Nehemiah
Nehemiah continues the story of Ezra. It relates, primarily in first person, the commission and work of Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem focusing on the walls and gates. So where the Temple is the focus of rebuilding in Ezra, in Nehemiah it is the rest of the city.
1-2: Nehemiah hears news from those who have returned and weeps that there are no walls around the city. As a highly placed official in change of wine, he has the ear of the king. He prays to God for his blessing and asks the king to return to build the walls of the city, the "graveyard of my ancestors" - a rather non-threatening phrase. He is commissioned, travels to the city, and surreptitiously examines the walls. Later he gets support for rebuilding, though, like Ezra, there is opposition and the threat to stir up trouble with their Persian officials.
3: A list of who rebuilt what. This is a summary, and the time frame for all this building isn't mentioned.
4-6: Obstacles arise as the building goes on. Sanballat and Tobiah are leaders from Samaria, the former capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Recall there was a fierce rivalry between the north and the south. The people rebuilding the walls were people of Judah, the southern kingdom.
At first there is mocking, but once the wall is about half its height, there is a plot to attack the workers. Nehemiah responds by arming the workers and setting a guard. This gets things going again.
Chapter 5 introduces economic problems. The high rate of taxes and famine cause poorer people to go into debt, using their land and children as collateral. As times get tough because of famine, they lose their land and their descendants. There trouble keeps them from working on the wall as well as they could. Nehemiah introduces economic reforms, starting with himself, and proclaims a kind of jubilee year in which lost land and wealth is returned and debts forgiven. Nehemiah points out that he, as the governor, is entitled to a food tax that he does not take.
Chapter 6 covers plots to kill and dishonor Nehemiah. He is first invited to meet with the Samarians, first in a friendly way, and then in an extorting way (I've heard bad things, and will report them to the emperor, we should talk together). Shemaiah, who was under house-arrest, tells him to hide in the temple, a place that only a priest was supposed to enter. Such an act might lead people to think Nehemiah was making a power grab or was just being presumptive. Nehemiah doesn't fall for it.
The walls are done in 52 days, a sign of the zeal and dedication of the workers and Nehemiah, regardless of the hardships and obstacles that they encountered.
7: Guards are posted and instructions for when to open and the gates. Walls were an important part of a city at that time. Without things like standing armies or police, cities without walls could more easily be raided. Walls added to the security of a city, and was one of the reasons neighboring leaders probably didn't want them built.
After this there is a recounting of the people who had returned and other things of note.
8-13: The celebration of the reconstruction. With the reconstruction of temple and city completed, there is a big party that lasts for weeks. There were four big parts.
1. Torah is reread (ch. 8) and the people respond "Amen, Amen." Then an interpretation is given. Then the people eat, they have a feast. Now I hope the pattern of hearing the Word, with interpretation, followed by a meal sounds familiar, because it is the same shape of our liturgy.
2. Then, in 8.13-18 there is the "Festival of Booths" when the people sojourn in the wilderness is recalled as the people live in temporary housing.
3. 9-10 captures the confession of the people and preparation for renewing of the covenant, then the long communal prayer that re-tells their story, of God's faithfulness and their own unfaithfulness. Then the people agree to renew their covenant faithfulness, both the leaders of the people, their names are given, and the people as a whole recommit themselves.
4. 11 concerns the repopulation of the land. 1/10 stay in Jerusalem, 9/10's move to other towns. Who goes where is determined by lot. And the first part of 12 reviews the priestly genealogy. Remember, one had to be of a certain tribe to be a priest, so genealogy was very important there.
5. The big celebration in which the walls are dedicated, songs are sung, processions are processed, and sacrifices given. It must have been quite an event.
13.4-31 is a rather strange coda to the tale. As you might recall, Nehemiah asks to take a certain amount of time to go to Jerusalem, and then he would return to the emperor. Apparently this was about 12 years. After he serves the king for a while, he returns again, and finds much in disarray. The Samarians have caused trouble in the temple, and many of the priests are working in the fields instead of working in the temple. People have again inter-married and brought the pagan beliefs of their wives into their home. People worked on the Sabbath. Let's just say Nehemiah sets things back on the straight and narrow.
Malachi
Who Malachi was and when exactly he made these prophecies is not known. We know it was after the Temple was rebuilt, and is either contemporary with Ezra-Nehemiah, or most likely follows them after some time. So the last book of the OT is actually the last chronologically (though some of Daniel is probably as late or later than Malachi).
The subject the book seems to engage is the promise of the restoration of Judah and the kingdom of God. There were probably a lot of people who thought they were living in the time of the restoration prophecies (like in Isaiah and Ezekiel). Where was the unconditional blessing and the elevation of Jerusalem above all other powers?
The answer that Malachi gives is that these things are not fulfilled because the people have not been faithful. They continue in their old ways. Perhaps we should bear in mind the end of Nehemiah as we read the words of the prophet.
The book is divided into portions different than the chapters and verses.
The first section 1.2-5 is a general piece and begins the pattern of question and answer. "I have loved you," says God. The people reply, "Have you loved us?" The implication being - we don't think we are loved. The argument then continues as to why they do not feel loved and why it is not God's fault.
1.6-2.9: covers the priesthood which has fallen down on the job, offering blind and lame animals instead of unblemished ones. "What a weariness this is," they say, and wonder why the restoration has not manifested in its fullness.
2.10-16: The people have not honored their commitment to one another. Their has been idolatry and injustice, particularly in marriage relationships. Remember, marriage was as much a lawful contract with specific obligations and responsibilities as anything else.
2.17-3.5: God is wearied by their complaint. They look for justice when they do not do justice. There is one coming who will prepare the way of the Lord, and the Lord (whom you are looking for) will suddenly appear and you will not like it. He will refine the priests and the people and justice will be done in the land.
3.6-12: A call for repentance and returning to God. Pay the tithe and God will fulfill the promises of the covenant.
3.13-4.3: Here is the flip side of apocalypse. It seems that God is absent from the world, and those who follow God are fools. Why bother? It does no good? Here God promises that all he has said will be fulfilled. The good will receive good and those who are arrogant and evil will be destroyed.
4.4-5: Two appendices. One recalls the covenant of Moses, so important in this book. The other is a passage whose ripples have rolled out to today. Elijah will come at the time of restoration and his prophecy will be heeded by the people. This saying was very much known at the time of Jesus, as people were looking for Elijah to return. Also, if you have every shared sabbath or Seder with a Jewish family, you know that there is always an extra setting at the table in case Elijah returns.
Revelation
17-18: The fall of Babylon (Rome). The whore and the beast represent the Roman empire. The whore is more particularly the city (cities were feminine in grammar). The beast - seven heads for seven hills (Rome was on seven hills) and the 10 horns, ten emperors (probably Julius Caesar through Domitian).
The kings and merchants of the earth are seen as being in collusion with the empire, but eventually turning against it. In 18, God's messengers pronounce judgment on Rome, but the rest of the world (especially the merchants) lament the fall of Rome.
19: There is rejoicing in heaven over the destruction of Rome, the enemy of God and oppressor and murder of God's people. The first part of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah is found in verse 6. There is a final battle between Jesus and the armies of the beasts (notice it does not say this happens at Armageddon which actually pops up earlier and may have nothing to do with this event). The enemies are quickly defeated by the words of Jesus (this could be seen as an essentially non-violent episode - the beast and his followers are defeated by the testimony of Jesus, not an army). The beasts are judged and burned alive.
