It begins with a description of God as Creator; which shows the power and authority of His Word; but, may also be a reminder that He is the Alpha and Omega. The One who created; but will also be the One who judges.
There are prophecies for Jerusalem (and its leaders) to be:
- A "Cup that sends surrounding peoples reeling" - indicates that those who seek to eagerly "drink" of power over Jerusalem will suffer the consequences of judgment
- An "Immovable rock" - will injure those who try to "move" Jerusalem
- A "Firepot in a woodpile" or "Flaming torch among sheaves" - will "burn up" and consume enemies
And, all glory will go to God. Also, those who mourn for the "piercing" of the Messiah (fulfilled in the NT), will be comforted by the Spirit of grace and supplication. The mourning will be individual and will be seen both in civil and religious leadershiper of Israel.
Chapter 13 is a clear picture of the Holiness of God and His wrath against sin and false teaching. The "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" prophecy which was fulfilled when Christ was crucified leads to the last section in the chapter describing refinement through fire, resulting in the restoration of the covenant relationship between Israel and God.
9-May: In the last part of the oracle of judgment, enemy nations will capture and plunder Israel during the tribulation (when the Antichrist turns against Israel); but, through God's mercy a remnant will be saved before they are destroyed. The Lord will then fight for Israel (in the battle of Armageddon) and establish His Kingdom (Millenial Reign) where He will be the Light and Living Water will flow. "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name" (vs 9) Enemies will be plagued and plundered; but, survivors will begin to worship the "King, the LORD Almighty"! And everything will be set apart "holy to the Lord"! Amen!
19-May: During the class study, it was interesting that because many of the prophecies were yet to be fulfilled since they were of the Day of the Lord; there was room for interpretation on how some of them would actually take place. For example, when the lights go out, is that the sun and moon? Or would that describe a blackout? For the living waters, is that literally water flowing, or does it refer to life-giving water? Also, there were some interesting questions raised. When it said that ALL nations would be gathered to attack Jerusalem, did that really mean ALL, or just the known nations at that time? Or when sacrifices and feasts are re-instituted during the Millennial Reign, why are they? For this one, we assume that since the sacrifices and feasts are no longer needed, and had previously just pointed to Christ. Then, in the Millennium, they must be just commemorating what Christ did, similar to our observance of Communion.
Chapter 13 is a clear picture of the Holiness of God and His wrath against sin and false teaching. The "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" prophecy which was fulfilled when Christ was crucified leads to the last section in the chapter describing refinement through fire, resulting in the restoration of the covenant relationship between Israel and God.
9-May: In the last part of the oracle of judgment, enemy nations will capture and plunder Israel during the tribulation (when the Antichrist turns against Israel); but, through God's mercy a remnant will be saved before they are destroyed. The Lord will then fight for Israel (in the battle of Armageddon) and establish His Kingdom (Millenial Reign) where He will be the Light and Living Water will flow. "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name" (vs 9) Enemies will be plagued and plundered; but, survivors will begin to worship the "King, the LORD Almighty"! And everything will be set apart "holy to the Lord"! Amen!
19-May: During the class study, it was interesting that because many of the prophecies were yet to be fulfilled since they were of the Day of the Lord; there was room for interpretation on how some of them would actually take place. For example, when the lights go out, is that the sun and moon? Or would that describe a blackout? For the living waters, is that literally water flowing, or does it refer to life-giving water? Also, there were some interesting questions raised. When it said that ALL nations would be gathered to attack Jerusalem, did that really mean ALL, or just the known nations at that time? Or when sacrifices and feasts are re-instituted during the Millennial Reign, why are they? For this one, we assume that since the sacrifices and feasts are no longer needed, and had previously just pointed to Christ. Then, in the Millennium, they must be just commemorating what Christ did, similar to our observance of Communion.
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