Saturday, November 20, 2021

Readings for November 21, 2021 annotated, lectionary 161, The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks  will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context. 

Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue. They are provided beneath the specific reading they relate to. 

Excerpts collected in yellow  at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him. 

Excerpts collected in green  at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do. 

Links to collections of other scriptures addressing principles similar to those set out in these readings are provided at the very end of this post

 

Reading I: Daniel 7:13-14

As the visions during the night continued, I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient Oneand was presented before him,the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.His dominion is an everlasting dominionthat shall not be taken away,his kingship shall not be destroyed.

 

dominion = שָׁלְטָן= šālṭān

Blue Letter Bible  sovereignty, realm, rule

 

glory = יְקָר= yqār

Blue Letter Bible honour, esteem, precious things, dignity

 

kingship = מַלְכּוּ= malkû

Blue Letter Bible royalty, reign, kingdom, kingly authority, dominion, realm, royal dignity

 

serve = פְּלַח= plaḥ

Blue Letter Bible to serve, worship, revere, minister for, pay reverence to, labour 

 

everlasting = עָלַםʿālam

Blue Letter Bible  perpetuity, antiquity, for ever,the future or past indefinitely, remote time

 

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

The LORD is king, in splendor robed; robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.

 

R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

And he has made the world firm, not to be moved.

Your throne stands firm from of old; from everlasting you are, O LORD.

 

R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed; holiness befits your house, O LORD, for length of days.

R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

 

king = מָלַךְ= mālaḵ

Blue Letter Bible  to be or become king or queen; to ascend the throne; causatively, to induct into royalty; to be king; to counsel, advise

majesty, splendor = גֵּאוּת= gē'ûṯ

Blue Letter Bible a rising up, a swelling, excellent things, lifting up, something lifted up, pride, proudly, raging, glory, splendor 

strength = עֹז=ʿōz

Blue Letter Bible might, strength, material or physical, personal or social or political, strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise), boldness, loud, might, power, firmness, defense, refuge, protection, splendor, majesty, glory, praise

firm = כּוּן= kûn 

Blue Letter Bible to be stable, be established, to be set up, be established, be fixed,to secure, be enduring, to be securely determined, to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast, to prepare, be ready, to be prepared, be arranged, be settled, to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm,to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish, to arrange, order, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, ordain, order, perfect, to exist, confirm, establish, maintain, to create, for, to strengthen, sure, certain, be ready for anyone

 

everlasting = עוֹלָםʿôlām

Blue Letter Bible  long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world, ancient time, long time (of past), continuous existence, unending future, eternity, eternally, always, from the most ancient times

 

holiness = קֹדֶשׁ= qōḏeš

Blue Letter Bible  apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness, set-apartness, separateness, sacred, inviolable, separate from all defilement

 

Reading II: Revelation 1:5-8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.  To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power foreverand ever.  Amen.

 

Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes.  Amen.

 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God, "the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."

 

faithful = πιστς = pistos

Blue Letter Bible  trusting;faithful, trustworthy; to be trusted, reliable;believing, trusting, persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties.

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

to be trusted or believed; trusty; worthy of credit; genuine; trustworthy, sure; as could be relied on; with good faith

witness= μρτυς= martys

Blue Letter Bible

one who can or does aver what he has seen or heard or knows;one who is a spectator of anything; those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death; one who is mindful, heeds

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

Witness; martyr 

ruler = ρχων = archon

Blue Letter Bible

Chief, Chiefest, Chiefly; authority, a magistrate, acting in the capacity of one who received complaints, and possessing higher authority than the judge, to whom the "magistrate" remits the case; prince; a ruler, commander, leader; one who by nobility of birth, learning and wisdom, power and authority, wields the greatest influence

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,A Greek-English Lexicon

ruler, commander, chief, king;chief magistrate; governor, official

loveγαπω = agapaō 

Blue Letter Bible

to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly; to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing; to take pleasure in the thing, prize it above other things, be unwilling to abandon it or do without it; to welcome with desire, long for; to be full of good-will and exhibit the same; to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Love can be known only from the actions it prompts *** this is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects; It was an exercise of the [] will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause[]

 

Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered. Love seeks the welfare of all ... and works no ill to any[]; love seeks opportunity to do good to 'all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith

 

In respect of agapao as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant ‘love’ and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential "love" in them towards the Giver, and a practical "love" towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver.

