Resource Manager Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 26 June 2012 1 Samuel 5; 6Isaiah 51Revelation 12; 13 "THE HEAVENS VANISH LIKE SMOKE" Our readings in Isaiah and Revelation both challenge us with figurative language about the climax of life on earth. There are many passages in God’s word which make reference to the heavens in a way in which it seems clear they symbolise, in certain contexts, the ruling powers on earth. Through Isaiah God says, “My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the people; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm (Jesus) they wait. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke and the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever …” [isaiah 51:5-6] This earth is being physically abused by human beings and needs renewal, but mankind is unable to agree how to stop this abuse. Representatives of many nations have just gathered together but nothing was achieved! They, and the people they represent, are too self-centred in their attitudes: a world govt. is essential. The few people today who really know God, find it dangerous in an increasing number of countries, to make their faith openly evident. Now note the next verse in Isaiah, “Listen to me you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law: fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings … but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.” And so “the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” [isaiah 51:11] When “the heavens vanish like smoke” then “the number of the beast … the number of a man … 666” [Revelation 13:18] will become clear. There have been many proposals as to the interpretation of this number, most of them focusing on the Papacy. After 6 comes 7 and this is the opposite, the number of perfection and completion with the opening of the seventh seal. There are hidden seven’s in Revelation, there is one in this chapter, “Here is a call for the endurance (AV patience) and faith of the saints.” [Revelation 13:10] The Greek word hupomone occurs in Revelation just 7 times, and is a message to those who carefully search the Scriptures. As the “heavens vanish like smoke” let us patiently endure knowing God’s righteousness is about to appear.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 27 June 2012 1 Samuel 7; 8Isaiah 52Revelation 14 " ... BUT TURNED ASIDE AFTER GAIN" 1 Samuel 8 starts by telling us “when Samuel became old …” and the next few chapters tell us of all the drama that happened in his old age. The first problem was that Samuel’s sons whom he had made judges “did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.” [1 Samuel 8:3]. There is no record of Samuel’s wife. How important it is for a wife to support her husband in the spiritual training of their children especially one as busy as Samuel for “he judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel …” [1 Samuel 7:15-17] We live in a world where few if any of those in authority have any real Bible based principles, everyone is “after gain” in some way to some degree. Those who seek to serve the Almighty and his Son must be after a different kind of “gain” – treasure that they can lay up in heaven! See Luke 12:21,33,34. When Jesus returns those who have done this will be “judges” - reigning with him in his kingdom. Maybe Samuel’s role as a judge is an example – but they will have divine power, which the Apostles experienced as a foretaste of “the powers of the age to come.” [Hebrews 6:4] In those days the whole world will be taught righteousness and what a wonderful word picture we read today in Isaiah of this time! “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says in Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’ … The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” [isaiah 52:7,10] To talk of beautiful feet is a poetic expression of the joys of doing the Lord’s work. What a challenge it is to “walk” in that way now. As a final passage look at Hebrews 13, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he (Jesus) has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” [Hebrews 13:5-6] Let us confidently say that!-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 28 June 2012 1 Samuel 9Isaiah 53Revelation 15; 16 "IT IS WHAT THEY DESERVE" Behind every significant event in history has been the “will of the LORD” bringing about things that are “good” or things that are “bad” – more often the latter. This is even sometimes the case with seemingly insignificant events! In our reading of 1 Samuel 9, donkeys belonging to a Benjamite become lost and the owner’s son, Saul is sent to look for them and in the end up ‘chances’ to meet up with Samuel. “Before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel” [1 Samuel 9:15] that Saul would come “and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people, Israel.” [1 Samuel 9:16] Despite God’s displeasure with them they never ceased to be “his people” – and so it has been throughout history. The chapter ends with Samuel taking Saul aside saying, “stop here yourself for awhile, that I may make known to you the word of God.” Today we have the written word of God – how often do we prayerfully turn aside to absorb its message in its fullness as a “lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns …” [1 Peter 1:19] This world is a dark place – and it’s getting darker every year! How remarkable is Isaiah 53, clearly a forecast of the life and death of our Lord so that many in recent generations had become convinced it must have be added during or after the time of Christ! But when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered they were silenced. The chapter starts, “Who has believed what they heard …?” And that is still the question! Who believes what was written and has been preserved and now made available in every language. Our last reading today – Revelation – is about “seven plagues … the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.” [Revelation 15:1] An angel is heard to say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgements …It is what they deserve!” [Revelation 16:5-6] We read of “demonic spirits … who go abroad to the kings (leaders) of the whole world to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.” [Revelation 