(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see why)
Focus Question:
Why three “holies?”
Intro:
Just a warning as we get rolling today…Ezekiel 23 is, uh, not G-rated as it describes, again, the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel. But, before we get there, today we’re going to tackle two chapters of Revelation because they really go together, and I want you to get the sense of the whole scene. And while longtime listeners will know the answer to today’s focus question, it’s worth posting again…Why three “holies?” (as in “holy, holy, holy”).
New Testament segment:
Chapters 4–5 represent the pivot point of the book. They tie the risen Lord’s opening exhortations to the churches (we just read) to the judgments and final triumph of the Lamb (in the rest of the book)…the exhortations to the churches are in fact warnings of both the coming afflictions and God’s ultimate triumph, the latter of which may serve as a spur of hope to enable the recipients of the prophecy to endure the former. These chapters also provide the historical and theological basis of the risen Lord’s authority over both the church and the world by depicting His enthronement and empowering to carry out the judging and saving purposes of God.(1)
As you listen, you’ll hear the assertion of God’s sovereign authority and the delegation of that authority to Jesus...who, you’ll remember, comes to judge the living and the dead at the end of the book. Ooops, sorry! Just gave away the ending.
Passage: Revelation 4-5
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 25
Words: ~570
Old Testament segment:
You’ve been hearing a lot about Israel’s covenantal unfaithfulness, and it’s significant that God sees marriage as the prime earthly image of that. One thing to know that I hope will help — today you’ll hear about two sisters, Oholah and Oholiba. Oholah is the older and represents the Samaria (the capital of the northern kingdom that has already fallen to the Assyrians in 722BC), and Oholiba is the younger representing Jerusalem, capital of the southern kingdom that’ll fall to the Babylonians in 586BC — and not a very good student of what her older sister did.). Together, of course, they represent the total apostasy of all Israel.
Passage: Ezekiel 23
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 49
Words: ~1431
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Proverbs 20:6-19
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 13
Words: ~206
The bottom line:
<you’ll just have to listen>
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 792.