Saturday, December 31, 2016

GN-DBRP_001 GEN.1 GEN.2 JOB.1 MRK.1.1-28


Congratulations on starting TODAY on a life-transforming journey! The Digging Deeper Daily plan will help you be successful in your commitment to read the whole Bible in a year. The unique order of the readings— together with the brief devotional notes, will help see the various threads that unify the message of the Old and the New Testaments. I hope these notes will help you remember what you have read the day before, and hint at the deep and incredibly rich treasures in God’s Word. But the most satisfying treasures that you find this year will be the ones you dig to discover for yourself! Check out the ‘Shovels’ page of dailybiblereading.info for tools to help you go deeper in your study.

GENESIS 1-2:
The first five books of the Bible are the Jewish Torah, and the Bible refers to them collectively as ‘the Law’. Many other books in the Bible attribute the authorship of these five books to Moses. Genesis is the foundational book of the whole Bible. When we were in our first Bible translation project among the Orya in Papua, Indonesia, I witnessed how getting a little detail of the foundation wrong (such as, how the first sin happened) can wreck the whole building that is being constructed. This book of Genesis tells us what God wants us to know about the beginning of our world, the beginning of sin, mankind’s rebellion against God, and who God and Satan are.

JOB 1:
Job is probably the oldest book of the Bible, so it makes good sense to start our daily poetry readings here. Job probably lived sometime around the time of the patriarch Abraham. Amazingly for such an early book, we find established religious practices and beliefs, excellent poetry, well-developed mythology, and very sophisticated philosophy. One would expect an early book to end with a neat answer that sums up the author’s opinion. Or one would expect an early author to create a debate where the hero is totally right and the other speakers are clearly wrong. Instead, all the human speakers in the book of Job mix truth and error. And it is a mark of inspiration that Job leaves us still searching for some answers.

MARK 1a:

 

GNT Translation notes:
1 This is the Good News about [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], the Son of God.
[The order in Greek here is ‘Jesus Christ’, and sometimes the Greek puts the order the other way around. I will consistently read ‘Christ Jesus’. Here is the reason I do this: Although it has become natural for us to say ‘Jesus Christ’, it is actually against English grammar. ‘Christ’ is a title. And in English, titles (such as president, doctor, or ambassador) always come first. The reason why I point this out is this: I have found people who think that ‘Christ’ is Jesus’ last name. The title ‘Christ’ (from Greek) means exactly the same thing as Messiah (from Hebrew). Both mean ‘anointed one’.
You will notice that I read many Bible names in a strange way. I read them with a more phonetic pronunciation— which in fact, is more like how the Indonesian language and many others read them. This allows me to be more consistent in my pronunciation, and it also happens to be more like the Hebrew and Greek pronunciations. English pronunciations for some names is quite far from the source language pronunciations. An example from today is the name Isaiah, which I pronounce as ‘Yesayah’.]
6 John wore clothes made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food [included//was] locusts and wild honey.



NLT Translation notes:
Gen. 1:3Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was
light. 4And God saw that the light was good. Then he
separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the
light “day” and the darkness “night.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking
the [end of the] first day.
… And evening passed and morning came, marking
the [end of the] second day.
and so forth.

====

Mrk. 1:1 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son
of God. It began 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written, …
[quoting what God said to his son:]
6 [John reminded people of the prophet Elijah,] because
his clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore
a leather belt around his waist. And he ate food such as
locusts and wild honey.


Check out this episode!

NL-DBRP_001 GEN.1 GEN.2 JOB.1 MRK.1.1-28


Congratulations on starting TODAY on a life-transforming journey! The Digging Deeper Daily plan will help you be successful in your commitment to read the whole Bible in a year. The unique order of the readings— together with the brief devotional notes, will help see the various threads that unify the message of the Old and the New Testaments. I hope these notes will help you remember what you have read the day before, and hint at the deep and incredibly rich treasures in God’s Word. But the most satisfying treasures that you find this year will be the ones you dig to discover for yourself! Check out the ‘Shovels’ page of dailybiblereading.info for tools to help you go deeper in your study.

GENESIS 1-2:
The first five books of the Bible are the Jewish Torah, and the Bible refers to them collectively as ‘the Law’. Many other books in the Bible attribute the authorship of these five books to Moses. Genesis is the foundational book of the whole Bible. When we were in our first Bible translation project among the Orya in Papua, Indonesia, I witnessed how getting a little detail of the foundation wrong (such as, how the first sin happened) can wreck the whole building that is being constructed. This book of Genesis tells us what God wants us to know about the beginning of our world, the beginning of sin, mankind’s rebellion against God, and who God and Satan are.

JOB 1:
Job is probably the oldest book of the Bible, so it makes good sense to start our daily poetry readings here. Job probably lived sometime around the time of the patriarch Abraham. Amazingly for such an early book, we find established religious practices and beliefs, excellent poetry, well-developed mythology, and very sophisticated philosophy. One would expect an early book to end with a neat answer that sums up the author’s opinion. Or one would expect an early author to create a debate where the hero is totally right and the other speakers are clearly wrong. Instead, all the human speakers in the book of Job mix truth and error. And it is a mark of inspiration that Job leaves us still searching for some answers.

MARK 1a:

 

GNT Translation notes:
1 This is the Good News about [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], the Son of God.
[The order in Greek here is ‘Jesus Christ’, and sometimes the Greek puts the order the other way around. I will consistently read ‘Christ Jesus’. Here is the reason I do this: Although it has become natural for us to say ‘Jesus Christ’, it is actually against English grammar. ‘Christ’ is a title. And in English, titles (such as president, doctor, or ambassador) always come first. The reason why I point this out is this: I have found people who think that ‘Christ’ is Jesus’ last name. The title ‘Christ’ (from Greek) means exactly the same thing as Messiah (from Hebrew). Both mean ‘anointed one’.
You will notice that I read many Bible names in a strange way. I read them with a more phonetic pronunciation— which in fact, is more like how the Indonesian language and many others read them. This allows me to be more consistent in my pronunciation, and it also happens to be more like the Hebrew and Greek pronunciations. English pronunciations for some names is quite far from the source language pronunciations. An example from today is the name Isaiah, which I pronounce as ‘Yesayah’.]
6 John wore clothes made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food [included//was] locusts and wild honey.



NLT Translation notes:
Gen. 1:3Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was
light. 4And God saw that the light was good. Then he
separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the
light “day” and the darkness “night.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking
the [end of the] first day.
… And evening passed and morning came, marking
the [end of the] second day.
and so forth.

