Podcasts about in ezekiel

Thursday May 28, 2026Week after PentecostToday's episode reminds us that God is gathering His people, grounding them in truth, and strengthening them to endure opposition.In **Ezekiel 37:21–28**, God promises to restore and reunite His scattered people under one shepherd and one covenant of peace. No longer divided or defiled, they will dwell securely with God's presence among them forever. It's a powerful vision of restoration, unity, and the faithful reign of the coming King.In **1 John 2:18–29**, believers are warned about deception and false teaching in the last days. John encourages the church to remain rooted in the truth they received from the beginning and to abide in Christ. Those who truly belong to Him will persevere in faith and walk in righteousness, guided by the Spirit's anointing and discernment.Finally, in **Matthew 10:16–23**, Jesus Christ prepares His disciples for the realities of mission in a hostile world. They are sent out as sheep among wolves, called to be wise, innocent, and courageous in the face of persecution. Yet Jesus assures them that the Holy Spirit will give them the words they need and that God remains with them through every trial.Together, these passages remind us: God is building a restored and unified people, truth must be guarded and lived out faithfully, and followers of Christ are called to endure with courage as they carry His message into the world.

Wednesday May 27, 2026Week After Pentecost Today's episode focuses on the heart of the Good Shepherd, the call to spiritual maturity, and the mission of carrying God's message to others.In Ezekiel 34:1–16, God rebukes the shepherds of Israel for neglecting and exploiting the flock. Instead of caring for the weak and seeking the lost, they served themselves. But God promises that He Himself will search for His sheep, rescue them, feed them, and lead them to safety. It's a beautiful picture of God's personal care and faithful shepherding.In 1 John 2:12–17, believers are reminded of who they are in Christ—forgiven, known by God, and strengthened through His Word. John warns against loving the world and its temporary desires, urging followers of Christ to pursue what is eternal rather than what quickly fades away.Finally, in Matthew 10:5–15, Jesus Christ sends out His disciples to proclaim the kingdom of heaven. They are called to serve freely, trust God's provision, and bring peace wherever they go. Yet they are also reminded that not everyone will receive the message, and faithfulness matters more than popularity.Together, these passages remind us: God is the Shepherd who seeks and restores His people, believers are called to live for what is eternal, and every follower of Christ is sent to carry His message with trust, humility, and compassion.

Tuesday May 26, 2026Week after PentecostToday's episode highlights God's call to genuine response, faithful love, and compassionate mission.In Ezekiel 33:21–33, the people hear God's Word through the prophet, but many treat it as entertainment rather than truth to obey. Though they listen with interest, their hearts remain unchanged. The passage is a sobering reminder that hearing God's Word is not enough—we are called to respond with repentance, faith, and obedience.In 1 John 2:1–11, believers are reminded that we have an advocate in Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us when we sin. Yet true knowledge of God is demonstrated not merely by words, but through obedience and love. Walking in the light means loving others and rejecting the darkness of hatred and hypocrisy.Finally, in Matthew 9:36–10:4, Jesus sees the crowds with deep compassion because they are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He calls His disciples to pray for laborers and then sends them out as apostles, commissioning ordinary people to join in His mission of bringing hope, healing, and truth to the world.Together, these passages remind us: God desires hearts that truly respond to His Word, lives marked by love and obedience, and disciples who are moved with compassion to serve a world in need.

We are currently revisiting The Restore Project series. We hope you enjoy going back with us.Welcome to The Restore Project — a series centered around Psalm 23. Here is Session 4.  (Feel free to listen in any order.) Psalm 23:1The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.When trying to understand a word, I often list its antonyms. For "abundance," these might be: want, lack, need, poverty, and inadequacy.In Ezekiel 34, God lists the failures of the bad shepherds who mistreated His flock. They didn't strengthen the weak, heal the sick, or seek the lost. As a result, the people were scattered and vulnerable — sheep without a shepherd.In this episode, we'll explore the opposite of a bad shepherd and discover the beautiful attributes of our Good Shepherd — Who seeks, searches, saves, and restores.I'll close the episode with the song, “Where He Restores.”If you would like to support this podcast with a monthly or one-time gift, thank you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sherriyoungward.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To find out about upcoming gatherings and new projects, please join my email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.sherriyoungward.com

Send us a messageGod's Word gives dramatic attention to the critical role the Watchman plays in warning His people of impending danger. In Ezekiel 3:17 & 33:7, the Lord appointed Ezekiel as a Watchman, and held him responsible for warning the people – with the caution that if he did not warn the people, their blood would be on his hands.In Ezekiel 33:1-9, the Lord again calls the prophet to blow the trumpet of warning when he sees the sword coming. Hosea 9:8 recounts Ephraim as a prophet and Watchman before the Lord. And in Isaiah 62:6: the Lord mightily declares: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day or night.”And in these last prophetic minutes of the Last Hour, the Watchman's Cry has never been more urgent, as the trumpet blast of warning reaches the ears of the Lord's Chosen ones, with the call to readiness.In a commentary written for Watchman River, 20 signs that the Rapture is right at the door are offered, and we'll be sharing these signs in this message with encouragement to those who are longing for our Savior's coming for us - but also as a warning for those who do not have Eternal Life's Salvation's Security that is provided in Jesus Christ alone in love-filled Blood Atonement Sacrifice that He offered up on Calvary's Cross. The Watchman's last trumpet blast has been sounded - the invitation has been given – the Way has been made sure.  And so, let the called come – and let the Chosen enter in – for the Ark of Salvation is ready to depart, and Jesus comes quickly!Support the showVisit our website: https://agapelightministries.com/

Current events continue to point us back to the truth of God's Word. In Ezekiel chapter 38, written nearly 2,600 years ago, the Bible describes a conflict that many believe could be unfolding before our eyes today. In Week Two of our Signs of the Times series, we take a closer look at Ezekiel's prophecy and how it may connect to what we are seeing in the world around us. As we walk through Scripture, we are reminded that God's Word is faithful and true across every generation.

In Ezekiel 47:1-5, the prophet has a vision about a river flowing from the Temple that is believed to be a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In the vision, the river goes from ankle-deep to knee-deep to waist-deep, and then, it becomes deep enough to swim in. If you are truly saved, you are standing in the river. The will of God is for you to continue downstream, deeper and deeper, more and more surrendered to His Holy Spirit. However, there are many people who got saved and had some spiritual experiences in the river, and after some difficult times, they are now tempted to get out of the water and go completely back to their old life. This week, we’re exploring the truth that the problem isn’t the water; it’s trying to live in two worlds. Discomfort comes when you’re sloshing around in water but still trying to walk like you’re on land.

In Ezekiel 47:1-5, the prophet has a vision about a river flowing from the Temple that is believed to be a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In the vision, the river goes from ankle-deep to knee-deep to waist-deep, and then, it becomes deep enough to swim in. If you are truly saved, you are standing in the river. The will of God is for you to continue downstream, deeper and deeper, more and more surrendered to His Holy Spirit. However, there are many people who got saved and had some spiritual experiences in the river, and after some difficult times, they are now tempted to get out of the water and go completely back to their old life. This week, we’re exploring the truth that the problem isn’t the water; it’s trying to live in two worlds. Discomfort comes when you’re sloshing around in water but still trying to walk like you’re on land.

Frederick Price Jr., the pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center and the author of Angels, Demons, and the Battle for the Soul: How to Recognize, Resist, and Reign in Spiritual Warfare, gives details about the supernatural battle constantly happening all around us. He starts by answering a burning question: Are UFOs or aliens in the Bible? In Ezekiel 1, the famed prophet describes creatures that he encountered by the River Kebar, whilst exiled by King Jehoiachin. These creatures were bizarre and otherworldly, like humans, but with many faces, wings, and animalistic features. The Bible has a lot to say about angels, demons, and the spiritual realm, but many Christians, including pastors, are afraid to talk about it. The spiritual world is very real, and Christians should be armed with knowledge on this key subject, which explains the tumult and dangers of this fallen realm. TAKEAWAYS God placed a curse on the serpent, Satan, and promised enmity between his seed and Eve's seed - seed wars The Bible does not talk about terrestrial beings on other planets Genesis 6 recounts the creation of half-men, the offspring of fallen angels and human women It is possible that Biblical references to aerial ‘chariots' could be what we describe today as a ‘UFO'

Listen in as Kelly Schibi shares her testimony of God's care for her as she has battled cancer as a mom to three young children. For ease of listening this conversation has been split into two segments. Be sure to listen to part one before part two.Kelly Schibi's reflections on her Caring BridgeScripture References: ·       Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”·       In Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”·       Luke 5:17-26, “but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.' And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?' When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, ‘Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—he said to the man who was paralyzed—'I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.' And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen extraordinary things today.'”Books: ·       Suffering is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliott·       Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller·       You Are Still a Mother by Jackie Gibson·       Dark Clouds Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop Sermons:·       Job's Resignation by Charles Spurgeon·       In the Lowest Pit by J. Ligon DuncanHymns·       Afflicted Saint to Christ Draw Near·       Be Still My Soul·       What Ere My God Ordains is Right  

Listen in as Kelly Schibi shares her testimony of God's care for her as she has battled cancer as a mom to three young children. For ease of listening this conversation has been split into two segments. Be sure to listen to part one before part two.Kelly Schibi's reflections on her Caring BridgeScripture References: ·       Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”·       In Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”·       Luke 5:17-26, “but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.' And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?' When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, ‘Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—he said to the man who was paralyzed—'I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.' And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen extraordinary things today.'”Books: ·       Suffering is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliott·       Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller·       You Are Still a Mother by Jackie Gibson·       Dark Clouds Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop Sermons:·       Job's Resignation by Charles Spurgeon·       In the Lowest Pit by J. Ligon DuncanHymns·       Afflicted Saint to Christ Draw Near·       Be Still My Soul·       What Ere My God Ordains is Right  

What if the greatest barrier to an awakening is not outside the church, but within it? In Ezekiel's vision, those marked by God and sparred from judgment were those who sighed and cried over the sin in His Sanctuary. In this episode, America Pray Now Director, Hanna Alway, calls believers to honest examination, repentance, and a deeper kind of intercession—one that stands in the gap, grieving over the sin within the Church, preparing the way for His presence to return.----------America Pray Now publishes a magazine on prayer that is free of charge and can be delivered directly to your home. You can sign up for this magazine on our website at americapraynow.comIn addition to our weekly podcast, we meet in 17 different cities every month to pray in person. Most of our in-person prayer meetings are in Virginia, and we also have meetings in Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina and South Carolina. See our website for times and dates at americapraynow.comEnjoy the Podcast? Let us know! Email us at podcast@americapraynow.com

What do you do when hope feels gone? In Ezekiel's vision, God asks a haunting question: “Can these dry bones live?” Originally spoken to people whose world had fallen apart, this vision reminds us that God's life-giving Spirit can bring hope even in the most hopeless places. This Sunday, we explore how resurrection is not just a future promise, but something God is breathing into our lives right now.