20: Satan is imprisoned and there appears to be a Messianic kingdom for a while (1000 years is purely symbolic). Satan is released to tempt the nations again, but the rebellion is quickly put down. How this fits into unclear. Some believe there will be an actual 1000 year reign of Jesus at which time the Devil will be unleashed. This is an idea not found anywhere else in the Bible and is not a part of the witness of the apostles. The writer seems to be referring to a time after the fall of Rome, but that may not be the case. This could all be allegory for the death and resurrection of Jesus, in which case the reign of Jesus would be now.
Then we have the great white throne judgment in which all the dead will be judged.
21: The new Jerusalem. Like Ezekiel again, we have a vision of the holy city, this time not built by human hands, but fashioned in heaven. There is no temple, and its gates are pearls, its streets gold, but transparent. I find myself thinking about that gigantic UFO in the climax of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Notice that there is a new heavens and a new earth. Where do the people of God live? On the new earth and in the holy city. I often tell people that Christians don't go to heaven. You can imagine the reaction I get. But that is the simple witness of our spiritual founders. There is no end of the world, there is instead a resurrection of the world, and of the people, and we continue to live on this resurrected earth.
22: The description continues through verse 5, describing the river that flows out of the city, again like in Ezekiel. There is not more night, nor lamps or sun.
Starting in verse 6 we get a testimony that the words are true and then encouragement, exhortation and the promise that Jesus will come.
Well folks - that's it. Assuming you have stayed with the program, if you are reading this, you have finished reading the entire Bible!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Revelation 10-16/Ezra 5-10/Esther
Ezra
5: At the prompting of Haggai and Zecheriah, which we finished up last week, the work on the Temple begins again. Again, officials come and question the work. They make a report to Darius and refer to the previous decree by Emperor Cyrus. They are looking for direction as to what they should do. Seeming in contrast to the previous outsiders.
6: The decree is discovered, and tells his governor of the land "Beyond the River" - of which Judea is a small province - to continue support for the builders, even threatening enemies of the work with death and destruction of their house. The temple is finished March 12, 516 BC, and the people celebrate with sacrifices (Bar-B-Q) and celebrating passover. The connection between God's desire and the decree of kings is an important theme in Ezra and Nehemiah.
7: Ezra is introduced here, a person with an established pedigree going back to Aaron. He travels from Babylon once the temple is completed, his desire is to study and teach the Torah - to reestablish the identity of the people as a people of the Law. He sets off with a decree from the Emperor giving him in many ways quite a free hand, with access to the royal treasures in that region and tax exempt status for those traveling with him. Ezra's memoir also begins at the end of this chapter. Notice that Darius thinks of the Jewish God as a regional deity, even calling Yahweh the God of Jerusalem. This illustrates both the belief that deities were associated with a particular geographic region, and the perceived importance of giving honor to local deities as a part of securing an empire.
Esther
Esther is the story of two alert Jews who outfox the enemy of the Jewish people, the nasty Haman. It is an unusual story, but became so popular that it is now the center of the Jewish festival of Purim in which it is read, and sometimes performed as a play. It is full of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, as well as tragedy, a battle of the sexes and plenty of bloodshed. Throughout it all, Esther, who enters as a woman who is merely beautiful, and exits as a great and resourceful hero, exemplifies all the things a hero should be. I suggest reading the book in a single sitting so you can experience the suspense and catharsis in a more intense way.
1-2 We begin with a banquet, given by Ahasuerus (probably Xerxes I) in Susa, the winter captial in NW Iran. Queen Vashti is put away and another is found - Esther, a Jew whose Jewish name is Hadassah (myrtle). After she is crowned she saves the king's life from a plot.
3-10: The evil plot by the dastardly Haman. Why Mordecai will not bow is not clear, but Agag was an Amalekite king, an enemy defeated by King Saul. Notice 3.7 which is a strange, badly worded interruption, likely by a scholar who is trying to connect this story with the holdiay Purim. It is also important to remember that the King does not really know who Haman is planning to eliminate.
Mordecai appeals to the Queen, though she is putting her life on the line by making an appeal to the king. She is reticent at first, but then agrees. She gets the king to invite Haman to a series of banquets.
While this is going on Haman must exalt his enemy, perhaps throwing a wrench into his plan to kill Mordecai and his people, but before he can make further plans, he is whisked away to yet another banquet. His plot is revealed and he is hung on his own gallows.
Mordecai is promoted, given Haman's job, and works to reverse the earlier decree. However, the decree cannot actually be reversed because of the laws of the Persians. So a solution is found. The Jews can arm and defend themselves against the attacks authorized in the previous decree. Apparently it was a bloody day in the empire, but the Jews take no plunder (as they did to their detriment in the Agag story in 1 Sam 15.9).
The day is a success and Queen Esther establishes the holiday of Purim to celebrate the saving of the Jewish people.
Ezra
8: Preparations for the journey. The people are named (about 1500 men). They fast in preparation of departing and then make their way. They enter Jerusalem and celebrate at the temple.
9: The problem of intermarriages arises. The people, as they always have really, intermarry with the locals. As a small minority who is trying to preserve their unique culture, this becomes a crisis. Ezra mourns and offers not so much a prayer but a sermon, paraphrasing the part of the Torah that speaks of not marrying Canaanites.
10: The crisis is resolved through communal action. The people gather and ask Ezra to make a decision. He gathers the people together and gives his decision that the wives should be sent away. Those who do not attend have their property taken away. There is a vote and all agree except four (their vote is counted but they are not punished). The investigation and execution of the decision is left up to a council formed from representatives of each family.
Revelation
10: Another interlude: Notice the description of the angel. Remember, this was a time before movies, when such things could easily be imagined. Think of an apocalypse as a weird, psychedelic Sci-Fi movie.
The angel has a scroll whose contents were not to be revealed. The seventh trumpet - the mystery of God - is about to sound without delay. John is instructed to eat the scroll, as did Ezekiel (Ez. 2.9-3.3). John is instructed to prophesy.
11:1-14: continuation of the interlude. After a measuring of the temple (how many times have we seen that?) the two witnesses are introduced. These figures may refer to prophets who were thought to return to announce the final judgment of God - usually Enoch or Moses and Elijah. They are killed, but then are raised and ascend to heaven.
11:15-19: The final trumpet: The reign of God is fulfilled. Part of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah comes from this passage.
12: The great allegorical tale of the woman and dragon. Probably the woman is Israel who gives birth the Messiah and then is hounded out of Jerusalem by the Romans, who are almost certainly the dragon - though the dragon can represent simply an embodiment of the forces of evil. The reference to the dragon being expelled from heaven perhaps refers to Luke 10.18. The ministry of the Messiah is equivalent with the defeat of the devil.
1260=42months=3 1/2 years=time, time, and half a time = one half of 7, the number of completeness and so is symbolic of incompleteness and of divine restraint.
