“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men [all].”
Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)
Scripture passages are taken from the King James Version (KJV) with alternate selections and notes from the Jerusalem Bible (JB) where indicated. God, Lord (or Lord God), and Yahweh are used interchangeably throughout the text as they occur in different scripture passages.
British spellings (mostly words with endings –our, –ise, have been retained to correspond to those in the Jerusalem Bible text.
I have a suspicion that most of us look to the heights to lift us to a better conscious existence. It is a paradox that glorious manifestations often appear in the darkest of times and when they are least expected. This was the case in Jesus’ day and, I think, in ours. They come “in the fulness of time” when conditions are right, especially when, as Isaiah would say, we walk in darkness, and when the way is uncertain. We are glory seekers! A synonym for “Glory” may be “presence”, but, of course, no vocabulary is completely accurate to describe the Divine.
A seed catalog arrived last month. The timing was no accident—this is when the companies mail them. The beautiful color pictures jump out at us. In the barren days of winter the thoughts of gardeners are drawn to brilliant spring and summer blooms and the promise which lies ahead. It draws them to imagine the glory and promise of what can be as they focus on the array before them. Gardeners recognize the promise which lies in the seed.
Another brief revelation is from my youthful time as a choir singer: we were assembled in the chancel having completed our entrance at the beginning of the service. As the organ sounded the opening notes, we sang the Gloria Patri: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.” In those brief moments I was transfixed by the light streaming through the stained glass windows, giving the sensation that we were indeed in another world. Here the present was linked to the future, and we were one with both the here and now and the beyond. This indeed was the “world without end”.
The Bible can be read in several ways. There is the history of those ancient tribes with their legacy of violence and blood. There is the development of the idea of God, beginning with a being who is not only the wonderful creator but one of retribution. There is the message of the God of love and grace. There is the message of the law and the prophets. There is history, and poetry too. Shining through it all are accounts of divine glory. Their epic sweep continues through both the Old and New Testaments. These form one reality, not two. Jesus himself referenced the older tradition in his ministry, as did the New Testament evangelists.
Dating from the earliest accounts of the Old Testament is the visitation of the mysterious High Priest Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-19: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God….” In his brief appearance, it gives us a foretaste of the intervention of El-Elyon, a two-part name borrowed from the Phoenician pantheon, but used in the Bible, especially the Psalms, as a divine title. He manifests his priestly (and kingly) function by bringing bread and wine, prefiguring the Messiah who is both king and priest. Several of the early church fathers saw this as a manifestation of the Son of God in person—the first Christophany. Here he blesses Abram (as he was then called) in the name “of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.” The bread and wine brought by Melchizedek prefigures the Eucharistic sacrifice, Holy Communion. The theology here was later worked out in the seventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews.
Following shortly upon the visitation of Melchizedek is the message of God in Genesis 15, given to Abraham (still called Abram) in a vision, titled “The divine promises and Covenant”. Here Abraham is about to assume his role as the Father of his people, and for this divine assurance is needed: “After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” The geographic journey of the people becomes a spiritual one as well.
Genesis 16 recounts the flight of Hagar from her mistress Sarah (Sarai). The Lord God, here appearing as an angel, is mindful of her and instructs her to return “and submit thyself under her hands”, with the promise that “I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.” The child’s name, Ishmael, is significant, meaning “God shall hear” (KJV), “May God hear!” or (JB) “God has heard”. Her response is a beautiful acclamation, as “she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?” It is truly stunning and stands out—it is reciprocal! God beholds us as we behold God. What a wonderful reality, and a cause to give thanks!
In Genesis 18, Abraham is once again visited as he “sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.” Three mysterious visitors appear to him. He offers them drink and bread and meat. [JB notes: “It would seem that the primitive tradition spoke only of three ‘men’ and was content to leave their identity mysterious. In these three, to whom Abraham addressed a single act of homage, many of the Fathers saw a foreshadowing of the doctrine of the Trinity, a doctrine that was revealed only in the N.T.”] They inquire as to the whereabouts of Sarah, who has remained in the tent, and reveal that she will have a son. She hears this and responded: “Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?” The men, representing the Lord, ask, and the voice of God responds, “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” It ends with a touch of humor. Being afraid of this direct encounter, “Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid.” And God, who knows us intimately, says in a humorous conclusion, “Nay; but thou didst laugh.”
Children hear and sing the story of Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28) “set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” Above it stood the Lord God, who promises that Jacob’s seed shall be as the dust of the earth, but, most important, “I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” Jacob, upon awaking, exclaims, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not….And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Later, in chapter 32, Jacob “went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.” Speaking of angels, Bible commentators have a lively discussion as to their nature. Some, it seems, function as emissaries or messengers, while the designation “Angel of the Lord” could possibly refer to God himself. So, Jacob’s wrestling with an angel could be understood as a physical encounter with God. This is far beyond my powers of interpretation but, as with divine mysteries, must be thrown into the mix of theophanies/angelophanies, for which we would be foolish to attempt a final determination.
Moses stands out as “the man who talked with God.” in Exodus 3, God makes his first appearance in a burning bush, which as it burned was not consumed. Here it should be noted that the appearance is described as “the angel of the Lord. JB notes identify this angel as God himself manifesting to man, a frequent explanation. Here is the account: And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God (for, as the notes state, “God’s majesty is such that no man can gaze on it and live”.
Speaking of theophanies, Exodus 19 contains the appearance of God to Moses on Mount Sinai (JB chapter title, “The Theophany on Sinai”) It is one of three text traditions which are woven together in our Bible. The fact that they vary and contradict each other at times is to be expected, something like witnesses describing an accident or a robbery. This should serve as advice to those who may tend to read the scriptural record too closely—what should enlighten us is not certitude but wonder, and indeed it is here. Here, the activity of God is manifested as “thunders and lightenings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.” [JB notes explain that here the thunderstorm “is the chosen scene of God’s self-manifestation”.] Again, the traditions differ as to whether there was volcanic activity or severe weather alone. Moses then brings the people “out of the camp to meet with God”. There is an earthquake too, “and the whole mount quaked greatly.” At this point, God answered Moses by a voice, [JB notes: “Lit., ‘with a voice’. Elsewhere the term means thunder, as in 9:23, but possible here it means an articulate voice.”] coming down as Moses is called to the top of the mount. God’s presence, however, is for Moses alone, for God tells him, “Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.” All of this is as dangerous as it is wondrous. Only Aaron is to accompany Moses, not even the priests. As the passage concludes, Moses, as God’s representative, “went down unto the people, and spake unto them.”
