Let Me Introduce the Minor Prophets

Introduction to Minor Prophets
Hosea
Philo states that the name "Hosea" means "what sort of a person is this?" Others say that the name means "salvation." We know very little about Hosea. Some of the early Jewish writers believed that Hosea was the son of a prophet. If so, it is likely that Hosea's father knew Elisha. Hosea began to prophesy against Israel (the northern kingdom) at a time when the country was experiencing unprecedented prosperity but was far from God. By the end of his prophecy, Israel's power and prosperity were greatly diminished and by 722 B.C., Israel was no more.
It appears that Hosea may have moved from Israel to Judah sometime around 735 B.C., as he speaks more from a distance in the later part of the book. He prays that Judah might remain separated from Gilgal (4:15).
Hosea was commanded to marry an adulterer, to signify God's relationship with Israel. The first 3 chapters revolve around this relationship and its significance.
The book demonstrates the grief of God and His continuing love for a rebellious people. The book begins with grief and ends with hope.
Key Passage:
Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves according to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you.
Key Lesson: Our sins distress God

Joel
We know almost nothing about the prophet Joel. His name means "Yahweh is God." The book is dated anywhere from 835 B.C. to 312 B.C. The internal evidence suggests that elders were ruling (Joel 1:2, 14; 2:16) and that the Jews had been sold as slaves to the Greeks (Joel 3:6). Yet, it appears that the Babylonian captivity was still in the future (1:15; 2:1-9) and the temple was still standing (1:9, 13, 14, 16, 2:17). Tyre, Sidon, Philistia, Edom, and Egypt are the present enemies (3:4-9). This seems to fit with 2 Chronicles 21:8-16. Accordingly, the most likely time is that of Joash, the boy king, where it was likely the elders played a more prominent role. This would date the book to the time period of 870-860 B.C
As Hosea develops the relationship of a husband and wife to portray the LORD's interaction with Israel, thus Joel develops an invasion of locusts into a view of God's impending destruction.
Joel also figures large in the New Testament, with some 28 references; including the notable ones in Matthew 24 in the Olivet Discourse, Acts 2 at the day of Pentecost, Romans 10 concerning salvation by faith, and the book of Revelation. Joel is a seminal book for an understanding of the prophetic message.

Key Passage;
Joel 2:28And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. 29 Even upon the menservants and upon the maidservants in those days will I pour out My Spirit. 30 And I will show signs and wonders in the heavens, and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 32 And whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the remnant [of survivors] shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Key Lesson: True repentance brings an overflow of blessings.

Amos
Amos was a herdsman from Tekoa (1:1; 7:14), a city about 5 miles south of Bethlehem, about 10 miles south of Jerusalem, in the hill country of Judah. God took him from being a herdsman to being one of the early prophets sent to Israel. He prophesied approximately 752 B.C., about 50 years after Elisha, just a little after Jonah, about the time Hosea began to prophesy, and about 10 years before Isaiah and Micah. We are told precisely when his prophecy occurred but we do not know with precision what year the great earthquake was. It was a great earthquake, as it was still the standard 240 years later (Zechariah 14:5). One half of a mountain broke off from the rest and rolled one half-mile to the east. Josephus tells us that this occurred during the confrontation between the priests and Uzziah the king. Assuming that this confrontation coincided with the assent of Jotham to the throne (2 Chronicles 26:21), and given that I date Jotham's assent to 750 B.C., then Amos should be dated at 752 B.C., 2 years before the earthquake.
As with Hosea, Amos prophesied against a very prosperous nation. The splendor of Israel was unparalleled. She controlled the Eastern Mediterranean. You will see signs of her prosperity in this book. You will see winter and summer houses, houses of ivory, great houses (3:15), houses of hewn stone and desirable vineyards (5:11), singing and music (5:23), beds of ivory and luxury, inventions of pleasure, fine wine, and the best ointments (6:4-7). It was a prosperous time, her enemies were subdued and they paid tribute to her.
It was a religious time (3:14; 4:4-5; 5:21-23; 7:9) but not a righteous time. God saw rottenness within. He sent a herdsman from Tekoa to Bethel (7:13), a town about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, 20 miles from Tekoa. It was the southern cult center of Israel, and very prosperous.
In ways, he depicted his prophecy. He stated that the LORD roars from Zion; he was a prophet from Judah. This is the lion zeroing on his prey. Damascus, the capital of Syria, is first. The lion roars and the prey is destroyed. The lion next roars against Gaza, the most important city of the Philistines. It is gone. The lion next roars against Tyre and it is destroyed. The lion roars against Edom and it is demolished. The lion roars against Ammon, then against Moab, then against Judah, and finally against Israel. The judgment against a very prosperous Israel is almost unthinkable. But it came to pass within 40 years.
Key Passage:
Amos 10:13 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the hills shall melt [that is, everything heretofore barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing]. 14 And I will bring back the exiles of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be torn up out of their land which I gave them, says the Lord your God.

Key Lesson; Relationship requires agreement.

Obadiah
Like Joel, we know almost nothing about the prophet Obadiah. A Jewish tradition links him with Obadiah, the servant of wicked King Ahab. And an early Christian author identified him as an officer of Ahab's son Ahaziah. Such is possible. Scholars debate about whether the situation describes events around 845 B.C. or around 586 B.C. If he prophesied around 845 B.C., then we know that Obadiah, the servant of Ahab, was alive 22 years earlier. Perhaps he was a young man then (1 Kings 18:3-16) and survived past the taking of Elijah in 849 B.C. If so, he may have been both the officer to Ahab and to Ahab's son.
The prophesy is entirely against Edom, the descendants of Esau, the brother to Jacob who was the father of the Israelites. It is a prophesy of destruction. It was carried out. Around 500 B.C., the Nabataea’s from northern Arabia drove the Edomites out of Edom. They settled in southern Judah and became known as the Idumeans. The Maccabees forced them to be circumcised. Herod the Great was an Idumean (an Edomite). They were almost obliterated by Titus because they joined in the rebellion at Jerusalem.

