Lee Harmon's Blog, page 122
July 24, 2011
Genesis 5:27, How did Methuselah die?
Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.
//Methuselah's claim to fame is that he lived longer than anybody else in the history of the world. But how did he die? The Bible doesn't say for sure. Let's trace his life, and see if we can figure the mystery out.
When Methuselah is 187, he has a son named Lamech. (Genesis 5:25)
When Lamech is 182, he has a son named Noah. (Genesis 5:28) Methuselah is now 369.
Noah's the guy who built the ark. When Noah was 600, the flood waters began. (Genesis 7:6) Methuselah is now 969, the age of his death.
Genesis 7:7, And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Poor Methuselah. He wasn't on the ark. I bet he could have made it to age 1,000.
(Tradition holds, by the way, that Methuselah died seven days before the flood, and that God delayed the flood for seven days of mourning in his honor.)
//Methuselah's claim to fame is that he lived longer than anybody else in the history of the world. But how did he die? The Bible doesn't say for sure. Let's trace his life, and see if we can figure the mystery out.
When Methuselah is 187, he has a son named Lamech. (Genesis 5:25)
When Lamech is 182, he has a son named Noah. (Genesis 5:28) Methuselah is now 369.
Noah's the guy who built the ark. When Noah was 600, the flood waters began. (Genesis 7:6) Methuselah is now 969, the age of his death.
Genesis 7:7, And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Poor Methuselah. He wasn't on the ark. I bet he could have made it to age 1,000.
(Tradition holds, by the way, that Methuselah died seven days before the flood, and that God delayed the flood for seven days of mourning in his honor.)
July 23, 2011
Book review: Encountering John
by Andreas J. Kostenberger ★★★★★
The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective. That's the subtitle, that's what attracted me to the book, and that's why it gets a five-star review. Because it delivers exactly what it promises, without turning into monstrous tome.
This is a classroom text, complete with tables, charts, pictures, study words, fascinating sidebars, keywords, and some very helpful appendix topics. I'm thinking that perhaps the best way to convey the flavor of this book is to list some of the sidebar headings:
The Double Amen in John's GospelIrony in John's GospelThe Significance of Jewish Festivals in John's GospelDid Jesus Come to Bring Judgment or Not?The Chronology of the Passion Narrative in John and the SynopticsThe Eternal Subordination of the SonThe So-called Johannine Pentecost
The writing is interesting and inspiring, and the topic of John's Gospel is well covered from several angles. I have a couple shelves of books about Johannine writings, and if I were to pick one as a stand-alone introduction, this would be it. The most highly recommended overall learning tool about John's Gospel in my library.
(click picture to buy on Amazon)
July 22, 2011
Revelation 6:7-8, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part V of V
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
//This is the concluding post for our discussion of the four horsemen, and how they relate to the time of John of Patmos. If this historical-critical treatment of Revelation intrigues you, be sure to pick up my book at http://www.thewayithappened.com
The fourth rider brings the expected climax after the famine and bloodshed of prior horsemen: Death. The color of this horse, rendered "pale" in the New International Version, actually denotes a pallid yellowish-green, the color of putrifaction. Again I'll quote first-century historian Josephus about the Jerusalem war of 70 A.D.: "So all hope of escaping was now cut off from the Jews, together with their liberty of going out of the city. Then did the famine widen its progress, and devoured the people by whole houses and families; the upper rooms were full of women and children that were dying by famine; and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged." He goes on to describe the stench of the dead bodies and the thick putrefaction occurring around them. Josephus' estimate of the number of Jews dying from this war is 1.2 million.
Only by grasping the utter horror of the time can we appreciate the context of Revelation. Written in a period before the tension escalated between Jews and Christians, Revelation is a poem of hope offered to the survivors of Judea, encouraging them to remain true to God and promising better times ahead.
//This is the concluding post for our discussion of the four horsemen, and how they relate to the time of John of Patmos. If this historical-critical treatment of Revelation intrigues you, be sure to pick up my book at http://www.thewayithappened.com
The fourth rider brings the expected climax after the famine and bloodshed of prior horsemen: Death. The color of this horse, rendered "pale" in the New International Version, actually denotes a pallid yellowish-green, the color of putrifaction. Again I'll quote first-century historian Josephus about the Jerusalem war of 70 A.D.: "So all hope of escaping was now cut off from the Jews, together with their liberty of going out of the city. Then did the famine widen its progress, and devoured the people by whole houses and families; the upper rooms were full of women and children that were dying by famine; and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged." He goes on to describe the stench of the dead bodies and the thick putrefaction occurring around them. Josephus' estimate of the number of Jews dying from this war is 1.2 million.