Fast forward to Exodus 24 (JB chapter title “Moses on the Mountain”). This account states that Moses, Aaron, two priests, and seventy elders ascended the mount and “saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness [JB “They saw the God of Israel beneath whose feet was, it seemed, a sapphire pavement pure as the heavens themselves.”] (see the post The Color of God). No one dies—”upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.” This theophany on Sinai included a picnic! This is the point at which God tells Moses to come to him, “and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.” Again there are manifestations: : “And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel [JB notes: “In the ‘Priestly’ tradition, cf. 13:22+, the ‘glory of Yahweh’ is the manifestation of God’s presence. This ‘glory’ is a fire clearly distinguished (here and in 40:34-35) from the cloud that accompanies and surrounds it. The fire and the cloud are images borrowed from the great theophanies with a thunderstorm for their setting, but they have a more profound significance: the brilliant light (which needs no storm for its appearance, and which later leaves its glow on the face of Moses, stands for God’s unapproachable majesty. It fills the newly erected tabernacle, and will fill the Temple of Solomon, On the eve of the destruction of Jerusalem Ezekiel sees the glory leaving the city {in Ezekiel,}, later Ezekiel sees it returning the new Temple; for Ezekiel the ‘glory’ assumes a shining, human form, In other texts, and particularly in the Psalms, the glory of Yahweh simply expresses God’s majesty and the honour due to him, often with eschatological overtones; or else it indicates God’s miraculous power, as in the ‘glory’ of Jesus, in the Gospel of John.]And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.” This time period, of course, recurs in Jesus’ sojourn in the wilderness as he prepares for his ministry.
A further account (JB title: “Moses on the Mountain”) appears in Exodus 33. Moses asks God to show him his glory. What follows is a strange instruction: “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee [JB notes: “God, by pronouncing his name, Yahweh, reveals something of himself to Moses”, or in KJV, “I Am That I Am”]; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” [JB notes: “God’s sanctity is so removed from man’s unworthiness that man must perish if he looks on God, or even hears his voice. For this reason Moses, and even the seraphim, cover their faces in his presence. The man who remains alive after seeing God is overwhelmed with astonishment and gratitude. It is a favour God rarely concedes. He grants it to Moses his ‘friend’, and to Elijah, the two who looked on the New Testament theophany, the transfiguration of Christ. Hence in Christian tradition Moses and Elijah (together with St Paul) are the three pre-eminent mystics. In the New Testament the ‘glory’ of God is manifested in Jesus, who alone has gazed on the Father. Man cannot look on God’s face except in heaven.”] Moses is told to stand on a rock, and “it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift [cleft] of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.” Rev. George Wilson once recounted in a sermon that, as God’s glory was too powerful to be seen in its entirety, God “moons” Moses!
And so, in Exodus 34, Moses comes down from the mountain with the two tables of stone. What he did not realize is that, while he talked with God “the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.” It is of such brilliance that Aaron and children of Israel were afraid to come near him.. Moses solves this problem by putting a veil over his face. When speaking with God. the veil comes off; when speaking with Aaron and the rulers of the congregation, he again places the veil on his face until he goes to speak with God again. JB notes explain that there is a Hebrew verb, qaran, “to radiate”, derived from qeren, “horn”. This explains the literal translation of the Vulgate in verse 29, “and his face was horned”.
As Exodus concludes (40:34-35, JB title “Yahweh takes possession of the sanctuary”) the cloud appears again, covering the tent of the congregation, “the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Its power was such that Moses was not able to enter, “because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
Numbers, chapter 9, describes further activity of the cloud which becomes the dominant manifestation as the children of Israel continue their journey: As the tabernacle was constructed the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony, and with it the appearance of fire from night until the morning. When it was taken up the people journeyed, and when it abode again, they pitched their tents. The period of time varied from a day to two days to a month, or even a year.
A climactic event occurs in 1 Kings 8 (JB title “The Lord takes possession of the Temple). As the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord [JB notes: “The cloud is the visible manifestation of the presence of Yahweh who now takes possession of the sanctuary.”] The glory of the Lord was so great that they could not stand to minister. At this point Solomon speaks, “The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.” Solomon’s Temple, an enduring monument to God’s glory, is celebrated to this day, particularly in Freemasonry.
1 Kings begins with Elijah’s vision of glory, and a firsthand look at the transfer of the prophetic function. It is worth recounting in its entirety: “And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left [JB notes: “The angels”]. 2 Kings goes on to describe the interrelationship between the prophets Elijah and Elisha, often compared to that between Jesus and John the Baptist. Here the prophetic power is passed from one to the other: “And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.[JB notes: “JB notes: “Elisha wants to be acknowledged as Elijah’s principal spiritual heir—an ambitious request since the prophetic spirit is not inherited, but is a gift of God; God, however, indicates that the request is granted by allowing Elisha to see what is hidden from human eyes…the ‘sons of the prophets’ see only the human circumstances, not the spiritual reality behind them.”] And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.[JB notes: “The fruitless search merely establishes the fact the Elijah is no longer in this world; what has become of him is a mystery on which Elisha is not prepared to elaborate. The text does not say the Elijah did not die, though this conclusion was in fact drawn. On the ‘second coming’ of Elijah, see Malachi 3:23.”] And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him…. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah has a different encounter with God, notable for its quietness: “And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. [JB: “And after the fire came the sound of a gentle breeze.”; JB notes: “The storm, earthquake, and lightning, which in Ex 19 manifested God’s presence, are here only the heralds of his coming. The whisper of a light breeze signifies that God is a spirit and that he converses intimately with his prophets; it does not mean that God’s dealings are gentle and unperceived—this common interpretation is refuted by the “terrible commission” of verses 16-17.”] And continuing. “And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” Elijah is then told to return by way of Damascus to gather (verses 16-17) “seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”
The Psalms use their poetic function to reflect glory. Following are two examples with alternate translations and notes to provide a fuller sense of their meaning.
Psalms 19:1-10 (KJV title “Creation shews God’s glory”; JB title: “Yahweh, the sun of righteousness”)
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard [KJV notes: “without their voice heard, or, without these their voice is heard.”; JB: “no utterance at all, no speech, no sound that anyone can hear”; JB notes: “The versions interpret ‘(theirs is not a language) whose sound cannot be heard’; but in what follows there is an allusion to the Assyro-Babylonian idea that the stars are the silent ‘writing of the heavens’.”]. Their line [JB: “voice”] is gone out through all the earth, and their words [JB: “message”] to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race [JB notes: “The psalmist, speaking of the sun as a creature of God, uses expressions found also in Babylonian mythology.”]. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof [JB: “He has his rising on the edge of heaven, the end of his course is its furthest edge, and nothing can escape his heat.”].The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul [JB: “new life for the soul”]: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes [JB: “precepts”] of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean [JB: “pure”], enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true [KJV notes: “truth.”] and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb [KJV notes: “the dropping of honeycombs.”].
