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2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 365 – the last day!

Dec31

   Day 365—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying THE REVELATION to John.

Day 365 – Revelation 19 – 22 (Rejoicing in Heaven, 1,000 years, Satan defeated, new Heaven/Earth, new Jerusalem, River & Tree of Life, Jesus is coming)

Revelation 19.

“Hallelujah! Salvation, and glory, and power belong to our God, for His judgments are true and just.”

“Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, small and great.”

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready: it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure.”  Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Then John saw a white horse ridden by One called “Faithful and True.” His eyes are like a flame of fire and on His head are many diadems. He has “a name written that no one knows but Himself.”

He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is “The Word of God.”  This One will defeat the nations and rule them. He will “tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”  On his robe and on his thigh, He has a name written, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

And the “armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white a pure” (the saints) were following Him on white horses.

“I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who was sitting on the horse and against His army. The beast was captured, and the false prophet, who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the Mark of the Beast and those who worshipped its image.  THESE TWO WERE THROWN ALIVE INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE THAT BURNS WITH SULFER.”

Revelation 20.

Then John saw an angel holding the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. “And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer.” (Until the thousand years have ended, and he is released for a LITTLE while.)

Then John saw the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. (It’s when Israel’s promised King will reign on the actual earth from Jerusalem.  (A promise fulfilled to the Jews.)

After that, Satan will be released to try to deceive men again, and there will be a great war until fire from Heaven comes down and consumes them. THEN THE DEVIL WILL BE THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND SULFUR AND WILL BE TORMENTED DAY AND NIGHT FOREVER AND EVER!”

Next comes “the Great White Throne Judgment,” when all the dead will stand before God’s throne. Books will be opened and the dead will be judged by WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, as written in the books.  “If anyone’s name was not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.“. 

Revelation 21.

John then saw a NEW heaven and a NEW earth.  He saw “the Holy City” descending out of heaven from God, like a bride adorned for her husband.  GOD IS GOING TO DWELL WITH MEN, AND THEY WILL BE HIS PEOPLE, AND HE THEIR GOD. 

All tears will be wiped away. There won’t be death, no mourning, no crying, and no more pain.  All things will be made new. 

Then, an angel showed John the Holy City, Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God. It was radiant like the most rare jewel, crystal clear like a diamond.  It had a high wall with twelve gates. Inscribed on each gate was the name of one of the twelve sons of Israel.  The wall had twelve foundations made of twelve precious jewels, with each of the twelve apostles’ names on them. 

The angel with John measured the city. It was a perfect 1,500-mile cube (about 2 million square miles in volume). It mirrored the configuration of the Most Holy Place in the temple.  It was made of pure gold, transparent as glass. 

There was NO TEMPLE because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were the temple.

There was NO SUN OR MOON because the glory of God and the lamp of the Lamb gave it light.

There was NOTHING UNCLEAN, ONLY those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are allowed to enter the city.

Revelation 22.

The angel then showed John the pure, crystal-clear river of the Water of Life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.  It flowed through the middle of the street of the city. Growing on either side was the Tree of Life with twelve kinds of fruits, one for each month.

The servants of God and the Lamb will worship  Him.  And they will SEE HIS FACE. (see 1 John 3:2)

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John then signs his name. “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.”   

The angel told John, “Do NOT seal up the words of the prophecy of this book (like the prophet Daniel was told to do in Daniel 8:26, 12:4-10), “for the time is near.”

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the Bride say, COME!

Let the one who hears (reads) say, COME!

He who testifies to these things (Jesus) says, SURELY I AM COMING SOON.

John says, AMEN. COME, LORD JESUS!

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We did it. What a glorious trip through the Word of Almighty God, from pure beginning to purity restored.  Glory, hallelujah!

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, days 363-364, Part B.

Dec30

 Day 363-364—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying the LETTERS of the Apostles.

NOTE: Usually, Sunday’s and Monday’s studies are posted together, but because these readings are so long, I will post them separately.

Day 364, Part B – Revelation 12 – 18 (Woman & dragon, Satan cast down, the Beast, 3 visions, 7 plagues, 7 bowls of wrath, 666, Babylon falls, Yay!)

This section of Revelation is filled with symbols and allegories. The people in the churches of John’s day would probably have understood their meanings more than we do. The sequence of events is not necessarily linear but often overlapping & repeating.

