NEHEMIAH 5-6:Yesterday Nehemiah gave a listing of the people who rebuilt the wall. This included Shallum and his daughters, and two named goldsmiths, merchants, priests and Levites. The residents of the land opposed to the construction were threatening violence, so the people armed themselves and had men on guard at all times. Nehemiah and his men …

NEHEMIAH 3-4:After Nehemiah's wonderful prayer for Jerusalem, more than three months went by before the king noticed him looking sad. He says he had never before looked sad, so he must have waited. God must have been in the timing, because the king wonderfully agreed to help Nehemiah in every way. And the leaders in Jerusalem also were enthusiastic…

NEHEMIAH 1:Yesterday we heard how the returned exiles responded to Ezra's shock and demonstration of his sorrow, and his prayer of repentance. The book ended with the names of those who were found guilty of forbidden marriages. Note that these are not just names of the guilty, but names of those who repented and sacrificed to God. They are the name…

EZRA 9-10:Yesterday we heard how Ezra introduced himself. Note that he spoke of himself in the 3rd person, but finally resorted to 'I'. King Artaxerxes was certainly impressed by Ezra! Ezra was given everything he could have wanted, guaranteeing full government support of the temple worship in every way. Note how methodical Ezra was, making sure th…

EZRA 7-8:Yesterday we read of how King Darius completely sided with the Israelites seeking to reestablish the temple worship. Note that the letter to Darius from the government officials was rather complementary and not threatening loss to the king's interests as the letter from the earlier officials. Remember also that this King Darius is the one …

EZRA 5-6:When the Israelites returned from exile, they were determined to get worship started again, and they made great progress, not waiting for the temple to be repaired in order to start sacrifices on an altar built upon the old location. They made a fast start to building too. But then opposition developed, and several Persian kings later the …

EZRA 3-4:Ezra, a scribe and priest, doesn't start speaking about himself until chapter 7. Ancient copies of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were written on the same scroll, and Jewish tradition holds that Ezra wrote both of them. The dates of writing are somewhere between 458 and 420 BC. I kind of doubt that Ezra was the author for both books, becau…

EZRA 1:Before going to Ezra, I want to say that one can do a whole lot of digging deeper in the last two chapters of Daniel. History tells about those kings, and we know from what Jesus said and what is written in Revelation, that God plans for history to repeat itself. The main 'take-away' points are clear, just as they are in Revelation: Blessed …

DANIEL 10:20—12:In yesterday's reading, we heard Daniel's sincere prayer. Note that he had been seeking the Lord with limited fasting for 3 weeks. Then the angel Gabriel is again sent with a message for Daniel. Note that the phrase 'anoint the Most Holy Place' is probably referring to what we read about in Hebrews recently— that which our High Prie…

DANIEL 9-10:Yesterday in Daniel, we heard of the vision of four beasts representing four kingdoms. After the fourth would be the start of the rule of One whose kingdom would last forever. This vision was explained, then Daniel had a second and more detailed vision. It is a major amazing sign of God's sovereignty over human governments that Alexande…

DANIEL 7-8:In Daniel yesterday, we heard the famous 'writing on the wall' chapter. That is where that idiom in English comes from! While that was happening with King Belshazzar, the Medes and Persians were outside the wall and the prophecies of Ezekiel, Isaiah and Jeremiah all happened. Daniel was to be proclaimed the third ruler because Belshazzar…

DANIEL 5-6:Yesterday we heard two stories: That of Nebuchadnezzar's statue of gold and the exciting way God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And the second story was Nebuchadnezzar himself sharing about his dream and how he was later humbled. ISAIAH 25:Yesterday's reading in Isaiah talked of the destruction of the whole earth, but here ag…

DANIEL 3-4:Matthew Henry describes the parts of the statue in Daniel 2: The head of gold signified the Chaldean empire, then in being. 2. The breast and arms of silver signified the empire of the Medes and Persians. 3. The belly and thighs of brass signified the Grecian empire, founded by Alexander. 4. The legs and feet of iron signified the Roman …

