We Live in Hope

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.
ZECHARIAH 9:12
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We Live in Hope
One could take this doubling to mean the people or the Spirit multiplied because of hearing the Gospel. . .. However, I am much more pleased with another statement which we find in Isaiah (Isaiah 40:2): "She has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins." And here we have, "Today I declare that I will restore to you double." . . . This is pure grace when He restores double grace in the place of sins which have been taken away, that is, He removes from us both the Law and sin. . .. It was not enough that we be freed from sin unless the author of sin also be taken away. That, of course, is the Law, which causes sin to abound, and it makes demands on us and accuses us so that no conscience can ever be joyful. But that redemption is brought about by the blood of the King. In sum, the prophet is doing the following: he describes the way in which that King has arrived at this kingdom of salvation and righteousness. Through the Word we are justified and freed. We are moved from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light by the power of Christ's blood. Then we live in hope.

From Lectures on Zechariah (Latin text) (Luther's Works 20:98-99)
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