Revelation 12.

This chapter pictures Satan attempting to destroy the infant of a woman with a crown of 12 stars. But the child is taken to heaven and his throne before the Dragon can kill him. The woman (Israel?) is protected by God in the wilderness.

There is a great war in heaven. Michael and the angels fight against the dragon and his angels (demons). Michael’s army wins and throws the great dragon (that ancient serpent, the devil, Satan) down to earth with his angels.  Satan, “the accuser of the brethren” (remember Job?), is thrown down and mad. 

“WOE to the earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows his time is short.“

Revelation 13.

Then, an ugly, multiheaded, powerful “beast” emerges from the sea. (He looks a little like the beast in Daniel’s vision of end times.)  To this beast (Antichrist), the dragon gives his power, throne, and great authority.  The people of the earth worship the dragon and worship the beast. The beast speaks great blasphemies against God, His name, and His Temple.   The beast was “allowed” to make war on the saints and conquer them. All on the earth worshiped it, EXCEPT those whose names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Then a second beast emerges from the sea, looking like a lamb, but speaking like the dragon. This beast can do miracles and deceive the people of Earth into worshiping the Beast. It has them make a statue of the Beast and he enables it to speak too.  It makes all who live on Earth to get the MARK on their forehead or hand, or they cannot buy or sell anything. 

The mark? 666 is “the number of a man.” In John’s time, this was clearly NERO.

  • And so, now there is an unholy trinity: the Dragon/false prophet, the Beast/Antichrist, and the miracle-working second Beast. 
  • NOTE: Even the required Mark of the Beast is a foul imitation of God’s command in Deuteronomy 6:4-8 to Love the LORD, the ONE TRUE GOD, with all their hearts, soul, and strength. They were to teach His Words to their children and…” bind them as a sign on your HAND, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes (FOREHEAD).” (Their actions and thoughts.)

Revelation 14.

The victory is at hand!!

The Lamb of God stands on Mount Zion and with Him, the 144K evangelists, with HIS name on their foreheads. John heard thunderous singing, like a gazillion harps singing a new song.  An angel comes from the temple and flies overhead, proclaiming the Eternal Gospel. “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgement has come.”

A second angel proclaims the good news, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality!”

A third angel proclaims, “If anyone worships the Beast & its image and receives the mark, he also will drink the WINE of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger.” And they will be tormented hell with the sulfur and smoke of the torment forever and ever with no rest, day or night.

Here, John inserts, “a call for ENDURANCE of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”

Then John sees Jesus with a sharp sickle. He swings the sickle across the earth, and the earth is reaped.

Another angel with a sharp sickle goes to the “VINE of the earth” because its grapes are ripe.  So this angle swings his sickle and reaps the grapes and throws them into the winepress of the Wrath of God.  “And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood from it flowed from the winepress as high as a horse’s bridle for 184 miles.”

  • This reminds me of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is tramping out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.”
  • Also, if you reread Mark 14:34-36 (and passages in Matthew & Luke), you will see that JESUS drank that cup of Almighty God’s WRATH for us, when he died on the cross, PUNISHED FOR OUR SINS. This scene in Heaven portrays God’s wrath on those WHO REFUSED THIS SO GREAT SALVATION.

Revelation 15.

Next, John saw a great and amazing sign in heaven, “Seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is FINISHED.”

First, there was a vast “sea” of what looked like fiery glass. By it were those who overcame the Beast and with harps, they sang the song of Moses and the Lamb. “Great and amazing are Your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations…”

Then, out of the Sanctuary came the seven angels with seven plagues in seven golden bowls, FULL OF THE WRATH OF GOD, who lives forever and ever.

Revelation 16.

John heard, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God!”