====

Mrk. 1:1 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son
of God. It began 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written, …
[quoting what God said to his son:]
6 [John reminded people of the prophet Elijah,] because
his clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore
a leather belt around his waist. And he ate food such as
locusts and wild honey.


Check out this episode!

Friday, December 30, 2016

JOT_Mark_1a


Motivated by the joy of the Lord, I would like to make a new translation of the New Testament, and I invite you to join me in the process!

 

To offer a suggestion or comment about this translation, please go to our Facebook group and make a new post referencing this podcast, or add a comment to one already started.

 

John the Baptist prepares God’s people for Jesus’ coming

(Mat. 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:19-28)

1-2 The following is the Good News1 about Christ 2 Jesus, God’s Son.3 The story of his coming begins just like the Prophet Isaiah foretold. Isaiah wrote God's promise to His Son,

“Note this: Before I send You, I will send a messenger to get everything ready for You.”4

3 His announcements will ring out from the wilderness,

“Let’s get prepared for the Lord’s coming! Prepare yourself to meet the Lord!”5

4 After many years, the messenger that God promised came to the wilderness. His name was John. He preached to the people who came to him, “Stop sinning, so that God will forgive you! If you are sincere about following the Lord, let me baptize6 you.” 5 It seemed like everyone from the whole province of Judea and from Jerusalem came out to the Jordan River to listen to John. They confessed their sins to God, and John baptized them there. 6 John’s lifestyle marked him as a prophet. He wore rough clothes made of camel’s hair

with a leather belt around his waist, and he often ate locusts and wild honey.

7 He also taught them, “Soon One with far greater authority than me will come. I’m not even worthy to be the slave who would stoop down to untie the straps of his sandals.7 8 I can only baptize you with water, but that One will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John baptizes Jesus

9 During that time, Jesus (who was from the town of Nazareth in Galilee) came and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10 The moment Jesus came out of the water he saw heaven split apart. As he watched, God’s Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove. 11 And everyone there heard God speak to him, “You are my Son. I love you and you please me so much!”

Jesus is tempted by the devil
(Mat. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)

12 Right after that, God’s Spirit compelled Jesus to go out alone into the wilderness. 13 Jesus wandered out there for forty days— out where there are many wild animals. Satan repeatedly tempted Him without success. Angels also came and helped Jesus.

Jesus begins His work
(Mat. 4:12-22; Luke 4:14-15, 5:1-11)

14 After John the Baptist was thrown in jail, Jesus went around the province of Galilee preaching the Good News of God. 15 His message was, “It is time for God to set up His kingdom. Repent and believe this good news!”

16 While Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen throwing their nets into the lake. They were Simon (who was also called Peter) and his younger brother Andrew. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Come and follow Me. Instead of netting fish, I’ll teach you to net and lead people.” 18 At that very moment, they left their nets and followed Jesus. 19-20 Jesus walked a little farther on and saw two other fishermen mending their nets in a boat. They were James and his younger brother, John, the sons of Zebedee. As soon as Jesus saw them, he called them. And they left their father and his hired men, and followed Jesus.

Jesus drives an evil spirit out of a man at Capernaum

21 After that, Jesus and his disciples went to the city of Capernaum. On the Sabbath day, he entered the Jewish meeting house8 and taught the people there. 22 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words carried such personal authority. Unlike the experts in Jewish Law, he didn't just borrow authority by quoting what other teachers had said.

23 Then suddenly a man who was controlled by an evil spirit came in and shouted, 24 “Hey, you9 from Nazareth— Jesus, why come stick your nose in here! Are you gonna wipe us out?! I know who you are! You’re the holy one sent from God!” 25 Jesus commanded, “Shut up! Come out of that man!” 26 The man screamed as the evil spirit shook him violently, and then the evil spirit was gone. 27 Everyone there was totally amazed. This caused them to ask each other, “Wow! What kind of a new teaching is this?! This man's authority is so great that even evil spirits obey Him!” 28 Then news about Jesus spread rapidly throughout the whole province of Galilee.



Footnotes:
1:1 Good News This is the news that God has already made a way to forgive sinners so that they can live with Him forever. Good News is also often translated ‘Gospel’.

2+ 1:1 Christ is a word from the Greek language, which means ‘the anointed One’. It is not a personal name. In Hebrew, the same term is called ‘Messiah’. During Old Testament times, each king was anointed with olive oil by a prophet as a sign of being chosen and confirmed by God. And all the priests and prophets of that time were also anointed. It’s appropriate to call Jesus “the anointed One,” because He holds the positions of prophet, High King, and our High Priest (Heb. 4-10). Because of some prophecies in the books of the prophets and the Psalms, at the time of Jesus, the Jewish people in general understood the meaning of ‘Christ’ as the King of Salvation whom God promised, who would come from the descendants of King David, free the people of Israel from those who opposed them, set up a government with the power of God, and rule with justice. (Is. 9:6-7; Gen. 3:15; Deut. 18:18-19; Mic. 5:2; Zec. 12:10-14; Mal. 3:1, 4:5-6; Ps. 2, 16, 22, 40, 110)

3+ 1:1 God’s Son Before Jesus was born on this earth, God had announced about Him in Ps. 2:7, “You are My Son. Today I proclaim that I am Your Father.” (See Heb. 1:5) Before the birth of Jesus, the angel Gabriel told Mary in Luke 1:35, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Almighty will come upon you, so that the holy Son you will give birth to will be called God’s Son.” So God Himself was the one who announced that Jesus was His Son before He was born on this earth, and we call Him “God’s Son” in agreement with God’s Word. Luke 1:35 also makes it clear that Mary conceived Jesus— not because of a sexual relationship with God or man, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit. (See John 4:24.)

4+ 1:1-2 Mal. 3:1

5+ 1:3 Is. 40:3 from an old translation of the Greek language (LXX)

6+ 1:4 baptize is a word that is borrowed directly from the Greek language. It means to dip or put something into water for a moment. Before John the Baptist began his ministry, there were already some Jewish groups doing baptism as a religious requirement or symbol to symbolize asking God to cleanse one of sin and desire to live without sin. For we Christians, baptism has the same meaning, but is given a new meaning in greater depth. First, baptism is a sign the we have decided to follow Jesus for as long as we live. Because Jesus has already cleansed us from sin, baptism also shows that we will continue to live free from sin and according to the will of God. And the deeper meaning of baptism is that in a spiritual sense, we have been buried with Jesus and already have been brought back to life with Jesus. It means that we now live a new life. See Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-28; Col. 2:12-13.

