The Coming of the Kingdom: Matthew’s Use of the Book of Daniel (An Exploration of Danielic Themes and Motifs in the Language of Jesus)

The Coming of the Kingdom: Matthew’s Use of the Book of Daniel
(An Exploration of Danielic Themes and Motifs in the Language of Jesus)1

The book of Matthew is rich with Old Testament and extra-biblical text quotations, allusions, and echos. It seems that the author intended to show the gospel of Christ in continuity with the work of the Most High through-out the ages, and back his information with the authority of figures, such as the prophets, in order to better validate his message. An example of this comes in the well-known “this was to fulfill” sayings. The author of Matthew was seeking to put Jesus into the spotlight of prophetic culmination and fulfillment. Although much of this intertextual play comes from the narrator, another large part of it looks to have come from Jesus himself. Certain allusions and themes attributed to him come out strong in all four gospels hinting that they are from one, solitary source. One such allusion is Jesus’ identification of himself as the “Son of Man”. It appears he borrowed the term from the book of Daniel where in chapter seven the author describes a figure as “one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven”. Jesus then, adopting and modifying the phrase, uses it through-out the gospels referring to himself. The strongest link associating these sayings with the book of Daniel comes in Matthew 24:30-31, saying:
“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

This is an obvious reference to Daniel 7:13-14:
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

This passage in Daniel is the point of inspiration for this paper. At first glance it seems to be an independent case that alludes to Daniel with no relation to any other part of the gospel, but as one studies Matthew’s writings at a closer, detailed perspective more Danielic images and themes appear and prove to be a great influence on Jesus and the gospel’s writer. If this is the case, Matthew 24 then turns into a stone hitting water causing ripples throughout the text. Although the passage in Matthew 24 is the impact point, many more allusions to Daniel surround it.
The focus here is to capture these themes and discuss their significance in relation to Daniel. Both the authors of Daniel and Matthew had a very similar message and point to their writings. They lived in alike situations, and were addressing nearly identical issues. In order to discuss these themes, a brief study of Daniel is needed and will be included in this paper. Continuing we will take a look at four major themes that are shared between the books, first in Daniel then in Matthew; they are, the universality of God’s kingdom, the everlasting nature of God’s kingdom, the humility required for God’s kingdom, and finally a critique promoting non-violence and loyalty to the ways of God. The message of Daniel and Matthew have to do with the coming of the kingdom of God, a kingdom that is universal, everlasting, and most of all above all other.2
Daniel
The book of Daniel is one of the most captivating texts in the Bible. It’s stories, images, prophecies, and language make it a common topic among readers, and much dispute has risen concerning it’s original date, authorship, message, and setting. The book claims to be written by Daniel, a hebrew living in the time of the Babylonian exile who interpreted kings’ dreams and later had visions of his own. This would place the date of the work to be around the 600’s BCE. Porphyry first called this stance into question in the third century CE.3 He argued that Daniel had predicted the events after the exile all the way up to the time of Antiochus Epiphanies in the 2nd century BCE. In Porphyry’s mind, Daniel could not have known about these events, and so the text was a vaticinium ex eventu, a foretelling after the event, which of course is no foretelling at all. Most scholars today identify with this conclusion saying that the author of Daniel was a Maccabean era, Jewish man, writing to critique fellow Jews about how to respond in the situation that was at hand, the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanies and the domination of the Greek and Roman Empires.4 At this point there are many conservative scholars who object for fear of negating the inspiration of the Bible by denying the possibility of supernatural, predictive prophesy. John Collins responds,
“What is at issue in all this is not the veracity of “the word of God,” as literalists usually construe it, but a question of genre. An assumption that the “word of God” must be factual historical reporting, and cannot be literary fiction, is theologically unwarranted.5”

and later,

“The issue is not ‘a dogmatic rejection of predictive prophecy’ as conservatives like to assert, but a calculation of probability. Everyone recognizes that the predictions of Enoch are after the fact. The same logic holds in the case of Daniel.6”

Adding to this, the book was written in two different languages. Chapters 1 through 2:4 are in hebrew, chapters 3 through 7 are in aramaic, and chapters 8 through 12 are once again written in hebrew. The majority of the aramaic passages are narratives describing life in exile for Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, while the majority of the hebrew portions are the apocalyptic visions ascribed to Daniel. The most probable explanation, is that the aramaic stories had been circulating for many years until the second century BCE when Daniel’s author joint them with his hebrew prophecies. The primary message of the stories was to say that God is ultimately in control over all earthly kings and kingdoms and someday His dominion will be everlasting and universal. A refrain is almost sung throughout the stories starting in 4:17, “so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.” The author’s intention then was to apply this message to his own current situation by ascribing prophecies to the character Daniel about the times between the exile and Antiochus Epiphanies. Through these prophecies he criticized the zealots (wanting to fight the Romans) and also the hellenizers (wanting to join them) to say that God is ultimately in control