Isaiah 11:10-16 (Episcopal)

Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah

10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

11 On that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.

12 He will raise a signal for the nations,

and will assemble the outcasts of Israel,

and gather the dispersed of Judah

from the four corners of the earth.

13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,

the hostility of Judah shall be cut off;

Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,

and Judah shall not be hostile towards Ephraim.

14 But they shall swoop down on the backs of the Philistines in the west,

together they shall plunder the people of the east.

They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab,

and the Ammonites shall obey them.

15 And the LORD will utterly destroy

the tongue of the sea of Egypt;

and will wave his hand over the River

with his scorching wind;

and will split it into seven channels,

and make a way to cross on foot;

16 so there shall be a highway from Assyria

for the remnant that is left of his people,

as there was for Israel

when they came up from the land of Egypt. (Isaiah 11:10-16, NRSV)

On December 19, 2006 (Tuesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One, refs. for Dec. 19, Year One), comments were repeated from December 21, 2004 (Tuesday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One); the comments are repeated here with editing and supplement (as they were last Friday, December 19, 2008, for the Presbyterian reading):

Yesterday’s Presbyterian reading from the Old Testament, Isaiah 11:1-9 (cf. the Episcopal reading next Monday, Dec. 22, 2008), presented a picture of “the Peaceable Kingdom,” a future in which “the spirit of the LORD” (v. 2) rests upon “a shoot . . . from the stump of Jesse” (v. 1), that is, the ideal Davidic king. In this kingdom, “the wolf shall live with the lamb, / the leopard shall lie down with the kid, / the calf and the lion and the fatling together, / and a little child shall lead them” (v. 6).

Today’s Presbyterian reading continues in verses 10-16 (cf. next Tuesday’s Episcopal reading, Dec. 23, 2008). The prose portion (Isa. 11:10-11) describes the glorious reign of this Davidic king in what Victor R. Gold and William L. Holladay call “the messianic age” (NOAB, 2^nd ed., 1994, on Isa. 11:10-16). “On that day,” says the prophet Isaiah, “the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious” (Isa. 11:10). According to Benjamin D. Sommer, “As in 2:2-4, nations come to Jerusalem to receive instructions. The Davidic king will act as the prophetic conduit through whom responses to the nations’ inquiries will come” (The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, on Isa. 11:10). Joseph Blenkinsopp has us compare “55:3,” adding that the picture is of “the Davidic ruler as a witness to the peoples, perhaps implying the unrealistic idea of the reestablishment of a Davidic empire” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Isa. 11:10).

“On that day,” says Isaiah, “the Lord (yn!dox3, ’ ^adōnāy) will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia [‘Or Nubia; Heb. Cush’], from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea” (v. 11). This verse, says Blenkinsopp, expresses “the hope of repatriation and the reintegration of dispersed Israelites” (ibid., on v. 11). “The list of nations,” says Sommer, “is found in Assyrian texts much earlier than 597. Thus some see no reason to deny Isaiah’s authorship of vv. 11-16” (op. cit., on v. 11). Sommer comments on the NJPS translation (1985, 1999), in which the list includes “Nubia,” for Ethiopia (Heb. wUK, kûš), but otherwise is identical to the NRSV list. For “the remnant that is left of his people” (NRSV), the NJPS has “the other part of His people.” Of the words, “the other part, or ‘remnant,’ ” Sommer says, “Elsewhere in Isaiah this term refers to Judeans who, having survived Assyrian invasion, remain in the land of Israel. Its use here to refer to exiles who return to the land of Israel is unique and may support the suggestion that these vv. are a later addition” (ibid.). According to J. J. M. Roberts “these verses [10-16] need not presuppose the Babylonian exile in 587 B.C.E. During Isaiah's lifetime Israel suffered major deportations in 733-731 and 722-720 B.C.E. According to Sennacherib's Assyrian annals more than two hundred thousand people were deported from Judah in 701, and others undoubtedly sought refuge in Egypt” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Isa. 11:10-16; cf. his comments in the first edition, 1993, on Isa. 11:10-16).

