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Daily
Scripture |
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Sunday
(December 19, 2010)* |
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Daily Office
Lectionary, The Book of Common Prayer, the Episcopal
Church in the U.S.A., 1979; cf. The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL),
Abingdon Press, 1992 |
Daily
Lectionary, Book of Common Worship, the Presbyterian Church in the |
Daily
Lectionary, Book of Worship Inter-Lutheran Commission on
Worship, c. 1978 (2002 printing) ‡ |
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http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi YOU MAY NEED TO COPY AND PASTE THESE URLs
IN YOUR BROWSER |
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‡
Daily Lectionary, Evangelical Lutheran Worship,
ELCA, 2006. In the Evangelical Lutheran Worship book of 2006, the
Daily Lectionary (pp. 1121-1153) is revised to correlate with the Sunday
Lectionary (the Revised Common Lectionary) on the three year cycle: Year A,
Year B, Year C (now current). “The readings are chosen so that the days
leading up to Sunday (Thursday through Saturday) prepare for the Sunday
readings. The days flowing out from Sunday (Monday through Wednesday) reflect
upon the Sunday readings” (p. 1121). |
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Unless
otherwise indicated, the scripture texts quoted are from The New Revised
Standard Version ( |
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Sunday AM Psalm 24, 29 PM Psalm 8, 84 Isa. 42:1-12 Eph. 6:10-20 John 3:16-21 From the Sunday
Lectionary: (Cf.
the RCL) Psalm 80: 1-7,
16-18 Isaiah 7:10-16;
Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25 (Cf. BCP) Psalm 24 or 24:1-7 Isaiah 7:10-17 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18 25 |
Sunday,
December 19 Morning: Psalms 24; 150 Isaiah 11:10-16 Revelation 20:1-10 John 5:30-47 Evening: Psalms 25; 110 |
Sunday Morning: Psalms 24; 150 Isaiah 11:1-9 Eph. 6:10-20 John 3:16-21 Evening: Psalms 25; 110 |
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4th Sunday of Advent, Year A Isaiah 7:10-16 Psalm
80:1-7, 17-19 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 |
4th Sunday of Advent, Year A Isaiah 7:10-16 Psalm 80:1-7,
17-19 (7) Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 |
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*The Fourth
Sunday of Advent, Year One |
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Isaiah 42:1-12 (Episcopal)
The Servant, a Light to the Nations
42:1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the LORD, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.
10 Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the LORD,
and declare his praise in the coastlands. (Isaiah 42:1-12, NRSV)
The following comments are based on relevant comments from those on Isaiah 42: (1-9) 10-17 of January 16, 2009 (Friday in the week of the First Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One), on the comments of December 21, 2008 (the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), on those of January 12, 2007 (Friday in the week of the First Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One), and on earlier comments as noted there.
In Isaiah chapters forty to fifty-five, the term “servant” (db,f,, ‘eved) is used in two rather specialized ways. In one
group of texts, the LORD, speaking through the prophet, addresses, for example,
“
Today’s reading begins with the first of these Servant Songs.
Here is my servant (db,f,, ‘eved), whom I uphold,
my chosen (yriyHiB;, bechîrî), in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit (‘Spirit’ TNIV) upon him;
he will bring forth justice (FPAw;mi,
mišpāt) to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice (FPA%w;mi, mišpāt).
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice (FPA5w;mi,
mišpāt) in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching (OtrAOT, tôrāthô). (Isa. 42:1-4,
NRSV)
The Lord has chosen this servant, has put his spirit upon him, and the
servant will “bring forth justice to the nations” (Isa. 42:1). According to J.
J. M. Roberts, the servant here is
Although Roberts and Sommer identify the servant here as
the identity of this servant [in 42:1-9] has
been the source of endless controversy. The differences between him and the
servant
By way of contrast, Benjamin D. Sommer says:
The identification of the servant
in these vv. is hotly debated. Possibilities include Cyrus (according to Saadia Gaon), the prophet himself
(so Ibn Ezra), the Messiah (so Targum and Radak), and the Israelite nation as a
whole (so Septuagint and Rashi). . . . The term ‘servant’ in
most other passages in chs 40-66 clearly refers to the nation Israel or to the
faithful within Israel, and that is the most likely explanation here as well. This
passage borrows vocabulary and ideas from both ch 11 and Jer. 31:31-36. Like
those passages, this text looks forward to the ideal world of the future, in
which justice will reign and the covenant between
The present writer would agree with Oswalt against Sommer in reference to these two interpretations. But even if this (and other) servant song text(s) does refer to some individual person or group within the context of the Hebrew Bible and their early history, Christians may well apply the principle of the “fuller sense of Scripture” (sensus plenior) and discern the anticipation of Jesus Christ and his salvation for all within these texts.
