Read To Me Daily Semester 4Sample

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. 

HC Mears gives a helpful summary about all the prophetic books: 

• 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. 

We read all two chapters of the book of Haggai today. The two chapters consist of four prophecies made in just 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 of Isaiah, 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 of Revelation, 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 and the altar, and to count the worshipers. 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 to see olive trees on both sides of a lamp and lamp stand. Who was that prophet? And how is John’s vision different than the other prophet’s vision?

At the end of chapter 11, 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. 

Let’s pray.
Dear heavenly Father, how amazing and how poetic will be the judgment that you will bring on the earth. You will destroy those who destroy the earth. You will have complete victory over Satan. Yet following that judgment, you say in Zephaniah:
3:12 I will leave there a humble and lowly people, who will come to me for help.
And this agrees with your words written down by Isaiah:
57:15 “I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.
We worship You, heavenly Father, as the high and holy God, who lives forever. And we have now glimpsed the high and holy place where you live. But one day, may we join those humble people with whom you will live. We repent Lord. And you restore our confidence and hope! Further you say:
19-21 I offer peace to all, both near and far! I will heal my people. But evil people are like the restless sea, whose waves never stop rolling in, bringing filth and muck. There is no safety for sinners,” says the Lord.
Lord we thank you that the seventh and last trumpet will soon sound. Your rule will suddenly become absolute. There will be no more waiting. And you will reward all who have served you. Just as surely as you brought the captives back from Babylon--- not as slaves, but as freed people— so you will certainly bring us into your glorious victory.