AM Dec 29th Rev 20

December 29^th Revelation 20 The 1000 yrs

1: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3: And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7: And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8: And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9: And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Christ’s Judgement begins – The Judgement day

11: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This little chapter of only 15 verses describes the whole era of the Millennium and period of 1000 years. The first thing that John describes is the binding of Satan and of his restriction in the Abyss. The next thing is that John sees thrones and to those who sit there is given authority to judge. He also sees again the souls of those who had been beheaded by the Antichrist live. They were raised from the dead and they reigned with Christ for a 1000 years. But the rest of the dead were not raised until the end of the 1000 years. So there will be two resurrections separated by the 1000 year Kingdom of Christ on earth. At the beginning, the resurrection of the righteous and at the end the unrighteous. At the end of the Millennium Satan is released again and he starts a rebellion again but Christ confronts him defeats him and sends him to the Lake of fire. Then we have the establishment of the Great White Throne. Here the wicked who are in hell are raised from the dead and stand before Christ in judgment. They are judged according to what they have done and the book of life is consulted. Those not recorded in the book of life are cast alive into the lake of fire. Death and hell are cast into the lake of fire too. And so we see that all who have ever lived will live forever, either in blessedness of Christ’s presence or in the lake of fire.

PM Dec 28th Zech 6

December 28^th Zechariah 6 10. Four Chariots

1: And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. 2: In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; 3: And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. 4: Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? 5: And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. 6: The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. 7: And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. 8: Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. 9: And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 10: Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; 11: Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; 12: And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: 13: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 14: And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD. 15: And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.

Zechariah 7 B. Historic Interlude Question re Fasting

1: And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; 2: When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD, 3: And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

Threefold answer

4: Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, 5: Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? 6: And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? 7: Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? 8: And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, 9: Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: 10: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. 11: But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. 12: Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. 13: Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: 14: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

Zechariah 8

1: Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 2: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. 3: Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. 4: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 5: And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. 6: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. 7: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; 8: And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. 9: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10: For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour. 11: But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts. 12: For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13: And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. 14: For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not: 15: So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. 16: These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: 17: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD. 18: And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, 19: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. 20: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: 21: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. 22: Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. 23: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

The next thing that Zechariah sees is a vision of four chariots. These chariots bear a remarkable resemblance to the Four horsemen of Revelation that John saw. Zechariah asks what they mean and he is told that they are four spirits of the heavens and they are sent out from the presence of the Lord. the black horses go north and the white follow them and the last horses go south. Then Zechariah is told that ‘The Branch’ will grow up and he will build the temple of the LORD. He will rule in the temple and he will be a priest on his throne. Next Zechariah finds that a question arises as to whether the children of Israel should celebrate the yearly fast. The answer from the Lord is when you fasted during the captivity did you fast to the Lord? and when you ate and drank did you do that to the Lord? Shouldn’t you come together to hear the word of God? Then the Lord gave instructions to Israel. He said, you judges give righteous judgments, show mercy and compassion to your brother, do not oppress the widow, the orphan or the poor. Do not think up evil against your brother. However the children of Israel turned away from the Lord and put their fingers in their ears and their hearts became like stone. Because of this rejection the Lord sent them judgment. Then the Lord spoke to Zechariah again. The Lord said I am coming back to Jerusalem to Zion. Jerusalem will be called the city of truth and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain. Old men and women will live in Jerusalem again and children will be heard in the streets playing. The Lord will save Jerusalem from all the neighbouring countries. There will be peace in the Middle east and there will be a great increase in agricultural production. All Israel will fear the Lord. They will speak truth and righteousness. The fasts of Israel will be turned into times of great joy. Many nations will go to Jerusalem to seek the Lord and to pray before the Lord. In those days ten men will take hold of the skirt of a Jew saying we go with you because we have heard that God is with you. Is there a future for Israel? Of course there is.

