October 28, 2014

From Mark Copeland... Zephaniah - Through Judgment To Blessing (1:1-3:20)

                    "STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

          Zephaniah - Through Judgment To Blessing (1:1-3:20)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our survey of "The Minor Prophets" we now come to the first of
   three prophets who preached to Judah alone, following the downfall
   of the northern kingdom of Israel

2. The prophet is Zephaniah, whose name means "Jehovah Hides"
   a. Concerning the MAN
      1) King Hezekiah was his great-great-grandfather - Zeph 1:1
      2) This has prompted some to call him "the royal prophet"
      3) He was contemporary with Jeremiah, as were Nahum and Habakkuk
   b. Concerning his MESSAGE
      1) Zephaniah prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah
         a) Josiah ruled from 640-609 B.C.
         b) He was a good king, a great reformer - 2Ch 34:1-3,29-33;
            35:1-19
         c) Josiah's reforms were short-lived, however, and the nation
            soon apostasized after his death
      2) Zephaniah proclaimed the coming "day of the Lord" - cf. Zeph 1:7,14-16
         a) So vivid are his descriptions that George Adam Smith wrote:
            "No hotter book lies in all the Old Testament."
         b) And yet it ends on an encouraging note concerning the
            future
         -- Therefore its overall message is: "Through Judgment To
            Blessing"

[As we get into the book, we note that it can be divided into three
sections.  The first section encouraged the people to "look within"...]

I. GOD'S WRATH COMING UPON JUDAH

   A. THE LORD IS BRINGING JUDGMENT!
      1. The prophet announces a universal and all-consuming judgment
         - Zeph 1:1-3
      2. With special mention and attention given Judah - Zeph 1:4-6

   B. THE "DAY OF THE LORD" IS AT HAND!
      1. This "day" as it will affect Judah and Jerusalem - Zeph 1:7-13
         a. Punishment upon the princes and king's children (note, the
            king himself is not mentioned), and upon those who are full
            of violence and deceit
         b. There will wailing and mourning in the city of Jerusalem
         c. The Lord will search out and punish the complacent
      2. This great "day" described - Zeph 1:14-18
         a. A day that is near and hastens quickly
         b. A day of devastation, desolation, darkness, and distress
         c. A day in which silver and gold cannot deliver one from the
            Lord's wrath

   C. AND SO - A CALL FOR THE NATION TO REPENT!
      1. Before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon them - Zeph 2:1-2
      2. To seek the Lord, to seek righteousness, to seek humility
         - Zeph 2:3

[Having encouraged the people to "look within" and see the need for
their own repentance, Zephaniah now prompts the people to "look around"
to see...]

II. GOD'S WRATH COMING UPON SURROUNDING NATIONS

   A. GOD'S JUDGMENT ON NATIONS EAST AND WEST...
      1. Philistia - Zeph 2:4-7
         a. It's cities will be made desolate, the inhabitants
            destroyed
         b. The land will be for the remnant of Judah, whose captivity
            God will restore
      2. Moab & Ammon - Zeph 2:8-11
         a. They shall be like Sodom and Gomorrah
         b. Because of their pride, and for their mocking reproach of
            God's people
         c. And God will one day be worshipped by people from all
            nations

   B. GOD'S JUDGMENT ON NATIONS SOUTH AND NORTH...
      1. Ethiopia will by slain by the sword - Zeph 2:12
      2. Assyria with its capital Nineveh will become desolate - Zeph 2:13-15

   C. AND SO - WOE TO JERUSALEM...
      1. She has rebelled against the Lord - Zeph 3:1-5
         a. She has not obeyed His voice nor drawn near to Him
         b. Her civil and religious leaders are like lions and wolves,
            insolent and doing violence to the Law
         c. The unjust knows no shame; the Lord, however, is righteous
            and never fails in His justice
      2. She has ignored God's judgment upon other nations - Zeph 3:6-7
         a. Which should have prompted her to receive God's instruction
         b. But instead the people corrupted all their deeds

[Finally, lest the faithful remnant despair, Zephaniah ends his message
with a "look beyond"...]

III. THROUGH JUDGMENT TO BLESSING

   A. WAIT UPON THE LORD...
      1. The faithful are told to wait for Lord to carry out His
         judgment - Zeph 3:8
      2. Even as Micah said he would do - cf. Mic 7:7-9

   B. GOD WILL RESTORE HIS PEOPLE...
      1. After His judgment, God will restore to the peoples
         (Gentiles?) a "pure language" to worship and serve Him in one
         accord - Zeph 3:9
      2. His dispersed ones (Israel?) shall bring offerings from afar
         - Zeph 3:10
      3. God will remove the proud from His "holy mountain", leaving a
         meek and humble people who will trust and rest in the Lord
         - Zeph 3:11-13

   C. AND SO - THERE WILL BE JOY IN JERUSALEM...
      1. For the Lord will remove their judgments and their enemies
         - Zeph 3:14-15
      2. For the Lord will be in their midst, providing them with
         gladness, love and singing - Zeph 3:16-17
      3. For the Lord has given them great assurance - Zeph 3:18-20
         a. God will gather those who sorrow over the reproach of His
            people
         b. God will deal with those who afflicted His people
         c. God will gather those who have been driven out, and give
            them fame and praise

CONCLUSION

1. The message of Zephaniah is a simple one:  Judgment is coming, but
   blessings will follow for those who heed the warning to repent
   a. It was a message that would later comfort the remnant taken away
      into Babylonian captivity
   b. It was a message that perhaps had an initial fulfillment
      following their restoration under Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah
   c. But I believe the ultimate fulfillment pertains to the age of the
      Messiah
      1) Which began with the establishment of His spiritual kingdom,
        the church
         a) Into which God is "gathering" His people - cf. 1Th 2:12
         b) In which we enjoy the presence of God and His blessings
            - cf. He 12:22-24
      2) Which will be culminated when Jesus comes again - Re 21:1-22:5

2. The message of the apostles is not really much different today...
   a. The "day of the Lord" (of which Zephaniah's "day" was a type) is
      coming - 2Pe 3:7-10
   b. God's people (i.e., the church) are admonished to remain faithful
      - 2Pe 3:11-14

Are we heeding that message?  For those willing to listen, here is what
else Peter had to say...