DANIEL 2:In the first chapter of Daniel, we heard how Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were faithful to God in not wanting to be defiled by the king's food, and later they were found better than their companions and chosen for service to King Nebuchadnezzar. ISAIAH 23:Yesterday we heard two dramatic messages. One was about the failure of Jeru…

DANIEL 1:Yesterday in Ezekiel, the land was divided in horizontal bands across the entire width of Israel. We will see the 12 gates of the New Jerusalem again in Revelation. We start the little but immensely important book of Daniel today. Daniel wrote this sometime between 540 and 530 BC. As Daniel will relate, he was an exile to Babylon starting …

EZEKIEL 48:In the chapters from Ezekiel yesterday, we heard more rules for the prince's worship and about temple kitchens and a beginning part about the division of the land. Very fascinating in that is the part about the river that comes out from the east side of the temple, including trees that are for healing, bearing fruit every month. We will …

EZEKIEL 46-47:Yesterday we heard regulations for the priests and Levites, about foreigners, and about the prince of Israel. Also there was the fascinating detail about the eastern gate, which must remain shut. ISAIAH 20:Yesterday we heard the prophecy against Egypt, but again it ends with a note of hope for Egypt. 2 CORINTHIANS 1:Yesterday we finis…

EZEKIEL 44-45:In the vision of the ideal temple yesterday, we heard of the buildings of rooms for the priests and offerings, the altar, the glory of God coming to this temple, and the reason for this vision. ISAIAH 19:Yesterday in Isaiah we heard the prophecy about the defeat of the Ethiopians, and at the end of that message, there was a note of ho…

EZEKIEL 42-43:In yesterday's tour of the ideal temple we viewed the sanctuary and Most Holy Place. ISAIAH 18:Yesterday we heard of Damascus and Syria and Israel. HEBREWS 12:After recounting the more victorious heroes of faithful believing, the author spoke about all those unnamed people who victoriously suffered because of fully believing. The Fait…

EZEKIEL 41:Yesterday we started Ezekiel's account of his long vision about the future and ideal temple of God, and this is another vision that is referred to in the book of Revelation. The reason for this vision is given in chapter 43: Ez. 43:10 NLT "Son of man, describe to the people of Israel the Temple I have shown you, so they will be ashamed o…

EZEKIEL 40:In chapter 38-39 we heard of the kingdoms of Gog and Magog, which point to future kingdoms in the north. Like Ezekiel's prophecies against the kings of Tyre and Babylon, Gog and Magog also refer to spiritual entities beyond this world, and we will hear of them again in Revelation chapter 20. And today we begin hearing of something else t…

EZEKIEL 38-39:Yesterday we heard the famous 'dry bones' chapter of Ezekiel. Again the prophecy is that David will rule over the nation of Israel, which is like a nation of bones brought back to life. The references to David of course point to his heir, Christ. Starting in this chapter we hear of the kingdoms of Gog and Magog. These names point to f…

EZEKIEL 36-37:In chapter 34, we heard the passage that many Jews would have thought of when they heard Jesus say, "I am the good shepherd. I give my life for the sheep." In Ezekiel 34, God promised to take away corrupt shepherds, saying that He would replace them with only one shepherd— namely David's descendant who will shepherd of the flock of Go…

EZEKIEL 34-35:In Ezekiel yesterday, we heard of how Pharaoh was to be mocked in the world of the dead. Then we heard of God's justice, which he showed by the illustration of Ezekiel as a watchman for a city. ISAIAH 13:Yesterday's reading in Isaiah was a psalm of praise including these poetic lines: Is. 12:2 NLT The LORD GOD is my strength and my so…

EZEKIEL 32-33:Again, as seen in the messages to Tyre and to Egypt, God was not just speaking to one king or about one kingdom, but was also speaking against the kingdom/city of Man or the world system under the rulership of Satan. ISAIAH 12:In yesterday's reading we again heard of the righteous Branch, a shoot growing from David's root. And we hear…

