Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 03/08/2005 23:15, Shoshanna Walker wrote:

> I really find it so hard to believe that you are actually saying that 
> the entire Jewish tradition (I've just read a few quick samples of 
> commentaries for myself) is wrong about this.
>  

Well, is it really true that this is the entire Jewish tradition? After 
all, Jewish opinions are known for their diversity. And your few samples 
may well be quite insufficient to prove your case. I cannot quote any 
definitie counter-examples, but Gene suggested one when he wrote "I 
believe that hayah  howeh  yihyeh is a rabbinic interpretation based on 
Exodus 3:14" - in other words (if he is correct) these Rabbis held that 
the divine name embraced past, present and future.

I must say whenever I hear this idea of God being future I can't help 
thinking of the theories of Christian theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg and 
cosmologist Frank Tipler, who seem to locate God entirely in the future, 
at the Omega Point. While Tipler's idea of God as an infinitely powerful 
super-computer to be built in the closing moments of the universe seems 
entirely crazy, Pannenberg's theology deserves to be taken seriously. 
Nevertheless, I don't think we can reasonably suggest that Moses shared 
Pannenberg's concepts.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/