The kingdom of heaven is within. Kingdom of Heaven: Where is it located and how to get there? The Kingdom of God is both in the present and in the future
Lazarus Saturday
Description of the holiday
The Christ-an-god-word-of-the-smat-ri-va-et is a miracle-do as a visible symbol of the power of Christ over life and death, as u-re-re-re-ing of the scholars in their Resurrection and future resurrection of the dead. In this way, given-no-mu-co-being in a holy way-on sub-bo-that sixth sed-mi-tsy Ve-li-ko-go-hundred (sub-bo- ta La-za-re-va), before the feast of the Entry of the Lord-under-nya into Iera-sa-lim (Palm Sunday). For the sake of precision, it should be noted that here the bo-go-service time does not coincide with the is-it-ri-che- skim: the resurrection of La-za-rya was about a month or two before the entry of the Lord into Jeru-sa-lim (see.)
The “Lazarus of the Fourth-day-day”, or “friend of God”, is the go-ste-at-im-ny resident of Bethany (fore-revenge of Jeru- sa-li-ma), brother of Mar-fa and Mary, in the house of someone-ro-go, Jesus Christ ( ; ). His resurrection from the dead on the fourth day (from-here-yes-name), performed by Christ in the form of a public no-go mess-si-an-sko-go "know-me-niya", became for the Jewish authorities, opa-sav-shih-sya re-li-gi-oz-ny waves -niy, following him ar-gu-men-tom in favor of immediate-len-noy over Him, race-right-you ( ).
According to the church-no-mu pre-da-nii, after the resurrection, Lazarus lived for another 30 years and died in the rank of bishop Ki-ti- island (Cyprus Island). At the end of the IX century. his relics re-re-nes-whether in Kon-stan-ti-no-pol. Pa-myat - 17/30 oct-tab-rya and on sub-bo-tu La-for-re-vu.
Yuri Ru-ban
Literature
Kas-si-an (Without-ob-ra-call), ep.// Path. Paris, 1929. No. 16; Ra-in A.P. Resurrection of La-za-rya // Wanderer. 1904. No. 3.
Sermon by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh.
Resurrection of Lazarus.
Sermon by Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov.
Lazarus Saturday.
Sermon by Bishop Mitrofan (Znosko-Borovsky).
Lazarus Saturday.
Books, articles, poems
Resurrection of Lazarus. The Conspiracy of the High Priests and Pharisees.
Jesus was approaching Jerusalem and was not far from Bethany, a village on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, where Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, lived. Lazarus was ill, so his sisters, hearing about Jesus' approach, sent to tell Him about it, hoping, of course, that He would hasten to them and heal the sick man. Jesus loved the whole family of Lazarus and, on every journey to Jerusalem, he visited him to rest from the noise of the crowd that followed him everywhere...
Lazarus Saturday is one of the days of Great Lent on the eve of Easter, when you can eat fish caviar. That is, it is a holiday and fasting is weakening. What are the events of this day connected with, when will the holiday be and what must be done.
Almost a week before Easter significant event- the resurrection from the dead of St. Lazarus, who died 4 days before. An ambiguous event turned into a holiday - Lazarus Saturday, the date of which changes from year to year. So, Lazarus Saturday in 2019, what date the holiday falls, traditions and history - further.
Lazarus was a great righteous man, he was the brother of Mary. It is known about her that she was a disciple of Jesus and washed his feet. Lazarus was respected by many of the inhabitants of the village of Bethany, as well as in other areas. Jesus Christ, along with his apostles, often came to his house, because he loved and respected him. One day the Son of God and his disciples decided to visit Lazarus.
But on the way to his house, they learned that Lazar had died, seriously ill, although he was not yet old. Then Jesus Christ performed a great miracle. When they came to the cave where Lazarus was buried, Jesus asked them to move the stone.
At first, he read a prayer at the entrance, turning to his Father, and then he said: “Go out, Lazarus!” To everyone's surprise, Lazar immediately came out of the cave, as if he had not died, but was in funeral clothes.
This act confirmed that Jesus is the Son of God, they began to believe him even more. more people, but his enemies, the Pharisees, have already decided for sure that he should not live. This is how the holiday known to everyone now appeared - Lazarus Saturday (in 2019, what date is April 20).
