Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Abner Chou: The "Imago Dei" of Genesis 1 is Related to Ezekiel 1 and God appearing like a man

  

Ezekiel’s vision of the chariot-throne in the first chapter seems to draw from Genesis 1. Ezekiel first describes the living creatures (Ezek. 1:4-10), which are reminiscent of the animals made in Genesis 1:20-25. Then he describes the firmament above the chariot-throne (Ezek. 1:22), a term distinctive to Genesis 1:7. Finally, the prophet describes God as “appearing like a man,” a potential allusion to the imago dei. Ezekiel’s vision mirrors the picture of the created order in Genesis 1 from earth to haven. It also echoes how man was made in God’s image to rule over the earth (Gen. 1:26-28). Ezekiel’s portrayal of his vision implies a careful reading of Genesis 1. (Abner Chou, The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers: Learning to Interpret Scripture from the Prophet and Apostles [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 2018], 58, emphasis in bold added)

 

Further Reading:


Lynn Wilder vs. Latter-day Saint (and Biblical) Theology on Divine Embodiment