figured, who through his sufiferings became the Lord of all
the world. But who has time enough to' explain all these
narratives and to show how Samson, David, Solomon, Aaron
and others are appropriate and perfect types of Christ?
60. Luke therefore here uses the word ''epistasa" with
reference to Anna, which means that she stood over, or beside,
or near that which happened to Christ in the temple. In the
Latin text we read "superveniens," meaning that she came
near at that time. This is also true, but the other expression,
that she "stood over" what happened, is better. It means that
she pressed forward with great earnestness to see him. Thus
we say: How the people press forward to see this or that.
Thus do the narratives of Holy Writ act toward Christ, in
order that they may typify him.
SUNDAY A^rm CHRISTMAS. 28o
70. Yet the saints would not have been saved by this, and
probably they did not know at the time that by their deeds
thev became types of Christ. For our faith cannot be based
upon figures and interpretations, but it must first of all be
established upon clear passages of Scripture, which must be
explained according to the natural meaning of the words.
Then, after the foundation for faith has been laid by the words
of Scripture, such interpretations of history must be based
upon faith, which is thereby nourished and strengthened.
Therefore, as I have said, they were types of Christ only in
their outward conduct and w^orks, through which nobody
could have been sanctified, but they heartily believed in the
Christ v/ho was to come, w^hom they literally knew from clear
passages of Holy Writ.
71. Thus Christ was promised to Adam and Eve after the
fall, when God said to the serpent. Gen. 3, 15 : "I will put
enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel." This promise holds good for Adam and Eve, and they
believed in the seed of the woman, who was to bruise the
head of the serpent. So it was until the time of Noah, to whom
another promise was given when God said, Gen. 6, 18 : "But
I will establish my covenant with thee." When, therefore,
Eve bore Cain, her first son (Gen. 4, 1) she rejoiced and be-
lieved him to be the seed of whom God had spoken, saying:
"I have gotten a man with the help of Jehovah," as if she
were to say: This will be the man, the seed, who is, to fight
against the serpent. She desired to see Christ, but the time
was not yet come. Afterwards she realized that Cain was
not the Saviour and that her faith must look forward to an-
other woman.
72. Then came the clear promise to Abraham (Gen. 12,3
and 22,18), to whom God said: 'In thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed," of which we have spoken in
explaining the Epistle. The faith of all the saints before
the birth of Christ until the time of his coming was based
upon this promise, so that this passage may also be referred
to by the "bosom of Abraham", of which Christ speaks in
286 i^uthkr's church postil.
Luke 16,22. Such a promise was indeed also made to David,
but only by the virtue of the promise to Abraham. This child
of Mary then is the seed of the woman, waging war against
the serpent in order to destroy sin and death. Therefore we
read in the text that the seed is to bruise the head of the
serpent, by which undoubtedly the serpent is meant that
seduced Eve, namely Satan in the serpent, and Adam
and Eve certainly understood it thus. Who will show
us another son or seed bruising the head? If it had been said
of a mere man, it might as well be understood of Adam as
of any of his children. Yet not Adam, nor a child of Adam,
was to do it, but a woman's, a virgin's child.
73. It is well said, In distinction, that this seed is to bruise
Satan's head, the seat of life; Satan however will not bruise
the head of the seed, but his heel, or the sole of his foot. This
means that Satan indeed injures, destroys and kills the ex-
ternal, bodily Hfe and activity of Christ; but the head, that
is to say the divine nature, remains alive and even raises
from death the heel, or the human nature, which was bruised
by Satan. So in all Christians he Injures and destroys their
life and work, thus bruising their heels ; but he cannot touch
the head, or faith, and therefore their life and work will also
be restored. On the other hand, Satan's feet remain, his
strength and fury are great; but his head, that is to say sin
and the inmost essence of his life, are bruised. Therefore his
feet must die eternally with sin and death. Behold, in this
manner did God save the saints of old by his Word and their
faith, and has kept them from sin and the power of the devil
until the coming of Christ, signified by this saintly Anna.