How they celebrate, traditions
Divine service on Lazarus Saturday is celebrated solemnly. The hymn sings about the importance of this event for all believers, because it proved the power of life over death. The feast of Lazarus Saturday is the harbinger of Palm Sunday. On this day, preparations were made for it. It was necessary to go to the reservoir and find a willow with white fluffy buds. When evening came, these willows were carried to the church and sprinkled with holy water.
It is interesting! After the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the most harmless animal, and people glorified him, threw palm branches and flower petals under his feet.
On holidays, it was allowed to eat fish, and add oil to some dishes, put fish pies on the table, as well as fish caviar and drink grape wine. Pay attention in terms church calendar this year.
Previously, in some areas, on Lazarus Saturday, palm bargaining was popular, where it was proposed to purchase willow twigs, icons and Easter eggs.
Another ancient tradition is the singing of girls on this day. They sang so well that people gave them cash coins and food. Usually they gathered in groups of three, they were sometimes called "Lazarki". All earned money and gifts they shared equally among themselves.
But there are also prohibitions that must be observed on church holidays:
- So, for example, on Lazarus Saturday, April 20, this is the date on which date the holiday will be in 2019, you can’t work physically, you can’t visit entertainment establishments, sing, dance, celebrate a birthday and celebrate a wedding.
- It is forbidden to wash clothes, bathe, do needlework.
- You can not work in the garden, build something, clean the apartment and iron the clothes.
- And it is also necessary to live with all the neighbors in the world, not to sort things out with anyone, to try to fulfill all the requests that can be fulfilled.
It is interesting! Previously, children were lightly whipped with willow light, it drove out diseases, their parents wished them health and good luck.
Many sick people are waiting for this day, as it is believed that on Lazarus Saturday one can be cured of various diseases. From history there are cases when some people managed to do this. Even if the doctors claimed that the disease could not be treated. This is inexplicable by science, but still, sometimes this happened if a person really believed in healing.
It is important ! Do not constantly complain about the fact that there is no happiness. Life is so arranged that the black stripe will definitely be replaced by a white one.
Until this Saturday, it is believed that there is a war of evil and good. There is an interesting ritual among the priests, they change the usual black cassock for white. This is how the raising of Lazarus from the dead is demonstrated. Features of the rite to.
So, in the article we told you when Lazarus Saturday is in 2019 and what traditions are typical for this holiday. Lazarus Saturday is a great event for all believers. First of all, it is proof that good and life triumph over evil and death.
Lazarus Saturday is religious holiday in honor of the resurrection of Lazarus, later a great saint who preached about the life and teachings of Christ. It is celebrated on the 6th Saturday of Great Lent, on the eve of Palm Sunday, that is, in 2019 - April 20. After starts Holy Week- the strictest the last week post.
The Bible tells the story of this divine resurrection. Lazarus was a friend of Christ and lived near Jerusalem, in a village called Bethany. Jesus visited him often, but one day news reached him that Lazarus had suddenly fallen seriously ill. Jesus replied that this disease would not lead to the death of a friend, but rather, it would become a milestone in the coming glory of God's Son.
Jesus went to the house of a friend to visit him at the bed, but 4 days before the arrival of Christ, Lazarus died. He was buried by the sisters, according to the then traditions, in a cave, filling it with a stone. But when Jesus arrived, he ordered the stone to be moved away from the entrance to the tomb of Lazarus, and then said: “Lazarus! Get out." And the deceased came to life and came out of the cave.
This miraculous resurrection was immediately known throughout Judea, people talked about the Son of God, who was able to raise the dead, the rumor quickly dispersed. Then, a little later, Jesus rode into Jerusalem, as the Scripture says, and was greeted by the people with palm branches, speaking of him as the new king. It was this incident that reached the high priests, who, frightened by the overthrow of power, conspired to kill Christ.
An interesting nuance is that the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is celebrated by the church on the day after Lazarus Saturday, on Sunday, and according to historical data, there was a gap of several weeks between these events.
Lazarus lived 30 years after Jesus died. earthly life and preached in his memory Christian doctrine. He died in Cyprus, from where later, already in the IX century, his relics were taken out and placed in Constantinople. In 890, a temple named after Lazarus was built in the city of Kition in Cyprus. The foundation was built right on the burial place of the saint. To this day, pilgrims from many countries come to the temple.
The church calls the resurrection of Lazarus a miracle, which marks the omnipotence of the Lord, his good will and justice. Lazar led righteous life and immediately believed in the true essence of Jesus Christ, and he was given a "second" life.