For some, the Servant Song continues, as indicated in the
separate file Servant Songs in Isaiah (as noted above). “Thus says God, the LORD, / who created the heavens
and stretched them out, / who spread out the earth and what comes from it, /
who gives breath to the people upon it / and spirit to those who walk in it”
(Isa. 42:5). This verse identifies the one who called the servant to mission as
what Joseph Blenkinsopp calls “the LORD, creator of the world and source of all
life (41:22)” (The New Oxford Annotated
Bible [NOAB], 3rd. edition,
augmented 2007, on Isa. 42:5-9). Speaking through the prophet, the LORD says,
“I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, / I have taken you by the
hand and kept you; / I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to
the nations, / to open the eyes that are blind, / to bring out the prisoners
from the dungeon, / from the prison those who sit in darkness” (Isa. 42:6-7). Gold
and Holladay say that God “has called
The prophet next presents what Blenkinsopp calls “a psalm of
praise” (ibid., on Isa. 42:10-17). “Sing to the LORD a new song,” says the
prophet, “his praise from the end of the earth! / Let the sea roar and all that
fills it, / the coastlands and their inhabitants” (v. 10). According to
Roberts, “A song of victory [is] to be sung by the whole world for God the
warrior (Pss. 96, 98)” (op. cit., on v. 10). The LORD deserves glory and
praise. “Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice, / the villages that Kedar inhabits; / let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, / let them shout from the tops of the
mountains” (v. 11). Roberts says “Kedar [is] a seminomadic tribal
group of the northern
Isaiah 11:10_16 (Presbyterian))
Return of the Remnant of
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
12 He will raise a signal for the nations,
and will
assemble the outcasts of
and gather the
dispersed of
from the four corners of the earth.
13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,
the hostility of
Ephraim shall
not be jealous of
and
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
and the Ammonites shall obey them.
15 And the LORD will utterly destroy
the tongue of
the
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
for the remnant that is left of his people,
as there was for
when they came
up from the
The following comments are repeated here from December 23, 2008 (Tuesday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), when comments were repeated with editing and supplement from December 19, 2006 (Tuesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One, refs. for Dec. 19, Year One), when comments were repeated from December 21, 2004 (Tuesday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One).
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. 21, 2010). 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, 2nd
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
“On that day,” says Isaiah, “the Lord (yn!doxE, ’ adÇn~y)
will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that is left of
his people, from Assyria, from
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 (sne, nēs) for the nations, / and will assemble the
outcasts of
Isaiah predicts reconciliation between the two Israelite
kingdoms. “The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, / the hostility of
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
Isaiah looks to
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 11:1-9 (Lutheran, repeated from the Presbyterian reading yesterday)
The Peaceful Kingdom (Isa 9.1-7)
11:1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 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.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1-9, NRSV)
The following comments are repeated here with editing and supplement from December 22, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), when they were repeated from May 27, 2007 (Pentecost Sunday, Year One), when comments were combined with revision and supplement from May 15, 2005 (Pentecost Sunday, Year One), and from December 20, 2004 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One).
