Proper 15 – Year C
Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People
RCL Readings[1] – Jeremiah 23:23-29; Psalm 82; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56
ACNA Readings – Jeremiah 23:23-29; Psalm 82; Hebrews 12:1-14; Luke 12:49-56
Seasonal Introduction. This season is often called “Ordinary Time,” a term derived from ordinal, meaning “numbered” or “in sequence.” However, there is nothing ordinary about this time. Rather, it is a time when we may reflect on how God (starting on Trinity Sunday and ending with Christ the King Sunday) has been at work in our own lives, the lives of his people, and how he will continue to work in the days to come. Ordinary Time is a season when we are invited to perceive the mystery of God at work in our daily lives, in the ordinary, in the mundane.
Common Theme. The theme of today’s passages is judgment. Will we walk in faithful obedience to God, making peace with one another and caring for the afflicted as our Father cares for us? If not, we will be disciplined—and if we do not repent, judged.
Hebraic Context. Several passages describe a council in heaven. Different descriptions are given for this council: בַּעֲדַת־אֵל (b’edat el, congregation of God),[2] בִּקְהַל קְדֹשִׁים (biqhal qadoshim, assembly of the saints),[3] בְּס֣וֹד יְהוָ֔ה (b’sod Adonai, council of God),[4] as well as בְּס֣וֹד קְדֹשִׁים (b’sod qadoshim, council of the saints).[5] Sometimes these councils take the form of a judicial assembly while other times it appears more as an advisory council or even administrative council.
Our first inclination, provoked by passages such as Job 1-2, is that the council is full of angels. However, we should take a step back as the Bible doesn’t describe all heavenly beings as angels. While angels, along with all the hosts of heaven, praise God, they are never specifically named as participants in the heavenly council. Rather, the sons of God (beni elohim or beni elim)—or simply gods (elohim)—attend God in the councils.[6]
The nature and role of the heavenly council is mysterious and undefined. In the Hebraic tradition, God’s will is enacted in both heaven and earth through these heavenly beings named אֱלֹהִים (elohim) and angels מלאכים (malachim). The idea that there are many divine beings in heaven might cause monotheistic Christians some concern.[7] However the concept of God אֱלֹהִים ruling a divine council בַּעֲדַת־אֵל is not a theological conundrum for the writers of the Bible.
The authors of the Hebrew Scriptures were not polytheists (even if many in Israel were polytheists until the exilic period). A divine, or heavenly, being is often used to describe someone not mortal.[8] God is a divine being but not all divine beings are God. The Hebrew Scriptures are emphatic that “there are no other gods beside me,”[9] which is not a declaration to say that there are no angels or other divine beings, just that they do not compare in essence, power or authority to the Lord. The New Testament acknowledges the existence of non-human heavenly spirits called demons without providing much context for them.
While the topic and questions raised by a council in heaven is interesting, the ambiguity as to the role and function of the heavenly host led the sages of the Rabbinic literature to refrain from talking or commenting on them. The book of Enoch, perhaps, is best known for its examination of heavenly beings, but it has not been accepted as Scripture[10]—although some traditions that are in I Enoch and various Qumran texts also appear in the book of Hebrews and Revelation. Instead, Rabbinic literature focused on the actions of God, the Holy Spirit, and the Shekinah in great detail, and is extremely careful when speaking of the heavenly host to avoid any possibility of provoking the idea of a polytheistic realm.
Interestingly, as God’s will is enacted in both heaven and earth, the council of God may not only be for those in the heavenly realm. God delights in the heavenly council, although He is not beholden or subservient to it. He also delights to work with those on earth. Amos 3:7 states, “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His secret (sod) to His servants the prophets.” Abraham, in Genesis 18:17-21 gives us a historical example of Amos’ claim. When God held council in I Kings 22:19-23, He asks the heavenly court who will go to entice Ahab. In response, a spirit (ruach rather than angel) declared that he would go. Isaiah 6 records when God, sitting in the heavenly throne room, asked “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” and a man replied and said, “Here I am! Send me.”
