reunited

December 13, 2018

Everlasting kingdom of Jacob (Lk 1:33-1:33)

“Jesus will reign

Over the house

Of Jacob forever.

There will be

No end

To his kingdom.”

 

καὶ βασιλεύσει ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰακὼβ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.

 

Luke indicated that this rule of Jesus would be over the whole house of Jacob (καὶ βασιλεύσει ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰακὼβ) forever (εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας).  No longer would it just be Judah or Judea, but all the tribes of Israel, or the sons of Jacob, would be reunited.  This sounds like a political and religious unification of Israel.  However, there would be no end to his kingdom (καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται τέλος), since this was not a temporary rule, but an eternal one.  The house of Israel would be united under Jesus forever.  It did not exactly work out that way.

November 13, 2018

Drink in the kingdom of God (Mk 14:25-14:25)

“Truly!

I say to you!

I will never again

Drink

Of the fruit

Of the vine

Until that day

When I drink it

New

In the kingdom of God.”

 

ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ πίω ἐκ τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ὅταν αὐτὸ πίνω καινὸν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ.

 

This is almost word for word in Matthew, chapter 26:25, and similar in Luke, chapter 22:18, since this saying has eschatological overtones.  Mark indicated that Jesus said in a solemn declaration (ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν) that he would never again drink of this fruit of the vine (ὅτι οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ πίω ἐκ τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου) until that day (ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας) when he would drink of the new wine with them (ἐκείνης ὅταν αὐτὸ πίνω καινὸν) in the kingdom of God (ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ).  Jesus was talking about the end times.  He was about to leave them until the end of the world, the eschaton.  Then they would all be reunited in his Father’s kingdom, the kingdom of God.  Matthew had Jesus speak about the kingdom of this Father, while Mark had Jesus speak about the kingdom of God.

July 12, 2018

The eschatological implications (Mt 26:29-26:29)

“I say to you!

I will never again

Drink

Of this fruit of the vine

Until that day

When I drink

The new wine

With you

In my Father’s kingdom.’”

 

λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ πίω ἀπ’ ἄρτι ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ὅταν αὐτὸ πίνω μεθ’ ὑμῶν καινὸν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Πατρός μου.

 

This is almost word for word in Mark, chapter 14:25, and similar in Luke, chapter 22:18.  In a solemn declaration (λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν) Jesus said that he would never again drink of this fruit of the vine (οὐ μὴ πίω ἀπ’ ἄρτι ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου) until that day (ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας) when he would drink of the new wine with them (ἐκείνης ὅταν αὐτὸ πίνω μεθ’ ὑμῶν καινὸν) in his Father’s kingdom (ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Πατρός μου).  Jesus was talking about the end times.  He was about to leave them until the end of the world, the eschaton.  Then they would all be reunited in his Father’s kingdom.

January 22, 2018

The new victorious king (Zech 9:9-9:10)

“Rejoice greatly!

O daughter Zion!

Shout aloud!

O daughter Jerusalem!

Look!

Your king comes to you!

He is triumphant!

He is victorious!

He is humble!

He is riding on a donkey.

He is riding on a colt,

The foal of a donkey.

I will cut off the chariot

From Ephraim.

I will cut off the war horse

From Jerusalem.

The battle bows

Shall be cut off.

He shall command peace

To the nations.

His dominion shall be

From sea to sea,

From the River

To the ends of the earth.”

This is a text that both the gospels of John, chapter 12, and Matthew, chapter 21, used to show how Jesus was the expected Israelite king.  He was to be the prince of peace.  Yahweh wanted Zion or Jerusalem to shout and rejoice, because a new king was coming who would be triumphant, victorious, and humble at the same time.  Thus, he would ride on a donkey colt.  The mention of cutting off Ephraim was an indication of the old northern kingdom of Israel, while the mention of Jerusalem is a reference to the kingdom of Judah.  They would be reunited in a new kingdom.  This new king would command that peace be among all the nations of the whole world.  How was he to do this?  This new kingdom would be from sea to shining sea, the famous River, the Euphrates River, to the ends of the earth west of Israel.

June 18, 2017

The restoration in Israel (Ezek 36:9-36:12)

“See now,

I am for you.

I will turn to you.

You shall be tilled.

You shall be sown.

I will multiply

Your population,

The whole house

Of Israel,

All of it.

The towns

Shall be inhabited.

The waste places

Rebuilt.

I will multiply

Human beings,

As well as animals

Among you.

They shall increase.

They shall be fruitful.

I will cause you

To be inhabited,

As in your former times.

I will do more good

To you

Than ever before.

Then you will know

That I am Yahweh.

I will lead people

Upon you,

My people Israel.

They shall possess you.

You shall be

Their inheritance.

No longer shall you

Bereave their children.”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, told the mountains of Israel that he was for them. He was going to turn their land into a place that was tilled and sown with crops. He was going to multiply the population of the whole house of Israel. The towns would be inhabited and the ruined places rebuilt. Humans and animals would multiply, as the land would be occupied again. Yahweh was going to do more good than ever before. They would know that he was Yahweh, their God. There would be new leaders in this inherited land, so that they would no longer mourn for their lost children. His land and his people would be reunited again.