Readings:
2 Maccabees 1-2
Revelation 7

2 Maccabees 1-2

The book of Second Maccabees is not a sequel to First Maccabees, it’s a separate account of the Maccabean revolt and is more focused on the earlier years of the revolt in more detail thanFirst Maccabees. It begins before First Maccabees and ends with the death of Nicanor, a period from approximately 180 to 160 BC.

The focus in this book is more on the divine intervention and guidance of events than the more historically focused first book. The themes include the triumph of God over the enemies of Israel and the preservation of the people who abide by his covenant.

The book opens with several letters that sum up what’s happening as a kind of intro, and also fills in some of an account of the first sacrifices at the rebuilt temple, when Nehemiah used some kind of flammable liquid that was left behind in a cave near the Temple Mount. This is seen as a miraculous acceptance of the sacrifice and dedication of the temple like when fire from heaven consumed Solomon’s sacrifice.

In chapter 2 the writer continues his letter to a Jewish man in Egypt by relating a story that he found in the records of Jeremiah hiding the The Ark of The Covenant and the altar in a cave on mount nebo. That’s not to say this is what happened, just that this is what was written down by some unknown person in the records found in Jerusalem.

After these couple of opening letters, the writer includes a preface to his work in this book. He makes it clear that he intends to drill down to the deeper meanings and theological themes of the Maccabean revolt.

Revelation 7

The opening phrase “after this” indicates some length of time as an interlude between the 6th and 7th seals being broken open and their judgments unleashed. John talks of the angels at the “four corners” of the earth, this could just be a phrase meaning the edges of the known world, or he could be trying to liken the earth to a four cornered altar in which the blood of the martyrs is spilled.

The seal that the angel says is upon the believers is the opposite of the seal that is upon the followers of the beast that we see a few chapters from now. This seal is also a callback to the seal placed on the heads of those who didn’t engage in idolatry during the siege of Jerusalem before the Assyrian army withdrew. It could be the indelible mark we receive at baptism and confirmation, or a separate mark of the Holy Spirit.

Christ himself declared that he was marked with his Father’s seal. Christians are also marked with a seal: “It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has commissioned us; he has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” This seal of the Holy Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in his service for ever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great eschatological trial.

CCC 1296

The number of those sealed is 144,000 but this is not a literal number. It’s the 12 tribes squared and multiplied by 1000 to signify a great multitude and completeness. This number is the church which will be from all corners of the earth and more than can be counted.

John sees a great multitude in white robes that are waiving palm branches and praising God. The angel tells him that they’re the ones who lived through the great tribulation, this is thought to be either one of the persecutions that broke out in the early days of the church, all of those persecutions combined, or some future persecution. Although I don’t feel it’s a future event from our perspective, it could’ve been an immediate future event for John.

At a priest’s ordination in the Old Testament, the garments are sanctified through the blood of a sacrificed animal. This would stain parts of them red, but these robes are “washed” in the blood of the sacrifice lamb and it cleans them to a brilliant white. This signifies not just a forgiveness of any stain due to transgressions, but a rebirth with a clean slate.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
2 Maccabees 3-4
Revelation 8