God has always participated with His creation—both in heaven and on earth. All of creation praises, worships, and bows down before God but He delights in partnering with us. We participate in the kingdom of God, sharing the gospel, having dominion over the earth, and even judging angels.[11] God walked with Adam in the garden and will dwell in the new Jerusalem with the saints.[12] And He dwells among us today.[13]
Jeremiah 23:23-29. Jeremiah had a message that few wished to hear: God’s judgment was falling on the people of Judah. Rather than listen to the truth, as difficult as it was to hear, and repent—which can be even more difficult—the leadership of Judah undermined God’s message. The prophets and priests declared, “Peace, peace”—there would be no peace.[14] The prophets told the people that God was in their midst—He was, and knew their deeds.[15] The false prophets declared that Babylon would be defeated and the terror of war would not fall on Jerusalem and Judah[16]—it would be worse than they could even imagine.[17]
The message of God’s judgment was confronted with the message of peace and, as Isaiah had put it a century earlier, they are “children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.’”[18]
We so easily dismiss declarations that God’s judgment is coming (or revel in prophecy rather than actually repenting, lamenting, and serving) just as we too easily dismiss the reality that we (as a community and as individuals) also fail to love our neighbour—to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.[19] Our children can see through our hypocrisy, our society can see through our hypocrisy, and God can surely see through our hypocrisy.
Each week millions of Christians pray the Collect for Purity, a short prayer based on the doctrine taught in Jeremiah 23:23-24, “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.”[20] God is not like Baal or other false gods, nothing can be hidden from Him—no darkness, no secrets, no deleted web searches prevent Him from knowing our hearts and seeing our sin.
But Jeremiah’s main message in chapter 23 is to the shepherds of His people and to the prophets who deceive. God challenges them to speak the truth. This includes speaking of a future when Israel will dwell securely as the Messiah—King David’s descendant—will reign and rule.[21] This includes a future when God will bring the house of Israel back to the land of Israel.[22] But it also includes times when God’s judgment will fall on His people if they are full of adulterers, ungodly leaders, and those who encourage evil rather than those who practice righteousness.[23]
The shepherds of God’s people must not listen to those who say, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” If we have the word of God, and we do, we must speak His word faithfully. It may not always be easy, for God says, “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” But if we do not speak the truth, we do not profit His people at all—we bring them to further destruction as neither we nor they repent.
Psalm 82. Asaph was one of the great composers for the Temple. He was extremely talented in poetic composition and Psalm 82 is one of the hardest Psalms to fully interpret and understand. Highly potent words, such as אלהים (elohim, gods), אל (el, god), and עליון (elyon, most high), are used throughout the text with ambiguous references, which complicate interpretation of the Psalm. Consequently, many different theories have developed—with several having very strong, but seemingly opposing, arguments to support them.
