Warren Gage presents a compelling case for the conclusion that the harlot of Revelation 17-18 becomes the bride of chapter 21, or at least that many escape from the city of the whore to inhabit the bride-city that comes from heaven. Gage rests a good bit of his case on a Joshua typology that runs through Revelation. Some of the salient points are: 1) Both “Babylon” in Revelation and Jericho are “great cities” and filled with wealth. Achan actually finds... Read more
The John-Revelation project being developed by Knox Seminary professors Warren Gage and Fowler White (available on the Knox Seminary web site) offers many insights on Revelation. It is just as helpful on John’s gospel. In Study Paper #3, they chart the parallels between the gospel and Revelation. Here are some thoughts stimulated by their work: 1) The word “zeal” appears only in John 2:17 and Rev 3:19. In both cases, the import is zeal for the cleansing of God’s house... Read more
INTRODUCTION Ascension Day doesn?t have the cultural charge that Christmas and Easter do, but it?s equally important. Jesus?Eascension is one of the chief goals of His entire ministry, the day on which the Father installed His king on Zion to rule the nations with a rod of iron and to shatter them like earthenware. Ascension Day marked the end of Jesus?Ecombat against Satan, and the beginning of ours. THE TEXT ?And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed... Read more
In a fine article in the May 2 Weekly Standard , Joel Kotkin emphasizes the historical prominence of religion in urban life. He argues that “places like Fargo, a booming high-tech city on the Great Plains, are more in sync with ancient urban tradition than are supposed paragons of American city life like New York, Boston, and San Francisco, much less the classical centers of Rome, London, and Paris. In these cities, for the most part, religion – with the... Read more
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; and I will offer in His tent sacrifices of shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh (Psalm 27:6). Chronicles gives us a guide for placing song in our liturgy. The liturgy of Israel moved from the purification offering, through the ascension offering, to a peace offering; from cleansing through ascension to communion. Our worship moves through the same sequence: We are... Read more
Why do we baptize babies? This seems to many Christians, especially in America, like a strange tradition, a leftover of the formalism and nominal Christianity of the medieval Roman Catholic church. And even to many of us who believe we should baptize our babies, it seems like a somewhat extraneous custom. Why do we baptize babies? That question can really be answered only by a story. The Triune God has existed in perfect fullness of joy and life from all... Read more
Suppose I told you that Trinity Reformed Church had been asked to perform a choir concert this morning? Would you be prepared? Or would it be like one of those dreams where you find yourself taking a test without studying, or realizing suddenly that you?ve arrived at church in your pajamas? Would you be ready, or would you break into a cold sweat? This is not a hypothetical announcement. You are performing a choir concert this morning, and you are... Read more
CONTRASTING MINDSETS, Romans 8:5-13 Paul has announced that through the work of Father, Son and Spirit, we who are in Christ have been set free from Sin and Death, and are now capable of keeping the requirement of the Law. Torah aimed at giving life; but that purpose cannot not fulfilled by those who were ?under Torah?Ebecause those ?under Torah?Eare also ?under Sin.?E The life and righteousness that Torah aims at, the formation of a humanity that is living richly,... Read more
In the Spring issue of the American Scholar, William Deresiewicz discusses the sexualization of dance during the twelve years he write dance criticism for various publications: “For one thing, dancers have been wearing less and less. Sometimes they don’t wear anythng at all, though this nudity or semi-nudity almost never serves a discernible artistic purpose. Their magnificently stretched and muscled bodies, which they’ve developed as instruments of expression, are increasingly exhibited as mere objects of titillation – not in the... Read more
Notes on Thomas Aquinas on The Effects of Grace, ST I-II, q. 113. 1) Article 1: Justification of the ungodly consists in the remission of sins, Aquinas argues, over against the claim that justification must involve some movement toward justice and that the remission of sins is not a movement. Aquinas agrees that ?taken passively?Ejustification involves ?a movement toward heat,?Ea movement toward justice. But justice can be taken in two ways. First, justice implies ?a right order in man?s act,?Ewhether... Read more
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