This post is a continuation of Part I, You Heard a Voice.
Principal Judeo-Christian verses are from the Jerusalem Bible, to which I am indebted for its wealth of explanatory notes. Additional references appear to the King James Version (KJV), Revised Standard Version (RSV), and New English Bible (NEB). Jerusalem Bible notes, here as “notes”, are cited for their wealth of background information. KJV, RSV, and NEB verses, and their notes, are identified when included.
Even the casual Bible reader can see that the Old Testament contains a wealth of passages which set the stage for the messianic era to come. Part I stated that an essential transformation was to take place where the holiness and power of the name of God moved to encompass the real and abiding presence of Jesus in his earthly incarnation. This may be too far a leap for some, but Jesus himself anticipated this objection and told us as much (identical in Matthew 11:6 and Luke 7:23), (JB) “Happy is the man who does not lose faith in me”, or more persuasively in KJV “Blessed is he, whosover takes no offense in me” and NEB “Blessed is he who does not find me a stumbling block.” On a similar note, it is intriguing to mention (though I have no documentation) that Rev. Gabrielson, mentioned in Part I, stated, “We had his credentials before he came” and went so far as to enumerate 456 pronouncements in the Hebrew scriptures “concerning his coming and the details of his existence”. These, he stated, were in addition to many others from other traditions throughout the world. This “spirit of holiness” and its movement into created beings has been exhibited throughout religious history in the lives of holy men and women. They have been given many names: saints, teachers, boddhisatvas, gurus, avatars, siddhas, yogis. Most Christians believe that this movement was accomplished supremely in the incarnation of Christ, his manifestations while in the flesh, and his resurrection and post-resurrection appearances (continuing to this day; see the post I Just Want to See His Face). Furthermore, did not Jesus say that a share of this power would pass to his followers and that they would do the same and even greater works than he did (John 14:12)?
I will begin by starting at the end. Revelation 11:15, mentioned in Part I, contains the familiar lines from Handel’s Messiah: “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” I understand that the terms “king”, “kingdom”, and “Lord” may be objectionable to some. To me they not only reflect the respect with which they are written in their time, but are justified by their sole intent to give honor to the name of Jesus and to his power, if we really believe he is who he said he was. If only for sheer repetition, the mention of Lord occurs over 700 times in some New Testament translations. The I AM of the messianic revelation includes the essential identity between Jesus and his Father, to which he himself referred often. A further scriptural support occurs in Revelation 12:10: “Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ…”, as the notes state indicating a shared power. As mentioned in Part I, the divinity of Jesus takes nothing away from God and demonstrates God’s presence and power transmitted to those created in his image. It is echoed by Hinduism (Guru is God) and Buddhism (the Bodhisattva) as these too, point to the advent of the Divine on the physical plane.
The importance of naming is as evident for Christ as it was for God. These names include Yeshua (God saves, shortened from Yehoshua), Emmanuel (God with us), Christ, Lord, the Greek Logos (the Word, employed in the Gospel of John), Son of God, Son of Man (Jesus’ preferred term for himself, echoed by the Sanskrit Narayana in the Upanishads and the vision of Daniel), Son of David (referring to his genealogical and prophetic origin), Lamb of God (only in the Gospel of John), Light of the World (again, Gospel of John, along with Bread of Life and Life of the World), King of the Jews (used by both the Magi and the Roman authorities), Rabboni and Rabbi, High Priest (employed by the book of Hebrews, recalling the eternal priest Melchizedek), Alpha and Omega and Morning Star, both unique to the book of Revelation.
John 8:58 contains an amazing statement of Christ’s nature transcending time. Here Jesus says: “Before Abraham was born, I am.” (Note the combination of the past and present tense.) The phrase “I am” was considered a name for Jesus by Aquinas who considered it the most proper of all divine names, for he believed that it referred to the “being of all things”. It is included in the “I am” assertions of Jesus such as (John 6:35) “I am the bread of life: he who comes to me shall not hunger.” Interestingly, the Bread of Life Discourse takes place in the Gospel of John shortly after Jesus feeds the crowds with five loaves of bread and two fish.