“A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,” says the prophet, “and a branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isa. 11:1). The image of the “stump of Jesse” implies that the Davidic dynasty has been cut off, as at the time of the Babylonian exile, so a new “branch” from those “roots” would imply the restoration of the Davidic line. The new “David” would exercise gifts of “the spirit of the LORD” which “shall rest on him”: “wisdom and understanding,” “counsel and might,” “knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (v. 2). To these six “gifts of the Spirit,” the Septuagint adds another: “the spirit of knowledge and piety: the spirit of the fear of God shall fill ( ejmplhvsei, emplēsei, future of ejmpivplhmi, empiplēmi) him” (Isa. 11:2d, 3a LXX, my translation; cf. Victor R. Gold and William L. Holladay, NOAB, 2nd ed., 1994, on Isa. 11:2). The qualities represented by these “gifts of the spirit will characterize the new “David” and provide for the just reign described, when “with righteousness he shall judge the poor, / and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; / he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, / and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked” (v. 4). R Coggins sees six “gifts of the Spirit” here, with no reference to the Septuagint text, but says:
The Christian tradition has spoken of ‘sevenfold gifts of the Spirit’ and used vv. 2-3a as a basis, but only six gifts are in fact mentioned here. They are the characteristic charismatic qualities of the king, and of all those pictured as being especially close to YHWH (e.g. Moses and the elders, Num. 11:25-30; Elijah and Elisha, 2 Kings 22:15).There are also close links with the wisdom tradition, shown not only by the use of the word ‘wisdom’ itself but also by ‘understanding’, ‘counsel’, and ‘fear of the LORD’–all terms particularly associated with, for example, Proverbs. But here they are God’s direct gift, not dependent on the skills of human counsellors. (The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, p. 448, on Isa. 11:1-9)
Paul’s first two pieces of armor, “fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14), remind us of Isaiah’s words in verse five: “Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, / and faithfulness (hn!Umx<, ’ emûnāh, cf. ajlhqeiva/, alētheia(i) ‘with truth,’ LXX) the belt around his loins. (Isa. 11:5). The word hn!Umx< (’ emûnāh) sometimes means “steadiness” (Ex. 17:12), “reliability” (Dt. 32:4) or “honesty” (Jer. 5:1, 3), and is related to the adjective NUmxe (’ēmûn), “true, reliable” (William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1971, 10th corrected impression 1988, s.v. NUmxe, ’ēmûn, and hn!Umx<, ’ emûnāh). So Paul may well have had Isaiah 11:7 in mind when he spoke of “the belt of truth around your waist” (Eph. 6:14).
When all of these qualities are present, not only in the
Messianic King but in his people, when the LORD “will put my law within them,
and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be
my people” (Jer. 31:33; cf. Heb. 8:10), we will see the "peaceable
kingdom" in which "the wolf shall live with the lamb" (v. 6).
This presents a picture of what has been called the
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. (Isa. 11:6 NRSV)
This important theme in Isaiah occurs here, near the beginning of the book, and comes up again near the end:
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the LORD. (Isa. 65:25 NRSV)
In the present context, Isaiah continues:
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. (Isa. 11:7-8)
The words “the lion and the lamb” do not appear together as a phrase in these texts, but they condense the thought of wolves, lions and bears, versus lambs, calves, cattle. The prophet summarizes:
This vision of the peaceable kingdom has been illustrated in
several paintings by the early American folk artist Edward Hicks. Although he
is called a “folk artist,” they say he worked diligently on his techniques. He
also served as a Quaker minister. The main part of the picture shows the
animals living together with children who are unafraid. But off to the side are
pictured a group of Quakers led by William Penn in discussion with a group of
Isaiah puts it this way: “They will not hurt or destroy / on
all my holy mountain; / for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
/ as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9). And so beyond the reestablishment of
the Davidic kingdom, follows a glorious future in which “paradise lost” becomes
“paradise regained” (to borrow phrases from John Milton), or, as Edward Hicks,
the early Quaker painter called it, “the Peaceable Kingdom.” See the picture
and the article, “Hicks’s
Ephesians 6:10-20 (Episcopal and Lutheran)
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20, NRSV)
Yesterday, the following comments were repeated as the Presbyterian reading from January 5, 2010 (Tuesday in the week of the Second Sunday after Christmas, Year Two), when comments were based on those on Ephesians 6:10-24 of January 24, 2009 (Saturday in the week of the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One), and earlier comments as noted there. They are repeated again here as the Episcopal and Lutheran reading.
