Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Join us in reading through the whole NLT Bible in 365 20-minute-long podcasts! This podcast was previously named Daily Bible Reading.
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000: 2026 Daily Bible Reading Introduction and How-to's
12/31/2025
000: 2026 Daily Bible Reading Introduction and How-to's
Hi there! I’m so glad you have clicked to listen to this introduction to the Digging Deeper Daily Bible reading plan and podcasts for 2025. If you want to read the Bible in a great reading plan that will hold your attention and enable you to stay with the program, you are in the right place. If you want to listen, the complete Bibles I have recorded following my reading plan are the New Living Translation and the Good News Bible. If you can, do both: listen to the podcast while reading along. My name is Phil Fields. I’m almost 75 years old and happily married to Gale. We have three children, and five grandkids. In 1983, when our kids were still small, our family went as Bible translators to Papua, Indonesia. We finished a New Testament translation for the Orya people in 2005. Since that time I have been leading an organization which is translating the Bible into the national language of Indonesia. We’re hoping that the entire Bible in the Plain Indonesian Translation will be finished at the end of 2025. Our sponsoring organization is Pioneer Bible Translators. When I started the Daily Bible Reading Podcast in 2014 the primary audience I had in mind was my grandkids. I wanted to make a set of Bible recordings for them, to leave behind what I would tell each one of them if, and when, they fall into difficult times. Here’s a list of what I will cover: Our web addresses How to contact me Podcast release schedule Take a look at the How-to's at our site. Different ways to follow the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan Choose a Bible translation that makes sense for you for daily reading. Please note these web addresses: For NLT podcasts and How-to information, go to , or . For GNT podcasts and How-to information, go to . You can listen to the podcasts at the websites just listed, but it is a better user experience to use a podcast app for listening. How to contact me: My favorite way for you to contact me is via the contact button at the top of all my websites. Podcast release schedule: Every Sunday, seven podcasts will be released covering the next week of listening. Sometimes an eighth bonus episode will also be released. How-to's: If you would like pointers on podcast listening apps, please see the How-to's, linked in the banner of the websites above. A good podcast app makes it easy to see the episode notes, remembers your place and will automatically queue up your next episode, and lets you speed up my reading to 1.20%. Please also see the How-to pages for detailed information about the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. Different ways to follow the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan: READ in a real-book Bible: To do that, download the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan PDF. See the banner at our website and click on Plan.PDF. OR Follow the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan using the YouVersion Bible app on your phone or tablet. To find the 3D plan, go to the Plans page, choose Find Plans, and search for the name, Digging Deeper. How about READing and LISTENing?! Open your podcast player and start the introduction to your next episode. While listening to my greeting, you’ll have time to open the YV app to your next day in the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. When you sign up for a YV reading plan, you are given an option to do the plan privately or share it with your friends. If you share the plan with friends, at the end of each day’s readings, you will be given the opportunity to share something you gleaned from the readings. This is fabulous and a great way to connect with your friends through the Bible app. But since the Digging Deeper Daily plan is for the whole Bible in 365 days, I suggest you share with a select group of close friends, or maybe 1-2 other people, or just do the plan privately. Choose a Bible translation that makes sense for you and for a year-long reading program. Many churches use literal translations like the ESV. My own church uses that translation. But the ESV is not very well suited for a year-long reading program, especially if this is your first time reading the whole Bible. I strongly recommend the NLT or the GNT for following the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. Please take my advice as a Bible translator: Using a translation like the NLT or GNT is even more important if you will be listening to your Bible readings while doing something like driving to work. For more information about Bible translations, see the READ heading in the How-To pages.
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NL-Day004 Genesis 7-8; Job 4; Mark 3
12/28/2025
NL-Day004 Genesis 7-8; Job 4; Mark 3
Most people find out about the DBRP through the YouVersion Bible reading app on their smart device. If you are one who has found out about these podcasts through some other means (such as via Apple Podcasts), then I want to make you aware that the Bible app created by YouVersion is wonderful. You can subscribe to the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan within the app, then reading along with these daily podcasts is very easy. Just start your episode using your podcast player, then go to your day in the YouVersion Reading Plan. Please be aware that you can turn on the YouVersion app’s audio for the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. If you do this, a very nice Alexa/Siri-like voice will read the devotional introductions to the three readings for the day, and after that the voice for the Bible you select will read the Bible readings. This makes a great way to add variety to your daily listening if you get tired of my voice, however, there will be no prayer at the end. I again want to express my gratitude to Tyndale House Foundation for their permission to publish the full audio of the NLT Bible through this podcast series. The full copyright attribution text is found at the end of the episode notes for each podcast. Based on my experience as a Bible translator, I have made a few changes to the text of the NLT for these podcasts. These are for the sake of clarity and naturalness for those who are only listening to the recordings without reading along. All of my changes are documented in the episode notes, sometimes with brief explanations. GENESIS 7-8: In Genesis 5, we heard the overview of the descendants of Adam and Eve up to Noah. In chapter 6, Noah was further introduced. Also the reason for the flood was explained. JOB 4: In chapter 3 Job cursed the day he was born and expressed his deep misery. Remember that in the speeches of Job’s three friends we will see a mixture of truth and error. In particular, we should not follow Eliphaz’s example in today’s chapter. The Bible tells us repeatedly that we are not to trust or listen to communication from spirits. We will read the second chapter of Eliphaz’ response tomorrow. MARK 3: In Mark 2, Jesus shocked his listeners by first forgiving a paralyzed man’s sins before actually healing the man’s body. And in three other events in chapter 2 we can see the beginnings of the conflict between Jesus and the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees. ——————— NLT Translation notes: Job 4:6 How come//Doesn’t] your reverence for God [doesn't/0] give you confidence? [Perhaps you place too much confidence in your own integrity.//Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope?] [Translation note: I have interpreted the two questions in v6 as rebuking rhetorical questions and translated them as statements. See the note at the end of Mark 3.] ==== Mrk. 3:10 He had healed many people that day, so all the [other/0] sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 23 Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. [It is not possible that Satan would drive out his own demons.”//“How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked.] 33 Jesus replied, [“Let me show you the kind of people whom I regard as my mother and brothers!”// “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?] [In verse 23, Jesus was not asking a real question. He was using a rhetorical question to open the topic he was going to teach about. In our translations in Indonesia, we frequently changed Jesus' rhetorical questions to statements. This is because in many languages (and really even in English) people do not use rhetorical questions as their topic sentence at the beginning of a teaching. So if we didn't change such questions to statements, our readers would wrongly think that Jesus was unsure about what He was talking about and that He often started by asking his audience for advice.] 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.
