More Cow Bell

The classic SNL skit highlighting the use of cow bells in the Blue Oyster Cult song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is here.

I just noticed here another really famous use of cow bells in popular music, although it predates "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by several decades. In the Mood was Glenn Miller's signature song. You need to listen to the end of the song to hear the cow bells (around 3:05). Cow bells are also featured in this version of the song, but come in a bit differently (around 2:22).

Implication that Michael's Angels are Human "Messengers" in Rev 12?

Hmm. So Rev 12.11 says that "they over came him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."

So who's the "they" who overcame Satan in v. 11? In immediate context I might think that they are the "brothers" who are accused by Satan in v. 10. But those who are accused do not seem to be the actors here. They are no longer accused because Satan has been hurled down, but the "they" who overcame Satan would seem to be those who fought and overcame Satan.

But the only other candidate for "they" who overcame Satan in the passage are Michael's "angels" in v. 7. There's no other "they" around there. But then "they" can't be supernatural angels, since angels cannot die. So are these human messengers? I.e., the war is the spread of the Gospel, with the Gospel's messengers being attacked and persecuted.

That makes some sense -- and links the war immediately to the Gospel -- in contrast to an actual war between good and bad angels in heaven. Plus, those who "overcome" in Revelation are always Christians, not angels (Rev 2.7, 11, 17, 26, 3.5, 12, 21, 21.7).

Don't know that much hinges on it, but it's a possibility I haven't considered before and haven't seen in any commentary. (Not that I have a comprehensive library of commentaries on the Revelation.)

Rev 12 & "Your redemption is drawing near" in Lk 21.28

One of the implications of Rev 12 is that increased persecution of the church at this time results from Jesus' victory over Satan in heaven, and casting him down to where the church is, in land and sea.

But that's critical -- the church's persecution at this time -- the great tribultion -- is a sign of Jesus' victory over Satan.

And so Jesus teaches. In teaching about the persecution of the church and the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 21, Jesus concludes by telling his disciples that "When these things begin to take plce, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Lk 21.28). The terror that comes on the earth is the sign that the ascended Jesus is enthroned in heaven (seeing Jesus "coming on the clouds" is seeing Jesus as the ascended Lord, Dan 7.13) -- and that Satan the usurper has been cast down to the earth and is furious over the short time he has before being bound.

The tribulation of that time indeed tells the Christian that "your redemption is drawing near," i.e., Jesus reigns and Satan is bound.

Rev 12.12 and Preterist versus Idealist Amillenialism

It seems to me that Rev 12.12 is difficult to reconcile with idealist approaches to Revelation. Satan is cast out of heaven to the land, and "Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! but woe to the land and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

G.K. Beale identifies the short time in Rev 12.12 with the short time in Rev 20.3. But that doesn't fit at all. In Rev 12, Satan has a short time on the land when cast out of heaven by Michael (i.e., by the ascended Lord). The implication is clear that Satan was somehow in heaven. (Recall Jesus also noting that he saw Satan fall from heaven as a result of the disciple's work, Lk 10.18.) Being in heaven and then being cast out of heaven is a far cry from being released from the abyss where you've been locked for 1,000 years (Rev 20.3).

But I think that Rev 20 does provide us a key to understanding Satan's "short time" in Rev 12.12. Namely, the millennium is the period in which Satan is bound and thrown into the abyss. Amillennialists understand the millennium to be the entire church age.

If amillennialism is correct (as I believe it is), then the binding of Satan must occur at the very beginning of the millennium.

That then provides a natural way to understand the "short time" that Satan knows he has in Rev 12.12: With his casting out of heaven by Jesus, Satan knows that he has only a short time before being bound by Jesus and cast into the Abyss. Therefore he is filled with fury, which he takes out on the church by persecuting her.

The upshot is that the short time that Satan is on the land and sea is a time that Satan is unbound, and therefore Rev 12.12 cannot occur during the church age itself. Rev 12, therefore, needs to occur prior to the start of the millennium.

Election Stuff -- I told you so, last year

Far be it from me to boast (by which I mean I'm going to boast), but a whole year ago I wrote about the surprising weakness in the size of President Obama's presidential victory here. And I even mentioned Virginia. To quote:

"The Democratic nominee won just 52% of the popular vote (the first Democrat to receive over 50% of the popular vote since 1976) with an incredibly charismatic candidate who massively outspent his GOP rival, in the face of an incredibly unpopular GOP president, an unpopular war (supported enthusiastically by his GOP rival), a financial meltdown weeks before the election, and with a stagnating economy.

. . .

"[W]ith all of these strong advantages, Obama still only won 52% of the popular vote. If it takes all of these things for a Democratic candidate to turn Virginia and Ohio blue, then woe to the Democrats, because it most likely ain't going to happen again."

Jack explaining his great swim . . .

So a coach from another team told Meg that he went up to Jack after the 100-yard fly, and asked him how he swam so well in that heat. Jack tells him that he'll have to think about it, and will get back to him.

According to the coach, Jack comes up to him a half hour or so later and says that he has the answer. Jack's explanation for his great swim? "I did what my coach told me to do."

Jack is 5th in the nation in 100-yard butterfly

Wow. Jack beat the club record for 9-year olds by two seconds last weekend for the 100-yard butterfly (something around 1:11, I don't recall the exact time off hand).

Not only that, but it appears from USA recordss that Jack is now 5th place in the nation for 9-year olds in the 100 yard butterfly, and 30th overall for nine and ten year olds.

Way to go, Jack!

Two Really Good, Underrecognized Movies

Last night the kids and I watched a couple of scenes from the 1961 film musical, Bye, Bye, Birdie. That got me thinking about Dick Van Dyke, and one of the funniest, most bitter films I've ever seen, Cold Turkey. Normal Lear wrote and directed the movie, so you know where it's coming from. This 1971 film starts with a dog pissing on a sign that says "Eagle Rock's Churches Welcome You," and ends with the same dog pissing on a minister (played by Dick Van Dyke) as he lays on the ground shot through with a bullet. (It's funnier than it sounds.)

This is a very edgy role for Van Dyke. But it's not so much against type as it is through type. Dick Van Dyke's character in this film is to Dick Van Dyke's general screen persona what Mary Tyler Moore's character in Ordinary People (another very good movie) is to her persona in her well-known t.v. shows. In both cases, they draw on the darker potential of their more well-known, comedic personas. Very good stuff.

This reminded me of a second somewhat underrecognized movie that I really like and that also came out in 1971, A New Leaf. Elaine May wrote the screen play (based on Jack Ritchie's The Green Heart, which he later retitled A New Leaf). May also stars in the movie and directed it. Walter Matthau stars in the film as well.

This is one of the most charming movies I've ever seen. While much of the comedy is dark (and hilariously funny), the darkness is not unrelenting, and there is a simply charming turn in the story.

I've heard that the movie studio made Elaine May butcher the movie at the editing stage, making her cut the film by a third. She apparently hated the outcome. I would really love to see the screen play as May wrote it. I've been tempted to see if I could locate her and request a copy of the original screen play. I'm that much of a fan.

Evidence on Stimulus

Here's a summary an NBER study by economist Robert Barro and one of his students. Barro is a really level-headed economist who's willing to follow the evidence.