Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Biblical Theology XXIII: Daniel

The book of Daniel is the only fully apocalyptic book in the Old Testament. This is important to note, as apocalyptic is a type of prophetic book that is ex eventu (commentary on an event during or after it occurs rather than predicting it beforehand). Even the narrative portions should be seen as constructed to speak to the main event the book is addressing: the persecution under Antiochus IV. The book is written, not during the exile, but in the early second century B.C. during or after this persecution takes place. As is common among apocalyptic speech, a prominent individual in the past is chosen as the main character in the work, and the author, who lives at a later time, speaks to his own generation through the mouth of the "prophet" in the work.

Theology: The book of Daniel argues that God is the ultimate sovereign over all kingdoms, and that His kingdom will endure forever. The other kings and kingdoms are temporary and will one day pass away. Those who bow to the sinful demands of these kingdoms, therefore, will be destroyed with them, and enter into eternal shame in the resurrection. Those who choose to follow God, even in the face of death, will be resurrected to eternal glory in His enduring kingdom.

The book also argues that the reason why Judah is still undergoing severe persecution from the nations is due to the fact that it is still under the exilic judgment, which has been extended because Jews have continued to act unfaithfully even when they returned to the land. The book argues that the exile is officially over after the death of Antiochus IV and the initiation of Maccabean rule and the subsequent Hasmonean Dynasty.

Ethics: Because the empire of God is eternal and has God as its King, its concerns should be considered over the concerns of any earthly empire. Hence, identifying oneself first as a member of God's eternal kingdom means that he or she may have to disregard the pressures of temporal kingdoms that conflict with the eternal kingdom and one's ultimate King, God. This means that, even in the face of execution, one should remain faithful to what God has commanded over what the temporal king or empire demands. This is displayed in the narrative portion where Daniel and his three friends must face persecution and even death for worshiping God over the king. They represent good examples of those who are faithful under the persecutions of Antiochus IV and are willing to die before bowing to a temporal king over the eternal One.

Likewise, the book argues that all temporal kings would be wise to also yield to God as the ultimate King, to see their reigns and empires as temporary, and to set their policies and attitude toward God's people more in line with His commands.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

YA Stories and Narcissism

I often say that fallen humans are given over to self-worship. In fact, I've said many times that there are only two objects of worship: God or the self. Even other religions are created, not because those other gods are loved, but because they give something to the individual that he needs to worship himself.

It's interesting to see the flood of YA books and movies that have come out in the post-Harry Potter world because I think it reflects, and maybe even tutors and affirms, the self-centeredness of our culture in terms of relationships. This is especially true of YA science fiction movies that have hit the screen within the last decade.

If you're not familiar with the Young Adult-science fiction category, it's a genre of storytelling that usually presents the main protagonist as a special teenager who must save the world, usually by fighting against the evil adults.

Some of these movies include the Divergent franchise, Twilight, The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, Eragon, The Giver, Mortal Instruments, I Am Number 4, The Seventh Son, The Golden Compass, the Percy Jackson series, Jumper, Ender's Game, etc.

In each of these, there is a special person or couple that is pretty much presented as the most important person or persons in the entire world. Every other character merely exists to show how special the main character(s) are.

If you think about that for a moment, kids are learning how to think about themselves and others often through these stories. The stories of a culture are extremely important. That's why they were once filled with moral tales that had much more to do with the tragedy of selfishness than the exaltation of it.

In our culture, however, we create our own worlds. Kids are the gods of their own personal online worlds. They are the heroes of their own stories. Everyone else is just a supporting character who exists to show how special he or she is. If someone doesn't function that way, he or she is often discarded. This is especially true of anyone who may critique what the would-be hero might believe or do. That's the opposite of showing how special he is. That's being a bad supporting character, one who is toxic to the unique specialness that is the jobless, witless teenager that currently contributes nothing to the world whatsoever except to place a strain on its resources while he imagines himself to be the most important person who has ever lived.

We wonder why kids turn into snowflakes at college, but we ought to wonder what kind of thinking was instilled in them that opened the door to the pure narcissism we see produced by professors of the humanities and social "sciences" on college campuses today.