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NL-Day003 Genesis 5-6; Job 3; Mark 2
12/28/2025
NL-Day003 Genesis 5-6; Job 3; Mark 2
How can you get more out of your Bible reading this year? My top advice is to SLOW DOWN! The readings in this plan take around 20 minutes if read aloud. If you read silently, you might finish in only 10 minutes. But if you skim through like that, you won’t retain very much! I suggest these two ways to slow down: 1. Read out loud to yourself. Read expressively. When you find that your first attempt didn’t quite have the right intonation, go back and read the sentence again. Take time to think about— and pray about, what you have just read. 2. Read along while listening to the Daily Bible Reading Podcast. This will definitely slow you down. One advantage of listening to the podcasts is that each one ends with a short prayer that is aimed at helping you apply what you have just read. By the way, I normally don’t say an Amen at the end of the prayers. This is because I hope you keep on praying after the episode ends. GENESIS 5-6: In chapter 3 of Genesis, the Lord gave his judgment against the serpent. God talked about the woman’s offspring (which is a collective singular noun) when speaking to the serpent, and said, “her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel.” This is the very first prophecy looking forward to a Messiah and Redeemer who will crush Satan’s head. Just before that, there is another picture worth noting: God provided clothes for the man and woman made from animal skins. This is the first hint of the sacrificial system that prefigures Christ. JOB 3: Today we read Job’s first speech. In the Bible— and especially in Job and the Psalms, we find out that God thoroughly understands and takes into account the fact that humans suffer. This is shown in the fact that such deep expressions of suffering are found in God’s Word— right from the earliest writings. MARK 2: Yesterday in the second half of Mark 1, we read of Jesus miraculously healing people in Capernaum, and his refusing to stay only there. He preached and cast out demons all over the region of Galilee. The healing of the man with leprosy is notable because of the exchange between Jesus and that man, and also the results of the man’s not following Jesus’ instructions. ——————— NLT Translation notes: Mrk. 2:5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, [PET: I have forgiven your sins.//your sins are forgiven.]” [I will occasionally quote from the PET, which is the Plain English Translation. That is the English translation that matches our Plain Indonesian Translation (TSI). The PET was first created as part of the checking process for the TSI, and some parts have been published because so many Indonesians desire to learn English.] 9 [PET: Certainly you will have difficulty accepting that I said to this paralyzed man, ‘I have forgiven your sins.’ Will it be easier for you to accept it if I say to him, ‘Get up, pick up your mattress and go home’?//Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? ] 10 So I will prove to you that [I, the Son of Man have//the Son of Man has] the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 18 Once when John’s disciples were fasting and the Pharisees were [also] fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?” [The translation should not give the impression that the two groups were joining together to fast.] 28 So [I,] the Son of Man [am/is] Lord, even over the Sabbath!” 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.
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NL-Day002: Genesis 3-4; Job 2; Mark 1:29-45
12/28/2025
NL-Day002: Genesis 3-4; Job 2; Mark 1:29-45
It is possible to listen to these podcasts on YouTube or Facebook, but these ways are not optimal. The pages linked in the banner of give various ways to conveniently listen to these podcasts using any kind of smart device, including smart speakers. Use the Listen menu item of the to find this information. You will note that I read most Bible names phonetically— rather than the using normal English pronunciation. This means that the letter A will have a consistent sound ‘ah’ and the letter I will be pronounced ‘ee’. This happens to match Indonesian pronunciations and that of many other languages. This also makes the pronunciation a little more like that of the source languages, Hebrew and Greek. GENESIS 3-4: In chapter 2 of Genesis, we saw that Eve was created and introduced to Adam. And the pair at the end of the chapter were “naked and not embarrassed/unashamed.” As I said in yesterday’s introduction, I have seen first-hand in my work in Indonesia that when a people group misunderstands and twists the story in Genesis 1-3, it will have far-reaching consequences for their lives. In the case of the Orya people, twisting the story of the fall caused much suffering and misery among families. JOB 2: At the close of chapter 1 of Job, Job had lost virtually everything he had, including his possessions, livestock, and children. He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” MARK 1b: Mark does not specifically identify himself as the author of this Gospel, but the church fathers unanimously say that the John Mark mentioned several times in the New Testament was the one who wrote it. Mark was a companion of Peter, and the eyewitness content in this book is that of Peter. I previously held a view based on internal evidence and made popular in the 20th century that Mark was the first Gospel to be written, with Matthew and Luke using Mark’s record as a resource. But now I think that the testimony of the church fathers is more likely to be true: Matthew and Luke were written before this Gospel, and Mark transcribed what Peter taught about the life of Jesus, either shortly before or after Peter’s martyrdom in Rome— which happened somewhere between 64-67 AD. If Mark wrote this account in Rome, that would help to explain why he gives background information to some Jewish customs that would have been unknown to his Roman readers, and why he doesn’t include teachings of Jesus which were based on the Jewish Scriptures and religion. Instead he tells us the plain story of Jesus and his miracles, so that the reader finds out who Jesus is. Yesterday in chapter 1 of Mark, Jesus was baptized by John, called his first disciples, and cast out an evil spirit from a man in a synagogue. NLT Translation notes: Mrk 1:34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. [Because//But because] the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. 38 But Jesus replied, “[No. ]We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” 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.
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NL-Day001: Genesis 1-2; Job 1; Mark 1:1-28
12/28/2025
NL-Day001: Genesis 1-2; Job 1; Mark 1:1-28
Hey there! Welcome to this day number 1 in the NLT series for the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. These podcasts are hosted at . Today in this episode number 1 we read Genesis 1-2, Job 1, and the first half of Mark 1. It’s great that you're starting TODAY on a life-transforming journey through the Bible! The Digging Deeper Daily plan will help you be successful in your commitment to read the whole Bible in a year. The unique order of the readings— together with the brief devotional notes, will help you see the various threads that unify the message of the Old and the New Testaments. I hope that my notes will help you remember what you have read the day before, and hint at the deep and incredibly rich treasures in God’s Word. But the most satisfying treasures that you find this year will be the ones you dig to discover for yourself! Please check out the that are linked in the banner of . When you are curious about a Bible verse, I recommend the collection of I have collected to aid you in digging deeper in your study. See the Shovels page under ‘About’ menu entry in the . The also give good suggestions for podcast listening apps and Bible reading apps. If you hear mistakes, have questions, or would like to comment, please feel free to contact me via the contact link at . I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Tyndale House Foundation for the permission to record the whole NLT Bible in these podcasts. The full copyright notice is found on the front page of dailybiblereading.info and at the end of each day’s episode notes. GENESIS 1-2: The first five books of the Bible are the Jewish Torah, and the Bible refers to them collectively as ‘the Law’. Many other books in the Bible attribute the authorship of these five books to Moses. Genesis is the foundational book of the whole Bible. When we were in our first Bible translation project among the Orya in Papua, Indonesia, I witnessed how getting a little detail of the foundation wrong (such as, how the first sin happened) can wreck the whole building that is being constructed. The result can be misery. This book of Genesis tells us what God wants us to know about the beginning of our world, the beginning of sin, mankind’s rebellion against God, and who God and Satan are. JOB 1: The story of Job is set in the period of the patriarch Abraham, and it takes place in the land of the East. What I did not realize until recently is that signs indicate that this book was written at a later time and almost certainly by an Israelite. By the author writing that Job was “the richest man in the East”, it places the author in the West, in the land of Israel. The author frequently uses the name of ‘Yahweh’, which I think would not have been done in Abraham’s time— which was long before God’s name was revealed to Moses at the burning bush. The author was a highly educated man. All of the book— except the first two chapters, are in exquisite poetry. The author displays an in-depth knowledge of mythology, the constellations, and the then current wisdom concerning the world— including the underworld and traits of exotic animals. I might as well say it: The philosophy of this book is worthy of Solomon. Whoever he is, the author displays incredible wisdom. One would expect an ancient book that is didactic in nature to end with a neat answer that sums up the author’s opinion. Or one would expect an ancient author to create a debate where the hero is totally right and the other speakers are clearly wrong. Instead, all the human speakers in the book of Job mix truth and error. It is a mark of inspired wisdom that in the end, the book of Job leaves us still pondering and searching for some answers. MARK 1a:Mark does not specifically identify himself as the author of this Gospel, but the church fathers unanimously say that the John Mark mentioned several times in the New Testament was the one who wrote it. Mark was a companion of Peter, and the eyewitness content in this book is that of Peter. I will give more introductory information about Mark’s Gospel in tomorrow’s podcast. NLT Translation notes: Gen. 1:3Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the [end of the] first day. … And evening passed and morning came, marking the [end of the] second day. …and so forth. ==== Mrk. 1:1 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written, … [quoting what God said to his son:] 6 [John reminded people of the prophet Elijah,] because his clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. And he ate food such as locusts and wild honey. 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.
