Monday, January 18, 2016
Chronological New Testament Study Day 90
Revelation 6;
Revelation 7; Revelation 8; Revelation 9; Revelation 10; Revelation 11
1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals.
Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder,
"Come!" 2 I looked, and there before me was a white
horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a
conqueror bent on conquest. 3 When the Lamb opened the second
seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 Then
another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take
peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large
sword. 5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the
third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was
a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then
I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying,
"A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a
day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" 7 When
the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living
creature say, "Come!" 8 I looked, and there before
me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close
behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword,
famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. 9 When
he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been
slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They
called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true,
until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11 Then
each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little
longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be
killed as they had been was completed. 12 I watched as he
opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like
sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and
the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when
shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky receded like a scroll,
rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then
the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and
every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They
called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the
face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For
the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners
of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from
blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw
another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He
called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm
the land and the sea: 3 "Do not harm the land or the sea
or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our
God." 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed:
144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of
Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of
Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe
of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from
the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of
Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the
tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. 9 After
this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could
count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the
throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding
palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud
voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb." 11 All the angels were standing around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their
faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and
strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" 13 Then
one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where
did they come from?" 14 I answered, "Sir, you
know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb. 15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of
God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne
will spread his tent over them. 16Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any
scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in
heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels
who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Another
angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much
incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar
before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with
the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then
the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on
the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and
an earthquake. 6 Then the seven angels who had the seven
trumpets prepared to sound them. 7 The first angel sounded his
trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down
upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were
burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8 The second
angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was
thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a
third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were
destroyed. 10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great
star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on
the springs of water-- 11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A
third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that
had become bitter. 12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet,
and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the
stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without
light, and also a third of the night. 13 As I watched, I heard
an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe!
Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be
sounded by the other three angels!"
1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that
had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft
of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it
like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the
smoke from the Abyss. 3And out of the smoke locusts came down upon
the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They
were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only
those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They
were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months.
And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it
strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but
will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. 7 The
locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore
something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their
hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 They
had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was
like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They
had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to
torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them
the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek,
Apollyon. 12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to
come. 13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a
voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It
said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who
are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four
angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year
were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the
mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number. 17 The
horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were
fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled
the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A
third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that
came out of their mouths. 19The power of the horses was in their
mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with
which they inflict injury. 20 The rest of mankind that were
not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands;
they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone
and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did
they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or
their thefts.
1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven.
He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the
sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a
little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea
and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like
the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders
spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to
write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven
thunders have said and do not write it down." 5 Then the
angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to
heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who
created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it,
and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more
delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to
sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he
announced to his servants the prophets." 8 Then the voice
that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll
that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the
land." 9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me
the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your
stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." 10 I
took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as
honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then
I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations,
languages and kings."
1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told,
"Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers
there. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it,
because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city
for 42 months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses,
and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These
are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of
the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from
their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm
them must die. 6 These men have power to shut up the sky so
that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power
to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague
as often as they want. 7 Now when they have finished their
testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and
overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the street
of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also
their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days men from
every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse
them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over
them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets
had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But after the
three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on
their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they
heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And
they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.13 At
that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed.
Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were
terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second
woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon. 15 The seventh
angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his
Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." 16 And the
twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their
faces and worshiped God,17 saying: "We give thanks to you,
Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your
great power and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were
angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for
rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence
your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the
earth." 19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and
within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of
lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
Psalm 44
Psalm 44 (New International Version)
Psalm 44
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. [a]
1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.
2 With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.
3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
4 You are my King and my God, who decrees [b] victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
6 I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
8 In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah
9 But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.
10 You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
15 My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame
16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
17 All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?
25 We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.
Psalm 44
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. [a]
1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.
2 With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.
3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
4 You are my King and my God, who decrees [b] victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
6 I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
8 In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah
9 But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.
10 You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
15 My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame
16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
17 All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?
25 We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.
Revelation 18
Revelation 18 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 18
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
"'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!'[a] She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."
Warning to Escape Babylon's Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
"'Come out of her, my people,'[b] so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts, 'I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[c] I will never mourn.'
8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon's Fall
9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
"'Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!'
11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14 "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!'
20 "Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you."
The Finality of Babylon's Doom
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
"With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God's holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."
Revelation 18
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
"'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!'[a] She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."
Warning to Escape Babylon's Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
"'Come out of her, my people,'[b] so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts, 'I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[c] I will never mourn.'
8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon's Fall
9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
"'Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!'
11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14 "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!'
20 "Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you."
The Finality of Babylon's Doom
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
"With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God's holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."
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