Celebration of Lazarus Saturday
Lazarus Saturday falls at the end of Lent, and it is impossible to celebrate this day in full. The Church allows small additions to the table in the form of fish caviar and red wine. On this day, it is customary to cook pancakes from buckwheat, porridge, bake fish pies and boil mash.
On Lazarus Saturday, they usually break off from a tree or buy willow branches, they symbolize the palm branches with which they met Christ in Jerusalem. During evening worship they are blessed with holy water. Lazarus Saturday is also called Palm Saturday, since it falls on the eve of Palm Sunday.
Willow is the very first tree that begins to bloom after the winter cold and is a symbol of resurrection, awakening, as Lazarus resurrected and woke up. On the night of Palm Sunday in Russian villages, it was customary for young people to go from house to house with willow branches and chants. It was believed that if you lightly hit a person with a willow branch, this will endow him with health for the whole year.
Others Slavic peoples such a custom also took place. Serbs tied small bells to branches, and Czechs and Slovaks go around houses with willow not on Sunday night, but on Monday, Easter.
The Bulgarians and Gagauzes have a rite of lazarovaniye. Little girls, lazars, went from house to house and sang ritual songs, and one of them symbolized the bride and carried a large basket for gifts, where people put treats.
It is on the feast of the resurrection of Lazarus that the clergy change their black robes to white ones, showing their unity with the resurrected saint. The holiday of faith in a miracle, healing and resurrection revives in the soul of every believer a sense of hope and a desire for eternal life. On this day, Jesus not only brought Saint Lazarus back to life, but showed the power of God and gave hope for salvation to his people.
In my life and in the course of preaching God's will Christ raised the dead only three times. For the first time, he resurrected the son of a widow from the city of Nain, the second miracle was the resurrection of the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus, and the third was the resurrection of Lazarus. Christ performed the miracle of resurrection so that people would believe in the power of God, in the immortality of the soul and in the possibility of resurrection during the coming of the Last Judgment.
Great post in 2019
In 2019 great post Starts March 11th and ends April 27th. What does it mean? Lent symbolizes the 40 days of the temptation of Jesus in the desert by the devil. He did not eat anything for 40 days and struggled with the obsessions of the unclean. It was then that he began his journey to save mankind from sin. 40 days of fasting are held in honor of this great test, and the last week is in honor of the last deeds of Christ, his suffering and death. Among his last miracles performed before his death, the church notes the resurrection of Lazarus.
Great Lent is the most strict post Orthodox believers, it is customary to prepare carefully and meaningfully for the meeting of the holy holiday of Easter. On Lazarus Saturday, the church advises to spend the day thinking about life and death, abstaining from entertainment and worldly goods, cleansing the soul from the unrighteous, and it is best to devote this day to reading Holy Scripture. Although this Saturday is a holiday, it still remains part of Great Lent, so the celebration is usually very restrained, moderate in food and sober.
The words used in the Bible to convey the concept of "kingdom" [Heb. Malchut; Greek basileia], mean: "royal power", royal dominion. The word "kingdom" has two meanings: "the reign of a king" and "a territory subject to a king" (cf. Ps 145:13; Mt 25:34).
In the Gospel of Matthew, another phrase is used more often - "Kingdom of Heaven" (32 times; "Kingdom of God" - only in Mt 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43), but these expressions are synonymous.
The kingdom of God means, first of all, the unlimited power of the Lord over the world - over the kingdom of nature and the Spirit (Ps 103:19)
19 The Lord has set his throne in heaven, and his kingdom has all things.
(Ps. 103:19)
But besides this, something else is also implied, namely: the dominion of God, to whom we submit ourselves and to whom we voluntarily and joyfully serve.
Jesus teaches to pray for the coming of this kingdom, this kingship of God (Matthew 6:10)
(Mat. 6:10)
The Kingdom of God is both in the present and in the future
His nature cannot be called purely earthly, nor purely unearthly, nor purely spiritual (1 Chronicles 29:11); a one-sided interpretation would lead to a narrowing of this biblical concept.
11 Yours, O Lord, is the majesty, and the might, and the glory, and the victory, and the splendor, and everything [that is] in heaven and on earth, [is yours]: Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are above all, as the Ruler.
(1 Chr. 29:11)
II. THE BIBLE ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The Kingdom of God, partially manifested in the present, will come in its fullness in the future.