The notes to Matthew 1:18-23 contain something further regarding angels, discussed in Part I: Here there is a marked change from the Old Testament conception: the earlier texts, such as those in Genesis, the angel means Yahweh himself. As the development of the doctrine of angels continues, as in Tobit, “their distinction from God becomes clearer; they retain their function as heavenly messengers and often appear as such in the narratives of the Infancy…” Joseph is instructed that he must name the child Jesus (Hebrew Yehoshua, meaning God saves, “for he is the one to save his people from their sins”. Again, the importance of naming here is emphasized.
More about the designation Son of God: at the conclusion of Jesus’ forty-day sojourn in the wilderness, the notes amplify the meaning of the words spoken by Satan in Matthew 4:3, “If you are the Son of God…” This is important description of Jesus’ identity. The infer not an “adoptive sonship” but “an intimate relationship which is the result of God’s deliberate choice”. This controversy was to be the subject of hot debate in the early years of the Christian church and rages on in deliberations continuing to this day.
Jesus teaches us the sanctity of God’s name, and the reverence with which we should approach him. In prayer we should regard his name as such. It is emphasized in The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), “may your name be holy”. It is the awe and respect with which we must approach the throne of grace each time we bow in prayer, as in the hymn, “what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer”
Matthew 11:25-27 expounds on the reciprocal knowledge the Son and the Father have for each other. This is a key revelation of Christ’s awareness of his divine sonship which, per the notes, “exists in the deepest stratum of the synoptic tradition as in John”, which it resembles.
Matthew 12:15-21 restates the prophecy of Isaiah 42:1-4, “my servant who, I uphold…I will endow him with my spirit…he will proclaim true faith [KJV “judgment”]….he will not brawl or shout…he will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick…”, again, referring to the mortality of Jesus’ incarnation.
The question of reincarnation cannot be ignored. It comes into play in Matthew 16:13-17. For those who deny that it exists in the Judeo-Christian scriptures, it is a recurring theme. The question was asked by the people of his day: could Jesus be a post-execution appearance of John the Baptist? Elijah? Jeremiah? One of the prophets? It is Peter who acknowledges that Jesus is not only the Messiah but “the Son of the living God” his unique identity. Jesus acknowledges the correctness of Peter’s intuition.
Matthew 18:20 cites the significance of assembling in Jesus’ name. This is the driving purpose of the Christian congregation: “For where two or three meet [KJV, RSV “are gathered together”] in my name, I shall be there with them.” Jesus’ living presence should be a key reality and focus of those who gather in worship, not the many ancillary concerns emphasized by differing denominations. His presence is affirmed by post-resurrection appearances not only in his day but continuing to the present age (see the post I Just Want to See His Face).
The narrative comes to Palm Sunday. Recalling Psalm 118 [“With branches in your hands draw up in procession as far as the horns of the altar.”], the name of God the Father, along with Jesus’ genealogy, is acclaimed by the crowd as their shouts ring out in the Palm Sunday procession, Matthew 21:9: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heavens!”
Is the tearing of the temple veil after Jesus’ death on the cross in Matthew 27:51-54—is it historic or symbolic? Regardless, its significance can be seen as “the abrogation of the old Mosaic cult and the way opened by Christ into the messianic sanctuary”. This, along with the earthquake and the resurrection of dead bodies has immense symbolic significance in addition to a literal account, and parallel Amos’ prophecy of the signs of the “Day of Yahweh”. The old and the new tradition come together.
Matthew’s conclusion to the Easter story (28:16-20) contains Jesus’ instruction that his followers, from all nations (the “other sheep”), are to be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. It is of note here that naming runs through all elements of the Trinity.
Moving to Luke, the words spoken by the angel in Luke 1:26-38 (the annunciation) is a Davidic reference and recalls several Old Testament passages referring to the Messiah.. “The power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow”, according to the notes, recalls the bright cloud which is the sign of God’s presence (also mentioned in both Yahweh’s appearances in Exodus and in the Transfiguration).