and the purpose of His people is to be loyal to Him. The aramaic tales were perfect to accomplish this goal because of the common situation in them. In each of the stories the “servants of the Most High” are persecuted under a king until God saves them and humbles that king. The connection is obvious. Antiochus Epiphanies persecuted the jews a great deal and tried to implement a law making them worship the Greek god, Zeus. In 167 BCE he placed a statue of Zeus in the Temple and sacrificed swine upon the altar7. The author of the prophecies most assuredly saw the relation of this event with King Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold in Daniel 3 where the hebrews in exile were also forced to worship a statue. Through the prophecies, he desired to make these hebrew victims into role models so that his own people would cry out like they did in verse 17, “the God we serve is able to save us [from it], and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Since Daniel was already well known for his wisdom and prophecies concerning the kings of the aramaic stories, the second century author placed authority on the entire book by ascribing his prophecies to Daniel as a pseudonym. This was a common practice during the time as shown by the many texts concerning Enoch, another ancient, Godly character who was ascribed prophecies8. If this is the case, were the stories of Daniel and his friends historical and real? There are certain clues within the stories that help answer this question. One of which is the passage’s inaccuracy of history. The way in which Daniel chapters 2 through 6 describe the order of kings and ruling kingdoms goes against factual history. This does not necessarily mean the stories are untrue, but it does make researchers question why. William Sanford Lasor makes an excellent point in his book on this topic, “It is sufficient to say here that Daniel’s main purpose is not to record detailed history but to use stories and symbols to demonstrate God’s control of history9.” Either way, the book of Daniel’s message is strong. God is in control, and he will save his servants by establishing a kingdom that will never end.
There are four themes that help accomplish this task. The first is the universality of the kingdom of God. The theme is by no means bold and apparent, but it is a settle reoccurring point throughout both the earlier stories as well as the later prophecies. Daniel’s author seems very distinct from the other biblical authors as he continually used phrases like, “all nations,” “men of all languages,” “and “the whole earth.” Before Daniel10 even speaks of these phrases, he whispers the idea of universality by applying the number four in various places to convey for the reader an image of the four corners of the world (4 men in 1:6, 4 kingdoms in 2:40, 4 men in a blazing furnace in 3:25, 4 winds of heaven in 7:2, 4 great beasts in 7:3, 4 kingdoms in 7:17, 4 prominent horns in 8:8, 4 kings in 11:2, etc.)11. There are five aramaic stories included in the book of Daniel, and each, at some point, employ the idea of universality. In the first story, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and calls on magicians everywhere to interpret it for him. No one but Daniel accomplishes this task, and the king raised him up in a high place and gave him authority over the entire province of Babylon12. In the dream the king saw a statue built into four sections, each section made with a different material. The head was of gold, the chest and arms were of silver, the belly was of bronze, and its legs were partly iron and partly clay. The statue was destroyed, however, by a rock that struck it and grew into an enormous mountain that filled the earth. Daniel interprets each section of the body to represent a kingdom, each in succession to one another. The head kingdom represents King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, and Daniel says it is a reign that reaches all mankind, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air wherever they are. The author is saying that in some way the king’s reign reaches the end of the world and encompasses all life. The other kingdoms that follow are inferior to the king’s reign, but 2:39 states that even the third kingdom will “rule over the whole earth”. After all the kingdoms have had their time, the rock that destroys represents a kingdom established by the God of heaven that will take over and rule the whole earth forever13. The universality in this story is the extent to which the king’s rule was present, and the even superior kingdom that God established. In chapter 3, the same king, Nebuchadnezzar, issues a decree that calls on “peoples, nations, and men of every language” to bow down and worship a ninety-foot tall, gold statue. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refuse and are thrown into a blazing furnace, but through a supernatural delivery, Nebuchadnezzar is inspired to issue another decree: for all nations and languages to respect the hebrew God. Language for universality continually permeates the book of Daniel in the same way as just seen. Most of the time the people of a kingdom are mentioned, they are described as being widespread. The purpose of this diction finds its place in Daniel 7:14, the same climatic point of the book quoted earlier as the inspiration for this paper. “He [one like a son of man] was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all people, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The verse comes from a passage where Daniel the dream interpreter becomes the dreamer. He envisions a scene in which four beasts rise up and cause havoc in the world. At the point when it seems that there is no hope and the beasts have taken all control, Daniel looks and sees on a throne “the Ancient of Days,” and with him on the clouds is “one like a son of man.” This moment is the establishing of God’s kingdom as mentioned earlier in Nebuchadezzar’s dream. Daniel’s aim is to shift the world’s worship from earthly kings, to the heavenly king. The kingdoms of the world are fleeting and will pass, but the kingdom of God is an everlasting kingdom worthy of everyone’s worship. It is a universal kingdom that encompasses all creation, to the ends of the world.