7+ 1:7 His sandals During Jesus’ time, everyone wore sandals that were made from animal skin, and it was very easy for their feet to get dirty when walking. Because of that, when a guest entered a house, a slave or a servant usually had the task of untying the straps of the sandals and washing the guest’s feet. So what Mark writes here, “to stoop down and untie the straps of His sandals,” illustrates that John doesn’t feel worthy to take the job of a slave who does the most lowly work, like washing the guests’ feet.

8+ 1:21 Jewish meeting house In the Greek language the word is synagogue. In New Testament times, synagogues were used for all kinds of civic meetings and decision making, and were also used as places for Jewish people to pray and study God’s Word. Meeting houses were different than the temple in the city of Jerusalem. Animal sacrifices and other offerings were never performed at synagogues, but only at the altar of the temple.

9+ 1:24 you Since at least the 1950-60's, Bible translations stopped following the KJV's method of using capital letters for pronouns referring to deity. A capital letter can only be seen by a reader, but cannot be heard by one who is only listening to a reading. The identity (referent) of each pronoun must therefore be clear without the use of capital letters. Another reason for not using capital letters is that some readers wrongly thought that any speaker in the New Testament who used a capital letter pronoun referring to Jesus was a believer in him. Many who spoke about Jesus were not believers. Here we have a demon who actually believed something about Jesus, but his words should not be understood to convey respect for Jesus.

 


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Thursday, December 29, 2016

DBRP_365 MAL.4 ISA.66 REV.22


MALACHI 4:
As people like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2) waited for the Messiah to come, I am sure that they were thinking of verses like Malachi 3:1:

“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

Re-reading ISAIAH 66:
Isaiah ends with blessings and promises  that foreshadow Revelation, such as these:

12 GNT The Lord says, “I will bring you lasting prosperity; the wealth of the nations will flow to you like a river that never goes dry. …
22 “Just as the new earth and the new heavens will endure by my power, so your descendants and your name will endure.

In stark contrast to the promises and blessings, Isaiah also ends with vivid warnings against judgments and punishments that are like those in Revelation. Jesus himself quoted that final verse about the worms and the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:48) You can take that as Jesus’ stamp of approval on all that Isaiah said!

REVELATION 22:
In chapter 21 we heard the invitation to receive free life-giving water for anyone who is thirsty, and that invitation is repeated in today’s chapter. The culmination of everything promised and the healing of everything sick and broken occur here. God says, “Look, I am making all things new.” There is again symbolism in every aspect of the New Jerusalem— including even the shape of a huge cube. As noted above at the end of Isaiah, in stark contrast to the eternal blessings for God’s people are the vivid ending warnings of eternal judgment in the last two chapters of Revelation.

In Rev. 22:8-9, most translations make it sound that John made the same mistake twice— bowing down again to the angel that was showing everything to him. But the Greek in those verse in chapter 22 can be understood to be retelling that event that happened in chapter 19, and I think that makes better sense. The probable reason that John included the story twice was to emphasize that angels should not be worshipped. Let’s beware of such heresy! Because such false teaching keeps on resurfacing and some forms of Gnosticism remain to the present day.

Congratulations on finishing the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan!

Translation notes:
8 I, John, have heard and seen all these things. And when I finished hearing and seeing them, (as I told you before) I fell down at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things, and I was about to worship him.
14-15 [It makes better sense to me to include verses 14-15 in Jesus’ quote, which means I did not read those verse the way I would if they were John’s narration.]


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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

DBRP_364 MAL.3 ISA.66 REV.21


MALACHI 3:
In chapters 1-2 yesterday, we heard how skeptical and sassy the Israelites had become. This came out in the way Malachi has the people of Israel talk back to God. The first is like this:

2 NLT “I have always loved you,” says the LORD.
But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?”

Topics for such exchanges included offering sacrifices that don’t show appropriate honor to God, breaking covenants of marriage through divorce, and not honoring God as the God of justice. Two more sassy exchanges happen in today’s reading.

ISAIAH 66:
I highlight verse 17 from chapter 65, as it foreshadows what we will read in Revelation today and tomorrow:

17 NLT “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.

And I believe that these moving verses from that same chapter portray the torment of the lake of fire:

13 GNT And so I tell you that those who worship and obey me will have plenty to eat and drink, but you will be hungry and thirsty. They will be happy, but you will be disgraced.
14 They will sing for joy, but you will cry with a broken heart.

REVELATION 21:
In chapter 20, we read about the millennium or the thousand year reign of Christ, the defeat and imprisonment of Satan, his brief release following the 1,000 years, and his eventual eternal judgment in the lake of fire. Death and the Grave were also abolished in the lake of fire.


Check out this episode!

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

DBRP_363 MAL.1 MAL.2 ISA.65 REV.20


MALACHI 1-2:
We heard a very difficult conclusion to Zechariah yesterday. Chapter 14 started out with horrendous news for Jerusalem. But the Lord himself steps in:

3 NLT Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart …

We will see the following from Zech 14 very soon in Revelation:

“Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him.
6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine,
7 yet there will be continuous day! …
8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean,
flowing continuously in both summer and winter.”

We turn now to the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. The name means, “my messenger.” There is debate as to the date of the writing of this post exilic prophet, but generally speaking it is true that there is a 400 year gap between this last Old Testament prophet and New Testament. It could be that Malachi prophesied in Nehemiah’s day. Both Malachi and Nehemiah dealt with priestly laxity (Mal. 1:6; Neh. 13:4-9), neglect of tithes (Mal. 3:7-12; Neh. 13:10-13), and intermarriage between Israelites and foreigners (Mal. 2:10-16; Neh. 13:23-28).”

Re-reading ISAIAH 65:
Note that the chapter starts with a verse that Paul quotes in Romans 10.

REVELATION 20:
After the judgment wreaked against Babylon (chapter 18), we heard songs praising God’s justice in chapter 19. Then we saw the appearing of Christ riding on a white horse. Typical of John’s reticence to name deity, Christ is not named, but is beautifully described. Note that even Jesus has a name written on his person which only He understands. And like in John 1:1, Christ’s title is the ‘Word of God’. It is possible that this account of His appearing may not be in chronological order in its position following the destruction of Babylon. Although Christ’s army is mentioned, note how the victory is won by Christ alone.