The first chapter of Luke contains The Magnificat, Luke 1:40-55, which identifies the greatness, power, and mercy of the Lord with his impending birth. In 1:51-53, “he has routed the proud in heart” and “has pulled princes down from their thrones”, suggesting that the only approach to God, and to the Savior, must be with humility. Shortly thereafter, Zechariah, the father of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, announces in what is known as The Benedictus that the mystical “dayspring” (in KJV; “rising sun” in JB) will visit us to “”give light to those who live in the shadow of darkness and the shadow of death and guide our feet into the way of peace.”. Here, then, the power of God takes on human form. “Dayspring”, it should be noted, is an echo of an earlier passage in Job, questioning God, asks “Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place.”
The annunciation of the angel at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:11) concludes with “a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” According to the Jerusalem Bible notes, a new era is beginning, for the expected Messiah is now called Lord, which in the Old Testament was a title reserved for God. Later, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist makes it clear that the one who is coming after him is more powerful, one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:15-17). This further supports Jesus’ divinity.
The function of the name of Jesus occurs extensively through the rest of the New Testament. Children are to be welcomed in his name (Luke 9:48; acts such as casting out demons may be done in his name (Luke 9:49-50), and an abundance of others. Jesus’ identity with his Father is made clear in Luke 10:21-22) where he states that everything has been entrusted to him by his Father, concluding “no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” As in Matthew, Luke 11:2-4 provides Jesus’ instruction in the Lord’s prayer that the name of God is to be held holy (KJV “hallowed”), indicating its sacredness and the reverence with which we must approach God in prayer. As the book concludes, Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples before being carried up to heaven (Luke 24:47), Jesus tells them that, in his name, they were to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins to all the nations. This vital mission continues for us today.
The Book of John places its own unique stamp on its treatment of the person of Christ as the Word. This deeper dimension (John 1:1-18) encompasses such attributes as his preexistence (“before the world was made”), his unity with God in the act of creation, his incarnation as the Word made flesh (thus becoming, as the notes state, “a frail and mortal being” and enabling us to see “this Word-Wisdom as a person”), “the only Son (with its variation, “God, only-begotten”), who is nearest to the Father’s heart”, the reservoir of grace and truth. Perhaps the most poetic interpretation of the straightforward “he lived among us” in 1:14 if “he pitched his tent among us, no longer a presence as awe-inspiring as earlier theophanies may have been, but a presence (“and we saw his glory”) which can be seen, heard, and touched, the physical action of God in the world. Again, the cloud of Exodus is again mentioned, as stated in the notes, “the human nature of the Word now screens this glory as the cloud once did”. This revelation alone should be the cause for great joy, a continuing reality after the passing of the centuries.
In John 1:29-34 John the Baptist proclaims his successor as “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world: John 1:29 contains the mystery of one who “is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me”. This reversal of the time may seem disjointing, but that is the mystery of the spiritual reality of which John the Baptist is the witness. A further time warp occurs in 8:52-58 concerning Abraham, who “rejoiced to think that he would see my Day” (8:56). His audience, amazed at this assertion, questions it, but without hesitation Jesus replies, “I tell you most solemnly, before Abraham ever was, I Am” (note the use of the present tense in describing the eternal spiritual reality; (1 Peter 2:20) “though known since before the world was made, he has been revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake.” This takes doctrinal form in Colossians 1:1-20 (“Christ is the head of all creation”), “he is the image of the unseen God and the first-born of all creation….Before anything was created, he existed….As he is the beginning, he is the first to be born from the dead”. And in Colossians 3:11, “There is only Christ; he is everything and he is in everything.”
In John 3:31-36, the (Holy) Spirit is mentioned too, given to Jesus “without reserve (3:34), to whom everything has been entrusted (3:35). The implication concerns us: a person “who believes in the Son has eternal life”. This reciprocal relationship of Father and Son is further explored in 5:21, where “as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses”; “the Father and I are one” (10:30); the Father is in me and I am in the Father” (10:38); and of the fulfillment of scripture in 13:19-20 “so that you may believe that I am He”, for :whoever welcomes me welcomes the one that sent me”. Philip asks Jesus to show the disciples the Father, to which he replies that to have seen him is to see the Father, for “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (14:8-10). Nevertheless (14:28 “the Father is greater than I”. This is because, as the notes state, the Father’s glory shared by the Son is for the moment veiled in the incarnation. This reciprocal identity is mentioned extensively in the Gospels and in the Epistles which follow. It is to this that the progression of the scriptures point, for (5:40) “these same scriptures testify to me”, or as explained in the notes, “The scriptures converge on Jesus who is their focus.”