The second theme is interrelated with the first, that is the everlasting nature of God’s kingdom. Not only was the rock in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream the representation of a universal kingdom from God, but it was said to be an everlasting kingdom. In 2:44, “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” This passage, like the one mentioned earlier, acts as a refrain through the whole book of Daniel. One can imagine that if these stories were orally recited among the community, the group would all join in together at the parts that spoke of God’s everlasting kingdom that would some day come. It was the center point of their hope, especially those who were in such great a persecution as the time during the Maccabean revolt. To be able to look forward at a kingdom that would be presented to the Jewish nation in despite of their current situation, and know that they would never again have to worry about the tyrant that may overcome them, would prove to be the driving force that caused people to continue on in the faith. Even Nebuchadnezzar declares in 4:3 “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.” The refrain is then repeated in 4:43 and 6:26, until it’s culmination point that again happens in 7:14. This time however the owner of the everlasting dominion has shifted from God, to the one like a son of man. The phrasing is uniformed perfectly with all of the other instances, but the context in the case is not applied to God. Ultimately the Ancient of Days had ownership of the kingdom, but in this passage He has given all authority and power to the one like a son of man in the clouds. In some way the son of man figure is the leader of the eschatological coming kingdom of God, and becomes the representation of Israel in the spiritual realms. Through these themes, universality and the everlasting, Daniel is emphasizing the nature of a coming kingdom that will encompass all people, and go on forever, never to return back to the ways of this world. An ear should begin perking up at these ideas if they have ever heard the messages of Jesus in the gospels.
A third reoccurring theme that takes place in the writings of Matthew is the requirement for humility in the kingdom of God. A common phrase describing this theme is, “Pride comes before a fall.” Daniel wants the reader to recognize the position and authority God holds in the universe in relation to the small status played by men and women. In each of the aramaic tales, a king grows in power, strength, and status until God is forced to interrupt him of his ruling for a time of humbling and judgement. In one of these instances King Nebuchadnezzar is sent into exile to live among the animals because of the great pride that had infected his soul. He was given a dream that told him he could not leave these circumstances until he recognized that “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.14” The passage is repeated in 4:25, 4:34, and 5:21. When Nebuchadnezzar reached the end of the exile he understood that no matter what happens on earth, and no matter who is in charge on the throne, God is above it all. Chapter 4:37 declares, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” This is the point that Daniel wants to establish for the reader, God is in control.
The author who later added the prophesies to the aramaic stories read and understood these important themes. He most likely was deeply influenced and inspired by them, and as so he applied them to the situation that was at hand in ancient Palestine during the persecution and rule of Antiochus Epiphanies. In the formation of his prophecies, as he used the well-known stories, he created an additional theme and position pointed directly at his contemporary Jewish neighbors- do not respond in violence, but rather respond with your loyalty to God and his people. The author performed a number of exegetical works on the traditional stories, and transformed their meanings to take on a new light. One example of this is the adaptation of the humbling refrain spoken by King Nebuchadnezzar. The original stories stated that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms, and that he could give charge of them to whomever he pleases. The Jewish author adapts this passage and says, “But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever - yes for ever and ever.” This is significant because the stories simply said God was in control, but the prophet says that the saints receive the kingdom and possess it forever. Assuming the saints are part of the Jewish nation, the author is making a bold point. God is in control (not Antiochus Epiphanies), he humbles the proud and will eventually humble this ruler too. God can give kingdoms to whomever he chooses, and “Daniel” said he would give it to his saints, who of course is the people of Israel. The story of Daniel is no longer just about morals, theology, and eschatology, it is political. A second example takes place in our favorite passage, 7:14. Here the author applies all of the themes of the stories into one focal point, the son of man figure. He is the one that receives authority from the Most High who is in control of all things. He is also the subject of worship for all people, nations, and men of every language. Instead of the world gathering to worship a gold statue, here they have gathered to worship the initiator of the kingdom of God. Not only is he praised by all nations, his kingdom and dominion will never end. The long-hoped for everlasting kingdom awaited on in the stories becomes that of the son of man figure. He acts as the initiator and ruler over the kingdom.
The author of the prophecies deeply desired his people to be loyal to God and his ways. He addresses this issue in a few different approaches. One is his reference to Jeremiah which inspired Daniel’s prayer in Chapter 9. His reasoning is if people repent and commit to the Lord, He will intercede in the current situation and deliver His people from the hand of their oppressor. The author believes that this is the best response in the current situation. Of course there are those zealots who say that the oppressor should be attacked and killed, but chapter 8 verse 25 says that the wicked ruler will be destroyed, but not by human hands. Some scholars believe that the author’s intention for this statement is to show that the violent responses to oppression will ultimately fail15. Just as the kings in the old stories were humbled by the hand of God and not men, so the Jews should not take up violence but let God’s hand humble the empire. This is again brought up in 11:14 when violent men from Daniel’s own people tried to rebel, but failed. On the other hand, the Jews should neither conform to the empire and benefit from its wickedness. Chapter 11:32 calls these hellenizers corrupt because they have violated the covenant, but there is another group of people who know their God and will firmly resist the assimilation of themselves with a wicked empire16. No doubt these who stand firm are those who prayed like Daniel for repentance and committed their ways to the Lord.