God stands in the midst of gods while a council is being held and addresses them. Generally, a ruler would sit when presiding over a council and only stand during judgment—such as in Psalm 82:8—and yet God stands in the midst of gods to address them. Who are these gods? One argument is that they are foreign gods and idols. Many among Israel were not monotheists, often resembling henotheism or monolatry[24] if not outright polytheism, and the Bible often addresses these beliefs.[25] Psalm 96:4-5, for instance, says: “For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.”[26]
Another possibility is that the gods refer to heavenly beings. Psalm 8:5, which speaks of man and the son of man, states: “You have made him a little lower than the gods (elohim) and crowned him with glory and honor.” The Septuagint translation of Psalm 8:5 directly interprets elohim as the angels. There are different heavenly beings, with angels being the most commonly recognized, but God may not have seen fit to provide us with a comprehensive list of angels and demons—rebellious heavenly beings. What the Scriptures do state is that all things were created by God and that there are many heavenly beings around His throne. They also show a council, or court, where these heavenly beings come before Him and interact with God. Job 1:6 states, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.”[27]
Another common interpretation for the elohim is human authorities. Exodus 22:28 tells us that, “You shall not revile God [elohim], nor curse a ruler of your people.” The Septuagint translated elohim as gods (θεους) while the Peshitta (an early Aramaic translation) interpreted elohim as judges (as do several modern Arabic translations). In context, Exodus 22 addresses moral and civil laws amongst the people of Israel. The Aramaic translation of Exodus 22:28, in translating elohim as judges, understands the verse to be a standard Hebraic parallel line.[28] This argument doesn’t fall out of the norm of Scripture, as Exodus 4:16 says, “He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.” It was common to view judges and kings as ordained by God and His mouthpiece on earth. As Mephibosheth came to David, he told him, “But my lord the king is like the angel of God (elohim); do therefore what seems good to you.”[29]
Before we assess which of these interpretations is correct, we note that God stands to accuse the elohim. He holds judgment on them because they themselves do not judge justly. King Solomon, a famous judge, prayed in Psalm 72, “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! …May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!” The elohim in this divine council did the opposite—they did not rescue the weak and the needy.
So who are these gods that judge unjustly? There are more hints in Psalm 82, where God declares, “You are gods (elohim), sons of the Most High (elyon), all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” Except, as before, these hints can be used for several interpretations. Deuteronomy 28:1 states that, “If you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.” While elyon is commonly used to refer to God, here it is the people who obey who are made to be “elyon”. Meanwhile, Jesus cites Psalm 82:6 to argue that God called the Israelites “gods”.[30] But if God is talking about humans, why would it come as a surprise that they would die as men? Obviously men would die like all men. And so the idea that, perhaps, God is speaking to the heavenly beings—sons of God—seems likely.[31]
Throughout Psalm 82, as the question “Who are these gods that judge unjustly?” is asked and examined, Asaph’s incredible poetic talent becomes evident. Every time a new line is spoken in Psalm 82, the previous assumption of who God is accusing is confronted with a new and seemingly valid argument. Not all poetry aims for straightforward clarity. Psalm 82 is simultaneously incredibly ambiguous while being extraordinarily clear: God Himself stands to accuse those who judge unjustly; regardless of how important we may seem, if we disobey God in how we treat the weak and afflicted, we will die; and Asaph calls on God to be the judge.
The many questions that Psalm 82 presents will result in debates and more questions. Not being able to declare ‘this is what Asaph meant’ is not necessarily a drawback—no matter how much we wish we could have the “correct answer.” It’s the benefit of his ambiguous use of such potent words with multi-layered meanings. Jesus’ interpretation doesn’t ensure that it is the sole, or even the most obvious reading—although it does show how interesting and beneficial Psalm 82 can be even the thousandth time you read it.
Hebrews 11:29–12:2.[32] The story of the Exodus and the crossing of the Reed Sea is one of the most famous and repeated stories in Scripture and tradition. But that is because it is constantly used to remind us of God’s power, deliverance, judgment, and mercy. Hebrews 11 is used to show how faithful God and His people are—the proof that our faith and hope is worth running the race with endurance.
God’s faithfulness is truly displayed with both judgment and mercy. Even as the walls of Jericho fall, a foreign prostitute is saved because of her faithful hospitality. Does faithfulness always lead to victory or are we always having to endure hardships we simply have to hope we can get through? The juxtaposition of Hebrews 11:32-34 and Hebrews 11:35-37 reminds us that the assurance, or proof, is neither in victory nor suffering.