On the Whole Armor of God
As the section of Ephesians with instructions (“rules”) for living draws to a close, Paul urges us to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power” (Eph. 6:10). We are to “put on the whole armor of God, so that you [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (v. 11). Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers (a[rcai, archai), against the authorities ( ejxousivai, exousiai), against the cosmic powers (kosmokravtoreV, kosmokratores) of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil (ta; pneumatika; th:V ponhrivaV, ta pneumatika t‘s pon‘rias) in the heavenly places” (v. 12). The “rulers” (a[rcai, archai) and “authorities” ( ejxousivai, exousiai) who are “in the heavenly places,” mentioned earlier (3:10, cf. 1:20-21), are clearly supernatural beings. Here reference to human rulers, presumably Roman authorities hostile to the early Christians, is possible, but the reference is likely to supernatural beings as earlier (cf. F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, NICNT, 1984, pp. 404-406, on Eph. 6:12). The word ajrchv (arch‘ ) can mean “an authority figure who initiates activity or process, ruler, authority,” for example, Roman officials, “also of angelic or transcendent powers, since they were thought of as having a political organization . . . Rom. 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph. 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:10, 15” (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., 2000, s.v. ajrchv, arch‘ , meaning no. (6) ). The word ejxousiva (exousia) has a similar range of meaning, including “(5) bearer of ruling authority–(a) human authorities officials, government . . . (b) of transcendent rulers and functionaries: powers of the spirit world . . . 1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 1:21; Col 2:10 . . . Eph. 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:15; 1 Pet. 3:22 (BDAG, s.v. ejxousiva, exousia). The word kosmokravtwr (kosmokratÇr), used only here in the New Testament, means “world-ruler (used of world-ruling gods [Orphica: Hymns 8;, 11 . . .] and of the emperor Caracalla . . . then generally of spirit beings, who have parts of the cosmos under their control.” It is “also [a] loanword in rabb[inical writings], e.g. of the angel of death) of evil spirits (with a[rcai and ejxousivai) ‘the world-rulers of this darkness i.e. the rulers of this sinful world Eph. 6:12 ” (BDAG, s.v. kosmokravtwr, kosmokratÇr).
In a spiritual battle against such formidable opponents, we
must, as Paul urges us, “take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be
able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm”
(v. 13). With reference to the typical armor of a Roman soldier, he reminds us
to “stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on
the breastplate of righteousness” (v. 14). We must select proper shoes. “As
shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel
of peace” (v. 15). “With all of these,” adds Paul, we are told to “take the
shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows
of the evil one” (v. 16). And we are to “take the helmet of salvation” and “the
sword of the Spirit”–the only offensive weapon in the list–“which is the word
of God” (v. 17). To this list we may compare Isaiah’s description of the armor
that God wears when he brings victory to
He saw that there was no one, / and was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm brought him victory, / and his righteousness upheld him.
He put on righteousness like a breastplate, / and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, / and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle. (Isa. 59:16-17, NRSV)
Compare also the messianic king’s “belts” of “righteousness”
and “faith” (Isa. 11:5). With all of that, we are to “stand firm” (v. 13) and
“pray. “Pray in the spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To
that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints”
(Eph. 6:18). During recent armed conflicts in
Revelation 20:1-10 (Presbyterian)
The Thousand Years
20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be let out for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-6, NRSV)
The following comments are based on relevant comments on Revelation 20:1-6 and 7-15 from those of November 14 and 16, 2009 (Saturday and Monday in the weeks of the Sundays closest to November 9 and November 16, Year One), when comments were based on comments of December 22, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), when the reading was Revelation 20:1-10, when comments were repeated from December 19, 2008 (Friday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One), when comments for the Presbyterian reading for December 19, were repeated from November 17 and 19, 2007 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to Nov. 9, and Monday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 16, Year One), and earlier as noted there.
In the reading from Revelation, John sees “an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain” (Rev. 20:1). This angel seizes “the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and [binds] him for a thousand years, and [throws] him into the pit, and [locks] and [seals] it over him, so that he [will] deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years [are] ended” (vv. 2-3). For “dragon,” says David E. Aune, “see 12:3” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Rev. 20:2). Earlier, John says, “then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon (dravkwn, drakōn), with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads” (12:3). Of the earlier text, Metzger says, the “Dragon [is] identified in [12:] 9 as the Devil or Satan” (NOAB, 2nd ed., on Rev. 12:3). Aune says “Dragon [is] a designation for Satan used nine times in Revelation. The Greek translation of the OT uses the same term for Leviathan, the enemy of God (Job 41:1 [40:25]; Ps. 74:14 [73:14]; Isa. 27:1)” (op. cit., on Rev. 12:3; his references in square brackets are the chapter and verse numbers in the LXX).
