Who’s the enemy?

Along the way in her lively critique of Jenson’s “Story Thomism,” Francesca Murphy ( God Is Not a Story: Realism Revisited ) notes that she has not spent much time refuting irrationalists and postmoderns, and explains why: “no one enjoying our technological world is a . . . . Continue Reading »

Sermon notes

INTRODUCTION Yahweh has pronounced “woes” against Judah and Israel, and many of these woes involve invasion, defeat, and exile at the hands of the Assyrians (cf. 7:17-20; 8:5-8, 21-22; 10:3-4). But Yahweh is the Judge of all the earth, and so Assyria too will be held accountable for her . . . . Continue Reading »

Crystal

Two things are said to be crystal in Revelation: the sea that is before the throne (4:6) and the river that flows through the Jerusalem that comes down from heaven (22:1). The two are clearly linked. The river that flows through the city is flowing from the heavenly sea. Like the bronze sea and the . . . . Continue Reading »

Spirit visible

Before the throne in heaven are seven lamps of fire burning, which are the seven spirits (4:5). We know from 1:20 that the lampstands are the seven churches. 4:5 tells us that the archetype of those seven lampstands are the seven burning spirits before the throne. Or, we might say that the light . . . . Continue Reading »

The Sitting One

When John ascends in the Spirit through the door in the sky, he sees a throne and on the throne “sitting” (Gr. kathemenos ). The Greek doesn’t have the article; in 4:2, it is not “the One who sits” (though it is in 4:3), but simply the participle. Enthronement is not . . . . Continue Reading »

Good news

The Septuagint uses the word-group euaggel - primarily in military and political contexts to describe the proclamation of victory. This is not invariable (cf. Jeremiah 20:15 The Philistines cut off Saul’s head and strip his gear so that they can carry the “good news” to idols and . . . . Continue Reading »

Bottom’s Apocalypse

“I see a voice,” says Bottom the Weaver. And we all laugh. John on Patmos hears a trumpet voice, and turns “to see the voice” (Revelation 1:12). We know Bottom is a seer from his later garbled use of Pauline visionary language. Bottom is Paul the seer, and John the seer, . . . . Continue Reading »

Gratitude and Friendship

In the second book of Thomas Elyot’s mirror of magistrates, his 1531 The boke named the gouvernour , Elyot treats the vice of ingratitude, which he describes as “the most damnable vice and most against justice.” Elyot places gratitude and ingratitude in the context of friendship, . . . . Continue Reading »

Long shots

Tarkovsky on long shots: “If the regular length of a shot is increased, one becomes bored, but if you keep on making it longer, it piques your interest, and if you make it even longer a new quality emerges, a special intensity of attention.” . . . . Continue Reading »