FSC Mixed SourcesSA-COC-1502© 1996 FSC A.C.

Every Day

Mar/Apr2010

March

Ezekiel 25–48Derek Tidball

April

Revelation 14–22Vinoth Ramachandra

PLUS … Weekend reflections on the use of Psalms in the New Testament, and the Big Picture by Philip Greenslade

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 1 30/10/09 13:46:37

Ezekiel is a prophet in exile. The first half of his book reports the cir-cumstances of Israel’s exile and culminates in the imminent downfall of Jerusalem. The second half, chapters 25–48, looks to the future and the reconstruction of Jerusalem, and to the new world order. Therefore, rather than going directly to his vision of the rebuilt nation, this half begins with prophecies of the final downfall of the nations that have persecuted Israel (25:1–32:32; 35:1–15).

Once it is clear the old world order has passed into history, Ezekiel, freshly commissioned for continuing service (33:1–33), brings messages of hope for the time when the exile will be over. The Lord Himself will shepherd Israel (34:1–31), the devastated territory will be repopulated, and barren land will become fruitful (36:1–38). Even dry bones will be restored to life (37:1–28). The Lord will gain victory against powerful enemies from the north (38:1–39:29) so Israel has peace. Only then does Ezekiel dare to dream, or rather receive a Spirit-inspired vision, of the reconstructed Temple, city and nation (40:1–48:35).

These chapters have proved a happy hunting ground for prophecy addicts and need to be interpreted with care. They are primarily messages of encouragement for the exiled Israelites. Some were not literally fulfilled at the time, but were taken up and recast, not least in Revelation, to provide us with hope for the future, when the climax of all history will be reached.

Ezekiel 25–48Derek Tidball

March

Copyright © CWR 2009

Published 2009 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1252 784700 Email: mail@cwr.org.uk Registered Charity No. 294387. Registered Limited Company No. 1990308.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of CWR.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.

Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR.

Front cover image: iStockphoto.com

Printed in England by Linney Print.

Derek TidballDerek Tidball was Principal of London School of Theology (formerly London Bible College, where he began teaching in 1972) from 1995–2008. He became a Vice-President of the Evangelical Alliance in 1995 and was elected Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Alliance in 2004. He has served as pastor of two Baptist churches and was Head of the Mission Department of the Baptist Union, and President of this in 1990–91. Derek is the author of 20 books, is a regular preacher and has delivered the Bible Readings at Spring Harvest, Keswick and other Bible conventions internationally.

Vinoth RamachandraVinoth Ramachandra lives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with his Danish wife Karin. He works with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) as the Secretary for Dialogue and Social Engagement. His multi-faceted and international ministry includes expository preaching, promoting inter-disciplinary and inter-faith interactions in universities, and helping Christians to think and act as Christians with regard to the social, cultural and political challenges they face in their various national contexts. He enjoys wildlife, music and films. He is also the author of five books of which the most recent are The Message of Mission, co-authored with Howard Peskett (IVP, 2003) and Subverting Global Myths: Theology and the Public Issues that Shape Our World (SPCK, 2008).

Philip GreensladeHaving originally trained for the Baptist ministry, Philip has over 30 years’ experience in Christian ministry. He has worked with CWR since 1991 in the areas of biblical studies, pastoral care and leadership. With his passion for teaching God’s Word, he offers a refreshing and challenging perspective for all those who attend his courses. Close to Philip’s heart are the long-running Bible Discovery Weekends.

He is currently Course Director for CWR’s new postgraduate programme in Pastoral Leadership. Philip is the author of several books.

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 2 30/10/09 13:46:37

INTRODUCTION

Ezekiel is a prophet in exile. The first half of his book reports the cir-cumstances of Israel’s exile and culminates in the imminent downfall of Jerusalem. The second half, chapters 25–48, looks to the future and the reconstruction of Jerusalem, and to the new world order. Therefore, rather than going directly to his vision of the rebuilt nation, this half begins with prophecies of the final downfall of the nations that have persecuted Israel (25:1–32:32; 35:1–15).

Once it is clear the old world order has passed into history, Ezekiel, freshly commissioned for continuing service (33:1–33), brings messages of hope for the time when the exile will be over. The Lord Himself will shepherd Israel (34:1–31), the devastated territory will be repopulated, and barren land will become fruitful (36:1–38). Even dry bones will be restored to life (37:1–28). The Lord will gain victory against powerful enemies from the north (38:1–39:29) so Israel has peace. Only then does Ezekiel dare to dream, or rather receive a Spirit-inspired vision, of the reconstructed Temple, city and nation (40:1–48:35).

These chapters have proved a happy hunting ground for prophecy addicts and need to be interpreted with care. They are primarily messages of encouragement for the exiled Israelites. Some were not literally fulfilled at the time, but were taken up and recast, not least in Revelation, to provide us with hope for the future, when the climax of all history will be reached.

Ezekiel 25–48Derek Tidball

March

Copyright © CWR 2009

Published 2009 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1252 784700 Email: mail@cwr.org.uk Registered Charity No. 294387. Registered Limited Company No. 1990308.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of CWR.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.

Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR.

Front cover image: iStockphoto.com

Printed in England by Linney Print.

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 3 30/10/09 13:46:37

S ituated on the north-west coast, jutting ‘out in the sea’ (vv.5,14), Tyre had never

fought Israel but was an enemy none-theless. Tyre had taken advantage of its position as a mercantile city-state to control the trade routes and had exploited Israel economically. As Tyre became prosperous, others struggled in poverty. When political disaster befell Judah, Ezekiel (26:2) and Joel (3:5) tell us Tyre exploited the situa-tion all the more. But those who had felt secure would know what it was to be plunged into sudden poverty, losing not only their wealth but the significance and protection it appeared to give them.