The poetic lines in today's reading (Isa. 11:12-16 NRSV; cf. prose form of vv. 15-16 in NJPS) describe God’s gathering of his people. “He will raise a signal for the nations, / and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, / and gather the dispersed of Judah / from the four corners of the earth” (v. 12). With reference to “a signal,” Blenkinsopp says, “for an assembly point for those preparing to return to Judah; see 49:22” (op. cit., on vv. 12-16). “If this section is postexilic,” he adds, “the allusion would be to the enmity between Judah and Samaria, attested in Ezra-Nehemiah” (ibid.). For Blenkinsopp the postexilic context is a real possibility, but see the quotation from Roberts, above.

Isaiah predicts reconciliation between the two Israelite kingdoms. “The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, / the hostility of Judah shall be cut off; / Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, / and Judah shall not be hostile towards Ephraim” (v. 13). “Ephraim and Judah refer to the Northern and Southern Kingdoms,” says Sommer, “whose relationship reached a low point during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis (see 7:1-8:23 n.)” (op. cit., on v. 13). According to the prophet, these two Israelite kingdoms “shall swoop down on the backs of the Philistines in the west, / together they shall plunder the people of the east. / They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab, / and the Ammonites shall obey them” (v. 14). According to Sommer,

This is one of the only verses in First Isaiah that anticipates the Israelites and Judeans taking vengeance on their enemies. It contradicts not only the prediction of a nonviolent messianic age earlier in this ch. but the consistent rejection of national revenge in Isaiah’s prophecies. It may shed additional doubt on Isaianic authorship of vv. 11-16.” (ibid., on v. 14)

The prophet moves on to the motif of a “new exodus”: “And the LORD will utterly destroy / the tongue of the sea of Egypt; / and will wave his hand over the River / with his scorching wind; / and will split it into seven channels, / and make a way to cross on foot” (v. 15). “The tongue of the sea of Egypt,” says Blenkinsopp, refers to “the tongue-shaped Red Sea.” And he notes here “echoes of the crossing of the Red Sea at the Exodus from Egypt (Ex. 14)” (op. cit., on v. 15). From the historical antecedent, the exodus from Egypt, the prophet moves to the present context, where he predicts an “exodus” from Assyria (compare the “exodus” from Babylon, Isa. 48:20-21). The LORD will provide a “highway” for the journey home (cf. 35:8-10): “so there shall be a highway from Assyria / for the remnant that is left of his people, / as there was for Israel / when they came up from the land of Egypt” (v. 16).

Isaiah looks to Israel's past–victories of King David, and earlier, deliverance from Egypt under Moses' leadership "through the sea"–for models that shape his vision of the future, the "new thing" (Isa. 43:19):

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

for I give water in the wilderness,

rivers in the desert,

to give drink to my chosen people,

the people whom I formed for myself

so that they might declare my praise. (Isa. 43:19b, 20b, 21)

Isaiah 33:17-22 (Presbyterian)

17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty;

they will behold a land that stretches far away.

18 Your mind will muse on the terror:

“Where is the one who counted?

Where is the one who weighed the tribute?

Where is the one who counted the towers?”

19 No longer will you see the insolent people,

the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,

stammering in a language that you cannot understand.

20 Look on Zion, the city of our appointed festivals!

Your eyes will see Jerusalem,

a quiet habitation, an immovable tent,

whose stakes will never be pulled up,

and none of whose ropes will be broken.

21 But there the LORD in majesty will be for us

a place of broad rivers and streams,

where no galley with oars can go,

nor stately ship can pass.

22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our ruler,

the LORD is our king; he will save us. (Isaiah 33:17-22, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from December 23, 2006 (Saturday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One, Presbyterian ref. for Dec. 23):

Isaiah, chapter 33, has been entitled “The Coming Kingdom of God” (Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 1-39, Westminster Bible Companion, vol. 1, 1998, p. 259, on Isa. 33:1-24, cf. pp. 259-267). Israel, whose leaders have been warned against an alliance with Egypt (30:1-7; 31:1-5), is promised a future “king [who] will reign in righteousness, / and princes [who] will rule with justice” (32:1). According to Joseph Blenkinsopp, “The ideal commonwealth of the future under a Davidic ruler is a major theme of chs. 32-33 (32:1; 33:17)” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Isa. 32:1-8). There will be lamenting over the failure of the harvest (vv. 9-14), but the LORD will transform “the natural and moral environment through the spirit of God (Blenkinsopp on vv. 15-20). Chapter 33 begins with a “woe” (yOh, hôy), “Ah, you destroyer” (33:1a), warning, “When you have ceased to destroy, / you will be destroyed; / and when you have stopped dealing treacherously, / you will be dealt withy treacherously” (v. 1e, f, g, h). A prayer, “a psalm” follows “expressing confidence in deliverance from hostile attack” (Blenkinsopp, on 33:2-6). As the prophet continues, he describes deserted highways, the broken treaty, and the withered land and vegetation (vv. 7-9). But the LORD, speaking through the prophet, says he will arise (v. 10) and act in behalf of “those who walk righteously and speak uprightly, / who despise the gain of oppression; / who wave away a bribe instead of accepting it, / who stop their ears from hearing of bloodshed / and shut their eyes from looking on evil” (v. 15). The promise is that such people “will live on the heights; / their refuge will be the fortresses of rocks; / their food will be supplied, the water assured” (v. 16).

