DECEMBER 29
This is exciting. If you have been keeping up, you are on
the verge of a major accomplishment. The struggle is worth it, and trust me -
next year will be easier. I can also tell you, you will get more out of reading
the Bible next year. Not only will you become more familiar with what God is
saying, but you will understand His heart more and more each year. When you are
filled with His Word, it becomes easier to trust Him. Also, your life changes
and as it does, the Holy Spirit highlights things in different ways to teach,
comfort and correct. More and more you will find that something you have read
that day will be used to warn you from doing something, or it will be the truth
you needed that day to keep you following Christ in the harvest.
Just a couple more days to go. In our reading today we are
not at the end of history, but you can see it from here.
Zechariah
14
Vs. 1-3 We are at the very end of the
Tribulation. As this army attacks Jerusalem, Zechariah recounts the gruesome
scene. Apparently this will last a couple of days since there are people taken
alive out of the city. At first, the attacking army will be victorious. This
will be the reason the people will be crying out for the Messiah. It is in this
devastation as Jesus returns and they visually see Him returning, that the
tables are turned. Since Jesus said there would be an awesome sign in the sky visible
like lightning, that would herald His coming, it could be that the sign in the
heavens is what terrifies this army. At the same time, the Jews in Jerusalem
are given a supernatural courage and strength, and they turn the tide. As seen
yesterday, apparently the people in the surrounding area see the change in the
fighting in Jerusalem and join in to help. Then it looks like Jesus comes
visibly and helps out.
Vs. 4-5 Notice the mentions of on that day. Apparently Jesus appears
first and then everyone sees the army of holy
ones we saw yesterday in Revelation.
Vs. 6-7 This will be different from the
day of battle where Joshua asked for the sun to stand still.
V. 8 We have read about this river that
will flow out from under the temple. Ezekiel only told us of the part that
flows eastward to the Dead Sea. In Revelation 21:2 we will see that this river
with its trees is for the nations to come and be healed during the Millennium.
V. 9 This is the beginning of the
Millennial Kingdom and Jesus' eternal reign.
Vs. 10-11 We saw in Revelation 16:20
how at the seventh bowl there was a worldwide earthquake that leveled the
mountains.
Vs. 12-15 It looks like amid the terror
and confusion of the return of the Lord, the opposing armies are also hit with
a plague. Apparently they will rot standing. According to Revelation 19, the
birds are called in for clean-up. Although this is a plague, you have to think
of what would happen to any of us if God took away His sustaining power from us
for 10 seconds. All men are frail and live only by His power. God revoked His
image, and Nebuchadnezzar, the great king, became an animal and lost
everything. If God revoked His thought from us, we'd fall apart. When He
revokes His breath, we die.
Vs. 16-19 This description is only with
regard to the people of the nations that are allowed to go into the Millennial
Kingdom and describes their submission to Jesus and their requirement to come
to Jerusalem yearly. Although we don't have a lot of information about life in
the Millennium, we know that there will be an initial judgment within days or
weeks of Jesus' arrival separating the wicked from the righteous (weeds and
wheat [Mat. 13:24-43], good fish-bad fish [Mat. 13:47-50], sheep and goats
[Mat. 25:31-46]) so that these thousand years begin only with people who are
believing and in submission to Christ. We know that there will be a need for
healing and rebuilding in the world. We know that certain resurrected people
will act as leaders, governors, mayors, guiding the people and nations of the
world. People will come to Jerusalem for the healing trees. We also know from
Ezekiel that there will be memorial sacrifices, remembering the sacrifice of
Christ; but these will be celebratory in their focus, not saving or
substituting. As we saw in Ezekiel the Feast of Booths will be held, but not
the Day of Atonement that accompanied it. Atonement has already been made.
As we are about to read in Revelation,
even in a perfect world without Satan to deceive mankind, the sin of man will
still grow and rebel against God. When Satan is released after 1000 years, he
will find people all over the world who are willing to follow him and come
against Israel and God.
Vs. 20-21 The house of the Lord will be a busy, festive place – a sign that
all is well on the earth.
Revelation
20
And now for the rest of the story.
Vs. 1-3 Notice that Satan is thrown
into a pit, not into hell. His angels are with him. I'll bet that'll be no
party. Notice in v. 3 that he "must" be released. There is a plan and
a purpose ordained in what God is doing.
Vs. 4-6 The Millennial Kingdom hasn't
yet begun, but it is close. First, there is judgment.