   "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
   out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of
   the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to
   you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of
   restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of
   all His holy prophets since the world began. (Ac 3:19-21)

Be converted through your obedience to the gospel of Christ (cf. Mk 16:
15-16; Ac 2:38), and you too can "look beyond" the coming judgment for
the blessings to follow!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Mark Copeland... Nahum - The Fall Of Nineveh (1:1-3:19)

                    "STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

                 Nahum - The Fall Of Nineveh (1:1-3:19)

INTRODUCTION

1. At the same time Jeremiah and Zephaniah were pronouncing judgment 
   against Judah, another prophet was directing his attention at one of
   her enemies

2. The prophet was Nahum, whose name means "Consolation"
   a. The name "is in a sense symbolical of the message of the book,
      which was intended to comfort the oppressed and afflicted people
      of Judah" (Eiselen)
   b. Concerning the MAN
      1) His home was Elkosh, of which little is known - Nah 1:1
      2) Some think that Capernaum (lit., "village of Nahum") may have
         been his birthplace
      3) He was contemporary with Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah
   b. Concerning his MESSAGE
      1) His message is usually dated around 630-612 B.C.
         a) The northern kingdom of Israel was already in Assyrian 
            captivity
         b) Assyria itself was still a world power, though in a state
            of decline
      2) The theme of his message is simple:  "The Fall Of Nineveh"
         a) This makes his work a complement to that of Jonah
         b) Though by this time no mercy would be shown, judgment would
            be final

[The book of Nahum can easily be divided into three sections which 
coincide with the three chapters.  In the first section we find...]

I. NINEVEH'S DOOM DECLARED

   A. THE CHARACTER AND POWER OF THE LORD...
      1. God's vengeance, even though He is slow to anger - Nah 1:1-3a
      2. The fierceness of His anger described - Nah 1:3b-6
      3. The goodness of the Lord, as a stronghold to the faithful 
         - Nah 1:7
      4. The pursuer of His enemies - Nah 1:8

   B. THE COMPLETE OVERTHROW OF NINEVEH...
      1. She will not afflict again, despite her plotting against the
         Lord - Nah 1:9-11
      2. Judah will be delivered from Nineveh's affliction - Nah 1:
         12-13
      3. Nineveh's destruction has been commanded by the Lord - Nah 1:
         14
      4. There shall be good tidings in Judah, she can keep her feasts
         - Nah 1:15

[Having "declared" Nineveh's doom in the first section, we now find...]

II. NINEVEH'S DOOM DESCRIBED

   A. THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF THE CITY...
      1. Furious preparation for the battle is described - Nah 2:1-4
      2. Resistance is futile, captivity has been decreed - Nah 2:5-7
         a. Note verse 6:  "The gates of the rivers are opened, and the
            palace is dissolved"
         b. "The Babylonian Chronicle tells that Nineveh fell because
            the flooding rivers made breaches in the city's defenses."
            (Believers' Study Bible)

   B. THE UTTER SACK OF THE CITY...
      1. Her inhabitants flee, the city is plundered - Nah 2:8-10
      2. Her destruction will be complete, Nineveh as a dwelling of
         devouring lions will be no more - Nah 2:11-13

[Thus far, Nineveh's doom has been "declared" and "described" by Nahum.
In the third and final section, we find him saying...]

III. NINEVEH'S DOOM DESERVED

   A. BECAUSE OF HER SINS...
      1. Her woe will be due to her sins - Nah 3:1-4
      2. The Lord will uncover her shame and make her a spectacle - Nah 3:5-7

   B. SHE IS NO BETTER THAN NO-AMON...
      1. Nineveh is no better than No-Amon (Thebes in Egypt) - Nah 3:8
      2. Who despite her strength, was carried away into captivity 
         - Nah 3:9-10
      3. So it will be with Nineveh - Nah 3:11

   C. HER STRENGTH AND WEALTH WILL NOT SAVE HER...
      1. Her strongholds will fail - Nah 3:12-13
      2. All her efforts, her wealth, her army, will be futile - Nah 3:14-17

   D. HER END HAS COME...
      1. Her leaders are dead, her people scattered - Nah 3:18-19a
      2. Those who hear of her fall will rejoice - Nah 3:19b
 
CONCLUSION

1. The message of Nahum for the people of God is one of consolation...
   a. That those who afflict God's people will be judged - Nah 1:2-3;
      cf. Lk 18:7-8
   b. That God is a stronghold in time of trouble - Nah 1:7;  cf.
      Ps 27:5
   -- Are you trusting in God as your Stronghold?

2. The message of Nahum for those who do evil is one of warning...
   a. Don't rely on what mercy was shown to your ancestors (e.g., as in
      the days of Jonah)
   b. The Lord may be merciful and slow to anger, but the day of 
      judgment does finally come!
   -- Are you trusting in what your parents or ancestors may have done,
      to escape the judgment of God?

This message of Nahum is reminiscent of the words of Paul:

   "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who
   fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His
   goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off."  (Ro 11:22)

Let us be sure to "continue in His goodness", lest we too experience 
the "severity of God"!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Mark Copeland... Habakkuk - From A Sob To A Song (1:1-3:19)

                    "STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

               Habakkuk - From A Sob To A Song (1:1-3:19)

INTRODUCTION

1. We have seen that during the O.T. period known as "Judah Alone"...
   a. Zephaniah was prophesying to Judah
   b. Nahum was pronouncing God's judgment upon Nineveh

2. Then there was Habakkuk, a prophet filled with troubling questions
   a. Concerning his NAME
      1) It means "Embrace"
      2) "His name, as Luther well puts it, speaks as one who took his
         nation to his heart, comforted it and held it up, as one
         embraces and presses to his bosom a poor weeping child,
         calming and consoling it with good hope." (Geikie)
   b. Concerning the DATE
      1) Around 612-606 B.C.
      2) Just as Babylon was making her westward move toward world
         conquest
   c. Concerning his MESSAGE: the book easily falls into three sections
      1) A "burden" - Hab 1:1-2:1
      2) A "vision" - Hab 2:2-20
      3) A "prayer" - Hab 3:1-19

3. We note an immediate difference between Habakkuk and other 
   prophets...
   a. Instead of taking the Lord's message directly to the people (as 
      do most prophets)
   b. He takes the complaint of the people directly to the Lord, 
      representing them in the complaint
   -- As he does so, it has been said that Habakkuk goes "From A Sob To
      A Song"

[This process begins with a "burden" as found in the first section of
his message...]