The walls of Tyre would be smashed to pieces as if by a mighty storm, and the land pillaged and left desolate (vv.4–5). It was not, however, the sea but the king of Babylon who would batter the walls down and let his sol-diers loose to loot, plunder and destroy (vv.7–12). The parties would be over, the music silenced, and the fishing industry would come to a standstill, with the fishing nets spread out to rot

An enemy of a different kind

Ezekiel 26

I n some ways Ezekiel 25–32 appears to be an interlude between two announcements. Ezekiel 24:2

announces the start of the siege of Jerusalem, and 33:21 that ‘The city has fallen!’ Meanwhile Ezekiel prophesies against Israel’s neighbours, as does Amos, beginning with those that were closest. This is no mere interlude. All nations, not just Israel, are account-able to Yahweh as the sovereign Lord, and these nations had conspired in Israel’s downfall. So they, too, merit God’s judgment.

God addresses Ammon (vv.1–7), Moab (vv.8–11), Edom (vv.12–14) and Philistia (vv.15–17). These bordering nations had a long history of hostility towards Israel that they fully exploited as Israel approached exile. Ammon and Moab were descended from Lot’s sons, but put obstacles in the way of the Israelites when they were entering the promised land, cursed them, and tried to seduce them away from God. The Edomites traced their descent from Esau, but they too were hostile to the Israelites when they were entering Canaan despite their close family ties.

Philistia had been the enemy of Israel since at least Samson’s day.

Each nation is condemned for its own sin: Ammon for rejoicing in Judah’s downfall (their ‘Aha!’ in verse 3 is like our ‘Hooray!’); Moab for rejoic-ing that Judah was no longer anything special (v.8); Edom (v.12) for taking advantage of Jerusalem’s misfortune (see Obadiah); and Philistia for taking revenge and displaying malice (v.15). Each country would now experience what it was to be vulnerable to power-ful enemies they could not defeat, and each country would be overrun and have its nationhood extinguished.

God repeatedly states He is doing this so they would know that ‘I am the Lord’ (vv.7,11,17; see also v.14). To join the opposition to Israel may have seemed a matter of realpolitik to them. But to God it was a fundamental spiri-tual error for it was to oppose those whom He had chosen, and so their hostility was really directed at Him. Hostility still rules in this area.

Pray for peace and for political lead-ers, whom God will one day judge.

Neighbours from hell

Ezekiel 25MON 1 MAR

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 4 30/10/09 13:46:38

S ituated on the north-west coast, jutting ‘out in the sea’ (vv.5,14), Tyre had never

fought Israel but was an enemy none-theless. Tyre had taken advantage of its position as a mercantile city-state to control the trade routes and had exploited Israel economically. As Tyre became prosperous, others struggled in poverty. When political disaster befell Judah, Ezekiel (26:2) and Joel (3:5) tell us Tyre exploited the situa-tion all the more. But those who had felt secure would know what it was to be plunged into sudden poverty, losing not only their wealth but the significance and protection it appeared to give them.

The walls of Tyre would be smashed to pieces as if by a mighty storm, and the land pillaged and left desolate (vv.4–5). It was not, however, the sea but the king of Babylon who would batter the walls down and let his sol-diers loose to loot, plunder and destroy (vv.7–12). The parties would be over, the music silenced, and the fishing industry would come to a standstill, with the fishing nets spread out to rot

(vv.13–14). Garments of terror would replace fine clothes, and abject fear would replace frivolity (vv.15–16), to the consternation of surround-ing nations (vv.17–18). The city that lived by the sea would be destroyed by the sea. The very means of its prosperity would become the means of its undoing (vv.19–21). Soon after Ezekiel prophesied the siege of Tyre began, but 13 years later, in 573 BC, Babylon withdrew in frustration and redirected its war efforts elsewhere. Tyre was left in a much-reduced state but was not finally conquered until 332 BC by Alexander the Great.

This chapter could not be more con-temporary. Recently we have seen the sudden collapse of the economic sys-tem in which we trusted. We’ve seen cities such as Beirut and Baghdad besieged and destroyed by war. And we’ve been complicit in the exploitation of the poor by rich nations.

What does this chapter show us about the relationship between our economic and political behaviour and our spiri-tuality? How does it suggest we should be praying?

An enemy of a different kind

Ezekiel 26 TUES 2 MAR

Philistia had been the enemy of Israel since at least Samson’s day.

Each nation is condemned for its own sin: Ammon for rejoicing in Judah’s downfall (their ‘Aha!’ in verse 3 is like our ‘Hooray!’); Moab for rejoic-ing that Judah was no longer anything special (v.8); Edom (v.12) for taking advantage of Jerusalem’s misfortune (see Obadiah); and Philistia for taking revenge and displaying malice (v.15). Each country would now experience what it was to be vulnerable to power-ful enemies they could not defeat, and each country would be overrun and have its nationhood extinguished.

God repeatedly states He is doing this so they would know that ‘I am the Lord’ (vv.7,11,17; see also v.14). To join the opposition to Israel may have seemed a matter of realpolitik to them. But to God it was a fundamental spiri-tual error for it was to oppose those whom He had chosen, and so their hostility was really directed at Him. Hostility still rules in this area.

Pray for peace and for political lead-ers, whom God will one day judge.

Neighbours from hell

Ezekiel 25

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 5 30/10/09 13:46:38

T he captain of the good ship Tyre is now singled out for attention (vv.1–19). The king

of Tyre was on the bridge during Tyre’s days of prosperity, and benefited from them, so must now bear the responsi-bility for the wrecking of his ship of state. It was his policies that caused it. His downfall was not the result of los-ing a democratic election but the result of the sentence passed by the one, truly sovereign Lord.

