James Morcan
asked
Tony Sunderland:
In your opinion Tony, what does this saying mean exactly? "The meek shall inherit the Earth" Matthew 5:5
Tony Sunderland
I think we need to take into consideration culture and context. Matthew's gospel was written during the turmoil of the destruction of the second Jewish temple. The 'meek' (or the poor) I take it to be those people under the yoke of Roman rule - specifically displaced Jews. Christ would return and create a paradise on earth with Jerusalem at the centre of the world. Therefore, for the very early Christians, there was not so much a belief in an afterlife in heaven; instead, there would be an apocalyptic war that would result in victory for the Jewish people over their oppressors. This would ultimately result in a kind of ‘Jewish’ heaven on earth, with the resurrected Christ as divine king and Son of God.
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