Reflections on Glory and Paul

Chapter Summary

This chapter shows that studying the background, origin and use of Glory in Paul may prove to be a good test case for reading Paul in general. It draws together some of the conclusions to show how Glory forms just such a test case. In the throne visions of early Jewish apocalypses, Glory formed part of the characteristic field of signifiers used to describe the heavens. The profound and pervasive influence of Ezekiel's inaugural vision explains how Glory came to have such a diverse signifying power in early Jewish throne visions. Paul's literary coordination of Christophany, gospel and parousia argues for understanding Christophany as resurrection. Since Glory denoted the resurrection age, it naturally became a sign of Christophany, the beginning of resurrection. The Chirstophany becomes the semiotic clue which helps to explain Paul's paradoxical coherence.

Keywords: Christophany; early Jewish apocalypses; Glory; Paul; resurrection; throne visions