The sentence is pronounced (vv.2–10). The king of Tyre had claimed to be divine and the epitome of wisdom. He enjoyed great wealth, but that gave him an exaggerated opinion of him-self and of his place and he had fallen into the trap of arrogance. Having overreached himself, God forcefully reminds him that he is both human and mortal, and sentences him to be brought ‘down to the pit’ – the place of the dead. Ittobaal II was king of Tyre at this time, and although we have no record of what happened to him it is probable that he died a humiliating and agonising death when the siege of Tyre ended.

The fate of the ship’s captain

Ezekiel 28

T he story of the sinking of the Titanic stands out as an unsurpassed rebuke to human

pride. Striking an iceberg on its maiden journey in 1912, the ship they said was unsinkable took just 2 hours and 40 minutes to disappear beneath the sea.

Ezekiel appropriately describes the downfall of Tyre as if the city were a ship wrecked at sea. The lament, con-sisting of three parts, is composed with great pathos.

The beauty of Tyre is described in verses 2–11. Tyre was made of the best materials. It was a colourful and spec-tacular city, led by skilled seamen and populated by experienced craftsmen. Tyre was the envy of the ancient world, with many nations around the world seeking to trade with the city.

Tyre’s beauty was matched by its prosperity (vv.12–24). Distant mer-chants from Tarshish (in Spain?), Greece, Arabia and Sheba jostled with the traders of nearby nations, such as Judah, Israel and Syria.

Tyre’s exports earned an amazing array of imports, including precious metals, fabrics, rugs, food, oil, wool,

wine, spices, animals and slaves. No nation was as rich as Tyre and no nation had a brighter commercial future.

Yet God blew with His wind (v.26) and caused Tyre’s sudden and unex-pected shipwreck. The third section of Ezekiel’s lament describes Tyre’s down-fall in graphic horror (vv.25–36). The nations witnessed the catastrophe with consternation. Tyre was sunk with all hands on deck (v.34), and no one wanted to know the city any more (v.36).

Life is very fragile and the nations of the world are precarious, however secure they appear. The events of 9/11 and many other recent happenings remind us that no person, no city and no nation can be assured of its future. And when the storms blow, material prosperity is no defence.

Our trust needs to be in something more real than commercial activity and a consumer economy.

The wreck of the good ship Tyre

Ezekiel 27WED 3 MAR

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 6 30/10/09 13:46:38

T he captain of the good ship Tyre is now singled out for attention (vv.1–19). The king

of Tyre was on the bridge during Tyre’s days of prosperity, and benefited from them, so must now bear the responsi-bility for the wrecking of his ship of state. It was his policies that caused it. His downfall was not the result of los-ing a democratic election but the result of the sentence passed by the one, truly sovereign Lord.

The sentence is pronounced (vv.2–10). The king of Tyre had claimed to be divine and the epitome of wisdom. He enjoyed great wealth, but that gave him an exaggerated opinion of him-self and of his place and he had fallen into the trap of arrogance. Having overreached himself, God forcefully reminds him that he is both human and mortal, and sentences him to be brought ‘down to the pit’ – the place of the dead. Ittobaal II was king of Tyre at this time, and although we have no record of what happened to him it is probable that he died a humiliating and agonising death when the siege of Tyre ended.

A lament is sung (vv.11–19). Ezekiel’s lament pictures the king as having originally enjoyed the best of life in the Garden of Eden and of having had intimacy with God on His ‘holy mount’. But wealth corrupted him, and his way of business was sinful, as was evident to all (v.18). Neither wealth nor business need be corrupt, but it was in Ittobaal II’s case. His name, ending with baal, gives us a hint as to why. As a result he is expelled from Eden and thrown off the mountain. The one who presided over the consumer economy is now himself sentenced to be consumed by the fire of eternal destruction.

A footnote is added (vv.20–26), containing a prophecy against Sidon, Tyre’s neighbour and partner in com-merce and crime.

These chapters witness to the sover-eignty of God being worked out in the history of nations, and warn us against overreaching ourselves and being destroyed by pride. We are foolish to ignore the lessons of history.

The fate of the ship’s captain

Ezekiel 28 ThURS 4 MAR

wine, spices, animals and slaves. No nation was as rich as Tyre and no nation had a brighter commercial future.

Yet God blew with His wind (v.26) and caused Tyre’s sudden and unex-pected shipwreck. The third section of Ezekiel’s lament describes Tyre’s down-fall in graphic horror (vv.25–36). The nations witnessed the catastrophe with consternation. Tyre was sunk with all hands on deck (v.34), and no one wanted to know the city any more (v.36).

Life is very fragile and the nations of the world are precarious, however secure they appear. The events of 9/11 and many other recent happenings remind us that no person, no city and no nation can be assured of its future. And when the storms blow, material prosperity is no defence.

Our trust needs to be in something more real than commercial activity and a consumer economy.

The wreck of the good ship Tyre

Ezekiel 27

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 7 30/10/09 13:46:38

CWRMinistry EventsPlease pray for the team

For full details phone 01252 784719, international +44 (0)1252 784719 or see the CWR website for further information.

www.cwr.org.uk

A fter Babylon, Egypt was the most powerful nation in Ezekiel’s time and its poli-

cies affected Judah’s fortunes. Ezekiel records seven prophecies against Egypt. Most come early in the Exile (29:1; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1,17) but one is given much later (29:17). The first four prophecies each use a key metaphor.

The crocodile is killed (29:1–16). Pharaoh had absurdly claimed to ‘pos-sess’ the Nile, the vital economic artery of Egypt. But he hadn’t reckoned on God’s total opposition to such hubris. Moreover, Egypt had wounded rather than helped Israel (29:6–7). So, fit-tingly, God says Pharaoh would become like a Nile crocodile, captured and led off to die (29:3–6), and the very source of Egypt’s fertility would become ‘a desolate waste’ (29:10–12).