  • First bowl: harmful and painful sores on those who bore the Mark of the Beast.
  • Second bowl: blood into the seas, killing every living creature in them.
  • Third bowl: blood into the rivers and springs of water.
  • Fourth bowl: on the sun so it scorched people with fire. (The people did not repent and give God glory but cursed the name of God.)
  • Fifth bowl: darkness on the Beast and his kingdom. People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven, but they did not repent.
  • Sixth bowl: into the river Euphrates, so it dried up and prepared the way for the great kings and hoards from the East.  The dragon, beast, and second beast opened their mouths, and demonic spirits like frogs came out, going abroad to assemble all the kings of the world to assemble for battle at the place, ARMAGEDDON.
  • Seventh bowl: into the air, and a loud voice came out of the Temple, from the Throne, saying, “IT IS DONE!”  There came lightning, thundering, and a great earthquake so destructive that the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.  Every island fled away, and no mountains could be found.  Great hailstones, weighing 100 pounds, fell on the people.  AND THEY CURSED GOD!

Revelation 17.

Then, the seventh angel took John to view “The Great Prostitute” and her judgment. She was seated “on many waters,” picturing her rule over the peoples of many nations.  Written on her forehead was a name of mystery: “BABYLON” (code name: Rome).  She also sat on seven hills (again, Rome). She was drunk with the blood of the saints martyred for Jesus. The angel also explains the heads/horns of the Beast as kings who make war on the LAMB. 

The Lamb of God defeats them all, for He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Revelation 18.

Then, with the calls of angels, the announcement of Babylon’s fall is made known. 

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.”

All the kings of the earth weep and wail for her fall.

“Alas, alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour, your judgment has come.”

And all the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, for no one buys their cargo.

All the shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors on the sea stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning.

“Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth, For in a single hour, she has been laid waste.”

And a mighty angel took up a huge millstone and threw it into the sea saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence and will be found no more.”

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(WHEW, that was hard!)

Tomorrow, rejoicing in Heaven!

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 348

Dec14

   Day 348—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying the ACTS of the Apostles and the LETTERS of the Apostles.

Day 348 – Acts 27 – 28 (Paul to Italy, shipwrecked, Malta, preaching in Rome)

Acts 27.

King Agrippa’s final words, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” (Acts 26:32)

And so Paul, with some other prisoners, was delivered into the custody of a  Centurion named  Julius to catch a ship to Rome. Paul’s friend, Aristarchus, the Thessalonian, was allowed to go with him. They sailed as far as Sidon, where Julius allowed Paul off the ship to visit fellow believers and receive care.

It was late in the year, and the winds were unfavorable.  They sailed past Cyprus and Cilicia and stopped at Myra, where Julius found an Alexandrian ship bound for Rome.  Slowly and with great difficulty, they sailed past desirable ports and came to Fair Havens on the island of Crete.  It was very late in the season, and the winds were fierce. 

Paul, who had sailed many times on the Mediterranean, advised the Centurion to stay put, for he feared the ship, its cargo, and all passengers would be lost in the winter storms.  But Julius paid more attention to the harbor pilot and the ship’s owner. Fair Havens was not a desirable place to spend the winter. They decided on a chance run to Phoenix, further around Crete. When the winds let up, they took a chance and sailed westward, close to shore.

But they soon encountered the “Northeaster,” a tempestuous wind, and the ship was blown out to sea. The wind and waves battered the ship mercilessly. With great difficulty, they used rope supports to undergird the ship. Then they lowered the gear and let the boat run where she would.  The next day, they tossed all the cargo overboard, and the following day all the ships tackle.  For many days, they were at the mercy of the tempest and lost hope of ever being saved.

Paul, “You should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete. But, take heart, for there will be NO LOSS OF LIFE among you…..only the ship.” This was not good for the ship’s owner, but perhaps the passengers felt somewhat relieved.  Paul then told him how he knew this truth, “This very night there stood before me an angel of God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and He said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you ALL those who sail with you.'”

Paul told them he had FAITH in God that they would all be saved, but they had to run the ship aground on some island.

About two weeks after leaving Crete, somewhere in the Adriatic Sea, the sailors took soundings and discovered they were nearing land. They let down four anchors off the stern and prayed for daylight. Some of the sailors secretly put the dingy overboard with plans to escape. But Paul caught them. “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” The soldiers cut the dingy free.

As the day was breaking, Paul urged them all to eat. He took bread, thanked God in the presence of all of them, and began eating. Everyone was encouraged as they ate food, too. 

When it was light, they saw land but didn’t recognize it. But they did see a bay. Quickly, they cut the anchors, hoisted the foresail, and made for the beach.  The ship’s bow hit a hidden reef and stuck while the stern began to break up.  The soldiers planned to kill all the prisoners lest they escape, but Julius, wishing to save Paul, stopped them. He ordered all who could swim to jump overboard and make for land.  The others were to grab a plank from the ship and ride it ashore. (No, not surfing!)