Psalms 139:7-18 is a beautiful expression of God’s all-encompassing and undeniable spirit:“ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me [JB: “if I asked darkness to cover me” JB notes: Symmachus and Jerome; ‘crush’ Hebrew”]; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee [KJV “darkeneth not.”]; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee [JB “night would be as light as day” JB notes: “The text adds an Aramaic gloss ‘As the darkness, so the light’.”; KJV notes: “as is the darkness, so is the light.”]. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works [JB notes: “Hebrew. Lit. ‘I am wonderful, your works are wonderful’.”]; and that my soul knoweth right well [KJV notes: “greatly.”]. My substance [KJV notes: “Or, strength, or body.”] was not hid from thee [JB: “you know me through and through”; JB notes: “Lit. ‘you know my soul’ corr. ‘my soul knows it’ Hebrew.”], when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth [JB “when I was being formed in secret, knitted together in the limbo of the womb” Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect [JB: “you scrutinized my every action”; JB notes: “Lit. ‘my actions’ cf. Syr.; ‘my embryo’ Hebr.”; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned [KJV notes: “Or, what days they should be fashioned.”], when as yet there was none of them [JB: “my days listed and determined, even before the first of them occurred”; JB notes: “ ‘my days’ Targum; ‘the days’ Hebrew”; JB notes: “Lit, ‘appeared’.”] How precious also are thy thoughts unto me [JB: “How hard it is to grasp your thoughts!”], O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them [JB notes: “Lit., ‘when I reach the end’; ‘when I awake’ Hebrew.”], they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee [JB ‘you would still be with me”; JB notes: “Either ‘I should still be conscious of God’s presence’; or ‘I should still be faced with the mystery of God.”]. ”
It is worthwhile to include a selection from the apocryphal Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) as it contains a recapitulation on the prophets Elijah and Elisha, here in the JB version: “Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch. It was he who brought famine on them, and who decimated them in his zeal, By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens, he also, three times, brought down fire. How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah! Has anyone reason to boast as you have?—rousing a corpse from death, from Sheol by the word of the Most High; dragging kings down to destruction, and high dignitaries from their beds; hearing reproof on Sinai, and decrees of punishment on Horeb, anointing kings as avengers, and prophets to succeed you; taken up in the whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses; designated in the prophecies of doom to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts of the fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob, Happy shall they be who see you, and those who have fallen asleep in love; for we too will have life [JB notes: “After his eulogy of the prophet the author asserts that those who will see Elijah when he returns , as also those who have died ‘in love’ (in the love of God?) will live for ever. This is a clear expression of the hope of immortality. The Hebrew, however, unfortun- ately defective here, perhaps only referred to Elisha who ‘saw’ Elijah disappear .” Elijah was shrouded in the whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit; throughout his life no ruler could shake him, and no one could subdue him. No task was too hard for him, and even in death his body prophesied. In his lifetime he performed wonders, and in death his works were marvelous.”
As we explore the incidence of fire, its expression is not only present in the New Testament but in a changed form, here in the Book of Acts. Paul L Maier, in The Genuine Jesus, notes its Old Testament occurrences (burning bush, protective pillar, giving of the law at Mt. Sinai) as signifying “the purifying presence of deity” and goes on to state “The wind and the flame [of the Day of Pentecost] were the externals, marking a profound personal revolution in each of the Christians in the upper room, for now at last the Holy Spirit had made His dramatic entry into their lives. Yet how could they be certain of so subjective an experience? And [looking ahead to further developments] even if they were sure of it, how could others believe it?”
Isaiah’s vision occupies a special place in prophetic literature as it emphasizes the holiness of God and, with it, our response. It is notably forward-looking having a direct relationship not only to the people of his time but to us today. It one which looks ahead to the messianic era and the Messiah himself. Referring to him as the “branch”, chapter 4 predicts a glorious future era”: “In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious [KJV notes: “beauty and glory.”, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely [JB: “the pride and adornment”] for them that are escaped of Israel.” [JB notes: “The ‘branch’ and the ‘fruit of the earth’ mean either the Messiah or else the ‘remnant’ of Israel, compared to a tree springing up again in Palestinian soil.”] (For further reading on this subject see the post The Root of David and the Branch.)
Chapter 6 records Isaiah’s revelation which leads to his prophetic message: (JB title: “The call of Isaiah”; KJV title: “A vision of the Lord on his throne”) “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims [JB notes describe them as heavenly beings which Isaiah is the first to associate with Yahweh. Their name means ‘burning ones’, perhaps the same as the ‘burning’ serpents Numbers and Deuteronomy, or the flying dragons of Isaiah 14 and 30. Also, they are perhaps the same as the cherubs on the ark of the covenant.]; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face [JB notes:“for fear of seeing Yahweh, as in Exodus 33], and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. [JB notes: “The holiness of God, as in Leviticus 17, is a central theme of Isaiah’s preaching; he frequently calls Yahweh ‘the Holy One of Israel’. The divine sanctity requires man himself to be sanctified, separated from everything profane, purified from sins, as in Isaiah 6, sharing in the ‘justice’ of God.”] And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. [JB notes: “The equivalent of the cloud on Sinai.”] Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Would that we be sent to proclaim the glory of the Lord!