Hebrews 11:32-34 shares famous biblical characters whose stories are shared as bedtime stories or spoken of while fathers or mothers walked their children along the road—pointing out what God did in this or that place they were passing. Meanwhile, Hebrews 11:35-37 leaves each of the women and men of faith nameless. However, Second Temple literature and tradition do preserve some of the stories: Women of hospitality who received Elijah and Elisha[33]; Prophets were killed by the sword;[34] During the second century BC, Eleazar, an elderly scribe, was tortured to death rather than pretend to eat forbidden food, and seven brothers with their mother endured cruel torments one by one, proclaiming that “the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life”;[35] Isaiah, traditionally, was sawn in two; Jeremiah was imprisoned;[36] Naboth, Zechariah, and later Stephen, were stoned;[37] Elijah and John the Baptist were certainly mistreated;[38] and the men of God had to hide in caves and deserts.[39] Each of these stories could be added to—unnamed people who faithfully followed God. It isn’t only the judges, kings, or prophets who are God’s witnesses of His faithfulness.
While Hebrews 11:3 points to creation as visible proof for our faith, and the chapter recounts a long list of men and women who testify to God’s faithfulness, Hebrews 12:2 turns our focus to Jesus—whose faithfulness, and God’s in raising Him to sit at the right hand of the throne, serve as the ultimate proof and example. In Him, we see the model of how to remain faithful. Whether we face the persecution of the world or the discipline of God, we are called to run with endurance and bear the fruit of righteousness.
Luke 12:49-56.[40] Jesus is almost certainly speaking to His disciples in Hebrew in this passage. Having just taught through a parable,[41] Jesus now speaks in Hebraic poetry. Fire is commonly used in relation to sacrifice,[42] but it is most often used in relation to judgment.[43] [44] Fire is used in judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah; Nadab and Abihu; the children of Israel in the wilderness; the Moabites; Korah and all in his company; as well as the unrighteous and rebellious from both Israel and the nations.
Micah 1 portrays the day of the LORD as God coming down in judgment, “For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.” The imagery vividly portrays the earth being consumed by God’s wrath, resonating with Jesus’ statement in Luke 12:49, where He longs for the fire to be already kindled on the earth.
But water is also used in judgment.[45] Hebraic poetry often employs parallelism, where the concept of the first line is repeated in the second. Here, the casting of fire is paralleled by the immersion in water; the wish that the earth was already judged is paralleled by the suffering until it is finished.[46] The world was judged by immersion in water during the flood. While God promised the earth would never face such judgment again, the use of water as a symbol of judgment was not removed. Both fire and water as judgment are also seen in parallel throughout the Scriptures. Psalm 66:10-12 states, “For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; You laid a crushing burden on our backs; You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.”
This connection between fire and water, refining and cleansing, was also in Second Temple teaching and literature. Earlier, John spoke of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire. This is directly connected with judgment (not Pentecost): “His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”[47] The Qumran Community Rule (1QS) says, “Then truth, which has wallowed in the ways of wickedness during the dominion of falsehood until the appointed time of judgement, shall arise in the world for ever. God will then purify every deed of man with this truth; He will refine for Himself the human frame by rooting out all spirit of falsehood from the bounds of his flesh. He will cleanse him of all wicked deeds with the spirit of holiness; like purifying waters He will shed upon him the spirit of truth (to cleanse him) of all abomination and falsehood.”[48]
It is interesting that, although Jesus speaks of coming judgment and division, baseless hatred and hypocrisy, there is a way to survive the coming judgment. Whether it is Psalm 66:12 or Isaiah 42:23-43:1-2, when Israel passes through fire and water, while “He poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.” God immediately turns around and says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
Jesus is clear that He is the one who will judge the nations, “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son…He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.”[49] This follows the established doctrine that the Messiah, the Son of David and Son of Man, would be a judge. But what does Jesus say to those who are coming before the judge? “As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge.” A famous Jewish saying from Rabbi Eliezer states that you should “repent one day before your death.”[50] Regarding this lesson, the disciples of Rabbi Eliezer asked, “‘But does a person know the day he will die?’ He said to them, ‘All the more one should repent today lest he die tomorrow. One will spend his entire life in repentance.’”