And so it was that ALL were brought safely to land! (Just as God had promised Paul.)

Acts 28, the last chapter.

Once on the island, they learned they had shipwrecked on Malta. The native people were kind, welcomed the weary passengers, and kindled a fire because it was raining and they were cold.  Paul grabbed some firewood, and out popped a viper which had been hiding there.  It sunk its fangs into Paul’s hand.  Everyone gasped in horror and expected Paul to fall down dead, for the snake was very poisonous. But Paul shook it off and continued to stoke the fire.  

At first, the people thought him a murderer and said the viper was meting out justice. But when Paul showed no signs of illness or death, they changed their minds and thought he was a god. 

The chief guy, named Publius, showed them hospitality. When Paul learned that his father was very sick, he went to him and prayed, laying his hands on the man. When he was healed, the rest of the people on the island brought their sick, and they were cured, too.

After about three months on Malta, the winter storms were done with their terror. Julius secured a ship from Alexandria that had wintered on Malta. The islanders help to stock the ship with provisions for them.

They sailed to Syracuse on the island of Sicily and stayed three days. From there, they went to Rhegium on the southern tip of the Italian peninsula and then on to Puteoli (Naples) where Paul disembarked and was met by fellow believers.  He stayed there for a week, and then, together, they traveled along the Appian Way to Rome. 

Paul made it to Rome, just as God had told him. 

In Rome, under house arrest, until he was seen by Caesar, Paul preached from morning to night to Jews and Gentiles alike about “the hope of Israel,” the Messiah, Jesus.   Some were convinced, but others disbelieved.  (Just as scripture foretold. Isaiah 6:9-10) 

He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

End of Acts.

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 340

Dec6

   Day 340—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year and studying The ACTS of the Apostles with the LETTERS of the Apostles.

Day 340 – 2 Corinthians 10 – 13 (Paul defends his ministry, compares self to false apostles, his sufferings, A revelation of heaven, thorn in flesh, examine yourselves!)

2 Corinthians.

Paul speaks of Christ’s meekness and gentleness and hopes he can come to the Corinthians with the same attitude and not with boldness, scolding their disobedience. For the believers’ “weapons” have divine power to destroy arguments and lofty opinions, and take every thought into captivity to obey Christ, and are ready to punish every disobedience.

But that’s not how Paul wants to visit them.  He admits they think he is “soft” in person while fiery in his letters. But he can be tough too, although he doesn’t want to.

2 Corinthians 11.

Paul here begs the Corinthians to “bear with him in a little foolishness” as he boasts and compares himself to the false apostles plaguing them. He is a Hebrew, an Israelite, an offspring of Abraham, and a servant of Christ.  Are these other men?

He far surpasses them in labor and hardships, if that is the criteria for apostleship. He’s been beaten five times with 39 stripes and once stoned and left for dead.  He’s been in shipwrecks, adrift on the sea, on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, robbers, irate Jews, Gentiles, and false brothers, in the city, wilderness, at sea, in toils, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, cold and exposure.  PLUS, Paul has the daily pressure of anxiety for all the churches. He even escaped arrest and imprisonment by being let down a city wall in a basket, for goodness sake!

2 Corinthians 12.

Paul, embarrassed, goes on with his boasting, sure that none of “them” have had such a vision as he. Fourteen years before, just ten years after his conversion, Paul was “caught up to the third heaven (whether in the body or not, he didn’t know). There, he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not speak.”

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh,  a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times, I pleaded with the LORD about this that it should leave me.  But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'”

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Then, Paul claims that he’s been a fool to boast like this, but they “made him so it” with their tales of those “super-apostles.”   But he will most gladly spend and be spent for their souls.

2 Corinthians.

Paul reminds the Corinthian church that he is coming to them (He’ll pick up their offering for the Jerusalem church.). He wants to make sure that everything has been dealt with.  He tells them to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”

He’s writing to them strongly so that, when he arrives, he can be gentle.  “REJOICE, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 254

Sep10

    Day 254—We are in the NINETH month of Bible reading, with more of Israel’s history and the conclusion of EZEKIEL’s prophecy.