V. 6 It is generally understood that
everyone who is believing, not just the Tribulation saints, but all the OT
believers, are resurrected here. (Those who believe in the pre-tribulation
rapture of the church understand that the church on earth was transformed and
that the "dead in Christ" were raised before the beginning of the
Tribulation. 1 Cor. 15:51-52) This "first resurrection" mentioned here
is only "first" in reference to the next resurrection at the end of
the Millennial Kingdom. Note that only those who are resurrected now are not
affected by the second death. This means that all those who are resurrected in
the second resurrection experience the second death. This means that all the
saved of all generations will be resurrected at the first resurrection and will
enjoy the Millennial Kingdom. In fact, some of those who are raised will reign
with Jesus as leaders in the world, directing countries, cities and many
offices in governments. One of these will be King David. (Ezekiel 37:25) Again
as I understand it, the church had already been resurrected at the rapture
before the Tribulation began.
Vs. 7-10 The army that Satan is able to
amass at the end of the Millennium is huge, like the sand of the sea. This
means that even though people will see Jesus and speak with Him, they will
still choose to hate Him. Sin trumps rationality. How do you hate the person
who gives you life, who is the Creator of the very reality you choose to rebel
against? This rebellion by mankind is the last piece of the puzzle that gives
Jesus His right to cast rebellious mankind into hell. It is what sets up the
final judgment before the white throne. We, not Satan, are responsible for our
own sin. Sin is and always has been our problem. Faith in God and His Word has
always been the solution. People born during the Millennium have now seen and
not believed for a thousand years. Having rejected God's offer of help and
salvation, they deserve to be cast from His presence into the lake of fire. This will lay to rest the saying, "The devil
made me do it." It will also lay to rest every other argument. There will
be a perfect world, and mankind will see God and they still won't like Him.
God's judgment is absolutely righteous.
V. 10 Notice that there is torment in
hell. There is no semblance of activity or life, or government or parties. It
is only punishment. All those stories about the parties in hell and hell being
where all the cool people are is utter baloney. Also, Satan will not be
"ruling." He will also be in torment, humbled to the level of those
he worked to corrupt.
Vs. 11-15 This is the resurrection to
judgment. No believer will appear before the white throne. In Jesus'
descriptions of judgment in John 5:28-29 and in the parable of the sheep and
goats in Matthew 25:31-46, the righteous were resurrected first and the
unrighteous were then judged and sentenced. He just didn't say the different
resurrections would be separated by a thousand years. Jesus will prove the
righteousness of judgment by what is written in the books. The dead who are
raised will be given an eternal body, but their spirit was never reborn,
recreated in Christ. Their sinful nature, at death, was judged and became a
permanent fixture of their being. Now, even in their new body, they are
rebellious of heart. There is no second chance. They had their second, third,
fourth….chances during their life on earth. What is interesting to me is that
this judgment isn't given any drama. Earth's history has been tragic. The
judgment is concluded. The end of that sad history deserves only a brief
description.
V. 14 Notice that both Death and Hades, that place of waiting,
are gone forever.
Praise God! We are here now to work in
His harvest, knowing that we, and all those who believe, will be blessed
forever in Christ.
Psalm
148
What better way to
conclude the sad tragedy of fallen earthly history than with praise to God.
This is one of those songs of worship that included the plan of redemption.
Notice that in v. 11 all kings and nations are called upon to praise the Lord.
Vs. 1-2 As we've
read, someday this will be totally true, and we'll be there to see it.
Vs. 3-10 Romans
8:19-22 says that the creation waits for our redemption.
Vs. 11-12 And there
will come a time when all who are on the earth will praise the Lord.
Vs. 13-14 This is why
they were to praise God. He raised up a
horn, or as Zechariah, the father of
John the Baptist, prophesied in Luke 1:69, "and has raised up a horn
of salvation for us in the house of his servant David."
Jesus was that King, the King who has saved us and who will
return and reign forever.
Proverbs 31:8-9
King Lemuel's mother
also told him this, and God thought it was worth passing on. It is interesting
when you read about what Jesus was sent to do, that one of those things was to
preach good news to the poor and to bring justice to victory. (Matt. 12:20) Our
Lord wants us to have a heart for the poor and those who need justice, but the
most important thing we have to offer is the good news.
Luke 4:18-21 (Jesus reading Isaiah in the synagogue in
Nazareth) "The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord." And he closed the book, and gave it back to the
attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on
him. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled
in your hearing."
If you’re reading along
and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these
comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and 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. 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
manual we have and 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. 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 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,
disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a
complete description of this model of being and making disciples you can find
it in my book: Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more
descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the
Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is the
commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never
hurts.
I am not endorsing any
particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte
Lutherbibel 1984.
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. Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like
documents containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download these to use on your computer or to
print.
