<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder Q: Could you tell me about the end of the world as described in the Bible? A: The accounts are not complete. The main thing we know is that when Christ returns, it will all be over. Until he does return, we cannot know the time, so he would have us be always ready by always believing in him as our Lord and Savior. There will be the resurrection, when the dead are returned to life; the final judgment will follow, when the believers are separated from unbelievers; the believers will go with Christ to heaven, the unbelievers to hell. The mechanism of destruction of the old creation is not specified. We instead focus on God's promise, "Behold, I am making all things new." The believer will be made new in, perfect harmony with God, with whom he will live forever. Q: Please explain what a "Chi Rho" is. A: Chi and Rho are two letters of the Greek alphabet. Chi (written like our letter "X," and pronounced as a guttural "ch" sound, like the German "ach") and Rho (written like our "P") are the first two letters in the Greek word CRISTOS, which we transliterate into English as "Christ." Often the Chi Rho is written with the X and the P superimposed upon each other, with the X crossed over the upright part of the P. Q: I am looking for the origins of the basic marriage vows. Are they found in the Bible? If so, where? A: You do not say whose vows. There are some variations among different churches. Even within my own Lutheran Church---Missouri Synod we've had different wording, depending upon the source. "Obey" in the bride's vows is one example; it came into our English language liturgy as we changed from German in the early 1900s. Some of the German-language church agendas did not use it explicitly. This said as an introduction, I can tell you that the vows do come from Scripture. However, they are not exact quotes of a single passage or two. Rather they are gleaned from various texts that refer to marriage. Probably the greatest influence is Ephesians, where Paul compares marriage to the relationship between Christ and his church. No matter the exact words, Christians do best when they know, understand, and accept the Scriptural teaching on marriage. Whether or not "obey" is used, I teach that the husband is head of the wife (and family)---not as tyrant, but as one who wants what is best for her (them). Interestingly, with some of the examples we've seen to the contrary, the latest British royal wedding saw Prince Andrew's new wife expressing the same thoughts (and speaking the "obey" as part of her vows). Likewise, the husband pledges self-sacrificing love. He says that he will do what is best for his bride, even if it brings pain upon himself. In that, the Christian groom stands with Christ, who loved his bride the Church and gave up his life for her. Q: Could u tell me what "i-kabod" is? A preacher who came to our church said that it was an evil spirit. Please give me some references. A: Ichabod (IK-uh-bahd) was a child born to the wife of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of Shiloh, at the time of the battle of Ebenezer. This Hebrew name could be translated as "Alas, the Glory," "Where Is the Glory?" or "No Glory." The "glory" (kabod) mentioned here is the "Glory of the Lord," which descended upon the Ark of the Covenant. According to 1 Sam. 4:19-21, Ichabod's mother gave him the name in grief over the capture of the Ark and the deaths of Phinehas and Eli. The Ark of the Covenant was the seat of the Glory of the Lord in his earthly tabernacle. God's "Glory" is normally mentioned as involving his covenant, saving presence among his people. Thus the despair at the capture of the Ark. The Ark was preserved by God, who finally caused it to be sent back to Israel. A worse departure of God's Glory would come years later, in Ezekiel's vision from the Babylonian captivity. He saw of the Glory of the Lord departing Jerusalem, leaving the city unprotected by God as punishment for Israel's many sins. Soon thereafter, Jerusalem would be overthrown. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.