The “I am” assertions continue with Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well, John 4:25-26. Here he Jesus affirms her messianic expectation with the reply “I am he”. In John 5:19-30, the power of the Son to raise the dead and give them life is identical with that of God the Father. In John 5:36-47, “the Father who sent me bears witness to me himself”, as Jesus is the one upon whom the scriptures converge. John 6:30-58 expounds Jesus, “who knows the secrets of God and reveals them to man” as “bread”. “flesh”, and “blood”, imparting these “for the life of the world”. In John 6:68-68, the Holy One of God is, as the notes state, “united with him uniquely”. John 8:24 contains the assertion “I am He” (or “I Am”), the same as the divine name revealed to Moses. In 8:26, “You will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of myself” is a declaration of God’s power. The divine name revealed to Moses, “I am He”, is presented to his followers by Jesus in 8:34, this time as a warning: “If you do not believe that I am He you still die in your sins”. As previously stated, the remarkable exclamation in 8:58 “before Abraham ever was, I Am” explains the eternal Word, not dependent upon time. John 13:19-20 again contains the assertion “that…you may believe that I am He”.
The relationship of Jesus to his followers as the Good Shepherd appears in John 10:1-18. It contains the beautiful passage of Jesus’ knowledge of “his sheep” and their knowledge of him. The notes state that this is not an intellectual process, but “the fruit of an ‘experience’, a personal contact”.
God does not remain a remote, unmoving force. In Jesus’ farewell address to his disciples, he implores, “Father, glorify your name” (12:28). Once more, the voice of God is heard from heaven, “I have glorified it and I will glorify it again”, though some hearers interpreted it as the voice of an angel or a clap of thunder. Nevertheless, Jesus tells than that “it was not for my sake that this voice came, but for yours” (12:28-30). Earlier, in Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:16-17) a voice is also heard, accompanied by the dove-like shape of the Spirit of God descending from heaven: “This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.”
Visions of God frequently mention his glory. In John 12:41, Isaiah’s vision in the temple of God’s glory, 6:1-3, is identified as the same glory which will be imparted through belief in Jesus. This continuity assures us that what we are dealing with is one and the same.
John 14:1-13 gives us the comforting assurance, “let not your hearts be troubled”, his message to his disciples on the troubles to come, and that he has “prepared a place”. Note that this is followed by “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”, for in him we have access to the Father.
John 14:28, “the Father is greater than I”, seems to conflict with other passages. It bears some explanation: This relationship is clarified by the notes, “Though the Son is the Father’s equal, his glory is for the moment veiled [again, due to his incarnation]. His return to the Father will reveal it once more.”
Another well-known image, “the true vine” (John 15:1-11) captures the relationship between the disciple and the master. Jesus uses the vine as a symbol of the kingdom of God, of which he is the true vine. The follower is to “bear fruit”, and becomes “clean” or “pruned” by spiritual discipline. There is an intimate, dependent relationship, for “cut off from me you can do nothing” and “anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away—he withers”. The end result is “that your joy may be complete”—the perfect happiness of the messianic era, as the notes describe.
John 16:26-28 contains a beautifully tender passage with a deeper intent: “the Father himself loves you for loving me”. Why? Because Jesus has come from the Father and now he is leaving the world to go to him. This is because, as the notes state, the disciples’ faith and love make them one with Jesus and therefore dear to the Father as well: “mediation could not be more perfect”.
The epic sweep of The Priestly Prayer of Christ in John 17:1-28 contains much of what has been noted before. Particularly notable is “it is time for you to glorify me with that glory I had with you before ever the world was”. This, as the notes state, could either be “the glory he enjoyed as the pre-incarnate Son”, or “the glory predestined for him from eternity by the Father”. As the prayer concludes, Jesus prays that the disciples “may be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you…that they be one as we are one, with me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realise that it was you who sent me…” The concludes (20:31) with a statement of its purpose emphasizing the name: “These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.”
