Texts in Conversation
Zechariah describes nations of every language coming to Jerusalem to seek God alongside Israel. Acts echoes this, describing pilgrims from diverse nations gathering in Jerusalem to hear the message in their own languages.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Zechariah 8:23
Hebrew Bible
21 The inhabitants of one will go to another and say, “Let’s go up at once to ask the favor of the Lord, to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Indeed, I’ll go with you.”’ 22 Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask his favor. 23 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘In those days 10 people from all languages and nations will grasp hold of—indeed, grab—the robe of one Jew and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Acts 2:11
New Testament
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Completely baffled, they said, “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that each one of us hears them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!” 12 All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
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Notes and References
... As for what would happen to the Gentiles when the messiah came, different Jews had different opinions. The Dead Sea Scrolls typically regard the Gentiles as well as most of the Jews who did not join the Qumran community as damned. But there was another option, this one already hinted at in the Prophets. According to Zechariah 8:22–23: "Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days, ten men from nations of every language shall take hold of a Jew, grasping his garment and saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.' " They do not say, however, "circumcise us when we get there." They would worship the God of Israel as Gentiles. For Zechariah, Gentiles would be brought into the world to come by divine fiat. ...
Levine, Amy-Jill
The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus
(p. 68) HarperSanFrancisco, 2006
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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