Key Passage:
Ob 13 the pride of your heart has deceived you, you dweller in the refuges of the rock [ Petra, Edom's capital], whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, who can bring me down to the ground?
Key Lesson: As you have done so shall it be done to you.

Jonah
Jonah is the one minor prophet that is also mentioned in the historical books (2 Kings 14:25). According to legend, Jonah was the son of the widow at Zarephath. Such, however, is highly unlikely since Jonah would have been around 100 at the time of this account. We know that Jonah was a prophet used by God to prophesy the prosperity of Israel. The book of Jonah, however, unlike all of the rest of the minor prophets, is not about any particular prophecy, but rather about an episode in the life of the prophet. It is a historical account, not a sermon.
The book is the best account in the Old Testament, perhaps in Scripture, about how the will of God and the will of man interact. At the end God's will was done by an unwilling prophet. Jonah was God's servant (2 Kings 14:25).
This book is fast becoming a favorite of mine for I see the lengths that God went to because He knew that the people of Nineveh would repent, given the opportunity. This gives me great hope for our nation. I know there are many things wrong with my beloved country but I also know that the Lord is raising up intercessors in these last days to cry out for an awakening to God in America. As a matter of fact I participate in an online prayer meeting every Wednesday at noon. It is streamed live and is the result of a direct order from the Lord. People from around the world join in. There is a lot happening in the body of Christ today and the Word the Lord is using is “Awakening”.
If the Lord could cause Nineveh to repent then there is much hope for America.
Key Passage:
Jonah 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed in God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth [in penitent mourning], from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 For word came to the king of Nineveh [of all that had happened to Jonah, and his terrifying message from God], and he arose from his throne and he laid his robe aside, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh, By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed nor drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hand God may turn and revoke His sentence against us [when we have met His terms], and turn away from His fierce anger so that we perish not. 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God revoked His [sentence of] evil that He had said that He would do to them and He did not do it [for He was comforted and eased concerning them].
Key Lesson; It is not Gods will that any should perish

Micah
Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea. He came from a town about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem, on the Philistine border. He prophesied against Israel and Judah, but focused mostly on Judah. We know very little about the man. He was instrumental in saving Jeremiah's life once. In Jeremiah 26, the priest and prophets spoke to the princes and all the people saying that Jeremiah deserved to die. Certain of the elders quoted Micah to support Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:18-19). Micah was known to be a prophet, having lived some 150 years before Jeremiah.
The book contains three prophecies. The first was prior to 722 B.C., as it speaks of the existence of Samaria and its coming destruction. The second was during the time of King Hezekiah, as Jeremiah 26:18-19 tells us. The third apparently was also before 722 B.C., as it seems to contemplate the coming destruction of Israel, Omri and Ahab's house.
There are 613 commandments in the Pentateuch, they were reduced to 11 in Psalm 15, reduced further to three here (Micah 6:8), then to one in Matthew 22:35-40. God wants our hearts; He desires relationship with us.
Key Passage:
Micah 5 2But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (eternity).
Key Lesson: Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God.

Nahum
Nahum joins Jonah in being concerned primarily with the city of Nineveh. Where Jonah prophesied around 760 B.C. that Nineveh would be destroyed, only to see it marvelously converted, Nahum prophesied 100 years later of its destruction in some detail. The background for Nahum's prophesy probably is based upon the role Assyria played in this area of the world. From Assyrian records, it appears that Judah, during the time of Manasseh, was little more than a vassal state. We know from 2 Chronicles 33:11 that the LORD brought the Assyrians to Jerusalem to capture Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose, bound him with chains, and carried him off to Babylon. Perhaps during this time, or immediately after Manasseh's return, Nahum prophesied against Nineveh. At the time of Nahum's prophecy, Nineveh ruled the world, from Lybia and Ethiopia to Babylon and beyond.
Nineveh was a huge place. Sennacherib's southern palace covered five acres, with 71 rooms. There were some 9,880 feet of sculptured reliefs in the rooms, depicting victories, including the capture of Lachish, a Judean city. Eight miles of walls enclosed the city, with 15 gates. A thirty-mile long aqueduct watered the city. Ashurbanipal built a huge northern palace, with a library of more than 20,000 tablets. There were parks, a botanical garden and a zoo. It was well fortified. The inner wall was 100 feet tall and 50 feet thick. The towers on the wall were 200 feet tall. It had a 150 foot wide moat. On its most vulnerable side, an enemy would face first a huge wall strengthened by detached forts, then two deep ditches and two more walls. The distance from the inside of the inner wall to the inside of the outer wall was 2,007 feet. For all purposes, it was impenetrable.

Within 50 years of Nahum's prophecy, it was all fulfilled. The city fell to the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians in August 612 B.C. This was less than three years after the siege of Nineveh began, an incredibly short time for the siege of such a major city. In the third year, heavy rains brought a flood which broke down part of the walls. This allowed the Babylonians to enter the city and destroy it. According to some reports, the king of Nineveh, in seeing that walls were breached, ordered the city burned.
So total was the destruction that 200 years later, when Xenophon led the 10,000 Greek mercenaries on a 1,500 mile journey home from hostile Persia, he thought that the place was the ruin of a Parthian city. Less than 300 years after its fall, Alexander the Great fought a battle near there and never knew a city had been there. The city was lost to everyone and became something of a fairy tale until it was rediscovered in 1846. It's extensive library has been a treasure to archaeologists.