The bill is paid (29:17–21). This prophecy, given 16 years after the oth-ers, is remarkable. It unapologetically states that Babylon was God’s tool to punish the nations. When the siege of Tyre finished and Babylon withdrew without getting paid for its service, God ensured it was then paid hand-

somely by plundering Egypt. The date implies Ezekiel had to rekindle the hope that Egypt would be defeated and God would keep His Word.

The day is near (30:1–19). The Israelites had looked to ‘the day of the Lord’ as one of deliverance until Amos had disillusioned them (Amos 5:18–20). Using Amos’s metaphor of the day as one of darkness, Ezekiel predicts doom on all the regions and allies of Egypt.

Pharaoh’s arms are broken (30:20–26). Egypt provided temporary relief for the besieged Jerusalem around the date of this prophecy (Jer. 37:7–8), but Egypt’s hope was short-lived. Babylon broke Pharaoh’s arm so severely that Egypt would never successfully fight again, only to then break the other arm too. In contrast, God would strengthen Babylon’s own arms as long Babylon served as His agent.

We cannot escape God’s personal role in judgment here as the number of ‘I ams’ and ‘I wills’ shows. We should stand in awe of His holy power. Yet note that even here He promises a measure of grace to Egypt (29:13–16).

Egypt’s destiny

Ezekiel 29–30FRI 5 MAR

Date event Place Presenter(s)

1 Mar Meeting Pastoral Care Challenges Waverley Abbey House Andy Peck

2 Mar Spring Day for Women – Prayer WAH Sue Barnett

5–7 Mar Preparation for Marriage WAH Mick & Lynette Brooks

9 Mar Where Have all the Young People Gone? WAH Andy Peck & guest speaker

15–19 Mar Woman to Woman Training Course WAH Lynn Penson, Rosalyn Derges & guest speakers

15–19 Mar Process of Biblical Counselling Singapore CWR team

25 Mar Prayer Evening WAH CWR team with Christian Solidarity Worldwide

25–26 Mar Spiritual Formation WAH Andy Peck

26–28 Mar Bible Discovery Weekend WAH Philip Greenslade (Matthew, Mark, Luke)

9 Apr Understanding Yourself, WAH Lynn & Andrew Penson Understanding Others (MBTI Workshop)

12–16 Apr Advanced Diploma of WAH Irene Davies & team Christian Counselling: Week 3

19 Apr Mentoring Others WAH Andy Peck

20 Apr Bible Discovery Evening Classes: Psalms WAH Philip Greenslade

21 Apr Understanding and Helping those with WAH Chris Ledger Anxiety and Panic Attacks

22 Apr Who Do You Think You Are? WAH Philip Greenslade & Andy Peck

26 Apr From Bible Text to Engaging Sermon WAH Andy Peck

26–30 Apr Introduction to Biblical Counselling WAH Richard Laws, Angie Coombes & team

30 Apr – Women’s Weekend of Refreshing WAH Women at Waverley Team 2 May – At the Feet of Jesus

Please also pray for our tutors and students on the certificateandDiplomaofchristiancounselling.

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 8 30/10/09 13:46:38

WEEkEND 6/7 MARThe use of the Psalms in

the New Testament

Psalm 2:7 Luke 3:21–22It is Luke who shows us the thematic links between the birth of Jesus and the beginning of His ministry. Mary is told that the child she will bear ‘will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High’, and that He will be given the ‘throne of his father David’ from which to reign for ever. Querying how this might happen to a virgin, Mary is told of the coming upon her of the Holy Spirit so that the holy One born to her will be called ‘the Son of God’ (Luke 1:32–35).

From Luke’s account we can see that this promise made to Mary about Jesus at His conception is reaffirmed at His baptism.

(1) The same Holy Spirit who came upon Mary when Jesus was conceived now comes upon Him to anoint Him as the Messianic King of Israel.

(2) His Messianic Sonship is endorsed. What was said to His earthly mother is made good by His heavenly Father. Since God is humbly not ‘above’ quot-ing His own scriptures, the divine voice ‘from heaven’ endorses the regal identity and anointing of Jesus

in the words of Psalm 2:7: ‘You are my Son.’ The description of ‘heaven’ being ‘opened’ (Luke 3:21) is apoca-lyptic language. In apocalyptic speech or writing, transcendent and ultimate reality is unveiled in order to change perception and to alter events on earth. This usually signals an experience of decisive divine intervention or revela-tion. So it is with the baptism of Jesus. It is a sign that with the advent of God’s kingdom the ‘tectonic plates’ of history are shifting.

As in Psalm 2, where the installa-tion of God’s appointed King panics His enemies into united hatred (cf. Psa. 2:1–3,6), Jesus’ arrival upsets the social and political status quo and flushes demonic opposition out into the open (Luke 2:34–35; 4:1ff.). Not surprisingly, when the Messiah’s mani-festo turns out to be a charter for freedom, vested interests hear only a threat to their self-serving power. But the poor and the oppressed hear only good news (Luke 4:18–19,28–30).

T he three remaining prophecies against Egypt take the form of laments.

The tree is felled (31:1–18). Using the picture of Egypt as a tree (see Ezek. 17; 19; Dan. 4), Ezekiel pictures its stately beauty and how it towered over others (31:10). But, as the saying goes, ‘The higher they climb, the further they fall’. Babylon, ‘the ruler of the nations’ (31:11), wielded the axe that felled this tree. Egypt fell to the ground a desolate wreck (31:12–14), but also fell right down into hell itself (31:15–18), to join the other trees which had grown too big for their own good. Such is the destiny of all ‘uncircumcised’ (31:18) nations which have rejected God.