I. HIS "BURDEN":  FAITH GRAPPLING WITH A PROBLEM

   A. THE PROPHET RAISES A QUESTION...
      1. He laments over apparent rule of wickedness and violence
      2. How can the Lord justify His apparent indifference to such 
         things? - Hab 1:1-4

   B. GOD'S ANSWER...
      1. He is not indifferent!
      2. He is doing something that will be hard to fathom - Hab 1:5-11
         a. Raising up the Chaldeans (Babylon) to execute His judgment
         b. Using a violent nation that arrogantly thinks it is serving
            its own god (and purpose)

   C. THE PROPHET'S SECOND QUESTION...
      1. How can a holy God employ such an impure and godless agent? 
         - Hab 1:12-17
      2. This is hard for Habakkuk to understand, but he will watch to
         see what the Lord will say to him - Hab 2:1

[Indeed, it is a heavy "burden" for Habakkuk. God has answered his
first question by saying He will use the Chaldeans to punish the
wickedness and violence in Judah.  But the Chaldeans are wicked also,
how can God use them?

Habakkuk receives his answer in the form of a "vision"...]

II. HIS "VISION":  FAITH GRASPING THE SOLUTION

   A. GOD'S ANSWER:  FIRST, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH...
      1. Habakkuk is to write what God reveals to him - Hab 2:2-3
      2. The proud is not upright; but the just shall live by his faith
         - Hab 2:4

   B. GOD'S ANSWER:  SECOND, GOD WILL JUDGE THE PROUD...
      1. Woe to the proud possessed with the lust of conquest and 
         plunder - Hab 2:5-8
      2. Woe to their efforts to build a permanent empire through 
         cruelty and godless gain - Hab 2:9-11
      3. Woe to those who build cities with bloodshed - Hab 2:12-14
      4. Woe to those with cruelty in their treatment of those they
         conquered - Hab 2:15-17
      5. Woe to those given over to idolatry - Hab 2:18-20
         a. Who worship that in which there is no breath at all
         b. While the Lord is in His holy temple, before whom the earth
            should keep silence

[The answer to Habakkuk's second question appears to be this:  While 
God may use a wicked nation like Babylon to punish the wickedness of 
Judah, He will not let Babylon's wickedness go unpunished either!  

In the meantime, the just (righteous) person will live by his faith in
God, which Habakkuk illustrates with his "prayer"...]

III. HIS "PRAYER":  FAITH GLORYING IN ASSURANCE

   A. PETITION FOR GOD'S ACTION AND MERCY...
      1. Written in the form of a psalm - Hab 3:1,19c
      2. Asking God to revive His works, and in His wrath remember 
         mercy - Hab 3:2

   B. PRAISE FOR GOD'S PAST DELIVERANCE...
      1. His mighty works in the past - Hab 3:3-7
      2. Bringing both judgment to the wicked and salvation to His 
         people - Hab 3:8-15

   C. PROFESSION OF FAITH...
      1. He trembled at what he has heard, that he will have rest in 
         the day of trouble - Hab 3:16
      2. But he expresses his faith, that while trouble may come he 
         will rejoice in the Lord who will be his strength - Hab 3:
         17-19
      -- Here we find one of the greatest expressions of faith found 
         anywhere!

CONCLUSION

1. What lessons can we glean from this short book? (as suggested by 
   Homer Hailey)
   a. The universal supremacy of God's judgment upon the wicked
      1) God would use Chaldea to punish wicked Judah
      2) Then Chaldea would be destroyed for its own wickedness
   b. Evil is self-destructive
      1) If the righteous can be patient, trusting in the Lord
      2) The tyranny and arrogance of the wicked will eventually fall
   c. The fact of divine discipline
      1) In Job it is shown in the suffering of the individual
      2) In Habakkuk it is shown in the suffering of the nation
      -- In both cases, suffering is disciplinary

2. Perhaps the most important lesson concerns the value of "faith"...
   a. By it the righteous in Habakkuk's day would live
   b. Even more so today!
      1) In receiving salvation - Ro 1:16-17
      2) In persevering - He 10:35-39
      -- Notice that both quote from Hab 2:4

But our faith must not be a shallow faith; it must be like that 
expressed by Habakkuk...

   "Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines;
   Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no
   food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there
   be no herd in the stalls;"

   "Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my
   salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like
   deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills."
                     
                                   Habakkuk 3:17-19

Is this our kind of faith?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Mark Copeland... Haggai - Build The Temple! (1:1-2:23)

                    "STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

                 Haggai - Build The Temple! (1:1-2:23)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our survey of "The Minor Prophets", we now jump ahead about 
   100 years...
   a. Prophets like Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk prophesied shortly
      before the seventy years of Babylonian captivity (i.e. before 
      606-536 B.C.)
   b. Following the return under the leadership of Zerubbabel (536 
      B.C.), it was not long before two more prophets were sent to the
      people of Israel

2. These prophets were Haggai and Zechariah, the first of which we
   shall consider in this lesson...
   a. Concerning the MAN
      1) His name means "Festival" or "Festive"
      2) What we know of Haggai is limited to his book and references 
         in Ezra (see below)
      3) Together with Zechariah he motivated the Jews in rebuilding
         the temple
   b. Concerning the MESSAGE
      1) It is commonly dated around 520 B.C. (the second year of King
         Darius - Hag 1:1)
         a) For the foundation of the temple had been laid shortly 
            after the arrival under the leadership of Zerubbabel (i.e.,
            536 B.C.) - cf. Ezra 3:8-13
         b) Yet opposition to rebuilding the temple stopped it for 16 
            years - Ezra 4:1-24
         c) God then raised up Haggai and Zechariah - Ezra 5:1-2; 6:14
      2) The theme of Haggai's preaching:  Build The Temple!
         a) His message contains four separate proclamations
         b) All within four months - cf. Hag 1:1; 2:1,10,20

[As we outline and briefly consider the message of Haggai, we begin by
noticing...]