AT Old Testament the birth of the Kingdom of God is reported, what opposes it on earth, prophetic promises are set forth regarding this Kingdom and its future.
The New Testament shows the One in whom the "Kingdom of God" on earth is manifested with his own eyes: Jesus Christ.
! Where Christ is, there the kingdom of God comes
But only with the Second Coming of Jesus in glory will the Kingdom of God find its perfection on earth:
1 The Old Testament proclamation of the Kingdom of God and its expectation
Speaking of the Old Testament history of the Kingdom of God, one should first of all keep in mind the mission of Israel.
In order to establish His kingdom on earth, God chose a people, which he became in a special way to lead, so that through him the essence of God is revealed to all other peoples.
5 Therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my inheritance out of all peoples, for all the earth is mine,
6 but you shall be with me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; these are the words that you will speak to the children of Israel.
(Ex. 19:5,6)
In order to equip Israel for the fulfillment of a high commission, God sent them His prophets, through whose mouths He gave instructions to the people.
25 From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt, until this day I have sent to you all my servants the prophets; I have sent every day from early morning;
(Jer. 7:25)
But the people of Israel resisted God's leading and hindered the realization of the Kingdom of God on earth (see Nehemiah 9:6-37).
The prophets spoke with sharp denunciations of the Israelites, announcing the judgment of the elect God's people. And the punishment came. Palestine was conquered by enemies, and the people were taken into captivity. But God did not abandon His plan.
The predictions of the prophets about the coming Kingdom, in which God's plans would be accomplished, were to be fulfilled. From Israel, the confession of God must spread to all the peoples of the world. Weapons intended for war will be reforged into tools of labor.
(Isaiah 2:2-4)1 And will be in last days: The mountain of the house of the Lord will be set at the head of the mountains and will be exalted above the hills, and nations will flow to it.
2 And many peoples will go and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths, for the law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And he will judge many peoples, and reprove many peoples in distant countries; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles; the people will not raise the sword against the people, and they will no longer learn to fight.
4 But each will sit under his own vine and under their fig tree, and no one will frighten them, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken this.
5 For all nations walk, each in the name of his god; but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
(Micah 4:1-5)
Israel will be a blessing "in the midst of the earth" (Isaiah 19:24). This kingdom on earth will be established by a King from the line of David. He will "execute judgment and righteousness in the earth" (Isaiah 11:1,2; Jeremiah 33:15). While the earthly kingdoms are characterized by the bestial nature (see Dan 7), the coming Ts.B. performed human. crap. He is represented "as the Son of man" (Dan. 7:13). It will replace all previous earthly kingdoms and take their place (Dan. 2:44). In the future, Ts.B. life will be subject to new regulations, respectively. God's will (Jer 31:33; Eze 36:25ff.);
2 Kingdom of God in the modern world
John the Baptist and Jesus announced that the kingdom of God was “at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).
2 and says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(Mat. 3:2)17 From that time on Jesus began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(Mat. 4:17)
John said that this Kingdom would be established by the One who comes after it. The whole preaching of Jesus is filled with intense expectation: the Kingdom of God is already on the threshold, it has already come in Jesus, but one should still pray for the coming of the Kingdom.
10 come Your kingdom; may Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
(Mat. 6:10)7 As you go, preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand;
(Mat. 10:7)28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
(Mat. 12:28)
In His parables (Mt 13) Jesus speaks of the growth of this kingdom; this process will be completed by the mighty intervention of God (the parable of the net, vv. 47-50).
47 Still the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught every kind of fish,
48 which, when it was full, they dragged it ashore, and sat down, and gathered the good things into vessels, but threw the bad things out.
49 So it will be at the end of the age: angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous,
50 And they will cast them into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Mat. 13:47-50)
! The King of this Kingdom is Jesus Himself, sent by God
His Kingdom is spiritual, it is "not of this world"
36 Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight for me, so that I would not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here.
(John 18:36)
It cannot be established by human effort and weapons (vv. 33-37).
Anyone who wants to "see" the Kingdom of God and is waiting for its "coming", i.e. "of the Spirit"
1 Among the Pharisees was one named Nicodemus, [one] of the rulers of the Jews.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him: Rabbi! we know that you are a teacher who came from God; for such miracles as you do, no one can do unless God is with him.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel at what I have said to you: You must be born again.