That background brings us to today’s reading, which echoes 32:1-8 (mentioned above). “Your eyes will see the king in his beauty” (33:17a). According to Blenkinsopp, the repetition of the theme, “the future golden age of Jerusalem” (32:1-8, and 33:17:22), forms “an inclusion,” that is, beginning and end markers for a longer section (on Isa. 33:17-22). The land of God’s people will be extensive, “a land that stretches far away (v. 17b). The people will look back on former terrors. “Your mind will muse on the terror: / “Where is the one who counted? / Where is the one who weighed the tribute? / Where is the one who counted the towers?” (v. 18). The terrors of Assyria’s oppression will be a thing of the past. “No longer will you see the insolent people, / the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, / stammering in a language that you cannot understand” (v. 19). The language not understood would be the Assyrian language (cf. 36:11-12). Zion, or Jerusalem, “the city of our appointed festivals,” will be “a quiet habitation, an immovable tent, / whose stakes will never be pulled up, / and none of whose ropes will be broken” (v. 20). “But there the LORD in majesty will be for us / a place of broad rivers and streams, / where no galley with oars can go, / nor stately ship can pass. Blenkinsopp calls this “a strange image, since Jerusalem has no broad rivers and is not accessible to attack from the sea; the imaging therefore must be mythological; cf. 47:1-12” (on Isa. 33:21). But the reference is to God’s future, not necessarily “mythological, and in the Book of Revelation, the river of life is put in the context of the New Heaven and New Earth (Rev. 21:1). And the reading closes here in Isaiah with the confident assertion that “the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our ruler, / the LORD is our king; he will save us” (v. 22).

Isaiah 28:9-22 (Lutheran)

9 “Whom will he teach knowledge,

and to whom will he explain the message?

Those who are weaned from milk,

those taken from the breast?

10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,

line upon line, line upon line,

here a little, there a little.”

11 Truly, with stammering lip

and with alien tongue

he will speak to this people,

12 to whom he has said,

“This is rest;

give rest to the weary;

and this is repose”;

yet they would not hear.

13 Therefore the word of the LORD will be to them,

“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,

line upon line, line upon line,

here a little, there a little;”

in order that they may go, and fall backward,

and be broken, and snared, and taken.

14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers

who rule this people in Jerusalem.

15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,

and with Sheol we have an agreement;

when the overwhelming scourge passes through

it will not come to us;

for we have made lies our refuge,

and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;

16 therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone,

a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation:

“One who trusts will not panic.”

17 And I will make justice the line,

and righteousness the plummet;

hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,

and waters will overwhelm the shelter.

18 Then your covenant with death will be annulled,

and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;

when the overwhelming scourge passes through

you will be beaten down by it.

19 As often as it passes through, it will take you;

for morning by morning it will pass through,

by day and by night;

and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.

20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it,

and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in it.

21 For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim,

he will rage as in the valley of Gibeon

to do his deed-strange is his deed!-

and to work his work-alien is his work!

22 Now therefore do not scoff,

or your bonds will be made stronger;

for I have heard a decree of destruction

from the Lord GOD of hosts upon the whole land. (Isaiah 28:9-22, NRSV)

On December 20, 2006 (Wednesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, ref. for Dec. 20, Year One), comments were repeated from December 22, 2004 (Wednesday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One); the comments are repeated here with editing and supplement (as they were last Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008, for the Presbyterian reading):

Isaiah, chapter twenty-eight has oracles against religious leaders, who appear to mock the prophet in verses nine and ten. “‘Who does he think he is,’ they say, ‘treating us like little children?’ ” (John Oswalt, Isaiah, The NIV Application Commentary, 2003, p. 318, on Isa. 28:7-13):

            Whom will he teach knowledge, / and to whom will he explain the message?

