Redemption and Resurrection

5. Redemption and Resurrection (4Q521) Believed to identify Jesus as Teacher 

The Scroll starts out, “the heavens and the earth will listen to His Messiah”

Reminding us of words about Jesus, “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him” (Matt 8:27 KJV.) John the Baptist questioned, to see if Jesus was the Holy One, “Art thou he that should come?” Jesus answered, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the glad tiding preached to them” (Luke 7:22-23 and Matthew 11:4-5). These and other ideas written in the New Testament are repeated in this scroll as speaking about the Messiah. Christians feel that Jesus must be the Messiah of Qumran and therefore their Teacher of Righteousness.DSS 4Q521

(Interpretation)

F.2 + F.4 col.2

(…. For the heavens) and the earth shall listen to His Messiah and all which is in them shall not turn away from the commandments of the holy ones.

Strengthen yourselves, O you who seek the Lord, in his service. Will you not find the Lord in this, all those who hope in their heart? For the Lord seeks the pious and calls the righteous by name.

Over the humble His spirit hovers, and He renews the faithful in His strength. For He will honor the pious upon the Throne of His eternal kingdom, setting prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind,
raising up those who are bowed down.

And forever I shall hold fast to the hopeful and pious (…) (…) shall not be delayed (…) and the Lord shall do glorious things which have not been done, just as He said. For He shall heal the critically wounded, He shall revive the dead, He shall send good news to the afflicted. He shall (… the ….), He shall lead the (…), and the hungry he shall enrich (?) (…) and (…)

F.7 + F.5 col.2

(…) see all that the Lord has made, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them and every reservoir of water and the streams. (…) those who do good before the Lord (shall bless … and not) as these who curse. They shall be destined to die, when the One who revives raises the dead of His people. Then we shall give thanks and relate to you the righteous acts of the Lord that (…) those
destined to die. And He shall open graves (..) and (…) and (…) so commit your works (…) and a bridge of (…) the accursed shall be little esteemed(?) (…) and the heavens shall meet (…) and all the angels (…)