I. A WORD OF REPROOF

   A. BUILDING THE TEMPLE IS LONG OVERDUE...
      1. Haggai takes the Lord's message to Israel's leaders - Hag 1:1
         a. Zerubbabel the governor (who lead the first group of exiles
            back home)
         b. Joshua the high priest (also known as Jeshua, Ezra 2:1-2,
            36,40; 3:2-8)
      2. The Lord takes issue with what the people have been saying 
         - Hag 1:2-4
         a. They have been saying the time is not right to build the 
            temple
         b. The Lord challenged them as to whether they should live in
            paneled houses while the temple lies in ruins
   
   B. THE PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER THEIR WAYS...
      1. The Lord challenged them to consider what was happening - Hag 1:5-6
         a. Their efforts were much
         b. But they received little in return
      2. To motivate them in building the temple, their trouble is 
         explained - Hag 1:7-11
         a. They needed to build the temple and thereby glorify God
         b. For their efforts to obtain much for themselves was 
            frustrated by God
            1) They looked for much, but God blew it away
            2) While His house lay in ruins, they were busy building 
               their own
            3) Therefore God had called for a drought on the land and
               its fruit

   C. THE TESTIMONY OF THE PROPHET IS HEEDED...
      1. With the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua the people obeyed
         - Hag 1:12
      2. The Lord promises to be with them - Hag 1:13
      3. Stirred up by the Lord, Zerubbabel and Joshua lead the remnant
         to resume work on the temple - Hag 1:14-15

[From Hag 1:1,15, we can determine that it took 24 days for the people
to begin rebuilding the temple.  About a month later (cf. Hag 2:1),
another message from the Lord comes by way of Haggai.  This message 
is...]

II. A WORD OF SUPPORT

   A. ARE THE PEOPLE DISCOURAGED?
      1. Haggai is sent again to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the faithful
         remnant - Hag 2:1-2
      2. Those who had seen the former temple in its glory are asked if
         the present temple appears as nothing in comparison - Hag 2:3
      -- The new temple evidently did not compare with the temple built
         by Solomon

   B. THE LORD PROVIDES A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT...
      1. The Lord encourages them to be strong, for He is with them 
         - Hag 2:4-5
      2. The Lord promises to make the glory of this temple greater 
         - Hag 2:6-9
         a. By shaking the nations and having them come to "the Desire
            of All Nations"
            1) This can be translated "the desired of all nations will
               come", perhaps speaking of the nations bringing their
               wealth to the temple - cf. Hag 2:8; Isa 60:5
            2) Many see a Messianic reference in this phrase, though no
               reference is so made in the New Testament (He 12:26-27
               does make an allusion to verse 6)
         b. By giving peace "in this place"
            1) Some see another Messianic reference in this phrase
            2) Certainly Jesus as the Prince of Peace, came to the 
               temple

[With such a word of encouragement, the people would continue with 
their task of rebuilding the temple.  But all was not well in the eyes
of the Lord; He needed Haggai once again to prophesy to the people, so
two months later (cf. 2:1,10) comes...]

III. A WORD OF EXPLANATION

   A. THE PEOPLE ARE OFFERING A WORK THAT IS UNCLEAN...
      1. Through two questions, the Lord challenges the priests to 
         think - Hag 2:10-13
         a. Can holiness be transferred through casual contact? - No
         b. Can defilement be transferred through casual contact? - Yes
      2. Well, the people are unclean, and what they therefore offer is
         unclean! - Hag 2:14
         a. Unclean people can't build a holy temple
         b. Therefore, their offering is unclean!

   B. ONCE AGAIN THE PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO CONSIDER...
      1. First, begin considering what God has done in the past - Hag 2:15-17
         a. Before the stone was laid in the temple, things were scarce
         b. The Lord even brought blight, mildew and hail to frustrate
            their labors, but they did not heed Him
      2. Now, begin considering what God is promising to do - Hag 2:
         18-19
         a. Begin considering that very day (24th day of the ninth 
            month)
            1) Consider what has occurred from the day the temple's 
               foundation was laid
            2) Is there seed in the barn? (no)  Nor has the produce 
               yielded its fruit
         d. But beginning that very day (24th day of the ninth month),
            God was going to bless them!

[With such a promise, they would likely repent and build the temple as
they should. To encourage them further, Haggai has one last message...]

IV. A WORD OF PROMISE

   A. GOD WILL OVERTHROW THE KINGDOMS OF THE NATIONS...
      1. This message came at the same time as the third message - Hag 2:20
         a. On the 24th day of the ninth month, of the second year of
            Darius
         b. Nearly four months after the first message - cf. Hag 1:1
      2. Directed to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah - Hag 2:21-22
         a. God proclaims He will shake heaven and earth
         b. He will overthrow the kingdoms of the Gentiles
         c. This He will do, "everyone by the sword of his brother"
         -- Note:  Just as He did before, using Assyria to punish 
            Israel, Babylon to punish Assyria, Medo-Persia to punish 
            Babylon, etc.

   B. GOD'S SPECIAL PROMISE TO ZERUBBABEL...
      1. In the same day that God will overthrow the nations - Hag 2:
         23a
      2. God will make Zerubbabel as a signet ring, for God has chosen
         him - Hag 2:23b
         a. Many see a Messianic reference in this promise
            1) For God calls Zerubbabel "My servant", an expression 
               often used in Isaiah in reference to the Messiah - cf. 
               Isa 52:13; 53:11
            2) And God says "for I have chosen you" (Messiah means 
               anointed, chosen)
         b. That as governor of Judah and descendant of David, 
            Zerubbabel represents the Messianic hope that has been 
            renewed and would be ultimately fulfilled with the coming 
            of Jesus!
         -- Note:  With His exaltation to the right hand of God, Jesus
            began to rule the nations "with a rod of iron", as 
            Revelation vividly depicts - Re 1:5; 2:26-27; 3:21; 17:14

CONCLUSION

1. Haggai's message was primarily designed to encourage Zerubbabel and
   the faithful remnant of Israel who had returned from Babylonian 
   captivity...
   a. To finish rebuilding the temple
   b. To do so in a manner that would honor and glorify God
   c. To look to the future with hope and promise

2. Like other books of the Old Testament...
   a. Haggai was "written for our learning" - Ro 15:4
   b. There are lessons that can easily be gleaned from this book, such
      as:
      1) The importance of putting God first - Hag 1:2-4
      2) The need for every one to work, not just the leaders - Hag 1:
         12-15
      3) The danger of letting evil contaminate our efforts to serve
         God - Hag 2:11-14

3. As Christians, we are blessed to be "a holy temple in the Lord" - Ep 2:19-22; cf. 1Pe 2:5
   a. The foundation of this temple has been laid
   b. But the need for building upon the foundation continues! 