The monster is destroyed (32:1–16). Ezekiel now composes a lament ready for Egypt’s downfall. He sees Egypt as a scary monster – a mixture of lion and sea monster (32:2) – which will be caught, beached, wounded, and exposed as food for the wild animals and birds. Its defeat would disturb nature and terrify the nations (32:8–9). If this could happen to Egypt, how secure were they? The imaginative

The higher they climb …

Ezekiel 31–32

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 10 30/10/09 13:46:38

John sees a new city resplendent with the glory of the Lord that Ezekiel had once seen depart

lier inequalities. The Temple is to be central, symbolising the place God is to have among them (48:9–22), with the provision we have noted before for priests, Levites and princes also being found in this central belt. The commu-nal territory (48:15–20), where food would be grown, will be ‘for the com-mon use of the city’. It represents God’s fresh creation. Eden is being restored and the land that lay barren for years would become productive again.

Finally, Ezekiel focuses on the city of Jerusalem (48:30–35). It would be a place to which all God’s people had access but where, above all, the Lord Himself would have taken up resi-dence. This waiting-to-be-fulfilled pic-ture of Jerusalem became the basis for John’s vision of the new Jerusalem to which we look forward (Rev. 21–22).

The central feature there, as here, is that God will dwell in the midst of His people. God had not been absent during the Exile but now, in a new and more intimate way, His people can enjoy His presence among them: Yahweh Shammah – the Lord is there.

Yahweh Shammah

Ezekiel 47:13–48:35

The Big Picture

Philip Greenslade gives us a glimpse of how Ezekiel and Revelation fit together into God’s story.

There can be no doubt that John has immersed himself in the prophetic images of Israel’s prophets, not least those of Ezekiel. Like all his prophetic counterparts, Ezekiel had first warned Israel of the consequences of break-ing covenant with God and had then issued a serious of oracles speaking God’s judgment on all the nations with the exception of Babylonia itself (Ezek. 25–32). The outcome of God’s judgments on the nations is to be an acknowledgement of His sovereign right to rule over His world. ‘Then you will know that I am the Lord’ – a so-called ‘recognition formula’ that occurs over 80 times in Ezekiel.

The omission of Babylon is odd. But I doubt that Ezekiel is being dip-lomatic; Israel’s prophets were not noted for their political correctness or tact. Perhaps Ezekiel sensed that Babylon was itself the symbolic sum-mation of all the names on his list of

nations targeted by God and that the dénouement awaited a larger day. For his part, John sees in the downfall of Babylon the eventual demise of all God-defying, exploitative, civilisations (Rome included) – and this final judg-ment will redound to the glory and honour and praise of the One True God (Rev. 18–19).

The ‘whore’ that Babylonian cul-ture had become and by which Israel had been seduced (Ezek. 16) is finally replaced by the pure Bride of Christ (Rev. 17:1–5; 19:2;7; 21:9).

Prophetic visionaries strain to catch a glimpse of God’s future. Taken to the same vantage-point as Ezekiel, John sees a new city resplendent with the glory of the Lord that Ezekiel had once

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 33 30/10/09 13:46:40

April

In February we studied the first half of the book of Revelation. We likened the reading of this book to the experience of being in a theatre, seeing our everyday lives from the perspective of God’s heavenly throne. The first hearers–readers of John’s vision saw in the symbols of dragons, sea beasts and earth beasts various aspects of the Roman empire within which they lived. Chapters 12 and 13 gave us a behind-the-scenes view of the powers of evil at work in the world, while in chapter 14 we catch a glimpse of the assured triumph of God in salvation and judgment.

During the apocalyptic period of three and a half years (11:2–3) the con-flict between the followers of the sea beast and the followers of the Lamb, between the ideology of conquest and the gospel of sacrificial service, will prevail. Following scholars such as Richard Bauckham, we saw that 10:8–11:13 is the central theme of Revelation. The beasts’ apparent defeat of the martyrs is, in truth, God’s victory: their participation in the Lamb’s witness unto death is the means by which God will redeem the nations.

Thus Revelation is one of the earliest pieces of political resistance lit-erature. It challenges the propaganda of a godless empire with a different vision of reality. In the final analysis, the powers of evil will themselves serve the purposes of God.

Revelation 14:14–22:21Vinoth Ramachandra

seen depart and hoped to see return (Rev. 21:2,10–11,23; cf. Ezek. 40:2; 43:1–5; cf. 10:4; 11:23).

The climax to Ezekiel’s prophecy is a ‘long and detailed portrayal of an idea-lised replacement temple, set within a renewed city’ (Desmond Alexander, From Eden to the New Jerusalem, p.57). This new temple represents the best of what Eden once was – a garden sanctu-ary (cf. Ezek. 28:13–18) – and the best of what Solomon’s house of God was intended to prefigure (Ezek. 40–48).

All this and more finds its typological fulfilment in what John saw of the new creation in which there is no temple because the Lord God and the Lamb are its temple (Rev. 21:22). From the throne of God and the Lamb flows a crystal-clear life-giving river nurturing bank-side trees for the healing of the nations (Ezek. 47:1–12; Rev. 22:1–2). This amounts to nothing less than a stunning reversal of the curse (Rev. 22:3). But here is no mere return to Eden, to a paradise regained: here is cre-ation redeemed and improved on with all its potential made good and every

partial splendour made more radiant in its light (cf. Rev. 21:24).

The description John gives of the new city’s dimensions is obviously met-aphorical and not literal and is meant to make a profound theological point. The reason why the new Jerusalem is envisaged as a cube is that it is a direct echo of the shape of the Holy of Holies (Rev. 21:16 cf. 1 Kings 6:20). In other words, in the new creation, all is holy space, everywhere is equally sacred.