The fall of the Second Temple and dispersion of the Jewish people in the Roman period came about because of baseless hatred between family members—father against son, daughter against mother. If they knew that judgment was coming, they should have been ready; they should have gone to one another and reconciled. Jesus does speak of judgment and division—of hatred and of hypocrisy—but He is clearly calling them to make peace with one another. Just as weather can be predicted,[51] we should be able to see that God’s divine judgment may soon come—and repent.
“For the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.[52]
Hebraic Perspective. Throughout the Bible, we see that God can and does bring judgment on the world. During the Exodus, God enacted judgment against the gods of Egypt. At the same time, He is portrayed as a redeemer, provider, sustainer, and lawgiver.
Later, the prophets remind the people that disobedience brings judgment at the hands of the living God. It can be easy to condemn others, but judgment first falls on those in authority—the shepherds, judges, and the people of God. While sometimes it is through the discipline of God for a son that we learn to “be subject to the Father of spirits and live,”[53] Jeremiah 23 and Psalm 82 make it clear that true judgment comes on those who are called to lead the flock and fail to uphold justice.
While we might call out “Lord, Lord,” and proclaim the love of Jesus in our songs, prayers, and sermons, during the Second Temple period the responsibility to enact final judgment was understood to belong to the Messiah. The Dead Sea Scrolls community, for example, named Melchizedek as the coming Divine Messiah and spoke of a day in which He would exact judgment.
The criterion for judgment is echoed throughout the prophets: care for the weak—the poor, the orphan, and the widow—is paramount. Proverbs 19:17 explains that helping the poor is, in effect, helping the Lord, who faithfully rewards such actions. This is not biblical socialism; being poor does not make one holy, nor does wealth make one evil. Rather, it is about imitating God’s character as followers of the Messiah. Faithfulness, endurance, and repentance also factor into judgment—Hebrews 11:29-12:2 shows that those who trust God and persevere are commended, and Luke 12:49-59 reminds us that God’s judgment calls for urgent personal accountability and alignment with His ways.
Endnotes
[1] RCL alternate readings: Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80-1-2, 8-19
[2] Psalm 82:1
[3] Psalm 89:6-7
[4] Jeremiah 23:18-22
[5] Psalm 89:8
[6] Job 1:6, 2:1; Job 38:7; Psalm 29:1; Psalm 89:6
[7] Psalm 82:6 and John 10:34-38 is a favorite prooftext for Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believe that Jesus is a god, rather than part of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
[8] I Samuel 28:13, the witch of Ein Dor, as she calls the spirit of Samuel for Saul, calls the spirit a god (elohim). Psalm 82:6-7 goes so far as to say that the gods (elohim) shall die like Adam, or all mankind.
[9] Deuteronomy 4:35; Isaiah 45:5-6
[10] Except in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
[11] I Corinthians 6:3
[12] Revelations 21:1-3
[13] John 14:17
[14] Jeremiah 6:13-14; Jeremiah 8:10-12; Jeremiah 14:13-16; Jeremiah 28:9. See also: Ezekiel 13:10-16
[15] Jeremiah 7:4-15. The same message was given during the earlier Assyrian invasion, “Yet they lean on the LORD and say, ‘Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.’” Micah 3:11
[16] Jeremiah 14:13-16; Jeremiah 23:16-17; Jeremiah 27:9-10; Jeremiah 28:1-17; Jeremiah 37:18-19.
[17] Jeremiah 19:9; Jeremiah 21:6-7; Jeremiah 25:10-11; Lamentations.
[18] Isaiah 30:9-11
[19] Micah 6:8
[20] Collect for Purity
[21] Jeremiah 23:5-6
[22] Jeremiah 23:7-8
[23] Jeremiah 23:10-14
[24] Henotheism refers to acknowledging the existence of multiple gods while affirming one as supreme; monolatry affirms that only one god should be worshiped, even if others exist.