Send us Fan MailDuring the season of Lent, Bishop Wright invites all to a five-week Lenten teaching series, We Confess, with weekly video meditations and study guides that frame Lent as a loving turn toward healing, renewal, and hope through honest confession. You can learn more about the series at episcopalatlanta.org/lent26.In this week's episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the fifth reflection: We Confess Nothing is Impossible for God. In Ezekiel 37, dry bones come to life– nothing is impossible for God. Whether you read the dry bones as literal or symbolic, the point is the same: God can revive what looks dead, even what has been desecrated and denied dignity. That raises a practical question for anyone trying to live a faith that matters: what is our role in breathing life over death? Listen in for the full conversation.Support the show Follow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

RCL TextsEzekiel 37:1–14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6–11; John 11:1–45A “Big Idea” for Preaching The readings for this Sunday proclaim that the God of Scripture is the God who brings life where death seems final. In Ezekiel, a valley of dry bones—symbolizing a people who believe their story is over—is restored by the breath of God's Spirit. Psalm 130 gives voice to those living in the depths of despair, teaching that hope rests not in human strength but in the Lord's steadfast mercy. Romans 8 reveals that this life-giving power is now at work through the Spirit who dwells in believers and who raised Jesus from the dead. Finally, in John 11, Jesus stands before the tomb of Lazarus and declares, “I am the resurrection and the life,” demonstrating that the power promised in prophecy and experienced through the Spirit is fully embodied in Him. Together these texts proclaim a single message: when God speaks and God's Spirit moves, even the deepest despair and the finality of the grave cannot prevent the new life God brings. We are, of course, preparing for Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Christ's own challenge to death through the power of God.Text SummariesEzekiel 37:1–14The prophet Ezekiel is shown a valley filled with dry bones representing Israel in exile—spiritually and nationally dead. At God's command, Ezekiel prophesies and the bones come together, are covered with flesh, and finally receive breath, becoming a living army. God explains that this vision symbolizes God's promise to restore Israel, bring them back to their land, and give them new life through God's Spirit.Summary:God promises to restore a hopeless people and breathe new life into what appears completely dead.Psalm 130This psalm begins with a desperate plea for mercy from “the depths,” expressing human awareness of sin and dependence on God's forgiveness. The psalmist declares that if God counted sins strictly no one could stand, yet forgiveness is found with teh Lord. The psalm ends by urging Israel to wait for the Lord with hope because His steadfast love brings redemption.Summary:From deep distress and guilt, the faithful cry out to God, trusting in God's mercy and redemption.Romans 8:6–11Paul contrasts two ways of living: life controlled by the flesh and life guided by the Spirit. A mind set on the flesh leads to death and hostility toward God, while the Spirit brings life and peace. Believers belong to Christ because God's Spirit dwells in them, and the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to their mortal bodies.Summary:Those who belong to Christ live by the Spirit, sharing in the life and resurrection power of God.John 11:1–45Jesus' friend Lazarus becomes ill and dies before Jesus arrives in Bethany. Speaking with Martha, Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.” At Lazarus's tomb, Jesus calls him out of death and restores him to life, demonstrating His authority over death and revealing God's glory. This miracle leads many to believe in Him but also intensifies the opposition that will soon lead to His crucifixion.Summary:Jesus reveals Himself as the source of resurrection life by raising Lazarus from the dead.Cautions for PreachingOne caution: do not flatten Ezekiel into a generic proof-text for end-times resurrection. It certainly contributes to later resurrection theology, but its first burden is the restoration of exiled Israel.A second caution: do not reduce Psalm 130 to vague emotional comfort. It is explicitly about sin, forgiveness, reverent fear, and covenant hope.A third caution: do not read Romans 8 as anti-body or anti-material. Paul is not denigrating the body; he is proclaiming that even mortal bodies are destined for life through the Spirit.A fourth caution: do not treat Lazarus as though it were simply “Jesus proves he can do miracles.” John's whole point is larger: Lazarus is a sign unveiling Jesus' identity and preparing the reader for the paradox of the cross and resurrection.An IllustrationIn many parts of the American West there are towns that once thrived—mining towns, railroad towns, farming towns. When the industry collapsed, the people left. Buildings decayed. Windows broke. Streets filled with weeds.If you walked through one of those ghost towns you might think, Nothing will ever live here again.But occasionally something surprising happens. A new road is built, a new industry arrives, or a group of families decides to restore the place. Houses are repaired. Lights turn on again. Children ride bicycles down streets that were once empty.What looked like a place where life had ended becomes alive again.Ezekiel's valley of dry bones is God's declaration that He specializes in restoring what looks like a ghost town. Israel thought their story was finished. God said, Not yet.The God of Scripture is the God who walks into abandoned valleys and says,“Live.”(By the way, if you ever have the opportunity to visit the town of Jerome, Arizona — pictured above — do it! A fascinating history and perfect example of a town that “died” and has come back to life in a brand new way!)Narrative Lectionary Text(s)John 19:1–16a — Jesus CondemnedSummary and ContextThis passage occurs within John's Passion narrative (John 18–19) and specifically within Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate.The movement of the trial unfolds in stages:* Jesus before Pilate (18:28–40)* Jesus scourged and mocked (19:1–3)* Pilate's attempts to release him (19:4–12)* Final condemnation (19:13–16)The text therefore functions as the moment when Jesus' fate becomes irreversible.Psalm 146 (Optional Psalm)Psalm 146 serves as a theological counterpoint to the trial narrative.Key declaration:“Do not put your trust in princes.”This line speaks directly into the political drama of John 19.While Pilate, Caesar, and religious leaders exercise earthly authority, the psalm reminds the faithful that true hope belongs only in the Lord who reigns forever.The “Big Idea”John's Passion narrative consistently reveals a paradox:The moment that looks like defeat is actually the beginning of victory.Jesus is mocked as king, yet he truly is king.He appears powerless, yet he governs history.He is condemned by human authority, yet his death will bring salvation.Thus the trial of Jesus exposes a profound truth:The kingdoms of this world cannot recognize the king who rules through sacrificial love.Some Preaching Cautions* Avoid collective Jewish blame — Do not present “the Jews” as responsible for Jesus' death; the conflict in John reflects a dispute with specific leaders, not an entire people.* Do not portray Pilate as innocent — Pilate's hesitation does not make him virtuous; he ultimately chooses political security over justice.* Do not reduce the passage to modern politics — While political pressure is present, the deeper issue in the text is the identity and kingship of Jesus.* Preserve John's irony — The mockery of Jesus as king actually reveals the truth that he truly is the king.* Do not portray Jesus merely as a victim — In John's Gospel, Jesus remains sovereign and willingly moves toward the cross.* Avoid turning the story into a simple moral lesson — The passage is not primarily about good and bad behavior but about recognizing who Jesus is.* Keep the story connected to the resurrection — The condemnation of Jesus must be preached within the larger movement toward the cross and the victory of Easter.An IllustrationIn 2007 a young man walked into a busy Washington, D.C. subway station during the morning rush hour. He opened a violin case and began to play classical music.People hurried past. A few dropped coins into the case. Most never slowed down.For forty-five minutes he played some of the most beautiful violin pieces ever written.Thousands passed by.Almost no one stopped.What the crowd did not realize was that the musician was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest violinists in the world. The violin he was playing was worth over three million dollars. Just days earlier, people had paid hundreds of dollars to hear him perform the same music in a concert hall.But in the subway station, no one recognized him.In John 19 something similar happens—but with infinitely greater stakes.Jesus stands before Pilate wearing a crown of thorns and a purple robe. Soldiers mock him. The crowd demands his death.No one recognizes who is standing in front of them.The King of the universe is standing in the room—and the world thinks he is a criminal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lectionarypro.substack.com

In Ezekiel 33, God stated His desire for Israel's repentance. This was what God wanted from His people, and this was why He warned Ezekiel as their watchman to deliver the message – it was what He warned the arrogant still back in the land against – and it was what He warned the hypocrites […]

What do you do when your faith feels lifeless and everything around you feels spiritually dry? In Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones, God reveals that structure and effort alone can't bring life - only His Spirit can. This message traces the story from creation to new creation, showing how the same breath that formed humanity and raised Jesus now gives life to God's people today.