The fullness of life of God’s new covenant people which Ezekiel saw from afar (Ezek. 36) is now, from John’s perspective, a reality and God takes up permanent residence with them (Rev. 21:3).

Ezekiel’s prophecy ends on the exul-tant note: ‘Yahweh-shammah’ – ‘the Lord is there’! But John has the final word because he can add to every fea-ture of his picture the attribution ‘and of the Lamb’. And to say that is to dare to hope – as perhaps Ezekiel never did – that we ‘shall see his face’ (Rev. 22:4) and that when we do it will – wonder of all wonders – be a human face we see.

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 34 30/10/09 13:46:41

INTRODUCTIONApril

In February we studied the first half of the book of Revelation. We likened the reading of this book to the experience of being in a theatre, seeing our everyday lives from the perspective of God’s heavenly throne. The first hearers–readers of John’s vision saw in the symbols of dragons, sea beasts and earth beasts various aspects of the Roman empire within which they lived. Chapters 12 and 13 gave us a behind-the-scenes view of the powers of evil at work in the world, while in chapter 14 we catch a glimpse of the assured triumph of God in salvation and judgment.

During the apocalyptic period of three and a half years (11:2–3) the con-flict between the followers of the sea beast and the followers of the Lamb, between the ideology of conquest and the gospel of sacrificial service, will prevail. Following scholars such as Richard Bauckham, we saw that 10:8–11:13 is the central theme of Revelation. The beasts’ apparent defeat of the martyrs is, in truth, God’s victory: their participation in the Lamb’s witness unto death is the means by which God will redeem the nations.

Thus Revelation is one of the earliest pieces of political resistance lit-erature. It challenges the propaganda of a godless empire with a different vision of reality. In the final analysis, the powers of evil will themselves serve the purposes of God.

Revelation 14:14–22:21Vinoth Ramachandra

partial splendour made more radiant in its light (cf. Rev. 21:24).

The description John gives of the new city’s dimensions is obviously met-aphorical and not literal and is meant to make a profound theological point. The reason why the new Jerusalem is envisaged as a cube is that it is a direct echo of the shape of the Holy of Holies (Rev. 21:16 cf. 1 Kings 6:20). In other words, in the new creation, all is holy space, everywhere is equally sacred.

The fullness of life of God’s new covenant people which Ezekiel saw from afar (Ezek. 36) is now, from John’s perspective, a reality and God takes up permanent residence with them (Rev. 21:3).

Ezekiel’s prophecy ends on the exul-tant note: ‘Yahweh-shammah’ – ‘the Lord is there’! But John has the final word because he can add to every fea-ture of his picture the attribution ‘and of the Lamb’. And to say that is to dare to hope – as perhaps Ezekiel never did – that we ‘shall see his face’ (Rev. 22:4) and that when we do it will – wonder of all wonders – be a human face we see.

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 35 30/10/09 13:46:41

C hapter 15 is the short-est chapter in the book of Revelation. It opens by

introducing the seven angels who are later given the bowls of divine wrath to be poured out upon the followers of the beasts. The next three verses depict those who have emerged victorious from their battle with the beasts of chapter 13. They have refused to pay homage to the sea beast’s image (13:15) and to be branded with his identity (13:17). They stand by the heavenly sea and sing praises to God for His wonderful and righteous works.

The songs of Moses and the Lamb (v.3) are not separate, but related. The redemptive action that began with the deliverance of Israel from Egypt under Moses culminates in the salva-tion secured through the death and resurrection of the Lamb, which we celebrate this Easter. The language of verse 4 echoes that of Exodus 15:11. However, it is not mere repetition but a reinterpretation of that song. It explic-itly overturns 13:4, which is a parody of the song of Moses found on the lips of the beast’s worshippers: ‘Who is like

Redemption songs

Revelation 15:1–4

F rom militant images of war-fare John switches to images drawn from the world of agri-

culture. He pictures the outcome of history in both positive and negative images – the positive ‘harvest of the earth’ (vv.14–16) and the negative ‘vin-tage of the earth’ (vv.17–20). The back-ground to verse 14 is Daniel 7:13–14 in which ‘one like a son of man’ comes with the clouds of heaven to receive a universal and everlasting kingdom. He ends the dominion of the beasts. The golden crown designates royalty. The command to reap that issues from the divine presence (‘the temple’, v.15) echoes the language of Joel 3:13. In the New Testament the figure of reaping the harvest is normally used of the ‘gathering’ of men and women into the kingdom of God (eg, Matt. 9:37–38; Mark 4:29; John 4:35–38).

This image links up with 14:4 where the Lamb’s army is described as ‘firstfruits’ for God. The firstfruits were the first sheaf, which was taken from the harvest before the rest was reaped. It was the token and pledge of the harvest to follow. This sheaf was

then offered in sacrifice to God (Lev. 23:9–14). Ransomed by the Lamb’s sacrifice, His followers are to be offered to God in sacrifice as the beginning of the harvest of the nations. The Son of Man thus gathers the nations into His kingdom through the faithful witness of the firstfruits.

Reaping was a single action. The vintage, though, in biblical times involved two actions – gathering the grapes and then trampling them by foot in a vat. The juices collected in a lower basin via a duct at the bottom of the vat. The treading of grapes was a familiar image of divine retribution in the prophetic literature. In Isaiah 63:3 God is pictured as a warrior returning from Edom with blood-stained cloth-ing after treading down His enemies in the wine vat. In John’s scene, two angels are God’s agents of wrath to execute His punishment on the unre-pentant wicked. The vintage is cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Ponder the choice set before nations: submit to God and flourish, or defy God and perish.

