent, or tents, and a house and temple, but never a particular person. See Isa. liv. 2. Zech. xii. 7. Isa. xxxiii. 20. Lam. ii. 4, 6. Isa. i. 8. And the tabernacle and temple were known types of the church, and the curtains of both had palm-trees embroidered on them, which are abundantly made use of to represent the church. The church of God is called a house, in places too many to be mentioned. The church used to be called the temple of the Lord, as appears by Jer. vii. 4. The church is represented by the temple, as is evident by Zech. 4:2-9.

These are only a few of the examples of a covenantal approach to the Song being worked on in the writings of Jonathan Edwards. Criticisms could be raised at many points and the charge of employing an allegorical method could be leveled against him from time to time. However, based upon the definitions, guidelines, and methods proposed it cannot be said that Edwards’ has no theological, or for that matter grammatical-historical grounds, for drawing many of these conclusions.

(1) Ellen F. Davis Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2000) p. 270
(2) This except was taken from a sermon on 1 Kings 6:37-38. It was preached on September 9, 2007 at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA. http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=91107228406

(3) Jonathan Edwards Notes on the Bible p. 359
(4) Ibid., p. 359
(5) Ibid. p. 359