Bible Study: December 27, 2007
Hello My Friend/Guest,
"Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance." (Psalm 106:4-5)
It is Thursday December 27, 2007 and today we are continuing our studies on the book of Revelations. Please read, Revelation 9 -- 11. In Today's Reading we will learn about the fifth and sixth trumpets; the angel and the little scroll; the two witnesses; and the seventh trumpet.
A voice from heaven directed the Apostle John to do some things, "And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." (Revelation 10:8-11).
John is first given the little book, symbolic of God's Word. Once it was digested, he was qualified to tell the world that the little book has a message that is exceedingly sweet to those who receive Christ as Savior. Eating all of it speaks of understanding and appropriating all the Scriptures into our lives (compare Ezekiel 2:8-9; 3:1-3).
Jesus then said: "I will give power unto My two witnesses (thought by some to be Moses and Elijah returned), and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore (1260) days, clothed in sackcloth." (Revelation 11:3). They will face overwhelming opposition, but will overcome. "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." (11:5-8). These two witnesses of Christ cannot be martyred (put to death) until they have finished their testimony. Then, and only then, the enemies of God shall overcome them and kill them.
Regardless of how fearful our future may appear, we can enjoy the peace of God, knowing that everything is under His sovereign control. "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15). Putting our faith in the Lord will not only relieve the fear of what happens when we leave the earth, it will also give us peace and comfort no matter what we face.
Today's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Father, thank you for your plan for our lives. You are the one, sovereign God, and you are all powerful in every aspect of our lives. We want to turn it all over to you, but there are parts of us, that we're so reluctant to release. We might not even know what it is that we're holding on to, but we can feel that part of our flesh is ruling us more than it should. Holy Spirit, sweep through us. Help us to see what it is that we're unable to let go of, and then minister to our hearts so that we can trust you in that area. Speak to us through your word today as we study. Show us something new about yourself or our relationship with you. In Jesus' name, I pray.....Amen.
Have a wonderful day/night and God bless you.
Christina