Our awesome Creator, sovereign God, and heavenly Father: How far more awesome you are than we can know or think. You are not a God that simply created a blob of protoplasm and left it to evolve. Such a God would not have a plan spanning from before the world existed until new heavens and new earth exist. Such a God would not have written the Lamb’s book of life before the world existed. You are not a disinterested God who simply allows mankind to go their own way. Nor are you a Santa Claus sort of God that whimsically looks down occasionally and gives gifts to mankind. You are a God who knows us through and through, and who causes records to be kept for every single person that ever lived on earth. You are a God who put concepts of right and wrong in the hearts of every person. This proves we didn’t simply evolve from animals. And it was You who decided that there would need to be a spiritual battle with evil, that there would be an enemy named Satan, and that he would need to be decisively defeated. You determined that there would need to be a way to save mankind and yet at the same time not compromise your justice, righteousness, or holiness. We bow before You. You are the God who sees us!


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Monday, December 26, 2016

DBRP_362 ZEC.14 ISA.65 REV.19


ZECHARIAH 14:
Unfortunately, we have not yet seen the fulfillment of this prophecy from the end of Zechariah 12:

10 NLT “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.

(The episode notes for episode 361 contain a translation note on this verse.)

However, this part has been fulfilled from the beginning of chapter 13:

“On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.

This from Zechariah 13 was referred to by the Lord Jesus in Mark 14:27 in— or on the way to, the garden of Gethsemane:

7 NLT “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
the man who is my partner,”
says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
“Strike down the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered,
and I will turn against the lambs.

ISAIAH 65:
In chapter 64, there is a mixture of hope, regretful repentance, and supplication— including these verses:

4 NLT For since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!
5 You welcome those who gladly do good,
who follow godly ways.
But you have been very angry with us,
for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved?
6 We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.

REVELATION 19:
In Revelation 18 we heard the chapter of doom against the city of Babylon (or Rome, or the united evil world system based on immoral commerce). If chapter 18 sounded familiar, it is because you were remembering Ezek 27.



Lord Jesus, you are named Faithful and True, and the Word of God. You are King of kings and Lord of lords. You have the power to rule the nations and crush them like an iron rod crushes ceramic pots. The sword that comes from your mouth is able to kill all your enemies in one stroke. We rejoice with those in heaven at your victory, but our rejoicing is mixed with pity at the fate of those who do not follow you. Lord, please have mercy on us! We cry out for mercy because we are not ready for your victory. We personally mourn because of our own moral failures and mistakes. Please forgive us. And we mourn because of friends and relatives with whom we haven’t been loving enough to share how they may be saved. And like Isaiah said, all the while we have been wasting time, You have been ready to answer our prayers. Yet we have not prayed! You have been saying, “Here I am; I will help you,” and we have not asked you to help us. So we will ask you now for those we care about who do not know you. Lord, help them to find You. And give us courage to speak to them about You.


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Sunday, December 25, 2016

DBRP_361 ZEC.12 ZEC.13 ISA.64 REV.18


ZECHARIAH 12-13:
Several times I have noted Zechariah and other prophets who use the figure of shepherding a flock— picturing God’s people. In chapter 11, there were puzzling verses where Zechariah evidently performed an outward demonstration involving two staffs. Other prophets did such demonstrations. In this one, evidently Zechariah stood in for the Messiah. The two staffs were named Favor and Union. Our Messiah, Jesus, came to restore us to God’s favor and give us unity as God’s people— no matter from what race. The 30 pieces of silver is spoken of with irony: “this magnificent sum at which they valued me.” Remember this shepherd picture!

ISAIAH 64:
Yesterday in chapter 63, we heard the people of Israel ask a whole series of questions about the Lord, like:

“Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd?

And here is another verse:

15 NLT LORD, look down from heaven;
look from your holy, glorious home, and see us.
Where is the passion and the might
you used to show on our behalf?
Where are your mercy and compassion now?

The chapter ended with deep pathos:

18 NLT How briefly your holy people possessed your holy place,
and now our enemies have destroyed it.
19 Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you,
as though we had never been known as your people.

However, don’t forget how the chapter started, with the Lord wearing blood-stained robes from trampling out the grapes (yes, ‘grapes of wrath’)— the nations who oppressed his people. This is a picture of the grape harvest that we saw so recently in Revelation 14. Note that in Isaiah the Lord does the trampling alone. And so we see also in Revelation, the final battle is won by the Lord acting alone.

REVELATION 18:
The part that puzzles me most in chapter 17 is this:

8 GNT That beast was once alive, but lives no longer; it is about to come up from the abyss and will go off to be destroyed. The people living on earth whose names have not been written before the creation of the world in the book of the living, will all be amazed as they look at the beast. It was once alive; now it no longer lives, but it will reappear.

While that is confusing, the important thing is clear: Satan is the sponsor of the beast.

GNT Translation note:
18 and cried out as they saw the smoke from the flames that consumed her: [They said,] “There never has been another city like this great city!”



Lord, God, we bow before you as our creator. You are the potter. We are the clay. We are your people, and we thank you that you have revealed to us how merciful you are. Because you are our creator, you have the right to do with us what you decide. You decided, Lord, that it would most glorify you to create humans to live forever. But you decided that in heaven, it would not do to have people praising themselves. So you did not make a way for man to save himself by his own efforts. The result would have been pots thinking they were smarter than the potter. You decided that there should be only one way for mankind to be saved. Since you are the only God, allowing multiple ways to get to heaven would mean that pots worshipped other pots instead of the potter. You also decided that it would not do to zap people with judgment the very moment they sinned. You did not want people attempting to please you merely from fear. You wanted the worship of people who would love you. But sin had to be punished. Never bringing judgment on sinful people would not be fair or just. So you came to the rescue of your people by sending the promised redeemer, the one and only Son of Man who was one with yourself, King of Righteousness, and the Lamb of God. Your judgment fell on him, and he opened the way to heaven for us. We understand now why judgment must fall upon the wicked city of Babylon. Help us to leave that wicked city, and protect us from its influences. We your people will be thankful and love and worship You forever.


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Saturday, December 24, 2016

DBRP_360 ZEC.10 ZEC.11 ISA.63 REV.17


ZECHARIAH 10-11:
As we have seen before, the Lord loves names and delights to give new names. In Zec. 8 He said,

3 NLT Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.

In Zec. 9 we read the verse Matthew quotes in chapter 21 about Jesus coming riding on the foal of a donkey. The verse is also alluded to in John 12:15. And we heard this verse about the New Jerusalem:

16 NLT On that day the LORD their God will rescue his people,
just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.

ISAIAH 63:
In chapter 62 we read promises like what I shared above about the Lord giving names:

4 NLT Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”
or “The Desolate Land.”
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”
and “The Bride of God,”
for the LORD delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.