Only by grasping the utter horror of the time can we appreciate the context of Revelation. Written in a period before the tension escalated between Jews and Christians, Revelation is a poem of hope offered to the survivors of Judea, encouraging them to remain true to God and promising better times ahead.
July 21, 2011
Book review: Other Prayers of Jesus
by John Henson ★★★★
John Henson has a way of writing that makes you want to meet him. He's opinionated but not overbearing. Humble yet interesting. I think it's just the way John is, amusing and serious at the same time. Either that, or he has a great editor.
In twelve chapters, Other Prayers of Jesus rolls conversationally through the settings and words of Jesus as he "talks to God." Do not imagine that this book will give you instructions for how to pray, like a checkbox you can work your way through to get God's attention. John is not much for long prayers, certainly not long public prayers. He just describes what Jesus felt and said—sometimes aloud, sometimes in quiet contemplation—in the presence of his daddy.
The insinuation, of course, is that we would do well to live in the presence of God as casually as Jesus. There are a number of interesting anecdotes and thoughtful opinions sprinkled throughout, but I'd say the flavor of the book is really more inspirational than exegetical or instructional. Part of the charm is the Bible translation. Henson quotes scripture using his own favored "Good as New" translation, which is very down-to-earth, if a bit assuming. (See Good as New: A Radical Retelling of the Scriptures by Henson.) Personally, I like it! You'll pick up on its idiosyncrasies as you go. Rocky: Peter. Bart: Bartholomew. John the Dipper: you can guess that one.
A good book for moderates, both conservative and liberal.
(click picture to buy on Amazon)
July 20, 2011
Revelation 6:5-6, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part IV of V
When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
//Continuing our discussion of the four horsemen and how they relate to the events of the first century, we come now to the color black. As expressed by Jeremiah, the black horse brings famine. The famine during the Jerusalem war grew so devastating that at one point, a woman named Mary boiled and ate her own son.
The words this horseman speaks are fascinating. Read them again, and compare them to what first-century Jewish historian Josephus reports of the Jerusalem war: "Many there were indeed who sold what they had for one quart; it was of wheat, if they were of the richer sort, but of barley, if they were poorer."
Revelation later bemoans how the merchants profited from this wheat, olive oil and wine. This unnamed voice that says "do not damage the oil and the wine" for some reason makes a deep impression on Revelation's author. No surprise: When General Titus captured the Temple in the war of 70 A.D., he gave explicit orders not to destroy the oil and wine in the Temple so they could be retained and sold to the rich.
//Continuing our discussion of the four horsemen and how they relate to the events of the first century, we come now to the color black. As expressed by Jeremiah, the black horse brings famine. The famine during the Jerusalem war grew so devastating that at one point, a woman named Mary boiled and ate her own son.
The words this horseman speaks are fascinating. Read them again, and compare them to what first-century Jewish historian Josephus reports of the Jerusalem war: "Many there were indeed who sold what they had for one quart; it was of wheat, if they were of the richer sort, but of barley, if they were poorer."
Revelation later bemoans how the merchants profited from this wheat, olive oil and wine. This unnamed voice that says "do not damage the oil and the wine" for some reason makes a deep impression on Revelation's author. No surprise: When General Titus captured the Temple in the war of 70 A.D., he gave explicit orders not to destroy the oil and wine in the Temple so they could be retained and sold to the rich.
July 19, 2011
Book review: The Gospel of Mark as Reaction and Allegory
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by R. G. Price
★★★★
This book provides an excellent collection of Markan midrash, going verse-by-verse through Mark and explaining its sources. Mark pulls his stories of Jesus from Isaiah and the prophets, and Price makes an excellent case for Mark also borrowing from the writings of Paul. Price also points out the influence of the war of 70 CE upon Mark's Gospel, a topic I discuss in my book about Revelation, but not to the depth of this book. It is my opinion that this "war to end all wars" is too often understated in Gospel analysis, and Price's analysis should contribute to scholarship on the topic.
The book's stated purpose is to show that the Gospel of Mark was written as an allegorical study in reaction to the destruction of Judea in 70 CE, the intention of which was to portray Judean Jews as having brought that destruction upon themselves. In this, Price proves his point very well, though it may be optimistic to conclude, as he does, that this is the primary intention of the Gospel. A secondary purpose of Price's book is to show that there is no flesh-and-blood "Jesus" beneath Mark's midrash. Of this, I came away a bit unconvinced. Although Price does highlight the dependency of Mark upon earlier Christian (Pauline) writings, he does not take the second step of proving that Paul, himself, was never writing about a flesh-and-blood Jesus. However, I confess I read Price's books out of order. I suspect his treatment of Mark builds upon a foundation laid in Jesus: A Very Jewish Myth, which I haven't yet read. So, while there are a number of other reasonable conclusions I could draw about Jesus' historicity from Mark's Gospel alone, that topic will wait until I've read more of what Price has to say.