16:14] “And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.” [Revelation 16:16] Christ is returning without warning, “like a thief” [Revelation 16:15] The word ‘Armageddon’ has fascinated people, especially moviemakers, in recent years – in their inner being many sense disaster is looming. As in the days of Samuel, God arranged for the people to have what they wanted – and deserved, so our world will get what it deserves, “… and the cities of the nations fell … to make (them) drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath” [Revelation 16:19] Frightening! Look back on our recent thoughts – remember to whom it was said - “I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world”-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted June 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 29 June 2012 1 Samuel 10Isaiah 54Revelation 17; 18 "FOR IN A SINGLE HOUR ALL THIS GREAT WEALTH ..." The great majority of human beings, apart from many in poor countries, are totally motivated to gain and enjoy wealth. Of course we need to have some money but Paul wrote, “Keep yourself free from the love of money, and be content with what you have.” [Hebrews 13:5] Remember our thoughts 2 days ago about those who “turned aside after gain” and today’s 2 chapters in Revelation provoked us to further thoughts. It seems to us, impossible to limit the final days of the judgements of God, when we read about, “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes (harlots AV) and of earth’s abominations” [Revelation 17:5] - to the Roman Catholic Church and the other ‘Christian’ churches. However, there is no doubt from the abundant testimony of history from the third century onwards until recent times that the “prostitute” is “drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” [Revelation 17:6] those who held fast to his teachings. The Catholic system spread over the whole earth – it includes the Eastern and Russian Orthodox Churches – and is trying to attract other churches back towards it today. The greatest area of financial trouble today is the Eurozone and the Common Market was, maybe significantly, established by what is called ‘The Treaty of Rome’ in 1957. Another point is that the Greek word Babylon in the Hebrew language is “Babel”- and we remember the reputation of Babel in Genesis. Much of the text in these chapters incline us to see this vision as also having a broader context with the whole world turning away from belief in the true God as at Babel – indeed more and more are believing there is no God, no creator at all to whom they owe their lives.. In Revelation 18 we read that Babylon is to “be thrown down with violence” [Revelation 18:21] in such a way that “merchants … who gained wealth from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud … for in a single hour all this great wealth has been laid waste” [Revelation 18:15] This incredible event affects “all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea” [Revelation 18:17] And today we could also include all the “ships” that fly through the air carrying a great deal of cargo. Today people have made a god of money more than ever before, but Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and money” for … (you) will hate the one and love the other.” [Matthew 6:24]. Money has no value as gold or silver anymore, it is not real money as in previous generations, today’s ‘money’ is borrowed and re-lent and borrowed again and has created an artificial prosperity – and “in a single hour” it will vanish like steam! When that happens, plus other ‘last day’ dramas featured in prophecy, our faith will be put to a final test, but then a “loud voice of a great multitude” will be heard “crying out, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgements are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth …” [Revelation 19:1-2] May we all make sure, by God’s grace, we are among that multitude who cry out. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted June 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 30 June 2012 1 Samuel 11; 12Isaiah 55Revelation 19; 20 " ... WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND" Today’s chapter in Isaiah [isaiah 55] starts with an invitation, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come … “ The next verse asks a question, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?” Today so many spend their money and energies on that which has no lasting satisfaction, they are living for the pleasures of the moment, but God says, “Incline your ear and come to me; hear, that your soul may live and I will make with you an everlasting covenant …” [isaiah 55:3] From verse 6 we read an urgent appeal that is extremely relevant for today, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” Today is the time of the final ingathering before God arises to “shake terribly the earth” (Isaiah 2, both Isaiah 2:19, 21) It is those who have “no money” – no righteousness of their own that he is calling – he is not calling the self-righteous, just as Jesus did not call the Pharisees. Are you righteous? If not, note Isaiah 55:7, where we read, “let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Reading God’s word regularly is a genuine sign that we are turning to the LORD. Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God’s word does not return to him “empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.” Those who incline their ear to God, to hearing and reading his word, know what is his ultimate purpose! The key question is – whether that ‘knowing’ inspires them “to seek the LORD while he may be found.” Some will leave it too late – there will not be enough oil (of faith) in their lamps and the door will be shut. Our Revelation reading has the wonderful picture of “the marriage of the Lamb, and his Bride has made herself ready … Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” [Revelation 19:7, 9] What blessings are in store for those with sufficient oil in their lamps! Revelation 21:3-4 tells us that ultimately “God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning not crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Will you have “passed away” – or will you be there?-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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