            Those who are weaned from milk, / those taken from the breast? (Isa. 28:9)

Some see verse 10 as “meaningless babble . . . or baby talk,” but “the NIV [and the NRSV as well] is based on the idea that tsaw is a shortened form of mitswah, ‘commandment,’ and qaw is the word for ‘measuring line’ or rule (see v. 17)” (ibid., p. 318, n. 2, on Isa. 28:9-10):

            For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept (tsaw latsaw, tsaw latsaw),

               line upon line, line upon line (qaw laqaw, qaw laqaw),

               here a little, there a little (ze‘er sham, ze‘er sham). (Isa. 28:10)

In response, according to Oswalt, the prophet says “that since this [repetitive simplicity for children] is what they think they are getting, it is exactly what they will get, only from other lips than his” (ibid.). They will learn the hard way, when the Assyrians fulfill the prophet’s predictions. The people are told:

Truly, with stammering lip / and with alien tongue

he will speak to this people / to whom he has said,

‘This is rest; / give rest to the weary;

and this is repose’; / yet they would not hear. (Isa. 28:11-12)

They have refused the rest that the LORD has offered, so verse 13 repeats the repetitive beat of verse 10: “Therefore the word of the LORD will be to them, ‘Precept upon precept . . .’ / in order that they may go, and fall backward, / and be broken, and snared, and taken” (v. 13).

Isaiah then addresses the “scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem” (v. 14). According to Oswalt, the “covenant with death” (v. 15) is probably “a reference to an alliance with Egypt” against Assyria (ibid.). “It is also possible that this refers to the Canaanite god Mot, “Death,” suggesting that the leaders have entered into some sort of a contract with Death to protect them from his scourge” (ibid., in a footnote). They believe they will be spared “when the overwhelming scourge passes through,” that is, the Assyrian army, and say (with ironic words put in their mouth by the prophet):

            for we have made lies our refuge,

               and in falsehood we have taken shelter. (Isa. 28 15e, f)

They should be trusting in the Lord. But the LORD promises a reversal, speaking through the prophet: “therefore thus says the Lord GOD (hv9hy4, YHWH), / See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, / a tested stone, / a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: / ‘One who trusts will not panic’ ” (v. 16). J. J. M. Roberts comments on the “foundation stone,”: “God’s presence in Jerusalem will constitute either a rock of sanctuary or a stone of stumbling (see 8:14)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Isa. 28:16). In 8:14, the prophet says of the LORD, “He will become a sanctuary, a stone one strikes against; for both houses of Israel he will become a rock one stumbles over–a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Paul quotes this verse to explain the temporary–as he believes–refusal of many Jews to believe in Christ. “See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall, / and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame (ouj kataiscunqhvsetai, ou kataischynthēsetai, with ouj mh; kataiscunqh:/, ou mē kataischynthē(i), Isa. 28:16 LXX, for Heb. wyH9y! xlo, lō’ yāchîš, “will not panic” NRSV, “need not fear” NJPS, will not “hurry away, yield” William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1971, 10^th corrected impression 1988, s.v. I wvH, ch-w-š). “Other early Christians,” says Neil Elliott, “interpreted these verses in relation to Christ (1 Pet. 2:6-8; Mt. 21:42). For Paul, the stone laid in Zion may be the law itself” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Rom. 9:33).