Have you ever felt stuck at the spiritual shoreline, hesitant to venture deeper with God? In Ezekiel's powerful vision of a river flowing from God's temple, Pastor Randy unveils how this ancient image speaks to our modern spiritual journey. Through vivid imagery of waters rising from ankle-deep to swimming depth, we discover God's invitation to move beyond comfortable Christianity into transformative faith. Whether you're testing the waters of faith or ready to dive deeper, this message reveals how God's river brings life wherever it flows—restoring dead places, multiplying growth, and bringing healing to every area it touches. Don't miss this compelling exploration of what it means to truly trust God beyond the safety of the shore. Watch or listen now to discover your next step deeper into God's purposes!Thank you for tuning into today's message at Bold City Church! We pray it encourages you in your faith. Share with a friend who could use these words, too! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @boldcitychurchDownload our app on iOS and Android

Have you ever felt stuck at the spiritual shoreline, hesitant to venture deeper with God? In Ezekiel's powerful vision of a river flowing from God's temple, Pastor Randy unveils how this ancient image speaks to our modern spiritual journey. Through vivid imagery of waters rising from ankle-deep to swimming depth, we discover God's invitation to move beyond comfortable Christianity into transformative faith. Whether you're testing the waters of faith or ready to dive deeper, this message reveals how God's river brings life wherever it flows—restoring dead places, multiplying growth, and bringing healing to every area it touches. Don't miss this compelling exploration of what it means to truly trust God beyond the safety of the shore. Watch or listen now to discover your next step deeper into God's purposes!Thank you for tuning into today's message at Bold City Church! We pray it encourages you in your faith. Share with a friend who could use these words, too! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @boldcitychurchDownload our app on iOS and Android