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NL-Day365 Malachi 4; Isaiah 66; Revelation 22
12/28/2025
NL-Day365 Malachi 4; Isaiah 66; Revelation 22
As I finish this podcast series, I am really thankful for this year-long experience. If you are one of the faithful ones who have listened through a year’s worth of daily podcasts— and no matter whether this has taken longer than a year, I say Way to go! I sincerely hope these podcasts have been a blessing for you— as they have been for me. I hope that nothing that I have said has caused you to stumble or decreased your desire to study God’s Word. I started this project in the hope that my four grandchildren would— in some future year, listen to this series of recordings. Now we have five grandchildren. If you are Luke Fields, Laura Fields, Ava Baughn, Joel Baughn, or Devan Baughn, know that Grampa loves you and that I desired to share spiritual treasures with you. I am proud of you and wish that we could have shared these readings in person. I urge you to stay centered upon God’s Word. And to ALL of you in the family of Christ Jesus our Savior, I send warm greetings and love. May the Lord bless you as you continue your journey with Him! MALACHI 4: As people like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2) waited for the Messiah to come, I am sure that they were thinking of verses like Malachi 3:1: Mal. 3:1 NLT “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Re-reading ISAIAH 66: Isaiah ends with blessings and promises that foreshadow Revelation, such as these: Is. 66:12 GNT The Lord says, “I will bring you lasting prosperity; the wealth of the nations will flow to you like a river that never goes dry. … 22 “Just as the new earth and the new heavens will endure by my power, so your descendants and your name will endure. In stark contrast to the promises and blessings, Isaiah also ends with vivid warnings against judgments and punishments that are like those in Revelation. Jesus himself quoted that final verse about the worms and the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:48) You can take that as Jesus’ stamp of approval on all that Isaiah said! REVELATION 22: In chapter 21 we heard the invitation to receive free life-giving water for anyone who is thirsty, and that invitation is repeated in today’s chapter. The culmination of everything promised and the healing of everything sick and broken occur here. God says, “Look, I am making all things new.” There is again symbolism in every aspect of the New Jerusalem— including even the shape of a huge cube. As noted above at the end of Isaiah, in stark contrast to the eternal blessings for God’s people are the vivid ending warnings of eternal judgment in the last two chapters of Revelation. In Rev. 22:8-9, most translations make it sound that John made the same mistake twice— bowing down again to the angel that was showing everything to him. But the Greek in those verse in chapter 22 can be understood to be retelling that event that happened in chapter 19, and I think that makes better sense. The probable reason that John included the story twice was to emphasize that angels should not be worshipped. Let’s beware of such heresy! Because such false teaching keeps on resurfacing and some forms of Gnosticism remain to the present day. Congratulations on finishing the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan! NLT Translation Notes: Rev. 22:1b On each side of the river grew [the/a] tree of life, 8b And when I heard and saw them[— as I said before], I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. 16b I am both the [founding] source of David 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.
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NL-Day364 Malachi 3; Isaiah 66; Revelation 21
12/28/2025
NL-Day364 Malachi 3; Isaiah 66; Revelation 21
MALACHI 3: In chapters 1-2 yesterday, we heard how skeptical and sassy the Israelites had become. This came out in the way Malachi has the people of Israel talk back to God. The first is like this: Mal. 1:2 NLT “I have always loved you,” says the LORD. But you retort, “Really? Topics for such exchanges included offering sacrifices that don’t show appropriate honor to God, breaking covenants of marriage through divorce, and not honoring God as the God of justice. Two more sassy exchanges happen in today’s reading. ISAIAH 66: I highlight verse 17 from chapter 65, as it foreshadows what we will read in Revelation today and tomorrow: Is. 65:17 NLT “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. And I believe that these moving verses from that same chapter portray the torment of the lake of fire: Is. 65:13 GNT And so I tell you that those who worship and obey me will have plenty to eat and drink, but you will be hungry and thirsty. They will be happy, but you will be disgraced. 14 They will sing for joy, but you will cry with a broken heart. REVELATION 21: In chapter 20, we read about the millennium or the thousand year reign of Christ, the defeat and imprisonment of Satan, his brief release following the 1,000 years, and his eventual eternal judgment in the lake of fire. Death and the Grave were also abolished in the lake of fire. 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.How have you loved us?”
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NL-Day363 Malachi 1-2; Isaiah 65; Revelation 20
12/28/2025
NL-Day363 Malachi 1-2; Isaiah 65; Revelation 20
MALACHI 1-2: We heard a very difficult conclusion to Zechariah yesterday. Chapter 14 started out with horrendous news for Jerusalem. But the Lord himself steps in: Zec. 14:3 NLT Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart … We will see the following from Zech 14 very soon in Revelation: Zec. 14:5c NLT “Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. 6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, 7 yet there will be continuous day! … 8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.” We turn now to the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. The name means, “my messenger.” There is debate as to the date of the writing of this post exilic prophet, but generally speaking it is true that there is a 400 year gap between this last Old Testament prophet and New Testament. It could be that Malachi prophesied in Nehemiah’s day. Both Malachi and Nehemiah dealt with priestly laxity (Mal. 1:6; Neh. 13:4-9), neglect of tithes (Mal. 3:7-12; Neh. 13:10-13), and intermarriage between Israelites and foreigners (Mal. 2:10-16; Neh. 13:23-28).” Re-reading ISAIAH 65: Note that the chapter starts with a verse that Paul quotes in Romans 10. REVELATION 20: After the judgment wreaked against Babylon (chapter 18), we heard songs praising God’s justice in chapter 19. Then we saw the appearing of Christ riding on a white horse. Typical of John’s reticence to name deity, Christ is not named, but is beautifully described. Note that even Jesus has a name written on his person which only He understands. And like in John 1:1, Christ’s title is the ‘Word of God’. It is possible that this account of His appearing may not be in chronological order in its position following the destruction of Babylon. Although Christ’s army is mentioned, note how the victory is won by Christ alone. 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.
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NL-Day362 Zechariah 14; Isaiah 65; Revelation 19
12/21/2025
NL-Day362 Zechariah 14; Isaiah 65; Revelation 19
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 opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity. This from Zechariah 13 was referred to by the Lord Jesus in Mark 14:27 in— or on the way to, the garden of Gethsemane: Zec. 13:7 NLT “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,| the man who is my partner,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs. ISAIAH 65: In chapter 64, there is a mixture of hope, regretful repentance, and supplication— including these verses: Is. 64:4 NLT For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! 5 You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? 6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. REVELATION 19: In Revelation 18 we heard the chapter of doom against the city of Babylon (or Rome, or the united evil world system based on immoral commerce). If chapter 18 sounded familiar, it is because you were remembering Ezek 27. 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.