This is followed in chapter 9 by the direct relationship of the vision and its prophetic message to all people (KJV title: “Joy in affliction through the Prince of Peace”; JB title “Epiphany” also quoted by Jesus in his sojourn in the wilderness, Matthew 4:16): “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. [JB notes: “A prophetic proper name. The child possesses to a supreme degree the qualities of all the great figures of his race: the wisdom of Solomon, the valour of David, the virtues of Moses and the patriarchs. Christian tradition and the Christmas liturgy apply these titles to Christ, presenting him as the true Immanuel.”] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 11 once more employs the images of the stem, the branch, and the root. It is a glorious vision of a coming era of peace (JB title: “The coming of the virtuous king”) [JB notes: “A messianic poem describing in some detail the salient characteristics of the coming Messiah: of Davidic stock, (1), he will be filled with the spirit of the prophets, will establish among men that ‘integrity’ which is the reflection of God’s sanctity on earth, (2) he will restore the peace of Eden, which is the fruit of the knowledge of God.”] And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem [KJV notes: “Or, stump.”] of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him [JB notes: “The ‘spirit of Yahweh’ or ‘holy spirit of Yahweh’, his ‘breath’ (‘breath’ and ‘spirit’ translate the same word, ruah), is found active throughout biblical history. the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord”; for me it recalls the descent of the spirit upon Jesus as he is baptized by John] And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord [JB notes: “The prophetic spirit confers on the Messiah the outstanding virtues of his great ancestors: the wisdom and insight of Solomon, the heroism and prudence of David, the knowledge and fear of God characteristic of patriarch and prophet, of Moses, of Jacob, of Abraham. The list of these has become the Christian ‘seven gifts of the Holy Spirit’.” ]: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes [JB: “he does not judge by appearances”], neither reprove [KJV notes: “Or, argue.”] after the hearing of his ears [JB: “he gives no verdict on hearsay”]: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb [JB notes: “Man’s rebellion against God had broken the harmony between man and nature, and between man and man. The prophets foretell war and oppression as the punishment for the sins of Israel. The messianic era, however, with its forgiveness of sin, its reconciliation with God, its reign of justice. The messianic kingdom is a kingdom of peace. Here the messianic age is symbolically described as a return to the peace of Eden.”] and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp [JB: “over the cobra’s hole”], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. [KJV notes: “Or, adder’s.”; JB: “into the viper’s lair” ]. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest [JB: “it’s home”] shall be glorious.”
Glory, it seems, is sometimes clothed in humility. In the preceding passage, “he shall not judge”, etc. recalls Isaiah 42:3, Matthew 12:20, the KJV “a bruised reed he will not break”. By interpretation, the gentle Savior will not crush those who are spiritually weak, broken by suffering, or struggling with sin; it promises tender care for the downtrodden—restoration, not destruction, to those at their lowest point. The “bruised reed” symbolizes frailty, like a bent, weak plant. Jesus offers strength and healing, not harshness, to those who need Him most, like a smoldering wick He won’t extinguish.
As I read the Book of Ezekiel, my impression is that of a prophet who is a passive participant in his vision as he is carried about and shown the wonders granted to him. The passive tense of the scripture supports this, as in (JB) “There the hand of Yahweh came upon me.” [JB notes: “ ‘on me’ versions; ‘on him’ Hebrew. A phrase commonly used by Ezekiel to indicate ecstasy.” This appears in further chapters 3, 8, 33, 37. and 40.”]
First among these visions is the well-known “Chariot of Yahweh”. JB notes read “Though some details are obscure, the substantial meaning of the vision is clear, namely Yahweh’s transcendence of place: he is not tied to the Temple of Jerusalem but can follow his people into exile if he wishes.” Here, the heavens open, he sees visions of God, the word of the Lord comes expressly to him, and the “hand of the Lord” (KJV) is upon him. Here is what he sees: “And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself [KJV notes: “catching itself”], and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. This “color of God” imagery as supported by the JB notes: “a fire from which flashes of lightning darted and in the centre a sheen like bronze at the heart of the fire”. Out of the midst of this comes the likeness of four living creatures, which “had the likeness of a man”. Each one has four faces, and four wings, and (again using “color of God” imagery) “they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass” [JB “glittering like polished brass”]. On each side are their faces, like a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. There is some mythical borrowing here, as described by the JB notes: “These strange animals are reminiscent of the Assyrian Karibu (a name akin to that of the cherubs over the ark, as in Exodus 25, creatures with the head of a man, the body of a lion, the hooves of a bull and the wings of an eagle; their effigies stood guard outside the palaces of Babylon. These servants of the pagan gods are here shown harnessed to the chariot of the God of Israel, a vivid illustration of Yahweh’s transcendence. The characteristics of these creatures were later used to describe the ‘four living beings’ in Revelation. In Christian tradition they have become symbolic of the four evangelists.”
Following is a description of the wheels, “like unto the colour of a beryl” [JB: “The wheels glittered as if made of chrysolite.”]. Their appearance and function is “as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel”. They move along with the living creatures, with rims (rings) “so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them”, moving with the living creatures when they are lifted up from the earth.” What is their source of life? Verse 20 states “the spirit of the living creature” [KJV notes: Or, of life”] was in the wheels.” Again, a color reference: “And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.” This is accompanied by sound. Ezekiel hears “the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host”, with the firmament over their heads having “the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” This being has “the colour of amber [JB: “bronze”] with “the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.” The passage concludes with a familiar image: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. [JB notes: “The ‘glory of Yahweh’, as in Exodus 24, is normally described as a bright cloud, Ex 16, 43, here the cloud is accompanied by a brilliant, luminous silhouette in human shape.”] When Ezekiel sees it he falls on his face as he hears a voice. I am sure that any of us would do the same, and be struck by terror as well. Ezekiel’s vision certainly stands with Moses’ encounters with the living God.
As the Book of Ezekiel concludes, Yahweh once again returns [JB notes: “The vision of the return of Yahweh corresponds with that of his departure. as in 10 and 11”]: Once more, Ezekiel is a passive participant: “ Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters [JB: “like the sound of the ocean”]: and the earth shined with his glory….and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcasses of their kings in their high places….In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcasses of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.” God again speaks directly to humankind, and once again calls for righteousness.
The prophet Daniel is considered to be the last of the four major prophets of the Old Testament. Clement Harrold writes, “Although Jews only count Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel among the majors, Christian tradition identifies Daniel-whose name means ‘God is my judge’-as a fourth. He encountered the son of man.Daniel 7 records a massively important vision in which the prophet sees ‘one like a son of man’ approach the ‘Ancient of Days’ and receives from Him an everlasting dominion. For many of the Church Fathers, this vision from Daniel was proof that when Jesus refers to Himself as the ‘son of man,’ He was actually emphasizing not so much His humanity, but rather His divinity!He predicted when the Messiah would come. In chapter 9, Daniel offers a famous oracle of the coming of the Messiah. Sometimes referred to as the prophecy of weeks, this text garnered huge interest among the Church Fathers because of the specificity of its prediction about when the Messiah would arrive. Although translations of the passage varied in antiquity, both Eusebius and St. Jerome were convinced that the prophecy’s allusion to seventy weeks of years (= 490 years) elapsing between the restoration of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah was directly fulfilled by the time span between the rebuilding of the Temple in the B.C. mid-400s and the coming of Christ in the first century A.D.”