Daniel is a very complicated book. It’s layers make it hard to determine who is writing each passage, and what their intention is. It is easy for the scholar to be caught up in these questions, but despite all of the unknowings, the message of Daniel is very clear. No matter who is in charge or what the circumstances are, God is in control, and He will intercede on behalf of the people loyal to Him. One day His kingdom will end all this misery, pain, and oppression, and will become the universal and everlasting place for his saints to live in peace.
Matthew
The book of Matthew is deeply influenced by the message and themes of Daniel. There are a number of times that Jesus specifically alluded to the book, one of which (24:15) he directly mentioned Daniel. Matthew is built on thousands of influences coming from many texts of course, but Daniel’s messages and themes seem to be strongly uniform (more so than others) with Matthew’s. Each of the books were written in a unique time and circumstance for different purposes, but both were able to use the same themes to convey a similar message that could be applied in both situations. Jesus’ primary point was to spread the good news of the kingdom of heaven. Just as there were strong ideas about God’s kingdom in Daniel, Matthew is full of images and and speech about God’s kingdom as well. Jesus describes this kingdom using the same four themes written by the author of the Old Testament apocalypse. Here we will spend time discussing these correlations and intertextual play.
The first theme, universality, has a significant part to play in the book of Matthew. Throughout the text there are instances, mostly eschatological, that speak of the kingdom of heaven reaching the nations or people across the earth. An example of this is found in Matthew 24 just a few verses before our well-known Son of Man passage. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (v. 14). When the Son of Man comes, verse 31 says in the same chapter, “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Chapter 25 contains a parable of the judgement identifying the good and the bad as sheep and goats from all the nations. Perhaps the most insightful passage containing the universal theme is the great commission in Matthew 28:19. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This passage is an allusion to the coming of one like a son of man excerpt in Daniel. In the Danielic passage the Ancient of Days gave all authority, glory, and power to the figure, and here in Matthew Jesus is applying the event to himself. Just as all the nations worship the figure in Daniel, Jesus is now calling his disciples to spread the word through the nations so that that same Danielic event may find it’s fulfillment in Jesus. More light will be shed on this passage later.
The everlasting nature of God’s kingdom is a common notion in the words of Jesus as well. By this time in history there is already a longing for eternal life and a hope for the ending resurrection. We see this in Matthew 19:16 when a rich man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. When he is unable to sell all he has to follow Jesus, the rabbi applies the question of eternal life to the kingdom of heaven by saying that it is difficult for the rich to enter in. The sadducees also question Jesus about the eventual resurrection in chapter 22. At the end of the parallel passage of the Son of Man in 24:30 Jesus asserts, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” This also correlates to the dominion of the one like a son of man in Daniel 7, and the great commission in Matthew 28. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age17.”
Humility is another major aspect having to do with the kingdom of heaven. Though the kings in Daniel prided themselves with their great kingdoms, God humbled them; and God desires the same type of humility in Matthew. Even Jesus is subject to this humility. In Chapter 22 of Matthew the mother of James and John comes to Jesus asking if her sons can sit at Christ’s side when he comes into the kingdom. Jesus replies,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must become your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

By the use of “Son of Man” in this passage, Jesus is pointing to the book of Daniel. He is showing the opposition of his rule to those of the gentile rulers of his time and the kings of the time of Daniel. Where they messed up and prided themselves, Jesus got it right by humbling himself to serve others. Later in 23 he says, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.18”
The theme regarding anti-violence and loyalty to the ways of God is a given in Matthew. Although many of the writings here are not allusions or echos to Daniel, I am convinced that Jesus himself was in some way influenced by the position that the ancient Jewish author of Daniel took. The beatitudes say bless the peacemaker, the sermon on the mount says love the enemy, and Jesus said “father forgive them,” as he hung on the cross from the brutality of those he loved. In addition, neither did Jesus conform in any way to the empire in power at the time. Instead he set aside the ways of the world, and took up a kingdom from God that was different than any other way of living.
The coming of the kingdom is the primary message in both the books of Daniel and Matthew. Through interrelated themes, both authors are able to convey a message of hope and call on their people to repent and commit their ways to God and his kingdom. This kingdom is a universal, everlasting kingdom that humbles the proud and lifts up the humble. It is a kingdom that forms not through the violence or compromise of men, but rather through the relationship of God and his authority with his people and their humble embrace of the kingdom. Jesus did an amazing job applying these Danielic themes to himself and the situation of his time. The greatest part of this message is its continuing potential for reapplication in the lives of contemporary people today. We can all embrace the coming of the kingdom and join with it to accomplish Christ’s great commission: actualize the prophecy in Daniel and spread the word throughout the nations. Let men of every language come to worship him.
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11
Bibliography
Collins, John J. The Apocalyptic Imagination., 2nd edition., Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998.
France, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.
Hare, Douglas R. A. The Son of Man Tradition. Minneapolis: Fortress Point, 1990.
Higgins, A. J. B. The Son of Man in the Teaching of Jesus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980.
Kim, Seyoon. The Son of Man as the Son of God. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1983.
LaCocque, Andre. Daniel in His Time. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1998.
Lasor, William Sanford, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic Wm. Bush. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.
Lindars, Barnabas. Jesus Son of Man: A Fresh Examination of the Son of Man Sayings in the Gospels. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1983.
Smith, David C. Apocalyptic Eschatology in the Gospel of Matthew. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Young, Edward J. “Daniel.” The New Bible Commentary: Revised. Edited by Donald Guthrie and Alec Motyer., 3rd edition. New York: Guideposts, 1970. 695.
Wright, Christopher J. H. Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Pentecostalism and the Church of the Nazarene

Pentecostalism and the Church of the Nazarene

For one hundred years the Church of the Nazarene has grown and expanded all over the world. Preaching a message of holiness and sanctification they have come to exist in over 140 countries on all six of the major continents. In North American alone the Church of the Nazarene Website stated that there are at least 600,000 members and close to 5,000 different churches. Growing up in this tradition I was taught about the salvation message of Jesus, the Bible, the soon coming of Jesus, and the second grace of sanctification. I participated in services with passionate testimonies, prayers for healing and guidance, and great musical worship. I witnessed people crying, praising, and lifting their hands. Occasionally I even watched as a joyful saint danced through the aisle. It came as no surprise then, that my pentecostal friends and I related and identified with one another rather easily. I would even say that I was able to get along with them more so than most of my baptist brothers and sisters. The only differences (and an intriguing ones at that) were the stories I had heard about the pentecostals speaking in ‘tongues’ and casting out demons. I wondered why no one in our church spoke in tongues and what made demons inclined to visit the pentecostal churches over our Nazarene congregations. Despite these few contrasts in tradition there seemed to be virtually no disagreements between me and my pentecostal friends, and I found that they soon became my closest friends.
This paper intends to show the extremely close relationship the Church of the Nazarene and many of the pentecostal traditions share by focusing on a few major similarities including their formative histories, their emphasis on holiness and missions, and their use of homogenous diction. Continuing, a brief look at the differences in doctrine and methodology will be included. The aim, then, is to show that perhaps the Church of the Nazarene could be seen as a close cousin, or even brother, to many pentecostal denominations such as the Assemblies of God.
History
When inspecting the similarities of the Nazarene church to many of the Pentecostal denominations, the most obvious connection is the formative and historical background of the traditions. Each came about around the same time period being influenced by the great holiness revival of the later 1800’s. The primary religious river flowing through the United States during this time was Methodism. Flowing out of this river were various streams and tributaries that ended up forming the holiness churches as well as those that later became Pentecostal. In the mid 1800’s a large revival broke out across the nation, especially in these Methodist churches. People began holding prayer meetings and special services in their homes and churches bringing many to repentance. Timothy L. Smith (a Nazarene historian) says about the occasion, “A half million persons were converted. The deepening conviction hardened resistance against the sin of slavery, soon to be done away with by the Civil War, and rejuvenated as well the crusades against intemperance, Sabbath desecration, and neglect of the poor” (Smith 1962, 11)1. Within this revival, certain preachers arose teaching with an emphasis on John Wesley’s idea of sanctification and John Fletcher’s interpretation of it being an experience of Holy Spirit baptism. Phoebe Palmer, belonging to this group of preachers, published a journal called ‘Guide to Holiness’, in which she taught that every Christian can experience an instantaneous event of Christian perfection (Anderson 2004, 26)2. As the doctrine of sanctification became more prominent in the revival, more people also began to speak of the baptism of the Spirit until the two phrases became synonymous. Sanctification brought with it an idea of true perfection of purity in heart while Spirit baptism took with it the image of power that was seen at Pentecost. Thus the “developments within the Holiness movement itself resulted in it becoming less Methodist and Wesleyan in orientation in the late nineteenth century, and the term ‘Pentecostal’ became more prominent” (ibid). It is at this point that we begin to see the formation of the Nazarene church.