    Day 254– Ezekiel 46-48 (Visions and instructions of the new temple, offerings, the prince, the freshening river, and future land divisions)

Ezekiel 46. This chapter itemizes many of the feasts and sacrifices/offerings that will take place in this new, huge temple area. Also, practically, it describes kitchens where the meats and grains will be boiled for the Priests’ use.

An interesting point is about the three gates of the temple courtyard. Only the “prince” shall use the East gate, and when the people come in to worship, they will enter either at the South or North gates and exit at the opposite ones. (North to South, South to North).  It’s suitable for traffic flow, but it may illustrate that the people go out “different” after worshiping the LORD GOD.

Ezekiel 47. This chapter portrays an amazing, cleansing, freshening, life-giving river that begins as a stream from under the temple’s threshold.  It flows between the temple and the altar and seems to seep out the south side.  In the vision, the Bronze builder leads Ezekiel in increments of 1,000 cubits (1,500 feet) along this rapidly increasing river, showing him how it gets deeper and deeper until it’s above the prophet’s head.  It eventually flows into the Dead Sea (Salt Sea), making the water drinkable and teaming with fish. Plants and fruitful trees grow along its banks.  (It’s interesting to read that a few marshes are left intact, so needed salt can be gathered.)

In this chapter (and part of Ezekiel 48), the slightly enlarged land of Israel is divided into tribal allotments. Some are similar, but for the most part, the allotments are different from those in Joshua’s time. They seem more evenly divided and are in horizontal bands from North to South. Dan is included, although it is omitted in the list at the beginning of Revelation because of its sin. Now, it seems they are united again with all the tribes of Israel that God has brought back from the two exiles (Assyria & Babylon) when they were scattered throughout the world.

Ezekiel 48b.  Even the priests and Levites get land of their own to live on.  The Temple city in the Holy Portion is now called the “The LORD is There” (YHVH Shammah) and has a circumference of 6 miles, with three gates on each side.  The twelve gates are named for the twelve original tribes of Israel. (North gates – Reuben, Judah, Levi; East gates – Joseph, Benjamin, Dan; South gates – Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun; West gates – Gad, Asher, Naphtali.)  

Interestingly, the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21:10-14 has 12 gates, 3 on each side, with the names of the tribes of Israel, one on each. It ALSO has 12 foundations with the names of the apostles, one on each. 

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Tomorrow: Joel.

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 251

Sep7

    Day 251—We are in the NINETH month of Bible reading, with more of Israel’s history and EZEKIEL’s prophecy.

    Day 251– Ezekiel 37 – 39 (Prophecies of Israel’s future and distant enemies)

Ezekiel 37. “Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones, Hear the word of LORD.”   This chapter is where that old spiritual came from. 

God shows Ezekiel a vast valley filled with unconnected dry bones and tells him to walk around through them.  “Can these bones live?” God asked him. “Only You know,” the prophet answered.

God tells him to prophesy over them, “O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.  Behold, I will cause breath (spirit) to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

And as Ezekiel prophesied, a rattling sound began, and the bones came together, bone to bone. And sinews…flesh…and skin. And at God’s prophecy, breath (spirit) comes and breaths on the slain, and they live, an exceedingly great army.

This is the picture and promise of God of the resurrection of national Israel. The nation seems to be destroyed, its city and temple gone, its people scattered, but God promises to one day give them new life back in the land.

The “object lesson” that God gives Ezekiel next (marking two sticks, one for Ephraim and one for Judah, then tying them together) is to show that BOTH northern and southern kingdoms will return, and be joined together as one with ONE king from the line of David (Messiah).  “They shall have one Shepherd. They shall walk in my rules….I will make an everlasting covenant with them, set them in their land, multiply them, set my sanctuary in their midst forever….I will be their God, and they my people. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel.”

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Ezekiel 38 and 39.  These chapters tell of a future northern confederacy of nations (Magog and their prince, Gog) who will invade Israel. These titles are referred to again in Revelation 20:8.  This most likely refers to the final world uprising against Jerusalem, its people, and Messiah King.  The attack will come from Barbarian nations all around, not just the north. (Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer and all his hordes, Beth-Gogarmah from the north and all its hordes, many peoples, including Mongols and Huns).

