SIMEON THE UNKNOWN: HOPE FLOATS

 This is a tough one, and I chose not to read the thoughts of other but to allow God to reveal to me the purpose of Simeon. I believe He did! Now for Simeon’s short appearance in scripture and its purpose:

There was one man waiting for Jesus to be born so that he could die in peace; albeit little is known about him.  Luke knew about him, but not much, only what is written about the “consolation:”

²⁵ And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. ²⁶ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷ And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law, ²⁸ Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ²⁹ “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: ³⁰ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, ³¹ which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; ³² A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)

 Have you ever heard a message about Simeon? Has anyone ever taught about the consolation?

First off, in every case, names should be examined for they reveal much about the person’s purpose in life as is the case so many times in scripture. The name “Simeon” means “to hear” and implies to “understand and obey” (Abarim Pub. 2006-2022). Simeon lifted Jesus in his arms and said, “Now I have seen salvation.”

Now look for a moment at “Salvation.” The meaning of the Name of Jesus which the Christ was called was “Ya(hweh) saves.” Simeon was dedicating, or “Christening” the “vessel” in which God arrived on Earth in much the same way that ships are still Christened to this day.

Christening is a naming ceremony. Simeon Christened Jesus and did so without water. He consolidated “Salvation” unto the name of this divine child and he did so without the use of water albeit did so with “Living Water.” Simeon would have out of his belly flow Living Waters to anoint Jesus the Savior, just as Jesus Himself would say, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Where is that said in scripture?

And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. (Zech 14:8)

 Simeon held onto that passage, knowing that it would come true, and refused to die until it did. God preserved that elderly man to annunciate the Christ!

“Former” and “hinder” in that passage may refer to the East and to the West, respectively. “Sea” is literally a “roaring” therein (Strong 1890). Scripture is not talking about seas of aqua but a roaring sound. Simeon, as his name suggests, listened for the “roaring” Voice of God. Simeon had the “Holy Ghost” upon him — the “hagios pneuma” — that “awful thing” of “a blast of flowing air” (ibid).

Why is the Spirit of God called an “awful thing”? It means to be “rendered breathless” according to some, but more so, it is removing the unholy ghost and imbuing the soul with the very Breath of God — Living Waters from His belly.

Jesus himself was that blast from the past so to speak. The Spirit of God from the days of old (after 400 years of silence) blast forth from the belly of Mary and likewise, the belly of God as the Almighty brought forth an eternal being from ancient days to modern times. After 400 years of silence, God in the Person of Jesus would make the Noise (the gospel) that would awaken the world!

Just who Simeon was is not important. He was the link for “sea” to “sea” or from the past to the future. Luke did not identify Simeon, but perhaps, since he knew Joseph, Simeon could have been the ancestor of Joseph, the supposed father of Jesus (Luke 3:30). If so, then Simeon would have been a sage from very ancient times who passed along the “roar” from sea to sea, or from ancient days to this day.

But that would be really old would it not? With God all things are possible. However, Simeon was the sage that listened to words of Zechariah, understood, and annunciated this is Him.

Simeon “was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.”

Simeon, both righteous and sincere, had the Holy Ghost — the roaring wind (the noise of the sea) — upon him. Like the ark of Noah, Simeon was the “vessel” on which hope floated, or as he said it, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” Like Noah long before, after many days, and perhaps many years, he saw the promise — the promise of Zechariah and the vision of Noah.

Jesus was the “bow in the cloud” (Gen 9:13) that Simeon would announce and Christen the “Vessel” on which hope floats, to wit: Jesus prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Mat 26:39). Of course, Jesus was not a “cup” per se but a “vessel,” according to the Greek. Not only a vessel but a special one formed of “clay” just like Adam who God molded into human shape.

As such, Jesus was another “Ark” that “sailed” from East to West, from
sea” to “sea,” from ancient times to that time to present hope to the world. His Name is “Hope” in a sense — “Ya Saves” — and the purpose of Jesus was for salvation. Simeon christened Jesus as the “Christ” and therewith was the first “Christening” on record.

So, don’t worry about Simeon… from where he came or who he was. His purpose was not to present Simeon to the world but to share the good news about the Savior that he had heard so long ago and understood just who it would be.

Upon the Christening of the Christ, Simeon had fulfilled his purpose in life. He revealed the true “Ark of God” and the other Ark, wherever it is, would “sail” no more, and to this day, it has disappeared over the horizon of time.

The cup, or vessel, of Jesus is the Holy Grail for which men have been searching for years. It was not the cup from which He drank, because He did not drink of it, but the “vessel” from whose belly righteous men still drink. Simeon revealed the “Cup” to the world and they still do not know who He is!

Note that the Holy Ghost was not in Simeon, but upon him, or better said, supporting him. It was the Holy Ghost that floated Simeon from ancient times to modern. If not that, then it was the Mighty Wind of God’s Pneuma (Spirit) that moved him.

Lastly, for the word “consolation”( paraklesis), meaning “announcement” or “encouragement” (ibid). In other words, the consolation was the Good News of the coming of the Lord to provide salvation to mankind.

And then Jesus came as with a mighty wind in Spirit to Comfort mankind, as is written, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2).

The occasion of Jesus coming again in Spirit (Pneuma) was another case of what Zechariah saw. The coming of Jesus in Spirit was also a change in “seas” so to speak, from one substance of God (flesh) to another (Spirit) and in death, we find Jesus, the Word, still making noise with a mighty sound.

Did I get it right with this commentary? Whether I did or not is inconsequential, but Simeon got it right, and he was the one who identified Christ as the promised Christ!

(Picture credit; Inner Gardens)