74. For this reason she does not take the Infant Christ
Into her arms like Simeon, neither does she speak concerning
him like Simeon, but she stands by and speaks about him to
others. For the dear fathers of old and the saints have not
uttered prophecies concerning Christ like the prophets, neither
have they spoken of him, but they have taken the greatest
interest in the announcement of the prophets, have believed
them firmly and transmitted them to other people and genera-
tions, just as Luke here says of Anna.
SUNDAY AFTßR CHRISTMAS. 287
75. Everything agrees with this that Luke here relates of
her. In the first place, she is a prophetess, that is to say, she
has the insight of the prophets. Thus all the saints of old
have apprehended Christ in the passages of Scripture by faith,
and consequently they were all prophets.
76. In the second place, she is called Anna, which in Latin
is "gratia", meaning favor or grace. The two names, Anna
and John (Johannes) are almost one in Hebrew. Anna means
gracious, or one who is favored. This signifies that the fathers
and saints of old have not received such faith and the promise
of God by their own merit, but by the favor and grace of
God, according to whose mercy they were pleasing in his
sight. In the same manner all men are not acceptable and
pleasing to God on account of their worthiness, but only by
the grace of God. This is also the way of human nature,
which often shows a predilection for something that is un-
attractive, and it is a common saying among us that love and
favor may as likely fall upon a frog as upon purple, or that
nobody can make us dislike what we love. Thus God loves
us who are sinful and unworthy, and we are all favored by
him. We are all Johns and Annas in his sight.
77. In the third place, she is a dauther of Phanuel. After
Jacob had wrestled with the angel. Gen. 32, 30, he called the
name of the place Peniel or Phanuel, and said : "I have seen
God face to face, and my life is preserved." Peniel or Phanuel
means "face of God". Now the face of God is nothing but
the knowledge of God, and God can only be known by faith
in his Word. The Word and promises of God declare nothing
but comfort and grace in Christ, and whoever believes them
beholds the grace and goodness of God. This is the knowledge
of God, which cheers and blesses the heart, as David says in
Psalm 4, 6-7 : "Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy coun-
tenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart," and
Psalm 80, 3 : "And cause thy face to shine, and we shall be
saved." We read much in Scripture concerning the hiding
and showing of the countenance of God.
78. Behold, in this way the fathers and saints of old were
spiritual children of Phanuel, of divine knowledge and wis-
288 luthe:r's church postil.
doni, which filled them with joy. To this they attained by
faith in the divine promise and thus they became prophets.
But faith and the promises of God they obtained only because
they were favored by him, out of God's pure grace and mercy.
79. This brings us to the fourth point, namely that she was
of the tribe of Asher. Asher means happiness (Gen. 30, 13).
Faith makes us children of divine wisdom and blessedness.
For faith destroys sin and redeems from death, as Christ says
in Mark 16, 16: *'He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved." To be saved means nothing but redemption from sin
and death.
80. Anna then is a daugther of Phanuel and Asher, full
of wisdom and having a good conscience in the face of all
sins and the terrors of death. All this is bestowed by faith
in the divine promise of mercy; and thus one follows the
other: Anna, the prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. This means that we obtain the promise of
God and believe in it only by divine grace, whereby we learn
to know God and his goodness thoroughly, which fills the heart
with joy, security and blessedness, and delivers us completely
from sin and death.
81. We come now in the Hfth place to the more profound
and spiritual interpretations. She lived with a husband seven
years, and after that was a widow for eighty-four years, with-
out a husband. Had one sufficient time and skill he might find
the whole Bible contained in this number. But in order that
we may see how, as Christians, we do not need Aristotle or
human lore, but have in the Scriptures enough to study for all
eternity, if we should so desire. Let us also consider this
number in connection with the wonders of Scripture men-
tioned before. The number seven is commonly taken to signify
our temporal life, the Hfe of this body, because all time is
measured by the seven days of the week (Gen. 1), which is
the first and best standard for the measurement of time, estab-
lished by the Scriptures. For in Gen. 1 Moses writes that
God first created days and appointed seven of them as a
definite period of time. Of weeks were then made months,
and of months years, into which our whole life is devided.