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NL-Day361 Zechariah 12-13; Isaiah 64; Revelation 18
12/21/2025
NL-Day361 Zechariah 12-13; Isaiah 64; Revelation 18
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 sum at which they valued me.” Remember this shepherd picture! ISAIAH 64:Yesterday in chapter 63, we heard the people of Israel ask a whole series of questions about the Lord, like: Is. 63:11b NLT “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? And here is another verse: Is. 63:15 NLT LORD, look down from heaven;look from your holy, glorious home, and see us.Where is the passion and the mightyou used to show on our behalf?Where are your mercy and compassion now? The chapter ended with deep pathos: Is. 63:18 NLT How briefly your holy people possessed your holy place,and now our enemies have destroyed it.19 Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you,as though we had never been known as your people. However, don’t forget how the chapter started, with the Lord wearing blood-stained robes from trampling out the grapes (yes, ‘grapes of wrath’)— the nations who oppressed his people. This is a picture of the grape harvest that we saw so recently in Revelation 14. Note that in Isaiah the Lord does the trampling alone. And so we see also in Revelation, the final battle is won by the Lord acting alone. REVELATION 18:The part that puzzles me most in chapter 17 is this: Rev. 17:8 NLT The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died. While that is confusing, the important thing is clear: Satan is the sponsor of the beast. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in these podcasts 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.
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NL-Day360 Zechariah 10-11; Isaiah 63; Revelation 17
12/21/2025
NL-Day360 Zechariah 10-11; Isaiah 63; Revelation 17
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 like jewels in a crown. ISAIAH 63: In chapter 62 we read promises like what I shared above about the Lord giving names: Is. 62:4 NLT Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.”Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”and “The Bride of God,”for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his bride. And similarly at the end of that chapter: Is. 62:11b NLT Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’” 12 They will be called “The Holy People” and “The People Redeemed by the LORD.” And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place” and “The City No Longer Forsaken.” We will see the fulfillment of all this in the last chapters of Revelation. REVELATION 17: In chapter 16 we heard all 7 of the Bowl Judgments. At the time this judgment happens and the bowls are poured out on the earth, it seems that 100% of the people are opposed to God. No one repents when the judgments happen, but instead curse God. And there are preparations for a final battle of Armageddon with God. However God’s voice from the throne says that “It is finished.” This seems to refer to the punishment against Babylon. In John’s day, Babylon was a code word among Christians for the city of Rome— the capital city of the empire, which was built on 7 hills. In our day Babylon pictures the united evil world system supported by immoral commerce. 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.
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NL-Day359 Zechariah 8-9; Isaiah 62; Revelation 16
12/21/2025
NL-Day359 Zechariah 8-9; Isaiah 62; Revelation 16
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, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.’ As far as a normal man can do so, he is a picture of Jesus. And Joshua is a variant of Jeshua— which is the same name the Greeks pronounce ‘Yesu’, which is where we get our pronunciation of Jesus. From our place in history, how easy it is to see what God was picturing. ISAIAH 62:Yesterday we heard another Messianic section of Isaiah— the part that Jesus spoke in his hometown synagogue in Luke 4. And Jesus alluded to the same passage when he sent John the Baptist’s disciples back to him in Luke 7. REVELATION 16:Note that we saw another view of the crystal sea in chapter 15, but this time it was mixed with fire. In chapter 4 it was clear as crystal. My theory is that the glassy sea is the same, but it changes in appearance based on God’s prevailing mood and the tenor of current events. Note that the 144,000 (or all the people victorious over the beast) sang the song of Moses. Note that with just that little hint, the victory over the forces of Satan is pictured as victory over the army of Egypt and release from bondage. The angels are dressed like Jesus in chapter 1. The plagues come from the interiour of the heavenly sanctuary. We turn now from the interlude between the trumpets and the bowls. There is a difference here: You will see that before, the plagues struck just a third of whatever object. Now they strike 100%. This is the end! 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.
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NL-Day358 Zechariah 6-7; Isaiah 61; Revelation 15
12/21/2025
NL-Day358 Zechariah 6-7; Isaiah 61; Revelation 15
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 a single day. Joshua was called the ‘Branch’, or ‘Rod’, or ‘Shoot’— and in this age we can clearly see that both he and Zerubbabel are pictures of the Messiah. The Branch is also referred to in Jeremiah and Isaiah. Secondly, it is interesting that the stone has seven ‘facets’. The word for facets in Hebrew is literally ‘eyes’. And the Lamb in Revelation has seven eyes. This insight given to Zerubbabel in chapter 4 is a principle for all of us to lay hold of: Zec. 4:6 NLT It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. This is one of Gale’s favorite verses. We have claimed this repeatedly in our lives: Zec. 4:10 NLT Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…” ISAIAH 61: Yesterday in chapter 60, we heard many wonderful promises about the New Jerusalem— especially verses 1-3 and 19-21. REVELATION 15: Note that in chapter 14 the victory over Babylon is proclaimed as already won. God’s holy people are again warned against receiving the mark of the beast. At the end of the chapter are the two harvests, the wheat harvest of the righteous, and the grape harvest of those who will enter into eternal punishment. These are visions that give an overview, in a similar vein as the vision in chapter 12. 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.
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NL-Day357 Zechariah 3-5; Isaiah 60; Revelation 14
12/21/2025
NL-Day357 Zechariah 3-5; Isaiah 60; Revelation 14
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 will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you.12 The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city.13 Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling. ISAIAH 60: In Isaiah 59 we again read beautiful messages that harmonize with what we are reading in Revelation. The beginning verses contain foundational truths: Is. 59:1 NLT Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. 2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. Ephesians 6 is not the only place we hear of spiritual armor, but in 59:17 it is the Lord who wears it. The next-to-last verse of the chapter prophecies about the coming Redeemer. And the last verse says about those who are God’s redeemed people and enjoy a covenant with Him, “My spirit will not leave them.” REVELATION 14: Note that the beast that comes up from the sea— which we heard about in chapter 13, is under the ancient dragon of chapter 12. It says this about the beast: Rev. 13:7 NLT And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. 8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered. Note that the Book of Life belongs to the Lamb, and note when the names were written in it. This should encourage us who are on the path of Life! God knew you from before the world was made! Back in chapter 12 we heard how long all this would last: a time, times, and half a time = 3 ½ years, 42 months, or 1260 days. We heard those times in Daniel. But remember these are symbolic numbers, and God alone knows how to calculate them. 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.