We move from the words and acts of Jesus himself to the teachings of his early followers. Those early Christians described themselves as “those who call on the name of the Lord”. The book of Acts shifts the focus to Jesus who is now enthroned as Lord and Christ, to those followers of “the Way” who now call themselves Christians. Invoking the name of the Lord is the foundation of Christian faith. It becomes a recurring theme, with such expressions as “all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Ac 2:21) and “of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved”. Previously, the name of Yahweh was invoked, now applied to Jesus, as the name means “God saves.
The sacrament of baptism is administered in the name of Jesus Christ and the recipient invokes his name. It is also the name by which healings and exorcisms take place (Acts 3:6). The apostles suffered “for the sake of his name” (Acts 5:41). This thread of thought continues in 10:48 where Peter commands those who were sent to him to be “baptized in the name of the Lord”.
Acts 2:36 is a key verse which together Old Testament messianic expectations with the reality of the new. The notes cite Psalm 110 (JB title: “The Messiah: king and priest”) containing Yahweh’s oracle, “Sit at my right hand” and his perpetual priesthood, developed later in Hebrews. Psalm 16’s promise of not allowing the Messiah to see corruption (i.e.,“the Pit”), and Psalm 2:7 (Yahweh’s decree, “You are my son”), are all considered to be applied to Christ in pre-Christian Judaism. 2:38-39 establishes the significance of baptism in the name of Christ, with the (adult) recipient professing the name of Jesus. 3:15 is most accurately placed with references on resurrection, but applies here because it includes what could be considered a messianic title. It reads, in part, “killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead” (JB, KJV), “Author of life” (RSV), “he who has the way to life” (NEB).
Acts 4:10-12 is one of the famous “stone” references, worthy of its own separate study. Here the stone rejected by the “builders” (i.e. the Jewish priesthood) is now the cornerstone, and the name by which we can save, the name Jesus meaning “God saves”.
The affirmation in Acts 9:20 “Jesus is the Son of God”, as the notes say, corresponds to “Christ”. It recalls the second Psalm, previously mentioned: “You are my son: today I have become your father.” 13:29-39 recaps the Messianic promise of Psalm 1 and the fulfillment of the Davidic prophecy, epitomized by “You are my son; today I have become your father”, and proceeding from there to the Resurrection, where the one whom God has raised up has not experienced the corruption to which his ancestor David, having fulfilled his purpose, experienced.
Christ, of course, is not the savior of those of Israel alone. The universal call of Christianity to the “other sheep” occurs in James’ speech in Acts 15:14-18. This was God’s plan: “God first arranged to enlist a people for his name out of the pagans.” This is not a new thought; From a Hellenistic source: “all the pagans who are consecrated to my name (or “on whom my name is invoked”) will look for the Lord”. To invoke the name of Yahweh over a people or a place is to consecrate it to him.
Romans 1:1-3 has its own emphasis. It links together some key points concerning the divinity of Jesus: (1) his messianic role as a descendent of David; (2) the reason for his rising because it was God who raised him; and (3) his establishment in glory by virtue of his work as Son of God, the name he had from eternity. Later, in 6:3-11, the deeper spiritual mystery of baptism in Christ is explained as being “joined with him in death”. In other words “buried with Christ”, the believer emerges with him to resurrection, freed to the new life. This can be viewed both in the eternal and the temporal sense. In other words, Christ (14:9) is “Lord of both the dead and the living”. In 10:8-13, toconfess with one’s lips that Jesus is Lord and to believe that God raised him from the dead that is to be saved. This is the outward expression of an inward commitment. We belong to the Lord (14:7-9) whether we live for him or die for him, for he is the Lord of both the dead and of the living.
Continuing the “stone” references, 1 Corinthians 3:11 mention Jesus as the cornerstone, of the building. The apostles and, before them, the prophets, were the foundation. Those who build on the foundation can use either good or shoddy materials, so we should be critical as to the manner in which our work is done. This cornerstone even has an inscription on it (2 Timothy 2:19) “The Lord knows who are his own” and “All who call on the name of the Lord must avoid sin.” Later on, Ephesians 2:20-22) further explains that the building “has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ for its cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives in the spirit.” Finally, we, too, “are being built into a house where God lives in the spirit.”
