In the article I encountered the theme of human-theophany versus the structural

representation of God in the temple. It tries to answer the problem of the Northern Kingdom
with regards to the worship of Yahweh which they thought impossible without the Temple of
Solomon. However, in the person of Elijah and Elisha, Lunn demonstrates how God shows his
saving action without the need of the Temple. In fact, Elijah and Elisha become representatives
of God and by the very notion of human-theophany, Elijah and Elisha became representations of
God which connote that Yahweh manifest to the north with the use of human instruments.
Initially Israelites believe that God only resides in the Temple and his presence is non-
transferrable. Furthermore, Yahweh would favor the Southern Kingdom because His Temple is
under their territory and it is by King David’s lineage where Yahweh promised everlasting
covenant. Which is why it is very easy for the north to lust for idols and forget Yahweh because
their decision to separate from the South entails their decision to cut ties with Yahweh.
However, despite the sins of the kings of the Northern Kingdom, and the people being led to
worship Baals and other gods, Yahweh remained faithful to his people and sent them his
representations in the very person of Elijah and Elisha.
I really commend the initiative of the author to carefully demonstrate the various
evidences and details that point out to Elijah and Elisha’s being human-theophanies. In fact, as
if the author conveys the very idea that these unique prophets are becoming God himself in the
guise of these prophets. With the authors insistence and pointing of these important details,
defeats the restrictive idea that God only keeps himself in the temple. In fact this exegesis of
Lunn has proved that God is the God of the universe and cannot be contain in a very limited
space. Lunn also explained in the end that the temple is simply a structural representation of
something greater and only a symbol of Yahweh’s everlasting covenant with his people. As
regards his Divine presence it could happen anywhere else and could manifest in any place and
in whatsoever way that even persons can become this instrument of Divine manifestation.