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DECEMBER 22
Zechariah 2-3
When
we read about God restoring Jerusalem, we need to remember this has nothing to
do with some kind of divine patriotism. It all has to do with redemption.
Yesterday we read in Revelation how the dragon pursued the woman. That would
make a great animated cartoon, but in the history of our world it has been
utterly tragic for Israel. When the covering angel went rogue to make himself
the object of worship for mankind, he was able to take the guardianship of the
nations. God allowed that, but kept one nation for himself as a way to reach
all of mankind. Actually, it wasn't even a nation, it was a man, Abraham. Since
that time, and even with God's promises, Israel has suffered terribly and
failed, but not without help. Satan has made a mockery out of God's attempt to
use Israel. Yet God has used Israel. Even in its failure, we see our hearts and
our sin and our depravity reflected in their rebellion and inability to love
and obey God. What a hard, inglorious service they have rendered to humanity.
Yet, from that nation, according to the flesh, came the Christ, the Savior. And
the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. God will honor Israel. Surely
God is guiding nations today, Israel included; but the future generation of
Israel we are reading about will not be like Israel today. That future Israel
will be honored because they will be humbled and believing. They will willingly
serve God and suffer terribly. Yet they will be used to defeat the enemy and
win the day for all mankind.
Zechariah
2
Vs.
1-5 So here are poor Zerubbabel and Joshua struggling to rebuild the temple.
The glorious dream of returning to the land with God's blessing has turned into
disappointment. Imagine what this vision would have meant to them. Remember
that at the time Zechariah was speaking, there were no walls around Jerusalem.
They felt vulnerable and unprotected. God said that in the future glory of
Jerusalem, the city will be so large that it won't have walls. But, the
crowning jewel is that the Lord will be dwelling in her midst, giving it
security.
Obviously
this is the Millennial Kingdom.
One
other note, with all of these angels running around, we hear more about angels
in Zechariah than any other book in the OT. This is rivaled only by Revelation.
And, you'll notice that one of these angels has been referred to as the angel
of the Lord. He hasn't said enough yet to know if it is just an angel of the Lord or if it is THE angel of the Lord. The mystery will
soon be revealed.
Vs.
6-13 This declaration was an immediate encouragement to the Jews who still
lived comfortably in Babylon, to have the courage to return to Jerusalem. But,
this is clearly looking to the future also.
V.
8 Just a reminder, the apple of His eye,
means His eyeball, not a piece of fruit. An arrogant person might touch
something God liked when they thought He wasn't looking, but who would be so
insane as to actually try to injure God's eyeball?
V.
11 This is salvation for the nations, not just Israel. They will all be God's
people.
V.
13 This is either a warning or an encouragement, depending on your relationship
to the Lord. This "rousing" is what we are seeing in Revelation.
Zechariah
3
Now
that God has made the future city secure and blessed, the people of Israel have
to be fit for worship.
V.
1 Did you notice yesterday in Revelation 12:10, that it said, the accuser of our brothers has been thrown
down? Here he is. Satan, ironically, insists that God must punish the sin
of each person. If God doesn't, He is unrighteous. I think it is actually an
attack on God's holiness. Apparently Satan has something to gain, if he can
prove that God is unrighteous and violates His own holiness. That is why, I think,
it is important to the angels that God is holy.
Notice
that the angel of the Lord is
standing next to Joshua too. In this scene it not only applies to Joshua's
standing before God, but also the nation's right to represent God. In v. 8 it
says that Joshua and those with him are a sign; that is, they are all
representing something else. In this case, they are representing the nation as
Satan accuses it before God. There was a lot to accuse.
V.
2 So, how does the Lord say, the Lord
rebuke you? The angel of the Lord is God the Son before He came to earth,
born as a human. Since Jesus hadn't yet been born and died for our sin, the
great question hanging in the heavenly air is, "What right does God have
in not punishing Joshua's sin? How can God forgive sin righteously?" Oddly
enough, the one standing next to Joshua would pay for sin and prove God's
righteous right to forgive sin without having to damn the sinner.
Vs.
3-5 Knowing this is Jesus speaking makes this scene amazing. This is what
happens to every person who confesses Christ as Savior.
Vs.
6-10 Joshua and these men are encouraged to keep leading the people to the
Lord.
V.
8 Promised to the nation is the Branch,
the Messiah and eternal King.
V.
9 Promised is that God will remove the sin from Israel in a single day. That is definitely for the end times.
For
the seven eyes, see Revelation 5:6.
V.
10 Promised is not only peace and prosperity, but the neighbor probably refers to the nations. Look at Isaiah 55:5.
Revelation 13
During
this pause in the judgments, different dramas and personalities of the
Tribulation are described. The angel declared the mystery of God, that the
saints of God would conquer Satan by their testimony and sacrifice. The two
witnesses were the first of these martyrs of the Great Tribulation (the final
3.5 years), commencing this mystery. Now, we learn about Satan's two witnesses.
These two work to reverse the testimony of God's two witnesses and His people,
to get mankind to worship Satan through them. As you read through this, keep in
mind that some of what we read in Daniel comes in handy here.
Vs. 1-2 In Daniel 7,
four nations arise from the sea. Here, coming out of the sea is a composite nation, made up of elements of the
four beasts in Daniel 7. It is symbolically the mixture and final expression of
human government without God. If we take our lead from Daniel, the horns and
heads refer to kings or leaders. So far we know we have a nation or
confederation of nations. Notice that in Satan giving it his power and
authority, this is like what Satan told Jesus he could do in Luke 4:6-7, “To you I will give all this authority and
their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If
you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
Vs.
