The Winged Women of Zech 5:9-11

In Zechariah's seventh vision, the prophet beholds “winged women” carrying a basket to the land of Shinar. Some interpreters have, I think mistakenly, taken these as proof of female angels. However, several things should be noted to the contrary.

First, the beings are pictured carrying out an evil act. They take the basket containing a personification of wickedness itself to Shinar (Babylon), apparently to be set on a religious pedestal in a temple “house” constructed specifically for it. Whatever these beings are, they promote idolatry of the worst kind.

Secondly, the women have stork wings. Storks were among the birds proscribed as “unclean” according to the Old Covenant, under which Zechariah lived. The prophet would have sensed something unholy about the women.

Finally, archeologists have uncovered artifacts like the Burney Relief, believed to represent the goddess Ishtar as a winged woman. Such objects of false worship found in and around Shinar suggest that Zechariah would have understood the creatures to portray demonically-inspired religion propping up evil.

Louis Berkof on the Final End of God in Creation

In our last evening sermon, I referenced this excerpt from Berkhof's Systematic Theology. It addresses the purpose of God's creative work in relation to man's good and divine glory.

---

6. THE FINAL END OF GOD IN CREATION. 

The question of the final end of God in the work of creation has frequently been debated. In the course of history the question has received especially a twofold answer.

a. The happiness of man or of humanity. Some of the earlier philosophers, such as Plato, Philo, and Seneca, asserted that the goodness of God prompted Him to create the world. He desired to communicate Himself to His creatures; their happiness was the end He had in view. Though some Christian theologians chimed in with this idea, it became prominent especially through the Humanism of the Reformation period and the Rationalism of the eighteenth century. This theory was often presented in a very superficial way. The best form in which it is stated is to the effect that God could not make Himself the end of creation, because He is sufficient unto Himself and could need nothing. And if He could not make Himself the end, then this can be found only in the creature, especially in man, and ultimately in his supreme happiness. The teleological view by which the welfare or happiness of man or humanity is made the final end of creation, was characteristic of the thinking of such influential men as Kant, Schleiermacher, and Ritschl, though they did not all present it in the same way. But this theory does not satisfy for several reasons:

1. Though God undoubtedly reveals His goodness in creation, it is not correct to say that His goodness or love could not express itself, if there were no world. The personal relations within the triune God supplied all that was necessary for a full and eternal life of love.
2. It would seem to be perfectly self-evident that God does not exist for the sake of man, but man for the sake of God. God only is Creator and the supreme Good, while man is but a creature, who for that very reason cannot be the end of creation. The temporal finds its end in the eternal, the human in the divine, and not vice versa.
3. The theory does not fit the facts. It is impossible to subordinate all that is found in creation to this end, and to explain all in relation to human happiness. This is perfectly evident from a consideration of all the sufferings that are found in the world.

b. The declarative glory of God. The Church of Jesus Christ found the true end of creation, not in anything outside of God, but in God Himself, more particularly in the external manifestation of His inherent excellency. This does not mean that God’s receiving glory from others is the final end. The receiving of glory through the praises of His moral creatures, is an end included in the supreme end, but is not itself that end. God did not create first of all to receive glory, but to make His glory extant and manifest. The glorious perfections of God are manifested in His entire creation; and this manifestation is not intended as an empty show, a mere exhibition to be admired by the creatures, but also aims at promoting their welfare and perfect happiness. Moreover, it seeks to attune their hearts to the praises of the Creator, and to elicit from their souls the expression of their gratefulness and love and adoration. The supreme end of God in creation, the manifestation of His glory, therefore, includes, as subordinate ends, the happiness and salvation of His creatures, and the reception of praise from grateful and adoring hearts. This doctrine is supported by the following considerations:

1. It is based on the testimony of Scripture, Isa. 43:7; 60:21; 61:3; Ezek. 36:21,22; 39:7; Luke 2:14; Rom. 9:17; 11:36; I Cor. 15:28; Eph. 1:5,6,9,12,14; 3:9,10; Col. 1:16.
2. The infinite God would hardly choose any but the highest end in creation, and this end could only be found in Himself. If whole nations, as compared with Him, are but as a drop in a bucket and as the small dust of the balance, then, surely, His declarative glory is intrinsically of far greater value than the good of His creatures, Isa. 40:15,16.
3. The glory of God is the only end that is consistent with His independence and sovereignty. Everyone is dependent on whomsoever or whatsoever he makes his ultimate end. If God chooses anything in the creature as His final end, this would make Him dependent on the creature to that extent.
4. No other end would be sufficiently comprehensive to be the true end of all God’s ways and works in creation. It has the advantage of comprising, in subordination, several other ends.
5. It is the only end that is actually and perfectly attained in the universe. We cannot imagine that a wise and omnipotent God would choose an end destined to fail wholly or in part, Job 23:13. Yet many of His creatures never attain to perfect happiness.