Key Passage;
Nahum 1:2 The Lord is a jealous God and avenging; the Lord avenges and He is full of wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries and reserves wrath for His enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. 4 He rebukes and threatens the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan [on the east] and Mount Carmel [on the west] wither, and [in the north] the blossom of Lebanon fades. 5 The mountains tremble and quake before Him and the hills melt away, and the earth is upheaved at His presence--yes, the world and all that dwell in it. 6 Who can stand before His indignation? And who can stand up and endure the fierceness of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by Him.
Key Lesson: God is not willing that any perish but He deals justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly.

Habakkuk
Habakkuk was an early contemporary of Jeremiah, most likely prophesying from 609-606 B.C. He prophesied immediately before Judah went into captivity in 605 B.C. to Babylon We know almost nothing about Habakkuk. According to Jewish tradition, he was a priest of the tribe of Judah, at the time of the prophecy, had only recently lost good king Josiah and was then ruled by Jehoiakim. There is a close parallel between Jeremiah 22:13-23 and Habakkuk 2:5-19. Jehoiakim did evil in the sight of the LORD (2 Kings 23:37; 2 Chronicles 36:8). Habakkuk looked around and saw the violence, the iniquity, the plundering, the strife, the lack of justice, the wicked surrounding the righteous, and it troubled him. The book begins with a question of ongoing wickedness and ends with one of the most admirable works of praise in Scripture.
The prophecy seems to portend the near, but not immediate, coming of Babylon. There was wickedness in the land. Good king Josiah died in 609 B.C. For three months Jehoahaz reigned and then he was deposed by the Egyptians. Thereafter, Jehoiakim became king and he reigned for 11 years. He was evil and the nation followed his evil ways. Babylon came against Jerusalem in 605 B.C. and took Daniel and others into captivity. Thus, we think that Habakkuk prophesied between 609 B.C. and 606 B.C.

Key Passage:
Hab 1:2 And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day. 4 Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall [a]live by his faith and in his faithfulness.

Key lesson; 3:17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation! 19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility.


Zephaniah
Zephaniah was the first of the writing prophets to prophesy against Judah since the time of Isaiah and Micah. Isaiah prophesied from around 740 B.C. to 686 B.C., Micah from 735-700 B.C. Thereafter, we have no other writing prophet until we come to Nahum, who prophesied against Nineveh around 654 B.C. Following the death of Isaiah at the hands of wicked king Manasseh in 686 B.C., Manasseh himself was taken captive by the Assyrians and after repenting to God he was returned to Judah as king. After his death in 643 B.C., Amon his son reigned two years, until 641 B.C. From the death of Isaiah, we have no recorded prophesy about Judah. Then, in 641 B.C., young king Josiah (8 years of age) became king and he reigned 31 years. In the 18th year of his reign, they rediscovered the book of the law in the temple. In 623-621 B.C., Josiah began sweeping reforms in Judah, destroying Baal worship.
Interestingly, it was during the reign of this good king that God again raised up a prophet to pronounce doom on Judah. Zephaniah prophesied somewhere between 630 and 621 B.C. We reach these dates from the reference to Baal worship, and the identity of the listed sins with the practices later abolished by Josiah in 621 B.C. (2 Kings 23:4-25)
We know Zephaniah as the Prophet of the Day of the LORD. While hope is contained for the righteous, judgment and wrath are the wellspring of the book.
This Zephaniah is not otherwise referenced in Scripture. He apparently was of royal birth, being the great-great grandson of Hezekiah, a third cousin of King Josiah.
Interestingly, his prophesy may have corresponded to the time young Jeremiah began to prophesy, in the 13th year of Josiah (627 B.C.). Yet, neither of these prophets may have been the strongest prophetic voice in the land, for Huldah the prophetess is the one who was sought out when Josiah, in 622 B.C., sought a word from the LORD (2 Kings 22:13-20).
Key Passage:
Zeph 2:3 Seek the Lord [inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life], all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital]. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger
Key Lesson: Rebellious children bring wrath, but righteousness keeps the obedient in the “Secret Place” on the Day of The Lord.

Haggai
Haggai was the first of the three postexilic prophets. He was the first prophet after the death of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Daniel lived until approximately within 15-20 years of Haggai's prophecy, but Daniel's prophecies were in Babylon and Daniel was not listed among the prophets of Israel in the Hebrew Scriptures. God raised up Haggai to motivate His people back to His work.
He was a contemporary of Zechariah and is mentioned in Ezra. He had a simple message: "It's time to build the temple." There are four messages from God in this book. The response of the prophesy of Haggai and Zechariah is that the people finished the temple that had been begun back some 20 years later, but stopped (see Ezra 3; 4:23-24; 6:13-18).
Key Passage:
Haggai 2:23 In that day, says the Lord of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you [through the Messiah, your descendant] My signet ring; for I have chosen you [as the one with whom to renew My covenant to David's line], says the Lord of hosts.
Key Lesson: We are Gods Signet Ring to build our own temple and the temple of His body on the earth.

