Sometimes the Bible is obscure and esoteric to us, and relies on knowledge that was bound to its culture of origin, as in the instructions for robing the priests in Exodus - and that's OK. Sometimes, we indulge in interpretations that are obscure and esoteric, which rely on the transitory circumstances in our own culture, and we appropriate biblical texts like the Olivet Discourse for questionable ideological reasons - and that's not OK.

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There's a lovely flow to the readings in this episode. The repurposing of the past for the a new era; a reading of the present and future through the lens of the past; and some words of caution for talking about the future without respecting the history of the biblical text. Don't @ me.

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References

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar; Zenger, Erich; tr. Maloney, Linda M. (2005). Psalms 2: A Commentary on Psalms 51-100, Hermeneia — A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press.
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Tags

Exodus 28, Genesis 4, Zephaniah 1, Psalm 83, Psalm 84, 1 Chronicles 5, Judges 7, Mark 13, Matthew 24, Luke 21, Matthew 25, HRMNEIA19BPS