According to Bruce M. Metzger,
As other numerals in this book are to be understood symbolically and not literally, so this period of a thousand years represents the perfection and completion of the martyrs’ reign with Christ, untroubled by Satan’s wiles. The first limiting of the power of the evil one occurred during the ministry of the Seventy (Lk. 10:18). One must beware of reading more into this passage than is warranted; e.g. nothing is said here about a reign on earth. (op. cit., on Rev. 20:2).
Aune says, “The reference to a thousand years, i.e., the millennium, is unparalleled in Jewish eschatology” (op. cit., on Rev. 20:2). Jean-Pierre Luiz explains. “The period of a thousand years is symbolic both here and in vv. 4-7, suggesting a temporary time of righteousness and tranquility before the final eschatological consummation. Cf. Ps. 90:4” (NOAB, 3rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Rev. 20:2). “For a thousand years in your sight,” says the Psalmist, “are like yesterday when it is past, / or like a watch in the night” (Ps. 90:4). Ruiz continues: “Satan is locked into the pit to prevent him from carrying out his demonic work as ‘the deceiver of the whole world’ (12:9). After the thousand years though, he must be let out for a little while, but even this limited period is under God’s control (Dan. 7:25)” (op. cit., on v. 3).
“Then,” says John, “I saw thrones, and those seated on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (v. 4). The “thrones,” says Metzger, are “thrones of judgment (Dan. 7:9, 22, 27; Mt. 19:28; Lk. 22:30), and he adds, “Those . . . beheaded for their testimony [are] martyrs (in 6:9-10) the souls of the martyrs, under the altar, cry for vengeance).” Metzger also identifies the mark mentioned here, which these martyrs had refused, as that of 13:16-17 (op. cit., on v. 4). “The rest of the dead,” says John parenthetically, “did not come to life until the thousand years were ended” (v. 5a). “This,” says John, referring to those who “came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (v. 4), “is the first resurrection” (v. 5b). “Blessed and holy,” he says, “are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years” (v. 6). By the term “blessed” here, Metzger is reminded of “the first of seven beatitudes in Revelation, that is, “Blessed is 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). The others are “14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6 [here]; 22:7, 14” (ibid., on 20:6 and 1:3). For the term “priests,” he refers to 1:6 and 5:10, and for “second death,” he refers to 2:11 (on 20:6) and his note there, where he defines “the second death” as “the final condemnation of sinners (20:14; Mt. 10:28)” (ibid., on 2:11).
“When the thousand years are ended,” says John, “Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle; they are as numerous as the sands of the sea” (Rev. 20:7-8). As noted earlier (Sat., Nov. 14, 2009), Metzger says, “As other numerals in this book are to be understood symbolically and not literally, so this period of a thousand years represents the perfection and completion of the martyrs’ reign with Christ, untroubled by Satan’s wiles. . . . One must be aware of reading more into this passage than is warranted; e.g. nothing is said here about a reign on earth” (ibid., on Rev. 20:2). But we come now to what Metzger calls “the loosing of Satan and the final conflict” (ibid., on vv. 7-10). For “Gog and Magog,” he refers to Ezekiel chapters 38-39 (ibid.). According to John S. Kselman,
Gog [is] historically probably Gyges, a seventh-century B.C. king of
Kselman adds that “in Ezek. 38:2 Magog is probably equivalent to a phrase in the Akkadian language, mat Gog (‘land of Gog’)” (ibid.). Aune elaborates on “Gog and Magog,” which he says are “names for a hostile northern king and his nation (Ezek. 38-39) that came to symbolize all of Israel’s enemies; rabbinic sources refer to the final war as ‘the war of Gog and Magog’ (see, e.g., Babylonian Talmud Berakot 7b; Sanhedrin 97b)” (op. cit., on Rev. 20:8). Aune says, “as the sands of the sea [is] a metaphor for an enormous, terrifying army (see Josh. 11:4; Judg. 7:12)” (ibid.). The reference to their army “as numerous as the sands of the sea,” reminds us of the promise to Abraham (Gen. 22:17), but the innumerable multitude indicated would not be Abraham’s seed (posterity), but rather the enemies of the seed of Abraham.