According to Joseph Blenkinsopp, the prophet Isaiah says that “the covenant with death [Isa. 28:15] will be canceled” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Isa. 28:16-21). Benjamin D. Sommer says, “An oracle of promises suddenly changes the tone in the midst of the oracle of judgment. In spite of the harsh words against the Judeans, Isaiah reiterates the notion of Zion’s inviolability . . . which provides a measure of hope even in the midst of this prophecy of divine retribution” (The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, on Isa. 28:16). According to the prophet, the LORD will return justice and rid Zion of lies. “And I will make justice the line, / and righteousness the plummet; / hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, / and waters will overwhelm the shelter” (v. 17). According to Roberts, “Just as line and plummet are used to check the alignment of walls, so justice, and righteousness will be the criteria used to determine whether one has built on God’s firm foundation” (op. cit., on v. 17). “Then,” says Isaiah, “your covenant with death will be annulled, / and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; / when the overwhelming scourge passes through / you will be beaten down by it” (v. 18). It appears that a choice remains for the leaders of Zion. They can seek “refuge” in “lies” (v. 17), which Roberts calls “military preparation that depended on deceitful alliances and oppressive demands on the populace (see 30:12; cf. 22:10)” (ibid.). Or they can “trust” in the LORD (cf. v. 16). If they choose to depend on the “covenant with death,” the “agreement with Sheol” (v. 18), says the prophet, “As often as it passes through, it will take you; / for morning by morning it will pass through, / by day and by night; / and it will be sheer terror to understand the message” (v. 19). Comparison is made with a bed that doesn’t fit–“short-sheeted, as it were, for former college dormitory residents of a certain age–nor do the blankets fit. “For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it, / and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in it” (v. 20). The LORD, it seems, is determined to have justice. “For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim, / he will rage as in the valley of Gibeon / to do his deed–strange is his deed!–and to work his work–alien is his work!” (v. 21). According to Blenkinsopp, “As the God of Israel once fought on Mount Perazim (2 Sam. 5:17-21) and at Gibeon (Josh. 10:10) for Israel, now he will fight against it; hence the strange character of his work” (op. cit., on v. 21). “This time, however,” says Sommer, “God’s might will work against the Judeans” (op. cit., on v. 21). And the reading closes with a warning. “Now therefore do not scoff, / or your bonds will be made stronger; / for I have heard a decree of destruction / from the Lord GOD of hosts upon the whole land” (v. 22).

Revelation 20:11-21:8 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

The Dead Are Judged

11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; 15 and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them as their God;

they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.”

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 20:11-21:8, NRSV)

On November 19 and 20, 2007 (Monday and Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to Nov. 16, Year One), comments on Revelation 20:7-15 and 21:1-8 were repeated from earlier dates respectively with some editing as noted there. Relevant comments are repeated again here with necessary adjustment (as they were for the Presbyterian reading last Saturday, December 20, 2008, for the date):

At the “great white throne” judgment (v. 11), when “the dead, great and small” stand “before the throne” and “books” are “opened,” including “the book of life . . . the dead” are “judged according to their works, as recorded in the books” (v. 12; cf. Dan. 7:10). According to Bruce M. Metzger, “Death and Hades (the temporary abode of the dead) are personified” (NOAB, 2^nd ed., 1994, on vv. 13-14). In reference to the “second death” (v. 14), Metzger refers to his note on 2:11, where he says it is “the final condemnation of sinners (20:14; Mt. 10:20)” (ibid., on 2:11). This presents a grim picture for those “whose name was not found written in the book of life” (20:15). The converse side is presented in the discussion of “the book of life” (New Bible Dictionary, 1962, s.v. Book of Life):

In later Judaism and the NT [the phrase “book of life”] is used of the life of the age to come. Thus Is. 4:3, where ‘every one who has been enrolled for life in Jerusalem’ refers to natural life, is re-interpreted in the Targum as speaking of ‘eternal life’. So in the NT the book of life is the roster of believers, e.g. Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 22:19, etc. At the last judgment everyone not enrolled in the book of life is consigned to the fiery lake (Rev. 20:12, 15); this is the book of life of the slaughtered Lamb (Rev. 13:8; 21:27), in which the names of the elect have been inscribed ‘from the foundation of the world’ (17:8). The same idea is expressed in Lk. 10:20, ‘your names are written in heaven’; Acts 13:48, ‘as many as were ordained (i.e. inscribed) to eternal life believed’.

John tells us what he saw: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more” (Rev. 21:1). “All creation will be renewed,” says Metzger, “freed from imperfections, and transformed by the glory of God (Rom. 8:19-21)” (op. cit., on Rev. 21:1). “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev. 21:2). John tells us what he heard: "See, the home of God is among mortals. / He will dwell with them as their God; / they will be his peoples, / and God himself will be with them; / he will wipe every tear from their eyes. / Death will be no more, / mourning and crying and pain will be no more, / for the first things have passed away" (vv. 3-4).

