Gregory Beale and other scholars have noted that John’s phrase “things that must shortly take place” echoes the LXX of Daniel 2:28: “GOd has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what must take place in the last days.” The crucial difference, of course, is the change of time . . . . Continue Reading »
In a 2000 article in JBL , Leonard Thompson points out how frequently Jesus is connected with death in the book of Revelation. He is the “firstborn of the dead” (1:5, 18; 2:8) and the slain Lamb (5:6). His blood is highlighted throughout the book (1:5; 5:9, 12; 7:14; 12:11; 19:13), and . . . . Continue Reading »
John receives a revelation from Jesus about things that “must” ( dei ) shortly take place. As Shylock would say, “Why must they? Tell me that!” In the gospels, the divine “must” has two main connections: It is the necessity that the Christ should suffer and enter . . . . Continue Reading »
Revelation begins and ends with the promise that the things written in the book will “shortly” ( en tachei ) take place (1:1; 22:6). It’s seems a fairly colorless time indicator, but the phrase comes with some baggage from the LXX. There, it is used only a handful of times, three . . . . Continue Reading »
Luke uses the terminology of “salvation” in a variety of ways, but Joel Green has argued that forgiveness, release, rescue, and healign are all directed toward the one end of creating “a christocentric community of God’s people.” The church is the end of God’s . . . . Continue Reading »
At His death, Jesus “delivers” or “hands over” ( paradidomi ) His Spirit (John 19:30). The Spirit that was with Jesus flows to others because of His death. The same thing happened to the Spirit-filled Stephen. No one can overcome the wisdom and Spirit with which he speaks . . . . Continue Reading »
William Leatherbarrow makes the intriguing suggestion that Dostoevsky’s “non-Euclidian” response to the Inan’s Grand Inquisitor poem in the “Russian Monk” is part of “Dostoevsky’s professed desire to show his readers the way to the Church is . . . . Continue Reading »
Imagine you are an omnipotent Creator determined to restore a world that is in rebellion against you and headed for hell. What would you do? A flood, that would do it. Or, better, a huge fire. Wipe it out and start over. That would do it. Would you pick out a single obscure sheik, send his . . . . Continue Reading »
Israel complained about conditions in the wilderness. Some in Israel wanted to return to Egypt. In Egypt, they worshiped Egypt’s gods. Therefore: The complaint in the wilderness was a complaint against Yahweh, and conversely a call to turn back to the gods of the fathers. The logic is . . . . Continue Reading »
Shestov again, from a 1921 letter to his daughters: “When the infant grows up, he is no longer attracted by his mother’s breast, but it would not be natural if, from the first day, he rejected it. When we ascend a staircase we leave behind the lower step in passing to the higher, but . . . . Continue Reading »
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