13: This section begins in 12:18. The same dragon stands on the shore of the sea to call forth the hideous sea beast. Now it would be wrong to say that the beast is the anti-christ. The word does not appear anywhere in the book of Revelation. In fact the idea that a single person will arise at some point in the future and rule the world and commit great blasphemies and oppress the church, would have been a foreign idea to these people - BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY HAPPENING. Revelation reflects the current situation of the church, which was already being oppressed by Rome and it's emperors (while though they are often killed, Rome, the beast, never dies). So while some of these emperors embodied the spirit of the anti-christ (the word as found in the epistles) there is no single anti-christ.
The beast from the sea - probably a symbol of the office of emperor - and the beast from the earth - the cult of the emperor which worshiped him as divine - are the great enemies. Their number - 666 - can be "calculated" as Neron Caesar. If the alternate 616 (see textual note) is used, then the "n" is dropped.
14: A series of visions for the comfort of the saints. The theme here (not unlike the prophets) is that those who are faithful will be vindicated while those who oppress God's people and follow the beast will be punished. The message for the churches is that while it seems that God is powerless and Rome is powerful, this is merely an illusion. The divine vision shows that good will triumph over evil.
15-16: The seven bowls of wrath. These are prepared in heaven, with momentous prelude in 15 and then poured out in 16. Notice the wrath of the seven bowls primarily affect the natural world, disease, rivers, sun, darkness, etc. The seventh bowl is poured and that wrath is done.
5: At the prompting of Haggai and Zecheriah, which we finished up last week, the work on the Temple begins again. Again, officials come and question the work. They make a report to Darius and refer to the previous decree by Emperor Cyrus. They are looking for direction as to what they should do. Seeming in contrast to the previous outsiders.
6: The decree is discovered, and tells his governor of the land "Beyond the River" - of which Judea is a small province - to continue support for the builders, even threatening enemies of the work with death and destruction of their house. The temple is finished March 12, 516 BC, and the people celebrate with sacrifices (Bar-B-Q) and celebrating passover. The connection between God's desire and the decree of kings is an important theme in Ezra and Nehemiah.
7: Ezra is introduced here, a person with an established pedigree going back to Aaron. He travels from Babylon once the temple is completed, his desire is to study and teach the Torah - to reestablish the identity of the people as a people of the Law. He sets off with a decree from the Emperor giving him in many ways quite a free hand, with access to the royal treasures in that region and tax exempt status for those traveling with him. Ezra's memoir also begins at the end of this chapter. Notice that Darius thinks of the Jewish God as a regional deity, even calling Yahweh the God of Jerusalem. This illustrates both the belief that deities were associated with a particular geographic region, and the perceived importance of giving honor to local deities as a part of securing an empire.
Esther
Esther is the story of two alert Jews who outfox the enemy of the Jewish people, the nasty Haman. It is an unusual story, but became so popular that it is now the center of the Jewish festival of Purim in which it is read, and sometimes performed as a play. It is full of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, as well as tragedy, a battle of the sexes and plenty of bloodshed. Throughout it all, Esther, who enters as a woman who is merely beautiful, and exits as a great and resourceful hero, exemplifies all the things a hero should be. I suggest reading the book in a single sitting so you can experience the suspense and catharsis in a more intense way.
1-2 We begin with a banquet, given by Ahasuerus (probably Xerxes I) in Susa, the winter captial in NW Iran. Queen Vashti is put away and another is found - Esther, a Jew whose Jewish name is Hadassah (myrtle). After she is crowned she saves the king's life from a plot.
3-10: The evil plot by the dastardly Haman. Why Mordecai will not bow is not clear, but Agag was an Amalekite king, an enemy defeated by King Saul. Notice 3.7 which is a strange, badly worded interruption, likely by a scholar who is trying to connect this story with the holdiay Purim. It is also important to remember that the King does not really know who Haman is planning to eliminate.
Mordecai appeals to the Queen, though she is putting her life on the line by making an appeal to the king. She is reticent at first, but then agrees. She gets the king to invite Haman to a series of banquets.
While this is going on Haman must exalt his enemy, perhaps throwing a wrench into his plan to kill Mordecai and his people, but before he can make further plans, he is whisked away to yet another banquet. His plot is revealed and he is hung on his own gallows.
Mordecai is promoted, given Haman's job, and works to reverse the earlier decree. However, the decree cannot actually be reversed because of the laws of the Persians. So a solution is found. The Jews can arm and defend themselves against the attacks authorized in the previous decree. Apparently it was a bloody day in the empire, but the Jews take no plunder (as they did to their detriment in the Agag story in 1 Sam 15.9).
The day is a success and Queen Esther establishes the holiday of Purim to celebrate the saving of the Jewish people.
Ezra
8: Preparations for the journey. The people are named (about 1500 men). They fast in preparation of departing and then make their way. They enter Jerusalem and celebrate at the temple.
9: The problem of intermarriages arises. The people, as they always have really, intermarry with the locals. As a small minority who is trying to preserve their unique culture, this becomes a crisis. Ezra mourns and offers not so much a prayer but a sermon, paraphrasing the part of the Torah that speaks of not marrying Canaanites.
10: The crisis is resolved through communal action. The people gather and ask Ezra to make a decision. He gathers the people together and gives his decision that the wives should be sent away. Those who do not attend have their property taken away. There is a vote and all agree except four (their vote is counted but they are not punished). The investigation and execution of the decision is left up to a council formed from representatives of each family.
Revelation
10: Another interlude: Notice the description of the angel. Remember, this was a time before movies, when such things could easily be imagined. Think of an apocalypse as a weird, psychedelic Sci-Fi movie.
The angel has a scroll whose contents were not to be revealed. The seventh trumpet - the mystery of God - is about to sound without delay. John is instructed to eat the scroll, as did Ezekiel (Ez. 2.9-3.3). John is instructed to prophesy.
11:1-14: continuation of the interlude. After a measuring of the temple (how many times have we seen that?) the two witnesses are introduced. These figures may refer to prophets who were thought to return to announce the final judgment of God - usually Enoch or Moses and Elijah. They are killed, but then are raised and ascend to heaven.
11:15-19: The final trumpet: The reign of God is fulfilled. Part of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah comes from this passage.
12: The great allegorical tale of the woman and dragon. Probably the woman is Israel who gives birth the Messiah and then is hounded out of Jerusalem by the Romans, who are almost certainly the dragon - though the dragon can represent simply an embodiment of the forces of evil. The reference to the dragon being expelled from heaven perhaps refers to Luke 10.18. The ministry of the Messiah is equivalent with the defeat of the devil.
1260=42months=3 1/2 years=time, time, and half a time = one half of 7, the number of completeness and so is symbolic of incompleteness and of divine restraint.
13: This section begins in 12:18. The same dragon stands on the shore of the sea to call forth the hideous sea beast. Now it would be wrong to say that the beast is the anti-christ. The word does not appear anywhere in the book of Revelation. In fact the idea that a single person will arise at some point in the future and rule the world and commit great blasphemies and oppress the church, would have been a foreign idea to these people - BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY HAPPENING. Revelation reflects the current situation of the church, which was already being oppressed by Rome and it's emperors (while though they are often killed, Rome, the beast, never dies). So while some of these emperors embodied the spirit of the anti-christ (the word as found in the epistles) there is no single anti-christ.