AM Dec 28th Rev 19

December 28^th Revelation 19 Christ’s Kingdom begins – Praise The Lord

1: And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 3: And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 4: And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. 5: And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6: And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8: And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9: And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10: And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Jesus, King of kings

11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12: His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14: And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16: And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17: And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18: That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19: And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20: And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21: And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

And so the Judgments of God move onward. And the voice of a great company of people in heaven say, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. The 24 elders and the four beast fall down and worship the Lamb. Its interesting that right through Revelation Christ is referred to as the Lamb. There is an interchange of praise and worship between the throne and heavens occupants. John sees a white horse upon it is seated he called faithful and true. Clearly this is Christ. He has many crowns His vesture is dipped in blood (Joseph) he is called the Word of God. He is followed by great armies on white horses. He rides forth to conquer the nations and to judge them. He has on his thigh - KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. An angel invites the carrion to come to feast on the kings of the earth. The beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. This is the judgment of the Antichrist.

PM Dec 27th Zech 4

December 27^th Zechariah 4 7. Lampstand & olive trees

1: And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2: And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4: So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5: Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 6: Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 7: Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. 8: Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9: The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. 10: For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. 11: Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? 12: And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? 13: And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 14: Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.

Zechariah 5 8. Flying roll

1: Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. 2: And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. 3: Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. 4: I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

9. Woman in Ephah

5: Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. 6: And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. 7: And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. 8: And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. 9: Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. 10: Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? 11: And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

Zechariah records in our Daily Bible reading three more unusual visions. The first is of a candlestick made of gold with a bowl on top of it that has seven pipes leading to seven lamps. Standing next to it there are two olive trees, one on either side. The prophet asked the man what these things mean and he said don’t you know!. Then the answer he received was not by might or by power but by my spirit says the Lord. Oil in scripture signifies the Holy Spirit and the angel of the Lord seems to be indicating that the light and the service of Israel will be not by human might or strength but by the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Then he says Who are you O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. The head stone of the mountain will be brought forth with shouts of joy and they will cry Grace, grace. It will be by Gods grace that he will enable Israel. Then the Lord revealed to Zechariah that Zerubbabel will begin the house of the Lord and he will finish it. All men will know that the Lord has done it all. And who are those who despise the day of small things? The Messianic kingdom may have a small beginning but like a grain of mustard seed it will have a great end. Zechariah asks what the two olive trees mean and he is told that they represent the two anointed ones who stand by the LORD of the whole earth. In the next vision he sees a scroll that flies. It’s about 30 feet long and about 15 feet wide. The Lord explains that the scroll is the curse of God that goes out on the face of all the earth. It will be the means of the judgment of men. Next Zechariah sees another vision. Some of these visions are very unusual indeed. This time he sees what can only be understood to be a large bowl that stores an ephah of volume. The weight of it seemed to be the weight of a talent of lead. A woman seems to be sitting in the bowl. The weight of lead is thrown against the pouring place of the bowl and there seemed to come out two women! Both women had wings like a stork and the carried the bowl to Babylon so that it might become a house. I have not heard any explanation for these things. Maybe these are the things that will be closed up until the end times.

AM Dec 27th Rev 18

December 27^th Revelation 18 Babylon has fallen

1: And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2: And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3: For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5: For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 7: How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 8: Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 9: And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10: Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11: And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13: And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. 14: And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 15: The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16: And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! 17: For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 18: And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! 19: And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. 20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. 21: And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 22: And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23: And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24: And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

A very bright angel comes out of heaven to announce that Babylon has fallen. Babylon has become the cage of demons for ever and ever. The call to come out of her and be separate is to the inhabitants of the earth in relation to the wickedness of Babylon. The city will fall in one day, in fact in one hour. This will be a worldwide economic collapse in which every country’s economy will fail totally because they are linked to Babylon. It seems much of her wealth will be by shipping. The city will be deserted forever.