Living in a highly materialistic society, it may easy for us to neglect
the ongoing construction of the Lord's house.  Perhaps we need to 
remember the words of the Lord through Haggai:

   "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, 
   and this temple to lie in ruins?" (Hag 1:4)

If we are indeed guilty of neglecting the Lord's house, then heed also
these words of Haggai:

                           "Consider your ways!"
 eXTReMe Tracker

One Second After Death by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1188

One Second After Death

by  Dave Miller, Ph.D.

We human beings find it very easy to live life as if we will be here forever. We occasionally come face to face with death when a friend or loved one passes away. But the essence of daily living is such that it is easy to ignore the reality of death and the certainty of existence beyond the grave. It is essential that we go to the Bible and find out what will happen to each one of us—one second after death.
The Bible teaches that human beings are composite creatures. We possess a fleshly body that is composed of physical elements made from “the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7). This physical body is animated by a life force or life principle that we share in common with the animal kingdom (although, in the Genesis creation account, a distinction seems to be made between animals and man in the direct source of this life principle (Genesis 1:20-21,24; 2:7). In any case, the Scriptures also teach that human beings are unlike the animals in that humans also possess a spiritual dimension that transcends the body and physical life on Earth.
God places within each prenatal person at conception a spirit that makes each individual a unique personality. Zechariah 12:1 observed that God “forms the spirit of man within him.” Our spirits are what makes each one of us a distinct entity, a person that will survive physical death and live on immortally throughout eternity.
A number of Hebrew and Greek words are used in the Bible to identify various facets of our beings (e.g., nephesh, ruach, neshamah, leb, and basar in the Old Testament and psuche, pneuma, nous, soma, and sarx in the New Testament). These words are somewhat fluid, and are used in a variety of ways—sometimes interchangeably, sometimes in contradistinction to each other. They are translated by many different English words (e.g., “soul,” “spirit,” “breath,” “wind,” “heart,” “mind,” “self,” “body,” “flesh,” et al.). It is a mistake to seize upon a passage where “soul” refers to the entirety of a person’s being and conclude that man does not possess a spirit that is distinct from his animated body. Some religious thinkers tend to limit the Hebrew word ruach (soul or spirit) to an impersonal vital power that becomes individualized only in the nephesh (whole person). Thus, it is claimed that the soul or spirit cannot exist independently of the body, so that when the “life force” exits the body, the person ceases to exist.
But, by avoiding human philosophies and focusing solely upon the Bible, we learn that each person possesses a conscious spirit that ultimately leaves the body and exists separately from it in the spirit realm. For example, Genesis 35:18 states: “[I]t came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died).” The author of the book of 1 Kings wrote that Elijah prayed, “let this child’s soul come into him again...and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived” (17:21-22). Psalm 86:13 says, “You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.”
The Bible defines “death” as “separation”—not “extinction.” Physical death occurs when the spirit exits the body. James 2:26 notes: “[F]or as the body without the spirit is dead.” In other words, the separation of one’s spirit from one’s body results in physical death. Spiritual death, on the other hand, entails separation from God due to sin. So “death” involves the idea of separation—not extinction or unconsciousness.
A clear depiction of existence beyond death is seen in Luke 16:19-31. Some argue that this section of Scripture is a parable, which is incorrect since the story does not contain the usual indicators of parabolic discourse. However, even if the passage were a parable, a parable is not a fairy tale. Bible parables parallel true-life situations to teach a basic lesson of truth. They draw from reality and that which people understand as actual earthly existence and genuine conditions in order to drive home a spiritual point. After reading Luke 16:19-31, observe the following textual details:
  1. Both men are said to have died.
  2. Wherever Lazarus went, angels were used to transport him there.
  3. The rich man was buried.
  4. The rich man was in hades.
  5. The rich man was being tormented in flames.
  6. The rich man could see and recognize Lazarus and Abraham.
  7. Abraham referred to the rich man’s former existence as “your lifetime.”
  8. Abraham made clear that their respective locations were irreversible.
  9. The rich man’s brothers were still occupying his father’s house on Earth.
  10. The Law of Moses was still in effect.
  11. The rich man’s plea to send Lazarus to his living relatives would require Lazarus to return “from the dead” (vs. 30) and to “rise from the dead” (vs. 31).
The term translated “hell” in Luke 16:23 is the Greek word hades, and is not to be confused with the word gehenna. “Gehenna” is found twelve times in the New Testament, and refers to the place of eternal, everlasting punishment—the “lake of fire” where Satan, his angels, and all wicked people will be consigned after the Second Coming of Jesus and the Judgment. So gehenna is hell. “Hades,” on the other hand, occurs ten times in the New Testament, and always refers to the unseen realm of the dead—the recepticle of disembodied spirits where all people who die await the Lord’s return. At that time, our spirits will be reunited with our resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-54).
Luke 16 shows us that hades contains two regions. One is referred to as the “bosom of Abraham” (which simply means “near” or “in the presence of ” Abraham—cf. John 1:18). The other region in hades is described as tormenting flame. Every other passage in the New Testament that refers to hades harmonizes with this description of the intermediate realm of the dead where the deceased await the resurrection and judgment.
For example, while fastened to the cross, Jesus told the thief, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The word paradise is of Persian derivation, and means a “garden” or “park.” Where was it that Jesus and the thief went on that very day? Certainly not to extinction! Extinction would not be “paradise”! They did not go to the grave together. The thief was not placed in the tomb with Jesus, and the tomb certainly would not be a “paradise.” Nor did Jesus go to heaven, for in John 20:17 after His resurrection, Jesus reassured Mary that He had not yet ascended to the Father. So where is “paradise”? Where did Jesus and the thief go after dying on the cross? Where had Jesus been for those three days between His death and resurrection?
Peter gave the answer to that question in his sermon in Acts 2 when he quoted Psalm 16. Acts 2:27 states that God would not abandon Christ’s soul in hades nor allow Christ to undergo decay. So while Christ’s body was placed in a tomb for three days, Christ’s spirit went to hades. Peter argued that David, who penned the 16th Psalm, was not referring to himself. How do we know? David’s body was still in the tomb (Acts 2:29). David’s spirit was still in the hadean realm because Peter also said that David had not yet ascended into heaven (Acts 2:34). Acts 2, by itself, proves that a person does not go straight to heaven or hell when he dies, and that a person does not become extinct, cease to exist, or pass into a state of unconsciousness at death.
Jesus previously predicted that His death and entrance into the Hadean realm would not prevent Him from accomplishing His divine purposes. Matthew 16:18 reads: “Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.” In other words, though He would die on the cross, though His body would be placed in the tomb, and though His spirit would descend into hades, nevertheless, the gates of hades would not prevent Him from coming back out of hades (i.e., resurrection) and then setting up the kingdom a few days later in Acts 2. At that time, Peter and the apostles employed the “keys of the kingdom” (Matthew 16:19) with the help of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus (Acts 2:33).
It was through Jesus’ death and subsequent departure from hades that Jesus rendered powerless “him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:26,54-57). Jesus’ personal victory over death and the Hadean realm explains why He could declare in Revelation 1:18—I am He who lives; and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hades and of death.”