Here is the text of the vision of this eloquent and poetic dreamer (JB title: “The vision of the ‘Ancient of Days’ and the son of man”) much of which will appear in Revelation: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down [JB: “thrones were set in place”; (JB notes) “The saints of God are privileged to sit in judgement at his side according to ancient Jewish tradition (the Book of Enoch), and the promises of Jesus are even more explicit, as in Matthew 19:28, Luke 22:30, Revelation 3:21 and 20:4. The wheeled and blazing throne of God recalls the divine chariot described in Ezekiel 1.”], and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame [JB: “his throne was a blaze of flames”], and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him [JB: “issued from his presence”]: thousand thousands ministered unto him [JB: “waited on him”], and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. [JB notes: “The book in which men’s actions, good and bad, are recorded. This image is later used in the Dias Irae.]I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake [JB: “the great things the horn was saying were still ringing in my ears”]….I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. [JB notes: “Like the Hebrew ben adam, the Aramaic bar nasha used here, has the primary meaning ‘man’. In Ezekiel, God addresses the prophet thus. But here in Daniel the expression signifies a man who is mysteriously more than human. That it indicates an individual is attested by early Jewish apocryphal writings (Enoch, 2 Esdras) inspired b this passage, as also by rabbinical tradition from the 2nd to the 9th centuries, and more particularly by Jesus who applies it to himself in Matthew 8:20. That it has a collective sense also is deducted from verses 18 and 22 where the ‘son of man’ and ‘the saints of the Most High’ seem more or less identified. But the collective (and equally messianic) sense is an extension of the individual sense: the ‘son of man’ being leader, representative and exemplar of the ‘saints of the Most High’. It was with this in mind that St. Ephraim believed that the prophecy applied first in the Jews (the Maccabees), but beyond this, and perfectly, to Jesus.”] And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
A later passage (10:5-6) amplifies Daniel’s messianic vision, again containing the “color of God” images which frequently occur in prophetic visions : “Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man [KJV notes: “one man.”] clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass [JB: “his eyes were like fiery torches, his arms and his legs had the gleam of burnished bronze”], and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.”
Other prophets contribute their visions of glory:
In Joel 2:28-31 (JB title: “The new age and the Day of Yahweh. A. The outpouring of the Spirit”) [ JB notes: “The oracle…promises an outpouring of the spirit when that day comes, as in Ezekiel 36:27. Peter’s discourse in Acts 2:16-21 identifies the miracle of Pentecost as the fulfilment of this prophecy.”] “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders [JB: “portents”] in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” I sense that there is a connection here to the darkness which fell upon the earth following the crucifixion of Jesus.
In Habakkuk 3:3-4 “God came from Teman [KJV notes: “Or, the south.”], and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. [JB notes: “….The theophany…describes the coming…and battle…of Yahweh….His coming is described…in terms of an advancing storm cloud, as in. Psalms 18. The expressions refer sometimes to the cloud, sometimes to Yahweh who is present in it.”] His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.And his brightness [JN notes: other versions ‘The brightness’, Hebrew.”] was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand [KJV notes: “Or, bright beams out of his side.”]: and there was the hiding of his power [JB: “rays flash from his hands, that is where his power lies hidden”].
Zechariah 9:9-10 (JB chapter title “The Messiah”) foretells the Palm Sunday procession: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation [KJV notes: “Or, saving himself.”]; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” [JB notes: “The Messiah is to be ‘humble’ (ani), a characteristic attributed in Zephaniah to the future people of God. Renouncing the panoply of the historic kings, the messianic king will ride the traditional mount of princes. With this prophecy in mind Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey.”] And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. (see the post Of Horses and Donkeys)
Zechariah 12:10 continues the Davidic vision and its fulfillment in the New Testament: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications [JB: “a spirit of kindness and prayer”]: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” [JB notes: “ The death of the Pierced One occurs in an eschatological context: the raising of the siege of Jerusalem, the national mourning, the opening of a fountain of salvation. The messianic age thus depends on a passion and a mysterious death comparable to the sufferings of the servant in Isaiah 52:12. John 19:37 sees in this passion the figure of the Passion of Christ, the ‘only son’ and the ‘first-born’, whose pierced body will be ‘looked on’ with the saving eye of faith, as in Jn 3:14 and Numbers 21:8-9, and whose opened side is a fountain of salvation, John 19:34; 7:38.”]
The Book of Malachi contains an ode to the glory of the coming Messiah: “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles [JB: “is honoured among the nations”]; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen [JB: “my name is honoured among the nations”], saith the Lord of hosts.”
Malachi 3 and 4 dwell upon “The day of Yahweh”: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me [JB notes: “The precursor of Yahweh, already spoken of in Isaiah 40:3, will be identified with Elijah, Malachi 3:23. Matthew 11:10 applies this text to John the Baptist, the new Elijah, Matthew 11:14.”]: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant [JB: “the angel of the covenant”; JB notes: “The angel of the new covenant is not the precursor spoken of above, since his arrival at the Temple is simultaneous with that of Yahweh. It is probably an enigmatic designation of Yahweh himself, derived from Exodus 3:2; 23:30, Gn 16:7. Matthew 11:10 implies this application to Jesus.”], whom ye delight in [JB: “whom you are longing for”]: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap [To me this vision recalls the brilliance of Jesus countenance in the Transfiguration.]: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Malachi 4 concludes with a vision of fire and judgment connecting to both Moses and Elijah: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet [as John the Baptist?] before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” It famously concludes with a curse, just as Revelation concludes with a blessing: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
As the Old Testament references conclude, it is worthwhile to take a fast forward to Romans 3:24: “Both Jew and pagan sinned and forfeited God’s glory, and both are justified through the free gift of his grace by being redeemed in Christ Jesus who was appointed by God to sacrifice his life to win reconciliation through faith.” JB notes state that this is “glory” in the Old Testament sense, “that is to say that God as present to human beings and manifesting himself to them more and more, a process that can only reach its climax in the messianic era.” With this as a preface, the New Testament references begin.
The angel identified as Gabriel announces the significance of the impending birth of Jesus to Mary in Luke 1:26-38 (JB title: The annunciation). He appears, saying “Hail, thou that art highly favoured [KJV notes: “Or, graciously accepted, or much graced.”], the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” This troubled her, causing her to “cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” Gabriel replies, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (for more Davidic references and their significance see the post The Root of David and the Branch). Mary replies, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Gabriel replies, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee [JB: “cover you with its shadow”]: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. This contains an Old Testament connection, as the JB notes state “In O.T. this expression is used of the bright cloud which is the sign of God’s presence”, as in Exodus 13:22; 19:16; 24:16, and later a parallel reference in Luke 9:34. “The conception of Jesus is effected only by God and his Spirit.” Foretelling the birth of John the Baptist, a similar appearance is made to Mary’s cousin Elisabeth, who hath “conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.” This establishes the role of John as messenger and precursor. On a side note, this relationship of Jesus and John recalls that of Elijah and Elisha, also noted in the New Testament narrative. Concluding the visitation to Mary, she humbly submits herself, saying “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” At this point ”the angel departed from her.”