EZEKIEL 30-31:As the Lord was pronouncing doom upon the Prince of Tyre in Ezekiel 28, did you notice how the language shifted to talking about things that the human prince could not have done. The spirit-world ruler behind the prince of Tyre is really in mind— that is, Satan. The tirade against the King of Egypt could also be similarly interpreted.…

EZEKIEL 28-29:So why were there two whole chapters against the city-state of Tyre in yesterday's reading, plus one more today?! I think we see the answer in Revelation. Tyre is very like the picture of Babylon (which in that book is a picture of Rome). All the way through the Bible— starting with the Tower of Babel, we see a contrast between the 'c…

EZEKIEL 26-27:Yesterday we heard a second word picture of Jerusalem as a cooking pot. This was not good news. Then Ezekiel received word that his treasure— his wife, would die. And he was commanded not to mourn as a sign of what the people would do when they heard about the slaughter in Jerusalem. Then there were messages of punishment for the nati…

EZEKIEL 24-25:Yesterday in Ezekiel we heard the shockingly graphic story of the two adulterous sisters, which were really the cities of Samaria and Jerusalem. ISAIAH 8:In yesterday's reading, Isaiah was sent to Ahaz, and the message to the king contains a prophecy that probably had two fulfillments— one in King Ahaz' time and another at Jesus' birt…

EZEKIEL 23:In yesterday's reading, we heard the Lord promise that he would refine Israel as purifying silver in a crucible. And then we heard the famous and poignant words: Ez. 23:30 GNT I looked for someone who could build a wall, who could stand in the places where the walls have crumbled and defend the land when my anger is about to destroy it, …

EZEKIEL 22:Yesterday we heard of the sword of the Lord, which was to come to Jerusalem, actually in the form of the army of the king of Babylon. And there would be punishment also for the Ammonites. ISAIAH 6:In yesterday's reading, we heard one of the famous chapters that relate to Israel as the Lord's vine. This would have been in the minds of tho…

EZEKIEL 21:Yesterday we saw that the Lord was quite offended when unrighteous leaders of Israel came to ask for a message from the Lord! And Ezekiel begged to not have to give a highly figurative message because the people complained that he was always speaking in riddles. ISAIAH 5:Yesterday there was a temporary break in the clouds in Isaiah, and …

EZEKIEL 20:In yesterday's reading in Ezekiel, the Lord refuted the saying that the Israelite's were using, "The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste." And then Ezekiel conveyed two poems about the kings of Judah, spoken of symbolically as two lion cubs and like a vine. ISAIAH 3:24—4:Isaiah, like Ezekiel, a…

EZEKIEL 18-19:Yesterday in Ezekiel we read the riddle of the two eagles, portraying Israel's king breaking his sworn covenant with Babylon. There is a lesson here for us. Normally Babylon would be considered the enemy, and getting free from the enemy would be considered a good thing. But NOT SO if the country has made a promise of loyalty sealed by…

Lesson 6 THEME: Buckle up the belt of truth by believing you are ACCEPTED, SECURE, AND SIGNIFICANT. According to Dr. Neil T. Anderson, nearly all Christians struggle to overcome Satan's lies in at least one of these three areas: 1) I'm not accepted. No one wants me. God certainly couldn't want someone like me. Even though I confess sins, I never fe…

EZEKIEL 17:Yesterday's chapter graphically portrayed how God considers idolatry like the adultery of a faithless wife. Jerusalem (as Judah's capital) was compared— in a very unflattering way, to her two sister cities, Samaria and Sodom. ISAIAH 2:In the first chapter of Isaiah, we heard the Lord compare Israel to Sodom and Gomorrah. And we heard how…

EZEKIEL 16:This book should make modern day 'prophets' reconsider what they do in the Lord's name. In this book we have heard again and again that the Lord will punish those who prophesy falsely. And in the part about the wood of a vine being useless in yesterday's reading, there is only one useful thing a grape vine does, and this is bear grapes. …

EZEKIEL 14-15:The title that the Lord calls Ezekiel is 'son of man', which the Lord is using in the normal sense, meaning 'ordinary human'. The title for Jesus— 'Son of Man', is a special usage. For that, check out Daniel 7. Note in yesterday's reading when Ezekiel acted out how King Zedekiah would go into exile, Ezekiel covered his eyes. It was re…

