Enthroned Upon the Praises
Understanding the Functions of Worship through Temple Theology in Revelation 4 and 5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32862/k.19.2.1Keywords:
worship, Revelation, temple, temple theology, creationAbstract
Whereas other scholarship often focuses on the object(s) of worship in Revelation, this study examines the world-building functions of worship in Revelation 4 and 5 through its participation in temple theology. This paper establishes the meaning of temple theology by surveying various ancient Near Eastern cultures, and it connects worship and temple theology by calling attention to worship’s functions of identification and orientation. This study then examines the worship in Revelation 4 and 5 through the lens of temple theology and draws conclusions about the functions of worship based on this examination. Because of worship’s role in establishing the new, world-encompassing temple, worship can be viewed as an act of creation, reverberating from the very throne of God.
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