A Vision Deferred: Jacob of Serugh on Sinaitic Theophany

Jacob develops three distinct visual categories of type, pretense, and schema to argue that Sinaitic theophany a) forms Israel as a community and elects them as his own at Sinai, yet b) ultimately identifies the Church as Israel through her vision of Christ. Thus, Jacob borrows and counter-narrates rabbinic exegetical tradition regarding Exodus 19-24. Theophany – and by extension, vision as theological category – mediate communal identity and relation to the other. Theophany has a past and future dimension. As a historical event, Sinaitic theophany is marked by visual and moral failure. Israel therefore cannot claim divine election at Sinai, according to Jacob. Yet, the successful vision of God in the future is not only through the positive content of this “failure”.  Thus, the community that receives the future vision of God must be continuous with the past community. Failure and hope, as well as the past and present communities, are linked.