The beast from the sea - probably a symbol of the office of emperor - and the beast from the earth - the cult of the emperor which worshiped him as divine - are the great enemies. Their number - 666 - can be "calculated" as Neron Caesar. If the alternate 616 (see textual note) is used, then the "n" is dropped.
14: A series of visions for the comfort of the saints. The theme here (not unlike the prophets) is that those who are faithful will be vindicated while those who oppress God's people and follow the beast will be punished. The message for the churches is that while it seems that God is powerless and Rome is powerful, this is merely an illusion. The divine vision shows that good will triumph over evil.
15-16: The seven bowls of wrath. These are prepared in heaven, with momentous prelude in 15 and then poured out in 16. Notice the wrath of the seven bowls primarily affect the natural world, disease, rivers, sun, darkness, etc. The seventh bowl is poured and that wrath is done.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Revelation 1-9/Psalms
Psalms
For my remarks on the Psalms, see my previous post on the book itself. The psalms this week are primarily about Zion and the temple, foreign enemies, and return from exile.
Revelation
The book of Revelation (or Apocalypse) is a work in a particular genre, which has particular conventions, known as an apocalypse. The word itself means "revelation" or "disclosure" or "unveiling." Like other apocalypses we've seen before the primary task of this kind of work is to unveil, in highly symbolic and allegorical terms, occurrences in the spiritual or heavenly realms that coincide with what is going on upon the earth.
So - wars, famine, etc. are not just the result of bad weather and political strife, but also the opening of the seals of the book and the unleashing of the four horsemen.
Apocalypses take a very black & white view of the world in which good is pitched against evil in epic battle. The triumph and vindication of good and the destruction and ignoble defeat of evil is a message that is meant for people in times of great duress and struggle. It is likely that this book was written during a time of persecution and Nero is probably referenced at least once.
It is probably best to dispel a misconception right away. The book of Revelation is not about the future. It does not have within it details about the end of the world or the end of time. Such an idea would be ridiculous to the author and the people of the time. The book of Revelation is about what was happening in Rome in the late first and early second century AD. It references Rome, Nero and Israel - not Europe, Russia or China. Once you let that sink in, then the book opens up and becomes prophetic in the sense that it speaks truth, and specifically speaks to the world of power, politics, and military might - in stark contrast to the world (or kingdom) of God.
1: The angel which is sent to John is a typical convention of an apocalypse. The author has a heavenly guide which takes him to the heavens to see what is happening. John is not the apostle John, but another, often referred to as John the Revelator. John is addressing his writing to seven churches, which then receive particular letters. John has a vision of Jesus in his exaltation - the one who sits at the right hand of God, the ascended Jesus.
2-3: The letters to the churches. Each letter contains a particular metaphor about Jesus, a condemnation or condemnation, an admonition, and an exhortation referring to the promises of God. Often there is reference to the situation of the church and reference to the characteristics of the city they are in. Check your study Bibles for a map of the area.
4: A vision of the heavenly throne room. Lots of imagery that should be familiar from Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Notice this is not a view of "heaven" in the sense of where we go where we die, though it is often used in the way. This is God's throne room and even reflects a typically idealized throne room of an earthly kingdom.
5: The scroll, which contains the divine plan for judgment and salvation is sealed - unalterable and perhaps unknown. At first no one is found to open it, and things will continue as they are, and John weeps. Then Jesus appears as the one who is worthy to open the scroll and expose it's contents. Remember that apocalypse means unveiling.
6: Four seals are opened that reveal war and destruction: A warrior who cannot be defeated rides to war, the red horse which is war itself, the third horse which symbolizes economic collapse and the famine that follows, the fourth horse which brings death by war, famine and disease to a fourth of the earth. The fourth part indicates wide but not total destruction. We'll see phrases like this again and again, and it is not a glass-half-empty term, but a glass-half-full perspective. The destruction is not complete, and hope remains.
The fifth seal is the martyrs. Remember this book is written to people who probably knew martyrs and lived with the very real possibility that they themselves might be executed.
The sixth seal is a kind of warning of the judgment to come and is a reference to Joel 2 and the Day of the Lord. All classes of society realize the power of God (though apparently only for a time, since they quickly turn away from God).
7: The first interlude appears between the sixth and seventh seal. First there is the 144,000 who recall the Jewish remnant during the exile, and has been taken to variously stand for the Jewish people, the church, the martyrs or all the faithful. The great multitude likely refers to martyrs again, the ones who seemed to have been defeated but now appear in victory with white robes and palm branches.
8: The seventh seal is silence in heaven. Perhaps in judgment, in sober reflection on what has occurred and what will happen. It is possible also that the seven trumpets coming up where a part of the seventh seal. The altar censure is filled with smoked and hurled to the earth and the trumpets begin.
As before we have four trumpets of destruction, followed by a warning, and then the fifth and sixth trumpets.
9: The fifth trumpet sounds the swarm of hideous locusts, alluding to demonic spirits, and torturing men with their horrible bites. I believe this was often referenced during the Black Plague in Europe. Abaddon means destruction - King of Death - think the Grim Reaper.
The monstrous cavalry is as terrifying as the plague of locusts. But still - the people do not turn from worshiping idols.
For my remarks on the Psalms, see my previous post on the book itself. The psalms this week are primarily about Zion and the temple, foreign enemies, and return from exile.
Revelation
The book of Revelation (or Apocalypse) is a work in a particular genre, which has particular conventions, known as an apocalypse. The word itself means "revelation" or "disclosure" or "unveiling." Like other apocalypses we've seen before the primary task of this kind of work is to unveil, in highly symbolic and allegorical terms, occurrences in the spiritual or heavenly realms that coincide with what is going on upon the earth.
So - wars, famine, etc. are not just the result of bad weather and political strife, but also the opening of the seals of the book and the unleashing of the four horsemen.
Apocalypses take a very black & white view of the world in which good is pitched against evil in epic battle. The triumph and vindication of good and the destruction and ignoble defeat of evil is a message that is meant for people in times of great duress and struggle. It is likely that this book was written during a time of persecution and Nero is probably referenced at least once.
It is probably best to dispel a misconception right away. The book of Revelation is not about the future. It does not have within it details about the end of the world or the end of time. Such an idea would be ridiculous to the author and the people of the time. The book of Revelation is about what was happening in Rome in the late first and early second century AD. It references Rome, Nero and Israel - not Europe, Russia or China. Once you let that sink in, then the book opens up and becomes prophetic in the sense that it speaks truth, and specifically speaks to the world of power, politics, and military might - in stark contrast to the world (or kingdom) of God.
1: The angel which is sent to John is a typical convention of an apocalypse. The author has a heavenly guide which takes him to the heavens to see what is happening. John is not the apostle John, but another, often referred to as John the Revelator. John is addressing his writing to seven churches, which then receive particular letters. John has a vision of Jesus in his exaltation - the one who sits at the right hand of God, the ascended Jesus.
2-3: The letters to the churches. Each letter contains a particular metaphor about Jesus, a condemnation or condemnation, an admonition, and an exhortation referring to the promises of God. Often there is reference to the situation of the church and reference to the characteristics of the city they are in. Check your study Bibles for a map of the area.