Zechariah
Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai and began to prophesy before the last two prophecies of Haggai. He is known as an apocalyptic prophet in that he gives us a series of eight visions. This book could be called "The Prophecy of the Two Advents." Both the first and second return of Christ are disclosed in this book. He strongly hints at a plurality in God, with the Angel of the LORD addressing the LORD in 1:12; with the interplay between the first and third person in 2:8-11; with the apparent reference to the Angel of the LORD as the "LORD" who in turn speaks, referencing the LORD in the third person, and removes sins in 3:1-4; with the reference to the Spirit in 4:6; and with the classic interplay of 12:10.
The book is frequently quoted and alluded to in the New Testament, up to 41 times (Nestle and Aland). He (Zechariah) refers to Christ as God's Servant (3:8); the Branch (3:8; 6:12); the Stone (3:9); the King (9:9); the Shepherd (13:7). His prophecies include that He (the Messiah) will come on a colt (9:9) and in battle power (14:3-4); He will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver which are then thrown in the temple for the potter (11:12-13); that there will be a fountain for cleansing (13:1); that His hands and feet would be pierced (12:10) and that His feet would split the Mount of Olives in two, making a great valley (14:4). He tells us that Jerusalem will be restored and inhabited as a city without walls (2:4), with God being a wall of fire all around her. He tells us that Israel's enemies will dissolve away in one of the most graphic depictions of total horror found in Scripture (14:12-15).

Key Passage:
Zech 12:10 And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace or unmerited favor and supplication. And they shall look [earnestly] upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Key Lesson: The Messiah truly is coming and it is time to prepare ourselves and others.

Malachi
Malachi appears to be a contemporary of Nehemiah, prophesying approximately 70 years after the end of Zechariah's prophecy, and the last prophet in Old Testament Scripture. Malachi apparently prophesied while Nehemiah was in Babylon (Nehemiah 13:6), and addresses some similar sins. The problem with Israel was no longer idolatry, but spiritual indifference. Nothing mattered. Everyone was accepted by God and it was considered vain to be overly religious. God was distant and not immediately involved in the lives of people. This was the prevailing philosophy.
Into this mess marched Malachi with a message. In fact, the name "Malachi" means "my messenger." Malachi may be known as the rhetorical prophet. There is a standard motif: God makes a statement, the hearers contest the truth of the statement, and God demonstrates its truthfulness. This assertion, objection, and defense argument is readily apparent in the book, occurring seven times:

The book begins with the statement of God's love and ends with a curse. In response to the people's view of a distant God, God became personally involved in the book. 47 of the 55 verses involved God speaking in the first person to His people. 26 times the phrase "says the LORD of hosts" or a similar phrase appears.
The book is the last prophesy given. The book centers on laxity among the priests. For Christians, the next pronouncement of God after Malachi was to a priest, some 430 years later, by the name of Zechariah. The Old Testament ends and the New Testament picks up with God speaking to a priest(s). For Jews, this is the last Scriptural pronouncement of God for the last 2,400 years.
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Key Passage;
Mal 2:17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, In what way have we wearied Him? [You do it when by your actions] you say, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and He delights in them. Or [by asking], Where is the God of justice?

Fulfilled Messianic Prophecies in the Minor Prophets

Fulfilled Messianic Prophecies in the Minor Prophets
Hosea;
The Messiah would defeat death;
Hosea 13 14Should I ransom them from the power of Sheol (the place of the dead)? Should I redeem them from death? [a]O death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your destruction? Relenting and compassion are hidden from My eyes.
1 Cor 15:55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? 56 Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power [upon the soul] through [the abuse of] the Law. 57 But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Joel
The Messiah would offer salvation to all mankind.
Joel 2:32 And whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the remnant [of survivors] shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Rom 10:12 [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith]. 13 For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.

Micah
The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
The Messiah would be Gods servant.
The Messiah would be from everlasting.
Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (eternity).
Matt 2 :1 NOW WHEN Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [astrologers] from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, 2 Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east [a]at its rising and have come to worship Him.
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love.
Rev f1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all



Haggai
The Messiah would visit the second temple
Haggai 2:6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake and make tremble the [starry] heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land; 7 And I will shake all nations and the [a]desire and the precious things of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house [with its successor, to which Jesus came] shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace and prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.
Luke 2 27 And prompted by the [Holy] Spirit, he came into the temple [[j]enclosure]; and when the parents brought in the little child Jesus to do for Him what was customary according to the Law, 28[Simeon] took Him up in his arms and praised and thanked God and said, 29 And now, Lord, You are releasing Your servant to depart (leave this world) in peace, according to Your word. 30 For with my [own] eyes I have seen Your Salvation, 31 Which You have ordained and prepared before (in the presence of) all peoples, 32 A Light for [k]revelation to the Gentiles [to disclose what was before unknown] and [to bring] praise and honor and glory to Your people Israel.
The Messiah would be a descendant of Zerubabel
Haggai 2:23 In that day, says the Lord of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you [through the Messiah, your descendant] My signet ring; for I have chosen you [as the one with whom to renew My covenant to David's line], says the Lord of hosts.
Luke 3:27 The son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri.

Zechariah
The Messiah would be Gods servant
Zech 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your colleagues who [usually] sit before you--for they are men who are a sign or omen [types of what is to come]--for behold, I will bring forth My servant the Branch.
John 17:4 I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do.
The Messiah would be a Priest and a King
Zech 6:12 And say to him, Thus says the Lord of hosts: [You, Joshua] behold (look at, keep in sight, watch) the Man [the Messiah] whose name is the Branch, for He shall grow up in His place and He shall build the [true] temple of the Lord.13 Yes, [you are building a temple of the Lord, but] it is He Who shall build the [true] temple of the Lord, and He shall bear the honor and glory [as of the only begotten of the Father] and shall sit and rule upon His throne. And He shall be a [a] Priest upon His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between the two [offices--Priest and King].
Heb 8:1 NOW THE main point of what we have to say is this: We have such a High Priest, One Who is seated at the right hand of the majestic [God] in heaven,
The Messiah will be greeted with rejoicing in Jerusalem.

Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is [uncompromisingly] just and having salvation [triumphant and victorious], patient, meek, lowly, and riding on a donkey, upon a colt, the foal of a donkey
Matt 21:8 And most of the crowd kept spreading their garments on the road, and others kept cutting branches from the trees and scattering them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed Him kept shouting, Hosanna be propitious, graciously inclined) to the Son of David, the Messiah]! Blessed (praised, glorified) is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna (O be favorably disposed) in the highest [heaven]! 10 And when He entered Jerusalem, all the city became agitated and [c]trembling with excitement said, Who is this?
The messiah will be heralded as king.
Zech 9:9 Above
John 12:13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him. And as they went, they kept shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is He and praise to Him Who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.
The Messiah would be just.
Zech 9:9 Above
John 5:30 I am able to do nothing of Myself [independently, of My own accord--but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me

The Messiah would bring salvation
Zech 9:9 Above
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost
The Messiah would be humble
Zech 9:9 Above
Matt 1:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble ( lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ([r]relief and ease and refreshment and [s]recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
The Messiah would be presented to Jerusalem riding on a donkey
Zech 9:9 Above
Matt 21:6 Then the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their coats upon them, and He seated Himself on them [the clothing]. 8 And most of the crowd kept spreading their garments on the road, and others kept cutting branches from the trees and scattering them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed Him kept shouting, Hosanna ]O be propitious, graciously inclined) to the Son of David, [[b]the Messiah]! Blessed (praised, glorified) is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna (O be favorably disposed) in the highest [heaven]!

The Messiah would be The Cornerstone.
Zech 10:4 Out of him [Judah] shall come forth the [a]Cornerstone, out of him the tent peg, out of him the battle bow; every ruler shall proceed from him.
Eph 2:20 You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone.
At the time of Messiah’s coming Israel would have unfit leaders.
Zech 11:4 Thus says the Lord my God: shepherd the flock (destined) for slaughter, 5. Whose buyers or possessors slay them and hold themselves not guilty; and they who sell them say, blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich! And their own shepherds neither pity nor spare them (from the wolves). 6. For I will no more pity or spare the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord, but behold, I will deliver every man into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his (foreign) king. And (the enemy) shall lay waste the land, and I will not deliver (the people) out of the hand of the foreign oppressor.
Matt 23:1 THEN JESUS said to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses' seat [of authority] 3 So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to bear, and place them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help bear them.
The Messiah’s rejection would cause god to remove His protection of Israel.
Zech 11:4-6 Above
Luke 19:41 And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [[i]audibly] over it, 42 Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for [j]freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace--your [k]security, safety, prosperity, and happiness--depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a [l]bank [with pointed stakes] about you and surround you and shut you in on every side. 44 And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time [m]in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ.
The Messiah would have a ministry to the “poor,” believing remnant.
Zech 11:7 So I [Zechariah] shepherded the flock of slaughter, truly [as the name implies] the most miserable of sheep. And I took two [shepherd's] staffs, the one I called Beauty or Grace and the other I called Bands or Union; and I fed and shepherded the flock.
Matt 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity. 36 When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd.
The unbelief of Israels leaders would cause the Messiah to reject them.
Zech 11:8 And I cut off the three shepherds [the civil authorities, the priests, and the prophets] in one month, for I was weary and impatient with them, and they also loathed me.
Matt9:36 When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd
The Messiah would stop ministering to those who rejected Him.
Zech 11:9 So I [Zechariah] said, I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed; and let the survivors devour one another's flesh.
Matt 13:0T hen the disciples came to Him and said, Why do You speak to them in parables 1 And He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
The Messiah’s rejection would cause God to remove His protection of Israel
Zech 11:10 And I took my staff, Beauty or Grace, and broke it in pieces to show that I was annulling the covenant or agreement which I had made with all the peoples [not to molest them]. 11 So the covenant was annulled on that day, and thus the most wretched of the flock and the traffickers in the sheep who were watching me knew (recognized and understood) that it was truly the word of the Lord.
Luke 19:41 And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [[i]audibly] over it, 42 Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for [j]freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace--your [k]security, safety, prosperity, and happiness--depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a [l]bank [with pointed stakes] about you and surround you and shut you in on every side. 44 And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time [m]in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ].
The Messiah would be God.
Zech 10:11 Above
John 14:7 If you had known Me [had learned to recognize Me], you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him.
The Messiah would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.
Zech 11:12 And I said to them, If it seems just and right to you, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them. So they weighed out for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the Lord said to me, Cast it to the potter [as if He said, To the dogs!]--the munificently [miserable] sum at which I [and My shepherd] am priced by them! And I [Zechariah] took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord
Matt 26:14 Then one of the Twelve [apostles], who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 And said, What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you? And they weighed out for and paid to him thirty pieces of silver [about twenty-one dollars and sixty cents.
The Messiah would be rejected.
Zech 11:12-13 Above
Matt 26:14 Above

Thirty pieces of silver would be thrown into the house of the Lord.
Zech 11:12-13 Above
Matt 27:3 When Judas, His betrayer, saw that [Jesus] was condemned, [Judas was afflicted in mind and troubled for his former folly; and] with remorse [with little more than a selfish dread of the consequences] he brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. They replied, What is that to us? See to that yourself. 5 And casting the pieces of silver [forward] into the [Holy Place of the [b]sanctuary of the] temple, he departed; and he went off and hanged himself.
The Messiah’s body would be pierced
Zech 12:10 And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace or unmerited favor and supplication. And they shall look [earnestly] upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn.
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came (flowed) out. 35 And he who saw it (the eyewitness) gives this evidence, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe also. 36 For these things took place, that the Scripture might be fulfilled (verified, carried out), Not one of His bones shall be broken; 37 and again another Scripture says, they shall look on Him Whom they have pierced.
The Messiah would be both God and man
Zech 12:10 Above
John 10:30 I and the Father are One

The Messiah would be rejected.
Zech 12:10 Above
John 1:11 He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.