SUNDAY AFT^R CHRISTMAS. 28^
These seven years therefore signify the whole course of the
temporal life and conduct of the saints of old.
82. But who was the husband ? St. Paul explains in Rom.
7, 2 that a husband signifies the law. For as a woman is bound
to her husband while he liveth, so all are bound to the law,
who live under it. Now the law has been given to no people
on earth except to this Anna, the Jewish people, as Paul says
in Rom. 3, 2 that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.
In Psalm 147,19-20 we read: "He showeth his word unto
Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances unto Israel. He hath
not dealt so with any nation ; and as for his ordinances, they
have not known them;" also Psalm 103, 7: "He made known
his ways unto Moses, his doings unto the children of Israel."
The Gospel however he did not reveal only to one nation, but
to all the world, as we read in Psalm 19, 4 : "Their line is
gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end
of the world," which means the words of the apostles. There-
fore Anna, who lived seven years with her husband, signifies
the people of Israel under the law, in their outward conduct
and temporal life.
83. Now we have heard in the Epistle for today that those
who live under the law do not live aright, for they do the
works of tlie law unwillingly and without delight, and are
bond-servants, not children. For the law will hold no one
righteous who does not keep it willingly. Such willingtiess
however is only bestowed by faith, as has often been said.
Faith will produce righteous works and fulfill the law. It
is all the same to the believer whether he is under the law or
free from it, seeing that Christ also was under the law.
84. But St. Luke, or rather the Holy Spirit, desires to
show that this saintly Anna, the holy people of old, was
not only under the law and a bond-servant. He points out
that besides her life under the law she also walked in the free-
dom of faith and the Spirit, fulfilling the law not only with
outward works like a bond-servant, but rather in faith. This
is signified by the eighty-four years of her widowhood, mean-
ing the spiritual life of faith led by the saints of old. For the
widowhood, the life without a husband, signifies freedom from
the linv. Thus the life under the law and the life of faitli
290 Luther's church postil.
existed, side by side. The belivers of old, as to their souls
were justified without the works of the law, alone by faith,
and in this respect they were truly widows; but in their ex-
ternal conduct and as to their bodies they were subject to the
law. They did not, however, believe that they were justified
by works, but having been justified by faith, they kept the law
voluntarily, cheerfully and to the glory of God. He who lives
in this manner may also do the works of the law, w^ilch will
not harm him nor make a bond-servant of him, for Christ
and the apostles also have kept the law. Behold, tliese are
the people who at the same time live seven years with a hus-
band and eighty-four years without a husband, who at the
same time are free from the law and yet under the law. as St.
Paul says of himself in 1 Cor. 9, 20 : '*I am to them that are
under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law."
85. How can he be at the same time under the law and
free from the law? In order to gain others he gladly per-
formed the external works of the law, but in his heart he clung
to faith, by which he was justified, without the works of the
law. For he fulfilled the law, and yet would not be jusi^Tied
by it, which indeed is impossible. In this manner Anna, the
holy people, has kept the law. For whoever believes and has
been justified by faith, may keep not only the law of God, but
the laws of the whole world, and they will not hinder him ; for
he keeps them volutarily, not in the opinion that thereby he
acquires righteousness. But those people who only follow
Anna in this that they live seven years with a husband, and
do not live eighty-four years without a husband, are without
the Spirit and faith and are bond-servants. They believe that
by doing the works of the law they become righteous. But
in this manner they can never become righteous and pious, as
today's Epistle sufficiently explains. It is well arranged that
first the seven years of wedded life and then the eighty-four
years of widowhood are mentioned, for St. Paul also says in
1. Cor. 15,4(1: "Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual,
but that which is natural."
86. If man is to become spiritual and a believer, he must
SUNDAY A^TER CHRISTMAS. 291
necessarily first be under the law; for no one can know his
faults without the law, and he who does not know his sin will
not long for grace. But the law demands so much that man
must realize and confess that he is unable to satisfy those de-
mands. Then he must despair of himself and in all humiHty
sigh for the grace of God. Behold, therefore the seven years
come first, the law precedes grace as John the Baptist was
the forerunner of Christ. The law kills and condemns the
natural, sensual man, so that grace may Hft up the spiritual,
inner man.