The next paragraph (vv. 5-8) is spoken by "the one who was seated on the throne," that is, "the Lord God (1:8)" (Metzger, ibid., on v. 5), who is "the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end" of all things (Rev. 21:6; cf. 1:8; Isa. 44:6). The statement of God, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (v. 6) echoes 1:8 and so encloses the book in brackets—God is in control, and though the battles with the powers of darkness rage throughout the book, the outcome is sure. There are, of course, “the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars,” who miss out on the victory but find their place “in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (v. 8), but we strive and expect to be among “the thirsty,” to whom “I [God] will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life” (v. 6), and among “Those who conquer” who “will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children” (v. 7).

Revelation 22:6-11, 18-20 (Presbyterian)

6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

7 “See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

12 “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:6-13, NRSV)

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”

And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”

And let everyone who is thirsty come.

Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; 19 if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. (Revelation 22:14-21, NRSV)

In the following, relevant comments are repeated with some adaptation here from November 23 and 24, 2007 (Friday and Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 16, Year One), when comments on Revelation 22:6-13 and 22:14-21 were based on earlier comments as noted on those two dates.

With the completion of John's picture of the New Jerusalem, the present reading turns to confirmation and encouragement: The angel says to John, “These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place” (Rev. 22:6). In “a parenthesis, reporting the words of Christ (cf. 16:15)” (Jean-Pierre Ruiz, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Rev. 22:7), Christ says, “See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (v. 7). With the beatitude of 1:3, and two in this chapter (22:7, 14, an inclusio is formed–“bookends,” you might say–that encloses the content of the book. Ruiz lists seven beatitudes in the book, including 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14 (cf. his comments on 1:3 and 22:7, 14).

As the Epilogue begins (cf. the label, “Epilogue and Benediction” for 22:8-21, some NRSV printings), the voice of John resumes with reference to the whole book. “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things” (v. 8a). “And when I heard and saw them,” he says, “I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me” (v. 8b). but he is reminded that our worship is only for God. “You must not do that!” says the angel. “I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” (v. 9). But the angel adds, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (v. 10). According to D.E. Aune, “Most Jewish Apocalypses contain the command to seal the book until the end (see Dan. 12:4, 9)” (Harper-Collins Study Bible, 1^st ed., 1993, on Rev. 22:10) “Let the evildoer still do evil,” says the angel, “and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy” (v. 11). Bruce M. Metzger says, “The end of the age is too near to allow time for change” (NOAB, 2^nd ed., on v. 11). Christ says that he is coming soon, and “my reward is with me to repay according to everyone’s work” (v. 12). He calls himself “the “Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (v. 13), applying “God’s title to himself” (Metzger, on v. 13; cf. Rev. 1:8).

We come now to the last of seven beatitudes in the book, which, as noted above, together with the beatitudes of 1:3 and 22:7, marks an inclusio–“bookends,” you might say–that enclose the content of the book. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates” (22:14). Entrance is given to those who are faithful, but there will be no clandestine entrance. “Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (v. 15). There is a clear and distinct separation–based on God’s judgment, and made by God–a final separation of the sheep from the goats (Mt. 25:33, cf. vv. 31-46). C. S. Lewis puts it well in an often quoted statement from The Screwtape Letters (1943), “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way’.”

Jesus himself signs off on the revelations of this book. “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (v. 16). And, attributed to the [Holy] Spirit (cf. Jn 15:26; 16:8-11), and the bride, that is, the church (cf. Jn.15:27; Eph. 5:25-27, 29, 32), is an invitation is extended to any who will respond:

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”

And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”

And let everyone who is thirsty come.

Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. (Rev. 22:17, NRSV)

Compare Jesus’ invitation as he spoke to those in the temple for the Feast of Tabernacles:

Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” (Jn. 6:37b-38, NRSV)

I cannot overlook the word “anyone” in these invitations (which I have put in bold face print above). For “anyone who wishes,” the Authorized Version (KJV) has “whosoever will” (Rev. 22:17 AV/KJV). It’s an open invitation to everyone.