But whatever the reason for Mark's parallels to other scripture, those parallels do unquestionably exist, and scholars are right to wonder why. This book's conclusion details a very interesting scenario about how the Synoptic Gospels were derived. Hint: No "Q" gospel. Price touches lightly upon the possible derivation of John's Gospel as well, but on this topic, he and I are at odds: I think he neglects evidence of Johannine familiarity with Judea, instead portraying the Fourth Gospel as the creation of an anti-Jewish Gentile, and I think he overlooks evidence of John's dependence upon Pauline theology. But John's Gospel is ancillary to what Price does do very well, and that's to lay out plausible origins of Synoptic thinking.
If I have one complaint, it's that the scriptural references could be condensed. Often, I found myself reading long passages in Old Testament references where it seemed that a single verse or two would be sufficient. In retrospect, I realize Price wants us familiar with the settings of these stories, so that we'll recognize Mark's many allusions to passages that deal with the destruction of Jerusalem. So, I'm warning you of this up front; if I had understood his purpose, I would have paid more attention to the lengthy references.
(click picture to buy on Amazon)
★★★★
This book provides an excellent collection of Markan midrash, going verse-by-verse through Mark and explaining its sources. Mark pulls his stories of Jesus from Isaiah and the prophets, and Price makes an excellent case for Mark also borrowing from the writings of Paul. Price also points out the influence of the war of 70 CE upon Mark's Gospel, a topic I discuss in my book about Revelation, but not to the depth of this book. It is my opinion that this "war to end all wars" is too often understated in Gospel analysis, and Price's analysis should contribute to scholarship on the topic.
The book's stated purpose is to show that the Gospel of Mark was written as an allegorical study in reaction to the destruction of Judea in 70 CE, the intention of which was to portray Judean Jews as having brought that destruction upon themselves. In this, Price proves his point very well, though it may be optimistic to conclude, as he does, that this is the primary intention of the Gospel. A secondary purpose of Price's book is to show that there is no flesh-and-blood "Jesus" beneath Mark's midrash. Of this, I came away a bit unconvinced. Although Price does highlight the dependency of Mark upon earlier Christian (Pauline) writings, he does not take the second step of proving that Paul, himself, was never writing about a flesh-and-blood Jesus. However, I confess I read Price's books out of order. I suspect his treatment of Mark builds upon a foundation laid in Jesus: A Very Jewish Myth, which I haven't yet read. So, while there are a number of other reasonable conclusions I could draw about Jesus' historicity from Mark's Gospel alone, that topic will wait until I've read more of what Price has to say.
But whatever the reason for Mark's parallels to other scripture, those parallels do unquestionably exist, and scholars are right to wonder why. This book's conclusion details a very interesting scenario about how the Synoptic Gospels were derived. Hint: No "Q" gospel. Price touches lightly upon the possible derivation of John's Gospel as well, but on this topic, he and I are at odds: I think he neglects evidence of Johannine familiarity with Judea, instead portraying the Fourth Gospel as the creation of an anti-Jewish Gentile, and I think he overlooks evidence of John's dependence upon Pauline theology. But John's Gospel is ancillary to what Price does do very well, and that's to lay out plausible origins of Synoptic thinking.
If I have one complaint, it's that the scriptural references could be condensed. Often, I found myself reading long passages in Old Testament references where it seemed that a single verse or two would be sufficient. In retrospect, I realize Price wants us familiar with the settings of these stories, so that we'll recognize Mark's many allusions to passages that deal with the destruction of Jerusalem. So, I'm warning you of this up front; if I had understood his purpose, I would have paid more attention to the lengthy references.
(click picture to buy on Amazon)
July 18, 2011
Revelation 6:3-4, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part III of V
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
//We continue our historical-critical discussion of the Revelation's four horsemen with this, the second of four. This horseman, like the other three, relates to the events of the Jerusalem war in 70 A.D.
There is little to say about this horseman except the obvious: red denotes bloodshed. Its rider steals peace from the earth, which refers to the breaking of the Pax Romana, the "age of peace." Augustus ushered in this time of peace over 80 years earlier, though Origen would later claim that Christ initiated this period with his birth.
