Thoughts on the Bible Readings December 28th (Job 38; Zechariah 13, 14; Revelation 15, 16)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]Yahweh puts before Job in chapter 38, several of His mighty creative acts and dares the patriarch to explain how his Sovereign performed these marvels. Tell me about the foundations of the earth, if you can. Modern science has some ideas related to our earth's core; however, some hypotheses still surround certain aspects of this. Job is told that the creative work was the task of the angels - the sons of God. What about assigning the sea its boundaries? Or can you explain the delicate balance of the clouds and the water cycle? What do you make of the abundant riches of the oceans? Can you explain the relationship between light and darkness? Do you, Job, understand the treasures of the snow? There are no two snowflakes which are identical - yet every one of them is a perfect prismatic hexagon. The elements, says the Almighty, are My armoury prepared for the day of battle. What about the rain and dew, and My care for all creatures great and small - can you comprehend? Don't you understand that water is a unique liquid whose density decreases when frozen? By this means I preserve the life of fish and other creatures living in frigid climates. Do you understand the circuits of the constellations of Pleiades (the seven sisters), or Orion (heaven's giant)? What about Ursa Major (the giant bear - perhaps the first inference in the Bible of Russia)? The list of nature's inexplicable marvels goes on. The wisdom is evident. And with the psalmist (and no doubt also the dazed and amazed Job) we declare, "In wisdom (God) You made them all". In Zechariah 13 we are told that, "in that day" i.e. of Israel's heartfelt conversion to and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ, as their Messiah; there would be in Jerusalem a fountain for cleansing. That fountain will be the Rulership of the nations by Jesus Christ throned in his Temple (the house of prayer for all nations - expanded upon in Zechariah 14). Verses 2-6 tell us that idolatry will be cut off from God's people when they have been converted. A false priest will deny that he ever truly followed that profession. The heretical priest will claim to be a cattle herder, who had been so taught from his youth. The black robe, commonly worn by clergy, was worn by the priests of Baal and the Chemarim priests - see Zephaniah 1verses8. It is a garment which has the guise of holiness, but is worn by those practised in deceiving themselves, as well as others. When coming across the faithful Son of God, whom they profess to know they will ask him, "What are these wounds in your hands and side"? His reply will be, that those were the wounds that he received from his people, who should have been his friends (see John 1verses9-13; Revelation 1verses7). This is the time when once again Yahweh will allure Israel in the wilderness and convert them by His love and tenderness- see Hosea 2verses14. Verses 7-9 of Zechariah chapter 13 speak of the smiting of the shepherd and the scattering of the sheep - quoted in Matthew 26verses36. Verse 7 also tells us that the smitten shepherd was the fellow (same word translated "neighbour" in Leviticus 19verses the subject of the Law "You shall love your neighbour as yourself") of the Lord GOD Almighty Himself - the incomparable Son of God. Following that smiting, the Land would be visited with great destruction upon those who proclaimed, "His blood be upon our heads". Likewise at the time of the Lord's second coming and kingdom, the prophet foretells that, two thirds of Jerusalem will be destroyed. This will result in a refined and purified remnant who will be the people of Yahweh. Chapter 14 gives some of the details of the battle of Armageddon. We are told here, and in Joel 3, Revelation 16 and Ezekiel 38, 39. We are told that all nations will be involved in that war. The city of Jerusalem will in part (a half) fall to the rapacious invaders (Ezekiel 38 tells us that this northern confederacy will be headed by Russia). But God will, as verse 3 tells us, fight for His people and will use the forces of nature, including a mighty worldwide earthquake, which will dramatically change the landscape and elevate Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The saints of our Lord Jesus will be with him as he stands on the Mount of Olives to cause this earthquake - note the angels declaration that Jesus Christ would return to Jerusalem via this Mountain (Acts 1verses9-11). The consummation of this process is explained in verse 9 of Zechariah 14 with an earth under the Rulership of the kingdom of God. The remnants of the nations will, verse 16, come to Jerusalem, the capitol of the world and centre of divine worship. The verses preceding v16 speak of unspeakable plagues which could infer either chemical, or biological, or even a limited nuclear