4: A vision of the heavenly throne room. Lots of imagery that should be familiar from Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Notice this is not a view of "heaven" in the sense of where we go where we die, though it is often used in the way. This is God's throne room and even reflects a typically idealized throne room of an earthly kingdom.
5: The scroll, which contains the divine plan for judgment and salvation is sealed - unalterable and perhaps unknown. At first no one is found to open it, and things will continue as they are, and John weeps. Then Jesus appears as the one who is worthy to open the scroll and expose it's contents. Remember that apocalypse means unveiling.
6: Four seals are opened that reveal war and destruction: A warrior who cannot be defeated rides to war, the red horse which is war itself, the third horse which symbolizes economic collapse and the famine that follows, the fourth horse which brings death by war, famine and disease to a fourth of the earth. The fourth part indicates wide but not total destruction. We'll see phrases like this again and again, and it is not a glass-half-empty term, but a glass-half-full perspective. The destruction is not complete, and hope remains.
The fifth seal is the martyrs. Remember this book is written to people who probably knew martyrs and lived with the very real possibility that they themselves might be executed.
The sixth seal is a kind of warning of the judgment to come and is a reference to Joel 2 and the Day of the Lord. All classes of society realize the power of God (though apparently only for a time, since they quickly turn away from God).
7: The first interlude appears between the sixth and seventh seal. First there is the 144,000 who recall the Jewish remnant during the exile, and has been taken to variously stand for the Jewish people, the church, the martyrs or all the faithful. The great multitude likely refers to martyrs again, the ones who seemed to have been defeated but now appear in victory with white robes and palm branches.
8: The seventh seal is silence in heaven. Perhaps in judgment, in sober reflection on what has occurred and what will happen. It is possible also that the seven trumpets coming up where a part of the seventh seal. The altar censure is filled with smoked and hurled to the earth and the trumpets begin.
As before we have four trumpets of destruction, followed by a warning, and then the fifth and sixth trumpets.
9: The fifth trumpet sounds the swarm of hideous locusts, alluding to demonic spirits, and torturing men with their horrible bites. I believe this was often referenced during the Black Plague in Europe. Abaddon means destruction - King of Death - think the Grim Reaper.
The monstrous cavalry is as terrifying as the plague of locusts. But still - the people do not turn from worshiping idols.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Ezra 1-4/Haggai/Zechariah/2-3 John/Jude
Ezra
Ezra - in the Hebrew Bible paired with Nehemiah as the same book - tells the story of the return of the Israelites to Judea. The return probably took place in about four stages, the final two the focus of Ezra-Nehemiah. Ezra covers the return and re-establishment of the Laws of Moses (Torah) in the community in Jerusalem. As a minority in the multi-cultural Persian empire, the Jews became assimilated in many ways with the Persians. The story of Ezra is focused a great deal on the recovery and preservation of the unique Jewish identity which was under threat of vanishing.
1: The decree from Emperor Cyrus for the return of the Israelites to their city Jerusalem. Recall the prophecies about Cyrus from Isaiah, that see him as a kind of gentile hero, though he does not recognize the supremacy of Yahweh, he becomes Yahweh's instrument.
The people bring their valuables, and Cyrus gives them the vessels used in the Temple to take back for worship. Many return with Sheshbazzar in the first return.
2: The list of people in the return. Nehemiah, of course will become important later; Jeshua is elsewhere called High Priest; Zerubbabel is the one of the last known Davidic descendants in the OT. It appears this group began work on the Temple.
3: Rebuilding comes in stages: starting with the altar and then the foundation of the Second Temple. Notice also they are in "dread" of neighboring people. This will be a continuing theme and also be important in Nehemiah as they build the walls around Jerusalem.
4: The opponents - many people who were moved to the area after the Assyrians conquered and displaced the northern kingdom of Israel - want to help build the temple, and when they are told no, they write a letter to the emperor, who makes the Jews cease their rebuilding of the Temple.
Haggai
We skip to Haggai now - and Zechariah as well - because they are active in this time when the Temple is not being worked on. Their prophetic word - remember prophecy is about speaking the truth and God's will to people, not foretelling the future - is that the people need to begin work again. The prophecy occurred from August through December in the year 520 BC.
1: The prophecy against the people and their response to begin building again. Notice Zerubbabel and Jeshua (here Joshua) are important people in this book and what was going on.
2: The new temple will be more splendid than the old and an oracle of encouragement - the curse is lifting and things are getting better.
Zechariah
Zechariah is an interesting book because the first part, 1-8, follows similar themes and can be dated to around the same time as Haggai. The rest of the book, however, 9-14, has none of the specifics of the first section and talks mostly about "that day" - the day of the Lord.
1: Introduction and call to repentance followed by two visions. The first is very apocalyptic - a vision of another realm that mirrors the situation on earth. The horses which patrol the earth are an opportunity for God to now restore his people. Then the vision of the horns and the blacksmiths.
2: Jerusalem is measured and promised that it will be full. God will defend it without walls (the walls are not built until around 445 (nearly 70 years later). There is a call for the people to return to Jerusalem and Yahweh will reestablish them.
3: Joshua before Satan. In the OT Satan was not what we think of today. Satan was the adversary, or the Accuser. He played a role in the divine court as the prosecuting attorney, trying to bring down the virtuous. Joshua survives the trial and is exalted, as is the branch - a Davidic ruler - probably a reference to Zerubbabel.
4: The lamp is the blessing of God, the two olive trees Joshua (Jesuha) and Zerrubbabel. They have been blessed and by the power of God - that is by his Spirit - the building of the Temple will be finished.
5: The scroll (the size of the porch of Solomon's Temple) is the new ethical standards. The basket, the wickedness of people, is taken to Babylon (Shinar), that is, away, where it becomes a temple.
6: After a vision mirroring the first, there is the coronation of Jeshua - but also Zerrubabel, who apparently got lost. Notice the textual note referring to crowns. However the exact meaning is unclear.
7-8: The question of fasting is answered in 8.18-19 and refers to fasts down as mourning the loss of Jerusalem, which is now being restored. Notice that in 7 the reasons given for the exile are related to issues of social justice. 8 are ten oracles about Jerusalem encouraging the people that it would be restored and that God was with them.
9-14 is the next section, and contains a variety of oracles that seem unrelated to the events surrounding Haggai and Zechariah 1-8.
9-11: The first oracle. First against the nations that arose against Israel. God will subdue them.
Then the image of the King of Peace whose reign will bring an end to war (quoted in the Matthew 21.5-7 as referring to Jesus).
Then a vision of Yahweh liberating the dispersed people and leading them to Jerusalem.
10: a call to look to the Lord for rain perhaps leads into the next section where Yahweh strikes down the rulers (shepherds) who oppose him and leads his people back home.
11: The ceders, oaks shepherds and lions refer to rulers in Lebanon, Transjordan and the Jordan valley - all of whom perish.
4-17 is a kind of retelling of the people before the exile. They refuse unity and favor and God gives them the king they deserve and desire, who brings them to ruin.
12-14: The second Oracle
12-13.6: Oracles about the Day of the Lord as both a time when Jerusalem is preserved and idols destroyed but also there is much mourning.
13.7-9: the shepherd who is struck. The downfall of this leader may refer to some post-exilic event - a reference we are not familiar with.