But now, war dramatically shatters the peace in Judea. Jewish historian Josephus writes, "[T]he daytime was spent in shedding of blood, and the night in fear." He estimates nearly 1.2 million Jews perished in the Jerusalem war, most in the final bloodbath that concluded with the destruction of the Temple. Roman historian Tacitus would say only half that many died, which sounds a bit more reasonable, but Josephus' number shouldn't be entirely discounted, because the final siege began at the feast of the Passover, when great multitudes of Jews came to worship--for six hundred years, the Passover lamb had always been slain in Jerusalem. By the end of the war, around the Temple mount, according to Josephus, "the ground did nowhere appear visible, for the dead bodies that lay on it."
//We continue our historical-critical discussion of the Revelation's four horsemen with this, the second of four. This horseman, like the other three, relates to the events of the Jerusalem war in 70 A.D.
There is little to say about this horseman except the obvious: red denotes bloodshed. Its rider steals peace from the earth, which refers to the breaking of the Pax Romana, the "age of peace." Augustus ushered in this time of peace over 80 years earlier, though Origen would later claim that Christ initiated this period with his birth.
But now, war dramatically shatters the peace in Judea. Jewish historian Josephus writes, "[T]he daytime was spent in shedding of blood, and the night in fear." He estimates nearly 1.2 million Jews perished in the Jerusalem war, most in the final bloodbath that concluded with the destruction of the Temple. Roman historian Tacitus would say only half that many died, which sounds a bit more reasonable, but Josephus' number shouldn't be entirely discounted, because the final siege began at the feast of the Passover, when great multitudes of Jews came to worship--for six hundred years, the Passover lamb had always been slain in Jerusalem. By the end of the war, around the Temple mount, according to Josephus, "the ground did nowhere appear visible, for the dead bodies that lay on it."
July 17, 2011
Book review: Tomorrow's God
by Neale Donald Walsch
★★★
Not my favorite from Walsch. Walsch is the author of the Conversations With God series, and this book reads similarly.
We need a new God. I knowNo. I'm serious. We need a new God. The old God isn't working anymore. The old one never worked.Some people think it did. They were not looking at the world around them.
...and so it begins, as God talks his way through our misconceptions about him in part one, and how a new vision of God will help us create a newer, better world in part two. A world where bickering over methods of worship is behind us, where harmony becomes mankind's purpose, and humanity can work together in love. From the back cover: In Tomorrow's God, Walsch offers compelling reasons why adopting this new belief system is in the best interests of humankind--now.
God turns out to be a bit long-winded. A hundred pages was enough for me, after which I grew thirsty for more than a spiritual guide. As wonderful as this book's teachings are—and, honestly, to be fair, they are—it wore me down to be constantly talking to a being of Walsch's imagination. More facts I could sink my teeth into, less God-talk, and I could happily develop my own "belief system" instead of "adopting" Walsh's. (Does anybody really just select a belief system like a box of cereal at the supermarket?)
I'll try reading the book again in a few years and will probably develop an altogether different opinion.
(click picture to buy on Amazon)
July 16, 2011
Revelation 6:2, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part II of V
I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
//We're discussing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and their probable original meaning as they relate to the time of John of Patmos. This verse introduces the first of the four, riding a white horse.
This horseman speaks of a warrior, "bent on conquest." Because of the color of the horse, many interpreters imagine the horseman to be Jesus himself. Jesus arrives later in Revelation riding a white steed. But Jesus just doesn't jibe with the atmosphere of the other three horsemen. These horsemen appear like four faces of evil.
In this light, many have wondered if the white horseman intentionally mimics Christ. Could he be the Antichrist? No, that doesn't quite fit either. You may be surprised to learn that Revelation never once mentions an antichrist; only a "Beast of the Sea," which later became associated with the Antichrist, or the Son of Perdition. But the white horseman seems in no way related to the Beast.
Who, then? In light of Revelation's description of the war of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., one name stands out above all others. Vespasian, the Roman general who stormed through Galilee and Judea terrorizing villages as he approached Jerusalem. The Jewish historian Josephus proclaimed Vespasian the Messiah, so John of Patmos seats him on a white horse, mimicking Christ, the true Messiah. Vespasian also imitated Christ as a healer: healing a blind man with spittle, a lame man, and man with a withered hand. These events would have occurred around the year 69 or 70, about the time Mark penned his Gospel describing how Jesus performed exactly the same miracles.