attack - which will prove futile against the Son of God. Following Jerusalem's literal and spiritual elevation (Isaiah 2verses1-4; Jeremiah 3verses16-17) people will be asked to accept Jesus' rule. Failure to comply will bring drought, or plague. Throughout Messiah's rule the nations will annually observe the Feast of Tabernacles, or booths. Eventually there will be total acceptance of the way of holiness - read verses 20-21 aloud. Pause and ponder. Revelation 15verses2 is a small vision of the victorious saints with Christ having completed the judgment of the great whore described in the pouring out from the seven bowls of judgment the seven plagues of chapters 15-16. The crystal-clear sea speaks of a world without nations and at peace. These bowls plagues to be poured out and describe the judgments of the Lord GOD Almighty to be poured upon the guilty and to chastise them for their persecution of the faithful believers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The events of chapter 2 begin and end the work of the seventh trumpet. The angels of this great and marvellous are said to have "the seven last plagues". The plagues are a series of calamities and disasters affecting the enemies of Israel, and the Saints and Witnesses, with whose blood they have intoxicated themselves. They are called the last plagues "for in them is God's wrath fulfilled". These outpourings are outlined in chapter 16 of Revelation. The troubled sea of the wicked (Isaiah 57versesverses20-21) is to become tranquil once God's wrath has been pacified (the final outcome of these judgements will be a world at peace - Psalm 46 and Revelation 21). The nations will be pacified and will learn true worship as verses 3-4 of chapter 15 indicate. Verses 5-8 provides a glimpse into the Most Holy Place of that Temple after those judgments have been completed. Chapter 16 deals with the outpouring of those bowls of judgment. Note the command of the mighty angel who unleashes the Divine wrath on the persecutors of God's faithful saints. Verse 2 sees the first bowl poured on Catholic Europe after the accession of Napoleon to the throne, as emperor of the French on September 22nd, 1793. The second bowl was of Napoleon's campaigns in naval battles. The third was against the alpine districts and rivers of northern Italy - which region had witnessed savage persecution of the saints by the Roman Catholic Church. The angel effecting those calamities acknowledged the justice of our Sovereign in so repaying the evils done in the name of religion. Verse 8-9 tell of the severe scourge delivered to the Austrian Hungarian seat of Catholic Europe in Vienna in the battle of Austerlitz. The fifth bowl saw Napoleon continue his campaigns against the Hapsburg emperors of Austria. The culmination of this bowl was Napoleon's capture and imprisonment of the Roman pontiff himself. Napoleon's work having been completed sees him removed from the scene. The great impediment to Israel's return and restoration was the Ottoman Empire. The sixth bowl was poured upon this eastern Islamic power - symbolised in the drying up of the river Euphrates. This began around the early 1800s and was finished by the end of World War I. The frog-like message that emerged from the French Revolution was the death knell for the old colonial empires and saw a surge of nationalism. The same spirit is evident today in the Arab Spring. The final outworking of nationalism will be a bringing of Armageddon and the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to establish the one empire to last forever - the kingdom of God on earthverses Daniel 2verses44-45. These frog-like spirits emerge from the dragon (eastern Europe United under Russia); the Beast i.e. United Western Europe; and the false prophet - the pope. Interestingly the European Union was created in 1956 by the Treaty of Rome. Armageddon is the battle of the Lord GOD Almighty in the land of Israel. It is described at length in Ezekiel 38 and Joel 3 (which is the source of the coined Hebrew word "Armageddon" meaning a bundle of sheaves in a valley for threshing, or judgment). The 16th chapter concludes with the pouring out of the final bowl of judgment on Rome itself - called Great Babylon. Having punished those nations which supported the Beast (of chapter 17) Rome will next heavily feel the Almighty's vengeance for her evils. Chapters 17-19 give greater details of these judgements and the reasons for which they will be meted out. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow Penned by Warwick Rosser and his team, produced by Christadelphianvideo.org See more Thoughts from the Christadelphian Dialy Bible Reading Planner (By R.Roberts) here... [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row] https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-bible-readings-december-28th-job-38-zechariah-13-14-revelation-15-16/?feed_id=108312&_unique_id=694f80fb2e803