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Embracing Wonder: A 5-Week Advent Devotional From Matthew West

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El-Roi the God Who Sees Me

Advent Guide: You Belong

New International Version

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 <div class="p">1The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw&#8212;that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.</div><div class="s1">Greetings and Doxology</div><div class="p"> 4John,</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">To the seven churches in the province of Asia:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits#1:4 That is, the sevenfold Spirit before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father&#8212;to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.</div><div class="q1"> 7&#8220;Look, he is coming with the clouds,&#8221;#1:7 Daniel 7:13</div><div class="q2">and &#8220;every eye will see him,</div><div class="q1">even those who pierced him&#8221;;</div><div class="q2">and all peoples on earth &#8220;will mourn because of him.&#8221;#1:7 Zech. 12:10</div><div class="q4">So shall it be! Amen.</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;I am the Alpha and the Omega,&#8221; says the Lord God, &#8220;who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">John&#8217;s Vision of Christ</div><div class="p"> 9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10On the Lord&#8217;s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11which said: &#8220;Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,#1:13 See Daniel 7:13. dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.</div><div class="p"> 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: &#8220;Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.</div><div class="p"> 19 &#8220;Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels#1:20 Or messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.</div>
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 <div class="p">1Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. 2He asked me, &#8220;What do you see?&#8221;</div><div class="p">I answered, &#8220;I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. 3Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4I asked the angel who talked with me, &#8220;What are these, my lord?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5He answered, &#8220;Do you not know what these are?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;No, my lord,&#8221; I replied.</div><div class="p"> 6So he said to me, &#8220;This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: &#8216;Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,&#8217; says the Lord Almighty.</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of &#8216;God bless it! God bless it!&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9&#8220;The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone#4:10 Or the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Then I asked the angel, &#8220;What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Again I asked him, &#8220;What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13He replied, &#8220;Do you not know what these are?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;No, my lord,&#8221; I said.</div><div class="p"> 14So he said, &#8220;These are the two who are anointed to#4:14 Or two who bring oil and serve the Lord of all the earth.&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="p">1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.</div><div class="p"> 2Daniel said: &#8220;In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.</div><div class="p"> 4&#8220;The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.</div><div class="p"> 5&#8220;And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, &#8216;Get up and eat your fill of flesh!&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 6&#8220;After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast&#8212;terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;As I looked,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;thrones were set in place,</div><div class="q2">and the Ancient of Days took his seat.</div><div class="q1">His clothing was as white as snow;</div><div class="q2">the hair of his head was white like wool.</div><div class="q1">His throne was flaming with fire,</div><div class="q2">and its wheels were all ablaze.</div><div class="q1"> 10A river of fire was flowing,</div><div class="q2">coming out from before him.</div><div class="q1">Thousands upon thousands attended him;</div><div class="q2">ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.</div><div class="q1">The court was seated,</div><div class="q2">and the books were opened.</div><div class="p"> 11&#8220;Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12(The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)</div><div class="p"> 13&#8220;In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,#7:13 The Aramaic phrase bar enash means human being. The phrase son of man is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse. coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.</div><div class="s1">The Interpretation of the Dream</div><div class="p"> 15&#8220;I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.</div><div class="p">&#8220;So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17&#8216;The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever&#8212;yes, for ever and ever.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws&#8212;the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell&#8212;the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.</div><div class="p"> 23&#8220;He gave me this explanation: &#8216;The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.#7:25 Or for a year, two years and half a year</div><div class="p"> 26&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 28&#8220;This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.&#8221;</div>
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