87. There is, however, nothing said of the years of Anna's
virginity, which signifies the unfruitful life before either the
law or grace has been in operation, and which is worthless
before God. Therefore virginity as a barren state was al-
together despised and disapproved in the Old Testament.
88. *But how is it that faith or the spiritual life of the inner
man, which without the law is widowed, without a husband,
is signified by the number 84 ? Let us here follow the example
of St. Augustine and try to find out the allegorical significance.
Every one knows that the numbers seven and twelve are the
most glorious in Holy Scripture. For these two numbers are
mentioned frequently, undoubtedly because there were twelve
apostles who founded and established the faith in all the world,
and who exalted only faith by their doctrine and life. Whereas
the one Moses received the law from the angels, threby uniting
Anna to a husband and demanding outward works from men.
Thus the apostles, who were twelve times more in number
than Moses, received the Gospel, not from angels, but from
* Paragraphs 88-93, which are not found in the edition of 1540
or the following editions, were inserted in the complete Witten-
berg edition of 1563, vol. IV, 472 with the following superscrip-
tion: "The following part of the explanation of the Gospel Luke
2 for the Sunday after Christmas, on the words: "And she had
been a widow even unto fourscore and four years," was left out
f the Church Postil, because it speaks only of the spiritual mean-
ing of the numbers seven, twelve and eighty-four. But we have
inserted it here so that it might not be lost in the course of time.
From this short portion of the sermon it may especially be seen
with what great diligence and zeal this sainted man examined the
Holy Scriptures, investigating everything as thorougly as possible."
See Erl. Ed. 10, 261.
292 luthe:r's church postiu
the Lord himself, and made us widows, free by faith and
justified without works. Now the saints of old, as we have
said before, possessed this apostolic faith along with the law.
Therefore they have not only acquired the number seven, but
also the number twelve, have not only possessed the one
Moses, but also the apostles who were twelve times more, have
lived as well under the law as free from the law, as we have
heard before. Thus the number seven signifies the one Moses,
and the number twelve times as many as Moses. It is there-
fore unquestionable that the number twelve signifies the apos-
tles, the apostolic doctrine, the apostolic faith, the true widow-
hood, the spiritual life without the law. So also the number
seven signifies Moses, the teaching of Moses, the works of
the law, the real matrimonial state of bondage.
89. The twelve apostles are typified by the twelve patri-
archs, the twelve precious stones on the holy garment of
Aaron, the twelve princes of the people of Israel, the twelve
stones taken out of the Jordan, the twelve foundations and
gates of the new Jerusalem etc. For the whole Scriptures em-
phasize faith and the Gospel, preached and established by the
apostles. Thus this faith is also signified by these eighty-four
years, which contains the number twelve in a wonderful man-
ner.
90. In the first place, eighty-four is equal to twelve times
seven. This signifies that the teacher of the law is only one,
Moses, being only one time seven, that is to say the law and
the life under the law. But the apostles are twelve, twelve
times as many as Moses. Eighty-four bears the same relation
to seven as twelve does to one. Now as the law was given
through one and the Gospel through twelve, it is evident that
seven signifies ]\Ioses and eighty-four the apostles. So the
disciples of Moses are represented by Anna in the state of
matrimony, while the widow Anna signifies the followers of
the apostles, the former cnipliasizing external conduct, the
latter a life in the Spirit and in faith. This also signifies that
faith exceeds the works as much as twelve exceeds the number
one, or eighty-four the number seven. It comprises the whole
sum and inheritance, as also the apostles calls it "holokleros",
SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 293
the whole inheritance, 1 Thess. 5, 23 ; for the number twelve
comprises all the people of Israel, divided into twelve tribes.
He who believes possesses all things, is an heir of heaven and
a blessed child of God. — Notice also the divine arrangement
here. As Anna was not a widow for twelve years nor a
married woman for one yar, God ordained it so that the years
of her wedded life were seven and those of her widowhood
eighty-four in number, the former number bearing the same
relation to the latter that one does to twelve. Besides this,
there is thus also found, as we have seen, a greater spiritual
significance in the number seven, in her wedded life and in
the state of her widowhood.
