Dogmatics I.2 Section 14.2

Wow, 2 chapters in one day? Can we make it 3? We'll see....

The Time of Expectation, as plainly stated in the first paragraph, is the time of the Old Testament. It is the collective works of Israel's prophets, kings, scribes, laws, etc that witness to the coming Messiah. "Genuine expectation and genuine recollection are testimonies to revelation...different, but one in their content, in their object, in the thing attested," (70) In this chapter Barth claims that the OT is the expectation of revelation, the pointing towards the time God will speak decisively for the salvation of Israel. The OT is the foundation of the revelation, it attests to what God's people had hoped for, realized in the earthly existence of Jesus Christ. Many NT passages recollect this expectation of the OT in defense of the fulfilled revelation. A great related quote: "in abandoning the Old Testament they [2nd century theological heretics] had abandoned not something but everything, namely the New Testament itself as well, and the whole New Testament at that." (74) Without the foundation of God's covenant and expectation, revelation would be a symbol to which there are no signs, an anonymous word. The important connection between the OT and NT is that Jesus is the object of both; they share a unity of revelation in all aspects.
Barth then suggests 3 places where this unity is recognizable: (1) they are both the witness to revelation, which is the "free, utterly once-for-all, concrete action of God." (80) This is represented in the OT by the covenant, which is "a sanctification, a claiming, a commandeering, an arrest of man for God, not of God for man." (81) God had established relationships with men (and women) in the OT that serve him as representatives of Israel, and forged covenants with them. But remember that the covenant was also the law. The Hebrew word for the action of making a covenant literally is "to cut," a violent word that exemplifies the decisive action of God. Barth suggests that the OT idea of covenant is God's revelation "because it is expectation of the revelation of Jesus Christ." (81) The covenants as well as the offices of men with whom God had a relationship with only hint at divine action (prophets, kings, priests), testifying to the supreme version of all these as represented in Jesus Christ.
(2) in both the OT and NT God declares himself to be hidden by revealing Himself. It appears to me that the only way to reveal while remaining hidden (or even to increase in mystery) is to catch a glimpse. For one to hide, one must at some point in the past have made one's self known to some degree. The OT did this through Moses, David, Ezekiel, etc. Anyway, back to Barth. Barth suggests this dichotomy is presented through the knowledge of the law and then the choice of Israel to follow or deny it. To choose God or Baal. The revelation of the OT was the law and its consequences. The thing revealing this hidden-ness was the problem of theodicy (that people suffer even though God is good...even good people suffer - think Job). He gives specific examples for a couple pages, and mentions justice, which goes hand-in-hand with the law. "Sin in the [OT] is itself a mystery, the mystery of the breaking of the covenant." (90) Both law and justice are tackled by the OT as revealing God while also allowing God to increase in mystery...and they come to life as the suffering servant (Isaiah's description typifies not necessarily prophesies) in Jesus. Jesus takes over the law by becoming judge, exemplifies it, and is sacrificed so that grace might trump it.
One random quote: "The New Testament Christ is the fulfilment of Old Testament expectation." (94) There are many outstanding quotes here, ask if you would like me to mention some specifically.
(3) Both OT and NT are "witness[es] of the revelation in which God is present to man as the coming God." (94) He stresses both words present and coming. The OT is full of examples of the mystery of God presently(at that time) - e.g. "where is God here?" but also provides examples of fulfilled prophecy within the OT and fulfilled prophecy when the NT is considered. He gives 4 good examples, I will give one to be succinct. The other examples are of temple, lordship, judgment, and king. Land is the example I will give. The OT speaks of the land given to the Israelites in Palestine, with God leading them there. It speaks of being placed in a "land of milk and honey" in which they eventually arrive. But, there is a "quite different land which is not actually visible in the history of Israel, because it is its goal, because it is therefore outside it." (96) God is present in the telling and transition to the land attested in the OT, but is also present in coming to reveal a new land.

Dense stuff.