EZEKIEL 12-13:In yesterday's reading, the vision of the glory of the Lord left the temple. Then God disagreed with what the leaders of the Israelites were saying, that they were safe in the 'pot' of Jerusalem. SONG OF SOLOMON 7:As we heard yesterday, the bride is captivating in beauty, and so radiant that she is compared to the sun and moon. MATTHE…

EZEKIEL 10-11:Yesterday in chapters 8-9 we heard the story of Ezekiel's being transported to Jerusalem and his awesome vision of our glorious God revealing the idolatry of Israel happening right at the temple. Some of the locations shown are literal, and some are to be taken figuratively. One clearly sees that God has every right to be highly offen…

EZEKIEL 8-9:Terrible destruction is prophesied against Judah and Jerusalem. The trumpet will sound the battle call, but no one will get ready, because they are under God's wrath. SONG OF SOLOMON 5:Yesterday the young man extolled the perfection of his bride. MATTHEW 25b:Yesterday in Matthew 25, we heard two parables that speak about being ready for…

EZEKIEL 6-7:In yesterday's reading Ezekiel portrayed the punishment of Israel and the siege on Jerusalem for a total of 430 days. Then he took a razor and cut his hair and divided it into three parts with a little left over. This was used as a demonstration that a third of the people would die in the city from disease and famine. A third will be ki…

EZEKIEL 4-5:In Ezekiel 2-3 God commissioned Ezekiel to speak for God to the rebellious people of Israel. God fed Ezekiel a scroll. This tasted sweet, but afterwards I think he would tell us that it produced "bitterness"— as we will see with John who eats a similar scroll in Revelation. God gave these important words to Ezekiel in yesterday's readin…

EZEKIEL 2-3:Yesterday Ezekiel described his vision of the four cherubim, and the chapter ended just as Ezekiel started hearing a Voice. The last verse ends of chapter 1 says: Ezk. 1:28b GNT When I saw this, I fell face downward on the ground. Then I heard a voice SONG OF SOLOMON 2:Song of Solomon has many speaking parts for the woman, the man, and …

This seems to me to be a good time to talk with you about how to understand the prophetic books of the Bible, as we now are starting to read the Babylonian exile prophet Ezekiel. And starting in a week and extending to the end of the year, our poetry readings will be from the prophet Isaiah, who lived 200 years before Ezekiel. Near the end of the y…

EZEKIEL 1:Yesterday in the last chapter of 2nd Chronicles, we heard of the quick succession of the kings of Judah at the very end before the exile to Babylon: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. And after the fall of Jerusalem, chapter 36 also told of the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy about Cyrus, who gave the decree to rebuild the …

2CHRONICLES 36:Josiah's Passover celebration showed wonderful ability to get everyone to work together and great organizational talent. It is the capstone of the revival that he led. Unfortunately, he was stubborn about going to war with Pharaoh Neco, which cost him both his own life and his son's life. ECCLESIASTES 12:Yesterday's short chapter rec…

2CHRONICLES 35:It is simply amazing that we have books like Deuteronomy, since we see that it (or perhaps Leviticus) was almost lost. And it shows how far Judah had slipped that they didn't know of any copies. Josiah sincerely repented after hearing God's Word. ECCLESIASTES 11:Yesterday's chapter of Ecclesiastes was mainly separate proverbs. As an …

2CHRONICLES 34:We are definitely in the back-and-forth pendulum period of Judah. After one fantastic king, the next two were terrible. And now Josiah is again like David. ECCLESIASTES 10:Here is a highlight from yesterday's reading: Ecc. 9:11 GNT I realized another thing, that in this world fast runners do not always win the races, and the brave do…

2CHRONICLES 33:The account in 2 Chronicles of Hezekiah's victory through prayer over the vast Assyrian army is summarized. It is much more dramatically related in 2nd Kings. Hezekiah's experience with the envoys from Babylon can also be used as a spiritual parable for us. We need to be careful what we just accept as fate, without asking God for som…