14: A final battle that leads to a revolution in Jerusalem. Nations will gather and come against the city, but Yahweh will defend her and utterly destroy her enemies, leading even to geographical metamorphoses. Jerusalem then will itself become a great temple - every pot will be a pot used in sacrifices - and all the nations will come to worship Yahweh in the City-Temple.
2 John:
Likely, along with 3 John, the same author as 1 John. The commandment to love, again, and a warning against those who preach that Jesus was not fully human. There were a variety of heresies popping up at the time, one of them being that Jesus was primarily a spirit, not a person of flesh and blood. John warns against these false teachings.
3 John:
A more personal letter covering practical matters and concern over others who were causing trouble. It should come as no surprise that the early church had quite a few problems.
Jude:
The Jude here might be the brother of James the brother of Jesus, which might give his writings the weight to be included in the Scripture. He writes, seemingly as a last resort (v. 3) to warn of false teachers who are leading them away from the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (compare Gal. 1.8-9). He warns them using several OT allusions and refernce to ritual purity which probably show this was meant for a primarily Jewish audience.
Ezra - in the Hebrew Bible paired with Nehemiah as the same book - tells the story of the return of the Israelites to Judea. The return probably took place in about four stages, the final two the focus of Ezra-Nehemiah. Ezra covers the return and re-establishment of the Laws of Moses (Torah) in the community in Jerusalem. As a minority in the multi-cultural Persian empire, the Jews became assimilated in many ways with the Persians. The story of Ezra is focused a great deal on the recovery and preservation of the unique Jewish identity which was under threat of vanishing.
1: The decree from Emperor Cyrus for the return of the Israelites to their city Jerusalem. Recall the prophecies about Cyrus from Isaiah, that see him as a kind of gentile hero, though he does not recognize the supremacy of Yahweh, he becomes Yahweh's instrument.
The people bring their valuables, and Cyrus gives them the vessels used in the Temple to take back for worship. Many return with Sheshbazzar in the first return.
2: The list of people in the return. Nehemiah, of course will become important later; Jeshua is elsewhere called High Priest; Zerubbabel is the one of the last known Davidic descendants in the OT. It appears this group began work on the Temple.
3: Rebuilding comes in stages: starting with the altar and then the foundation of the Second Temple. Notice also they are in "dread" of neighboring people. This will be a continuing theme and also be important in Nehemiah as they build the walls around Jerusalem.
4: The opponents - many people who were moved to the area after the Assyrians conquered and displaced the northern kingdom of Israel - want to help build the temple, and when they are told no, they write a letter to the emperor, who makes the Jews cease their rebuilding of the Temple.
Haggai
We skip to Haggai now - and Zechariah as well - because they are active in this time when the Temple is not being worked on. Their prophetic word - remember prophecy is about speaking the truth and God's will to people, not foretelling the future - is that the people need to begin work again. The prophecy occurred from August through December in the year 520 BC.
1: The prophecy against the people and their response to begin building again. Notice Zerubbabel and Jeshua (here Joshua) are important people in this book and what was going on.
2: The new temple will be more splendid than the old and an oracle of encouragement - the curse is lifting and things are getting better.
Zechariah
Zechariah is an interesting book because the first part, 1-8, follows similar themes and can be dated to around the same time as Haggai. The rest of the book, however, 9-14, has none of the specifics of the first section and talks mostly about "that day" - the day of the Lord.
1: Introduction and call to repentance followed by two visions. The first is very apocalyptic - a vision of another realm that mirrors the situation on earth. The horses which patrol the earth are an opportunity for God to now restore his people. Then the vision of the horns and the blacksmiths.
2: Jerusalem is measured and promised that it will be full. God will defend it without walls (the walls are not built until around 445 (nearly 70 years later). There is a call for the people to return to Jerusalem and Yahweh will reestablish them.
3: Joshua before Satan. In the OT Satan was not what we think of today. Satan was the adversary, or the Accuser. He played a role in the divine court as the prosecuting attorney, trying to bring down the virtuous. Joshua survives the trial and is exalted, as is the branch - a Davidic ruler - probably a reference to Zerubbabel.
4: The lamp is the blessing of God, the two olive trees Joshua (Jesuha) and Zerrubbabel. They have been blessed and by the power of God - that is by his Spirit - the building of the Temple will be finished.
5: The scroll (the size of the porch of Solomon's Temple) is the new ethical standards. The basket, the wickedness of people, is taken to Babylon (Shinar), that is, away, where it becomes a temple.
6: After a vision mirroring the first, there is the coronation of Jeshua - but also Zerrubabel, who apparently got lost. Notice the textual note referring to crowns. However the exact meaning is unclear.
7-8: The question of fasting is answered in 8.18-19 and refers to fasts down as mourning the loss of Jerusalem, which is now being restored. Notice that in 7 the reasons given for the exile are related to issues of social justice. 8 are ten oracles about Jerusalem encouraging the people that it would be restored and that God was with them.
9-14 is the next section, and contains a variety of oracles that seem unrelated to the events surrounding Haggai and Zechariah 1-8.
9-11: The first oracle. First against the nations that arose against Israel. God will subdue them.
Then the image of the King of Peace whose reign will bring an end to war (quoted in the Matthew 21.5-7 as referring to Jesus).
Then a vision of Yahweh liberating the dispersed people and leading them to Jerusalem.
10: a call to look to the Lord for rain perhaps leads into the next section where Yahweh strikes down the rulers (shepherds) who oppose him and leads his people back home.
11: The ceders, oaks shepherds and lions refer to rulers in Lebanon, Transjordan and the Jordan valley - all of whom perish.
4-17 is a kind of retelling of the people before the exile. They refuse unity and favor and God gives them the king they deserve and desire, who brings them to ruin.
12-14: The second Oracle
12-13.6: Oracles about the Day of the Lord as both a time when Jerusalem is preserved and idols destroyed but also there is much mourning.
13.7-9: the shepherd who is struck. The downfall of this leader may refer to some post-exilic event - a reference we are not familiar with.
14: A final battle that leads to a revolution in Jerusalem. Nations will gather and come against the city, but Yahweh will defend her and utterly destroy her enemies, leading even to geographical metamorphoses. Jerusalem then will itself become a great temple - every pot will be a pot used in sacrifices - and all the nations will come to worship Yahweh in the City-Temple.
2 John:
Likely, along with 3 John, the same author as 1 John. The commandment to love, again, and a warning against those who preach that Jesus was not fully human. There were a variety of heresies popping up at the time, one of them being that Jesus was primarily a spirit, not a person of flesh and blood. John warns against these false teachings.
3 John:
A more personal letter covering practical matters and concern over others who were causing trouble. It should come as no surprise that the early church had quite a few problems.
Jude:
The Jude here might be the brother of James the brother of Jesus, which might give his writings the weight to be included in the Scripture. He writes, seemingly as a last resort (v. 3) to warn of false teachers who are leading them away from the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (compare Gal. 1.8-9). He warns them using several OT allusions and refernce to ritual purity which probably show this was meant for a primarily Jewish audience.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Ezekiel 37-48/2 Peter/1 John
Ezekiel
37: First the dry bones - a vision of Judah restored, even from death. Nothing is impossible with God. I hope this section was familiar to everyone. It has a kind of humor to it. Then the symbolic action of the two sticks. The two kingdoms will be united once again under the peaceful rule of a Davidic King and Yahweh will return to the sanctuary to dwell with the people.