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NL-Day356 Zechariah 1-2; Isaiah 59; Revelation 13
12/21/2025
NL-Day356 Zechariah 1-2; Isaiah 59; Revelation 13
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 the returnees in ). At a later time, when Joiakim was high priest (see note on ), Zechariah apparently succeeded Iddo () as head of that priestly family ().” (See for a very helpful timeline showing where Zechariah’s prophecies fit in with the book of Ezra and Haggai’s prophecies.) The name Zechariah means ‘Yahweh remembers’, and his name is appropriate to the message of his book. The HCSB Study Bible gives this good overview of the book of Zechariah: Zechariah sought to encourage those who had returned from captivity to rebuild the temple and rededicate their lives to the Lord. The message of encouragement involved surrealistic visions and vivid poetic images, focused on reversal of God’s judgment and calling for a reversal of the people’s behavior. It is because of the surrealistic visions that people have called this book the ‘Apocalypse of the Old Testament’. Since we are also reading Revelation, you will get a double dose of the apocalyptic genre. Mears gives this interesting comment, and this is something I suggest we watch for as we read this book: Someone has said that to correctly read the visions of this book, you must shine two lights on them— the light of the cross and the light of the crown. Otherwise, you will find that you don’t have the proper perspective or background to understand Zechariah’s visions. The prophet, looking far into the future, saw two aspects of the future Messiah— one Person, but two appearances. First, he saw Him in humiliation and suffering; then he saw Him in majesty and great glory. Jewish people who do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah ignore the Christ of the cross. Christians too often ignore the Christ of the crown. Both are wrong. ISAIAH 59: Although chapter 58 didn’t use the word ‘hypocrisy’, that is what God was preaching against. After telling us the kind of fasting that God desires most, God gave beautiful promises to those who live as He teaches. REVELATION 13: Following the 7th trumpet blast in chapter 11, the vision in chapter 12 is an overview. The woman who gives birth to ‘he who will rule the nations with a rod of iron’ is not a picture of Mary. This is an overview. I encourage you to dig deeper to find out more about the picture of the glorious woman. I will give you my take about the dragon’s seven heads and seven crowns. The dragon, as we will see will do his best to masquerade as God. He is doing that right now in our day! Look out, and don’t be fooled! An important foundational teaching in that chapter is to explain about the source of the spiritual battle we now see being played out in the world. NLT Translation Notes: Zec. 2:8 [The messiah speaks:] After a period of glory, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession. 9 I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. ==== Is. 59:15b The LORD looked and was displeased [when he saw that//to find] there was no justice. 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.
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NL-Day355 Haggai 1-2; Isaiah 58; Revelation 12
12/14/2025
NL-Day355 Haggai 1-2; Isaiah 58; Revelation 12
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 the exile, just two prophesied during the exile (Ezekiel and Daniel), while three prophesied after the exile. We turn to the first of these now— Haggai. This book (with only two chapters) consists of four prophecies in four months— each dated and all in the second year of King Darius’ reign. In the modern calendar these dates would have been between August 29 and December 18, 520 B.C. This places Haggai’s messages two months before Zechariah started to prophesy. Haggai’s purpose was to move a discouraged nation to rise up again and rebuild the temple. ISAIAH 58: In chapter 57, we saw again that God considers idolatry to be a sin against him that is just like a wife being unfaithful to her husband. In such a context of explicit and harsh condemnation, these words stand out: Is. 57:18 NLT I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, 19 bringing words of praise to their lips. REVELATION 12: In chapter 11, John again took an active part in the vision he was seeing. He was given a rod (as a measuring stick) and told to measure the temple, the altar, and count the worshippers. What other prophet participated in measuring a temple in a vision? John was told not to measure the court of the Gentiles. I encourage you to dig for gold there. While you are at it, find out what ideas people have about the two witnesses. John is not the first prophet that saw olive trees on both sides of a lamp and lamp stand. Who was the prophet? And how is John’s vision different than the other prophet’s vision? At the end of the chapter, we heard ‘the last trumpet’. Say, is the same ‘last trumpet’ that Paul mentioned?! The words of praise by the 24 elders and the last verse in the chapter give a big clue as to what the seventh trumpet brings. NLT Translation note: Rev. 12:11 And they[— our brothers and sisters,] have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb 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.
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NL-Day354 Zephaniah 3; Isaiah 57; Revelation 11
12/14/2025
NL-Day354 Zephaniah 3; Isaiah 57; Revelation 11
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, “What you need to do to get right with me, do it NOW. Don’t put it off!” ISAIAH 57: In chapter 56, we heard how God’s plan includes even eunuchs and foreigners— which includes us. The chapter ended with a condemnation of Israel’s leaders which was filled with irony. The people who listened to Jesus when he said that he is the Good Shepherd, would likely have thought back to Isaiah’s words: Is. 56:11 NLT Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. 12 “Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk. Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!” REVELATION 11: We are still in the interlude before the 7th trumpet. In chapter 10 John saw a mighty angel come to earth holding a little and open scroll, the 7 thunders spoke. That— in prophetic language, indicates God’s voice, and John takes the scroll and as commanded eats it. This is not the first time a prophet has been told to eat a scroll. Do you remember the name of the other prophet? The mighty angel stood on the land and the sea. The sea symbolizes the kingdom of darkness, so his standing on land and sea indicates that the message the angel brings will impact the whole world even including Satan’s kingdom. 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.
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NL-Day353 Zephaniah 1-2; Isaiah 56; Revelation 10
12/14/2025
NL-Day353 Zephaniah 1-2; Isaiah 56; Revelation 10
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 “Zephaniah” means “Yahweh hides [or has hidden],” “Yahweh’s watchman,” or “Yahweh treasured.” The uncertainty arises over the etymology of the prophet’s name, which scholars dispute. I prefer “Yahweh hides.” Zephaniah was very likely a descendent of king Hezekiah, and he was born sometime during the reign of the wicked king Manasseh, and was active as a prophet during the time of the reign of King Josiah (640-609 BC). Like Nahum, Zephaniah prophesied against Nineveh. He preached vehemently against idols. He also prophesied these important things: A faithful remnant will be delivered from captivity. The Gentile nations will be converted. One day people everywhere— not only in Jerusalem, will worship God (2:11; John 4:21). ISAIAH 56:Rather than commenting on the Bible translator’s favorite verse (Is. 55:11), I’m picking this section to remind you about of instead: Is. 55:8 NLT “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. How true it is that God’s thoughts are always counter-intuitive for humans! Take for instance what God says in this chapter: “Come to me. Seek me while I may be found. Come, I am offering eternal food and water for free. You don’t have to earn it.” Time and again, humans think they have to earn salvation. Another way we misunderstand what God offers is by saying that ‘free food and water’ mean that people don’t need to repent. Those who think that should read verses 6-7 of chapter 55 and the whole book or Revelation. REVELATION 10:Note that after some huge judgments in Revelation— such as at the end of chapter 6, the people on earth recognize God’s hand and react to the Almighty in some way, such as trying to hide from God. But in response to the plagues in chapter 9 the people close their eyes and refuse to repent of demon worship and all kinds of immorality. 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.
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NL-Day352 Habakkuk 3; Isaiah 55; Revelation 9
12/14/2025
NL-Day352 Habakkuk 3; Isaiah 55; Revelation 9
HABAKKUK 3:Yesterday in this book we heard Habakkuk bring his complaints to God about God’s justice, and God answered, in effect, that after he uses the Babylonians, their time of judgment will come. In chapter 2 verse 3, God gives this assurance: Hab. 2:3b NLT If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,for it will surely take place.It will not be delayed. Then the next verse ends with a famous promise: Hab. 2:4 NLT “Look at the proud!They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. (This verse, as it is often quoted in the NT, is a little different from what we find in the OT. The OT is translated from the Hebrew, while the NT authors quoted from the Greek taken from the Septuagint.) Two more powerful and often quoted verses bear repeating: Hab. 2:20 NLT But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.” Hab. 2:14 For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord. Rereading ISAIAH 55:Note that in Revelation we have already read— and will read again, words like the beginning of Isaiah 55: Is. 55:1 NLT “Is anyone thirsty?Come and drink—even if you have no money! Remember also that Jesus in John chapters 4 and 7 offered living water and streams of water that would bubble from within. This chapter 55 is so rich! But we don’t have time for me to comment verse by verse. As a Bible translator, the promise we base our very lives upon is found in verse 11. REVELATION 9:In Rev. 8, we saw the results of the first four trumpet blasts. This, like the seals, is another vision of God’s justice finally being expressed in judgment. Note that the enactment of this punishment was preceded by the prayers of God’s holy people. (That’s is how NLT translates ‘saints’. And that word means us, we have been purified by Christ!) At last, the answers to prayers for God’s justice like heard from the martyrs in Rev. 6 and like in Habakkuk’s prayer will start to be answered. 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.
