The Weeping God

By David Larsen | Published: November 10, 2009

As I was doing some research this morning, I came across a text that, although quite unrelated to what I was looking for, I found very interesting. I thought I would share it here on my blog.

The text struck me as very similar to a passage of scripture from the (LDS) Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. This passage, from Moses 7, portrays Enoch speaking with God in heaven after the city of Zion had been taken away from the earth and drawn up to God.  Part of the reason that the city was taken away (besides, of course, because of its righteousness) was because of the wickedness that surrounded it.  God then weeps because of the evil that reigns on the earth after Zion is removed:

28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?

29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?

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Professor John F. Hall: Notes from the Temple Studies Symposium III

By David Larsen | Published: November 7, 2009

The following are my notes from Dr. John F. Hall’s wonderful presentation at the recent Temple Studies Group symposium held 31 October 2009 at the Temple Church in London. Dr. Hall is the Eliza R. Snow Distinguished Professor of Classical Languages and Ancient History at Brigham Young University. The paper Dr. Hall presented is a preliminary draft of a much larger paper he is currently working on (which will be about 3x longer). While the notes are my own approximation of what Dr. Hall presented, I also include direct quotations from his paper (emphasized in bold and indented). My thanks to Dr. Hall for his powerful presentation and assistance in sharing this material.

The Anointing of the Gods: Sanctification and Authority from Egyptian Pharaohs to Hebrew Priest Kings and Beyond

presentation by Dr. John F. Hall

anointing

The title of this paper, which references the “anointing of the gods”, refers to both the fact that the ceremony of anointing belongs to the gods as well as the fact that it provides the means whereby worthy individuals are to be included among the gods — in the company of God and the sons of God.  Thus, the ancient tradition of anointing is related to, or a part of, the doctrine of theosis.

The doctrine of theosis can be found not only in the religion of ancient Israel and among early Christians, but also in several modern Christian religious traditions including my own. It is linked to the temple where instruction is conducted and rites performed which asssist the individual in his quest to come into the presence of the Lord.

The work of Margaret Barker has helped make these connections more clear and shown how the resurrection is a necessary part of the at-one-ment with God, in which the individual obtains exaltation through a heavenly ascent to the throne of God, where he/she is permitted to see God face-to-face.  These elements are all connected to the anointing in the temple setting.

The anointing, then, has to do with:

  • a representation of the process of sanctification
  • authorization to be sealed unto eternal life
  • enabling the ascent to heaven to see the face of God (resurrection)

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Temple Studies Symposium III: Archimandrite Ephrem

By David Larsen | Published: November 4, 2009

The Holy Oil in the Orthodox Church

Although Prof. John Hall’s presentation was next after Dr. Barker’s, I am still working on the notes for his talk, so I will now post my notes from the esteemed Archimandrite Ephrem’s presentation covering the use of the anointing oil in the Orthodox Church, or, as he termed it, in the Byzantine tradition.  My notes are not a complete rendition of Father Ephrem’s comments and contain many of my own additions. FYI — Father Ephrem has a great website with many helpful patristic and liturgical texts at www.anastasis.org.uk.

The anointing oil has a number of uses in the Byzantine tradition.  Father Ephrem discussed, principally, its use in light (candles), baptism, healing, confirmation/chrismation, the consecration of tsars, and the anointing of holy objects.

Chrismatory

Unless I misunderstood, there are two types of anointing oil.

  1. The first is the basic pure olive oil, used in burning candles and lamps, for the anointing of catechumens (those preparing for baptism), and for the anointing of the sick for healing. It is also used in the waters of baptism.
  2. The second type of oil is the “myron”, otherwise known as chrism. Myron is a myrrh-scented oil that is very complicated to make. It can only be made and consecrated during Holy Week and is composed of 43 different ingredients (incl. olive oil, wine, spices, and perfumes). They myron is used in confirmation/chrismation, coronation (the anointing of kings), and the anointing of altars, etc. “Myron” is a name for Christ (and also his Mother).