91. In the second place, the arithmeticians divide numbers
into so-called aliquot parts, that is to say they examine how
often a given number may be divided into equal parts. Thus
the number twelve may be divided five times into equal parts.
For twelve, in the first place, is twelve times one, all aliquot
parts ; secondly, six times two ; thirdly, four times three ;
fourthly, three times four; fifthly, two times six. In this case
there can be no further division into aliquot parts. Seven and
five are also twelve ; likewise three and nine, one and eleven,
but those numbers are not aliquot parts of twelve. Now they
add together these aliquot parts to find their sum. Thus, the
aliquot parts of twelve are 1, 2, 3, 4, G, which added together
make 16, exceeding the number itself by four. This is called
the abundant number, because the sum of the aliquot parts
exceeds the number itself. Again, sometimes the aliquot parts
of a number added together make less than the number itself.
For instance eight is eight times one, four times two, two
times four. But 1, 2, and 4 maks only seven, one less than
eight. This is called the deficient number. Between these two
is the perfect number, which is equal to the sum of its aliquot
parts. Thus, six is six times one, three times two and two
times three ; now one, two and three added together make six.
92. Notice here also that ]\Ioses, represented by the number
seven, cannot thus be divided, as all odd numbers cannot. For
this division is only possible with even numbers. But eighty-
four, which signifies the apostles, is an abundant number and
294 luthkr's church postil.
can be divided eleven times into aliquot parts. Judas, the
traitor, docs not belong to the abundant number, although he
is one of the number. He is omitted here, so that there may
not be twelve. He belongs to the number of the apostles in
name, but not in reality. In the first place, eighty-four is 84
times one; then 42 times 2, 28 times 3, 21 times 4, 14 times 6,
12 times 7, 7 times 12, 6 times 14, 4 times 21, 3 times 28, 2
times 42. If you add together the aliquot parts 1, 2, 3, 4, G, 7
12, 14, 21, 28, 42, the result is 140, 56 more than the number
itself.
93. All this signifies that Moses undivided, or the law, like
the number seven, remained by itself, having not passed be-
yond the Jewish people nor exercised an influence upon other
nations. But the spiritual life and the Gospel preached by the
apostles has spread abundantly over all the world. And as the
number one compared with twelve is very small and trifling,
so that it could hardly look more unimportant, so also the
number seven compared with eighty-four is very insignificant.
For the law with its works confers nothing upon its servants
but temporal possessions and worldly honor, a poor and
wretched possession, which will not increase, but surely de-
crease. On the other hand, one is great and will multiply in-
stead of decreasing; for faith has the blessing of God and
abounds forever with possessions and honor. — We have now
rambled about sufficiently and have seen that no tittle of the
Scriptures was written in vain. The dear fathers of old have
shown us great examples of faith, and with their works have
always pointed to that in which we should believe, namely
Christ and his Gospel. Therefore we read nothing concerning
them in vain, but their whole conduct strengthens and im-
proves our faith. Let us now continue with Anna.
94. Luke says that she departed not from the temple.
What a salutary and necessary exhortation ! We have heard
that by the temple is signified the Holy Scriptures. It was
a special sin of the people that they liked to listen to false
prophets and human doctrines; this they proved by erecting
altars outside of the temple, in high places and valleys. Moses
spoke against this in Deut. 5,32 and 12,32, when he said:
SUNDAY AI^Te:R CHRISTMAS. 295
"What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe
to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor dinimish from it." He
desires, as it were, the people to be like Anna, v/ho did not
depart from the temple. They were however not all like
Anna, but turned from the temple to their altars, from the
law of God to their own devices and to false prophets.
95. But this was nothing compared with the state of affairs
at the present time. We have not only been seduced by the
pope and human doctrines to depart from the temple, but we
have also arbitrarily destroyed and desecrated it with all kinds
of profanations and abominations, more than we can express.
But we ought to heed what St. Anthony so diligently taught
his disciples, namely that nobody should do anything that
has not been commanded or advised by God in the Scriptures,
so that we might by all means remain in the temple. Psalm