38-39: Prophecy against Gog and Magog. Who is Gog and Magog. They are both mytho-historical powerhouses that are likely stand-ins for other powers. If you look at the geography of the Holy Land, you will notice that, unless you are Egypt, the way you invade is from the north. Both Assyria and Babylon came from the north.
So Ezekiel is prophecying against some future super-power that, like Assyria and Babylon, will come down from the north and attack the land. However - notice it is not the people who fight. God rains down wrath from heaven, and Gog and Magog are defeated - not by human hands, but by God's power.
40-48: April 28, 573 BC Ezekiel had a vision of the rebuilt Temple and Jerusalem. This vision has a plan to settle all the people in the land that is reclaimed, with boundaries that would be permanently safeguarded. It should be noted that as you read Nehemiah and Ezra that these boundaries and building plan are never established during the Second Temple Period. This important section is also a recapitulation laws found in Leviticus and Numbers and a temple building plan that is reminiscent of Exodus and Solomon's temple. Remember, Ezekiel is describing in prose what we would normally describe in a blue print.
40-42: The new Temple. Chapter 40 deals with the walls, courts and fortifications. It is a massive new building, based on Solomon, but in a larger and grander style. Chapter 41 deals with the Temple itself. Notice the narrowing entrances indicating that you were entering a holier and holier place. 42 describes the chambers that the priests used for garments, for eating the sacrifices and for preparation for their priestly activities (remember Ezekiel was a priest).
43: The glory of the Lord on the chariot of "wheels within wheels" returns to the temple (recall chapter 1). The presence of God enters the same gate it left and God takes up residence forever. There is a warning against disloyalty and disobedience to the law.
44: The gate through which God enters is closed forever, open only for the prince to enact certain rituals as the civic head. Then the priesthood is reformed. Only the members of the Zadok priesthood (a smaller section of the Levites) are allowed to perform priestly duties and are required to follow certain purity practices.
45: 1-9 divides up parts of the city for the priests and the prince (the monarchic ruler in Jerusalem). It is followed by an injunction to cease taking land from the weak (you may remember Ahab and Jezebel taking the land of Naboth after having him killed).
The rest of the chapter regulates the weights and measures (to prevent cheating) and the calendar.
46: Four sections here: The management of gates, the offerings made by the prince (he brings them; the priest does the sacrifice), the management of the prince's property when it is given outside of the family, and the kitchens.
47: 1-12: The description of the River of Life that flows from the Temple, bringing life every where. The swamps and marshes are used to supply salt.
13-23: The boundaries of the kingdom. They are roughly equivalent to the Davidic kingdom, but do not include any areas east of the Jordan (Transjordon).
48: The allotment of the land to each tribe. Here each tribes receives an equal amount of land. Jerusalem is set aside as a holy city with 12 gates, three per side, named after each tribe.
2 Peter
Although the actual authorship is unknown (since this letter is likely very late in the century), it is setup as a final letter written by Peter before his death. The letter quotes and alludes to quite a lot of the New Testament, the gospels as well as the letter Jude. As the final address before his death, the author exhorts his hearers to live a holy life, to not listen to false teachers, and to stand firm until the final coming of God and his kingdom.
1 John
You will notice that John uses "We" quite a lot. Some argue that this was not written by the same author of the gospel, but I think it was written by him, along with the community he was with. The language, form, and the theology have the same shape. The simple prose-poetry of John is also found throughout 1 John.
The letter, along with many others focuses on theology, the nature of Jesus, holy living and false teachers. John, however, you will find writes in a very different way to Paul.
So it is important to point out that John uses very black and white language to convey his message. If we were to read this to literally, we might think that if we sin, it means that we do not belong to God. I don't think that is John's point, since he refers several times to the forgiveness of sins.
Another thing to notice is the reference to the "antichrist." There is a popular notion that the antichrist is an actual person who will appear in the future, take over the world, and bring about the end of the world. This is not how the term is ever used in the New Testament. Rather it refers to a teaching or a movement that challenged the identity of Christ, either his Messiahship, his divinity or his humanity, or other false teachings.
Finally, "God is love" appears twice, in prominent places, and the emphasis placed on love should not be missed. It is hard to find other statements in the Bible that seem to refer to God's very nature, as opposed to some attribute that God possesses. To say God is powerful, angry, jealous, compassionate, present, patient, loving - etc. is not the same as to say "God is love." John's words here have therefore had a significant influence in theology.
37: First the dry bones - a vision of Judah restored, even from death. Nothing is impossible with God. I hope this section was familiar to everyone. It has a kind of humor to it. Then the symbolic action of the two sticks. The two kingdoms will be united once again under the peaceful rule of a Davidic King and Yahweh will return to the sanctuary to dwell with the people.
38-39: Prophecy against Gog and Magog. Who is Gog and Magog. They are both mytho-historical powerhouses that are likely stand-ins for other powers. If you look at the geography of the Holy Land, you will notice that, unless you are Egypt, the way you invade is from the north. Both Assyria and Babylon came from the north.
So Ezekiel is prophecying against some future super-power that, like Assyria and Babylon, will come down from the north and attack the land. However - notice it is not the people who fight. God rains down wrath from heaven, and Gog and Magog are defeated - not by human hands, but by God's power.
40-48: April 28, 573 BC Ezekiel had a vision of the rebuilt Temple and Jerusalem. This vision has a plan to settle all the people in the land that is reclaimed, with boundaries that would be permanently safeguarded. It should be noted that as you read Nehemiah and Ezra that these boundaries and building plan are never established during the Second Temple Period. This important section is also a recapitulation laws found in Leviticus and Numbers and a temple building plan that is reminiscent of Exodus and Solomon's temple. Remember, Ezekiel is describing in prose what we would normally describe in a blue print.
40-42: The new Temple. Chapter 40 deals with the walls, courts and fortifications. It is a massive new building, based on Solomon, but in a larger and grander style. Chapter 41 deals with the Temple itself. Notice the narrowing entrances indicating that you were entering a holier and holier place. 42 describes the chambers that the priests used for garments, for eating the sacrifices and for preparation for their priestly activities (remember Ezekiel was a priest).
43: The glory of the Lord on the chariot of "wheels within wheels" returns to the temple (recall chapter 1). The presence of God enters the same gate it left and God takes up residence forever. There is a warning against disloyalty and disobedience to the law.
44: The gate through which God enters is closed forever, open only for the prince to enact certain rituals as the civic head. Then the priesthood is reformed. Only the members of the Zadok priesthood (a smaller section of the Levites) are allowed to perform priestly duties and are required to follow certain purity practices.
45: 1-9 divides up parts of the city for the priests and the prince (the monarchic ruler in Jerusalem). It is followed by an injunction to cease taking land from the weak (you may remember Ahab and Jezebel taking the land of Naboth after having him killed).
The rest of the chapter regulates the weights and measures (to prevent cheating) and the calendar.
46: Four sections here: The management of gates, the offerings made by the prince (he brings them; the priest does the sacrifice), the management of the prince's property when it is given outside of the family, and the kitchens.