Don't Bow to the Beast (1) (audio) David Eells 3/4/26  I want to talk to you about refusing to bow to the Beast, but we will first go over a little background.  Many Christians are deceived about the Bride and the leadership of the church. We know God is raising up a new leadership, a Man-child ministry in these days that's going to be the first fruits of those to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 16 that He was going to come again as a baby, a Man-child, born to a woman. We read in Revelation 12 that the Man-child is born at the beginning of the Tribulation Period and that the Man-child leads the woman through the wilderness. In studying the Book of Esther, we've learned that “Mordecai” in Hebrew means “little man” and in Persian means “little boy.” Persia was the Beast kingdom that he was under at the time. Both of those mean “Manchild.” In Esther 2:5, it says that Mordecai was in Shushan, the palace. He wasn't just a commoner; he was a ruler, somebody under the king who probably had to do with ruling over God's people. In Esther 2:19-20, it says that he also sat in the “king's gate,” which was the place of government, where the rulers of the conquered nations gathered before the king. Mordecai raised up Esther as the Bride and he “nourished her,” the original word says. He prepared her for this time and he continued to guide her steps all the way through the Book of Esther, all the way through their tribulation. Also, Hegai, the king's chamberlain, was very pleased with Esther, and she required nothing but what Hegai provided. And we need nothing but what the Holy Spirit provides us with. (Rom.8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. This Bride and Man-child are the “sons of God” for whom the creation has been awaiting, the fullness of the sonship of Jesus Christ manifested in His people. In fact, the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, the Bride who was chosen from among all the fair virgins of the kingdom, was called his “perfect one” (Song of Solomon 5:2). God is going to perfect, to mature His people. Esther was chosen out of all the fair virgins of the kingdom “because the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her Queen” (Est.2:17). But even then she was under the guidance of Mordecai and in verse (20) … Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him. So we see that the job of the Man-child is to raise up the Bride and guide her. The Man-child is the head of the Bride, much like the False Prophet is the head of the Harlot. There is a corporate body of apostate people, called the Harlot, and the head of that body is its so-called Christian leadership, which is leading it astray. The Bride is Jerusalem and David was the head of Jerusalem. When Jesus came, He sat upon the throne of David and He was the head of the Bride. John the Baptist said, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom (Joh.3:29), as he saw Jesus leading the disciples. That's a short background, somewhat, and there's much more to the Book of Esther. (Est.3:1) After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. These princes were the people who ruled over the kingdoms over which Ahasuerus ruled, and among those princes was Mordecai, who was over the people of God. Now we see that Mordecai and Esther are two entities whom God uses to save the rest of the people of God from destruction by the Beast. The Beast that was to destroy them is represented here by Haman, who is a corporate body, just as Mordecai represents a corporate body of people. Why would God advance Haman above the other princes? Because throughout history, God has raised up a Beast kingdom over His people in times when His people were in apostasy. Why is God calling His people out of the Harlot? (Rev.18:4) … Come forth, my people, out of her…. It's because there is such an apostasy in the Church, and they've turned away from the Word; they've gone after religions. They are in apostasy and God is calling His people out of that.  This is what the Tribulation is for. Every time God's people have become a harlot, He raised up a Beast to come against them: from Egypt, to Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and now the end-time Rome. We're seeing a worldwide revived Roman Empire being raised up again for the purpose of sanctifying His people and bringing them to repentance. The raising up of Haman, with his authority to destroy the people of God, is what brings God's people to repentance. (Est.3:2) And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate (That's the place where government was, where all the representatives of the nations saw the face of the King.), bowed down, and did reverence to Haman (the Beast); for the king had so commanded concerning him. In Rom 13 we are told to submit to the powers that be. He had given Haman authority over God's people. People don't think that the Lord gives authority to evil in the earth, but He does, and it's for the purpose of bringing repentance. (Job2:10) … What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil… God does bring evil against His people as a chastening and a method to bring them to repentance.  So all the King's servants who were in the King's gate bowed down to the Beast, But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence (Est.3:2). I would say bowing down with reverence should be given nly to God. However, submitting to man's kingdoms is necessary to obey the Lord.  This is something we find all through the Scriptures. Mordecai, as a type of the man-child, refused to bow down to the Beast. We see the example of Joseph, who was sold into bondage by the Harlot, Potiphar's wife, and came to the position of authority like Mordecai. We see the example of Jesus, who didn't bow down to the Beast; and Moses, who didn't bow down; and Daniel – all these are types of the Man-child, who refused to bow down to the Beast.  (3) Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment? (4) Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. Who is this accusing Mordecai to the Beast? You remember throughout history how the apostate brethren of Joseph persecuted and came against him and sold him into the hand of the Beast; and the apostate brethren of Jesus, the leadership of apostate Israel, accused Him to the Beast. We're seeing the same thing here; history keeps on repeating. We're not talking about rebellion against Constitutional, political authority here. We're talking about rebellion in terms of not bowing down religiously, of not worshipping the Beast as God. Today, there is a spirit of worship of the Beast by Christians, and there has been for many centuries. Patriotism, pledging allegiance, all these things that saints in past days would never have thought of doing, God's people today think nothing of. They don't understand that there's only one Kingdom – the Kingdom of God – which we should be representing. (5) And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. (6) But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai. Notice that the head over all God's true people is represented here by Mordecai.  In the rest of the story, Mordecai and Esther save all of these Jews from the Beast. Does that mean that all of what we loosely call Christians are going to be saved from the Beast? No, but the true Jews, those who are circumcised in heart, not in flesh, are all going to be saved. All Israel (Romans 11:26) is going to be saved – everybody who is grafted into the olive tree called “all Israel.” They'll be saved from the Beast in one form or another. We see here that Mordecai is one of the princes who sat in the king's gate to represent his people. He was among the other princes who were accusing him. In Ezekiel 17, I've shared a revelation the Lord gave me concerning the Beast of D.S. Babylon, who has brought God's people into bondage. We know that when Babylon conquered the nations, it not only brought apostate Israel into bondage, but they brought people like Daniel and the Hebrews, who were appointed people of God in their time, under the thumb of the Beast kingdom. When we talk about Mordecai, we're talking about the good leadership, but what about the bad leadership that accused him? (Eze.17:2) Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; (3) and say, Thus saith the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar: (4) he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it unto a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. This represents the Great Eagle of America which is the head of D.S. Babylon, bringing the leadership of God's people into bondage. In the natural, it's happening; natural Israel is more and more under Kazarian D.S. dominion. Something else is also happening, and that is, that spiritual new testament Israel said to be circumcised in heart is being brought more and more under the dominion of the latest Beast government. Media-Persia of Cyrus/Trump is conquering Babylon, thank God. In fact, as we keep reading, it says (11) Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (12) Say now to the rebellious house…. Why is it that God is permitting  Beast governments to bring under their authority the spiritual people of God and the “letter” people of God, the natural Jews? It is because they are rebellious houses. The letter Israel is a type and shadow for spiritual Israel. They've rebelled against the covenant that God has given. (12) Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon. So the king and the princes of both spiritual and natural Israel have been under the dominion of Babylon. What makes a beast a beast? The flesh is in control over the spiritual. The Alliance of nations under Cyrus/Trump is about to be a GESARA covenant. Although we will benefit from this covenant to rebuild the Kingdom of God, it will not last. The next seven verses go on to talk about a covenant that was broken in the middle, exactly as we would expect if it were Daniel's 70th-week covenant of the end-time broken in the middle. God also rebukes them for breaking His covenant and then He talks about another leadership that He's raising up. We just saw the apostate leadership, the king and the princes, brought under the dominion of Babylon, but He talks about a new leadership here. (22) Thus saith the Lord God: I will also take of the l7ofty top of the cedar (An evergreen type of eternal life), and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain. That's referring to the mountain representing the Kingdom of God, spiritual Mount Zion. This was the same description (cropping off the topmost twigs) that God gave in verse four here, referring to the apostate leadership of Israel/Church, but now the Lord speaks of a type of the Israel/Church's new leadership. So, once again, He is talking about a new leadership, “the topmost twig.” (23) In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of the branches thereof shall they dwell. (24) And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it. God is bringing down a false leadership over the true people of God, and He's raising up a new leadership. This is just as it was in the days of Jesus and Moses, when the apostate leadership persecuted the Man-child Jesus and then His disciples. In the same way, in the end-time, God is going to bring down the high and the lofty and raise up the lowly to take that position who will walk in the steps of the Lord Jesus, the Man-child of Revelation 12. He came as a Lamb but now as a Lion. We just had a prophecy of the coming Lion, who come manifested in His Man-child body.  So we see here two groups in captivity. In the time of Esther, there were two groups in captivity, and the one persecuted the other, just as the False Prophet in Israel, the Sanhedrin, persecuted the Man-child ministry of Jesus. We see the same thing with Mordecai and these servants of the king who accused him to the Beast. Jesus was accused to the Beast by the corporate False Prophet of Israel. Also, we can go to Daniel and see that when Babylon took God's people into captivity, there was the good thrown in with the bad. (Dan.1:1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (the “Great Eagle” in Eze 17.) unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. (2) And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god. (3) And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in [certain] of the children of Israel, even of the seed royal and of the nobles; (4) youths in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and endued with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king's palace…. There it is! These are people whom God is raising up who are spotless and blemishless, and they're not equated with the Jewish king and his princes, who were also taken captive. That's the way it was with Daniel. (6) Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. (7) And the prince of the eunuchs gave names unto them: unto Daniel he gave [the name of] Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, [of] Shadrach; and to Mishael, [of] Meshach; and to Azariah, [of] Abednego. Next, these four had to be proven because they wouldn't be defiled by eating the king's food. They wouldn't partake of the Babylonish king's dainties and, since they wouldn't be defiled, they also didn't bow down to the image of the Beast. It's important to know that what we eat is what we are, and if we partake of a beastly doctrine that enables our flesh to rule, we will become a member of the Beast. Our flesh is a member of the Beast kingdom – it is an enemy of God; it's at enmity with your spirit. Partaking of fleshly doctrines is partaking of the Beast's dainties. Anyway, there was nothing but good said about these four Hebrews. (17) Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. … (20) And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his realm. (21) And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. What we see in the Book of Daniel – twice, in chapters 3 and 6 – is exactly what we see concerning the accusations against Mordecai, the Man-child, by the other leaders. What happened in Jesus' day, when He was accused by the other rabbis, the apostates (and accused to the Roman Beast, too, by the way), we see also in Daniel. The three Hebrews represented the people who would not bow down. Daniel was obviously in leadership, but the three Hebrews refused to bow down to the image of the Beast in Daniel chapter three. It was the image of the Beast because it had the number of the Beast. (Dan.3:1) Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore (60 - there's “6”) cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits (there's “6-6”): he set it up in the plain of Dura…. “Dura” means “a circle,” which reminds us of the earth, and the Gematria for “the earth” or “the world” is 600. So there you have a representation of the world adding up to 666. We're talking about the image of the Beast, and it's made up of, if we look carefully in chapter two, all the peoples and all the kingdoms, one right after another.  Now notice who was commanding the people to bow down to this image: (4) Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages…. The word “herald” is the only Greek word in this text, and it's the New Testament word for “preacher.” So we have apostate preachers over the people of God, commanding them to bow down to the image of the Beast. This is like pledging allegiance. Not everybody bowed down, just as we saw with Mordecai. The other servants of the king who stood in the king's gate bowed down. This was the leadership of the apostate people of God, or the False Prophet. They bowed down to Haman, but Mordecai, the Man-child, refused. We see that they commanded them to bow down, and the people all bowed down, except for the three Hebrews. (8) Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews. They were accused because they refused to bow down to the image of the Beast. Now, God saved them and brought a witness through them of His power to save, even in the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter, as in the seven years of the Tribulation Period. “Times” is used in Revelation 12:14, for instance, as in “a time, times, and half a time,” speaking of years. So “seven times” in this text speaks of the Tribulation Period. The three Hebrews refused to bow down. They served the king, obeyed and submitted to the government of the king, but when it came to bowing down, they refused. The world is going to demand this; they're going to make their generic god, and everyone is going to have to serve it and be at peace with others and not witness to others and so on. We have another witness of Daniel himself, who was a type of the Man-child. Daniel refused to bow down, and the same situation happened. There were others with him, who were leaders, who accused him before the Beast: (Dan.6:1) It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; (2) and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one (“Throughout the whole kingdom” could be an application of what we loosely call “the Kingdom of God.”); that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage. (3) Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. (4) Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Praise God! Those were the false prophets who corresponded to the false prophets in Jesus' day, who sought occasion for false witness against Jesus, and since He had committed no sin, they had to falsely accuse Him. It was the same with Daniel here. The head of the Harlot was the false prophets and false leaders who were accusing Jesus, How is the faithful city become a harlot! … (Isa.1:21). God's people had become a harlot because they had apostatized and were committing fornication with the world. They were receiving the seed of the world, the seed of the Beast kingdom. (Dan.6:5) Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. (6) Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. (7) All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Daniel only bowed down to his God; he only asked of his God; he wasn't going to treat the king or the Beast as a god. (8) Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. (9) Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict. (10) And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem;) and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. So he only knelt down to the God of Israel. He refused to bow down to the image of the Beast.  (11) Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. (12) Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. (13) Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. (14) Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him. Notice that it wasn't the Beast that wanted to destroy the Man-child; it was his own brothers. Joseph's brothers were the ones who sold him into bondage to the Gentiles. And, accordingly, Pilate wanted nothing to do with crucifying what he called Jesus, this righteous man (Mat.27:24).  The apostates twisted his arm, exactly as they are doing here. We are headed to the exact same time, when the false leadership over God's people is going to be used to persecute the true leadership. Although all of them are going to be under the same Beast government rule, the leadership of the apostate people of God, just as we saw with Mordecai, is going to bow down to the Beast. Amazingly, people whom you and I have called Christians and thought were Christians will be part of a great falling away. The 10 northern tribes worshipped the image of the beast and were part of a great falling away. They bowed down to the golden calf, or the image of a beast. Now the same thing is happening to what we loosely call Christianity; they have built and bowed down to their golden calf. It's a work of man's hands. It has nothing to do with God or His Word that He created in the very beginning, as far as Christianity is concerned. It's something that they have made themselves, and because it's their own, they're going to want to protect it and defend it and their livelihood along with it. The Man-child ministry is going to be a threat to that because of the truths that will come forth, just as they came out of Jesus. The Bible spoke about Jesus, how He opened His mouth, and things that were hidden from the foundation of the world were revealed. Things that have been hidden are going to be revealed, but also, things that have been hidden in God's people are going to be revealed by this great falling away and by the apostates' siding with the Beast against their brethren. They are Judases, sons of perdition, false prophets. The point here in Daniel is that he still refused to do anything but bow down only to the real, true God, not to just any ruler or generic god, not even to any god that they might call “Jesus.” Many religious images of Jesus are not Him at all. When we read the Bible, we see the true Jesus and His crucified life. That contrasts with what we see now in Christianity. Will the current leadership continue to bring a reproach on Christianity by living so lavishly and fleecing so many people? That's not walking in the steps of Jesus; that's not the crucified life. These people defend that lifestyle as spiritual, and it's a shame. How many airplanes can a person use? God is sending the Beast not only because of the leadership, but also because of the people who don't understand that they should not support people who do such things. The crucified life that Jesus and His disciples walked was a simple life without all the accoutrements of Babylon. They didn't have the fancy temple and the big synagogues, but they had the truth. That was part of the trial. There is a great apostasy, a rebellion, in the church. They're in love with the world, and the things of the world, and the Bible says, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1Jn.2:15). God is proving just who it is who loves Him. The Bride, in the Song of Solomon, ran fanatically after the Bridegroom, so much so that she surprised the other queens, virgins, and concubines. They thought that one Jesus was just as good as another. But the other Jesus' are made by man. They give Jesus a character that's contrary to Scripture, a contrary doctrine, and so on.  Well, Daniel wouldn't bow down, so he had to be thrown into the lion's den and, as you know, God preserved him. God sent His angel. (Dan.6:18) Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him. (19) Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. (20) And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? (21) Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. (22) My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. (23) Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God. (24) And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den. That's very similar to Revelation 17:16, where the Beast devours the Harlot.  The apostate leaders who accused Jesus were then destroyed, and as we know, there's a great and terrible Day of the Lord coming, when that's exactly what's going to happen. The Beast is going to devour and destroy the Harlot and burn her flesh with fire. So the Beast was basically made a believer in the God of Daniel, just as in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; and, by the way, Daniel chapter seven speaks of the end-time. We know the timing of Daniel's Tribulation because he gets a revelation of the four Beasts, and from his time, which was the time of Babylon onward, is when his revelation started. His vision didn't start with the Egyptian and Assyrian Beasts, which were two that came before Babylon. The Beasts of Revelation, however, start with those two that came before Babylon. Daniel mentions the four Beasts that lead up to the end-time Beast. There was the lion with eagle's wings (Babylon) that was conquered by the Media-Persian bear, then by Greece, then Rome. He was prophesying again of the image of the Beast.  In today's end-times, these entities are still with us. The Lion with Eagle's wings is the British Empire, and the Eagle's wings are the present head of the British Empire and America. This is the Great Eagle, which was then and will be today conquered by the Medo-Persian Bear. So not only were these historic, from Daniel's day on, but they're also an end-time revelation of what's going to happen. We find that this last Beast that he talks about, which was Rome, devours the whole earth. The last Beast, he tells us, was headed up by 10 horns, exactly like Revelation 17. The 10 horns are the ten kings that rule over the Beast kingdom. Among those 10 horns comes up a little horn (Daniel 7:8) that's different, it says, from the rest of the horns. That little horn is a ruler among rulers that will be diverse from all of the 10, and it is the corporate False Prophet. (Dan.7:21) … The same horn made war with the saints…. There it is again! They'll make war on the Man-child and the saints, which is exactly what we see in the rest of the Book of Esther. (Dan.7:23) Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth…. We have had the United Nations, whose place is being taken by the Alliance of nations. The whole earth is inside the body of the last Beast. GESARA Law was signed unanimously by all 209 countries in 2015. Remember that in Daniel's vision of the legs of the image of the beast, Rome lasted from the thighs all the way down to the toes – the iron that was mixed with the clay. It is different in these days because now it has covered; it has devoured, the whole earth. And among those 10 kings is the little horn that comes up to make war on the saints. (Dan.7:20) ... Before which three fell, even that [horn] that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. (21) I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; (22) until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.  So we see the Beast has been given authority to crucify Christ once more. It says that he “prevailed against them.” This False Prophet and the Harlot beneath the False Prophet have been given authority to crucify the flesh of the saints. It doesn't necessarily mean that all will die; that's not the point here. The point is the crucifixion of the flesh of the saints. The Church is in rebellion because the flesh rules. The Beast, in a spiritual way, is ruling over them already because their flesh rules over them already. There has to be a crucifixion for us to bear fruit and come into the Kingdom; therefore, God is raising up this whole worldwide kingdom to come against His people. The little horn represents a religious entity because it's different from the other horns. They are corporate bodies of secular rulers, but the little horn is a corporate body of religious rulers who will bring God's people to their cross, much like they did to Jesus in His day. This is the seed of that same Sanhedrin that's being raised up in our day, no different from the earlier one. The Sanhedrin in natural Israel has been raised up again, and the Sanhedrin in spiritual Israel has been raised up again, too, to crucify the body of Christ again. God just repeats history in larger and larger ways. The spiritual man is not going to be conquered, and the quicker we learn to submit, the more we will be like Daniel, in that the lions' mouths will be closed. The Beast will not be able to devour Daniel. The fire of the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter, will not be able to devour the three Hebrews because they have refused to eat the king's dainties and they refused to bow down to the image of the Beast, just like Daniel. What we see in Esther is clearly a prophecy of the end-time. The persecution that was raised up against Mordecai, who was over all God's people of the kingdom, will be repeated in our day. Remember, the Beast decided to kill the people of Mordecai. The people of Mordecai, of whom we are speaking, include the Bride, but just as Jerusalem is only part of the Kingdom, the Bride is only part of the people of Mordecai. Not everybody in the Church is going to follow the Man-child. All the righteous Jews in the rest of the kingdom will be delivered from the Beast through the righteous leadership of Mordecai, the Man-child, and Esther, the Bride – a leadership that refused to bow down and a people that refused to bow down, respectively. The true people of God will not bow down. The rest will worship the image of the Beast; they will bow down. God is sending a separation in the form of this image of the Beast. The people who have no faith in their God, no commitment to their God, will find it easier to justify themselves and bow down to the image of the Beast, even change their doctrines, if necessary, and submit to the Beast kingdom. The true people of God are represented by the people of Mordecai, who discover that this leadership is truly the right leadership, like the people who followed Jesus in His day. This represented a people from among natural Israel who were a first fruits to follow Jesus diligently, just as it will be in our day. (Joh.3:29) He that hath the bride is the bridegroom…. Even if a person didn't come up to the standard of the Bride which Jesus raised up, He sent them forth unto every place He was about to go to fulfill the Great Commission. The apostles raised up the five-fold ministry as the leadership for the rest of spiritual Israel, just as the latter-day apostles will for the Church. We have some great days coming, some wondrous days. In Esther 3:7-8, it is also revealed that God's people had been rebellious, and that's the reason this is coming today. The best thing we can do is learn to serve the true and living God. Don't bow down to the Beast.