Joseph, too has his own visitation, here in Matthew 1:18-25 (JB title: “The virginal conception of Christ” ): Mary, “before they came together…was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Joseph, “her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” As he thought on these things, again the angel of the Lord “appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived [KJV “begotten”] in her is of the Holy Ghost.And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name [KJV notes:“Or, his name shall be called.”] Jesus [JB notes: “ ‘Jesus’ (Hebrew. Yehoshua) means ‘Yahweh saves’.”]: for he shall save his people from their sins.” This has been down “ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name [again, KJV notes: “Or, his name shall be called.”] Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”( Multiple names for Jesus share those attributed to God to more fully describe the nature of both.) Joseph then awakes from sleep and “did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.”
We again must deal with whom the angel of God is, God himself or a messenger. Accounts are contained in the birth narrative quoted at the beginning of the post, and in the previous announcements to Mary, and later to Joseph. Jerusalem Bible notes to Matthew 1:18-25 make this clearer for those who wish to research this subject further: “The ‘angel of the Lord’ in the early texts (Genesis 18:7) means Yahweh himself. With the development of the doctrine of angels (as in Tobit 5:4) their distinction from God becomes clearer; they retain their function as heavenly messengers and often appear as such in the narratives of the Infancy (Matthew 1:20-24; 2:13, 19; Luke 1:11; 2:9; also Matthew 28:2; John 5:4; Acts 5:19; 8:26; 12:7,23).”
Jesus, to fulfill his prophetic role, becomes a disciple of his cousin John, and is baptized in the river Jordan. Here is the account in Matthew: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him [again, recalling the Old Testament theophany]: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased [JB: “ ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him’.”; JB notes explain its significance, first that “The Spirit which hovered over the waters at the first creation (Genesis 1:2) now appears at the beginning of the new creation.” This has two functions: first, it anoints Jesus for his messianic mission, and, second, it sanctifies the water, preparing the way for the sacrament of Christian baptism. The Book of John adds a parallel account : “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost [JB: “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit,”]; JB notes explain that this “sums up the whole purpose of the Messiah’s coming, as foretold by the Old Testament prophets. Specifically, (1) the Spirit rests on him (prophesied by Isaiah); (2) and so he can confer it on other, but only after his resurrection; (3) As he ‘came in the flesh’ that was corruptible, it is only when he is “lifted up” and has gone to the Father that his glorified body is fully endowed with divine, lifegiving power; (4) From this time on the Spirit flows freely to the world from this body as from an inexhaustible spring. Recalling Jacob’s vision of the ladder, John records Jesus’ exclamation (recalling that of Jacob’s ladder) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
Despite Jesus’ later criticism of those who depend on “signs and wonders” to believe, his first recorded miracle is that of the wedding at Cana (John 2:11) where he transforms water into wine, in the presence of his disciples: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”
Like Isaiah, Jesus’ ministry had a forward focus on “future glory”. In Luke 9:22, the “first prophecy of the Passion” (to be followed by several others), Jesus, using his preferred title, exclaims, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.” A similar vision of his post-resurrection glory occurs in John 2: “Destroy this temple [JB: “sanctuary”], and in three days I will raise it up.” JB notes explain, “For credentials, every true prophet must have ‘signs’, or wonders worked in God’s name, of the Messiah it was expected that he would repeat the Mosaic miracles. Jesus, therefore, works ‘signs’ in order to stimulate faith in his divine mission, and indeed his ‘works’ show that God has sent him; that the Father is within him, manifesting the divine glory in power, it is the Father himself who does the works. But many refuse to believe, and their sin ‘remains’.”; For his followers and for those who do not believe, this requires reading “the signs of the times”, as explained in Luke 12:54-56: When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? JB notes explain, “The messianic era has begun: it is high time for this to be realised, because judgement is coming soon.”; Finally, in Chapter 21, cosmic disasters are foretold (JB title: “Cosmic disasters and the coming of the Son of Man”): “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring [JB: “bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves”];Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. I cannot help but to connect this with the account of the darkness and earthquake following his death on the cross.
Returning to Jesus’ temporal glory, the Transfiguration is a pivotal event, supported by references in three gospels, which provide details to amplify this wondrous manifestation. I will attempt to combine the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke to outline what is essential: Jesus takes Peter, James, and John his brother, (Matthew)“and brings them up into an high mountain apart. Here he was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light [JB notes include a variant, ‘as snow’, as in his post-resurrection appearance to the two women, “His face was like lightning, his robe white as snow” (Mark: “so as no fuller on earth can white them”; Luke: “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.”). Then Moses and Elias [Elijah] appear [JB notes: Respectively representing Law and prophets, they do homage to the founder of the ‘new alliance’. At once they were privileged at Sinai with God’s revelation, so now they are made witnesses of the anticipated revelation of the Son of Man,.”], talking with him. Here Luke includes a variant, where Moses and Elias “spake of his decease [JB: “passing”] which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem.” Peter then exclaims, “Lord, it is good [JB: “wonderful”] for us to be here”, and proposes, “if thou wilt, let us make [alternate “I will make”] here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.” At this point “a bright cloud overshadowed them (recalling Old Testament theophanies), and a voice came out of the cloud (as in Jesus’ baptism by John), saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” This causes the disciples to fall on their faces in fear. Jesus came and touched them, bidding them “Arise, and be not afraid.” When they had done so, and lifted up their eyes, they “saw no man, save Jesus only.” As they came down from the mountain, “Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.”