1 Corinthians 3:23 (citing numerous supporting references), an essential relationship is made clear. It states, “you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. A curious new insight on the relationship of Christ to God appears in 15:27-28. Here the saying, “He has put all things in subjection underneath his feet” is interpreted (citing the NEB translation): “But in saying ‘all things’, it clearly means to exclude God who subordinates them; and when all things are thus subject to him, then the Son himself will also be made subordinate to God who made all things subject to him, and thus God will be all in all.” This is, it may be said, a “nested” relationship, where we, too are included. We having been “buried with him in baptism”, rest in Christ, and Christ rests in God. This is affirmed in verse 28: “But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” It is a further development of the other passages on equality, yet does not violate the overall sense of unity.
As in the Gabrielson thesis, the significance of the incarnation is made clear. Our key scripture is Philippians 2:5-11. Although “subsisting in the form of God” (i.e., as stated by the notes, “having all the attributes that express and reveal the essential ‘nature’ of God”) Christ “emptied himself” to share our human condition. That is, according to the notes, “not his divine nature, but the glory to which his divine nature entitled him, and which had been his before the incarnation.” This humility allowed him, after the Resurrection, to be given “the name which is above all other names”, that of Lord. This is one and the same as the homage addressed to Yahweh himself, interpreted that Jesus Christ is in “the glory of God the Father”.
Colossians 2:9 expresses the “fullness of divinity” in the body of Christ. This is known by the Greek term “pleroma”, which is evidence of “the new creation”, surpassing, as stated by the notes, “all possible categories of being”. By further explanation, in 3:11, “he is everything and he is in everything”. The promise, as stated by the notes, is that “the whole world will be reunited with Christ”. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 adds the further promise that, as Jesus died and rose again, God will bring those who have “died in Jesus” with him.
Hebrews 1:1-9 is the classic introductory passage to the first chapter of Hebrews contains beautiful images of Christ: the Son “appointed to inherit everything”, “the radiant light of God’s glory” (the Son as the light shining from the bright source of the Father), “the perfect copy of his nature”, “the First-born [brought] into the world”, anointed “with the oil of gladness”. 2:11-13concludes with a variation on the “I AM” theme; “Here I am with the children God has given me”, for “the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are from the same stock” (from the notes, the translation could read “form a single whole”.
In a major theme (which could serve as a separate post) the Book of Hebrews dwells in chapter 5, verses 1-10 of the identity of Christ as the mysterious priest Melchizedek. First appearing to Abraham in Genesis, he is the true High Priest, in the notes “representing the human race before God”. Christ did not give himself this glory, but had it given to him from the one who said (Hebrews 5:5) “You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.” Here the offering he makes is the sacrifice of himself. Recalling the veil of the Temple, Hebrews 6:18-20 concludes with Christ “reaching right through the veil, to become a high priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.” This, by extension, is also the veiling of Christ’s divine nature in his incarnation. In 7:1-3, Christ’s priesthood, higher than the Levitical priesthood, is like that of the mysterious Melchizedek, who “has no father, mother, or ancestry”, whose “life has no beginning or ending”, and “like the Son of God, he remains a priest for ever.”
In Hebrews 13:15-16the sacrifice itself is transformed. No longer one of sheep or goats, we are told that we offer God a verbal sacrifice of praise every time we acknowledge his name. Then, in gratitude, we are encouraged to keep doing our good works and sharing resources, for these, too, are sacrifices which please God. The transformation of the sacrifice from that of animals to one of a more spiritual nature finds a similar evolution in the Upanishads. Like Judaism, its tradition develops in its maturity and sense of spiritual perception.
1 Peter 1:21 again addresses the scope of time, where Christ, “known since before the world was made”, has been “revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake”. 1 John 1:1-3speaks of the Word that became visible, “that we have watched and touched with our own hands”.
1 John 5:13 once again emphasizes thatbelieving in the name of the Son of God gives assurance of eternal life, continuing in verse 20 that this is so because “the Son of God has come and has given us the power to know the true God”. Accordingly, “We are in the true God as we are in his Son, Jesus Christ.” In3 John 7-8itfor “the sake of the name” that those early missionaries ventured forth the spread the Christian message. The notes state that the name of the Lord is also known as “the Good News or gospel which carries the name of Jesus Christ to the pagans. A point which I have made before but is worth repeating (see A Rehearsal for the Resurrection) is that those early believers, once timid and afraid, were transformed by the reality which they witnessed to boldly proclaim the resurrected Christ as a living reality, undeterred by persecution and even death. This was not, as some modern interpretations go, a discussion of the sayings of some dead philosopher. It is obvious that this would not have motivated those who risked all to do what they did in order to establish the Christian faith.