PM Dec 26th Zech 1

December 26^th Zechariah 1 A. Apocalyptic Visions Introduction

1: In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2: The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 3: Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. 4: Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. 5: Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 6: But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

(Ten Visions) 1. Riders under the Myrtle trees

7: Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 8: I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. 9: Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. 10: And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11: And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. 12: Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 13: And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. 14: So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15: And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16: Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. 17: Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

2. Four Horns

18: Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. 19: And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

3. Four Smiths

20: And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. 21: Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

Zechariah 2 4. Man with the measuring line

1: I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2: Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 3: And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, 4: And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: 5: For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. 6: Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. 7: Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 8: For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 9: For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. 10: Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. 11: And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. 12: And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. 13: Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

Zechariah 3 5. Joshua and Satan

1: And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2: And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3: Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4: And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5: And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. 6: And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, 7: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

6. The Branch

8: Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. 9: For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10: In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

In the Prophecy of Zechariah he records the message of the lord to Judah and its message is substantially the same as the message of Haggai. The message of the LORD is - Finish the temple. In this book of 14 chapters Zechariah writes to give hope to Israel regarding the coming of the Messiah. Chapters 1-8 written about 520 BC. Chapters 9–14 about 480 BC. In the first six verses we see Zechariah receiving visions from the Lord at about the same time as Haggai. He says the LORD has not been pleased with your fathers. But he says forget the past and turn unto me and l will turn unto you. This message is in exactly the same track as the Message of John the Baptist, Christ and His Apostles 400 years later when they also call on Judah to turn to the Lord God of their fathers. They are to repent and return to their God because the Kingdom of God is very near. Zephaniah says all through Jewish history the LORD has called on Israel to turn from the evil ways yet they never did. This is the theological background to the OT and the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. God calls on Israel to return to their God. Then in Chapter 1 Zephaniah begins a series of ten visions. The first of eiders under the Myrtle trees. He sees a rider on a red hors and other riders on red horses. And he asks what these mean? The answer he receives is that Jerusalem is down trodden and the Gentile nations are living in ease. Therefore the Lord God will return to Jerusalem and the temple is t be rebuilt. The Lord will bless Jerusalem. Then Zephaniah sees four horns. He again asks what they mean? And he is told that these represent the fours kingdoms that have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. Next he sees four smiths or carpenters. After enquiry he is told that these four workers represent the four kingdoms. Next he sees a man with a measuring line. He is a surveyor. Zephaniah asks him what he is doing and he is told that he is going to measure the city of Jerusalem. He is not measuring the existing city but he is measuring the footprint of the City of Zion. It is noticeable that there will be no walls there because the Lord will protect them and the Glory of the Lord will be in the middle of the city. The nations that have spoiled Israel will be judged by God because the one that touches Israel touches the apple of the Lords eye. The Lord will deal with Israel’s enemies. And the Lord encourages Israel to sing and rejoice because the Lord will come a dwell in the middle of Zion. In those days many nations will be converted to the Lord. All human beings are to be silent before the Lord because he will raise up Israel. The next vision is Joshua the high priest who is standing in front of the angel of the LORD and Satan is also present trying to resist him. Then the LORD spoke to Satan saying The LORD rebuke you Satan because l have chosen Jerusalem. Isn’t Jerusalem like a brand plucked from the burning? Joshua was clothed in filthy garments before the angel and the angel demands that he is clothed in holy garments. The Lord promises blessings and responsibilities to Joshua if he will keep the whole law. Lastly Joshua is promised that the Lord will bring forth ‘The Branch’ Because the Lord laid a stone in front of Joshua that had seven eyes and it is engraved on by the Lord himself. Then the Lord will heal the sin of the land of Israel and in that day every man will dwell under his own vine and fig tree. They will have joy and satisfaction in the Lord.

AM Dec 26th Rev 17

December 26^th Revelation 17 (Babylon the Harlot) The Great Harlot

1: And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3: So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4: And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6: And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7: And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8: The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9: And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10: And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11: And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12: And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13: These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14: These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15: And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16: And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17: For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18: And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

John is invited to come and see the judgment of the Great Whore. All of the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk with the wine of her fornication. She is seated on a scarlet coloured beast; she is full of the names of Blaspheme. She is arrayed in purple and scarlet. She is decked with gold and precious stones and pearls. She has a golden cup which id full of abominations and filth. On her head is written MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. John is amazed and the angel asks him why he is amazed then he proceeds to explain what she is really like. The angel shows John a series of kings ten in all that will male war with the Lamb. The Whore sits on the nations of the world. The woman is the great city which is the centre of world power. This is not Rome but Babylon.