While Jesus, the thief, and Lazarus went to the paradise portion of hades, the rich man went to the unpleasant area which included torment and flame. This is the same region of hades, referred to in 2 Peter 2:4, where angels who sinned were committed by God. The term that Peter used was tartarosas, or Tartarus, and is described as “pits of darkness” where they are “reserved for judgment.” The parallel in Jude 6 speaks of these angels as having abandoned their proper place and having failed to keep their own domain. They are depicted as existing in “everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” This region of the Hadean realm must also be in view in Moses’ allusion to the anger of God which kindles fire that “shall burn to the lowest part of Sheol” (Deuteronomy 32:22)—sheol being a general Hebrew equivalent of the Greek hades.
Notice what will happen to this intermediate receptacle of spirits. In Revelation 20, beginning in verse 11, we are presented with a portrait of the final judgment before the great white throne of God. Everyone who has ever lived will be there. Verse 13 says that “death and hades” will be cast into the lake of fire. That means that hades will be cast into hell. The unseen realm of the dead, where conscious spirits reside until judgment, will have served its purpose, and all people who have ever lived will then be consigned to one of two places: heaven or hell.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). “[I]t is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28-29). Paul referred to the occasion “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Look carefully at the word “everlasting.” Does the human spirit exist beyond physical death and the grave in a conscious state? Or, at death, does the soul cease to exist in a state of “soul sleep”? Does a person’s consciousness become extinct? Is the soul annihilated at death? The Sadducees denied the existence of the spirit realm. According to Acts 23:8, they denied the immortality of the soul, believing in “neither angel nor spirit.” Josephus stated that the Sadducees believed that “souls die with the bodies” (18:1:4). There are religious groups today who teach the same thing.
In Luke 20, Jesus showed the fallacy of such thinking by showing that when Moses was at the burning bush in Exodus 3, God declared Himself to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At the time God made that statement, the bodies of those three patriarchs had been in the grave for hundreds of years. Yet Jesus concluded: “For He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Luke 20:38). That proves that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—though separated from their physical bodies—were still in existence. They were not extinct. They would one day be reunited with their bodies in the resurrection.
Many other passages indicate the perpetuation of conscious spiritual life beyond physical death. Revelation 6:9-11 speaks of the souls of those who had been martyred for the Christian cause. They are depicted as spirits—not bodies—who are conscious, who are aware of the means by which they were killed, and who knew that their blood had not yet been avenged.
In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, Paul described an experience that he, or someone he knew, had in the “third heaven.” The “third heaven” in scriptural thought is the spirit realm where God and other celestial beings reside (Deuteronomy 10:14; 26:15; 1 Kings 8:27,30). It often is referred to as the “heaven of heavens”—a Semitism wherein the genitive is used for the superlative degree—meaning the highest or ultimate heaven (cf. “Song of songs,” “King of kings,” “Lord of lords”). The “first heaven” is the Earth’s atmosphere—the “sky”—where the birds fly (Genesis 1:20; 8:2; Isaiah 55:10; Luke 13:19). The “second heaven” is “outer space”—where the Sun, Moon, and stars are situated (Genesis 15:5; 22:17; Deuteronomy 4:19; Nahum 3:16). Twice Paul stated that he was not certain whether the person described was “in the body, or out of the body” (vss. 2-3). That proves that Paul acknowledged the possibility of the spirit of a human being existing in a conscious state apart from the body. To say that the spirit ceases to exist at death makes Paul imply what is not true.
Both accounts, of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, and the thief on the cross in Luke 23:43, prove that conscious existence continues after the death of the body. Hebrews 12:23 speaks of “the spirits of just men made perfect”—a reference to deceased saints who remained faithful to God during their life on Earth, but who had since passed into the spirit realm. That passage makes no sense if “spirits” refers to the wind or breath of a person. These people were like Stephen in Acts 7:59 who, as life was being stoned from his body, said to the Lord whom he could see in the heavens: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” If “spirit” is simply the life force of the body that goes extinct the moment it no longer animates the body, then Stephen was speaking out of ignorance to think that he had a spirit that could be received by Jesus.
The Bible frequently speaks of the ultimate state of both the good and the wicked as being “eternal.” For example, read Hebrews 6:2 which speaks of “eternal judgment,” or 2 Thessalonians 1:9 which speaks of “eternal destruction,” or Revelation 20:10 where Satan will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, and tormented there “day and night forever and ever.” Jude 7 speaks of those who will suffer “the vengeance (punishment) of eternal fire.”
Matthew 18:8-9 identifies the fire of hell (gehenna) as “everlasting fire.” The parallel passage in Mark 9:43 states that this fire “shall never be quenched.” Mark 9:48 states that hell is a place “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” The image is taken from Isaiah 66:24, and is unquestionably intended to make the point that the fire of hell will be unquenchable—always burning, yet never consuming.
In His description of the final Judgment in Matthew 25:46, Jesus used the same word aionion (eternal) to refer to the respective conditions of both the good and evil people who inhabited the Earth. If eternal punishment is not “eternal,” then life eternal is not “eternal” either. The word “punishment” clearly implies pain that is inflicted. Listen to Peter, who said, “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9). The same word is used to refer to the punishment that the apostles narrowly avoided in Acts 4:21.
Some say the word “destroy” (or “destruction”) means “annihilation” (or “extinction”). They go to a passage like Matthew 10:28 where Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” They insist that “destroy” in this passage means “annihilation.” But that cannot be. For if physical death inflicted by one’s fellowman brings extinction and unconsciousness of the soul, what is there to fear from God? Why would Jesus say there is no need to fear other people—who can take your physical life? For in taking your physical life, they also would cause your soul to be annihilated, in which case they have as much power as God, and the comparison that Jesus makes is no comparison at all. If the soul dies with the body, then he who kills the body kills the soul, too.
The parallel passage in Luke 12:4-5 makes this point even clearer. Luke wrote: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He hath killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” If physical death brings annihilation of the soul, then it is ridiculous to speak of casting the soul into hell after killing the body.
In addition, the Greek term that underlies our English word “destroy” does not mean “annihilation.” W.E. Vine, in his Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, explained: “The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being” (1966, p. 302). He cited Matthew 10:28 as an example, as well as John 17:12 where Judas, who had not yet hung himself, was called the “son of perdition.” Obviously, Judas was not extinct or annihilated. But he was destroyed in the sense that he lost spiritual well-being. He had perished spiritually.
Lexicographer Joseph H. Thayer agreed with this assessment when he said that “destroy” in Matthew 10:28 means “to devote or give over to eternal misery” (1901, p. 64). Albrecht Oepke commented on the meaning of destroy: “definitive destruction, not merely in the sense of extinction of physical existence, but rather of an eternal plunge into Hades” (Kittel, 1:396).
What must be concluded from these passages of Scripture? God gives people this life on Earth to prepare their spirits for their eternal abode. When a person dies, his or her body goes into the grave, while the conscious spirit enters the Hadean realm to await the final Judgment. At the Second Coming of Christ, all spirits will come forth from hades and be resurrected in immortal bodies. All will then face God in judgment, receive the pronouncement of eternal sentence, and then be consigned to heaven or hell for eternity. Listen closely to the inspired words of the apostle Peter:
Therefore, since all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ...You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being lead away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:11-12,17-18).