For good measure, John stress the importance of heeding the admonitions and warnings of his book without changing them. “ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (vv. 18:19; cf. the blessing on “the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near,” 1:3). Again, the witness of Christ is quoted. “The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (v. 20). And a final benediction closes the book. “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen” (v. 21)

Luke 1:5-25 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” 19 The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”

21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.” (Luke 1:5-25, NRSV)

On December 24, 2007 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), comments on Luke 1:1-25 were repeated from December 19, 2005 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year Two). Relevant comments for today’s reading are repeated here with editing and supplement as they were last Saturday, December 20, 2008, for the date):

After Luke begins his Gospel with a dedication to Theophilus and a prologue that explains his purpose (Lk. 1:1-4), he sets the story in its historical context. “In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah” (Lk. 1:5a). This Herod would be the so-called “Herod the Great,” who, according to Francisco O. Garcia-Treto, “from 37 until his death in 4 B.C. . . . ruled as king of the Jews, a reign marked by his total loyalty to Rome, his grandiose and sometimes magnificent building programs, his family strife, and his harsh repression of any opposition” (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1985, s.v., Herod, no. 1). The fact that he died in March-April of 4 B.C., whereas, according to Matthew’s account he was alive at the birth of Jesus (Mt. chap. 2), does not represent an error in our Bible, but rather an error in the later calculations that gave us the Gregorian Calendar, adopted in the 16^th century. Marion Lloyd Soards says that “the specific time in view in this story,” that is, the annunciation and birth of John the Baptist as recorded in Luke, chapter 1, “is probably 7-6 BCE (see Mt. 2:1, 15)” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Lk. 1:5). Luke tells us that Zechariah’s “wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth” (v.5b). Soards adds that

the priestly order of Abijah was the eighth of twenty-four divisions of priests (1 Chr. 24:10) who served twice annually, for one week at a time, in the Jerusalem Temple. These priests were Levites who served God both in behalf of and in place of the firstborn males of all the tribes of Israel (Num. 3:11-13). As a descendant of Aaron, Israel’s first priest, Elizabeth was also from a priestly family. (ibid.)

Luke continues with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. “Both of them,” he says “were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord” (v. 6). As we know, and the story will reveal, they were to become the parents of John the Baptist, an apparently unlikely event at the outset, for “they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years” (v. 7). We are reminded of Sarah (Gen 16-18, 21).

As Luke’s story continues we find Zechariah “serving as priest before God [when] his section was on duty” (Lk. 1:8). “He was chosen by lot,” explains Luke, “according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense” (v. 9). According to David L. Tiede, revised by Christopher R. Matthews, “individuals chosen by lot were understood to be divinely appointed (see Acts 1:24-26)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Lk. 1:9). Soards says, “The privilege of offering the incense was normally granted only once in a lifetime” (op. cit., on v. 9). “Now at the time of the incense offering,” says Luke, “the whole assembly of the people was praying outside” (v. 10). Tiede and Matthews note that “the people share in the bloodless sacrifice of incense by praying” (op. cit., on v. 10).

But an unexpected interruption of the ritual ceremony occurs, for “then there appeared to him [i.e., to Zechariah] an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense” (v. 11). As one might expect, “when Zechariah saw him [i.e., the angel], he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him” (v. 12). “Fear,” say Tiede and Matthews, is “a common human reaction to divine manifestations (Isa. 6:5-6)” (ibid., on v. 12). “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,” says the angel, “for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John” (v. 13). Zechariah is promised “joy and gladness” at the birth of the son, “and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord” (vv. 14, 15a). For fulfillment of the promise that many will rejoice at the child’s birth, see vv. 65-66. Instructions are given that John “must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit” (v. 15b). This requirement is comparable to what was required of Nazirites in the Hebrew Bible (Num. 6:1-4). Tiede and Matthews explain. “As Nazirites . . . Samson (Judg. 13:4) and Samuel (1 Sam. 1:11) were also children of divine promise, required to abstain from wine or strong drink so that only the Holy Spirit would fill them. . . . The Spirit will fill John before his birth, indicating his prophetic calling (see Jer. 1:4-5)” (ibid., on v. 15).

John, the angel predicts, “will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God” (v. 16). “With the spirit and power of Elijah he [i.e., John] will go before him [i.e., before the Messiah], to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (v. 17). Soards explains: “He will go before him, that is, he will be the forerunner of the messiah (Mal. 4:5-6; Mt. 11:14)” (op. cit., on v. 17). Zechariah expresses some doubt. “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years” (v. 18). To this, the angel replies, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news (eujaggelivsasqai soi tau:ta, euangelisasthai soi tauta)” (v. 19). According to Soards, “Gabriel means ‘God is my hero’ and is one of two angels named in the Hebrew Bible (Dan. 8:16; 9:21). The verb translated “bring . . . good news” here, commonly means “proclaim, preach (the gospel” (F. Wilbur Gingrich, Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, 1965, s.v. eujaggelivzw, euangelizō). One could hardly blame Zechariah for hesitation here, but the angel continues. “But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur” (v. 20).