In John’s vision this enemy multitude “marched up over the
breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved
city. And fire came down from heaven and consumed them” (Rev. 20:9). On the
words, “marched up,” says Aune, “In the biblical idiom one always goes up,
never down, to
John 3:16-21 (Episcopal and Lutheran)
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (John 3:16-21, NRSV)
The following comments are repeated here from yesterday,
December 18, 2010, when they were used for the Presbyterian reading with
editing and supplement from earlier comments on John 3:1-21 of August 9, 2010
(Monday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 10, Year Two), when
comments were based on those of January 18 and 19, 2010 (Monday and Tuesday in the week of the Second Sunday after the Epiphany,
Year Two), and on earlier comments as noted there.
Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John,
chapter 3, leads into a discussion of eternal life. “And just as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whoever believes in him may have eternal life (zwh;n aijwvnion, zōēn
aiōnion)” (Jn. 3:14-15),
which in turn brings us to the favorite biblical verse of many, what has been
called “the Gospel in a nutshell”: “For God so loved the world that he gave his
only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have
eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). It is worth taking note here of the emphasized
statement of the source of God’s action. The word translated “so” (Ou{twV, Houtōs) in the phrase, “God so
loved the world,” comes first in Greek for emphasis: Ou”twV ga;r hjgavphsen
oJ qeo;V to;n kovsmon (houtōs
gar ēgapēsin ho theos ton kosmon, “For God so loved the
world”). The word for “world” (kovsmoV,
kosmos) has a variety of meanings, including “that which serves to
beautify through decoration, adornment, adorning,” a “condition of
orderliness, orderly arrangement, order,” “the sum total of everything
here and now, the world, the (orderly) universe, in philosophical
usage.” But more particularly, in the present context (Jn. 3:16), while it can
mean “humanity in general, the world” (e.g. Mt. 18:7), the term here is
used “of all humanity, but especially of all believers, as the
object of God’s love” (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], 2000, s.v. kovsmoV, kosmos; my emphasis with bold print).
The result of such love that God has for all humanity is stated in the
next clause: “God so loved (Ou”twV,
Houtōs) . . . that (w{ste,
hōste) he gave his only son.” The conjunction w{ste (hōste “so that”) introduces
“dependent clauses,” as here, “of the actual result” (BDAG, s.v. w{ste, hōste). Raymond E. Brown comments
on the word “loved” (hjgavphsen, ēgapēsin). “The aorist [verb
tense] implies a supreme act of love. Cf. 1 John iv 9: ‘In this way was
God’s love revealed in our midst: God has sent His only Son into the world that
we may have life through him.’ Notice that in 1 John the love is oriented
toward Christians (‘we’) while in John iii 16 God loves the world” (The Gospel according to John I-XII, The
Anchor Bible, vol. 29, 1966, p. 133, on Jn. 3:16).
The description here of God’s Son, whom he was
moved by love to give, calls for comment. The words (to;n uiJo;n to;n
monogenh: (ton huion ton
monogenē, (Jn. 3:16; cf. monogenh;V qeovV,
monogenēs theos, variant reading, monogenh;V uiJovV,
monogenēs huios 1:18) have been variously translated: “his only
Son” (NRSV), “his one and only Son” (TNIV), “his only begotten Son” (AV/KJV),
and so forth. The word monogenhvV (monogenēs) describes the “only
son” of the widow at Nain (Lk. 7:12) whom Jesus raised from death (vv. 11-17),
as an example of how the word pertains “to being the only one of its kind
within a specific relationship, one and only, only.” But more
particularly, as in John’s usage here, it pertains “to being the only one of
its kind or class, unique (in kind) of something that is the only
example of its category” (BDAG, s.v. monogenhvV,
monogenēs). There is none other like Jesus.
The next clause is a statement of purpose, the
purpose of God’s giving. He “gave his only son so that [or ‘in order
that’ ( i{na, hina) everyone who believes in
him may not perish but have eternal life. The expression, “everyone who
believes in him” that combines the verb pisteuvw
(pisteuō), “believe,” and the preposition, “in” or “into,” is one
expression with this verb that means “to entrust oneself to an entity in
complete confidence, believe (in), trust, with implication of total
commitment to the one who is trusted” (BDAG, s.v. pisteuvw, pisteuō). The Lexicon adds
that in our literature “God and Christ are objects of this type of faith that
relies on their power and nearness to help, in addition to being convinced that
their revelations or disclosures are true.” The verb for “perish” (BDAG, s.v. ajpovllumi, apollymi), as used here (middle
voice), can be a cry of anguish by sailors in a storm-tossed vessel, but
especially, as here in John, of eternal death. But the alternative, for those
who believe, is eternal life (a common theme in the Gospel of John, e.g.