8 The Spirit breathes where it wants to, and you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes: so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
(John 3:1-8)
! The kingdom of God cannot be considered the property of the Jews alone
It is available to everyone who is in a right relationship with God.
11 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
(Mat. 8:11)
The "basic law" of the kingdom of God's dominion is rightfully considered Sermon on the Mount, which lists the basic rules that apply in the Kingdom of God.
The sacrificial death of Jesus, His resurrection and ascension created the spiritual prerequisites for the ancient promises of the Kingdom of God on earth and the mission of Israel to come true. Obviously, this is what the disciples of Jesus expected before His ascension:
6 Therefore they came together and asked Him, saying: Is it not at this time, O Lord, that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?
(Acts 1:6)
Answering this question, the Risen One did not refute the above assumption, but said that the right to establish times and dates belongs to the Father alone. The disciples themselves happened to experience an event that had an extremely importance in the history of the Kingdom of God, when the apostles "were filled with ... the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2).
Since that day, the Kingdom of God embraces all who believe in Christ, in the great, universal Church Christ, which is represented on earth local churches, but is not limited to them.
! In, the Kingdom of God is embodied.
Within it all national, religious and social differences disappear.
28 There is no more Jew or Gentile; there is no slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Gal. 3:28)
Since Christ is the God-appointed King of the Kingdom of God, this Kingdom is rightly called the Kingdom of Christ.
11 For in this way a free entrance will be opened to you into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:11)
The Believer in Christ Is Brought into His Kingdom
13 who delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
(Col. 1:13)
where "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" triumph
17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
(Rom.14:17)
The subjects of this Kingdom still live in peace
15 I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from evil.
(John 17:15)
but they can already communicate with God; they are involved in the Heavenly Kingdom;
20 But our residence is in heaven, whence we also look forward to a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Phil. 3:20)1 Therefore, if you have risen with Christ, then seek those things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God;
2 Set your mind on things above, and not on things on the earth.
3 For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(Col. 3:1-3)
3 The Coming Fullness of the Kingdom of God
The presence of the Kingdom of God is still hidden from people and is known only by faith. But with the Second Coming of the Lord, the Kingdom of God will be established in power and glory.
There are two aspects to be distinguished here:
a) the coming kingdom will first be earthly; then many prophetic predictions will come true
(e.g. Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:6-9; Zech. 8:13,20-23).
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be set in the head of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it.
3 And many nations will go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And he will judge the nations, and rebuke many nations; And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles: people will not lift swords against people, and they will no longer learn to fight.
(Isaiah 2:2-4)6 Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and the little child will lead them.
7 And the cow will graze with the bear, and their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox.
8 And the child will play over the hole of the asp, and the child will stretch out his hand to the nest of the snake.
9 They will not harm or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
(Isaiah 11:6-9)13 And it will come to pass, just as you, the house of Judah and the house of Israel, were a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing; do not be afraid; May your hands be strong!
(Zech. 8:13)20 Thus says the LORD of hosts: There will still be nations and inhabitants of many cities;
21 And the inhabitants of one city will go to the inhabitants of another, and say, Let us go to pray to the face of the Lord, and we shall seek the Lord of hosts; [and everyone] [says]: I will go too.
22 And many nations and mighty peoples will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and pray to the face of the Lord.
23 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: It shall come to pass in those days, that ten men from all the nations of different languages shall take up their hands, and shall take hold of the half of Judah, and shall say, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
(Zech. 8:20-23)
Based Holy Scripture can talk about millennium(Revelation 20:1-6).
This will fulfill the prophecy about the calling of Israel. Jesus, coming to earth for the second time, will judge the nations, deciding who is worthy to “inherit” His Kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46).
It is impossible to attribute the biblical statements about the earthly Kingdom of Christ only to the spiritual sphere, thereby devaluing them. Someday it will be announced from heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15);
b) the earthly Kingdom of Christ should, however, be distinguished from the final perfection of all created things, when Christ will transfer His royal power into the hands of the Father, and all authority and power will be abolished (1 Corinthians 15:24)
24 And then the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God and the Father, when he abolishes all principality and all authority and power.
(1 Corinthians 15:24)
Then the Kingdom of God will reach its fullness. When all the enemies of God are overcome, and as the last of them is death (v. 26), Jesus will fulfill the purpose of his kingship.
