The Lord of Spirits

With this Holy Week / Pascha special episode, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young take a close biblical look at what happens when the Lord of Spirits himself journeys into the underworld to set his people free.

With this second installment of their series on sacred geography, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick take a journey into the shadowy and much-misunderstood realm of the dead—the Underworld, Hades, Hell, Sheol, the Grave. Do these words mean the same thing? Where is this place? And who or what exactly is there?

The Scriptures speak of what we might call spiritual places—sacred geography—the Mountain of God, Heaven, Paradise, the Underworld. Are these imaginary places? If not, how does one go there? In this first of two episodes on sacred geography, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young begin a fantastic voyage into another world.

Explore the intriguing origin of the word 'atonement' and its unique place in biblical translation. Discover the distinction between the various meanings of 'cover' and the importance of Yom Kippur in purifying sacred spaces. Delve into the roles of the two goats during the ritual, including the fascinating concept of the scapegoat. The discussion extends to how New Testament writings resonate with these themes, emphasizing Christ as the ultimate high priest and purifier. It's a journey through history, theology, and the participation in cosmic purification.

Exploring ancient Israel's unique sacrifices, the hosts unveil both parallels and departures from pagan rites. They discuss the transformation from family-based rituals to a centralized priesthood, emphasizing Torah's divine instructions. Incense practices reveal the importance of purity in worship. Notably, they connect Passover to Christ as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb, underscoring its role in liberation from bondage. The conversation highlights Israel's priestly mission for the nations and how worship intertwines with daily life, enchanting creation.

What exactly is worship? What does it do? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick explore worship in the ancient world, both pagan and Israelite, showing how it all resolves into one act—sacrifice. And does that mean killing?

Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew continue their discussion on bodies. What about angel bodies? How many types of human bodies are there? Are human and animal bodies the same? And how many bodies does Christ have?

What exactly is a "body?" Do gods have bodies? How many? Does God, being immaterial, have one? If so, where exactly is it? How do we make sense of the Old Testament passages which talk about God walking, standing, fighting in battles, eating, or speaking face to face with Moses? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young tackle one of the most difficult teachings of the Scripture.

The Star of Bethlehem has long been seen as a sign of Christ’s birth, but was it just an astronomical event such as one might observe with a telescope? Why a star? And what does Jewish astrology have to do with this? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young discuss the true nature of the great Star of the Nativity.

The Messiah is the Son of David and King of Israel, surrounded by His royal court, including His mother—just like the Davidic kings before him. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick explore how Christ united the court of David with the Divine Council and how the role of the Theotokos was established in ancient Israel, centuries before she was born.