The Book of Revelation marks the final, visionary (symbolic) close of the Bible, containing ecstatic views of the resurrected Jesus. Its beautiful opening verses recall the glorious scene of the Transfiguration as John describes Jesus, “who was, who is, and who is to come”. It also makes use, as the notes state, of many Old Testament allusions to the King-Messiah’s glorious return. In particular, the Messiah is the “witness” to the promise made to David. Believers are a family of priests “because in union with Jesus the messianic priest they will consecrate the universe to God in a sacrifice of praise.” Revelation 1:8concludes with the well-known “I am Alpha and Omega [“the beginning and the end, originator and goal of all things”] who is, who was, and who is to come”. This well-known phrase, repeated in Isaiah 6:4 and again in Revelation 4:8, has become an element of the liturgy.
We have seen the imagery of Revelation 1:12-18 before as it recalls that of the book of Daniel, the Lord “like a Son of man…with “head and hair as white as wool or as snow, his eyes like a burning flame, his feet like burnished bronze….and his face was like the sun shining with all its force.” Its flaming imagery makes another appearance again in Revelation 19:12. The notes amend “I am the Living One”, verse 17, to “the one who has life in himself”, supported by similar passages in John 5:21 and 26. Finally, “I was dead and now I am to live for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of the underworld” corresponds to the Greek Hades, the abode of the dead, with its Hebrew equivalent Sheol. What we have here is nothing less than one with the power of life itself.
Revelation 2:8, like the preceding reference, speaks of the ever-living Christ, “who was dead and who has come to live again”. 2:17 uses the imagery of “the hidden manna and the white stone”, considered together with related “rock”, “stone”, “cornerstone”, and “foundation” references which form an important part of New Testament imagery.
Revelation 3:7-9 continues the Davidic references, identifying Christ as “one who has the key of David”, one who has” opened in front of you a door that nobody will be able to close”. It describes a condition that could apply to each of us, and for this reason it is assuring. Here is the acknowledgement that the believer, although not very strong, has kept the commandments and not disowned the name of the Lord. Faithfulness to the name, and acknowledging it, is a supremely important key to spiritual life, to which we should strive to attain.
Chapter 4 contains the Sanctus of the liturgy: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty; he was, he is and he is to come.” It is said in the notes that when we worship in this manner, we share the worship of the heavenly court, or conversely that John’s vision of heaven reproduces the worship of the Church on earth. This serves to reinforce the connectedness of those here and those in “the world to come”.
Revelation 11:19repeats the imagery of “flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake, and violent hail”, here contained within the sanctuary of God. These images recall the Old Testament manifestations, including those emanating from the Ark of the Covenant, whether literal and/or metaphysical.
Revelation 21:3-8comforts those confronted by death, either of a loved one or of their own.In the city of God, God’s compassionate nature is revealed: “He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone.” This is the shekinah, or God’s presence, who will be with his people after the end of the world. Behold, God makes all things new!
If given a vision of the afterlife, what might we expect? For one, a remade creation, with newness of life, as in 21:5: “Now I am making the whole of creation new….what I am saying is sure and will come true.”; For those who wish a further affirmation of the Davidic prophecy: 22:16, “I am of David’s line, the root of David and the bright star of the morning.”; the invitation to new life in the spirit, 22:17: “Let everyone who listens answer ‘Come’ [the appeal, according to the notes, addressed to the Messiah]. “Then let all who are thirsty come: all who want it may have the water of life, and have it free.”
And so we have charted the course of the epic sweep of great I AM of the biblical record, underlaid and supported in the scriptures of other traditions. From its background as the Word preceding creation it has broken through in manifestations given to the ancients, reaching its glorious conclusion as revealed in Personhood. We are called to acknowledge its primary nature and power, but more than that: we are invited to accept its calling and immerse ourselves in its glorious light.
Divinepersonhood 