Scripture Reference: Ezekiel 10:1-4, 43:1-5 Visions of glory are a powerful human motivator. In Ezekiel’s prophecy, God's glory leaves because of sin, yet returns in promise. In Christ, God's glory takes up residence not in a temple of stone but in His incarnate body—and through Him, in us. Sermon Points: Glory Examined Glory Lost Glory Regained

 GET JANET WILLIS'S BOOK: https://amzn.to/3YqWCSs Ezekiel's city and John's city:    • Ezekiel's City DESCRIBED as John's New Jer…   SUPPORT OUR FREE CONTENT: https://www.alankurschner.com/partner/ GET OUR BOOKS: https://amzn.to/43pbG6b GET OUR EMAIL UPDATES: http://eepurl.com/bCU7qT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST:    / @bibleprophecyanswers   Why There Is No Temple in the New Jerusalem City This episode of Bible Prophecy Answers tackles a focused question many readers of Revelation ask: Why is there no temple inside the New Jerusalem? The host frames the discussion around Revelation 21:22, where John describes the climactic city of God's future kingdom and makes a startling observation—he “saw no temple” in the city. Rather than treating that detail as symbolic filler, the episode argues it is theologically intentional and prophetically consistent with the Old Testament, especially Ezekiel's end-times vision. From the start, the host notes that the series is exploring themes like new creationism, premillennialism, the New Heaven and New Earth, the millennium, and the New Jerusalem. The goal is not to avoid prophecy details but to interpret them carefully—“nothing more or nothing less”—because God includes details for a reason. Revelation 21:22: The Lord God and the Lamb Are the Temple The core text is Revelation 21:22, where John says the New Jerusalem contains no temple, “for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” That statement becomes the foundation for the episode's primary answer: Why no temple? Because a temple is not needed in the New Jerusalem. In the biblical storyline, a temple functions as a sacred space that mediates God's presence among His people. But in the New Jerusalem, God's presence is immediate and direct. The city does not require a separate structure to represent or localize God's dwelling, because God Himself—Father and Son—fulfills what the temple always pointed to. This interpretation highlights a major biblical theme: the movement from limited access to God's presence toward full access, culminating in the restored and permanent fellowship between God and humanity. Ezekiel's Vision Supports the “No Temple in the City” Detail A major argument in the transcript is that Ezekiel and John are not contradictory; instead, Ezekiel provides a background framework that helps explain John's description. Ezekiel separates the temple from the city The host emphasizes that Ezekiel distinguishes the temple from the city. In Ezekiel's prophetic tour, the angelic guide shows a structured sacred region that contains multiple elements in relationship—but not identical location. This matters because it supports the idea that even if a temple exists in Ezekiel's vision, it is not necessarily inside the city itself, which aligns with John seeing “no temple in it” (in the city). In other words, the “no temple” detail is not a problem to solve by dismissing Ezekiel or spiritualizing John. Instead, the episode proposes a straightforward reading: temple and city are distinct but near each other. The Holy Allotment: Ezekiel 45 and the End-Time Sacred Plateau One of the transcript's most important concepts is the Holy Allotment (referencing Ezekiel 45:1–7). Ezekiel describes a large square portion of land—notably described as being on a plateau—set apart as uniquely holy. Within this Holy Allotment, Ezekiel's vision includes both sacred and civic components. The city structure and its tribal gates Ezekiel describes a city-like structure with three gates on each side, named for the twelve tribes of Israel. This echoes the broader biblical theme of covenant identity and God's faithful restoration of His people. The host notes that the city aspect in Ezekiel often gets overshadowed by the heavy attention given to the temple measurements, but it should not—Ezekiel's city has a function, and that function ties into end-time governance and God's dwelli...

There are several passages in the Old Testament that clearly indicate animal sacrifice will be re-instituted during the millennial kingdom. Some passages mention it in passing as the topic of the millennial kingdom is discussed, passages like Isaiah 56:6-8; Zechariah 14:16; and Jeremiah 33:15-18. The passage that is the most extensive, giving the greatest detail, is Ezekiel 43:18-46:24. It should be noted that this is part of a greater passage dealing with the millennial kingdom, a passage that begins with Ezekiel 40. In Ezekiel 40, the Lord begins to give details of the temple that will exist during the millennial kingdom, a temple that dwarfs all other temples previously built, even Herod's temple that was quite large, which existed during the earthly ministry of Christ.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (12/09/25), Hank shares his thoughts on the coming of Christ in flesh. The reason we rejoice at Christmas is because the baby born to Mary and Joseph was no ordinary child. This baby was the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy of Immanuel: “God with us.” Although John's Gospel does not include a narrative of Jesus' birth, the doctrine of the Incarnation is beautifully summed up in his introduction: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The clear testimony of Scripture is that, in the Incarnation, Christ was one person with two natures; fully God and fully man. As Theanthropos, the God-Man, Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life and died a sinner's death to atone, once for all, for the sins of humanity.Hank also answers the following questions:What happens to our soul when we die? What about the spirit? Frank - El Paso, TX (5:27)Can you explain what it means when Jesus says the days will be shortened in Matthew 24:22? Kyle - St. Louis, MO (7:28)Should we continue to observe the Sabbath as Jesus and the apostles did? Raul - Nashville, TN (15:13)Is the story of Jesus copied from stories of Egyptian gods? Paul - Birmingham, AL (18:48)In Ezekiel 29, is the destruction of Egypt something that happened in the past, or will this happen in the future? Lynne - Cheyanne, WY (22:58)

In Ezekiel 37 we see a powerful truth: the bones came to life because the prophet obeyed the command of God and spoke what God told him to say. The breath—the very Spirit of God—came only after the word was spoken in faith. Obedience activates what God has already planned to do. Amos 3:7 reminds us that the Lord does nothing without revealing His plans to His servants. He is still speaking, still revealing, and still calling His people to prophesy His word into dead places. This message calls us to obey even when we don't feel like it, to speak the truth of God when our flesh resists, and to do what God asks without letting our physical condition hold us back. Like the five wise virgins who kept oil in their lamps, we must stay prepared and full of the Spirit. Even on the worst day of your life, learn to worship, pray, and invite the Lord to breathe on what seems lifeless.

This week we kick off our new series, The Gratitude Challenge, by taking a closer look at something we usually overlook, our breath. In Genesis, God breathes life into dust. In Ezekiel's vision, His breath turns dry bones into living people. And in John 20, Jesus breathes His Spirit into His followers.We'll talk about how gratitude starts with things that we might overlook, like the everyday gifts God gives: air in our lungs and the Spirit that fills our hearts. Because what you look for is what you see.Join Pastor Gerber as we explore how learning to see and thank God for the “ordinary” things changes how we see everything. Genesis 2:5-7 Acts 17:22-31 John 20:19-23

Send us a textHave you ever found yourself standing at the edge of what God is asking — hesitant to step deeper?In Ezekiel 47, the prophet sees a river flowing from the temple — ankle-deep, knee-deep, waist-deep — until it becomes a river so deep it can only be swum in. That river represents the Spirit of God, flowing with healing, life, and restoration.In this episode, I'm sharing what it's looked like in my own life to let go of control and trust God enough to step where I can no longer touch the ground. Because the truth is — full surrender isn't just about faith; it's about healing.Maybe God is inviting you, too, to take one more step. To move from standing in safe, shallow waters to being fully immersed in His presence — where healing begins and life flows again.Let's walk together into the river that makes everything come alive.

The breath of God represents His divine power to create, sustain, and renew life. In Genesis 2:7, God breathes into Adam, and humanity becomes alive—every living soul depends on God's Spirit. Job 33:4 and Psalm 104:29–30 emphasize that the same breath that gives life also sustains it; when God withdraws His Spirit, life ends, but when He sends it forth, renewal and creation begin again. God's breath also reveals His truth and power through His Word and Spirit. As written in II Timothy 3:16, all Scripture is “God-breathed,” and carries divine authority to teach, correct, and transform. In Ezekiel 37, God's breath revives dry bones, symbolizing His ability to restore what is spiritually dead. And, when Jesus breathes on His disciples in John 20:22, He imparts the Holy Spirit, giving them new spiritual life and purpose. The breath of God is both the source and sustainer of all life—physical and spiritual. From creation to Pentecost, it is portrayed as the active presence of God working within creation and humanity. This breath continues to give vitality, faith, and renewal to all who receive it.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (10/23/25), Hank shares on the meaning of Jesus' ascension into heaven.Hank also answers the following questions:Since Jesus' resurrected body is physical, does that require a location with respect to where He ascended to in heaven? Ron - Austin, TX (3:19)In Ezekiel 1:4-14, is Ezekiel seeing a UFO? Jerry - Calgary, AB (8:12)How should I respond to Christians who are judgmental? Didn't Jesus say that we should not judge? Angie - St. Claire, MO (15:11)Will Christians who smoke go to hell? Angie - St. Claire, MO (16:29)Is it bad to stop going to church and worship at home instead to avoid judgmental people? Angie - St. Claire, MO (19:51)

God did not wait until Jesus' earthly ministry to use parables. In Ezekiel 4-5, we see two visual parables commanded by God to be enacted by the prophet. What were they? Parables of judgment, for God never ignores sin…not even the sin of His own people. Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/preach-the-word/id1449859151?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aSveQvIs7SPHWB4UcmSUQ

