Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Romans 13
Romans 13 (New International Version, ©2010)
Romans 13
Submission to Governing Authorities
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Love Fulfills the Law
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet,"[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The Day Is Near
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Romans 13
Submission to Governing Authorities
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Love Fulfills the Law
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet,"[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The Day Is Near
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
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.
Revelation 17
Revelation 17 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 17
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
Revelation 17
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
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