And similarly at the end of that chapter:

‘Look, your Savior is coming.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
12 NLT They will be called “The Holy People”
and “The People Redeemed by the LORD.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

We will see the fulfillment of all this in the last chapters of Revelation.

REVELATION 17:
In chapter 16 we heard all 7 of the Bowl Judgments. At the time this judgment happens and the bowls are poured out on the earth, it seems that 100% of the people are opposed to God. No one repents when the judgments happen, but instead curse God. And there are preparations for a final battle of Armageddon with God. However God’s voice from the throne says that “It is finished.” This seems to refer to the punishment against Babylon. In John’s day, Babylon was a code word among Christians for the city of Rome— the capital city of the empire, which was built on 7 hills. In our day Babylon pictures the united evil world system supported by commerce.



Lord Jesus, we praise You as the Cornerstone rejected by the builders, and the Good Shepherd rejected by the leaders of the people. Thirty pieces of silver was the magnificent sum that they paid for you, and it was thrown into the Temple. How amazing is your Word, Lord! But even so, we live in a world where increasing Favor and Unity have been destroyed. We cry out to you like Isaiah and say, “Lord, look upon us from heaven, where you live in your holiness and glory. Where is your great concern for us? Where is your power like you showed through Moses? Where is your love and compassion?” Don’t let us be so stubborn!

Because we look forward to the time when you alone will trample the grapes in the winepress of your anger. You alone will win the victory. You will indeed show your awesome power. So while we wait and live in Babylon, give us the wisdom and righteousness of Daniel. Give us the power to be your witnesses like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, to not bow before the emperor’s statue when the music of the world plays.


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Friday, December 23, 2016

DBRP_359 ZEC.8 ZEC.9 ISA.62 REV.16


ZECHARIAH 8-9:
I hope that you have noticed [Joshua//Jeshua] the high priest. He was the one that Satan was not allowed to accuse. He was given clean clothes. He is a priest and was given a clean priestly turban. And the gem with seven facets (literally, seven eyes) was set before him. He is a picture of the Messiah, who is called the Lord’s righteous Branch. Then in chapter 6 we read that he was given a crown, and told:

6:13 NLT Yes, he will build the Temple of the LORD. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.’

As far as a normal man can do so, he is a picture of Jesus. And Joshua is a variant of Jeshua— which is the same name the Greeks pronounce ‘Yesu’, which is where we get our pronunciation of Jesus. From our place in history, how easy it is to see what God was picturing.

Translation note:
[The Hebrew for verse 13 can also be understood like GNT, ESV, and HCSB.]
GNT He is the one who will build it and receive the honor due a king, and he will rule his people. A priest will stand by his throne, and they will work together in peace and harmony.’//NIV84 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.]

 

ISAIAH 62:
Yesterday we heard another Messianic section of Isaiah— the part that Jesus spoke in his hometown synagogue in Luke 4. And Jesus alluded to the same passage when he sent John the Baptist’s disciples back to him in Luke 7.

REVELATION 16:
Note that we saw another view of the crystal sea in chapter 15, but this time it was mixed with fire. In chapter 4 it was clear as crystal. My theory is that the glassy sea is the same, but it changes in appearance based on God’s prevailing mood and the tenor of current events. Note that the 144,000 (or all the people victorious over the beast) sang the song of Moses. Note that with just that little hint, the victory over the forces of Satan is pictured as victory over the army of Egypt and release from bondage. The angels are dressed like Jesus in chapter 1. The plagues come from the interiour of the heavenly sanctuary.

We turn now from the interlude between the trumpets and the bowls. There is a difference here: You will see that before, the plagues struck just a third of whatever object. Now they strike 100%. This is the end!



Our sovereign God and everlasting Father, again and again You have repeated the words Zechariah recorded, “I will rescue my people.” “I will bring them back from east and west to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Isaiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be given a new name. He wrote your words when you promised, “The Lord is announcing to all the earth: “Tell the people of Jerusalem that the Lord is coming to save you, bringing with him the people he has rescued.” You will be called “God’s Holy People,” “The People the Lord has Saved.” Jerusalem will be called “The City that God Loves,” “The City That God Did Not Forsake.”

Lord, after giving your Son to redeem and rescue a people and provide a way that they could be accepted as your holy people, it is rather unlikely that you would change your mind and say, “It’s OK, you can come to me by other doors. There are many ways to heaven. It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.” O Lord, help the people of this world to understand how much trouble you have gone to in order to teach the human race that there is only one who can rescue us, and his name is Jesus. There is only one way, and Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Help us to tell people that it matters very much what we believe. Because, Lord, one way You show your glory is by never changing your mind. There will be a New Jerusalem and those who are privileged to live there because of your grace. And there will be those who will experience the seven final plagues poured out upon them.


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Thursday, December 22, 2016

DBRP_358 ZEC.6 ZEC.7 ISA.61 REV.15


ZECHARIAH 6-7:
There were so many correspondences to Revelation in the three chapters we read yesterday in Zechariah that I cannot even take time to list them. I single out this one from chapter 3 as especially interesting:

3:8 NLT “Listen to me, O [Joshua//Jeshua] the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.
9 Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.

Joshua was called the ‘Branch’, or ‘Rod’, or ‘Shoot’— and in this age we can clearly see that both he and Zerubbabel are pictures of the Messiah. The Branch is also referred to in Jeremiah and Isaiah.

Secondly, it is interesting that the stone has seven ‘facets’. The word for facets in Hebrew is literally ‘eyes’. And the Lamb in revelation has seven eyes.

This insight given to Zerubbabel in chapter 4 is a principle for all of us to lay hold of:

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

This is one of Gale’s favorite verses. We have claimed this repeatedly in our lives:

10 NLT Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…”

ISAIAH 61:
Yesterday in chapter 60, we heard many wonderful promises about the New Jerusalem— especially verses 1-3 and 19-21.

REVELATION 15:
Note that in chapter 14 the victory over Babylon is proclaimed as already won. God’s holy people are again warned against receiving the mark of the beast. At the end of the chapter are the two harvests, the wheat harvest of the righteous, and the grape harvest of those who will enter into eternal punishment. These are visions that give an overview, in a similar vein as the vision in chapter 12.



