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NL-Day177 1 Kings 4-5; Psalm 119:65-80; John 5:24-47

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

Release Date: 06/22/2025

NL-Day362 Zechariah 14; Isaiah 65; Revelation 19 show art NL-Day362 Zechariah 14; Isaiah 65; Revelation 19

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZECHARIAH 14: Unfortunately, we have not yet seen the fulfillment of this prophecy from the end of Zechariah 12: Zec. 12:10 NLT “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. (The podcast notes for the previous episode contain a translation note on this verse.) However, this part has been fulfilled from the beginning of chapter 13: Zec. 13:1 “On that day a fountain will be...

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NL-Day361 Zechariah 12-13; Isaiah 64; Revelation 18 show art NL-Day361 Zechariah 12-13; Isaiah 64; Revelation 18

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZECHARIAH 12-13:Several times I have noted Zechariah and other prophets who use the figure of shepherding a flock— picturing God’s people. In chapter 11, there were puzzling verses where Zechariah evidently performed an outward demonstration involving two staffs. Other prophets did such demonstrations. In this one, evidently Zechariah stood in for the Messiah. The two staffs were named Favor and Union. Our Messiah, Jesus, came to restore us to God’s favor and give us unity as God’s people— no matter from what race. The 30 pieces of silver is spoken of with irony: “this magnificent...

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NL-Day360 Zechariah 10-11; Isaiah 63; Revelation 17 show art NL-Day360 Zechariah 10-11; Isaiah 63; Revelation 17

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZECHARIAH 10-11: As we have seen before, the Lord loves names and delights to give new names. In Zec. 8 He said, Zec. 8:3 NLT Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain. In Zec. 9 we read the verse Matthew quotes in chapter 21 about Jesus coming riding on the foal of a donkey. The verse is also alluded to in John 12:15. And we heard this verse about the New Jerusalem: Zec. 9:16 NLT On that day the LORD their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in his land...

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NL-Day359 Zechariah 8-9; Isaiah 62; Revelation 16 show art NL-Day359 Zechariah 8-9; Isaiah 62; Revelation 16

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZECHARIAH 8-9:I hope that you have noticed [Joshua//Jeshua] the high priest. He was the one that Satan was not allowed to accuse. He was given clean clothes. He is a priest and was given a clean priestly turban. And the gem with seven facets (literally, seven eyes) was set before him. He is a picture of the Messiah, who is called the Lord’s righteous Branch. Then in chapter 6 we read that he was given a crown, and told: Zec. 6:13 NLT Yes, he will build the Temple of the LORD. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne,...

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NL-Day358 Zechariah 6-7; Isaiah 61; Revelation 15 show art NL-Day358 Zechariah 6-7; Isaiah 61; Revelation 15

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZECHARIAH 6-7: There were so many correspondences to Revelation in the three chapters we read yesterday in Zechariah that I cannot even take time to list them. I single out this one from chapter 3 as especially interesting: Zec. 3:8 NLT “Listen to me, O [Joshua//Jeshua] the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in...

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NL-Day357 Zechariah 3-5; Isaiah 60; Revelation 14 show art NL-Day357 Zechariah 3-5; Isaiah 60; Revelation 14

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZECHARIAH 3-5:In Zechariah 1-2 we heard how Zechariah’s dreams often included angels talking with him. There were horses and riders, horns and blacksmiths, and the measuring Jerusalem. Jerusalem will not be nearly big enough. God’s people WILL COME out of captivity in Babylon. Note that by Zechariah’s time, this was already happening. His words and those events foreshadow what we read in Revelation about the new Jerusalem. Consider the last verses of Zech. 2: Zech. 2:10-13 NLT The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. 11 Many nations...

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NL-Day356 Zechariah 1-2; Isaiah 59; Revelation 13 show art NL-Day356 Zechariah 1-2; Isaiah 59; Revelation 13

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZECHARIAH 1-2:Yesterday we read both chapters of the little book of Haggai, and heard how Haggai motivated his discouraged audience to return to the task of rebuilding the temple. Haggai certainly must have known and worked with our next author— Zechariah. While there are at least 27 men named Zechariah in the Old Testament, we do know which one was the writer of this book.  The biblestudytools.com site says that Zechariah “was born in Babylonia and was among those who returned to Judah in 538/537 b.c. under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua (his grandfather Iddo is named among...