Maybe that narcissism was fostered much earlier than college. Maybe it's to be found in spending one's teenage years thinking of the world in terms of how it exists to display just how special they are. The world is a place to embrace or fight, depending upon what conditions will exalt the individual as praiseworthy. People exist only to support the individual's self-aggrandizing narrative, and if they would actually dare to suggest that the world does not exist for him, they are quickly removed from the final cut of the movie.

In short, it seems to be a genre of idolatry, where all things exist to the praise of our glory. All people must bow and confess that so-and-so is lord. This is why narcissists love these stories. Most of them are absolutely awful cases of storytelling. The writing and depth of dialogue is usually atrocious. But that is not their appeal. The narcissist is flattered by any presenation of himself as exceptional, and he sees himself in the protagonists of these stories. That's why he or she loves them so much.

Certainly, other movies function this way as well, but the move from groups to an individual, or an individual couple (because every teenager wants a girlfriend or boyfriend to complete their specialness) that represents, not a Christ-figure, but the individual reading the book or watching the movie seems to be nothing more than a move toward delusions of grandeur rather than one that plants one's feet on the ground so that he or she may have genuine relationships and see the world as something that was not made to glorify him, but the One who is truly unique, and yet, gave His life as a ransom for all.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Biblical Theology XXII: Ezekiel


The Book of Ezekiel is one of the books that display a transition from prophetic to apocalyptic speech (Zechariah being the other OT book that evidences the same kind of transition stage). It is written from the perspective of a priest named Ezekiel who is in exile. It is directed toward both those who went away into exile and those who remain in the land and are still being unfaithful, even after God has judged the nation. The book is divided into two sections: one of judgment (1-33) and one of restoration (34-48).

Theology: One of the important theological contributions that Ezekiel makes to the Old Testament is that he argues that God is not bound to the land of Israel or the temple. He presents God’s throne as a moveable chariot that conveys that God’s presence can be anywhere, and the wheels of the chariot as filled with eyes, representing that God sees everything. Since He is not merely a local deity, He is able to go with the exiles into the land, and also to see and judge the abominations that are practiced privately by those who remain in Israel. Hence, the four wheels filled with eyes, as well as the flying creatures represent God’s presence that covers the entire world, not just the land of Israel. Hence, His special presence leaves the temple and goes into Babylon with the exiles.

The book also emphatically argues that the judgment of God is active, not merely passive. False prophets are able to have such a devastating effect on the people because God causes them to be deceived through their words (14:9). If the people are given over to the practice of destructive rituals, like the sacrificing of their children, it is because God confuses them with false commands (20:23-26). In short, truth and good are distorted, so that the people believe that what is false is true and what is evil is good. This is part of their destruction.

Ethics:  The book makes it clear that each man is being judged for his own sins, and not for those of the previous generation if he turns from the deeds of that generation. This is a response to the exiles claiming that they have been judged because of what their ancestors did. God, instead, tells them that if they had turned away from the sins of their ancestors, they would not be judged. They are being judged both for their idolatry and for their hateful, rather than loving, acts toward one another.
The ethical responsibility of the prophet is brought out in the book. He is likened to a watchman on a tower who must warn the city of an oncoming army. If he does, his duty is fulfilled whether the people listen or not. If he does not, the people will perish, but he will be considered guilty of murder. God even tells him that no one will listen to him, but that he is to warn them anyway.

There is also the terrifying teaching that even if the most righteous men of the Bible were to pray for Israel once judgment is placed upon them, God would not relent, as His justice demands now that the exile take place. There is a point of no return when it comes to God’s judgment. As in other prophets, the judgment of Israel also produces the effect of God’s judgment of the world.


As in all of the major prophets, God promises that there will be a remnant who will be faithful due to their being given a new mind and spirit. They will be ruled by David forever in the land. Only those who repent by putting away their evil and doing good will become a part of this remnant. Hence, even though they must still go into exile, there is a possibility of restoration based on God’s mercy upon the repentant sinner. 

Ultimately, God will return to the temple, but the temple will be a greater one than before, and He will dwell in it forever. There is a correspondence between the resurrected people and the temple being restored to the land of the living. Hence, what is said goes far beyond the exile and looks forward to the reign of the Davidic king and the resurrection of the dead. Hence, the return to the exile is being discussed in terms of macrocosmic and microcosmic realities. Lots of imagery from Genesis is used. The restoration from exile is a microcosm of the ultimate restoration from the exile that occurred at the fall.