Two kinds of gathering

Revelation 14:14–20 ThURS 1 APR

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 36 30/10/09 13:46:41

C hapter 15 is the short-est chapter in the book of Revelation. It opens by

introducing the seven angels who are later given the bowls of divine wrath to be poured out upon the followers of the beasts. The next three verses depict those who have emerged victorious from their battle with the beasts of chapter 13. They have refused to pay homage to the sea beast’s image (13:15) and to be branded with his identity (13:17). They stand by the heavenly sea and sing praises to God for His wonderful and righteous works.

The songs of Moses and the Lamb (v.3) are not separate, but related. The redemptive action that began with the deliverance of Israel from Egypt under Moses culminates in the salva-tion secured through the death and resurrection of the Lamb, which we celebrate this Easter. The language of verse 4 echoes that of Exodus 15:11. However, it is not mere repetition but a reinterpretation of that song. It explic-itly overturns 13:4, which is a parody of the song of Moses found on the lips of the beast’s worshippers: ‘Who is like

the beast, and who can fight against it?’ (ESV). John sees the new Exodus as the vindication of God’s incomparable deity before the nations, subverting the empty pretensions of the beast. The effect is to bring the nations to the worship of the true God. So, in John’s interpretation, what the martyrs celebrate is not so much the terror God has inspired among His enemies, and not even their deliverance from the beast, but how God’s universal kingdom has spread throughout the nations as a result of their witness unto death. In this, John, the Christian prophet, follows the universalistic Old Testament hope: Israel, as God’s special people, attracts all peoples to the sav-ing knowledge of the God of Israel (eg, Psa. 86:8–10).

This meaning chimes with 11:11–13, which we saw earlier was the content of the open scroll given to John – the central message of Revelation. But here it is the Exodus motif that is used to portray the effect on the nations of the martyrs’ faithfulness.

What amazing faith is expressed in such a universal hope!

Redemption songs

Revelation 15:1–4 FRI 2 APR

then offered in sacrifice to God (Lev. 23:9–14). Ransomed by the Lamb’s sacrifice, His followers are to be offered to God in sacrifice as the beginning of the harvest of the nations. The Son of Man thus gathers the nations into His kingdom through the faithful witness of the firstfruits.

Reaping was a single action. The vintage, though, in biblical times involved two actions – gathering the grapes and then trampling them by foot in a vat. The juices collected in a lower basin via a duct at the bottom of the vat. The treading of grapes was a familiar image of divine retribution in the prophetic literature. In Isaiah 63:3 God is pictured as a warrior returning from Edom with blood-stained cloth-ing after treading down His enemies in the wine vat. In John’s scene, two angels are God’s agents of wrath to execute His punishment on the unre-pentant wicked. The vintage is cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Ponder the choice set before nations: submit to God and flourish, or defy God and perish.

Two kinds of gathering

Revelation 14:14–20

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 37 30/10/09 13:46:41

Psalm 8 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22

WEEkEND 3/4 APR

The eighth psalm is, as we have seen, a song celebrating the majesty of God’s name and, in particular, the way God’s work of creation in both heaven and earth has established God’s glory and made God’s reputation (Psa. 8:1,9). The psalm alludes to Genesis 1:12–28 in rehearsing the unique privilege and responsibility given to humankind to act as co-rulers with God in ordering and caring for what He has made, and with everything put ‘under his feet’.

In token of this, Paul applies the whole of Psalm 8 to the Messiah, who fulfils all God’s intentions for His human crea-tures. Jesus, the true and last ‘Adam’, retrieves what the first Adam lost, and now occupies His exalted human sta-tus. In this great redemptive reversal there is hope for us all (1 Cor. 15:22).

Of all the things that remain stubbornly outside human control, as yet still not in subjection to us in our God-given rule, it is death that is for us the most ruinous. Death, as Karl Barth famously said, is ‘the minus sign outside the bracket’ that cancels everything within it. Death stalks our world and blights

our lives; it is our ‘last enemy’ (1 Cor. 15:26). Hence the crucial significance of Christ’s resurrection from the dead – as celebrated here by the apostle. Even death has now been put in sub-jection ‘under his feet’ (1 Cor. 15:27). Since death no longer has dominion over Him, it has no dominion over us (Rom. 6:9). Christ, not death, ‘has the final word on everything’ (Eph. 1:22, The Message).

In His victorious humanity, Jesus submits His completed work to the Father (1 Cor. 15:27–28). The Father in turn puts ‘all things under his feet’ and gives this truly human One back to the Church as its representative Head, who supplies us with all that we need to grow together into our true humanness (Eph. 1:22; 4:15–16). And if we ask God wonderingly, ‘What is man that you are mindful of him?’, He points us to the Easter Jesus for His full and final answer.

J ohn now sees seven angels of devastation emerge from the heavenly temple (15:8). Their

commission is thus divinely ordained, and their special clothing denotes the sacred nature of their office (cf. Ezek. 9:2; Dan. 10:5). In the inter-testamen-tal period there developed among the Jews a rich angelology, with angels assigned to the various elements of nature. The seven angels receive the golden bowls of divine wrath from the four living creatures around the throne of God (see 4:6). The only other place in Revelation where golden bowls are mentioned is in 5:8. There they were filled with the prayers of the saints. Perhaps John is indicating the link between the judgment of God and the cries of His people on earth for justice to be done.

