Cees Noordzij — Anthropology
b7 — The Feast of Tabernacles
Humanity as God’s Field
Noordzij describes the human person as the territory on which God works as husbandman:
“The ground in which the seed is sown represents those who believe in Jesus (Mark 4:1-20). And Paul says: ‘You are God’s field’ (1Cor.3:9). We know that ‘the Father is the husbandman’ (John 15:1). If we are His field, then He will do everything to bring us to abundant fruitfulness.”
(Cees en Anneke Noordzij, ‘Het Loofhuttenfeest’, section ‘The feast of the full harvest’)
Interpretation: For Noordzij, the human person is not an autonomous agent but God’s field — the domain of His activity. The husbandman bears responsibility for the harvest; the human bears fruit through God’s care, not through personal achievement.
Sonship as Eschatological Destiny
Noordzij connects the revelation of the sons of God to the cosmic significance of the Feast of Tabernacles:
“The glory that the Father gave to Jesus must in a sense be inherited by the ‘twelve’, the ‘144,000’, the ‘sons of God’ called to royal priesthood. This will be for the salvation of the entire creation (cf. John 17:22, Rom.8:19, Rev.12:1,5).”
(Cees en Anneke Noordzij, ‘Het Loofhuttenfeest’, section ‘The feast of full glory’)
And elsewhere:
“‘A male son’ will be born (Rev.12:5). These are ‘royal priests’ of a different order, of the ‘order of Melchizedek’ (Heb.6:20).”
Interpretation: For Noordzij, sonship is not a static legal standing but an eschatological destiny that benefits the entire creation (Rom.8:19-21). The ‘sons of God’ are revealed at the moment of the true Feast of Tabernacles.
Royal Priesthood as a Process of Becoming
Noordzij makes an explicit distinction between belonging to the royal priesthood and actually being a priest:
“Every Christian who hears the voice of the good shepherd and follows Him, out of the ‘stable’, will eventually be able to become a true king and priest. It is, after all, a process of becoming. Belonging to the priesthood is not the same as being a priest (cf. 1Pet.2:9). Being of royal blood or being a king are not the same thing.”
(Cees en Anneke Noordzij, ‘Het Loofhuttenfeest’, section ‘The feast of full glory’)
And:
“Then it will become apparent who has been ‘made a priest to reign as king on earth’ (Rev.5:10). Mature, royal priests!”
Interpretation: The anthropological destiny of the believer is ‘royal priest’, but this is not a position that comes automatically with faith. It is a process of becoming that requires conscious discipleship.
Threefold Priestly Consecration: Washed, Anointed, Sanctified
Noordzij describes the spiritually mature royal priesthood through the Aaronic ordination rituals:
“Mature, royal priests! Washed, clothed in linen garments, anointed, sanctified (Ex.40:12-16). They are the true servants of God who stand before Him to serve Him and to bless in His name (Deut.10:8).”
(Cees en Anneke Noordzij, ‘Het Loofhuttenfeest’, section ‘The feast of full glory’)
Interpretation: The three moments of priestly ordination (washing, anointing, sanctification) are for Noordzij the anthropological marks of the person called to the priesthood. They describe not merely an office but a condition of the person.
Eschatological Disclosure: What We Shall Be
Noordzij refers to the eschatological dimension of human identity via 1John 3:2:
“We will now ‘consider’ what the ‘ripening’ and ‘gathering in’ of ‘the full harvest’ in ‘the seventh month’ means for us… At the Feast of Tabernacles it will be revealed ‘what we shall be’ (1John 3:2). Then it will become apparent who has been ‘made a priest to reign as king on earth’ (Rev.5:10).”
(Cees en Anneke Noordzij, ‘Het Loofhuttenfeest’, section ‘The feast of full glory’)
Interpretation: Human identity is eschatologically open for Noordzij — what we are will be fully revealed only at the coming of the Lord. The Feast of Tabernacles is the moment of that disclosure.
Cosmic Calling of Humanity
Noordzij connects the destiny of the sons of God to the restoration of creation:
“Then, when He appears, we will appear with Him in glory and be a source of life for the salvation of the entire creation (Rom.8:19-21).”
(Cees en Anneke Noordzij, ‘Het Loofhuttenfeest’, section ‘The feast of His appearing’)
Interpretation: The anthropological destiny of the believer extends beyond personal salvation: the sons of God are a source of life for the entire creation. This connects to the restoration theme that also recurs in b6 (Van Pascha tot Loofhutten).