Ezekiel’s prophecy shows that God puts it into their minds to attack His people, advancing on them like a storm. “You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes and many peoples with you.”

But God will miraculously save His people via a great earthquake, mountains thrown down, cliffs falling, and every wall tumbling to the ground.  God will “rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples with him torrential rains, hailstones, fire, and sulfur. He will show His greatness and His holiness and make Himself known in the eyes of many nations.”  “I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Then Israel shall go out and pick up the spoil, burning weapons as fuel for seven years!  And Israel will bury the hordes of Magog for seven months…. to cleanse the land.  God tells Ezekiel to speak to the birds and beasts to come help them by feasting on their bodies.

And God will “set his glory among the nations to see his judgment. And the house of Israel will KNOW that He is the Lord from that day forward.  God will restore their fortunes, forget their shame and treachery, and “pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel.”

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 250

Sep6

    Day 250—We are in the NINETH month of Bible reading, with more of Israel’s history and EZEKIEL’s prophecy.

    Day 250– Ezekiel 34 – 36 (Messages of comfort, hope, God’s grace and faithfulness to His promises)

Ezekiel 34. Prophecy against Israel’s past “shepherds” (kings, priests, prophets) who “fleeced” the sheep for personal gain. Wearing their wool and eating their fat, while the sheep were not fed, cared for, or gone after when they strayed. 

In contrast, Ezekiel shows the LORD as their good shepherd.  “I will seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they were scattered… And I will feed them with good pasture.  There, they will lie down in good grazing land, on rich pasture. I will seek the lost, I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. I will feed them in justice.”  (Sounds so much like Psalm 23!)

God promises to make a covenant of peace with them.  They will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.  He will  send down showers in season – “showers of blessing.”

“You are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD.”

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Ezekiel 35. Although it’s not said, Ezekiel prophesies against Mount Seir (Edom) as though they were false shepherds, too.  “BECAUSE you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment, THEREFORE…..I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you because you did not hate bloodshed.”     

“AS you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, SO I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

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Ezekiel 36. Next, Ezekiel is to prophesy to the ancient land, “O mountains of Israel hear the word of the LORD.  Say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys….. You, O mountains of Israel shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home.

But, unless Israel (and we too) forget, this grace and mercy is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned. I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, and the nations will know that I am the LORD. 

“I will gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols.

I will cleanse you.

I will give you a new heart,

A new spirit I will put within you.

I will remove the heart of stone… and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put my Spirit within you, cause you to walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules.

I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses.”

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 249

Sep5

    Day 249—We are in the NINETH month of Bible reading, with more of Israel’s history and EZEKIEL’s prophecy.

    Day 249– Ezekiel 31 – 33 (Pharoah, Egypt & Assyria, Ezekiel as watchman, Jerusalem fallen)

Ezekiel 31. Egypt and its leader are metaphorically compared to a towering tree that dominates the forest and a nation that dominates the world.  Then Ezekiel warns them that, like great Assyria, compared to a cedar in Lebanon, God could and will easily topple it.

“Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out.”  “This is Pharaoh and all the multitude, declares the Lord God.”

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Ezekiel 32  is a lament over Pharaoh and Egypt. God says they considered themselves like a great lion or dragon, but He will easily “throw his net over them, cast them up on the ground, and let the birds and beasts of the earth gorge on them.”  How will this be done?  “The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon them and cause their multitudes to fall.” And God will make the land of Egypt desolate.

Then, there is a picture of Egypt and her mighty chiefs in Sheol (the grave), along with other great and fallen nations. Assyria is there. Elam is there, along with Meshech-Tubal, Edom, and Sidon. Pharoah and all his army are laid to rest among the uncircumcised… declares the Lord GOD.

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Ezekiel 33 portrays Ezekiel as a watchman over the house of Israel.  When he hears a word from the LORD, he must speak it and warn them.  A watchman who warns the people will be saved, even if the warned people do not listen to him.  But if the watchman fails to warn the people and they perish, their blood will be on his hands.

Then God tells Ezekiel His desire for the wicked. “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

On the other side of the coin, Ezekiel must tell them that the “righteousness of the righteous” shall not deliver them either.  “If he TRUSTS in his (own) righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done, he shall die.”   But if he turns from his sin and does what is right, he shall surely live and not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him.