Sovereign Lord God, our creator and Father, and Lord Christ Jesus, our savior. We are the poor and broken hearted that you have saved. We are the captives that you have released. We were oppressed, and you have defeated our enemies. We are those who mourn for so many losses, but you comfort us. You will wipe away all our tears. You turn our grief and sorrow into joy and gladness, and give us songs of praise. May we be like fruit trees that bear much fruit for your glory. May all nations come and worship you. May your glorious actions be seen by all, resulting in your praise. But before we can enjoy entering that new Jerusalem that will be dressed up like a bride on her wedding day, it is necessary for you to right all wrongs. It is right, Lord, that you judge the people on earth who have joined Satan’s forces, who are liars and murderers, and who stubbornly refuse to listen to the truth about you, but instead promote all kinds of evil. The judgments you will bring show your holiness and justice, and will be the answer the prayers of your people who have been persecuted and killed. Lord, today, we desire to please you in all we do because we live in awe of you.


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Wednesday, December 21, 2016

DBRP_357 ZEC.3 ZEC.4 ZEC.5 ISA.60 REV.14


ZECHARIAH 3-5:
In Zechariah 1-2 we heard how Zechariah’s dreams often included angels talking with him. There were horses and riders, horns and blacksmiths, and the measuring Jerusalem. Jerusalem will not be nearly big enough. God’s people WILL COME out of captivity in Babylon. Note that by Zechariah’s time, this was already happening. His words and those events foreshadow what we read in Revelation about the new Jerusalem.

ISAIAH 60:
In Isaiah 59 we again read beautiful messages that harmonize with what we are reading in Revelation. The beginning verses contain foundational truths:

1 NLT Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you,
nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.
Because of your sins, he has turned away
and will not listen anymore.

Ephesians 6 is not the only place we hear of spiritual armor, but in 59:17 it is the Lord who wears it.

The next-to-last verse of the chapter prophecies about the coming Redeemer. And the last verse says about those who are God’s redeemed people and enjoy a covenant with Him, “My spirit will not leave them.”

REVELATION 14:
Note that the beast that comes up from the sea— which we heard about in chapter 13, is under the ancient dragon of chapter 12. It says this about the beast:

7 NLT And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.
8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.

Note that the Book of Life belongs to the Lamb, and note when the names were written in it. This should encourage us who are on the path of Life! God knew you from before the world was made!

Back in chapter 12 we heard how long all this would last: a time, times, and half a time = 3 ½ years, 42 months, or 1260 days. We heard those times in Daniel. But remember these are symbolic numbers, and God alone knows how to calculate them.




Lord Jesus, we don’t know where to start to praise You and our heavenly Father! Because of You alone, we can be clothed in white. Your blood washes away the stains of our sins. You took away our sin in a single day. Thank you, Lord, that in all spiritual battle, we succeed— not by military might or by our own strength, but by your Spirit. Thank you that you have freed us from Babylon—the city of man, and this world’s system. And you have made us citizens of the New Jerusalem, which will be happy, prosperous, beautiful, and full of your glory. We will no longer need the sun and moon, because your light will be brighter and last longer. But what a great contrast for those who worship the beast and accept his mark on their bodies. There will be no relief from fiery torment for them forever. So may we have endurance in these last days, and never stop obeying God’s commands or stop being faithful to You, Lord Jesus. May we consider it a blessing to be killed in your service. And may we take comfort that the results of our service will not be forgotten by God.


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Tuesday, December 20, 2016

DBRP_356 ZEC.1 ZEC.2 ISA.59 REV.13


ZECHARIAH 1-2:
Yesterday we read both chapters of the little book of Haggai, and heard how Haggai motivated his discouraged audience to return to the task of rebuilding the temple. Haggai certainly must have known and worked with our next author— Zechariah.

There are at least 27 men named Zechariah in the Old Testament. The name means ‘Yahweh remembers’. This book— remarkable for its surrealistic visions and vivid poetic images, is sometimes called the ‘Apocalypse of the Old Testament’. Since we are also reading Revelation, you will get a double dose of this genre.

Mears gives this interesting comment, and this is something I suggest we watch for as we read this book:

Someone has said that to correctly read the visions of this book, you must shine two lights on them— the light of the cross and the light of the crown. Otherwise, you will find that you don’t have the proper perspective or background to understand Zechariah’s visions. The prophet, looking far into the future, saw two aspects of the future Messiah— one Person, but two appearances. First, he saw Him in humiliation and suffering; then he saw Him in majesty and great glory. Jewish people who do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah ignore the Christ of the cross. Christians too often ignore the Christ of the crown. Both are wrong.

NLT Translation note:
Zech. 1:9 I asked him, “Sir, what do these horses [and riders] mean?” He answered, “I will show you what they mean.

ISAIAH 59:
Although chapter 58 didn’t use the word ‘hypocrisy’, that is what God was preaching against. After telling us the kind of fasting that God desires most, God gave beautiful promises to those who live as He teaches.

REVELATION 13:
Following the 7th trumpet blast in chapter 11, the vision in chapter 12 is an overview. The woman who gives birth to ‘he who will rule the nations with a rod of iron’ is not a picture of Mary. This is an overview. I encourage you to dig deeper to find out more about the picture of the glorious woman. I will give you my take about the dragon’s seven heads and seven crowns. The dragon, as we will see will do his best to masquerade as God. He is doing that right now in our day! Look out, and don’t be fooled! An important foundational teaching in that chapter is to explain about the source of the spiritual battle we now see being played out in the world.

GNT Translation note:
10 Whoever is meant to be captured will surely be captured; whoever is meant to be killed by the sword will surely be killed by the sword. This calls for endurance and [full belief//faith] on the part of God's people.”


Our holy Lord God, you are holy and deserve all our praise. Thank you that we will have a part in that huge Jerusalem that Zechariah was told about in his vision. What a privilege for us to be registered in the Lamb’s book of life (written before the foundation of the world), because you— in all your glory, will live with us there. You will be a wall of fire around the city where we will be safe forever more. Thank you that your promise about the new covenant that Isaiah recorded has been fulfilled. Thank you that because of that new covenant, our prayers and worship can now be received by You. For us who are joined in union with Christ Jesus, You purify us from our sins, so that we don’t just have communication, but fellowship with you. So we thank you that we will not be among those who are led astray by the final delusions of Satan and his beasts. Keep our spiritual eyes open to what is happening now in this world. Please give us wisdom from the Holy Spirit.


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Monday, December 19, 2016

DBRP_355 HAG.1 HAG.2 ISA.58 REV.12


HAGGAI 1-2:
I hope you saw correlations to Revelation in the 3rd chapter of Zephaniah yesterday— in what God plans for the nations and for those who come to the new Jerusalem.

Mears gives a helpful summary about the prophets:

  • Of the 16 prophets, most of them— eleven, prophesied before the exile,
  • just two prophesied during the exile (Ezekiel and Daniel),
  • while three prophesied after the exile. We turn to the first of these now— Haggai.

