the judgment

October 9, 2019

The judgment (Jn 8:15-8:15)

“You judge

according to the flesh,

By human standards.

I judge no one.”

ὑμεῖς κατὰ τὴν σάρκα κρίνετε, ἐγὼ οὐ κρίνω οὐδένα.

John uniquely indicated that Jesus said to the Pharisees that they judge according to the flesh (ὑμεῖς κατὰ τὴν σάρκα κρίνετε), by human standards.  However, Jesus was not going to judge anyone (ἐγὼ οὐ κρίνω οὐδένα).  The flesh, σάρκα, was the human way of doing things, with human standards, limited human reason, or based on human appearances.  Jesus, on the other hand, did not judge people.  He had a divine standard.  Are you too judgmental?

May 18, 2018

The Son of Man in his kingdom will come soon (Mt 16:27-16:28)

“The Son of Man

Is to come

In the glory

Of his Father,

With his angels.

Then he will repay

Everyone

For what has been done.

Truly!

I say to you!

There are some standing here

Who will not taste death

Before they see

The Son of Man

Coming in his kingdom.”

 

μέλλει γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τότε ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ.

ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι εἰσίν τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστώτων οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου ἕως ἂν ἴδωσιν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ.

 

Jesus said that the judgment end times was coming soon.  Something similar can be found in all 3 synoptic gospels, Mark, chapter 9:1, Luke, chapter 9:27, and here, almost word for word, especially the second verse.  Jesus said that the Son of Man was going to come (μέλλει γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι) in the glory of his Father (ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ), with his angels (μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ), a clear indication of the end times.  Then the Son of Man would repay or judge everyone for what they had done (καὶ τότε ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ), the judgment day.  Then in a solemn pronouncement (ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν) Jesus said that some of those standing before him would not experience or taste death (ὅτι εἰσίν τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστώτων οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου) before they would see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom (ἕως ἂν ἴδωσιν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ).  The end times or judgment was imminent, not some far away time.

April 26, 2018

The Queen of Sheba (Mt 12:42-12:42)

“The Queen of the South

Will rise up

At the judgment

With this generation.

She will condemn it.

Because she came

From the ends of the earth

To listen

To the wisdom of Solomon.

See!

Something greater

Than Solomon is here.”

 

βασίλισσα νότου ἐγερθήσεται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης καὶ κατακρινεῖ αὐτήν· ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς ἀκοῦσαι τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶνος, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶνος ὧδε.

 

This saying about the Queen of Sheba can also be found in Luke, chapter 11:31, so that perhaps this is a Q source.  However, in Luke, it preceded the comments about the men of Nineveh.  Why was this unnamed Queen of Sheba able to give a judgment on this generation?  She was not even Jewish.  However, she visited King Solomon in 1 Kings, chapter 10:1-13, with the same story repeated in 2 Chronicles, chapter 9:1-12.  This mythical mysterious woman came from Sheba, but no one knows exactly where that was or her specific name.  She might have been from around the gold mines at Ophir, wherever that might be.  This might explain her wealth in spices, gold, and precious stones.  Anyway, King Solomon answered all her questions with great wisdom.  She observed all his wisdom, plus his house, his food, his clothing, and his servants.  She praised King Solomon, the son of King David, because his wisdom exceeded what she had anticipated and his prosperity exceeded her expectations.  Here she is called the Queen of the South (βασίλισσα νότου).  She would rise up at the judgment time against this generation (ἐγερθήσεται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης).  Just like the men of Nineveh, she would condemn them (καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτήν).  She had come from the ends of the earth (ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς) to hear the wisdom of Solomon (ἀκοῦσαι τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶνος).  Now, Matthew reminded them that something or someone greater than King Solomon was there among them (καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶνος ὧδε), Jesus himself.

April 26, 2018

The reaction of the men of Nineveh (Mt 12:41-12:41)

“The people of Nineveh

Will rise up

At the judgment

With this generation.

They will condemn it.

Because they repented

At the preaching of Jonah.

See!

Something greater

Than Jonah is here.”

 

ἄνδρες Νινευεῖται ἀναστήσονται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτήν· ὅτι μετενόησαν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰωνᾶ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ὧδε.

