If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
DECEMBER 24
Wow,
we're almost there, Christmas and the end of the year. This is one of the
biggest shopping days of the year for men who have waited until the last
minute.
Zechariah 6-7
Zechariah
6
This
concludes all the visions that Zechariah had on that one night back in 1:7.
What a long night of visions. This will conclude the visions of bringing God's
mercy to Jerusalem.
Vs.
1-8 Since these are chariots, fighting appears to be in view, but the Ethiopian
official in Acts was in a chariot and he was just crusin' home. It says they
are patrolling the earth, keeping watch over it and bringing news back to the
Lord. There are only two directions mentioned because invaders only ever came
into Israel from the north and the south. Since the horses' colors are the same
as those in Revelation, it is thought that this event is the judgment on the
earth leading up to the Millennial Kingdom. Who knows? Since no war is
mentioned here, it could simply be a symbol of God's watching over the Gentile
nations which will eventually lead to peace for Jerusalem and Judah. It is
interesting to me that God would use angels like this since He knows and sees
everything.
The
focus changes now to matters dealing with the completion of the current temple.
Vs.
9-15 This is the actual crowning of Joshua to be the high priest, but it is
symbolic of Jesus, the Branch, the Messiah reigning over Israel. We see this
crowning of the priest in Exodus 39:30. In Hebrews we read how Jesus is both
priest and king. In Israel that would not have worked, but it works with Jesus
because he is a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Vs.
12-13 These are very interesting verses. The Jews knew that the Messiah, the
Branch, would build the temple. Think, then, of the significance of these
words: Jesus answered them, “Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). These words of
Jesus were not only a part of prophecy, but they were mentioned again and again
at His trial; and as He hung on the cross they mocked Him with them.
Apparently
the temple will be damaged in the Tribulation and the Messiah will rebuild it.
We've already seen what the millennial temple will look like.
V.
14 They were to place that crown in the temple they were building as a reminder
of the future glory of the millennial temple and its priest-king.
V.15
The nations will help to build the millennial temple.
Zechariah
7
Vs.
1-3 This event took place almost two years after the visions we just read
about. The temple was in the middle of its rebuilding. It is a question about
fasting, but it is really a question about religious routine. The fasts
mentioned here were not prescribed by the Lord, but became traditions of the
people. The fast of the fifth month was commemorating the day Babylon burned
down the temple and destroyed it. The fast of the seventh month was mourning
the murder of Gedaliah, the first governor of Judah after the destruction of
the temple.
Vs.
4-7 God says here that He never told them to do this. The fast was for
themselves, to commemorate something important to them, but it was not to seek
God's will or favor. It was like a patriotic day of mourning.
Vs.
8-14 It was the false religiousness of the former generations that brought
judgment upon them. God is trying to show them that in this rebuilt temple,
religion without true relationship will only bring them judgment. Religion,
without loving God and doing what He says, helps no one. For an interesting
slant on this, read Isaiah 58, which also has to do with useless fasting. God
didn't like it.
As
disciples, in all our work in the harvest, in our work with people and in our
churches, our first love for Christ has to keep growing. Without a deep warm
love for Christ, we grow hard and religious. That first love was born out of
salvation and stays alive and burning as we follow Him in the harvest, reaching
the lost and making disciples, who make disciples.
Revelation 15
V.
1 I'm guessing that at least two years have passed since the death of the
witnesses and the commencement of the mystery. There are seven more plagues to
be poured out. I'm thinking they do not happen right at the end, in the last
month, so that there is still a chance for people to decide and so that those
to be punished can be punished for a while. Not only that, a great gathering of
armies will take place north of Jerusalem and it will take months to get that
organized in a wrecked world. While the bowls will be poured out in quick
order, it could be six months to a year from the first bowl to the final. Then
there will be the mourning over the destruction of the whore of Babylon, and
then comes the end. Anyway, I think there will be some time in this.
Vs.
2-4 Notice who is here, those who have conquered the beast. How did they
conquer him? That was the mystery. These are martyrs who have conquered the
beast and Satan by their testimony and deaths through the blood of the Lamb.
God uses the foolishness of the world to shame the wise and the weak of the
world to defeat the strong, and He uses things that are not, to bring to
nothing things that are.
I'm not sure what the
song of Moses is, but it is identical
to the song of the Lamb. Notice that
Christ will be the King of the nations
and that these things have become a testimony to the nations. Nations will come
and worship the Lamb. This "witness to the nations" could be the song
of the Lamb, but what about Moses? Glad you asked. Look at what Paul says in Romans
9:17, For the Scripture says to Pharaoh,
“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you,
and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
God has been giving
testimony in all of this. The bowls are plagues, so if you'd like to see the
full connection to Moses and testimony to God and plagues, read Exodus 9:13-16.
It could be that this testimony to the world is a part of the expression of the
"song" of Moses. Notice the connection between God's people, the
oppressive unbelief of the enemy and the plagues. In the end, God used
Pharaoh's sin as a testimony to the world, and nations feared God. The same
thing is happening here.
Just
for trivia, notice that the central theme of the song is not God's holiness. I
think that holiness is an angelic thing. The central theme of this song is
about God's harvest and acclaim among the nations. That is the plan of redemption.
Vs.
5-8 If we thought we had seen "solemn" before, this is a new level.
As we'll see in chapters 16 and 17, the death of the saints heightens the wrath
of God that is about to be poured out. This scene is literally awesome. There
is glory and purity and righteousness and power and wrath all gathered
together, so intensely, that even in heaven, you couldn't enter the sanctuary. As the song “Awesome God” says, when God has rolled up His
sleeves, it isn't for show. He means business. He is about to avenge His
saints.
And
even today, as He gives up His Son's followers in this part of the harvest, by
whatever means or circumstances, it has an intentional purpose in His plan. And
He's keeping track and taking names. Yet, our business is just to love Him,
reach out to the lost and to make disciples, who make disciples. When He thinks
we're done and ready for retirement, we'll receive, by whatever means or
circumstances, as Paul put it, the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).
Psalm 143
Somehow
my heart feels the deep cry of David in this psalm. So much of this sounds like
what David says in Psalm 27.
Vs.
1-2 When we have to endure hard times for long stretches, sometimes we are
tempted to understand God's silence, as His anger toward us or something we
have done.
Vs.
3-4 Who hasn't felt like this, especially when you've tried to do the right
thing and have received criticism?
Vs.
5-6 When all you've got are memories, you still have the Word and you can seek
God.
Vs.
7-8 It is natural and necessary for us to want and need assurances of God's
love.
Vs.
9-10 We not only need deliverance; we need to learn that when God takes us through
times like this, we can be stronger in faith and more trusting of His care and
leading.
Vs.
11-12 What a deep and profound plea to God…for
Your name’s sake… for I am Your
servant.
Some
people object to a prayer like this for vengeance or justice. Yet we've seen
the martyrs in Revelation 6:10 ask the same thing. It is interesting that in
the next chapters of Revelation we'll see God avenge His servants. Those who
made His servants suffer will suffer, not just because they touched God's people,
but because there is a deeper, unseen reality.
Luke
10:16 The one
who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects
him who sent me.
Proverbs 30:24-28
So, if you had to give a
devotional on these verses, what would you say God would like to see in us?
What is the quality in each of these to which He is drawing our attention?
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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