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NL-Day351 Habakkuk 1-2; Isaiah 55; Revelation 8
12/14/2025
NL-Day351 Habakkuk 1-2; Isaiah 55; Revelation 8
HABAKKUK 1-2: The book of Nahum ended with these words about Nineveh: Nam. 3:19 NLT There is no healing for your wound; your injury is fatal. All who hear of your destruction will clap their hands for joy. Where can anyone be found who has not suffered from your continual cruelty? And now we turn to the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk preached at the time when it was already clear— through the means of prophecy and conquest, that Babylon would defeat Judah. This was between 627 and 605 BC, which would have been at the same time as Jeremiah, Nahum, Zephaniah were living, and Daniel may have been a young boy. We often hear people questioning how God could be good and loving and allow various disasters or evil things to happen. And Habakkuk asks that question, and another: “Why do You, God, use a nation that is more sinful than we are to punish us?” Mears gives this neat outline of the three chapters of Habakkuk: Watch and see Stand and see Kneel and see ISAIAH 55: Perhaps you noticed that Isaiah 54:1 was quoted by Paul in Gal. 4:27. And did Isaiah 54:11-12 cause you to think of Revelation? In just a few days in our reading of Revelation we will hear about precious gems used in building the New Jerusalem. REVELATION 8: Remember that in Rev. 7 we saw first the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel. 144,000 = 12 x 12,000. Remember, numbers in Revelation have symbolic meanings! Now the question is whether the next group that John sees is the same group or a different one. He says that they were “a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language.” Look closer at God’s Word and you will always see that it is very deep. Look closely at the names of the 12 tribes! Notice that the list has been altered from the normal list repeated in the Old Testament. Which tribes are missing? Which tribe is doubled up? Note that the answers to this may hold a clue as to whether the 144,000 is made up only of ethnic Jews. There is gold to dig for here! 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.
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NL-Day350 Nahum 3; Isaiah 54; Revelation 7
12/14/2025
NL-Day350 Nahum 3; Isaiah 54; Revelation 7
NAHUM 3: Yesterday we heard just how Nineveh’s defenses would be breached. The description was detailed and vivid, including the scarlet color of the enemy uniforms and the way chariots would rumble recklessly in the city streets after the river gate was torn open. God justly judged this city for its cruelty to others. ISAIAH 54: In Isaiah 53:10 it says, Is. 53:10 NLT But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Often literal translations give a meaning that can hardly be conceived of— saying that the Lord was ‘pleased’. The pleasure of the Lord means that it was His will or decision— which is why Jesus received a No answer in the garden of Gethsemane. Seeing His Son suffer so much certainly caused great sorrow! Think how Abraham felt when he was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac! Also Isaiah 53 ends with the idea that Jesus ‘intercedes for the rebels’— which is us. This is echoed in Hebrews 7 in the teaching that Jesus is our great High Priest. Heb. 7:24 NLT But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. REVELATION 7: In Revelation chapter 5 we heard what happened when Jesus opened 6 of the 7 seals on the scroll that had been in God’s hand. After the 6th seal was broken, Rev. 6:14 NLT The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places. No one on earth will call that ‘climate change’. There will be no atheists by that time. Everyone still left on earth will be cowering in terror of God’s judgment. These judgements— set off when the seals are opened, are an overview. Remember that we will hear the same story from other perspectives. And this is not the only time in this book where there is an interlude between the 6th and 7th item. 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.
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NL-Day349 Nahum 1-2; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Revelation 6
12/14/2025
NL-Day349 Nahum 1-2; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Revelation 6
NAHUM 1-2: Micah certainly poured out his heart in chapter 7. Micah 7:7-9 matches the verse I highlighted in Isaiah 50:10. Those are verses that give comfort to people dealing with long-term suffering. Now turning to Nahum: Nahum’s name means ‘compassion’, ‘consolation’, or ‘comfort’. Nothing is known about Nahum except for what we can glean from his book. He must have written between the fall of the Egyptian city of Thebes in 663 B.C. and the fall of the Assyrian city of Nineveh in 612. Nineveh fell to a combined force of Medes, Babylonians, and Scythians. This book is a vivid prediction of the fall of Nineveh— which is the same city that Jonah preached against 150 years earlier. Assyria was an extremely violent and cruel oppressor. Rereading ISAIAH 52:13—53: Note the contrast between verses 8 and 10: Is. 538 NLT Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But just two verses later, we read: 10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. So we have the word ‘died’ (past tense) in verse 9, ‘buried like a criminal’ and ‘no descendants’ in 8, but the words ‘long life’ and ‘many descendants’ in verse 10. Looking back at Jesus, this makes perfect sense. In a similar way, mysteries in Revelation will one day be perfectly clear. REVELATION 6: In Revelation 5 we heard that only One was worthy to take the scroll that was in God’s hand. The scroll had seven seals, and it is the first of three big series of seven in this book. Christ is introduced as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. But when John sees him, he appears as a lamb that has been slain. (Remember quotes about the Lamb spoken by Isaiah, Micah, and John the Baptist!) The Lamb had seven horns. Horns are used in Scripture to portray kingly power to rule, so with 7, he is the perfect and divine King. And the Lamb had 7 eyes, which again, we are told, stand for the sevenfold Spirit of God. Through the Holy Spirit Christ has perfect eyesight— seeing in all places and in all hearts. 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.
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NL-Day348 Micah 7; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Revelation 5
12/07/2025
NL-Day348 Micah 7; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Revelation 5
MICAH 7: The complete quote about the Messiah’s birthplace (Micah 5:2-5) quoted to Herod in Matthew 2:6 mentions Bethlehem, a woman in labor giving birth, and the Lord is pictured as our shepherd who will be ‘highly honored around the world’. Note that Herod would have had cause for concern about his reign if such a leader appeared. If Micah 6:8 sounded familiar, it is because Micah quoted from Deut. 10:12. ISAIAH 52:13—53: In our reading yesterday, Isaiah 52, we heard the passage that Paul quoted in Romans 10. Is. 52:7 NLT How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God. Note that God gave a special message (in 52:11-12) to those who would carry the temple treasures back to Jerusalem led by Ezra (Ezra 8). Those who carried those ‘sacred objects’ and who prayed and fasted with Ezra beside the river near Babylon had their prayer answered around 200 years before they prayed it! REVELATION 5: After acting as Jesus’ secretary to write down the seven letters to the seven churches, John was taken up to God’s throne in heaven. We can note a feature of Jewish custom in the writing of John in Revelation 4: In reverence he avoided saying, “I saw God sitting on his throne.” He went beyond custom and didn’t even say ‘the Lord/Kyrios’. Instead he said, ‘Someone’ or ‘the One sitting on the throne’. God was mentioned directly only in the quotes of the four living creatures and the 24 elders. Note that we have seen the living creatures with four faces before in Ezekiel. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. And we are told, “This is the seven-fold Spirit of God.” The number seven has a symbolic meaning— indicating perfection, completeness, or attributes of God. (Compare Rev. 1:5, 3:1, 4:5 and 5:6.) Commentators also say that John could have thought about Isaiah 11:2-5— where Isaiah prophesied about the seven-fold spiritual characteristics of the Branch growing from David’s stump (Jesus). 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.