This book (with only two chapters) consists of four prophecies in four months— each dated and all in the second year of King Darius’ reign. In the modern calendar these dates would have been between August 29 and December 18, 520 B.C. This places Haggai’s messages two months before Zechariah started to prophesy. Haggai’s purpose was to move a discouraged nation to rise up again and rebuild the temple.

ISAIAH 58:
In chapter 57, we saw again that God considers idolatry to be a sin against him that is just like a wife being unfaithful to her husband. In such a context of explicit and harsh condemnation, these words stand out:

18 NLT I have seen what they do,
but I will heal them anyway!
I will lead them.
I will comfort those who mourn,
19 bringing words of praise to their lips.

REVELATION 12:
In chapter 11, John again took an active part in the vision he was seeing. He was given a rod (as a measuring stick) and told to measure the temple, the altar, and count the worshippers. What other prophet participated in measuring a temple in a vision? John was told not to measure the court of the Gentiles. I encourage you to dig for gold there. While you are at it, find out what ideas people have about the two witnesses. John is not the first prophet that saw olive trees on both sides of a lamp and lamp stand. Who was the prophet? And how is John’s vision different than the other prophet’s vision?

At the end of the chapter, we heard ‘the last trumpet’. Say, is the same ‘last trumpet’ that Paul mentioned?! The words of praise by the 24 elders and the last verse in the chapter give a big clue as to what the seventh trumpet brings.




Dear Lord Jesus, certainly Satan is filled with rage. He is powerless to do anything to You directly, so he seeks to destroy us who are loved by You. We live in a war zone. Therefore, today, help us to take up all the armor that you give us. Our true armor will not be put on by outward religious practices, like what the Israelites were doing in Isaiah’s day. Instead, may our devotion to you be shown by removing chains of oppression, by providing for the needs of the poor, and by sharing the light of the Gospel. How wonderful your promises: That your favor would shine on us like the morning sun, that our wounds would quickly heal, and that your presence would always protect us on every side. When we pray, you will answer. When we call, you will respond. In the midst of the spiritual battle, help us today to keep our gaze on You, Lord Jesus. May we live in full belief and confidence in You alone, because that is the shield that will quench Satan’s fiery arrows.


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DBRP_000BibleReadingTips


Hi there! I want to take six minutes to give my five top pieces of advice on how to be successful in reading the Bible in a year.

  1. Choose a reading plan with daily variety. The Bible contains several different genres of writing, and some are much more difficult to digest than others. For me, I don’t like to read 4 chapters of poetry in one sitting. But reading a chapter per day works well. The variety built into the DDD reading plan will keep you from getting bogged down in certain historical sections, difficult chapters of prophecy, or poetry.
  2. I recommend that you avoid a plan that doesn’t include a daily portion from the New Testament. Some plans keep you in the Old Testament from January to August, and then you whiz through the NT from September to December. You won’t be able to savor any of the richness of a book like Ephesians if you whiz through it in one or two days. Like poetry, some New Testament passages are best handled in shorter segments.
  3. This is perhaps my most important suggestion: For devotional reading— recharging of your spiritual batteries daily, use a Bible translation that is easy to understand. This probably will be different than the Bible you use at church, since so many churches are using literal or semi-literal translations in their meetings. My own church uses the ESV— which is extremely literal. But when you are doing your private devotions, no one is around to tell you what difficult passages means. Using a literal Bible for devotional reading often contributes to people getting bogged down. Let me give a short example: In the ESV, Zechariah 10:12 says “I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name, declares the Lord.” However the ESV doesn’t help the reader to understand who ‘them/they’ are. Is the Lord going to make the Egyptians and Assyrians mentioned in the previous verse strong? Or is he going to strengthen the people of Israel? And whoever the verse is talking about are going to ‘walk in his name’. Let’s assume that the Lord’s name is meant. But how does one walk in the Lord’s name? English speakers never talk about walking in someone’s name.  The phrase could mean several things. NOW, if such puzzling phrases didn’t come up very often, it would be one thing. But some OT prophetic books can have many such verses all in the same chapter. Few people will have the time to do research on every puzzling verse. However Biblical scholars have solved these puzzles. If you read the GNT or the NLT, you will get the results of that research in the plain meaning expressed in clear and natural English. You won’t get bogged down, and you will have the pleasure of moving past basic understanding, to how to put God’s Word into practice.
    1. I remind you what you read in yesterday’s reading.
    2. I help you connect the dots to see the cohesion of God’s Word as a whole.
    3. I encourage you to dig deeper for hidden treasures in God’s Word.
  4. Many of the whole Bible reading plans within the Youversion/Bible.com app don’t have a Devotional Content page. I have designed the devotional content in the DDD reading plan to help in the following ways:
  5. If you use the DDD/DBRP reading plan, you have more ways to access God’s Word. You can just read the daily readings, listen to the daily readings, or do both. Some people read the plan in one translation, and listen to the podcast on their way to work. If you have time, reading along in the same translation while I am reading will encourage you to slow down. Simply scanning God’s Word like a news article will not help you. Slowing down increases retention of the content and also gives you time to think deeper about God’s Word.

The DBRP podcasts normally come in between 20-24 minutes. If you’re not sure if you want to join us in this next year’s readings, I encourage you to randomly pick one of the episodes from last year and listen to it. See dailybiblereading.info for much more information, and especially about apps for your smart devices that will make it easier to listen to the podcasts.

 


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Sunday, December 18, 2016

DBRP_354 ZEP.3 ISA.57 REV.11


ZEPHANIAH 3:
Today we read the last chapter of Zephaniah. In chapter 2, we heard words that were much like what we heard recently in Isaiah 49 and 55:

2 NLT Gather [together] before judgment begins,
before your time to repent is blown away like chaff.
Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls
and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins.
3 Seek the LORD, all who are humble,
and follow his commands.
Seek to do what is right
and to live humbly.
Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you—
protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.

Note that God repeatedly says, “What you need to do to get right with me, do it NOW. Don’t put it off!”

ISAIAH 57:
In chapter 56, we heard how God’s plan includes even eunuchs and foreigners— which includes us. The chapter ended with a condemnation of Israel’s leaders which was filled with irony. The people who listened to Jesus when he said that he is the Good Shepherd, would likely have thought back to Isaiah’s words:

11 NLT Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied.
They are ignorant shepherds,
all following their own path
and intent on personal gain.
12 “Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party.
Let’s all get drunk.
Then tomorrow we’ll do it again
and have an even bigger party!”