These seven bowls are the third series of seven in the related sequence of seven seal-openings and seven trumpets. They are an expansion of the seventh trumpet, just as the trumpets were an unfolding of the seventh seal. They are final and total judgments, unlike the partial and ineffective warn-

Bowls of wrath

Revelation 15:5–16:9 The use of the Psalms in

the New Testament

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 38 30/10/09 13:46:41

Psalm 8 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22

our lives; it is our ‘last enemy’ (1 Cor. 15:26). Hence the crucial significance of Christ’s resurrection from the dead – as celebrated here by the apostle. Even death has now been put in sub-jection ‘under his feet’ (1 Cor. 15:27). Since death no longer has dominion over Him, it has no dominion over us (Rom. 6:9). Christ, not death, ‘has the final word on everything’ (Eph. 1:22, The Message).

In His victorious humanity, Jesus submits His completed work to the Father (1 Cor. 15:27–28). The Father in turn puts ‘all things under his feet’ and gives this truly human One back to the Church as its representative Head, who supplies us with all that we need to grow together into our true humanness (Eph. 1:22; 4:15–16). And if we ask God wonderingly, ‘What is man that you are mindful of him?’, He points us to the Easter Jesus for His full and final answer.

J ohn now sees seven angels of devastation emerge from the heavenly temple (15:8). Their

commission is thus divinely ordained, and their special clothing denotes the sacred nature of their office (cf. Ezek. 9:2; Dan. 10:5). In the inter-testamen-tal period there developed among the Jews a rich angelology, with angels assigned to the various elements of nature. The seven angels receive the golden bowls of divine wrath from the four living creatures around the throne of God (see 4:6). The only other place in Revelation where golden bowls are mentioned is in 5:8. There they were filled with the prayers of the saints. Perhaps John is indicating the link between the judgment of God and the cries of His people on earth for justice to be done.

These seven bowls are the third series of seven in the related sequence of seven seal-openings and seven trumpets. They are an expansion of the seventh trumpet, just as the trumpets were an unfolding of the seventh seal. They are final and total judgments, unlike the partial and ineffective warn-

ing judgments of the seal-openings and the trumpets. Their effect is that people curse God (16:9,11,21). This is more than the stubborn refusal to repent which was noticed after the sixth trumpet (9:20–21). It is the opposite of fearing God, giving Him glory and worshipping Him (15:4).

Like many great artists, John sets up tensions that he does not try to resolve. He paints pictures, each showing one aspect of the whole truth, and places them side by side. So, in chapter 14:14–20, the positive image of the harvest of the earth was followed by the negative image of the winepress.

In the present passage, the seven final plagues follow the martyrs’ celebrations. He depicts the faithful witness of the Church leading to the repentance and faith of all the nations. Alongside that, he shows the world rejecting that witness, hardening its heart like Pharaoh of old, sticking ever closer to the beast, and therefore shar-ing in the latter’s judgment.

Why are such tensions so important for biblical faith?

Bowls of wrath

Revelation 15:5–16:9 MON 5 APR The use of the Psalms in

the New Testament

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 39 30/10/09 13:46:41

T he terrible judgments of chapters 16–19 are primar-ily aimed at destroying not

people but the systems – political, eco-nomic and religious – which oppose God and His justice. They are sym-bolised variously by the beast, the false prophet, Babylon, and the kings of the earth. But those who support these systems, who persist in rejecting the call to ‘Fear God and give him glory’ (14:7), must perish along with the evil systems which they worship.

Babylon has already made her entry into the narrative of Revelation, in 14:8 and 16:19. As the cities of the nations begin to collapse with the outpour-ing of the seventh bowl, the ‘great city’ – the archetypal city symbolising society organised around the dragon and his beasts – disintegrates (16:19). So important is Babylon that a whole scene is now devoted to describing her. She is decked out in the gaudy attire of a Roman prostitute, and the association with fornication-harlotry is emphasised by John through his five-fold use of the word in just six verses. She is carried by a scarlet beast, who

Babylon the whore

Revelation 17:1–6

C hristian worship anticipates God’s eschatological victory and celebrates it in the pres-

ent. This is why John presents the final series of judgments within the context of worship. The whole vision of 15:1–16:21 is thoroughly theocen-tric. The jubilation of the redeemed is not gleeful gloating over the fate of the unrepentant. It is the celebra-tion of God’s becoming who He truly is – the sovereign Lord of the world. The seventh bowl points indirectly to the appearance of God, who has not forgotten the injustices and arrogance of ‘Babylon the Great’ (16:19). God is the final Judge.

These judgments are thus total, unlike the trumpet warnings of a col-lapsing economy or a worsening envi-ronment. The seven bowls conjure up memories of the earthquakes to which the cities of Asia Minor were frequently subject, and very possibly the eruption of Vesuvius which had recently terrified the Mediterranean world. The ‘kings from the East’ (v.12) are probably the dreaded Parthian cavalry whom even Roman emperors feared. John is again

taking his contemporaries’ worst expe-riences and worst fears of wars and natural disasters in order to convey the horror of that final judgment.

In verses 14–16 John uses traditional military imagery, but in his own theol-ogy the decisive victory has already been won, and not by military power but at the cross of Christ (see 5:1–14; 12:7–12). While Revelation speaks of God’s ultimate triumph over the ‘evil trinity’ – explicitly identified as a sin-gle unity in verse 13 – it contains no description of a ‘last battle’. The ‘place ... called Armageddon’ (v.16) is not a place that can be located on a map or calendar. It is rather a picture of the climax of the eschatological woes that John and his hearers are already experiencing. In his context, the mean-ing of the ‘battle’ seems to be that, as the climax of God’s eschatological judgments, the ‘evil trinity’ and their power over the kings of the earth will ultimately self-destruct. Like many totalitarian systems they fall prey to their own deceit. That will be their eternal ruin.

The finality of judgment

Revelation 16:10–21 TUES 6 APR

C2CED MA 2010_text.indd 40 30/10/09 13:46:41