David’s life recapitulates and predicts the history of Israel. Fleeing from Saul, he goes into exile westward among the Philistines, a repeat of the Egyptian exile. He comes out of Philistia to conquer the the land and take the throne. Later, his son Absalom rebels and drives David out of the land again, this time to the east, toward Babylon. His “Egyptian” exile is matched by a preview of the Babylonian exile. When David flees from his son, Gentiles receive... Read more
David’s life recapitulates and predicts the history of Israel. Fleeing from Saul, he goes into exile westward among the Philistines, a repeat of the Egyptian exile. He comes out of Philistia to conquer the the land and take the throne. Later, his son Absalom rebels and drives David out of the land again, this time to the east, toward Babylon. His “Egyptian” exile is matched by a preview of the Babylonian exile. When David flees from his son, Gentiles receive... Read more
God’s fiery presence descends from Sinai and no one can enter tabernacle. It happens again when the temple is finished. But when the Spirit falls, the disciples stand in the fiery presence and are not consumed. They have become asbestos. They are Daniel’s three friends in the furnace; burning bushes. Jesus has burning eyes (Revelation 1:14), which are the Spirits of God. To stand safely in the fire of the Spirit is to be able to stand under the flashing... Read more
God’s fiery presence descends from Sinai and no one can enter tabernacle. It happens again when the temple is finished. But when the Spirit falls, the disciples stand in the fiery presence and are not consumed. They have become asbestos. They are Daniel’s three friends in the furnace; burning bushes. Jesus has burning eyes (Revelation 1:14), which are the Spirits of God. To stand safely in the fire of the Spirit is to be able to stand under the flashing... Read more
Tamara Jacoby reports at the Atlantic on the important role that apprenticeship or “dual training” (classroom and on-the-job) programs play in equipping European workers. She acknowledges that the US has its own tradition of apprenticeship, but adds: “like most kinds of vocational education, it fell out of fashion in recent decades—a victim of our obsession with college and concern to avoid anything that resembles tracking. Today in America, fewer than 5 percent of young people train as apprentices, the overwhelming majority... Read more
When Christians warn that the adoption of same-sex marriage laws will lead to persecution of traditional Christians, secularists think we’re being hysterical. But then the mayor of Houston subpoenas sermons from pastors who have addressed homosexuality from the pulpit. And the Idaho couple that runs a wedding chapel in beautiful Coeur d’Alene faces fines and possible jail time for violating a city ordinance. Coeur d’Alene considers the chapel a “public accommodation” that is under the city ordinance. Are you still hysterical... Read more
When Christians warn that the adoption of same-sex marriage laws will lead to persecution of traditional Christians, secularists think we’re being hysterical. But then the mayor of Houston subpoenas sermons from pastors who have addressed homosexuality from the pulpit. And the Idaho couple that runs a wedding chapel in beautiful Coeur d’Alene faces fines and possible jail time for violating a city ordinance. Coeur d’Alene considers the chapel a “public accommodation” that is under the city ordinance. Are you still hysterical... Read more
Jesus is “first and last” (protos kai eschatos) and He says so at the beginning and end of Revelation – at the first and the last (1:17; 2:8; 22:13). “First and last” is the first and last thing Jesus says. In between these two declarations, there are several numbered sequences, all beginning with protos (first): 1) Four creatures, 4:7 2) Seven seals, 6:1-8:1 3) Seven trumpets, 8:7-11:15 4) Three woes, 8:13; 9:12; 11:14 5) Three angels, 14:6-12 6) Seven bowls, 16:1-21... Read more
When the angels come out with their trumpets, they “prepare (hetoimazo) to trumpet them” (Revelation 8:6). It’s not clear what that means. A warm up, with old jazz standards first improvised by Jubal? Cleaning the mouthpiece or valves? The more important point of the reference seems to be the way it fits into the theme of “preparation” in Revelation. The verb hetoimazo is used seven times, and the various preparations climax in the revelation of the holy city, new Jerusalem,... Read more
Discussing Christ as the end of the law in his preface to Pierre-Robert Olivetan’s translation of the New Testament, Calvin writes: “Therefore, when you hear that the gospel presents you Jesus Christ in whom all the promises and gifts of God have been accomplished; and when it declares that he was sent by the Father, has descended to the earth and spoken among men perfectly all that concerns our salvation, as it was foretold in the Law and to the... Read more
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