2 Chronicles 8 told of Solomon's accomplishments in the administration of his realm. Verses 1-2 tell us that 20 years were spent in the building of Solomon's own house and the Temple of the LORD. Verses 3-10 describe king Solomon's industriousness in providing for his kingdom. Verse 11 states that king Solomon built a separate palace for Pharaoh's daughter who seems to have been the love of his life and the wife spoken of in Psalm 45 and in the Song of Solomon. Verses 12-15 says that at the beginning of his rule Solomon was active in promoting the worship of Yahweh his God. Verse 16 returns to king Solomon's greatest accomplishment in the building of the Almighty's House. Verses 17-18 tell of the great golden wealth that came annually to Solomon. In Ezekiel 43 we have the climax of the prophecy with the King of Glory coming to his temple through the East Gate from whence it had left in chapter 10 verse 4. Also read Psalm 24 which was originally composed by David as it spoke of the glorious arrival of the ark in Jerusalem: see also Psalm 132 and 1 Chronicles 16. It is likely that this Psalm may be sung to celebrate the arrival of the King of Glory via the eastern gate as the temple is inaugurated. This eastern gate of the Sanctuary is reserved for the Messiah. We also have the arrangements for the altar, as there will be animal sacrifices in the kingdom. Animal sacrifices in the Kingdom, pointing backwards to Christ just as those under the Law of Moses had pointed forwards to him. In John 9 we have the 6th sign in the healing of the blind man. The discussion in this chapter is similar to the pattern established in chapter 5. Both the blind man and his parents are persecuted by the rulers for accepting Jesus. The formerly blind man gives a remarkable and compelling testimony that Jesus must be from God. The religious leaders spitefully cast out the man who has dumbfounded them with scriptural logic. Our Lord later finds this man in the temple so as to complete his restoration. These events most likely happened at the feast of the Dedication. John 10 is the magnificent account of Jesus being the door and the Good Shepherd. Christ had come that believers might have life and have it more abundantly verses 10-11. Our Lord by laying down his life for his sheep secured for believers that wonderful hope of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Once again the theme of chapter 10 contain echoes from and are an elaboration of chapter 5 i.e. that his sheep will recognise his voice. In the purpose of bringing salvation to believers he and his Father are one i.e. united - but our Lord's power is derived from his Father. The Jews reacted to our Lord's words and by claiming that he was speaking blasphemy. Jesus proves from Psalm 82 that the judges of Israel were called "god" as they spoke God's Word. The chapterfinishes with Jesus going across the Jordan for some months - in Perea - where he remains until the events of chapter 11 would bring him back.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

What if the most dangerous thing about a nation isn't its armies, but its envy? In Ezekiel chapter 35, the spotlight falls on Edom—Mount Seir—and a hard truth emerges: God confronts “everlasting enmity,” the kind of hatred that celebrates another people's pain and seizes land under the cover of their loss. We walk through the text line by line and place it in the larger arc of Ezekiel—early judgment on Judah, mid‑book oracles to the nations, and a turn toward restoration—showing how Edom becomes a cautionary tale for every era.We trace Edom's story from Esau and Idumea into the first century with Herod to show that old rivalries have long tails. Then we grapple with God's charges: love of bloodshed, arrogant words against Him, and a bold claim on land He calls His own. It's not a blanket defense of Israel's behavior—Ezekiel spends chapters condemning Israel's sin—but it is a clear boundary against identity‑driven hatred and opportunism. If repentance spared Nineveh, Ezekiel suggests that contempt and violence summon justice. And when nations mock Israel's ruin, they risk mocking Israel's God, who says, “I have heard it.”This conversation leans into the nuance our moment needs. We separate principled critique from corrosive prejudice, ask why the land matters in Scripture, and consider how God's governance of history weighs motives as well as actions. The takeaway is both sobering and hopeful: God judges envy and bloodshed, guards His name and His promises, and prepares a path toward restoration in Ezekiel chapter 36 of — His “I will,” not Israel's merit.If this episode challenged your assumptions or clarified your thinking, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a rating or review so more listeners can join the conversation. What question do you want us to tackle next?Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

1 Chronicles 26 commences with the divisions of the gatekeepers. We may consider this role to be of insignificance, however it was a vital role in Temple worshipping. The gatekeepers would only admit those who had a sincere love of God and His Truth: John verses :21-24. Such wonderful men as the sons of Korah became gatekeepers after putting the LORD before family loyalty. Consider their words in Psalm 84 verse:10 "I would rather be a gatekeeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness". These words have their background in Korah's rebellion spoken of in Numbers 16. It would seem that David's administration is a pattern for Messiah's i.e. our Lord Jesus Christ in the kingdom age. The Hebrew word David' means 'beloved' and so it seems that the arrangements that David made for his kingdom are a type of those of God's Beloved Son. In Ezekiel 35 we have judgment on Edom (Esau), or Mount Seir. Of all Israel's neighbours those who have shown the most inveterate hatred have been the Edomites (see Malachi 1). The whole of the prophecy ofTop of the DocumentObadiah tells of a perpetual hatred, which knew no bounds in finding ways to destroy their brother, Israel. The Edomites stand as the great archetypal enemy of Yahweh. No wonder there will be great rejoicing in the whole world at their destruction. In the first eleven verses of Philippians 3 we have extreme language used by the Apostle in relation to his foes - who Paul says are savage dogs. Those Judaizers gloried in all their fleshly achievements. By contrast Paul counted such attainments as he had (and they were a very impressive list) to be futile refuse. The Apostle is waiting for the righteousness that only comes through faith. Paul says that in knowing Christ and aligning himself with our Lord's values is all that matters. The Apostle wanted a resurrection like Christ's - i.e. to stand out from among the dead ones. And to that end Paul would press to strive for the upward calling in his Lord. This calling involves a citizenship of the heavenly kingdom that will be established on earth when the Saviour returns and changes the body of our humiliation to be like unto his own glorious body (see 1 John 3 verse 1-3). In chapter 4 Paul beseeches two fine sisters, who could not get on with one another, to reconcile for the sake of the ecclesia. He thanks the Philippians for their continued generous support in contributing to his preaching, upkeep and welfare. Our God will in His time recompense those who put the success of the gospel foremost. Let us pause and ponder the sentiments of verse 13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

In 1 Chronicles 16 we have the ark finally arriving at Zion after the disastrous first attempt. It was placed in the tent David had pitched for it. And after the spirit of the Melchizedek king priest, David as a great sign of fellowship offers to all the people bread (meat) and wine (in the form of clusters of raisins). Burnt offerings and thanksgiving offerings accompany these actions and all the people receive portions of these offerings. Verses 8 to 35 record David's Psalm of thanksgiving, which was sung by the 24 orders of priests (previously organised by Samuel and David). The people enthusiastically respond in verse 36, "AMEN". The praise for Yahweh's 'chesed' - "loving kindness" continues. Psalm 132 was composed to commemorate the bringing of the ark to Zion - read it and marvel as it speaks of the righteousness andTop of the Documentsalvation, that will be ushered in when the glorious Kingdom of the Son of God comes. The Psalm needs to be read in conjunction with 1 Chronicles 17. In Ezekiel 28 we have a parabolic taunt against Tyre. In the days of Solomon, they shared in the brotherly covenant and cooperated in all things. Deterioration came between the kingdoms, as evil kings came to reign. The language is picturesque, but when read carefully, totally understandable. Verse 2 addresses the prince of Tyre - a man. Commercial and maritime wisdom abounded in this city state. They were not supernatural for the account says that they were slain by the sword. From verses 12-19 the Tyrians were in Eden - a geographic region described in Genesis 2. Then the chapter tells us of judgments on Sidon, Tyre's sister city. When Yahweh brought these judgments Israel would be regathered and restored. In Galatians we have one of the earliest books of the New Testament to be written- perhaps as early as AD42 depending upon the theory which adopted. The book must have been written after the Jerusalem' Conference, which was about the date mentioned previously. Galatians is the second of three treatises on the Atonement i.e. how sinners can be made right with God - the others being Romans and Hebrews. All three books are based on Habakkuk 2:4, "The just shall live by faith". The emphasis in Romans is the JUST...; in Galatians it is ... LIVE by faith; and in Hebrews.. live by FAITH. The problem of Judaism is addressed in this book. The Judaizers, Paul's constant foes, taught salvation was by works of the Law, and not by faith. They preached that Christ and belief in him were insufficient to save - that the keeping of the Law was also necessary in order to be saved. In Galatians 1 Paul establishes his credentials and says how he was called to the gospel. Paul also indicates that a curse would rest on anyone preaching a variant of the only true gospel. The Apostle explains that the gospel message was given him in Arabia by direct revelation i.e. personally taught it by Jesus Christ - none of the other Apostles were in any way connected with his instruction. Chapter 2 teaches us of the firm stance that Paul took on not circumcising Titus. The chapter also spoke of Peter's equivocation and hypocrisy, when confronted by false brethren called Judaizers. Read verses 15-21 aloud. Pause and ponder. Let each of us determine to live our life in Christ Jesus as the great Apostle did.