3:36; 4:14; 5:24, and so forth).
John 3:16, the “Gospel in a nutshell,” has a
paragraph of its own in the New Revised Standard Version. Raymond E. Brown,
sees connections backward–“the theme of Jesus’ death” (vv. 14-15)–and forward:
“If [v.] 16 assures us that the purpose of the Father’s giving the Son in
Incarnation and death was eternal life for the believer, [v.] 17 paraphrases
this in terms of salvation for the world” (op. cit., on Jn. 3:16).
The following verses spell out the contrast
between the results for those who believe in God’s Son (v. 16), and those who
do not. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in
him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already,
because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (vv. 17-18).
God’s purpose was to provide for those who believe in his Son, not to condemn
the rest. But the consequence for those who do not believe is spelled out; they
are “condemned already.” The contrast here is explained in terms of light and
darkness. “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world,
and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (v.
19). Not only do some “love darkness,” but “all who do evil hate the light and
do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed” (v. 20). On
the other hand, “those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be
clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God” (v. 21).
Brown notes similarities in this “dualistic
vocabulary of vss. 19-21 (light/darkness; practicing wickedness/doing truth)”
to the dualism of Qumran texts (i.e. Dead Sea Scrolls): “According as man’s
inheritance is in truth and righteousness, so he hates evil; but insofar as his
heritage is in the portion of perversity, so he abominates truth” (1QS iv 24,
cited by Brown, p. 148, on Jn. 3:19-21).
If there is a
twofold reaction to Jesus in John, we must emphasize that the reaction is very
much dependent on man’s own choice, a choice that is influenced by his way of
life, by whether his deeds are wicked or are done in God (vss. 20-21). There is
a consistency in the two sides of the dualism: evildoers are disbelievers,
while good works and faith go together. Thus, there is no determinism in John
as there seems to be in some passages of the
We need not find ourselves in that last group. “But these [signs/this book] are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (Jn. 20:31).
John 5:30-47 (Presbyterian)
Witnesses to Jesus
30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. 33 You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.
39 “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 I do not accept glory from human beings. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” (John 5:30-47, NRSV)
The following comments are repeated here from August 17, 2010 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 17, Year Two), when comments were repeated from January 28, 2010 (Thursday in the week of the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year Two), when comments were repeated from December 13, 2009 ( the Third Sunday of Advent, Year Two), a few weeks earlier. Previous sources are indicated there.
This debate with “the Jews” (i.e. Jewish leaders) was occasioned by Jesus’ healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethzatha (Jn. 5:2-9). He is challenged by those who “were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God” (Jn. 5:18). According to Donald G. Miller and Bruce M. Metzger, Jesus describes his relation to God (vv. 19-29), including “identity of his will and actions with the Father’s” (NOAB, 2nd ed., 1994, on vv. 19-20) and the ability of both to give life (vv. 21-22), which includes eternal life (v. 24) and resurrection (vv. 25, 29). So, at first the issue was the healing on the sabbath (vv. 9-10, 16), but Jesus’ assertion, “My Father is still working, and I also am working” (v. 17), introduced the issue of his identity. (The debate will continue on similar terms through chapters 5, 7-10.)
Jesus asserts that he does “the will of him who sent me”: “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (Jn. 5:30). Jesus does not rely on his own testimony, “If I testify about myself,” he says, “my testimony is not true” (v. 31). According to Obery M. Hendricks Jr., “Jewish tradition (m. Ketub. 2.9; cf. Jn. 8:13) regarded testimony on one’s own behalf as invalid” (NOAB, 3rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Jn. 5:31). Jesus rather refers to the testimony of another. “There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true” (v. 32). By “another,” according to Hendricks, Jesus meant “the Father (see v. 37)” (ibid., on v. 32). But Jesus then refers to John the Baptist. “You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light” (vv. 33-35). And Jesus claims that his works give credible testimony, greater than John’s. “But I have a testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me” (v. 36). That would include the healing of the lame man. According to Hendricks, “God witnesses to Jesus through the ministry of John the Baptist (vv. 33-35), through Jesus’ works (v. 36), and through the scriptures (vv. 37-40)” (ibid., on vv. 33-40). But John seems to distinguish the Father’s testimony from that of scripture. “And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf,” says Jesus. “You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent” (vv. 37-38).