 

This saying about the positive response of repentance among the men of Nineveh, where the prophet Jonah had preached, can also be found in Luke, chapter 11:32, so that perhaps this is a Q source.  Once again, Q and Matthew went back to their Old Testament roots, using the story of the prophet Jonah, chapter 3:5.  Those people of Nineveh, who were long dead, would rise up at the judgment time against this generation (ἄνδρες Νινευεῖται ἀναστήσονται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης).  They would condemn it (καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτήν) because they had repented during the 40-day preaching of Jonah (ὅτι μετενόησαν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰωνᾶ) in Nineveh.  Now, Matthew reminded them that something or someone greater than Jonah was there among them (καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ὧδε), Jesus himself.

April 13, 2018

You will be hated (Mt 10:22-10:23)

“You will be hated

By all,

Because of my name.

But the one who endures

To the end

Will be saved.

When they persecute you

In one town,

Flee to the next town.

Truly,

I say to you!

You will not have gone

Through all the towns

Of Israel,

Before the Son of man

Comes.”

 

καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου· ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται.

ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἑτέραν· ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἕως ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

 

Mark 13:13 has a similar saying, word for word, as found in Matthew, verse 22, but Matthew continues alone in verse 23, even though he has something similar in chapter 24:9.  Jesus, via Matthew, told his disciples that they would be hated or detested by everyone (καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων) because of his name (διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου).  However, those who were able to be endure to the end (ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος), they would be saved, rescued, or healed (οὗτος σωθήσεται).  Whenever they were persecuted in one town, they were to leave or flee that town for the next town (ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἑτέραν).  Then there is the solemn saying of Jesus (ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν).  They would not be able to visit all the towns of Israel (οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ) before the Son of Man would come (ἕως ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου).  Although not comforting words, the end times of the judgment, with the Son of Man coming, would save them pretty soon.  They just had to be ready for some rough times.

 

May 15, 2017

The attackers of Jerusalem (Ezek 23:23-23:24)

“The Babylonians,

All the Chaldeans,

With Pekod,

Shoa,

Koa,

Will come.

All the Assyrians

Will be with them.

The handsome young men,

The governors,

The commanders

All of them,

Officers,

Warriors,

All of them

Riding on horses

Will come.

They shall come

Against you

From the north

With chariots,

With wagons,

With a host of people.

They shall set themselves

Against you

On every side

With buckler,

With shield,

With helmet.

I will commit

The judgment

To them.

They shall judge you

According to their ordinances.”

The Babylonians, all the Chaldeans, including their mercenaries from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa would come against Jerusalem. All the Assyrians would be with them, including those handsome young men, the governors, and the commanders. All the officers, warriors, and those riding on horses would come against Jerusalem from the north with their chariots, wagons, and a whole army of people. They would be on every side of Jerusalem with their hand shields or bucklers, large shields, and helmets. Yahweh was going to leave the judgment of Jerusalem up to them. They would judge Jerusalem according to their own laws.

April 1, 2016

The battle rages (Wis 5:21-5:23)

“Shafts of lightning will fly

With true aim.

He will leap from the clouds

To the target,

As from a well-drawn bow.

Hailstones full of wrath will be hurled

As from a catapult.

The water of the sea will rage against them.

Rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them.

A mighty wind will rise against them.

Like a tempest

It will winnow them away.

Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth.

Evildoing will overturn the thrones of rulers.”

The Lord will send aimed shafts of lightning. He will leap from the clouds to hit the target like a good archer. Hailstones will come down as from a catapult launcher. The sea and waters will rage and overwhelm them. A tempest will roar across the land. Lawlessness will destroy the earth as the evildoers will take over the royal thrones. So the judgment has come upon earth.

March 31, 2016

The judgment of the unjust (Wis 4:20-4:20)

“They will come with dread

When their sins are reckoned up.

Their lawless deeds

Will convict them to their face.”

The unjust impious ones will come with dread to the judgment of God. Their sins will be reckoned against them. Their lawless deeds will convict them right to their face. This is pretty simple. The unjust lose.