The Church of the Nazarene traces its history to three main organizations that in 1908 joined to form the ‘Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene.’ The first was Phineas F. Bresee’s ‘Church of the Nazarene’ in Los Angeles, California. The evangelist had started his ministry as a part of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but eventually, because of the controversy of entire sanctification and Bresee’s strong conviction to it, was forced to work outside the denomination. In 1985 under Bresee’s leadership 86 people joined to start the Nazarene church, “with the declared purpose of preaching holiness and carrying the gospel to the poor” (Redford 1948, 30)3. The congregation’s first meeting place was a simple structure in the center of the city that many called ‘the Glory Barn.’ It was a place full of joy and ecstatic worship, and became somewhat of a tourist attraction to many who visited the Los Angeles area. Dr. B. Edgar Johnson wrote a fun story about the ‘Glory Barn’ and the early years of the Nazarenes through the perspective of a chair. “All of these services had a spirit of exuberance and joy in the Lord that attracted many people. There was a hunger for ‘heart felt’ salvation and it seemed to our laps that people almost lived at the ‘Glory Barn’” (Johnson 2008)4. Although the time of the ‘Glory Barn’ ended in 1903, there is an obvious connection between its services and that of the Azusa Street revival that began just three years later in 1906 a few blocks away. No doubt the same spirit was at work with the two revivals and many others that had taken Los Angeles like a wildfire. As the Nazarene church began to grow it also spread more congregations throughout the Nation until by 1906 it had 45 churches, an official paper (The Nazarene Messenger), and a Bible college (Redford 1948, 48)5.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the nation in Brooklyn, also in 1895, another organization was coming together that would prove essential to the forming of the Nazarene church. All over New England Holiness churches were springing up teaching the doctrine of entire sanctification. A number of these joined to form the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America. It must be understood here that at this time the term ‘pentecostal’ had less to do with practices such as tongues and other more extreme forms of worship and more to do with holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit. M. E. Redford refers to Herman Weber concerning this point.
“Within the holiness movement two distinct groups were formed which became known as the right and left wings. In his Yearbook of American Churches, 1933 edition, Herman Weber stated, ‘The left wing is represented by Pentecostal groups sometimes referred to as “ecstatic,” and the right wing, exemplified by the Church of the Nazarene, has approached the Methodist type of body’” (Redford 1948, 25)6
Redford goes on to say that Wesley warned people against the more “ecstatic” groups and condemned the phenomenon of speaking in tongues. The Pentecostal Churches of America continued to reach many in the east for the cause of holiness, and even extended its reach to foreign missions. By 1907, when the group merged with Bresee’s churches, the association had 48 churches and 4 mission stations throughout the world (Redford 1948, 64).
The third participating group was from the South. Very similarly to the east and west, a group of holiness churches had emerged and united for the purpose of spreading the message of sanctification and Spirit baptism. Among them were the New Testament Church of Christ in Milan, TN, the Independent Holiness Church in Van Alstyne, TX, and the Holiness Church of Christ in Rising Star, TX. After attending the 1907 assembly of the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene where the churches in the east and west united, the south decided to join the new denomination the following year in 1908 at the next assembly that was held in Pilot Point, TX. It was here that the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene officially came to be. Through the years many other churches and organizations joined with the denomination such as the Pentecostal Church of Scotland, and J. O. McClurkan’s Pentecostal Mission in Nashville, Tennessee which founded Trevecca Nazarene University. In the 1919 general assembly the denomination felt the need to discuss dropping the word ‘pentecostal’ from the official name as it had become associated with the more so called ‘fanatic’ pentecostal denominations that we know of today, and after a winning vote the movement took on the shortened and current name ‘The Church of the Nazarene’.
This brief historical reflection shows that in the past the Nazarene church has been a Pentecostal group. Although it does not classify itself in the left wing of the holiness movement (Assemblies of God, Church of God, Church of God in Christ, etc.) it took on many of the characteristics of a pentecostal church. It began around the same time the other denominations were being formed, in the same places, using the same words, and stressing the same principles while being deriving from the same influences.
Emphasis on Holiness
After looking at the history of the Nazarene church, it is easy to see that the major emphasis of the denomination has always been holy living. While attending a Nazarene church, the word ‘holiness’ will probably be the most heard word during the experience. We will discuss this point with two considerations: orthodoxy and orthopraxy, what was believed about holiness and what holy living actually entailed.
In 1948 H. E. Jessop published a short book called “We - The Holiness People”. In it he discusses the workings and beliefs of the Nazarene church, and clarifies many of the doctrines by explaining them in further detail. In the introduction to the book he declares, “ We begin by making the broad and challenging statement that the entire Bible, in both Old and New Testaments, has one outstanding theme, namely, the Divine purpose to make men holy” (Jessop 1948, 24)7. Jessop then begins to explain that in the Old Testament God called the tribe of Israel to a holy and set-apart life style. In the New Testament this calling is furthered and intensified to not only holy living, but becoming holy and pure in heart and motives. Jesus shows us in the Sermon on the Mount that it has always been a rule to not commit adultery, but the very thing that makes adultery wrong is also in our lustful gazes. Holiness, then, becomes more about the essence of a person rather than his deeds. It is what is in the heart that matters. This point is what the Nazarene people seek to teach, live, and spread. In fact Jessop says this, “ The Commission of the Holiness People is clearly defined. They have been raised up to spread Scriptural Holiness” (28). Entire Sanctification is the application that John Wesley and his followers made of this observation. The current edition of the Nazarene manual says this:
“We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and holy obedience of love made perfect. It is wrought by the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service” (Belvins 2005, 34)8.
