Summary and Review for Images of the Spirit

This little paperback is perhaps the crowning achievement of Dr. Meredith Kline's many illustrious years of service. An edited and expanded conglomeration of several of Kline's earlier articles, this 131 page treatise packs a punch like no other work of its size. In it Kline outlines the essence of the Imago Dei, the image of God, created as a recepticle and recipient of the divine glory-presence. By linking man's creation in the image of God with the teleology of the created order, Kline subsumes all things under the singular purpose of the glory of God. Not only this, but it becomes evident that the glorification of man in his resurrection body is the pinnacle of God's glory. This he does by demonstrating the NT association of glory and Spirit with the risen Christ. Kline traces the original imago Dei in the primordial state, with the Glory-Spirit archetype introduced as the alpha-pattern and the omega-consummator, the effects of the fall on the imago Dei, and the restoration/consummation of the imago Dei in the incarnate and exalted Christ. Furthermore, Kline associates the offices of the imago Dei with the teleology of transforming glory, and focuses them in the historical Son-Image, judge, prophet, priest. Thus, man's investiture with the image of God teaches him his eschatology as the glory of God glorified. And thus, in the risen Christ--the eschatos Adam, having put on His Spiritual-body, becoming a life-giving Spirit--it can be truly said that "all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily."

Kline's idiom is unique, and takes some orientation. But the endeavor is well worth the patience. Once you've been initiated into Kline's world of thought, you will be taken for an extraordinary ride to inexplicable heights in this book. So hang on! A must read, and re-read, and re-read again. Exhausting the treasures in this book will take a lifetime or more.

"Images of the Spirit is the most electrifying book of the twentieth century beside The Pauline Eschatology."
-- Charles Dennison

Contents:

I. The Glory-Spirit and His Human Image

• The Glory-Spirit at Creation
• The Glory-Spirit as Archetype
• Toward a Reconstruction of the Image-of-God Concept

II. A Priestly Model of the Image of God

• The Tabernacle--A Replica of the Glory-Spirit
• Aaron's Robes--A Replica of the Glory-Tabernacle
• Glory-Investiture in the New Testament
• Image-Investiture and Covenant

III. A Prophetic Model of the Image of God

• The Prophet as Image of the Glory-Spirit
• Mediators of the Prophetic Image in the Old Testament

Moses
The Angel of the Presence

• The Angel and Deity
• The Angel as Prophet
• The Angel as Mediator of the Image

• Christ and the Prophetic Image

Jesus as Antitypical Moses-Prophet
Jesus, the Angel of the Lord Incarnate

• The Prophetic Model in Messianic Re-Creation of the Image of God

IV. The Spirit-Presence and His Parousia-Day

• Primal Parousia

The Voice of Yahweh
The Spirit of the Day
The Day of the Spirit

• The Primal Parousia and the Old Testament
• The Primal Parousia and the New Testament