John tells how this horseman was given a crown, and how he rode out as a conqueror. David Aune, author of three scholarly tomes on Revelation, suggests that a more accurate interpretation of today's verse may be "the conquering one left to conquer even more." As history buffs already know, Vespasian did just that. Bolstered by Josephus' vision of him as Messiah, Vespasian broke off the attack on Jerusalem (handing it over to his son, Titus) and returned to Rome, to claim by force an even greater place. He was crowned king over the entire Empire.
More about Vespasian's role in Revelation can be found in my book, http://www.thewayithappened.com
//We're discussing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and their probable original meaning as they relate to the time of John of Patmos. This verse introduces the first of the four, riding a white horse.
This horseman speaks of a warrior, "bent on conquest." Because of the color of the horse, many interpreters imagine the horseman to be Jesus himself. Jesus arrives later in Revelation riding a white steed. But Jesus just doesn't jibe with the atmosphere of the other three horsemen. These horsemen appear like four faces of evil.
In this light, many have wondered if the white horseman intentionally mimics Christ. Could he be the Antichrist? No, that doesn't quite fit either. You may be surprised to learn that Revelation never once mentions an antichrist; only a "Beast of the Sea," which later became associated with the Antichrist, or the Son of Perdition. But the white horseman seems in no way related to the Beast.
Who, then? In light of Revelation's description of the war of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., one name stands out above all others. Vespasian, the Roman general who stormed through Galilee and Judea terrorizing villages as he approached Jerusalem. The Jewish historian Josephus proclaimed Vespasian the Messiah, so John of Patmos seats him on a white horse, mimicking Christ, the true Messiah. Vespasian also imitated Christ as a healer: healing a blind man with spittle, a lame man, and man with a withered hand. These events would have occurred around the year 69 or 70, about the time Mark penned his Gospel describing how Jesus performed exactly the same miracles.
John tells how this horseman was given a crown, and how he rode out as a conqueror. David Aune, author of three scholarly tomes on Revelation, suggests that a more accurate interpretation of today's verse may be "the conquering one left to conquer even more." As history buffs already know, Vespasian did just that. Bolstered by Josephus' vision of him as Messiah, Vespasian broke off the attack on Jerusalem (handing it over to his son, Titus) and returned to Rome, to claim by force an even greater place. He was crowned king over the entire Empire.
More about Vespasian's role in Revelation can be found in my book, http://www.thewayithappened.com
July 15, 2011
Book review: Why God Won't Go Away
by Alister McGrath
★★★★
McGrath comes out of the gates with guns blazing against the New Atheism. He's a debater, having met Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitches in debates, and his competitive stance shines through. He refuses to meet atheists on their level, insisting that "faith doesn't contradict reason, but transcends it." Questions such as, "What are we all here for?" and "What's the point of living?" are legitimate questions, and we're right to seek answers to them, but science isn't going to help.
There are three parts to the book:
Part I: McGrath discusses the New Atheism and its major proponents, giving a brief description of the work of Harris, Dawkins, Dennett, and Hitchens. The New Atheism, he explains, is about more than promoting disbelief in God. It's about intolerance of religion completely. It is aggressive anti-theism. For many, the New Atheism has become arrogant and increasingly disconnected from the real world.
Part II: McGrath puts his research to work against the New Atheism, concluding that: (1) Atheism has simply failed to make its case that religion is necessarily and uniformly evil. (2) Belief is actually quite rational. Some of the arguments here are quite interesting, and I'm still contemplating their validity. (3) Science is inherently limited in what it can prove. McGrath quotes Stephen Jay Gould as saying, "Science simply cannot (by its legitimate methods) adjudicate the issue of God's possible superintendence of nature. We neither affirm nor deny it; we simply can't comment on it."
Part III: A short little section about the New Atheism's future that's worth reading if only for its humorous conclusion.
The book is definitely engaging, if a little frustrating because of its limited focus. Let's be clear on what this book is not. It is not an argument for the existence of God. McGrath never once defines what he is defending--the entire point of the book seems to be to discredit the New Atheism--so I'm hoping this book was meant to lead into his 2011 book, Surprised by Meaning: Science, Faith, and How We Make Sense of Things. I'll see about getting a review copy of that one.
In the mean time, I'm left hanging. If I reject atheism, what am I supposed to replace it with? There is, for me at least, a vast difference between accepting the possibility of a divine creator and believing in that creator. Then, there is a vast difference between believing in a creator and assuming the God of the Bible is that creator. Finally, there is a vast difference between believing that Bible writers have found God and believing that the Bible is the Word of God, endorsed by God Himself. So, we'll hopefully see where McGrath goes with this in his next book.
(click picture to buy on Amazon)