Entire Sanctification is used synonymously with ‘Christian Perfection’. Nazarenes do not believe in perfection in the greek sense of the finished product, but rather a pure and holy state of one’s mind and heart. Those that are sanctified can still sin, make mistakes, and be tempted, but they no longer perform these actions with evil intentions or ill-mannered thoughts. ‘Christian Perfection’ is pure love.
Pentecostals tend to believe almost the same things about holiness and sanctification. The Assemblies of God website affirms, “Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by the faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit.” The major difference is that many of the pentecostal groups believe that Holy Spirit baptism is a third work of grace and separate from entire sanctification. Others believe that sanctification is an event that takes place right away at justification and the second blessing is Spirit Baptism. Generally, those denominations that birthed from the Holiness Movement agree on the significance of holiness and place of sanctification in the Christian life. All other differences can be seen as minor in a large scope of things.
Most early pentecostals were known for their brutal standards of living. They abided by many rules and neglected many comforts in order to focus on holiness and be participants of a kingdom not of this earth. Grant Wacker gives many examples of these characteristics in his book, ‘Heaven Below’. He discusses the taboos that were put on drinking, smoking, profanity, sex, and many others. Much of the time these standards were taken to the extreme so that one could barely speak without breaking some of them (Wacker 2001, 133)9. The Nazarenes also tend to fit into this category. They held great standards for the up-keeping of holiness. One such standard was the sin of wearing jewelry. R. L. Harris, a southern forerunner of the Nazarene Church, taught that “worldly amusement was sinful; extravagance in dress and the wearing of jewelry were condemned by the Bible; and the use of opium, morphine, tobacco, and intoxicating drinks was unchristian” (Redford 1948, 68)10. It is interesting to see something as common place as jewelry to be included in this list. Many held revivals where repenting persons laid their jewelry at the alter, abandoning a life of sin. In a 1908 edition of the Nazarene Messenger a district superintendent, Wm. E. Fisher, praises his congregations by saying,
“There is not one of our members that we know of who use or sells tobacco, goes to theaters or plays cards at home. There is not a Church in our district that has Church shows or suppers. There is not a member but will pray and testify in public. There is not a member but works and prays for prohibition, and the men all vote it at the ballot box. Every preacher preaches the second blessing. Nearly the entire membership testifies to the experience. It is indeed a fine district” (Fisher 1908, 7)11.
Amusement was never something to be sought after, but instead holiness. One should not play cards or even have Church shows. Such things are only of this world and not of the kingdom of heaven.
Emphasis on Missions
Allan Anderson stated in his book ‘An Introduction to Pentecostalism’ that “Pentecostalism is notorious for its sometimes aggressive forms of evangelism, and from its beginning was characterized by an emphasis on evangelistic outreach, its highest priority in mission strategy” (Anderson 2004, 206)12. This same statement could also be applied to the Nazarenes. If ‘holiness’ is the most heard word among Nazarene congregations, ‘missions’ is at its heals. From even before the beginning of the church the founding groups had already placed a high priority on reaching the lost world. The east association was especially zealous in this ministry. Before the churches had even merged the group had missionaries in India and the Cape Verde Islands. The Pentecostals felt an urgency for missions, because they believed that God had poured out his Spirit signifying the last days had come. The clock was ticking and they wanted to reach as many people around the world as they possibly could before it was too late. Speaking in tongues had a major impact on this thought process because the Pentecostals believed that that was the last outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is interesting then to notice that while the Nazarenes did not practice or embrace tongues they did uphold the last days mind set. By 1933, less then 3 decades after the denomination’s start, there were Nazarene missionaries, churches, schools, hospitals, and care centers in India, the Cape Verde Islands, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Japan, Africa, Argentina, China, Peru, West Indies, Syria, and Jerusalem (Pukiser 1983, 38)13.
The Church of the Nazarene also placed their identity close to the poor and oppressed. The name ‘Nazarene’ was chosen because it was the place of the nobodies in Jesus’ time. On the initiation day of the western Church of the Nazarene the church declared its purpose was to “preach holiness and carry the gospel to the poor” (Redford 1948, 30)14. Their purpose was not only to save souls like many other denominations, but to also love and care for the needy as demonstrated by the Nazarene hospitals and care centers around the world.
Diction
Historically, one of the most fascinating similarities between pentecostals and Nazarenes is the language they used. The words and descriptions employed by both holiness peoples to tell of events are so homogenous that there are virtually no differences. An example of this is the popularity of fire imagery, no doubt taken from the book of Acts. Revivals were described as a burning and spreading flame that could not be quenched. In regards to the glory barn and the first Nazarene congregation Phineas F. Bresee said “It had been my long-cherished desire to have a place in the heart of the city, which could be made the center of holy fire, and where the gospel would be preached to the poor” (Redford 1948, 29). Another image employed was that of a battle. Christians advance upon the evils of the world with a strong force. Much however had to do with the Spirit: ‘Spirit baptism’, ‘Spirit’s leading’, ‘Spirit possession’, and Spirit’s voice were common place. The testimonies of radical, spiritual experiences were quite identical as well. The following quote was taken from Grant Wacker’s study on early pentecostalism while the one proceeding it is from Timothy L. Smith’s study on the early Nazarenes. Notice certain key words and images employed by both.