3-6 The imagery slowly begins to lead to one man, representing this nation, but
also representing Satan. This one man has apparently taken the offer that Jesus
turned down. He is the antichrist. When the antichrist takes his place in the
temple, apparently he will appear to be the Messiah and demand worship. He will
have satanic power and will have survived a "JFK"-like assassination
attempt. Even though he has been on the rise for the first 3.5 years, his true
power and authority doesn't fully manifest itself until he gives himself fully
to Satan for the final 3.5 years. The antichrist will receive worship. That is
pretty amazing.
Note
that in order for the antichrist to put himself forward as a messenger of God,
he will verbally, and in other ways, try to destroy Christianity and Judaism.
He will make a new religion, as we'll see in v. 8.
Vs.
7-9 This is the same as the little horn in Daniel 7:25 and 8:24. We know that
this is the antichrist, so he is an individual representing a nation and he
himself is also called the beast out of the sea. We are back to the mystery
announced by the angel in chapter 10, because he takes it upon himself to war
against God's people.
V.
8 How would you get Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, liberals, atheists and such to
all worship together? Signs and wonders help, but he will need to redefine
spirituality to make this work.
In
the middle of a destroyed world filled with anarchy and disorder, the nation
and man that is the antichrist will be a welcomed savior, but only for those
who do not believe the Word of God. Anyone who has the Word has the playbook
and knows what's going on.
Vs.
9-10 These verses are given an extremely solemn emphasis. God's people will
need to hold this truth for help and encouragement. Since God is purposefully
giving His people into the enemy's hands, believers (Jew and Gentile) shouldn't
be anxious about their lives, whether they are hiding or dying. It is God who
is working, and if He has determined a person to be safe, it won't matter if
they walk out on the street singing "Onward Christian Soldiers;" they
won't get caught. On the other hand, if God has determined a person for
martyrdom, it doesn't matter where they hide, or whether they zig or whether
they zag when they run, they will get caught. In all of the stress and anxiety,
they are to keep a sober and steady mind and heart. God is still in control in
this satanic chaos. God will use every believer in a very intentional way.
Vs.
11-17 Enter the second beast. This
one comes out of the earth and is
usually referred to as "the false prophet." That is an
understatement. These two men are the satanic version of the two witnesses.
The
things this beast, or prophet, does seem pretty straightforward. Though you can
find a parallel for the antichrist in Scripture, this other guy has no clear
reference unless he is the embodiment of every false prophet in the Bible.
V.
12 The presence could also be,
"by the authority of."
V.
15 It seems that God allows this and Satan cannot make life; it will be some
kind of illusion. Notice that this is worship by compulsion. If you don't
worship, you die.
Vs.
16-17 In reordering the world after the first 3.5 years of death and
destruction, this might make sense for identification, but it has a very
religious slant to it. Notice too that people are compelled to receive the
mark. The antichrist's government will use this as a way to root out
opposition. Imagine that the resources of the world will be scarce and you
won't be able to buy without this mark.
V.
18 This might be a mystery that will make sense for the people in the
Tribulation, but all the guesses of all the wise have proved futile up to now.
I
was reading this morning where Jesus told people to strive to enter by the
narrow door while it was still possible. The moment of death is certainly too
late to believe, but I think for many people that time of irreversible unbelief
comes while they are still alive, when unbelief becomes so set in their hearts
that they never will understand. I think this is why comparatively few people
come to Christ after the age of 40. But we don't know who will believe, and God
doesn't give us the option to ask, so we work and share the gospel.
In
the first years of the Tribulation, there will be an opportunity for people to
respond to God out of need and out of the witness of those following Christ. In
the final 3.5 years, the degree of satanic influence grows more visible and
more powerful. Satan has been cast out of heaven and seems to go for broke.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:24, For
false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and
wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. There will still be people who respond
to the 144,000 in the Great Tribulation (last 3.5 years), but it will become
extremely hard. And believers will have to be totally anchored in the Word.
In
all of this, both for us reading Revelation and for those living through it,
there is one thing to remember; Jesus is coming and we will see Him.
Psalm 141
Vs.
1-2 It sounds like David felt he was in danger. Incense and prayer are
seen together.
Vs.
3-4 It seems like David was being tempted to take shortcuts and not to wait on
the Lord. While David was running, he led and lived with men who did not have
his same level of faith in God. I'm sure when they sat together deciding what
to do, David was constantly having to correct attitudes and plans that were not
honoring to God. A spontaneous example of this was when he was in the cave and
could have killed Saul at the urging of his men. He resisted, but I'm sure it
wasn't easy.
V.
4 Apparently the word delicacies has
the sense of sexual license. This is fueled by power and arrogance and self
importance. As a king David had that, and later, sadly, abused it. Getting away
from the Lord and His Word is fatal for everyone, even His servants.
Vs.
5-7 He prays to remain open to godly counsel and knows that he will be
vindicated for following God. David would rather be rebuked by the godly than
to follow the other guys.
Vs.
8-10 As for David, his eyes were on God to seek Him regardless of what others
thought or did. And, as we have seen before, it is suggested that the wicked
fall into their own traps and are repaid in kind for their deeds. Amen.
Proverbs 30:18-20
Vs.
18-19 These things all seem to have something to do with submission to God's
forces in nature or love.
V.
20 This way is not very wonderful.
Here it is not the man leading and the woman responding to the way God has made
things as in v. 19, but rather sin being planned by this woman in opposition to
God's way. The way of sin, apparently, is equally unexplainable.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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