entrance

December 26, 2018

The sacrifice offering (Lk 2:24-2:24)

“They offered

A sacrifice,

According to

What is stated

In the law

Of the Lord.

‘A pair of turtledoves,

Or two young pigeons.’”

 

καὶ τοῦ δοῦναι θυσίαν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Κυρίου, ζεῦγος τρυγόνων ἢ δύο νοσσοὺς περιστερῶν.

 

Luke said that Mary and Joseph offered a sacrifice (καὶ τοῦ δοῦναι θυσίαν), according to what was stated in the law of the Lord (κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Κυρίου).  They were offering a pair of turtledoves (ζεῦγος τρυγόνων) or 2 young pigeons (ἢ δύο νοσσοὺς περιστερῶν.).  Leviticus, chapter 12:5-8, said that when the days of purification were completed, the new mother had to bring a lamb and a pigeon to the entrance of the tent of meeting for a sin offering and a burnt offering.  If she could not afford a lamb, she could bring two pigeons or two turtledoves, which was the case here, since Mary was giving the offering of a poor person.  The priest then made atonement on her behalf to make her clean.  Thus, the unclean mother’s birth had to become clean with a burnt and sin offering, since childbirth was considered an unclean action.  Her period of uncleanness was much longer than merely touching a dead unclean animal.

December 2, 2018

The stone was rolled back (Mk 16:4-16:4)

“When they looked up,

They saw

That the stone,

Which was very large,

Had already

Been rolled back.”

 

καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι θεωροῦσιν ὅτι ἀνακεκύλισται ὁ λίθος· ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα.

 

However, just like in the other gospel stories, Luke, chapter 24:2, and John, chapter 20:1, the stone had been removed when they got there.  Matthew, chapter 28:2, had the women watch as an earthquake and an angel rolled back the stone at the entrance to the tomb.  Mark said that when the 3 women looked up (καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι), they saw (θεωροῦσιν) that the stone had already been rolled away (ὅτι ἀνακεκύλισται ὁ λίθος), even though it was very large (ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα).  Thus, that was another problem solved.

December 2, 2018

Who will roll the stone away? (Mk 16:3-16:3)

“They had been saying

To one another.

‘Who will roll away

The stone

For us,

From the entrance

To the tomb?’”

 

καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς Τίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡμῖν τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου;

 

This is unique to Mark.  There was no discussion about rolling back the stone in the other 3 gospel stories, since it had been rolled back by the time that the women got there.  However, Mark said that the 3 women had been saying to themselves or talking to one another (καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς).  They wondered who would roll away the stone for them (ίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡμῖν τὸν λίθον) at the entrance to the tomb (ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου)?  This was a legitimate question for these 3 women.

July 20, 2017

The flowing water (Ezek 47:1-47:2)

“Then he brought me back

To the entrance

Of the temple.

There,

Water was flowing

From below the threshold

Of the temple

Toward the east.

The temple faced east.

The water was flowing down

From below

The south end

Of the threshold

Of the temple,

South of the altar.

Then he brought me out

By way of the north gate.

He led me around

On the outside

To the outer gate

That faces toward the east.

The water was coming out

On the south side.”

The bronze man brought Ezekiel to the entrance of the Temple. This time, there was water flowing from below the threshold of the Temple toward the east, since the Temple faced east. This mysterious water movement was coming from the south end, south of the altar. Then the bronze man brought Ezekiel out the north gate and around to the east outer gate. There the mysterious water was coming out once again from the south side of the Temple.

July 8, 2017

The south side (Ezek 42:10-42:12)

“On the south also,

Opposite the vacant area,

Opposite the building,

There were chambers.

They had a passage

In front of them.

They were similar

To the chambers

On the north side.

They were

The same length,

The same width,

With the same exits,

With the same arrangements,

With the same doors.

The entrance

Of the chambers

To the south

Was entered

Through the entrance

At the head

Of the corresponding passage,

From the east,

Along the matching wall.”

Ezekiel, having described the north side, now turned to the south side. He explained that this south side arrangement was similar to the north side. The chambers had a passageway that was the same length and width as that of the north side. In fact, it had the same exits, the same carved arrangements, and the same doors as the north side. The entrance to these southern chambers had a corresponding passage from the east, along the matching wall.

