kingdom come – Be Still…

Zechariah 6:9-15 – The Crown of Christ

Read Zechariah 6:9-15

This is the last reading in the second section of Zechariah which has been dealing with leadership in the new age. It’s easy for us to see Jesus because we are sitting on this side of history. How exquisite such prophecies become when we see another facet of that beauty because of “when” we hear this message.

I often get caught up in details, wanting to take scripture literally. That isn’t always helpful, especially when we encounter texts like this. God has given us a rich picture of the future that goes beyond the details of who does what. What stands out to you?

Obadiah 17-21 – Promised Restoration

Read Obadiah 17-21

I learned today the Edomites were taken down in the 5^th century B.C. God used a people called the Nabateans to defeat the Edomites and force them from their main city of Petra. The interval between prediction and fulfillment would, therefore, have been very short, assuming Obadiah was writing following the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem. When Obadiah prophesied this promise, it was probably thought to be crazy. Judah was the more likely candidate to not survive (that’s only when you take God’s will out of the equation)! The Edomites would later disappear from history completely, marking the total destruction of one of Israel’s enemies.

It always helps me to understand the context of a story to aid in understanding. The Negev region was very dry and hot in the southern part of Judah. The foothills would be found in western Judah. Phoenicia would be an ancient civilization along the Mediterranean, primarily located in modern-day Lebanon.

December 7 🌟 Daniel Sees Jesus (Daniel 7:13-14)

Read Daniel 7:13-14

In his vision, Daniel saw “someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven.” After our last few passages spoke of Jesus in this way, it is good to see the source. Jesus also referenced this verse to refer to himself (Matthew 26:64; Luke 21:27; John 1:51). I love when I find examples of where verses point to each other.

Daniel didn’t know he was seeing Jesus. If you read the earlier part of Chapter 7, you’ll see that Daniel’s vision had included all sorts of beasts. He clearly recognized that there was another figure, one that looked like a man, in the presence of God, the Ancient of Days.