On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.

Zechariah 14:4-9

On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. Zechariah 14:6-7

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is an unassisted review of Zechariah 14:4-9, which the commentary outlines as the third of four divisions for the text 13:2-14:21 (13:2-9, 14:1-3, 14:4-9, 14:10-21).  The text continues to unfold God's message to His people through Zechariah regarding a prophecy of end times.  V4 refers to on that day, consistent with preceding text on how this day refers to the Battle of Armageddon.  V4 describes how Jerusalem will be split in two and v5 shares how God's people will flee the earthquake described as similar to the earthquake during King Uzziah's reign (see Amos 1:1).  Revelation 16:18 also describes an earthquake, which of course will be "such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake."  V5c then shares how God will come, "and all the holy ones with him."  V6 then describes the new creation (see also Revelation 21) that will result after God's final victory over Satan.  The day is described as unique - known to the Lord - but of course unique and unseen by earthly bodies.  V8 describes living waters that flow east and west from Jerusalem - these living waters seem reminiscent to the waters in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2) implying how with the New Creation in Revelation, God's people are restored to the state in which they lived before the Fall.  V9 concludes the text for this division by sharing how God reigns over all and how He will be one and "his name one."  Once again, believers can take great comfort knowing that God has already won the victory over sin and death and that we are saved and He is saving a place for us in the New Creation!  Take comfort and rejoice!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, what an amazing Father You are that You love and care for me, protect me, give me comfort, guide me, provide for me, and You save!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of this amazing grace!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.

Zechariah 14:1-3

For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. Zechariah 14:2-3

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is an unassisted review of Zechariah 14:1-3, which the commentary outlines as the second of four divisions for the text 13:2-14:21 (13:2-9, 14:1-3, 14:4-9, 14:10-21).  Here, the text shares how Jerusalem will be sacked, with v1 describing how spoil taken from the city will be divided "in your midst" referring to possessions of God's people who are the audience of the prophecy from Zechariah.  Yet this is not referring to the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD where God delivers his wrath against his people for accumulated sin as He uses Rome to put down a Jewish rebellion (see also thoughts here re: Ezekiel 4:9-17).  Instead all (v2) nations are fighting against Jerusalem in a scene more reflective of end times and the Battle of Armageddon, consistent with the preceding text in Zechariah.  Looking forward to v4, we also see reference to "on that day," which again is consistent with preceding text as it refers to the Battle of Armageddon. This depicts a violent and scary time where a remnant - half - is exiled (suggesting protection), while invasion and violence awaits the other half.  Yet v3 once again should provide confidence and comfort knowing that the victory over sin and death is already won!  God fights for us - and we know He wins and He creates a New Creation (Revelation 21) and saves a place for us (John 14:1-4).  Be confident and comforted!

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My Prayer: Father God, Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of amazing grace and love for me.  You intercede and fight for me and I know You have already sealed victory over sin and death - and You are saving a place for me in Heaven. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings and gifts.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.

Zephaniah 1:7

Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. Zephaniah 1:7

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is a commentary-assisted review of the third division per my commentary: v7. Excerpts from the commentary:

• "The Day of the Lord is a reference to the coming judgment of God. While we find it mentioned a number of times throughout Scripture, Zephaniah is more uniquely focused on it than any other biblical book."
• "The Israelites were guilty of disobeying God, and because of their disobedience, God was clarifying through Zephaniah that a reckoning is coming. There is no one, regardless of class, status, or birth order, who can avoid God’s judgment. This would have been difficult for Zephaniah’s hearers to understand, as those who were part of God’s chosen people might have assumed some sense of protection from God’s wrath. Instead, God puts them on notice that no one can escape the coming judgment. The intent of the declaration, as we will see at the end of the book, is not to terrify them into cowering before God. It is not to punish them for what they have done. God is not lashing out in uncontrolled anger or sadistically dispensing judgment. This reminder of the coming day of judgment was intended to provoke them to remember their place as His chosen ones and to repent and return to faithful obedience. He compels them in this manner because He understands that life is lived most fully and completely when one is living in harmony with God."
• While it is inevitable that some will not, we are encouraged to be obedient to heed God's warning of a coming judgement and take refuge in the salvation that only Jesus provides.  This refuge not only provides life for eternity with Jesus in Heaven, but also life to the full now with the Holy Spirit in our hearts working to mold us into more of His image (sanctification) until we are fully glorified on that day when either Jesus returns or He calls us home.  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God full of grace, mercy and compassion.  Your mercies are new every day and they never cease.  You also save and are saving a place for me in Heaven and I can rest in the promises that You make to me as a believer.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[H]e has prepared for them a city.

 Hebrews 11

[H]e has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:16c

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at the city, Heaven, God has prepared for those who believe and have been saved by Him.  There is certainly much in the present world to be sad about and John Piper describes some of this.  Yet, in the present, God is with those who believe and have been saved by Him. God provides the Holy Spirit, the Word, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, etc. to give me comfort and to help continue to run the race when God calls me home or Christ returns.  The city God prepares for us is indeed perfect and it is described in Revelation 21.  Piper describes this city: "[t]he city of God will be perfect, because God will be in it. He will walk in it and talk in it and manifest himself in every part of it. All that is good and beautiful and holy and peaceful and true and happy will be there, because God will be there.  Perfect justice will be there and recompense a thousandfold for every pain suffered in obedience to Christ in this world. And it will never deteriorate. In fact, it will shine brighter and brighter as eternity stretches out into unending ages of increasing joy." Piper seeks for believers to desire this city "above everything else on the earth." This brings glory to God who is also the builder of this new city.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion, saving a place for me in the New Jerusalem which will be awesome!  Thank You Jesus for securing my salvation.  I am not deserving of the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:16

I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how God is proud of believers.  John Piper writes this devotion with a genuine desire to please God with his life and to make Him proud.  He writes how this is possible based on reasons in Hebrews 11, specifically in 11:16 where it is explicit that - referring to those in the hall of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 - God is not ashamed to be called their God. The first reason in the text is that God is proud because he has prepared for them a city.  Piper emphasizes here that God has done something for believers - He has prepared and saved a place for them in Heaven.  The second reason emphasized by Piper how God is proud is because of believers desire - that they desire a better country - Heaven.  We are urged by Piper to desire Heaven more so than anything else - more than anything the world could ever offer.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I am grateful this morning for my salvation - that You have prepared and saved a place in Heaven for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor for the place You are saving for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.