July 4, 2017

Measuring the holy of holies (Ezek 41:3-41:4)

“Then he went into

The inner room.

He measured the pilasters

Of the entrance,

Two cubits.

The width

Of the entrance was

Six cubits.

The sidewalls

Of the entrance were

Seven cubits.

He measured

The depth

Of the room,

Twenty cubits.

It width was

Twenty cubits,

Beyond the nave.

He said to me.

‘This is the most holy place.’”

The bronze man brought Ezekiel into the sanctuary, the holy of holies in the Temple, called the Debir. As usual, the bronze man began to measure everything. The pilasters were only 2 cubits or 3 feet on each side. The entrance was also relatively small, about 6 cubits or 9 feet wide. However, the sidewalls were large, bout 7 cubits or 10 feet on each side. This holy of holies was square, 20 cubits by 20 cubits, about 35 feet by 35 feet, a small square room. However, this room was completely different, since the bronze man said that this room was the most holy place.

April 9, 2017

The trip to the east gate (Ezek 11:1-11:1)

“The Spirit

Lifted me up.

He brought me

To the east gate

Of the house of Yahweh

That faces east.

There,

At the entrance

Of the gateway

There were twenty-five men.

I saw among them

Jaazaniah,

The son of Azzur,

With Pelatiah,

The son of Benaiah,

Officials of the people.”

Once again, the Spirit of Yahweh lifted Ezekiel up. This Holy Spirit brought him to the east gate of the Temple this time. There is a reference to Jaazaniah as in chapter 8 of this work. However, here Jaazaniah is the son of Azzur, not the son of Shaphan. He is among 25 men, not the 70 elders as in chapter 8. Ezekiel is not looking through a wall as in chapter 8, but standing at the east entrance of the Temple. There is no mention of the creeping things here. However, Jaazaniah was joined by another official named Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah. Thus there is a loose connection with chapter 8 of this work.

April 6, 2017

The sun worship idolatry in the Temple (Ezek 8:16-8:16)

“Yahweh brought me

Into the inner court

Of the house

Of Yahweh.

There at the entrance

Of the temple

Of Yahweh,

Between the porch

And the altar,

Were about twenty-five men.

Their backs were

To the temple

Of Yahweh.

Their faces were

Toward the east.

They prostrated themselves

To the sun

Toward the east.”

Yahweh brought Ezekiel into the inner court of the Temple. At the entrance to the Temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the Temple. Their faces were toward the east. Then they prostrated themselves and worshipped the sun in the east that morning.  Sun worship was very common in Egypt. A modern form of sun worship is called laying out in the sun.

April 5, 2017

The hole in the wall (Ezek 8:7-8:9)

“God brought me

To the entrance

Of the court.

I looked.

There was a hole

In the wall.

Then he said to me.

‘Son of man!

Dig through the wall!’

When I dug

Through the wall,

There was an entrance.

He said to me.

‘Go in!

See the vile abominations

That they are committing here.’”

Next God in his glory brought Ezekiel to the entrance of the Temple court. There was a hole in the wall there. Then God told Ezekiel, the son of man, to dig through the wall where the hole was. When Ezekiel dug through the wall, there was another entrance. Then God told Ezekiel to go inside and see all the vile abominations that they were being committed here. This seemed like some sort of secret worship service that was behind this wall.

April 5, 2017

The abominations at the north altar gate (Ezek 8:5-8:6)

“Then God said to me.

‘Son of man!

Lift up your eyes now

In the direction

Of the north.’

So I lifted up

My eyes

Toward the north.

There north

Of the altar gate,

In the entrance,

Was this image

Of jealousy.

He said to me.

‘Son of man!

Do you see

What they are doing?

The house of Israel

Is committing here

Great abominations.

They drive me far

From my sanctuary.

Yet you will see

Still greater abominations.’”

God spoke directly to Ezekiel, the son of man. God wanted Ezekiel to look to the north, which he did. There at the entrance to the north gate altar was this image of jealousy. Then God asked Ezekiel to see what they were doing. They were committing great abominations that were driving God further from his sanctuary. They were profaning the Temple of Yahweh. However, God warned Ezekiel that he was going to see far worse and greater abominations.