It was Gods will that the Messiah should die for all mankind
Zech 13:7 Awake, O sword, against My shepherd and against the man who is My associate, says the Lord of hosts; smite the shepherd and the sheep [of the flock] shall be scattered, and I will turn back My hand and stretch it out again upon the little ones [of the flock]
John 18:11 Therefore, Jesus said to Peter, Put the sword [back] into the sheath! The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?

The Messiah would die a violent death.
Zach 13:7 Above
Matt 27:35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided and distributed His garments [among them] by casting lots [a]so that the prophet's saying was fulfilled, They parted My garments among them and over My apparel they cast lots.
Israel would be scattered as a result of rejecting the Messiah.
Zech 13:7 Above
Matt 26:31And when they finished making sport of Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own garments on Him and led Him away to be crucified.
A messenger would prepare the way for the Messiah.
Mal 3:1 BEHOLD, I send My [a]messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. And the Lord [the Messiah], Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the [b]Messenger or Angel of the covenant, Whom you desire, behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts.
Matt 11:10This is the one of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who shall make ready Your way before You.
The Messiah would make a sudden appearance at the temple.
Mal 3:1 Above
Mark 11:15 And they came to Jerusalem. And He went into the temple [area, the porches and courts] and began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple area, and He overturned the [[b]four-footed] tables of the money changers and the seats of those who dealt in doves; 16 And He would not permit anyone to carry any household equipment through the temple enclosure [thus making the temple area a short-cut.
The Messiah would be the messenger of the new covenant.
Mal 3:1 Above
Luke 4:43 But He said to them, I must preach the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God to the other cities [and towns] also, for I was sent for this [ purpose.
Messiah’s forerunner would come in the spirit of Elijah
Mal 4:5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
Matt 3:1 1IN THOSE days there appeared John the Baptist, preaching in the Wilderness (Desert) of Judea 2 And saying, Repent ([a]think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand..
The Messiah's forerunner would turn many to righteousness.
Mal 4:5 Above
Luke 1:16 And he will turn back and cause to return many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 And he will [himself] go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient and incredulous and unpersuadable to the wisdom of the upright [which is [a]the knowledge and holy love of the will of God]--in order to make ready for the Lord a people [perfectly] prepared [in spirit, [b]adjusted and disposed and placed in the right moral state.

Amazing Power

Who was the naked boy in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Mark 14:51 and a young man was following Him, with nothing but a linen cloth (sheet) thrown about [his] naked [body]; and they laid hold of him, 52 But, leaving behind the linen cloth ([j]sheet), he fled from them naked.


Just about the time Jesus was finished healing the ear of the servant of the high priest
named Malchus, the Gospel of Mark tells us a naked young man was found in the
Garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14:51, 52 says, “And there followed him a certain young man, having
A linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen
cloth, and fled from them naked.”

1. Who was this young man?
2. Why was he following Jesus?
3.
4. Why was he draped in a linen cloth instead of wearing normal clothes?
5. Why was the Holy Spirit so careful to include this unique story in Mark’s account of the Gospel?

What is the significance of this event?
The key to identifying this young man lies in the “linen cloth” he had lightly draped about his
body. The particular Greek word that is used for this “linen cloth” is used in only one other event in
the New Testament to depict the “linen cloth” in which the body of Jesus was wrapped for burial
(Matthew 27:59, Mark 15:46, and Luke 23:53). Thus, the only reference we have for this kind
of cloth in the New Testament is that of a burial shroud used for covering a dead body in the grave.

Some scholars say when Mark heard about Jesus’ arrest, he quickly jumped out of bed and dashed to the Garden of Gethsemane. But the Garden was remotely located, and no one could have run there so quickly. It is simply a physical impossibility. Others have speculated that Mark threw off his clothes in an attempt to shock and distract the soldiers so Jesus could escape. This idea is preposterous. Others have tried with similar vain attempts to assert that this naked young man was the apostle John. But why would John be walking naked in the Garden of Gethsemane?

The answer to this naked young man’s identity lies in the cloth he had wrapped around
his body. You see, when a body was prepared for burial, it was washed, ceremonially cleaned, and buried
naked in a linen cloth exactly like the one described here in the Gospel of Mark. Furthermore, the
Garden of Gethsemane was situated on the side of the Mount of Olives. Toward the base of that mount
is a heavily populated cemetery, with many of its graves going back to the time of Jesus.
When Jesus said, “I AM,” the power that was released was so tremendous that it knocked the
soldiers backward (John 18:4-6). But evidently it also caused a rumbling in the local cemetery! When
that blast of power was released, a young boy, draped in a linen burial cloth in accordance with the
tradition of that time, crawled out from his tomb RAISED FROM THE DEAD!

The reason he “followed” Jesus was to get a glimpse of the One who had resurrected him. The
word “followed” here means to continually follow. This tells us that this resurrected young man trailed
the soldiers as they took Jesus through the Garden on the way to His trial. When the soldiers discovered
the young man who was following Jesus, they tried to apprehend him. But when they reached out to
grab him, he broke free from their grip and fled, leaving the linen cloth in their possession.

Today, I want you to reflect again on the amazing power that was active at the time of Jesus’
arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. He later told Pilate, “…Thou couldest have no power at all
against me, except it were given thee from above...” (John 19:11). Indeed, there was so much power
present that NO ONE could have withstood Jesus had He chosen to resist. Jesus was not taken by the
will of man; He was delivered by the will of the Father.

Think how marvelous it is that Jesus freely gave His life for you and me! So much power was at work
in Him even at the time of His arrest that no one had sufficient power to forcibly take Him. The
only reason Jesus was taken was that He chose to willingly lay down His life for you and for me.