1 Chronicles 9 records the genealogies of the returned exiles and repeats Saul's genealogy. The returning exiles is a catalogue of the faithful who had endured the 70 years in Babylon and had come back to Judah and Jerusalem with a strong desire to be Yahweh's faithful remnant who would never allow God's people to be ensnared by idolatry. These returned exiles would have included many children of faithful Jews who had been educated in the hope of finding themselves among those who returned to establish Judah and Jerusalem once more. In Ezekiel 22 we have a description of the defilement of the land through blood shedding. All that mattered to Judah's inhabitants at that time was getting gain and it mattered not how many people were trampled and slaughtered because of their covetousness. The LORD God laments that there was not a single individual who would stand in the breach for Yahweh's righteousness. Luke 19 records the story of tiny Zacchaeus who had climbed the mulberry tree to catch sight of Jesus, who was to pass by among the crowd. The Lord, who was always able to read people's minds, stopped underneath the tree where the tax gatherer was. Jesus says, "Today I must dine at your house". In a statement of true repentance Zacchaeus indicates how he would pay recompense to any who he may have defrauded. Zacchaeus uses the language of the trespass offering. A great feast was hastily organised by the collector of excise. Jesus dines with him and a number of other publicans. There is a play on words throughout this chapter centring around the word "seek". Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus and instead Jesus saw Zacchaeus. Jesus had at last personally called Zacchaeus - who had already changed his ways. So much so that Jesus called him "a son of Abraham" who like Zacchaeus refused unwanted gain verses Genesis 14 verses 23. The chapter next follows the parable of the ten Minas which Jesus spoke because of the disciples' false expectation that the kingdom of God would immediately appear. It is based on the well-known historical circumstances surrounding the life of Herod Antipas. The parable is based on the utilisation of abilities distributed by the Lord. The enemies of the kingdom were slaughtered before the king. The Lord Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly upon a donkey, which had never been ridden - to the acclaim of the multitude waving palm branches and reciting the words of Psalm 118 and Zechariah 9. Next Jesus pauses as he came over the brow of the hill and caught sight of Jerusalem. Our Lord wept over the city with great tenderness. Christ explains his love and desire for that city. But he says that like the leprous house the stones would have to be torn down one by one. The next time his people would see him would be a time of Jewish conversion and repentance when they will from their hearts then say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh". This will mean blessing for the whole world - at last. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

1 Chronicles 3 records the sons of David and their genealogy through Solomon to Zerubbabel the Governor under the returned exiles from Babylon around 537 BC. Jeconiah was a descendant of king Solomon David's son. But that man was disinherited by the LORD, who said of Jeconiah verses "write this man childless ... no son of his will prosper, nor sit on David's throne verses Jeremiah 22 verses 24-30. The two branches of David's family came together in Zerubbabel by way of a Levirate marriage. Matthew 1 records Jesus' legal right to the throne through Joseph (the guardian of our Lord) as recorded there. Whereas Luke 3 records Mary's genealogy and therefore that our Lord Jesus Christ's actual ancestral line through Nathan David's son. In Ezekiel 16 we have a description of Israel Yahweh's faithless wife. Her descent is said, spiritually, to be from Amorite stock - the earliest of the Canaanitish nations (meaning "great of mouth") and the Amorites were of giant stature as Deuteronomy tells us. Israel's father is said to be a Hittite from the powerful kingdom of the Hathi originally in Turkey and among the mightiest empires of that time - rivalling Egypt. Yahweh Israel's Sovereign Lord had pity on His people and took her unto Himself as His wife in love. How did Israel repay her God's loving kindness; only by scorning Him and prostituting herself without payment. God would judge her as the profligate covenant breaker that she was. But her younger sister, Judah, behaved no better. The Almighty describes them as being of the same sisterhood as Sodom, whose abominable lewdness was legendary. Nonetheless the time would come when the repentant daughters would again be covenanted by the everlasting kindness of Yahweh in the Kingdom of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke 12 the Lord counsels regarding the destructive teachings of the Pharisees. Our Lord Jesus says to his followers to have no fear when they are tried and killed by the religious authorities. This is because our Father has power over everything - including life and death. When giving testimony before rulers believers would be aided in their witness. In the parable in this chapter of the rich fool (based on the life of Nabal in 1 Samuel 25) our Lord refuses to arbitrate in a property dispute between two brothers. Instead, Jesus turns the opportunity into a discussion about the dangers of covetousness and the need to be rich in loving service to God at all times. Christ urges the disciples to be free from anxiety. Look at nature and the Almighty's abundantly providing out of His richness. Disciples need, as wise and faithful servants, to be in a state of continual readiness for their Lord's coming. A constant challenge for disciples is that often times family opposition will be the result of a person's acceptance of Christ. As disciples we must be alert to the era in which we live. Our Master is standing at the doorpost of our hearts and knocking Revelation 3 verses 20-21. Finally, if believers find themselves in a dispute, they need to quickly reach agreement with their adversaries, or the results may be much worse. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

The Chronicle's account does not begin with the genealogy of Saul, the nation's first earthly king, as we might have expected, since he was disgraced and taken away by God in Yahweh's anger. It rather begins with the Almighty's chosen king - the man after His own heart. It tells us of David's thirteen wives and seventeen sons and the circumstances that brought one of David's younger sons, Solomon, to succeed him on the throne. It also outlines the genealogies of some of his prominent wise counsellors and of David's administration. In Ezekiel 15 we find a short but powerful parable about the vine that tells us that the wood from the is useless for making anything. The vine is also very poor in its use for kindling heat. The vine has but one use; to produce fruit and the kingdom of Judah had shown that they were useless in this respect. The vine is an oft used symbol of God's people, Israel - Isaiah 5; Psalm 80 etc. The same lessons must be applied to spiritual Israel - those who have embraced the gospel message verses Matthew 21 verses 43. We come across it in each of the four gospel accounts. The greatest lesson on our need for fruitfulness comes from the Master teacher verses John 15 verses 1-11. We can only produce fruit by abiding within the Vine of our Father's planting i.e. of ourselves we can produce fruit, but in our Lord Jesus Christ we can and will by his grace do. In Luke 11 we start with a record of, what is termed, the Lord's Prayer. It is a model prayer, not a mantra to be repeated without thought. It commences with an acknowledgement of the Father's awe-inspiring status. Then follows petitions for the Almighty's will to be fulfilled on earth, as it is in heaven. The kingdom will come when Messiah returns in glory. Lastly are personal petitions for forgiveness and for food. The prayer closed with an acclaiming of the praise, greatness and glory of our Sovereign. Then follows teaching about generosity among friends and our need to be seekers, askers and knockers on doors. Our Father is generous and gives only benefits to His children. Upon curing a deaf-mute Jesus is accused of doing it by a demon power Beel-zebul - the Lord of the dung heap. This was equivalent to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells his enemies that if he was casting out diseases by a demonic power then Jesus would be a destroyer of the kingdom of the enemy who had "inflicted" those who suffered. No, just as the magicians of Egypt at the time of Moses were forced to acknowledge - "this is the finger of God". A parable of the need to fill our cleansed and empty house with good things after the sweeping out of evil is next mentioned in the chapter. The Lord says that happiness lies in hearing and keeping the Word of God. Then follows Christ's telling the hearers of the sign of the prophet Jonah. There is more to this sign than would first seem apparent verses 1) Jonah from Gath-Hepher which is in Galilee where our Lord's ministry thrived verses see John 7 verses 52; 2) Jonah means 'dove' the evident sign at Jesus' baptism; 3) the overwhelming majority of Jesus' disciples were Galilean as Isaiah 9 verses 1-7 predicted; 4) Jonah spent three nights in the belly of hell i.e. inside the belly of the great fish before being symbolically resurrected. The chapter then instructs us to be single minded seekers. The record in this chapter concludes with the pronouncing of woes upon the Pharisees and the Lawyers because of their hypocrisy. Rather than having the effect of curtailing them in their behaviour these evil men sought even more to provoke our Lord.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

Ever wonder what happens when God steps into the kitchen? In Ezekiel chapter 24, we discover a divine cooking lesson with profound implications. God uses the vivid metaphor of a rusty cooking pot to illustrate Jerusalem's impending destruction—a powerful image that exposes the corruption permeating the holy city. The rust-encrusted pot symbolizes Jerusalem's spiritual pollution, so deeply entrenched that ordinary cleansing methods prove futile.The message intensifies as God pronounces judgment with sobering finality: "I will act, I will not relent, I will not pity, and I will not be sorry." These words reveal a dimension of divine character often overlooked in contemporary theology—a God whose patience, while vast, has boundaries. After centuries of ignored warnings and continued idol worship, God's judgment arrives with devastating clarity.The chapter takes a heartbreaking turn when God commands Ezekiel to become a living object lesson. God takes Ezekiel's wife suddenly and forbids the prophet from publicly mourning—an extraordinary departure from cultural norms that would have shocked witnesses. This painful demonstration serves a dual purpose: it mirrors how the exiles will lose their beloved temple and illustrates how the survivors of Jerusalem's fall will have no opportunity to properly mourn their losses before being marched into captivity.Throughout this exploration of divine judgment, we confront the fundamental spiritual choice that remains as relevant today as it was in Ezekiel's time: Will we submit to God and receive His cleansing forgiveness, or persist in our ways and eventually face His cleansing wrath? The imagery may be ancient, but the spiritual principle transcends time.Join us as we unpack this challenging passage that concludes God's messages against Jerusalem before He turns His prophetic attention to the surrounding nations. Whether you're a seasoned Bible student or just beginning to explore Scripture's depths, this episode offers profound insights into divine justice, human accountability, and the unwavering character of God.Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 40-41; Psalm 128; Revelation 21 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, “September 16th, 2025,” host Hunter invites us to gather around the Scriptures and discover what God is saying to us on day 260 of our journey. We'll explore detailed visions of the temple in Ezekiel 40 and 41, the blessings of Psalm 128, and the promise of a new heaven and new earth in Revelation 21. Hunter walks us through these passages as our Bible reading coach, highlighting how the temple—once the epicenter of sacrifice and divine presence—is ultimately eclipsed by Jesus, the true source of life, light, and hope. Heather joins to share a personal reflection on change, using a story about Portland's migrating swifts as a reminder of God's enduring faithfulness amidst life's transitions. Together, we close with heartfelt prayers and encouragement to embrace the new seasons God brings. Settle in as we warm our hearts by the fires of God's love, and remember—no matter what changes, you are loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: The story of sacrifice is no more. That's what stands out in today's readings—a whole narrative built around altars, offerings, and a temple, with its Most Holy Place, fades away. In Ezekiel, we see exact measurements for the place where heaven and earth would meet, the space where God would, by design, invite broken humanity into his holy presence through sacrifice. The temple stood as the epicenter of Israel's worship and God's bridge to his people. Every room, every altar, every detail pointed forward, always and only ever pointing us to him—the Lamb. But in Revelation, John sees something altogether new. The story changes. There is no more temple, because there is no more need for it: “I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” Even the sun and the moon, those keepers of time, are no more. All that once gave structure and symbol to history has been eclipsed. Darkness, suffering, and death are gone. The instruments of sacrifice have given way to the fullness of what they pointed towards—Jesus himself. What remains? Life. The Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus, the Lamb, has brought history to its completion. All stories are now dissolved into his, and only he remains, shining brighter than the sun, illuminating the city, and infusing every moment with the glory of God. The story of God's unfailing love has reached its apex, and you have been woven into that story. Your name, written in his book, means you share his eternal life and light. So now, we are called to live in that light, to abide in him, to let his life become ours. All other stories fall away. The seasons change. The world shifts around us. But here is something that endures, unchanging: you are written into the very life of Christ. The Lamb is your temple. The Lamb is your life. That's a prayer I have for my own soul. That's a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

When life feels dry, God is still able to breathe new life into dead places. In Ezekiel 37, the valley of dry bones shows us that what looks hopeless can rise again. This message will challenge you to speak life, trust the Spirit, and believe revival is possible. No matter how dry your season feels, God's breath changes everything.Join us Sunday's 8:15 | 10:00 | 11:45 Authentic Church 2416 N Center St Hickory, NC 28601 (Beside Planet Fitness) GIVING To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://authenticchurch.com/give GET CONNECTED Ready to check out Authentic Church in person? We can't wait to meet you in person. Simply fill out the form below and we'll make sure to give you the VIP treatment upon your first visit. https://authenticchurch.com/plan-a-visit ABOUT AUTHENTIC CHURCH Authentic Church exists so that people will have an authentic encounter with God, be set free, and grow in Christ. Our mission is to help each person at Authentic believe in Jesus, belong to family, inspire true worship, walk in God's Spirit, and build the kingdom of God.

