Monday, 23 June 2025

Thoughts on the Bible Readings 1 Samuel 4, Isaiah 50, Revelation 10, 11 for June 25th

Through Samuel the Word of God multiplied and brought stability. The promised judgment upon the house of Eli happened in the battle at Ebenezer - meaning both "the son of help" and "the stone of help". Had a faithful priesthood been present in Israel their Rock would have given His people victory. Instead disaster overtook the nation with the extinction of Eli's line and 30,000 carcasses lying as carrion upon the field. Though foolish sons treated the ark as a lucky charm in contrast to what Yahweh intended- contrast Numbers 10:35-36. Though emboldened by the ark's presence and contrariwise the Philistines dismayed, Israel fell before the foe whose battle cry should be that of the saints in their spiritual warfare (1 Corinthians 16:13). The great catastrophe for the 98 year old Eli and his devout daughter in law was the capture of the ark. Her final word was Ichabod, meaning the glory has departed. The glorious servant of Yahweh in Isaiah 50 showed that the glory returned in the Lord Jesus Christ, as his servant ear was ever open to the Word of his God and instructed his every thought and action. The chapter begins with the LORD as challenging the nation of Israel, who were claiming that their Sovereign had divorced them. This was untrue and the Almighty says show Me your evidence - show Me your bill of divorce. It didn't exist since Yahweh hates "putting away": Malachi 2:10-16. The prophecy of Hosea establishes that despite the nation's continued unfaithfulness their God was ready to take them back as His spouse after a period of separation and genuine repentance. Verses 4-7 contrasts Israel's behaviour with Yahweh's faithful Servant - our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father daily sent an angel to sharpen His Son's magnificently receptive mind to His Father's Word. The Son like the perpetual and voluntary servant under the Law opened his ear to that Word. Read psalm 40:6-8; Hebrews 10:5-10. This submission and acceptance of His Father's way helped to enable the Son to life the life of total service. Jesus was obedient unto death, even the death upon the stake: Philippians 2:5-11. Verses 7-9 describe Jesus' determination to die that death in Jerusalem by which our the basis for our redeeming was established: Luke 9:51. Note the context of this comment from Luke in chapter 9 verses 21-36; 43-44. As a consequence no adversary could stand before him and Yahweh would stand with His servant and provide him with the assurance that Jesus would overcome his foes in the name of his God: Psalm 118:10-29. Verses 10-11 tell those self assured false leaders that their Sovereign would extinguish their fire permanently. In Revelation 10 we have a vision of the Rainbowed Angel; which speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ and his faithful believers going forth in judgment against the nations of the earth. The "little book" of the mighty angel is but small in comparison to the seven sealed scroll, which comprises about 2.000 years of history - by contrast the little book encompasses about 40 years of divine judgments after Armageddon. Small is the book, but intense and powerful is the outpoured and sustained anger. There are contained in the minute scroll seven distinct outpourings - or thunders. But they are not described. The immense angel stood on both land and sea, indicating the all-embracing nature of the impact upon all nations. The immutability of the determined judgments of the Almighty are symbolically spoken of by the angel's oath on the existence of the Almighty: please compare with Hebrews 6:13-20. The declared will of God, as stated by the angel in verse 6, was that, "there shall be time no longer"; ie the forbearance of the LORD had reached the end, and the time of judgment had come. The servants of God, ie faithful Jews and Gentiles will take possession of the earth, as the true seed and heirs to the promise made to Abraham (Romans 4 verse 13). In verses 8-10 John is commanded to take and eat the scroll that was in the hand of the angel. On eating it John found its taste was as sweet as honey (Isaiah 26:8-9; Psalm 149:1-9); since it was right that wickedness should be dealt with. But, there was a bitterness within John's belly on ingesting the scroll. John's skin cringed on seeing the destruction upon his fellow humans - his natural feelings were to be disturbed by human tragedy. Verse 11 indicated that John himself would, together with the other saints of the Lord Jesus Christ, participate in these events; but after that he would have the pleasure of renovating the nations during the times of refreshing (Acts 3 verse 19-26). Chapter 11 of the book of Revelation backtracks from the interspersed encouraging vision of chapter 10. This chapter outlines the work, slaying and resurrection of the witnesses for the Truth of the Almighty. The witnesses (the Greek word indicates that the ones providing the testimony often died for their witnessing - it is the word from which our English word martyr comes) were those proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. There was another responsibility to witness against the error of the great apostasy, which centred around the Church. The book of Revelation is a tale of two cities - Jerusalem speaking of the faithful believers in our Lord Jesus Christ; and Rome (portrayed as the mystical, or secret, Babylon). This message will be unraveled in subsequent chapters. After the opening of the seventh seal and the sounding of the seventh trumpet occurred Constantine ascended to the Roman heavens to take power. Persecution immediately broke forth on the group which opposed this new Roman pontiff. The trinitarians had triumphed and the time had now arrived to wreak havoc upon their Unitarian opponents. These were driven from the seat of power into the wings ie extremities of the Empire and the faithful were slaughtered at every opportunity. God would visit judgment upon the apostate power of Rome - remember the word apostasy speaks of a falling away from truth to error. The word used of "apostasy" has a numerical value of 666 (more will be said on this in the notes on chapter 13). God has never left Himself without a witness as the Apostle Paul said in Pisidian Antioch. Verse 3 tells us that the witness for the truth against the false Church teaching was for a period of 1,260 days (or years in prophetic language; where a day is put for a year eg Ezekiel 4 verse 5). If we take the starting point of the prophecy from Constantine's accession to the throne, then the terminal year is 1572 AD - when tens of thousands of Huguenots were slaughtered in Paris at the command of the pope. That time is known in history as the Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day. And this event signalled wholesale slaughter of that group of witnesses until 1685 when a Huguenot became king and revoked the edict of Nantes which had sanctioned the destruction of these protestors. Their bodies were said to lay exposed in the street (ie of Paris) for 3.5 days; prophetic of the 105 year interval after which they are said to come to life again during the French Revolution of 1789-1792. At this time they brought vengeance upon their enemies, as they ascended to heaven ie assumed power within France. Their enemies were terrified and 7,000 nobles and clergy were decapitated by the guillotine. The other group of witnesses were those who fought the apostates with clubs. They are termed in Revelation 11 - the earth. Historically they were known as the Circumcellions. The chapter finishes with the seventh trumpeter declaring that this event was a precursor to the time of Christ's kingdom being established on earth at his second coming (2 Timothy 4 verse 1). Read verses 14-19 aloud slowly and pause and ponder. Revelation 11:15 is captured in Handel's oratorio Messiah. Compare this passage with what is revealed in Daniel 2 verse 35-45. This honour have all his saints (Psalm 149 verse 9). Penned by Warwick Rosser and his team, produced by Christadelphianvideo.org See more Thoughts from the Christadelphian Dialy Bible Reading Planner (By R.Roberts) here... https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-bible-readings-1-samuel-4-isaiah-50-revelation-10-11-for-june-25th/?feed_id=94587&_unique_id=685a44f8bd655

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