REFERENCES

Josephus, Flavius (1974 reprint), “Antiquities of the Jews,” The Works of Flavius Josephus, transl. William Whiston (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).
Kittel, Gerhard (1964), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).
Thayer, J.H. (1901), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1977 reprint), (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).
Vine, W.E. (1966 reprint), An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell).

From Jim McGuiggan... WHAT'S "HIS" POINT?


WHAT'S "HIS" POINT?

The occasion: A division has occurred over "preacher worship"
Paul's purpose: To heal the fracture
Paul's method: The way he frames his presentation
Paul's theology: The truths from which he draws his healing presentation

Each of these categories is distinct from the other though they are all interrelated and to ignore the distinctions helps no one.
If a division occurred over the correctness of paying taxes or the appropriateness of a Christian earning a living by making idols or the acceptability of a Christian marrying a non-Christian Paul would want to heal the fracture. No matter the occasion, it wouldn't matter what divided the assembly, Paul would want to cure it—his purpose would always be the same.
But the reason for the division, that is, the issue over which the assembly divided, while it wouldn't alter his purpose (which would be to heal the fracture), would shape the way he worked to heal it.
He wouldn't make the same presentation when dealing with "preacher worship" as he would if dealing with a division over whether a Christian should pay tax that was used for ungodly purposes. He may well use many of the same truths when dealing with either issue but we wouldn't expect him to make the same points or use the same phrases. How bizarre would it be if he meant to deal with a division over kosher food and spoke only about the value of "speaking in tongues" in an assembly setting?
Paul is a person and like every other person he isn't shaped by a single truth—theological or otherwise. A host of truths shapes his person and his convictions and while he might stress one of those truths while healing a fracture he would be speaking out of the depths of many essential and interrelated truths.
If he were dealing with the issue of "authority in the church" we could easily imagine him stressing the sovereignty of God (making the point that all authority finally resides in the person of God himself—rather than, say, an apostle or prophet or pastor or even an apostolic letter). Though he might stress God's sovereignty he would still be speaking on the basis of a broader foundation; a foundation that included sovereignty but involved other attributes and qualities.
To really understand Paul (or whoever) we need to know what occasioned the letter, what he meant to accomplish and how he words or develops his purpose as well as the truths he relies on.
In dealing with the nature of God's wisdom (as opposed to the world's wisdom) he would no doubt mention other attributes of God and take many others for granted. Still, if he wants to deal with the nature of God's wisdom we must allow him to do that. To go off preaching about all the other attributes that he takes for granted or mentions on the way through is to follow our own line rather than his.
We must allow his point to have centre stage. When Paul speaks of the cross we must be aware that he always sees it as an atoning self-offering but that is not the truth he always wishes to bring out. That truth is never left behind or denied but other truths about the cross are given their place. In Philippians 2:1-11 the cross (as part of the entire experience) of Jesus is used to call his disciples to a mindset and a life. In that section the truth about atonement is not in view. We must let Paul make his own point or we're not hearing the Holy Spirit at all, we're hearing our own voice, even if what we're saying is true. [You might want to see this, click.]
What does the writer mean to do with what he says?