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NL-Day347 Micah 5-6; Isaiah 52; Revelation 4
12/07/2025
NL-Day347 Micah 5-6; Isaiah 52; Revelation 4
MICAH 5-6: Remember that Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries. Yesterday we read very familiar sounding verses at the beginning of Micah 4 which start like this: Mic. 4:1 NLT In the last days, the mountain of the LORD’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. … That was so familiar sounding that I thought the passage must be quoted in the New Testament— but no! There are three verses there in Micah 4 that are almost exactly the same as verses found in Isaiah chapter 2. No wonder they sounded familiar! Note that God, as he speaks in Micah, frequently jumps from one time to another without warning. He can tell the people, “You will be exiled to Babylon” in one verse, but then very quickly, God says, “Rise and crush the nations, Jerusalem.” We just have to accept that this kind of unannounced time-switching is a feature of prophetic writings. ISAIAH 52: The chapter break between Isaiah 50 and 51 breaks up an important connection. For any of us who are “walking in the dark without a ray of light,” (like it says at chapter 50:10), there are encouraging words for you at the beginning of chapter 51. And our family will remember this verse from a song we used to sing: Is. 51:11 NLT Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness. REVELATION 4: Yesterday we heard the last of the seven letters, the one to Laodicea, the spiritually indifferent church. If we were seeking to interpret the seven letters as seven church ages, we would have no difficulty in saying that that last letter fits us to a tee. Laodicea was a medical center and was known for making an eye salve. So this letter is full of irony that Christ finds them poor, wretched, blind and naked. And note that the Savior doesn’t tell them to fix the problems by their own effort. He tells them to buy the eye salve, white garments, and the gold FROM HIM. What an awesome word is this statement: Rev. 3:19 NLT “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.” Then the famous verse about Christ knocking is not spoken to unbelievers. In its first application, the famous promise is made to the members of the church who are willing to turn from spiritual indifference. 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.
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NL-Day346 Micah 3-4; Isaiah 51; Revelation 3:7-22
12/07/2025
NL-Day346 Micah 3-4; Isaiah 51; Revelation 3:7-22
MICAH 3-4: In Micah 1 yesterday we heard one of the sections of Hebrew poetry which is virtually impossible to translate and capture the same impact as the original. Micah— expressing his deep sorrow at God’s coming judgment, concatenated many place names— using them in a compound figure of speech based on the meanings of the names. For instance, Mic. 1:10b NLT You people in Beth-leaphrah, roll in the dust to show your despair. The name Beth-leaphrah means ‘house of dust’. For those following this plan in the GNT, Micah 1 would be a good place to open the NLT. The NLT footnotes do a good job helping us with the meanings of the names. That holds true until the reader gets to Adullam. No footnote for that one! Say, we’ve heard that name before, haven’t we? Who else hid there? ISAIAH 51: If you have time, go back to review Isaiah 50. God showed the thoughts of our Savior in advance of his coming in verses 4-6. Jesus’ resolve (alluded to in Luke 9:51) is shown in verse 7. And verse 9 might have been Paul’s inspiration for the last part of Romans 8! Verse 10 has been an amazing comfort to many with incurable disease or in hopeless situations. REVELATION 3b: One of the rewards given to the victorious from Philadelphia is this as NIV translates it: Rev. 3:12a NIV The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. That gives the wrong impression to me. “Oh, no, I don’t want to be made into a pillar and not be able to move!” NLT gives the right idea with neat economy of words like this: Rev. 3:12a NLT All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never _have to_ leave it. Another part of their reward is this: 12b And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. People get very concerned about the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. Observe here something that you will see throughout this book: EVERYONE gets a mark of ownership upon them— including all the saints, and even Jesus has a mark on his forehead. 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.
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NL-Day345 Micah 1-2; Isaiah 50; Revelation 3:1-13
12/07/2025
NL-Day345 Micah 1-2; Isaiah 50; Revelation 3:1-13
MICAH 1-2:The name “Micah” is a shortened form of “Micaiah,” which means, “Who is like Yahweh?” A different Micaiah, the son of Imlah, served as a prophet in the Northern Kingdom during the reign of King Ahab of Israel (874-853 B.C., 1Kings 22:8-28; 2Chron. 18:3-27). Micah prophesied during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham (750-732 B.C.), Ahaz (732-715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.). This makes him a late eighth-century contemporary of Isaiah. While Isaiah was ministering in Jerusalem, perhaps Micah was more of a country prophet. Amos and Hosea were preaching at the same time in the Northern Kingdom. Micah’s message is similar to that of Amos, and Micah spoke at a time when conditions in Judah were much like those in the Northern Kingdom while Amos was preaching. Both prophets denounced social sins and the unfair treatment of the poor by the rich. The Northern Kingdom was taken into captivity during Micah’s lifetime— fulfilling Amos’ prophecies. Micah contains three notable passages about Christ: Bethlehem will produce the ultimate Ruler 5:2— the information quoted to Herod in Mat. 2. Christ will be the King 2:12-13 Christ will reign in righteousness over the whole earth 4:1,7-8 ISAIAH 50: As we heard yesterday, Isaiah 49 includes these words that are quoted in 2Cor 6:2: Is. 49:8 NLT “At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you. And these next words are frequently repeated by the Lord elsewhere, therefore, IMPORTANT: Is. 49:23b NLT Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.” REVELATION 3a: The churches of Pergamum and Thyatira (chapter 2) were enduring and remaining loyal to Jesus. But both were allowing the corruption of false teaching that promoted adultery and idolatry. Jesus warned of severe punishments including death for those who failed to repent, and also wonderful promises to those who are victorious. I especially love the last promise to the church in Pergamum because it shows how intimately Jesus knows us and how his rewards will be appropriate for each of us: Rev. 2:17b NLT And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. 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.
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NL-Day344 Obadiah 1; Isaiah 49:12-26; Revelation 2:12-29
12/07/2025
NL-Day344 Obadiah 1; Isaiah 49:12-26; Revelation 2:12-29
OBADIAH:At the end of Amos, the clouds of judgment broke and there were wonderful promises about the restoration of Israel. God would shake the nations like a sieve and not a single kernel (child of Israel) would drop through the cracks and be lost. And Israel’s crops would be so rich and fruitful. Then, did you notice?— Isaiah said the same thing in chapter 49. Obadiah’s name means “servant of Yahweh” or “worshipper of Yahweh.” There are 13 men who have this name in the Old Testament, and it is very possible that the writer of this book is not one of those mentioned. Only two Old Testament prophetic books lack any information about the author: Obadiah and Malachi. Obadiah refers to a time when the Edomites had gloated over a successful invasion of Jerusalem (vv. 10-14, 16), but this does not help much in dating the book, since invasions of the city happened at least seven times in Old Testament history. The Edomites lived in the inaccessible rock fortress of Petra— which is famously seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. From our vantage point, we may see the Edomites as being symbolic of all the proud enemies of God’s people. ISAIAH 49b: In our first reading in Isaiah 49, I hope you noticed many poetic prophecies that remind us of Jesus. It is fascinating that most of these can be understood to refer to Cyrus as well! After all, Cyrus did release the captives of Israel to return again to their land. Alternatively, some of the prophecies may refer to the nation of Israel or even Isaiah, as the Lord’s servant. REVELATION 2b: Yesterday we heard the letter to the church at Ephesus— the church that lost their ‘love’ (in a literal translation). So the question is, they lost their love of who? The GNT specifies the implicit object ‘Me’ (meaning Jesus). NLT chooses another good option: It makes good sense to say that the love was for Jesus and for one another, since the two go hand in hand! Secondly we heard about the poor and persecuted church in Smyrna. Their church is exceptional because there was no word of rebuke for them. Jesus just urged them to keep on being faithful. Jesus ends each letter just like he ended his parables— which I paraphrase: “Ya’ got ears, don’t ya?! Well then pay attention …” Remember what Isaiah said about people who have grown deaf! 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.