[25] The presence of language that could be classified as henotheistic or monolatrous does not require the conclusion that the biblical authors lacked a monotheistic understanding, nor that later editors revised “incorrect” early theology to conform to a post-exilic view. Such language can function rhetorically or contextually without implying a deficient theology. Rather it can be used by the authors to teach, even as the totality of Scripture clearly states that there is only one true God.
[26] See also: Deuteronomy 32:17; I Corinthians 8:4-6; I Corinthians 10:19-21
[27] See also: Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6; I Kings 22:19-22; Zechariah 3:1
[28] While parallelism is generally seen in Hebraic poetry, it can also be found in non-poetic writings. “Revilement” is parallel to “curse,” while “gods” is parallel to the “ruler of your people.”
[29] II Samuel 19:35. Other Scriptures that have had elohim interpreted in a human capacity are: Exodus 21:6; I Samuel 2:25; Numbers 27:17.
[30] Psalm 82:6 and John 10:34-38 is a favorite prooftext for Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believe that Jesus is a god, rather than part of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
[31] Job 1:6; Job 2:1
[32] ACNA includes Hebrews 12:3-14
[33] I Kings 17:7-24; II Kings 4:8-37
[34] I Kings 19:10-14; Jeremiah 26:20-23
[35] II Maccabees 6:18-31; II Maccabees 7; IV Maccabees 7-18
[36] Jeremiah 20:2; Jeremiah 37:15-16; See also Hanani, II Chronicles 16:7-10
[37] I Kings 21:13-14; II Chronicles 24:20-21; Acts 7:54-60
[38] II Kings 1:8; Mark 1:6
[39] I Kings 18:4; I Maccabees 2:28-29
[40] Luke 12:57-59 is not included in the lectionary readings, but provides crucial context for Luke 12:49-56.
[41] Luke 12:16-20, 41. Parables were always given in Hebrew in the Second Temple period.
[42] Genesis 22:6-7; Leviticus 1:7; Leviticus 6:9-13; etc
[43] Torah: Genesis 19:24; Exodus 9:23-28; Leviticus 10:1-2, 16:1; Numbers 3:4; Numbers 11:1-3, Numbers 16:35-37; Numbers 21:28-30; Numbers 26:10, 61. The book of Isaiah: 9:18, 10:16-17, 26:11, 30:27-33, 33:11-14, 50:11, 64:2, 65:5, 66:15, 24
[44] Fire often appears as a sign of God’s presence (Exodus 3:2; 19:18; 24:17; Deuteronomy 4:24; Daniel 7:9-10; Ezekiel 1:4, 27), in sacrificial contexts (Leviticus 9:24; 2 Chronicles 7:1; 1 Kings 18:38), and as a symbol of judgment (Numbers 16:35; 2 Kings 1:10-12; Isaiah 30:27, 33; 66:15-16).
[45] Genesis 6-8; Psalm 69:1-2, 14-15; Psalm 88:7; Isaiah 43:2; Jonah 2:3-6
[46] Paul uses the same juxtaposition (and word, συνεχομαι) in Philippians 1:23-24 when he says, “I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”
[47] Luke 3:16-17. Hebraic thought frequently allows multiple layers of imagery. The primary image in Luke 3:16-17 is judgment by fire, but the presence of God in fire is also a well-established biblical motif. In Acts 2, Luke clearly echoes Exodus 19’s theophany of fire and cloud, but there may be a very subtle allusion back to the judgment and baptism imagery of Luke 3:16.
[48] 1QS 4.19-22
[49] John 5:22, 27. See also: Matthew 16:27; Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 10:42; II Corinthians 5:10; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 19:12-15
[50] Pirkei Avot 2.11
[51] Ironically, or providentially, as I am writing this a sharav blew into Jerusalem on the south wind—bringing enough dust in the air as to make it impossible to see more than a few hundred meters at times (and hard to breathe for many)—and the temperature for today and the next few days is predicted to be around 38-39 (100-102 Fahrenheit).
[52] Micah 7:6-7
[53] Hebrews 12:9