The story of the resurrection of Lazarus tells of Jesus raising his friend from the dead after having been in the tomb for four days. This event is a key miracle as it demonstrates Jesus’s power over death and foreshadowed his own resurrection, leading many people to believe in him while also causing some of his enemies to plot against him. Upon hearing that Lazarus was ill, Jesus deliberately delayed his arrival, and when he finally reached the town of Bethany, he found Lazarus had already died. Jesus then went to the tomb, ordered the stone to be removed, and commanded, “Lazarus, come out!” causing Lazarus to come back to life and emerge from the tomb, still wrapped in his burial clothes. Here are some details of the event:
Lazarus, along with his sisters Martha and Mary, was from the town of Bethany and was a close friend of Jesus. Jesus did not go there immediately, but delayed his visit for two more days, saying, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. After hearing that Lazarus was sick, Jesus initially stayed where he was for two more days, saying the sickness was “for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” [JB: “this sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory”] Upon is arrival, he found that Lazarus had been dead for four days and was in a tomb with a stone across its entrance. After comforting Mary and Martha and praying to his Father in front of the mourners, Jesus commanded, “Lazarus, come out!”. The dead man came out of the tomb, with his hands and feet wrapped in linen strips and a cloth around his face. Jesus then instructed the people to remove his grave clothes and let him go. This miracle caused many people to believe in Jesus, which led the chief priests to fear Jesus’s growing influence and plot to kill both Jesus and Lazarus.
The significance of this event is that Jesus’s power over death points ahead to the future resurrection of all believers. Even though he knew he was about to resurrect Lazarus, he wept because he was deeply moved by the sorrow and suffering of those around Him. His compassion for the grief of Mary, Martha, and the people mourning Lazarus was genuine. There is a parallel here: when he raises Lazarus from the dead, Lazarus was really dead—four days dead at this point—and he came physically alive again out of the tomb, out of his grave clothes. And when Christ was crucified and resurrected, he also was really dead—several days dead—and came out of the tomb and out of his grave clothes. It should also be noted that a similar resurrection had already taken place, that of Jairus’ daughter in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Matthew (28), Mark (16), Luke (24), and John (20) provide differing details on exactly what took place on Resurrection Day. Some commentators see this as conflicting evidence and use it to discount the event entirely. This, however, is not the last word. Think if you will of a crowd of people who witness an accident, a robbery, or a similar event: upon questioning, each may recall details which differ from each other, while having similarities as well. I find this excerpt from the JB notes to be entirely reasonable: “Though they agree in recording the initial apparition of the angel (or angels) to the women…the four gospels show divergencies when it comes to the appearances of Christ. Setting Mark aside (his abrupt conclusion presents a special problem…and his ‘longer ending’ [chapter 16] recapitulates the data of the other gospels…appearances to individuals [or groups] that help to prove the fact of the resurrection….All this gives the impression that different groups, which cannot now be easily identified, have given rise to different strands of tradition. [my emphasis] But these very divergencies of tradition are far better witnesses than any artificial or contrived uniformity to the antiquity of the evidence and the historical quality of all these manifestations of the risen Christ.” Rather than attempting to combine the accounts provided by the four Gospel writers, it is best to view each one individually.
Matthew begins with “the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week”, as Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” came to see the sepulchre. There was [KJV notes: “Or, had been”] a great earthquake “for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” The angel’s countenance “was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow” [recalling the manifestation of Jesus in his Transfiguration]. This caused the keepers of the tomb to shake, and become “as dead men”. The angel addresses the women, “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified”, and invites them, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” He then charges them to go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen, indicating a future event, “behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.” The women depart quickly with great joy, running to spread the word to the disciples. As they went to tell his disciples, Jesus met them, saying, “All hail”. They hold him by the feet, and worship him. Jesus says to them, “Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me” (repeating what the angel said).
In Mark’s account, [JB notes: “The ‘long ending’ of Mark….This does not necessarily imply Marcan authorship which, indeed, is open to question….The present ending…is to be found in the vast majority of Greek manuscripts….That Mark was its author cannot be proved; it is, nonetheless, ‘an authentic relic of the first Christian generation’ (Swete).”] Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James [the “other Mary”?], and Salome, had bought sweet spices,to anoint the body of Jesus, arriving at the sepulchre “at the rising of the sun”. They ask, “Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” When they arrive, they see that the stone was rolled away, “for it was very great”. Entering the sepulchre, they see “a young man [an agel] sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted”. He says, “Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.” Echoing Matthew’s account, he instructs them to “tell the disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you”. The flee quickly, “for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.” Mark notes that his first appearance is to Mary Magdalene, who tells the disciples “as they mourned and wept”. When they hear he was alive, “they believed not”. He appears “another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country” [the journey to Emmaus?]. They go and tell this to the disciples, who do not believe them. Later, as they sat to eat, he appears “and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” He then gives them “The Great Commission”, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Signs will be given to believers, “In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” It is at this point in Mark’s account that “he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” The disciples go forth, “and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”
Luke repeats the story of the women “and certain others with them” arriving with spices to anoint the body, finding the stone rolled away. They enter “and found not the body of the Lord Jesus”. They are perplexed, and here “two men stood by them in shining garments”.They are afraid, and bow their faces to the earth. The men say, “Why seek ye the living [KJV notes: “Or, him that liveth.”] among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.And they remembered his words.” Again, as they return from the sepulchre “and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest”, The women are identified: “Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.” Their word “seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not Then Peter runs to the sepulchre, “and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass”.
John’s account includes Mary Magdalene alone, “early, when it was yet dark, who arrives at the sepulchre, seeing the stone taken away. She runs to Simon Peter, “and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved”, saying, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.” Peter and this other disciple run to the sepulchre, the other disciple outrunning him and arriving first. Stooping down, and looking in, he sees the linen clothes lying;, but does not enter. Simon Peter arrives, “and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” [This would be the foundation of the history of the Shroud.] The other disciple then enters, “and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” They go away to their home. A separate account is then given of the appearance to Mary of Magdala, who stands outside the sepulchre weeping, “and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” She turns back and sees Jesus standing, but does not know it is him, thinking him to be the gardener, who asks, “Why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?” She replies, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”Jesus says, “Mary”. She replies, “Rabboni; which is to say, Master”. We learn here that the resurrection body is different from the physical body as Jesus instructs her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” Mary Magdalene then goes “and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.”
The next appearance of Jesus [recorded by John] is to the disciples, who had again gathered in the upper room. He stands in their midst, saying “Peace be unto you”. They are terrified, “and supposed that they had seen a spirit”. He asks, “Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” So the resurrection body, while being different, retains certain characteristics of the physical one, as recorded here: “And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.And he took it, and did eat before them.”