Zechariah’s unusual delay in coming out of the sanctuary causes some concern. “Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary” (v. 21). And his emergence only caused more wonder. “When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary” (v. 22a). “He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak” (v. 22b). And so, upon completion of his service, he returned home (v. 23).

“After those days,” says Luke, “his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion” (v. 24). But she welcomes the news, and the pregnancy, for she said, “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people” (v. 25). “Among Jews,” says Soards, “sterility was regarded as a sign of divine disfavor and therefore a disgrace (see Gen. 16:2; 25:21; 30:23; 1 Sam. 1:1-18; Lev. 20:20-21; Ps. 128:3; Jer. 22:30)” (op cit., on v. 25).

Luke 1:57-66 (Presbyterian)

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” 62 Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. (Luke 1:57-66, NRSV)

On December 9, 2007 (the Second Sunday of Advent, Year Two), comments on Luke 1:57-68 were based on comments of December 4, 2005 (the Second Sunday of Advent, Year Two), and comments on Luke 1:57-66 from December 22, 2005 (Friday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year Two), when comments were repeated from an E-mail sent December 22, 2003, for December 23, 2003. The comments of December 9, 2007 are repeated here with some editing and supplement:

Parents look forward to the child's first words, don't they? They marvel at simple expressions. But when an older man is struck dumb for a while, his later utterances may count as something of a miracle. But his first spoken words of which we know are the prophecy known as the Benedictus (Lk. 1:67-79. (The Benedictus is the reading for Friday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year Two, which is often superceded by the Christmas week readings.) So the birth of John the Baptist, reported at the beginning of today’s reading (Lk. 1:57), fulfills the promise made to Zechariah by the angel Gabriel while he was fulfilling his priestly duties in the temple (vv. 8-20). It completes the narrative which includes Elizabeth’s conception (v. 24) and the joy that she shared with Mary as “the child leaped in her womb” (v. 41).

Because Zechariah could not believe Gabriel's promise of the birth of John, he emerged from his service in the sanctuary unable to speak (Lk. 1:18-20). Later his first words were written, "His name is John" (v. 63). The act of writing this, it seems, opened his mouth and freed his tongue (v. 64). When the child was born, Elizabeth’s “neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her” (v. 58).

When the time came for the child to be circumcised, “the eighth day,” the friends “were going to name him Zechariah, after his father” (v. 59). But the mother knew otherwise; “No,” she said, “he is to be called John” (v. 60). According to David L. Tiede and Christopher Matthews, “In Luke the mothers, Mary (see v. 31) and Elizabeth, name the children (cf. Mt. 1:21, 25)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Lk. 1:60). Presumably, it was up to the parents to name the child. But the neighbors seem to regard it as a community decision. “They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name” (v. 61). So, “they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him” (v. 62). And Zechariah, “mute, unable to speak” because he did not believe Gabriel’s promise (v. 20), “asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John’ [at which] all of them were amazed” (v. 63). By this act he confirmed his faith and submission to God’s plan; so “his mouth was opened . . . and he began to speak, praising God” (v. 64). At that, “fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea” (v. 65). As later, Jesus’ fame spread quickly (4:14), so even now, Luke reports that the news about John’s birth and the accompanying extraordinary circumstances spread quickly, talked about by Elizabeth’s neighbors (vv. 58, 65). Luke tells us, “All who heard them [i.e., the things talked about] pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him” (v. 66). At this point Zechariah regains his voice, for he “was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy” (v. 67), the poem (hymn) that we know as the Benedictus (vv. 68-79), but that is another reading as noted above.

“Here,” says Catherine Clark Kroeger,

we see birthing as involving not merely the realm of women, but rather as the focus of God’s providence and provision for the world. It is the concern of a devout priest and of a mighty archangel. Bringing a child into the world is as significant a piece of work as is the administration of an empire, the defeat of an army or the establishment of temple worship. Luke’s treatment of the birth narratives brings affirmation of the intrinsic dignity honor and significance of childbearing for all women. (The IVP Women’s Bible Commentary, 2002, p. 566, on Lk. 1:57-80)

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net