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

greet with affection, show affection for; persuade, entreat; to be fond of, prize, desire; to be well pleased, contented

 

kingdom= βασιλεύς = basileus 

Blue Letter Bible

leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

king, chief; hereditary king; prince, descendant of a royal house;lord, master; any great man; first or most distinguished of any class 

 

glory = δξα = doxa   

Blue Letter Bible

good opinion, praise, honor, glory, an appearance commanding respect, magnificence, excellence; brightness or splendor; good reputation, praise, honor;preeminence, dignity, grace; the kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity; absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency; a most glorious condition, most exalted state;dignity; honour, praise, worship; majesty in the sense of absolute perfection

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

notion, opinion, judgement; the opinion which others have of one, estimation, repute;good repute, honour;splendor; celestial beatitude

 

power = κρτος = kratos

Blue Letter Bible

Dominion; force, strength, might;manifested power; mighty with great power

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

strength, might, bodily strength; rule, sovereignty; possession of;mastery, victory


forever = αἰών = aiōn

Blue Letter Bible

a period of indefinite duration; an age, a period of time, eternal; forever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity;perpetuity

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

period of existence; long space of time, age

 almighty = παντοκρτωρ = pantokratōr

Blue Letter Bible

ruler of all; omnipotent; he who holds sway over all things; the all-ruling

 

Alleluia; Mark 11:9, 10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

kingdom = βασιλεα = basileia 

Blue Letter Bible

is primarily an abstract noun, denoting "sovereignty, royal power, dominion;" denoting the ... people over whom a king rules; the right or authority to rule;reign; royal power and dignity; the rule of God; God's rule, the divine administration; the universe subject to God's sway, God's royal domain

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

Dominion; being ruled by a king; reign

 

 

Gospel: John 18:33-37

Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 

 

Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?" 

 

Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?  Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.  What have you done?" 

 

Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." 

 

So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" 

 

Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.  For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

 

kingdom—See above

 

truth = λθεια = aletheia

Blue Letter Bible

the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter; that candour of mind which is free from affection, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit; sincerity of mind and integrity of character, or a mode of life in harmony with divine truth; veracity

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

The opposite of lie or mere appearance; reality

 

listens = κοω = akouō

Blue Letter Bible

Harkin to; to attend to, consider what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is said; to give ear to a teaching or a teacher; to comprehend; to perceive anyone's voice; to yield to, hear and obey; have regard to; to perceive the distinct words of a voice; to yield obedience to the voice; to perceive in the soul

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

hearken, give ear; listen to; obey; hear and understand

 

What these readings tell us about God/His ways:

the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship

all peoples, nations, and languages serve him

His dominion is an everlasting dominionthat shall not be taken away,his kingship shall not be destroyed

The Lord is king

he is robed in majesty

The LORD is king

in splendor robed

girt about with strength.

The Lord is king

he is robed in majesty

he has made the world firm, not to be moved.

Your throne stands firm from of old

from everlasting you are, O LORD.

The Lord is king

he is robed in majesty

Your decrees are worthy of trust

holiness befits your house, O LORD, for length of days.

The Lord is king

he is robed in majesty

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness

the firstborn of the dead

ruler of the kings of the earth

who loves us

has freed us from our sins by his blood

has made us into a kingdom

to him be glory and power forever and ever

he is coming amid the clouds

every eye will see him

All the peoples of the earth will lament him

I am the Alpha and the Omega

the one who is and who was and who is to come

the almighty

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord

My kingdom does not belong to this world

my kingdom is not here

For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice

 

What these readings tell us to do:

Listen[] to my voice

 

Scriptures addressing the same reality are collected in Wisdom Principles—God is Supreme Over All Human Power/PlansWisdom Principles—Rely on God, not Material Power or Wealth, and Praying for Leaders: That They Recognizes that All Success/Authority Comes from God and That They Must Fear God.   

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