As two disciples travel to Emmaus they talk about the things which had happened. As “they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.But their eyes were holden that they should not know him [again, the difference in appearance of the resurrection body” [JB: “but something prevented them from recognising him”; JB notes: “In the apparitions described by Luke and John, the disciples do not at first recognise the Lord; they need a word or a sign. This is because the risen body, though the same body that died on the cross, is in a new condition; its outward appearance is therefore changed, Mark 16:12, and it is exempt from the usual physical laws, John 20:19….] He asks them why they are sad. One of them, Cleopas, . “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” Jesus asks, “What things?” They reply, repeating the Easter narrative, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.” He replies, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” Then, “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Drawing near the village, they ask, “Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight [KJV notes: “Or, ceased to be seen of them.”]. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures [JB: “ ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’ ”] ?” The disciples return Jerusalem, telling the eleven, “The Lord is risen indeed.” They tell of the “things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.”
Briefly, there are three additional accounts which detail Jesus’ appearances between the Resurrection and the Ascension:
(1) The appearance to the disciples: As the disciples gather together in the evening, “when the doors were shut…for fear of the Jews”, Jesus stands in their midst, showing them his hands and his side, saying “Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” He breathes on them, saying “Receive ye the Holy Ghost [JB notes: “The breath of Jesus is a symbol of the Spirit (‘breath’ in Hebrew); he sends forth the Spirit who will make all things anew.] Only Thomas is absent, and refuses to believe “except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side”. Eight days later Thomas is with them as they assemble again, placing his finger into the wounds. He exclaims, “My Lord and my God”. Jesus responds, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
(2) The appearance of Jesus on the shore of Tiberias: Jesus shows himself to Peter, Thomas, and Nathanial at the sea of Tiberias. He stands on the shore, and they do not recognize him. They had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. Jesus tells them to cast the net on the right side of the ship, where “they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes”. Peter, now recognizing Jesus, jumps from the ship and swims to shore to meet the Lord. As the other disciples reach the shore, they find a fire of coals there with fish and bread. They bring the fish they have caught “for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken”. Jesus bids them, “Come and dine”. No one asks him who he is, “knowing that it was the Lord”.
(3) The appearance in Galilee where Jesus gives them their mission to the world: The eleven disciples go to “a mountain where Jesus had appointed them”. When they see him, “they worshipped him: but some doubted”. Jesus gives them their mission (the Great Commission), saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.Go ye therefore, and teach all nations [KJV notes: “Or, make disciples, or, Christians of all nations.”], baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost [JB: “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”; JB notes: “It may be that this formula, so far as the fullness of its expression is concerned, is a reflection of the liturgical usage established later in the primitive community….[my emphasis] But whatever the variation in formula, the underlying reality remains the same.]: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
As the Ascension takes place, here is the scriptural record:
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.And ye are witnesses of these things.And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.”
Writing of the Ascension itself, Paul L. Maiernot only explains its significance but connects it to previous manifestations (and possibly the Transfiguration), namely that of the “bright cloud”. Here is his commentary on Luke 24:50-51, where he leads the disciples to Bethany, blesses them, and while so doing is carried up to heaven: “When the inexorable moment arrived, Jesus raised His hands in benediction, departed from all terrestrial limitations, and disappeared from view. A bright cloud interposed between Jesus and his followers—some have seen it as the same ‘pillar of cloud’ that protected Israel from the Egyptians….But when it dissolved, Jesus was gone. The ascension should never be interpreted in quantifying terms….This is not Luke’s purpose, which was merely to tell of Jesus’ transit to another dimension….Even Jesus’s direction ‘upward’ serves only to emphasize His physical separation from the earth, not a specific vector away from it.” Further historical and geographic details are uncertain, nor are they necessary.
The visions of the Book Revelation complete this narrative of Glory.
Chapter 1 recalls Daniel’s vision. Here John was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” Would that we all be in the spirit as was he! He hears behind him “a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book…” As he turns to see who was speaking, He encounters the Son of man in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, , clothed with a garment down to his feet, having a golden girdle around his waist. The vision continues, echoing Daniel: “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength [JB “his face was like the sun shining with all its force].” Filled with awe, John “fell at his feet as dead”. Jesus addresses him: “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth [JB “I am the living one”; JB notes: “The one who has life ‘in himself’ ”] and, recalling his death and resurrection, “and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death [JB “I hold the keys of death and of the underworld”] As we have read, Hades is the Greek word corresponding to the sheol of the Old Testament. JB notes identify the Messiah as eschatological Judge. As in Daniel’s vision, his long robe symbolizes his priesthood, the golden girdle his royalty, the white hair his eternity, burning eyes to probe minds and hearts (his divine knowledge), the feet of bronze his permanence; the brightness of his legs and face, and the strength of his voice the fear inspired by his majesty. A more complete concordance between the two Testaments we would struggle to find.
I close with a final passage (JB title “The messianic Jerusalem”), that of the City of God. Here, John (“The Revelator”, not the Baptist) is carried “in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” JB notes explain that this is Jerusalem on earth during the last or messianic days but it foreshadows the heavenly Jerusalem that develops from it. Here its actual measurements are given, resembling the much more detailed descriptions found un Ezekiel 40-47. “Color of God” imagery abounds. For those who are interested, I will give the alternate names of the different versions, which are also found in the table of the related post. And continuing, “And the building of the wall of it was of jasper [JB “diamond”]and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass [JB “polished glass”]. “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper [diamond]; the second, sapphire [lapis lazuli]; the third, a chalcedony [turquoise]; the fourth, an emerald [crystal]; the fifth, sardonyx [agate]; the sixth, sardius [ruby]; the seventh, chrysolite [gold quartz]; the eighth, beryl [malachite]; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus [emerald]; the eleventh, a jacinth [sapphire]; the twelfth, an amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass [JB “transparent as glass”]. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it [JB “are themselves the temple”].” This symbolizes the end of the old covenant, for as the notes explain, there is now a new temple, the Body of Christ! Divine Personhood has achieved its supreme imagery. This city has no need of the sun or moon to shine on it, “for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof [JB “since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the lamb was a lighted torch for it”].” Here purity is the watchword: those who are saved shall walk in its light; its gates shall not be shut; there shall be no night. Nothing which defiles or “worketh abomination, or maketh a lie” shall enter: “but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” A final set of images completes the vision: “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal [JB notes: “Allusion to the Trinity, since the river of living water is a symbol of the Spirit”] on either side of the tree of life, “which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations [recalling the great hymn tune]. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light [JB “will be shining on them”]: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” The Messiah is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last…the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star”. And in closing, a benediction: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
As previously mentioned, there are many purposes for which the scriptures may be studied, but how wonderful to read them as a history of glory. Some, but certainly not all, of the light that has broken through from the Divine is here. I submit to you that this is not a scriptural record alone but one that continues in our present existence, our daily life. May the light of glory shine on us all!
Divinepersonhood 