47: 1-12: The description of the River of Life that flows from the Temple, bringing life every where. The swamps and marshes are used to supply salt.
13-23: The boundaries of the kingdom. They are roughly equivalent to the Davidic kingdom, but do not include any areas east of the Jordan (Transjordon).
48: The allotment of the land to each tribe. Here each tribes receives an equal amount of land. Jerusalem is set aside as a holy city with 12 gates, three per side, named after each tribe.
2 Peter
Although the actual authorship is unknown (since this letter is likely very late in the century), it is setup as a final letter written by Peter before his death. The letter quotes and alludes to quite a lot of the New Testament, the gospels as well as the letter Jude. As the final address before his death, the author exhorts his hearers to live a holy life, to not listen to false teachers, and to stand firm until the final coming of God and his kingdom.
1 John
You will notice that John uses "We" quite a lot. Some argue that this was not written by the same author of the gospel, but I think it was written by him, along with the community he was with. The language, form, and the theology have the same shape. The simple prose-poetry of John is also found throughout 1 John.
The letter, along with many others focuses on theology, the nature of Jesus, holy living and false teachers. John, however, you will find writes in a very different way to Paul.
So it is important to point out that John uses very black and white language to convey his message. If we were to read this to literally, we might think that if we sin, it means that we do not belong to God. I don't think that is John's point, since he refers several times to the forgiveness of sins.
Another thing to notice is the reference to the "antichrist." There is a popular notion that the antichrist is an actual person who will appear in the future, take over the world, and bring about the end of the world. This is not how the term is ever used in the New Testament. Rather it refers to a teaching or a movement that challenged the identity of Christ, either his Messiahship, his divinity or his humanity, or other false teachings.
Finally, "God is love" appears twice, in prominent places, and the emphasis placed on love should not be missed. It is hard to find other statements in the Bible that seem to refer to God's very nature, as opposed to some attribute that God possesses. To say God is powerful, angry, jealous, compassionate, present, patient, loving - etc. is not the same as to say "God is love." John's words here have therefore had a significant influence in theology.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Ezekiel 33-36
Ezekiel
This next section of Ezekiel, which runs to the end of the book, covers the time after the final exiles, when Jerusalem has been destroyed. Now is the time when God promises restoration, that God will bring life to his people and that their sins will be forgiven.
33: A couple of things are going on here. First - Ezekiel is the sentinel - if he does not speak (blow the trumpet) he will be held accountable. Second, he has a new message. His being mute, imposed during the exile, is lifted and he is allowed to speak now that the judgment he prophesied has been fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem. Finally, with the final judgment of those who stayed behind and perhaps attempted to usurp land, Ezekiel becomes popular amongst many people, but it shallow.
34: Shepherds are often a metaphor for the kings. Here the bad kings are bad shepherds and the wealthy are bad sheep. The good and bad sheep will be separated and a new shepherd - a Davidic King - will rule in peace. Of course the Messianic ties to Jesus here are very strong. Think of Jesus the Good Shepherd and the judgment in which Jesus separates the sheep and the goats.
35: A prophecy against the mountain of Edom, and therefore against the Edomites.
36: The attention then turns to the mountains of Israel, which shall be a place of deliverance. Israel - probably those northern tribes that escaped south during the Assyrian exile - will also be restored. However, not because of their holiness, but because of God's glory. It will be a sign to all people that Yahweh is truly God.
This next section of Ezekiel, which runs to the end of the book, covers the time after the final exiles, when Jerusalem has been destroyed. Now is the time when God promises restoration, that God will bring life to his people and that their sins will be forgiven.
33: A couple of things are going on here. First - Ezekiel is the sentinel - if he does not speak (blow the trumpet) he will be held accountable. Second, he has a new message. His being mute, imposed during the exile, is lifted and he is allowed to speak now that the judgment he prophesied has been fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem. Finally, with the final judgment of those who stayed behind and perhaps attempted to usurp land, Ezekiel becomes popular amongst many people, but it shallow.
34: Shepherds are often a metaphor for the kings. Here the bad kings are bad shepherds and the wealthy are bad sheep. The good and bad sheep will be separated and a new shepherd - a Davidic King - will rule in peace. Of course the Messianic ties to Jesus here are very strong. Think of Jesus the Good Shepherd and the judgment in which Jesus separates the sheep and the goats.
35: A prophecy against the mountain of Edom, and therefore against the Edomites.
36: The attention then turns to the mountains of Israel, which shall be a place of deliverance. Israel - probably those northern tribes that escaped south during the Assyrian exile - will also be restored. However, not because of their holiness, but because of God's glory. It will be a sign to all people that Yahweh is truly God.
Ezekiel 33-36
Ezekiel 33-36
This next section of Ezekiel, which runs to the end of the book, covers the time after the final exiles, when Jerusalem has been destroyed. Now is the time when God promises restoration, that God will bring life to his people and that their sins will be forgiven.
33: A couple of things are going on here. First - Ezekiel is the sentinel - if he does not speak (blow the trumpet) he will be held accountable. Second, he has a new message. His being mute, imposed during the exile, is lifted and he is allowed to speak now that the judgment he prophesied has been fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem. Finally, with the final judgment of those who stayed behind and perhaps attempted to usurp land, Ezekiel becomes popular amongst many people, but it shallow.
34: Shepherds are often a metaphor for the kings. Here the bad kings are bad shepherds and the wealthy are bad sheep. The good and bad sheep will be separated and a new shepherd - a Davidic King - will rule in peace. Of course the Messianic ties to Jesus here are very strong. Think of Jesus the Good Shepherd and the judgment in which Jesus separates the sheep and the goats.
35: A prophecy against the mountain of Edom, and therefore against the Edomites.
36: The attention then turns to the mountains of Israel, which shall be a place of deliverance. Israel - probably those northern tribes that escaped south during the Assyrian exile - will also be restored. However, not because of their holiness, but because of God's glory. It will be a sign to all people that Yahweh is truly God.
This next section of Ezekiel, which runs to the end of the book, covers the time after the final exiles, when Jerusalem has been destroyed. Now is the time when God promises restoration, that God will bring life to his people and that their sins will be forgiven.
33: A couple of things are going on here. First - Ezekiel is the sentinel - if he does not speak (blow the trumpet) he will be held accountable. Second, he has a new message. His being mute, imposed during the exile, is lifted and he is allowed to speak now that the judgment he prophesied has been fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem. Finally, with the final judgment of those who stayed behind and perhaps attempted to usurp land, Ezekiel becomes popular amongst many people, but it shallow.
34: Shepherds are often a metaphor for the kings. Here the bad kings are bad shepherds and the wealthy are bad sheep. The good and bad sheep will be separated and a new shepherd - a Davidic King - will rule in peace. Of course the Messianic ties to Jesus here are very strong. Think of Jesus the Good Shepherd and the judgment in which Jesus separates the sheep and the goats.
35: A prophecy against the mountain of Edom, and therefore against the Edomites.
36: The attention then turns to the mountains of Israel, which shall be a place of deliverance. Israel - probably those northern tribes that escaped south during the Assyrian exile - will also be restored. However, not because of their holiness, but because of God's glory. It will be a sign to all people that Yahweh is truly God.
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