A paragraph break between verses 38 and 39 (NRSV) suggests
distinguishing the witness of the Father as such from the witness of scripture,
but others include verses 36-40 as a paragraph (TNIV, cf. K. Aland and others, The
Greek New Testament, 3rd ed., 1975). In any event, Jesus clearly
refers to the testimony of scripture. “You search the scriptures because you
think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my
behalf” (v. 39). With the witness of John the Baptist (vv. 33-35) and that of
the Father himself (v. 37a), the accumulation of witnesses here amounts to more
than the two required by Deuteronomy 19:15 (cf. Deut. 17:6). But they refuse to
accept Jesus. “Yet,” says Jesus, “you refuse to come to me to have life” (v.
40). He adds, “I do not accept glory from human beings” (v. 41). “Jesus does
not seek glory for himself (cf. v. 18),” according to David K.
Rensberger, revised by Harold W. Attridge, “but for God (see vv. 30, 44; 7:18;
88:50, 54; 12:43)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Jn.
5:41). This means they “do not have the love of God in
you [i.e. themselves]” (v. 42). “I have come in my Father’s name,” says Jesus,
“and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept
him” (v. 43). “In his own name,” say Rensberger and Attridge, means
“perhaps like messianic pretenders. Cf. Mt. 24:23-25; Mk. 13:21-23” (ibid., on
v. 43). Continuing, Jesus asks rhetorically, “How can you believe when you
accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one
who alone is God?” (v. 44). “Do not think that I will accuse you before the
Father,” says Jesus; “your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope”
(v. 45). At this point, Hendricks refers (op. cit., on v 45) to 9:28, “Then
they [i.e., ‘the Jews’] reviled him [i.e., the healed blind man], saying, ‘You
are his [i.e., Jesus’] disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.” “If you
believed in Moses,” says Jesus, “you would believe me, for he wrote about me”
(5:46). Hendricks refers (ibid., on v. 46-47) to “1:45; cf. Lk. 16:31; 24:27),”
where Philip says to Nathanael, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law
and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from
As though challenged in court, as later, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid” (Jn. 8:13), Jesus responds here with a series of witnesses (noted in summary by Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel according to John I-XII, Anchor Bible 29, 1966, 227-228, on Jn. 5:31-47): John the Baptist (Jn. 5:33-35), Jesus’ miracles (v. 36), the testimony of the Father himself (vv. 37-38), the Scriptures (v. 39). But though “these are the witnesses who come forward for Jesus . . . the sad outcome of the trial (vs. 40) is that ‘the Jews’ are not ready to believe in Jesus” (ibid., p. 228). Brown adds in reference to verses 41-47:
What “the Jews” are rejecting is not one sent from God–they willingly accept self-proclaimed messiahs (vs. 43). They are actually rejecting the giving or dedicating of one’s life to God (“love of God” in 42; seeking the glory of God in 44) which is the implicit demand of Jesus’ message. The failure to accept Jesus is really the preference of self.
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The last verses of the discourse (45-47) attack “the Jews” on their most sensitive point. They justify their refusal to believe in Jesus in the name of their loyalty to Moses (ix 29), and yet Moses will condemn them for this failure to believe. In Jewish thought . . . Moses was to intercede before God for Jews; now he will become their prosecutor. (ibid., pp. 228-229)
Speaking of several similar encounters of Jesus with others in John’s Gospel, Paul J. Achtemeier, Joel B. Green, Marianne Meye Thompson say:
On the
basis of the witnesses called, every person must pass judgment on Jesus. Each
one becomes a judge in a court of law, adjudicating the truthfulness of the
testimony borne by the witnesses. But the irony is that in assuming the role of
judge and in passing judgment on Jesus, people indirectly pass judgment on themselves. If they deny that Jesus comes from God and makes
God known, they reveal their alignment with “the world” rather than with
God. . . . The responses of belief and unbelief thus reveal
whether a person stands in light or darkness, in the realm of life or the realm
of death. . . . Those who do not believe pass the sentence of
death on themselves. The tragic irony of the Gospel is that those who seek
Jesus’ death unwittingly reject the life that he has offered. (Introducing
the New Testament, 2001, p. 194)
Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.