In His dust,
Lois

The Passover Lamb

Jesus knew that the Feast of Unleavened Bread was his appointed time, It was therefore necessary, if He was to meet the appointment, that He go up to the appointed place, Jerusalem is the City of God’s Temple. It is the place God chose to put His Name, Jerusalem is the appointed place.
Preparations for the appointed time of Passover and Unleavened Bead began well in advance of the actual festival. This was especially so in Jerusalem, The city needed to prepare for a massive influx of pilgrims. Six weeks prior to the festivals the roads were repaired, wells dug, ritual baths prepared, and graves whitewashed, and host of other details that needed to be attended to. Within the city itself, special ovens for roasting the thousands and thousands of Passover lambs had to be erected. Accommodations and lodging for the pilgrims needed to be made ready. The city was turned upside down.
As the pilgrims approached the city, their multitudes converged until their throngs filled the roads into Jerusalem, their voices rose together singing the psalms of assent as they went up to Jerusalem to keep the appointment at the appointed place.
It is within this context that we must see the Lord and His disciples approaching Jerusalem. They are one group within a multitude of many groups.
In First Century Judaism Messianic expectations were running at an all time high, the expectations only ran higher at Passover for they believed their Messiah would appear at Passover to deliver them from the oppression of the nations which ruled over them.
Word about Jesus had spread. The people were wondering and discussing whether or not this Jesus of Nazareth could possibly be the Messiah. Some said yes because of the miracles He performed others said no because He was from Nazareth and the Messiah was to be from Bethlehem. The Religious people were watching Him closely because of the effect He was having on the people and they were concerned about losing control of the people.
As this throng moved toward Jerusalem they realized that this man Jesus was in their midst and He was riding a colt, presenting Himself as a King of Peace, a conquering King who was coming to rule over them always rode in on a horse, a conquer coming in peace rode on a donkey. As they realized what was happening they began to throw down their cloaks and palm branches down before Him as he entered the city. In doing this they had made their choice. They had chosen Jesus as there King, The Passover lamb had been chosen.
One of the Passover regulations is that all leaven must be removed from the home of the Israelites. To this very day, the regulation is observed with rigor. Before the day of Passover, the observant family spends weeks cleaning house. Every trace of leaven is removed. Breadcrumbs under the refrigerator are sought out and eliminated. Coat pockets are emptied out. Couch cushions overturned and vacuumed. Cupboards are emptied and cleaned. Anything defined as leaven is removed from the house. This is where Spring Cleaning originated, are we thankful?
It is during these days of casting out the leaven that Jesus enters the Temple and casts out the moneychangers. In so doing the He kept the commandment to clean His Father’s house of the leaven.
In God’s timekeeping the day starts at sunset, Jesus and His disciples were settling into the upper room for the Last Seder as the Jerusalem sunset marked the beginning of the 14th day of the first month. In Exodus 12 the Israelites are commanded to kill the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the first month. That meant that the following day the Passover Lambs were being slain as Jesus was nailed to the cross. When the Israelites were eating their Passover the following eve Jesus would be in the tomb.
On that day the Temple was crowded with pilgrims bringing up their lambs for the Passover slaughter. All the priesthood of Israel was also at the temple for this festival. Because of the great number of lambs to be slaughtered.
The Israelite slaughtered his own Passover Lamb and the priest received the blood, hands it to his fellow and his fellow to his fellow each one receiving a full basin and handing back an empty one. The priest nearest the altar tossed the blood in a single act.
Jesus was crucified at the 9th hour at that very time at the Temple a long blast of the shofar signaled the Levites to begin their chanting of the Hallel (Ps 113-118). The gates to the inner court were opened, and the first crowd of Israelites with their lamb’s ready rushed in. within minutes the clean and spotless courtyard around the altar was stained with blood. Gutters flowed with blood. The base of the altar seemed to be bleeding, even gush forth as basin after basin of blood was splashed against it in quick succession.
The dead lambs were hung on hooks, forearms spread in a crucifixion pose as they were skinned and prepared for roasting. They were also inspected for any internal blemish if they were found perfect the priest would declare” I find no fault in him”.
The Levites continued to chant the Hallel. The sound of their voices, joined by the voices of the thousands of pilgrims who had gathered at the temple, filled the entire city of Jerusalem. Indeed, they were heard outside the walls, a short distance away, where Jesus was hanging on the cross for six hours. As they chanted “the cords of death entangle me...precious in the sight of the LORD is the death for His Righteous Ones... Open for me the Gates of Righteousness... The stone the builder’s rejected has become the capstone” Jesus died as the lambs were being slaughtered.
This is why the Creator of all that is came, to sacrifice Himself as a judgment for sin. No other sacrifice would do only the Creator could purchase His precious creation. The Passover Lamb has taken away the sins of the world.
In His dust,
Lois