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NL-Day343 Amos 9; Isaiah 49:1-13; Revelation 2:1-11
12/07/2025
NL-Day343 Amos 9; Isaiah 49:1-13; Revelation 2:1-11
AMOS 9: In Amos 7 we heard of how the priest of Israel’s pagan shrine, Amaziah, told Amos to go away, and Amaziah even tried to get king Jeroboam the 2nd to move against Amos. There were sad words at the end of chapter 8, which indeed happened during the 400 year inter-testamental period: Amo. 8:11 NLT “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD. 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. ISAIAH 49a: In Isaiah 48 God said, Is. 48:3 Long ago I told you what was going to happen. Then suddenly I took action, (past tense) and all my predictions came true. Such words may be hard to understand. There is a trait of some prophetic writings where the past tense is used instead of the future tense. Since Cyrus had not yet come, this section may well have meant in Isaiah’s time “suddenly I will take action.” Remember that all times are alike to God, and it is natural for Him to speak of future things (from our perspective) as already happening (in the present or past from HIS perspective). We see this trait also in Revelation. REVELATION 2a: The first chapter ended with Jesus’ explanation of what John saw: 20 NLT This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. The word ‘angel’ in Greek can also mean ‘messenger’. It could be that the angel for each church is the pastor, but at this time, churches did not have just one pastor. So this can be translated as the messenger (probably one of the elders) to whom the Lord gave the responsibility of conveying His message. We now come to a very special section: the letters to the seven churches in Asia. Some have tried to see church ages in these letters. It is better to see them as representative of churches at any age. Each letter has the same form. First there is a highlighting of one of the characteristics of Jesus as seen in chapter 1. Then Jesus shows that He sees and knows each church intimately. He gives whatever rebuke or commendation that is deserved. Then the Lord exhorts each church appropriately according to their condition. Finally there is a repeated warning, and a special promise appropriate to each church. 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.
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NL-Day342 Amos 7-8; Isaiah 48; Revelation 1
12/07/2025
NL-Day342 Amos 7-8; Isaiah 48; Revelation 1
AMOS 7-8: Our reading in chapter 5 of Amos included these words quoted in Stephen’s speech in Acts 7:42-43 in the New Testament: Amos 5:25 NLT “Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel?26 No, you served your pagan gods—Sakkuth your king god and Kaiwan your star god—… This makes it sound like the Israelites never gave sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness, which we know is false. So we should understand Amos’ and Stephen’s words as an exaggeration or hyperbole. ISAIAH 48: In Isaiah 47, we heard how God criticized the Babylonians just like Amos criticized the people of Judah and the Northern Kingdom for living in uncaring luxury built upon the unjust treatment of others. And God taunted the Babylonians to use their magic charms to try to charm away his coming judgment. REVELATION 1: This book is also called the Apocalypse. The apostle John clearly tells us that he is the author of this book and that he was at that time in exile on the island of Patmos. Four early church fathers affirm that John was exiled to the island of Patmos during Domitian’s reign. They wrote that the government allowed John to return to Ephesus after this emperor died. And I have seen a picture of John’s tomb at Ephesus. Domitian died in A.D. 96. Consequently many interpreters date the writing of this book near A.D. 95 or 96. Estimates vary that from two hundred and seventy-eight to 500 allusions to Old Testament verses are found in the book of Revelation. John never actually quotes from the Old Testament, but just make obvious allusions to it. The book of Revelation has the reputation of being a hard book to understand, and people have often said to me that it must be hard to translate. On the contrary, Revelation is a rather easy book to translate! And John’s main points in writing this book are not at all hard to understand. To help us understand, here are two important points: Remember that this book is full of symbolism and that many things are not to be taken literally. Realize that most of this book is not arranged chronologically. What we have instead is a series of visions that show the same events from different perspectives. 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.
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NL-Day341 Amos 5-6; Isaiah 47; 3 John 1
11/30/2025
NL-Day341 Amos 5-6; Isaiah 47; 3 John 1
AMOS 5-6:One device that Amos used in yesterday’s reading was rhetorical questions. He asked a whole series of them like this one: 3:4 GNT Does a lion roar in the forest unless he has found a victim? All of his rhetorical questions expect the unspoken answer, No. And they all led up to this one: Amo. 3:8 NLT The lion has roared— so who isn’t frightened? The Sovereign LORD has spoken— so who can refuse to proclaim his message? And, surprisingly, the message the Lord proclaimed next was an invitation to Israel’s enemies to come and witness Israel’s destruction. After the unforgettable denunciation against Israel’s wealthy women— whom he calls ‘cows’, he lists some of the previous acts of judgment against Israel— things like drought. And after each one are the words, “but you still would not return to me.” Chapter 4 ended with these awesome words: Amo. 4:12 GNT “So then, people of Israel, I am going to punish you. And because I am going to do this, get ready to face my judgment!” 13 God is the one who made the mountains and created the winds. He makes his thoughts known to people; he changes day into night. He walks on the heights of the earth. This is his name: the Lord God Almighty! ISAIAH 47: God continued speaking in Isaiah 46 about how He alone reveals his plans to mankind through prophecy. The section about Babylon’s idols being led off on a heavy ox cart was dripping with irony: Is. 46:1 GNT “This is the end for Babylon's gods! Bel and Nebo once were worshiped, but now they are loaded on donkeys, a burden for the backs of tired animals. 2 NLT Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together. 3JOHN: Thomas Constable points out that 3rd John is the shortest letter in the New Testament and it is also the most personal. Certainly 2nd Timothy, for instance, was an intensely personal letter, but at the end, Paul greeted everyone— showing that he knew his letter would be read to the church or churches. In 3rd John, the recipient seems to be Gaius alone, and this letter follows a pattern like a normal secular letter of the time— not including a ‘grace and peace’ salutation that Paul seems to have made standard for Christian letters. The time of the writing and the themes of this letter are like John’s two other letters. GNT Translation notes: 3Jn. 1:3 I was so happy when some [fellow believers//Christians] arrived and told me how faithful you are to the truth—just as you always live in the truth. 5 My dear friend, you are so faithful in the work you do for other [brothers and sisters in Christ//Christians], even when they are strangers. 8 We [believers//Christians], then, must help these people, so that we may share in their work for the truth. 10 When I come, then, I will bring up everything he has done: the terrible things he says about us and the lies he tells! But that is not enough for him; he will not receive the [travelling brothers who minister in the name of Christ//Christians] when they come, and even stops those who want to receive them and tries to drive them out of the church! 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.
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