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Temple Studies Symposium III: Margaret Barker

By David Larsen | Published: November 2, 2009

Dr Margaret Barker: The Holy Oil in the Temple Tradition

The following are my notes from Dr Margaret Barker’s presentation, which served as an introduction to the use of the holy anointing oil from the time of the First Temple period. Please excuse the incompleteness of the notes, and my apologies to Dr Barker if I misrepresent any of what she communicated in her paper. The following are my own notes, supplemented by the very helpful outline (indicated in bold) she provided as a handout.

The Messiah, the Christ, was the Anointed One, and so the holy anointing oil is central to Christian identity. It gives the Christians their name.

Those anointed in the Holy of Holies became sons of God and were blessed with the company of the Holy Ones (angels). (See my recent post relating to this topic)

Christians are: sons of God, Rom. 8:14; the saints, e.g. Rom. 1:7; raised with Christ, Col. 3:1; passed from death to life 1 Jn 3:14; anointed by the Holy One and know all things, 1 Jn. 2:20, 27; Name on foreheads Rev. 22:4.

anointing20with20oil

Moses was instructed by God to reproduce what he saw in his heavenly vision on Sinai. The holy oil must have been an imitation of a heavenly reality that he had seen.

The oil was meant to be very sacred — it was not to be used on foreigners or the unworthy.

Christian teaching concerning anointing is a conscious continuation of the ancient temple teaching.

The oil was understood to impart holiness — whatever touches the Holy of Holies becomes holy. The oil was kept (in a flask or jar) in the Holy of Holies. It was part of the secret teaching of the high priesthood.  (See: Anointing oil, Exod. 3:22-25. Imparted holiness, Exod. 3:29; Myrrh, Dionysius Eccclesiastical Hierarchy 473B, 476C, 477C; Secret teaching, Num. 18:7, LXX Num. 3:10; Ignatius of Antioch, Philadelphians 9; Clement Miscellanies 7:17, 5:10. Also Clem. Homilies 19:20. Origen, On John 19:22; Basil of Caesarea, Holy Spirit 66).

The anointing with oil was a part of the “secret teaching” passed on to Christianity from Christ through the apostles.  Clement of Alexandria claimed that Christians had unwritten traditions, mysteries into which they “enter in, through the tradition of the Lord, by drawing aside the curtain” (Miscellanies, Book VII, Ch. XVII). This is how the Christians gained sacred knowledge.  Basil of Caesarea said that the anointing was one of the doctrines “we have received delivered to us ‘in a mystery’ by the tradition of the apostles” (On the Holy Spirit, Ch. XXVII, Sec. 66).

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Temple Studies Group Symposium III: An Enlightening Day

By David Larsen | Published: November 1, 2009

I just got home this morning from yesterday’s Temple Studies Group symposium at the Temple Church in London.  In fact, my dear wife picked up from the train station this morning on her way to Church.  I can’t complain at all, however, about the trip, as it was so much better than if I had to try to come from the U.S. to get there.

Speaking of coming from the U.S., I was so happy to meet so many fine people who did come from “across the pond” to be there.  I had the great pleasure of meeting Gary Anderson, Steve Nielsen, and Professor John Hall of BYU there.  It was also wonderful to finally meet Laurence Hemming and Susan Parsons, who, together with Margaret Barker and others, helped to organize the Temple Studies Group.  It was also great to see Dr. Richard Wellington again, whom I met at the last meeting here.  Richard is the co-author of the wonderfully documented Lehi in the Wilderness with George Potter.

The symposium was, as my title indicates, greatly enlightening.  The theme, as I have mentioned previously, was “The Holy Anointing Oil” and the presenters covered that topic wonderfully, detailing traditions of anointing from the rituals of ancient Egypt and the ancient Near East, Solomon’s temple and succeeding Jewish traditions, early Christianity, and modern Christian liturgy.

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