Still, Israel’s heart is hard. “YOUR way is not just!” they tell their God.   Whoa!!

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And then….on the 12th year of their exile to Babylon, in the 10th month, and on the 5th day….a fugitive from Jerusalem comes to tell Ezekiel that “THE CITY HAS BEEN STRUCK DOWN.”

“Then they will know that I am the LORD when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed…..”

(Oh, American, wake up too!)

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 248

Sep4

    Day 248—We are in the NINETH month of Bible reading, with more of Israel’s history and EZEKIEL’s prophecy.

    Day 248– Ezekiel 28 – 30 (prophecy and lament against the Prince of Tyre, with metaphor, Sidon, plus prophecy and lament for Egypt)

Ezekiel 28. The word of the LORD continues against the prince (or leader) of Tyre because of his PRIDE in saying he was “a god.”

Yet the LORD says, “Yet you are but a man and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god.”   “Because you make your heart like the heart of a god, therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you, the most ruthless of nations….they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor.”

Verses 13-15, speaking of the king of Tyre in metaphor, is often taken for a description of Satan. Perhaps it’s good to consider the powerful, proud king of Tyre as being used by Satan, much like the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14:3-23. And in both cases, the supreme sin is of PRIDE.

Next a prophecy against Sidon, which was a sister port city to Tyre.  Even in the times of the Judges it had a corrupting influence on Israel. It was the center of Baal worship, and where Jezebel was from.  God promises to execute judgment (death by pestilence and sword) on Sidon and to “manifest my HOLINESS in her” (as opposed to corrupt idol worship).

The last of chapter 28 speaks of the opposite end of Israel — restoration.  “…then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt.”

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Ezekiel 29 & 30 are prophecies against Egypt.  God has set his face against Pharaoh, calling him the great dragon that dwells in the midst of his streams, who says, “My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.” (Again, PRIDE precludes a fall.)  God says he will draw him out of the water and throw him into the desert…“Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD.”

“I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of Babylon, and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

Egypt was to lay dormant for forty years (after they fell to Babylon), then God would restore them, but not to a world power again to which Israel would run for help. They would be a “lowly kingdom.” (Because Nebuchadnezzar “put an end to the wealth of Egypt.”)

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 247

Sep3

    Day 247—We are in the NINETH month of Bible reading, with more of Israel’s history and EZEKIEL’s prophecy.

    Day 247– Ezekiel 25 – 27 (Prophecies against  seven other nations around Israel)

Ezekiel 25. In this chapter, the LORD, through Ezekiel, prophesies vengeance on five city-nations surrounding Israel, giving the reason for each pronouncement. Ammon, Moab, Seir, Edom, & Philistia all gloated over the fall of Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple when Babylon invaded, saying that this proved Israel’s God, the LORD, also failed.

When God enacted his judgments on them, they would “know that I am the LORD.”

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Ezekiel 26. This chapter and the next two are against Tyre, the kingdom-city north of Israel. In David’s and Solomon’s time they were friendly, supplying their great cedars in the building of the Palaces and the Temple. Later they were involved in selling Jews as slaves. They boasted of their incredible commercial success.

“For thus says the Lord GOD; Behold I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings (because he’d conquered so many kingdoms), with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of soldiers. He will kill with the sword your daughters on the MAINLAND. He will set up a siege wall against you…..”  

The following verses could also picture the successive attacks “wave on wave” by the Greeks who brought ships against it, and the Saracens until Tyre is finally totally destroyed in the 4th century, “I will make you a bare rock. You shall be a place for spreading nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I am the LORD; I have spoken.”     “I will bring you to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more.”

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Ezekiel 27.  Here, the LORD tells Ezekiel to “raise a lament over Tyre.”  The chapter describes Tyre as a great trade ship destroyed on the high seas.  Sections describe the commercial glory of Tyre with the nations around the then-known world,  Greece, Spain, Asia Minor, Assyria, Turkey, Rhodes, Syria, Arabia, and Mesopotamia.

In verses 26-27, Tyre’s fall is pictured as a shipwreck on the seas. The “east wind” pictures Babylon.  “Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew in your midst have sunk with you. All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you, and the hair of their kings bristles with horror; their faces are convulsed. ….you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.”