c. Objections to the doctrine that the glory of God is the end of creation. The following are the most important of these:

1. It makes the scheme of the universe a selfish scheme. But we should distinguish between selfishness and reasonable self-regard or self-love. The former is an undue or exclusive care for one’s own comfort or pleasure, regardless of the happiness or rights of others; the latter is a due care for one’s own happiness and well-being, which is perfectly compatible with justice, generosity, and benevolence towards others. In seeking self-expression for the glory of His name, God did not disregard the well-being, the highest good of others, but promoted it. Moreover, this objection draws the infinite God down to the level of finite and even sinful man and judges Him by human standards, which is entirely unwarranted. God has no equal, and no one can claim any right as over against Him. In making His declarative glory the end of creation, He has chosen the highest end; but when man makes himself the end of all his works, he is not choosing the highest end. He would rise to a higher level, if he chose the welfare of humanity and the glory of God as the end of his life. Finally, this objection is made primarily in view of the fact that the world is full of suffering, and that some of God’s rational creatures are doomed to eternal destruction. But this is not due to the creative work of God, but to the sin of man, which thwarted the work of God in creation. The fact that man suffers the consequences of sin and insurrection does not warrant anyone in accusing God of selfishness. One might as well accuse the government of selfishness for upholding its dignity and the majesty of the law against all wilful transgressors.
2. It is contrary to God’s self-sufficiency and independence. By seeking His honour in this way God shows that He needs the creature. The world is created to glorify God, that is, to add to His glory. Evidently, then, His perfection is wanting in some respects; the work of creation satisfies a want and contributes to the divine perfection. But this representation is not correct. The fact that God created the world for His own glory does not mean that He needed the world. It does not hold universally among men, that the work which they do not perform for others, is necessary to supply a want. This may hold in the case of the common laborer, who is working for his daily bread, but is scarcely true of the artist, who follows the spontaneous impulse of his genius. In the same way there is a good pleasure in God, exalted far above want and compulsion, which artistically embodies His thoughts in creation and finds delight in them. Moreover, it is not true that, when God makes His declarative glory the final end of creation, He aims primarily at receiving something. The supreme end which He had in view, was not to receive glory, but to manifest His inherent glory in the works of His hands. It is true that in doing this, He would also cause the heavens to declare His glory, and the firmament to show His handiwork, the birds of the air and the beasts of the field to magnify Him, and the children of men to sing His praises. But by glorifying the Creator the creatures add nothing to the perfection of His being, but only acknowledge His greatness and ascribe to Him the glory which is due unto Him.

Oil Lamps in Biblical Times

This week we're studying Zechariah 4. There, the prophet beholds a golden lampstand notably different from that which stood in the tabernacle (Ex 25:31-40). The former menorah looked something like this:

By comparison, Zechariah describes his lampstand thus:

"And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it." (Zech 4:2)

Basically, the lamppost was topped with a central basin filled with oil. This fed to seven protruding "lamps" each with seven cast "lips" (spouts). The result would be an impressive amount of light coupled with an efficient means of refueling.

Now examine these artifacts found in and around biblical Israel.:

While not exactly matching Zechariah's vision, they reveal the contemporary existence of menorahs that featured central reservoirs to feed several lamp-protrusions, as well as lamps with multiple cast "lips" (spouts).

To learn more check out this article, "Oil Lamps from the Times of the Bible (3,500 - A.D. 600).”

O. Palmer Robertson on the Duty of Celebration

This past Sunday, I mentioned the book of Nahum. To whet your appetite for this often overlooked prophet, here's an excerpt from O. Palmer Robertson's excellent commentary on the book of Nahum:

Perhaps a certain element of duty is involved in the summons to celebration. It is an obligation of God’s people to render a full round of thanksgiving for their rescue from misery.

In concrete terms, Israel’s three annual festivals and their new covenant counterparts might be considered as the natural vehicles by which God’s people may give expression to their continuing joy in salvation.

The Passover meal, which finds its NT counterpart in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, reminds that the Death Angel has “passed over” because of the substitutionary blood of the Lamb. All the power of the ultimate enemy has been destroyed.

The festival of Pentecost, which corresponds to the new covenant reality of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, celebrates the newness and fulness of life freely given to the redeemed. The fruit of the Spirit in a person’s daily experience provides continual cause for celebration.

The harvest festival of Booths reminds of the abundance of provision that God makes for his people, even as they continue along their pilgrim pathway. A plentiful harvest in a context of humble tent dwelling combines images that define the contrasting sides of current reality. If they will accept both these facts of redemptive life, God’s people by faith shall be enabled to celebrate continually the goodness of the Lord despite numerous constraints. [...]

The Christian gospel provides the fullest possible framework for permanent celebration of victory. Death has lost its sting. The believer has died to sin. The loss of all material possessions can be only temporary, and soon will be replaced with the permanence of the new heavens and the new earth. Celebration by keeping the vows of the Christian life is always in order.