October 27, 2014

From Gary... The wrong and the right of it



Today, relativism (truth is what anyone thinks it is) is being taught as a logical, "normal" thing.  Everybody is right? Well, that simply can't be because look what happened in the nation of Israel during the time of the Judges.  Israel went their own way, with everyone doing whatever they wanted.  And the results- Israel strayed from God, then in desperation turned to HIM again. In response, HE gave them a Judge, who delivered them and things were OK for awhile and then the cycle started all over again. The last verse of the book summarizes it pretty well...
Judges, Chapter 21
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Now, Israel did have the Law of Moses, but they didn't listen to it.  Then, at the right time, God sent his son, who led them down the right path. Then, Jesus taught those who would follow HIM and later on, the HOLY SPIRIT completed the process, as the following plainly teach....
John, Chapter 12
46 "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47 "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 "I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."
John Chapter 14 (NAS)
23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Matthew, Chapter 28 (NAS)
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always , even to the end of the age."  
Question: If Jesus has all authority, how much do I have?  Answer: NONE!!!  And yet, today, our society teaches that everyone is right.  Society teaches that there is no wrong or right (wait, right and wrong JUST SOUNDS BETTER).  I wonder just how far this nation will stray from God before calamity strikes?  Sounds like the book of Judges (which is worth a re-read, I might add) all over again.  Wake up, America!!! There is truth and it is not subjective- it is absolute.  And all you have to do is open your Bible and read it!!!

From Gary... Bible Reading October 27



Bible Reading   
October 27

The World English Bible


Oct. 27
Isaiah 1-4

Isa 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isa 1:2 Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isa 1:3 The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; but Israel doesn't know, my people don't consider.
Isa 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.
Isa 1:5 Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it: wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven't been closed, neither bandaged, neither soothed with oil.
Isa 1:7 Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
Isa 1:8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a besieged city.
Isa 1:9 Unless Yahweh of Armies had left to us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom; we would have been like Gomorrah.
Isa 1:10 Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
Isa 1:11 "What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?," says Yahweh. "I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.
Isa 1:12 When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
Isa 1:13 Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can't bear with evil assemblies.
Isa 1:14 My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them.
Isa 1:15 When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
Isa 1:16 Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
Isa 1:17 Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow."
Isa 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," says Yahweh: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isa 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
Isa 1:20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it."
Isa 1:21 How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
Isa 1:22 Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.
Isa 1:23 Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They don't judge the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.
Isa 1:24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says: "Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries, and avenge myself of my enemies;
Isa 1:25 and I will turn my hand on you, thoroughly purge away your dross, and will take away all your tin.
Isa 1:26 I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called 'The city of righteousness, a faithful town.'
Isa 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
Isa 1:28 But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake Yahweh shall be consumed.
Isa 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.
Isa 1:30 For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.
Isa 1:31 The strong will be like tinder, and his work like a spark. They will both burn together, and no one will quench them."
Isa 2:1 This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Isa 2:2 It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.
Isa 2:3 Many peoples shall go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
Isa 2:4 He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isa 2:5 House of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of Yahweh.
Isa 2:6 For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.
Isa 2:7 Their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures. Their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.
Isa 2:8 Their land also is full of idols. They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
Isa 2:9 Man is brought low, and mankind is humbled; therefore don't forgive them.
Isa 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty.
Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man will be brought low, the haughtiness of men will be bowed down, and Yahweh alone will be exalted in that day.
Isa 2:12 For there will be a day of Yahweh of Armies for all that is proud and haughty, and for all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low:
Isa 2:13 For all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, for all the oaks of Bashan,
Isa 2:14 For all the high mountains, for all the hills that are lifted up,
Isa 2:15 For every lofty tower, for every fortified wall,
Isa 2:16 For all the ships of Tarshish, and for all pleasant imagery.
Isa 2:17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day.
Isa 2:18 The idols shall utterly pass away.
Isa 2:19 Men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
Isa 2:20 In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
Isa 2:21 To go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
Isa 2:22 Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?
Isa 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support, the whole supply of bread, and the whole supply of water;
Isa 3:2 the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the diviner, the elder,
Isa 3:3 the captain of fifty, the honorable man, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter.
Isa 3:4 I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them.
Isa 3:5 The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbor. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honorable.
Isa 3:6 Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, "You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let this ruin be under your hand."
Isa 3:7 In that day he will cry out, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me ruler of the people.
Isa 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Yahweh, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
Isa 3:9 The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don't hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves.
Isa 3:10 Tell the righteous "Good!" For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
Isa 3:11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him.
Isa 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.
Isa 3:13 Yahweh stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples.
Isa 3:14 Yahweh will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and their leaders: "It is you who have eaten up the vineyard. The spoil of the poor is in your houses.
Isa 3:15 What do you mean that you crush my people, and grind the face of the poor?" says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.
Isa 3:16 Moreover Yahweh said, "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes, walking to trip as they go, jingling ornaments on their feet;
Isa 3:17 therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion, and Yahweh will make their scalps bald."
Isa 3:18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces,
Isa 3:19 the earrings, the bracelets, the veils,
Isa 3:20 the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume bottles, the charms,
Isa 3:21 the signet rings, the nose rings,
Isa 3:22 the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses,
Isa 3:23 the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls.
Isa 3:24 It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of well set hair, baldness; instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.
Isa 3:25 Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war.
Isa 3:26 Her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit on the ground.
Isa 4:1 Seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread, and wear our own clothing: only let us be called by your name. Take away our reproach."
Isa 4:2 In that day, Yahweh's branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel.
Isa 4:3 It will happen, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone who is written among the living in Jerusalem;
Isa 4:4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from its midst, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning.
Isa 4:5 Yahweh will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.
Isa 4:6 There will be a pavilion for a shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a refuge and for a shelter from storm and from rain.
 
Oct. 27
1 Thessalonians 4

1Th 4:1 Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.
1Th 4:2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,
1Th 4:4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
1Th 4:5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don't know God;
1Th 4:6 that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.
1Th 4:7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.
1Th 4:8 Therefore he who rejects this doesn't reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.
1Th 4:9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,
1Th 4:10 for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;
1Th 4:11 and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you;
1Th 4:12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.
1Th 4:13 But we don't want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don't grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1Th 4:15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,
1Th 4:17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.
1Th 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.