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NL-Day355 Haggai 1-2; Isaiah 58; Revelation 12 show art NL-Day355 Haggai 1-2; Isaiah 58; Revelation 12

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

HAGGAI 1-2:I hope you saw correlations to Revelation in the 3rd chapter of Zephaniah yesterday— in what God plans for the nations and for those who come to the new Jerusalem. And these verses are interesting because of correlations all over scripture: Zephaniah 3:11b NLT I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you.There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain.12 Those who are left will be the lowly and humble,for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord. Mears gives a helpful summary about the prophets: Of the 16 prophets, most of them— eleven, prophesied before...

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NL-Day354 Zephaniah 3; Isaiah 57; Revelation 11 show art NL-Day354 Zephaniah 3; Isaiah 57; Revelation 11

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZEPHANIAH 3: Today we read the last chapter of Zephaniah. In chapter 2, we heard words that were much like what we heard recently in Isaiah 49 and 55: Zep. 2:2 NLT Gather [together] before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins. 3 Seek the LORD, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction. Note that God repeatedly says,...

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NL-Day353 Zephaniah 1-2; Isaiah 56; Revelation 10 show art NL-Day353 Zephaniah 1-2; Isaiah 56; Revelation 10

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

ZEPHANIAH 1-2: The concluding words of Habakkuk are the most often quoted and memorized, because they are so encouraging. That quote begins like this: Hab. 3:17 NLT Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,and there are no grapes on the vines;even though the olive crop fails,and the fields lie empty and barren;even though the flocks die in the fields,and the cattle barns are empty,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord!I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength!He makes me as surefooted as a deer,able to tread upon the heights. Constable tells us that...

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More Episodes

1KINGS 4-5:
Yesterday we heard David's final instructions to Solomon. They contained a few messy details, and Solomon managed to finish all of those issues. David noted Solomon's wisdom as he gave him those instructions, and later Solomon (at his finest hour) asked God for wisdom to rule the nation of Israel well, and God gave it to him.

PSALM 119:65-80:
God is telling us how important His Word is! I highlight this verse (62) from yesterday’s portion, “In the middle of the night I wake up to praise you for your righteous judgments.”

JOHN 5b:
Yesterday we heard of Jesus healing a man who had been sick for 38 years. Persecution ramped up because this healing was done on the Sabbath. Jesus replied to his critics, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”

NLT Translation notes:
1Kings 4:9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, [including] Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan.
12 Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, [including] all of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam.
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John 5:19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, [I, as the Son//the Son] can do nothing by [myself//himself]. [I only do what I see//He does only what he sees] the Father doing. Whatever [my//the] Father does, [I also do//the Son also does].
[It is very unnatural in almost every language to have someone talking about himself using ‘he/him’ instead of ‘I/me/my’. In some languages this is flat out ungrammatical. This is why a Bible translator is justified in changing the pronouns and footnoting the fact that he has made these changes. We should observe that there were special reasons why Jesus was both concealing and revealing his identity when talking of himself as the Son of Man. It is, however, impossible to duplicate this in the minds of the modern translation’s readers. ]
20 For [my//the] Father loves [Me//the Son] and shows [Me//him] everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will [involve Me in doing//show him how to do] even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.
21 For just as [my//the] Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so [I, his Son give//the Son gives] life to anyone [I want//he wants].
22 In addition, [my//the] Father judges no one. Instead, he has given [Me//the Son] absolute authority to judge,
23 so that everyone will honor [Me as his//the] Son, just as they honor [my/the] Father. Anyone who does not honor [Me as his//the] Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent [Me/him].
25 “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.
26 The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to [Me,] his Son.
27 And he has given [Me/him] authority to judge everyone because [I am//he is] the Son of Man.
28 Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear [my voice,] the voice of God’s Son,
29 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.
30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.