REVELATION 11:
We are still in the interlude before the 7th trumpet. In chapter 10 John saw a mighty angel come to earth holding a little and open scroll, the 7 thunders spoke. That— in prophetic language, indicates God’s voice, and John takes the scroll and as commanded eats it. This is not the first time a prophet has been told to eat a scroll. Do you remember the name of the other prophet? The mighty angel stood on the land and the sea. The sea symbolizes the kingdom of darkness, so his standing on land and sea indicates that the message the angel brings will impact the whole world even including Satan’s kingdom.



Dear heavenly Father and our Lord Christ Jesus: How amazing and how poetic will be the judgment that you will bring on the earth. You will destroy those who destroy the earth. You will have complete victory over Satan. Yet following that judgment, you say in Zephaniah:

3:12 I will leave there a humble and lowly people, who will come to me for help.
And this agrees with your words written down by Isaiah:

57:15 “I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.

We worship you as the high and holy God, who lives forever. And today we have again glimpsed the high and holy place where you live. But one day, may we join those humble people with whom you will live. We repent Lord. And you restore our confidence and hope! Further you say:

19-21 I offer peace to all, both near and far! I will heal my people. But evil people are like the restless sea, whose waves never stop rolling in, bringing filth and muck. There is no safety for sinners,” says the Lord.

Lord we thank you that the seventh and last trumpet will soon sound. Your rule will suddenly become absolute. There will be no more waiting. And you will reward all who have served you. Just as you brought the captives back from Babylon--- not as slaves, but as freed people, so you will bring us into your glorious victory.


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Saturday, December 17, 2016

DBRP_353 ZEP.1 ZEP.2 ISA.56 REV.10


ZEPHANIAH 1-2:
The concluding words of Habakkuk are the most often quoted and memorized, because they are so encouraging. That quote begins like this:

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;”
… yet I will rejoice in the LORD!

Constable tells us that “Zephaniah” means “Yahweh hides [or has hidden],” “Yahweh’s watchman,” or “Yahweh treasured.” The uncertainty arises over the etymology of the prophet’s name, which scholars dispute. I prefer “Yahweh hides.”

Zephaniah was very likely a descendent of king Hezekiah, and he was born sometime during the reign of the wicked king Manasseh, and was active as a prophet during the time of the reign of King Josiah (640-609BC). Like Nahum, Zephaniah prophesied against Nineveh. He preached vehemently against idols. He also prophesied these important things:

*A faithful remnant will be delivered from captivity.
*The Gentile nations will be converted.
*One day people everywhere— not only in Jerusalem, will worship God (2:11; John 4:21).

ISAIAH 56:
Rather than commenting on the Bible translator’s favorite verse (Is. 55:11), I’m picking this section to remind you about of instead:

8 NLT “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

How true it is that God’s thoughts are always counter-intuitive for humans! Take for instance what God says in this chapter: “Come to me. Seek me while I may be found. Come, I am offering eternal food and water for free. You don’t have to earn it.” Time and again, humans think they have to earn salvation. Another way we misunderstand what God offers is by saying that ‘free food and water’ mean that people don’t need to repent. Those who think that should read verses 6-7 of chapter 55 and the whole book or Revelation.

REVELATION 10:
Note that after some huge judgments in Revelation— such as at the end of chapter 6, the people on earth recognize God’s hand and react to the Almighty in some way, such as trying to hide from God. But in response to the plagues in chapter 9 the people close their eyes and refuse to repent of demon worship and all kinds of immorality.


Heavenly Father, thank you for the wonderful words in Isaiah that say that your temple is to be a house of prayer for people of all nations. Thank you for this message being repeated again and again in your Word. And thank you also for the promise that people who cannot have children but who are dedicated to faithfully keeping your covenant will be given a name in your temple that exceeds the honor of having children. Like John receiving the little scroll, we thank you Father that you have given your Word to us. We are not told what the Seven Thunders said. You haven’t revealed everything. But the book we have been given is open, not sealed. We may read it. And you say in Isaiah 55 that your Word will always bear fruit and be effective. Some messages in your Word do seem bitter to us. One reason is we know that people in the world will not want to accept your Word and do what it says. They may turn on us and persecute us. Oh, but to us, your word is so sweet to the taste. May your Word be like a fire inside of us, so that we can’t hold it in but must speak about it today.


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Friday, December 16, 2016

DBRP_352 HAB.3 ISA.55 REV.9


HABAKKUK 3:
Yesterday in this book we heard Habakkuk bring his complaints to God about God’s justice, and God answered, in effect, that after he uses the Babylonians, their time of judgment will come. In chapter 2 verse 3, God gives this assurance:

If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.

Then the next verse ends with a famous promise:

4 “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.

(The verse as it is often quoted in the NT is a little different since it was quoted from the Septuagint.

Two more powerful and often quoted verses bear repeating:

20 But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.”
14 For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.

Rereading ISAIAH 55:
Note that in Revelation we have already read— and will read again, words like the beginning of Isaiah 55:

1 NLT “Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink—
even if you have no money!

Remember also that Jesus in John chapters 4 and 7 offered living water and streams of water that would bubble from within.

This chapter 55 is so rich! But we don’t have time for me to comment verse by verse. As a Bible translator, the promise we base our very lives upon is found in verse 11.

REVELATION 9:
In Rev. 8, we saw the results of the first four trumpet blasts. This, like the seals, is another vision of God’s justice finally being expressed in judgment. Note that the enactment of this punishment was preceded by the prayers of God’s holy people. (That’s is how NLT translates ‘saints’. And that word means us, we have been purified by Christ!) At last, the answers to prayers for God’s justice like heard from the martyrs in Rev. 6 and like in Habakkuk’s prayer will start to be answered.

 

Dear heavenly Father, it is a sign of your love that you have warned the human race again and again about your coming judgment. Your judgment cannot be held back forever, because then you would not be just. It is because you are just and righteous that judgment must come. We pity those who close their ears and eyes to the truth and continue in their wickedness. But they will have no excuse and it is right that they get what they deserve. Once again, Lord, you prove that your thoughts and ways are high above our thoughts and ways. Let those who are right now in the Destroyer’s power hear your offer:
Turn to the Lord and pray to him, now that he is near.
Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking.
Let them turn to You, Lord, because You are merciful and quick to forgive“
at this time before it is too late.

But as for us, Lord, we will wait quietly for you. May we have the same heart as Habakkuk and say,
“Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain,
Even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty,
I will still be joyful and glad,
Because the Lord God is my savior.
You, O Sovereign Lord give me strength.
You make me sure-footed as a deer
And keep me safe on the mountains.

 


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