“One Harriet Gravelle of London, Ontario, remembered the night that a fire - a real flame - entered her window and filled her soul with warmth and joy. Later Gravelle saw stripes of fire and the Holy Spirit as a dove descending upon her. ‘The fire went through me,’ she exulted, ‘the Spirit of the Lord filled my tabernacle’” (Wacker 2001, 64)15.
And from Smith (spoken by Phineas F. Bresee himself):
“As I waited and waited, and continued in prayer, looking up it seemed to me as if from the azure there came a meteor, an indescribable ball of condensed light, descending rapidly toward me. As I gazed upon it, it was soon within a few score feet, when I seemed distinctly to hear a voice saying, as my face was upturned towards it: ‘Swallow it; swallow it,’ and in an instant it fell upon my lips and face. I attempted to obey the injunction. It seemed to me, however, that I swallowed only a little of it, although it felt like fire on my lips, and the burning sensation did not leave for several days” ( Smith 1962, 97)16.
In both scenarios a flame or ball of light was seen descending from heaven and was implied to be the Spirit. Testimonies like this alone show the great connection between pentecostalism and the Nazarenes.
Differences in Doctrine and Methodology
Of course there are many differences between these two traditions. Primary emphasis points, doctrines of Spirit Baptism, and common practices in services to name just a few. These points will be briefly discussed here.
While the Church of the Nazarene’s major emphasis is holiness, most pentecostal groups focus much more on the power and gifts of the Spirit. Healing, prophecy, tongues, and ecstatic joy are all part of this stressing point. Also many of the pentecostals embrace the four fold gospel: Salvation, Healing, Spirit Baptism, and the soon coming of Christ. The Nazarene church believes in all of these things, but do not focus nearly as much on healing or Spirit Baptism.
Early on in the holiness movement a schism took place about Spirit baptism. Anderson points out, “Towards the end of the century prominent Holiness teachers began to say that spiritual gifts were connected to the power of the Spirit and should still be in operation, and some spoke of Spirit baptism as a ‘third blessing’ to be sought, separating Spirit baptism from sanctification - this idea was rejected by most Holiness leaders” (Anderson 2004, 27)17. Yet later pentecostal denominations adopted it, and now it is a very common doctrine among them. A person first gets saved, then sanctified (made holy), and finally Spirit Baptized (evidenced by the speaking in tongues). There are some variations to the order of these experiences, but in any case Nazarene’s believe in only two experiences. First justification, then sanctification (synonymous with Spirit Baptism) without tongues.
Lastly, the methodology employed especially during worship is similar yet very different. Pentecostals are referred to as the more ‘ecstatic’ group over the more conservative Nazarenes. They are more often identified with forms of praise by speaking in tongues, running the aisles, laying prostrate, or being ‘slain’ in the Spirit. Although in my own personal experience I have not seen such things necessarily as commonplace in pentecostal churches, I have noticed the higher emotional level over the Nazarenes. While Nazarenes love to raise their hands, kneel at the alter, and testify to God’s work, they tend to be much more reserved during worship.
In Conclusion
There are certainly differences the Church of the Nazarene holds in opposition to pentecostalism, but there are many more similarities that should be held in agreement. Indeed they are from the same river, the same family: the holiness movement. The grew and developed side by side, forming and shaping their identity as believers. They focused greatly on holy living and spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. The two groups even exerted the same words, phrases, metaphors, and images. While perhaps they contradict one another in a few manners, Nazarenes and pentecostals should be able to work together and embrace one another as brothers. Perhaps taking the word ‘pentecostal’ out of the Nazarene name should be reversed. Perhaps then we would see that we are all family, all children of God.










Bibliography
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Belvins, Dean G. ed. 2005. Manual Church of the Nazarene 2005-2009. Kansas City, Missouri: Nazarene Publishing House.
Bresee, Phineas F. “The Doctrines of the Church.” The Nazarene Messenger 13 (1908): 5.
Benson, John T. 1976. The Trevecca Story: 75 years of Christian Service. Nashville: Trevecca Press.
Fisher, Wm. E. “Abilene District” The Nazarene Messenger 13 (1908): 7.
Jessop, H. E. 1948. We- The Holiness People. Chicago: Chicago Evangelistic Institute.
Johnson, B. Edgar. 2008. Just an Old Wooden Chair. Olathe, Kansas: The Center for LifeStory Writing.
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Smith, Timothy L. 1962. Called Unto Holiness The Story of the Nazarenes: The Formative Years. Kansas City, Missouri: Nazarene Publishing House.
Wacker, Grant. 2001. Heaven Below. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.