I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
The prophet has three more visions in today’s passage. In the first vision he sees a golden lampstand with seven lamps upon it. On either side of the lampstand he sees an olive tree. When he asks the angel that is his guide what the meaning is he is told that Zurabbabel will succeed by the Spirit of the Lord, not by strength nor by force. Zechariah then asks the angel what the two olive trees signify. He is told that they represent two heavenly beings who stand in the court of the Lord. There is an interesting image in the vision that is not explained, yet that I think is significant. There are tubes that run from the olive trees to the lampstand and golden oil pours through those tubes. I think this represents the Spirit of the Lord pouring into the lamps to keep them lit. I find two important things to take from this vision. The first is that we will not accomplish God’s will by strength and power (whether it is our strength and power or the strength and power of the government). God will accomplish His will by His Spirit, any obstacle that stands in our way will be made level ground before us if we are acting according to God’s purpose for our lives. The second is that we need to remain connected to God in order for His Spirit to flow into us and fuel the lamp that lights the world around us with God’s light.
The second vision is of a giant scroll flying over the land. The scroll contains a curse against thieves and liars (in particular those who take false oaths). The lesson from this vision is that anyone who uses thievery and dishonesty to build their legacy will see it destroyed.
The third vision is of a basket filled with the appearance/sin of all the people throughout the land (or perhaps throughout the earth). The basket had a lead cover which was lifted up to reveal that a woman named “wickedness” was seated within the basket. The basket was carried off to Babylon where a temple was built to house the woman (or to house wickedness). The message here is that there are places and times where people worship wickedness. I believe that we are living in such a time and place. We must not allow ourselves to become caught up in that worship of wickedness that is in the society around us.
Immediately following the vision where the beast placed his number on people we have the writer describe the Lamb and the 144,000 appear in front of him. The 144,000 had the Lamb’s name, and His Father’s name, written on their forehead. This is not just a refusal to accept the beast’s mandate of having its number stamped on the forehead or hand. This is a repudiation of it by having God’s name stamped on the forehead instead. This great choir sang a new song before the throne of God, a song that no one else could learn.
The next aspect of the vision was three angels flying through the sky, one after another. The first angel proclaimed the Gospel “to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” Everyone will have an opportunity to accept God’s wonderful grace and no one will have an excuse on the day of God’s judgment. The second angel follows declaring that Babylon, the nation which has spread immorality throughout the earth, has fallen. After the second angel had made its declaration throughout the earth the third angel declared that anyone who accepted the mark of the beast will face God’s anger because they have worshiped the beast. The writer tells us that this all means that those who wish to be accounted among God’s holy people must patiently endure persecution.
Personally, I do not think that the beasts in this represent discrete persons or beings, although this is an understanding that I will continue to test against both scripture and my experience of the world, with guidance from the Holy Spirit. I believe the beast represents the spirit of the age around us and the “number of the beast” on hand and/or forehead represents the attempt to fit into our society and not stand out for ridicule and persecution. The Adversary will tempt us into worshiping him out of our desire to avoid being persecuted.
I have often spoken of working on my prayer life. I think there is something in this psalm that is a key to improving our prayer lives
and tell him all my troubles.
I think that too many of us do not do this. We have a tendency to think of our problems as too minor to talk to God, or that we shouldn’t bother Him with our problems, or maybe that we should just “buck up” and put out problems aside. While it is true that we can become obsessed with our problems so that we do not see God’s blessings, God wants us to come to Him with those things that distress us. When we feel like we are alone in the world and no one cares about our problems we should take them to God. If we do, God will bring us out of the prison of our isolation and show us how we are surrounded by godly people.
Today’s proverb says the are four things the earth cannot bear. These things are reprehensible for how the people involved act after what is described happens. When people who perceive themselves to have been oppressed get into positions of power, they are often much worse oppressors than those whom they have displaced could ever have been dreamed of being.