John the Beloved Disciple

My favorite Gospel: John

Jesus called John the Beloved Disciple,
John had such a revelation of God’s love and the protection that comes from it that they could not kill him. He was boiled in oil and they had to pour him out and he went on to tell others about the love that Jesus would manifest to those who believe and obey Him;
John 14: 21The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let myself be clearly seen by him and make myself real to him.]
I want nothing more than to have Jesus reveal Himself to me and I find a lot of who He is in this book For example the 7 I AMS
Jesus said;
“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger.” John 6:35
“I am the light of the world; he who fallows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have t he light of life.” John 8:12
“I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.” John 10:11
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.” John 11:25
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” John 14:6
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser.” John 15:1
I also found my life scripture, the one that is the goal of my life, in this Good News.
John 4:23 A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. 24 God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).
I am a worshipper of God and my desire is to become more and more intimate with Him and this brings me to another portion of John that is special to me and has affected my life;
John 14:2 In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.
In the ancient Jewish wedding there was two phases. The first was the betroval this time began with the young man’s representative asking the parents of the to be bride to accept this young man in marriage it was totally up to the girl if she accepted then she would put on a veil to show that she was “set apart” and the groom would present her with gifts before, during, and after this period they were at this time legally married and she was his total responsibility, remember Mary and Joseph? They were betrothed and when she became pregnant he “sought to put her away privately” this means he was going to have her stoned because she had committed adultery. After the bride accepts then without any physical contact at all the bridegroom leaves her to “go to his father’s house to prepare a place for her”. This was the room that the bridegroom built onto his father’s house and the purpose of this room was for one thing to consummate the marriage.
What does this mean to us? I’m not sure but as I meditate and study this I am leaning toward the consummation of our marriage to our Lord will take place when we receive our resurrected bodies and go to meet Him in the air and are forever with Him. I can’t prove it but I like to ponder it. For our Bridegroom is right now preparing that special room for us each one of us will consummate our relationship with Him.
Can you take a little more? How about one more reason John is my favorite book.
John 13: 1[NOW] BEFORE the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and [a]to the highest degree. 2 So [it was] during supper, Satan having already put the thought of betraying Jesus in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, 3 [That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God, 4 Got up from supper, took off His garments, and taking a [servant's] towel, He fastened it around His waist. 5 Then He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the [servant's] towel with which He was girded.
A true servant;
Knows where He comes from and where He is going, His mission on the earth.
Loves to the highest degree. For the Love of God has been put in his heart.
Knows that everything is in His hands, knows who he is “in Christ.”
Washed Judas feet. Forgive them Father they don’t know what they are doing.
In His dust,
Lois

What Would Jesus Do?

WWJD? WWYD?
John the Baptist was probably the only friend that Jesus had that knew anything about who Jesus was.
His conception was miraculous; He was filled with the spirit in His mother’s womb the scripture as He leapt with joy when He heard the words of Mary. Mary spent 6 months with her cousin Elizabeth and we can only speculate about the conversations they had but I would be willing to say that a lot of them were about the miracle children that both of them were carrying They had to have been devout Jewish women to have been chosen for such a wonderful honor.
The scriptures may be silent about the particulars of Jesus’ boyhood but we know a lot about the customs and culture of the times. I am led to believe that is why there isn’t much said about his childhood because it was very much like the other little Jewish boys. But as he was able to understand more I’m sure that He was told many times about the miracles of his conception and the many Messianic prophecies that His life had already fulfilled. Both He and John were “different” and I’m sure they spent many hours together speculating on their futures
As I stated earlier the particulars of their pre ministry lives can only be guessed at but one thing for sure they were probably very
close if for no other reason than because they knew they were called to something very different from the others around them so they must have had a very special bond.
We can only imagine how Jesus must have felt on that fateful day when His disciples came and told Him about the horrible death of John. How He was beheaded because of a seductive dance that stirred the lust of Herod and His head was presented to the girl on a platter! How gruesome this must have been. Johns disciples went and got His body, placed it in a tomb, then went and told Jesus what had happened ( Matt 14: 1-14)
We are told that Jesus was tempted in every point and this was probably one of those opportunities to become outraged at the perverseness of Herod and His imagination could have gone wild thinking about how hideous the whole thing was. Had He yielded to those thoughts our redemption would have been lost. Instead Our Lord had a better way to fight the injustice that was done to his beloved cousin and friend.
He tried to get away privately, perhaps to calm himself, surely to talk to His Father for He knew that He would carry the punishment for this wicked act that He would take the blame. That He would cry out to the Father to forgive them for they didn’t know what they were doing. For He understood His warfare was not against flesh and blood but against the rulers of darkness in the heavenly sphere.
When He and His disciples reached the shore the crowds were so large and needy that instead of being moved with anger at those who had killed John He was moved with compassion and healed all who were sick. Instead of playing into His flesh He dealt the devil a blow by delivering the people from his power.
What a tremendous lesson for us to learn. What would Jesus do? He would be moved with compassion. What would you do?
In his Dust,
Lois

Increasing Knowledge

Knowledge shall increase;
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Daniel 12:4A portion of the book of Daniel was not going to be understood "until the time of the end." At the time of the end, many would run too and fro through the scriptures, comparing text with text, and understand these prophecies. We have reached that time,
The Bible also predicts a time when it will be too late to search the scriptures.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. Amos 8:11-13
While it is true that the vast majority of the world will be without God and without hope when Jesus returns, the Bible also says that many people will understand, prepare, and be ready. "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." Daniel 12:10
The primary application of "knowledge increased" is in reference to people understanding the prophecies of the book of Daniel, however, many Bible scholars believe that this prophecy also applies to an increasing knowledge of science, medicine, travel, and technology.We are living in "The Information Age" making this sign seem even more obvious. Even the most skeptical mind must admit that knowledge is exploding in all directions. It is said that 80% percent of the world's total knowledge has been brought forth in the last decade and that 90% percent of all the scientists who have ever lived are alive today.
Surely the increase in knowledge is an exciting thing but I am determined to be one who increases in the knowledge of the word. This scripture being true, then the hundreds of bible commentaries we now have access to may well become obsolete where the book of Daniel is concerned. The potential of new revelation is staggering and I for one intend to keep myself in the place where I am eligible to receive the revelation of the word that is available to me. I challenge you to make that same determination in your heart. I know you will because you have already started your journey to understanding who our marvelous God is and what He has for us as His Dear Children. So don’t draw back or become discouraged but let us set our faces like flint, put our hands to the plow and be the ones the Holy Spirit can use in these last days.
In His dust,
Lois