Explore a summary of D. Burnett's paper, "So shall Thy Seed Be (as the stars)": Genesis 15:5 in 2nd Temple Jewish Thought" In Genesis 15:5-6 we read, "And he brought him outside and said, 'Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness." Burnett asked the question if this verse was not only about quantity. Could the promise to Abraham refer to quality also? Consider Genesis 17:5, Genesis 26:4, and Romans 4:13-18. The issue is that reading Paul's use of Genesis 15:5 in light of this qualitative interpretation would place him within the context of already well-established deification (or angelomorphic) traditions in Early Judaism that see the destiny of the seed of Abraham as replacing the stars as the gods (or angels) of the nations. There seems to be a close connection between being multiplied "as the stars of heaven" and the "inheritance" of "all these lands." This will result in "all the nations of the earth" being blessed. Consider Romans 4:23-25. The issue is that the ideas of becoming "heir of the cosmos," a "father of many nations," and the hope of the resurrection are not separate promises, but are understood by Paul as constituent parts of the one promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 in becoming as the stars of heaven. Explore the Intertestamental thought including Philo of Alexandria and Sirach 44:21. Consider James 2:19, "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" The demons are afraid because God is one. The oneness of God and totality of God's rule suggests that at some point there will be trouble for the demons. Consider Exaltation/Theosis and resurrection and astral immortality in early Judaism. Consider Daniel 12:1-3 and Paul's citations of these various verses in Genesis. A complex of tradition ties a familiar Christian theological concept (glorification) back into the Divine Council family worldview and the Deuteronomy 32 worldview. Explore the angelic priesthood. Consider our church liturgy and Revelation 14: 1-5. Consider the lists of tribes in the Old Testament, of which there are more than twenty, and they differ from one another in several respects, notably in the position of the names of tribes and their number. Consider Revelation 7 and 14 and the exclusion of the tribe of Dan. Other general issues in Revelation 14 are why only men? (Revelation 14:4) Why virgins? (Revelation 14:4) Explore common interpretations such as the Literalist view and Figurative view. The redeemed virgins are an "anti-image" of the Watchers, who sinned sexually via cohabitation with women in Genesis 6:1-4. They are men because (a) they take the place on earth in war against the Beast of 144K good angels, and (b) they perform priestly roles. They represent the people of God - the opposing "bloodline" of the bloodlines produced by the Watchers. (Levitical "doctrine of substitution"). They are a representation beyond one tribe (Levi); all tribes (except Dan) or the whole people of God.
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