The record tells us that at Hezekiah's death his son Manasseh began to reign, aged 12. His mother's name was Hephzibah, meaning 'my delight is in her'. What joy must those final years of Hezekiah's have been? But sadly, Manasseh's rule was steeped in idolatry and blood shedding. Read the LORD's summary of that bloodthirsty king's rule in verses 11-15. The streets of Jerusalem flowed with blood under this king. History records that the prophet Isaiah fled from this evil man and hid in a hollow tree. The king gave orders to saw the prophet in half (cp Hebrews 11 verses 37). However, despite 55 years of evil at Manasseh's end God forgave him because he repented and that final turning to God saw him being taken from prison to Jerusalem - see 2 Chronicles 13 verses 10-13. Ezekiel explains why in chapter 18 verses 4-23 read and ponder. But the people of Judah, having revelled in idolatry for so long, could not change their behaviours. Manasseh's son Amon succeeds him ruling for two years before being slain by the king's own servants. In Ezekiel 11 judgment is pronounced upon Judah's wicked counsellors who mistakenly saw themselves as untouchable. The prophet Ezekiel counsels Judah to settle in Babylon for the 70 years. The length of the exile that Jeremiah had prophesied. But the arrogant rulers in Judah said that no destruction could ever come to them. It was essential to totally overthrow these wicked people and to make a new start with the remnant, who were to be the returning exiles. Luke 7 begins with the healing of a faithful and loved Roman Centurion's servant. The Centurion had built a synagogue for the Jewish people - most likely in Capernaum. As a man in command and also under the authority of Rome he saw our Lord Jesus Christ as the emissary of God. Jesus announces that the Centurion's faith exceeded any faith that could be found in Israel. This Centurion was truly the seed, and heir of Abraham's kingdom (Romans 4 verses 13; Genesis 12 verses 3). In the town of Nain Jesus raises a widow's son. In this and many like incidents our Lord Jesus was learning how painful it would be for his Father to see His only begotten Son die. Messengers are sent to our Lord Jesus Christ from a disconsolate John the Baptist, who was languishing in Herod's prison at Machaerus. Jesus immediately performs many miracles before John's messengers and refers them to Isaiah 61. The Lord then remonstrates with the crowd on their fickleness - Jesus and John are both the Father's wise children. Not a greater man than John the Baptist had ever been born of a woman, except the Messiah himself. The chapter next says that a sinful woman, who comes into the house of Simon the Pharisee, anoints Jesus' feet in love - and because of her great love she is forgiven greatly for her sins. Luke is telling us in this chapter of three confrontations our Lord had with the Pharisees occurring in the house of a Pharisee - Luke 7; 11; 14. Simon the Pharisee and those with him are instructed by Christ on the basis of divine forgiveness i.e. love. Let us pause, ponder and learn this. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

At the age of 26 Josiah began to utilise the faithful craftsmen to repair the temple. Hilkiah the High Priest finds the Book of the Law (possibly the very one written by Moses about eight and a half centuries earlier). That precious book is handed to Shaphan the scribe to take it to king Josiah. Shaphan reads it before the king who rends his clothes. Josiah knows how greatly Judah has sinned against their God. Josiah sends to Huldah the prophetess, who tells them that judgment is unavoidable, but that it would be postponed until after Josiah's death because of his humility before his Sovereign. 2 Kings 23 records the reforms of Josiah all of which had been declared earlier to Jeroboam 1 by the unnamed prophet who came from Judah. Josiah causes all Judah to listen to and comply with the words of the newly found Book of the Law. The king, Josiah, finds the tomb of that prophet who had foretold these events and leaves his bones to lie undisturbed - this being symbolic of resurrection (Psalm 34 verses 20-22). Josiah keeps a Passover like none throughout the 430 years of history of the two kingdoms - Israel and Judah. Josiah dies in a battle against Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt. God had warmed Josiah not to meddle with Pharaoh Neco. But this was a bad error of judgment from Josiah that led to his tragic and premature death verses referred to in Isaiah 57 verses 1. Eliakim was placed, as a vassal of Neco, on the throne for three months; and Judah is put under tribute. Eliakim is removed and replaced by Jehoiakim. In Ezekiel 12 we have an enacted parable telling of the extremities and sufferings occasioned by the siege. Ezekiel portrays by his actions the outcomes of Jerusalem's siege. A very small remnant of Judah would be saved. Ezekiel shows that the profligate and weak king Zedekiah is to be taken into captivity. The statement was made by the false prophets that it would be a long time before the Almighty would bring such judgment on His people. Not so says Jeremiah who is asked by Yahweh to show the people of Judah the hardships that were to come and the scarcity of food. Luke chapter 8 begins by naming some of the women who accompany our Lord and his Apostles. Among them was Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's nobleman (consider some of the difficulties this may have occasioned - perhaps very similar to Obadiah, the steward of Ahab, who had fed 100 of Yahweh's prophets during the great drought). The Parable of the Sower is taught, as the basis of understanding all of our Lord's parables. As we have seen it can be called the parable of the soils as the seed sown is the same - it was the response of the 4 soil types that differed. The chapter then records an explanation from Jesus as to why our Lord spoke in parables. It was to reveal the message to the seekers and to confound the self-righteous. The teaching by parables is a fulfilment of Christ's mission and is explained in Psalm 78 verses 1-4 and Isaiah 6 verses 1-13. Then follows the parable of the lamp on the table which outlines the disciple's responsibility to spread the Gospel. Jesus' mother and brothers, being concerned for him, seek to curtail his preaching. They are told to join the supporters rather than those who are slowing down God's work. Next Jesus calms a storm demonstrating that he is indeed the Son of God (see Psalm 107 verses 23-32). The chapter then says that he heals the man called Legion. Whose curing is proved by the destruction of the pigs. The Jews should not have been breeding these as the Law of Moses forbad it. The record follows with the curing of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years (note Luke's ironic comments about his fellow doctors). Then Jesus raises the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus (whose name means 'enlightenment') and presents her alive to her parents. Christ shows that he is indeed the Good Shepherd of John 10 when he said to the child "little lamb arise".

In 2 Kings 15 we are told of Azariah's 52-year rule over Judah, which was after the same manner as his father. Azariah's reign had little effect on the nation's behaviour. He died a leper living apart from his people. In the north, 38 years into Azariah's rule, Zachariah had an inglorious 6 months of evil rule before being smitten by his servant, Shallum - who took the throne in the 39th year of Azariah (also called Uzziah). Shallum too was slain by Menahem, who took his place. The emerging pattern of the north is of violent instability which spiralled rapidly towards a final disintegration. The Assyrian king, Pul, came and put Israel to tribute. In Ezekiel 5 we read of another enacted parable. The prophet takes some of his hair and divides into 3 parts - one third was hacked with a knife, indicating destruction by the sword; another third was thrown in the wind, speaking of scattering; yet another third was burnt in the fire. But a few strands of hair, representing the remnant of the nation that was to be saved. Those hairs were to be bound in the prophet Ezekiel's robe. In Luke 1 the beloved doctor (not an Apostle) gives his account. Luke sets out in order of happening of events in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The written account is to Theophilus - a name meaning 'a lover of God'. Some have suggested that Theophilus was a high ranking Roman official. Whether this is true or not, the book is addressed to us, as lovers of God. Verses 5-18 tell of Zacharias, the priest and his temple service. Those verses tell us that the aged priest and his wife Elizabeth, had no children as she was barren. The angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias and foretells him of the birth and mission of John the Baptist - the son that was to be miraculously born to this old man and his barren wife. Because Zacharias doubted the angel's words, he was struck dumb till the day of John's birth. Note John's mission was said to be the fulfilment of Malachi 4 verses 5-6. The angel Gabriel was next sent to the wonderful Mary. This faithful young woman had been chosen by Yahweh to be the mother of His Son. This birth too was to be brought about by an even greater miracle. Read the angel's words aloud in verses 30-33 - ponder the import. Mary accepts the message and as the handmaid of the LORD she says that she will humbly comply. Mary's cousin Elizabeth, who was herself 6 months pregnant, is visited by Mary and together these two faithful women praise and exalt God; and spiritually encourage each other. Mary's song of praise giving is recorded in verses 46-55. Compare Mary's song and words of rejoicing with Hannah's song told to us in 1 Samuel 2 verses 1-10. John is born and named. Then his father Zacharias' tongue is loosed. Consider his remarkable prophecy of the work of the two greatest men ever born. The record brings together a significant number of Old Testament scriptures. Read these words in verses 68-79 and ponder the greatest epoch of spiritual ministries of all time, that was to emerge in the ministries of these two servants of the Almighty.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow at https://christadelphianvideo.org/christadelphian-daily-readings/

In Ezekiel chapter 38, God warns about a major war in which the enemy will try to wipe out Israel. There is a lot of debate about when this war will break out. There are four clues that can help us to know the general timeframe of the Ezekiel 38 war. Let's find out more about these clues now—here, on Foreshadows Report!Learn more about Steve and his books at https://SteveMillerResources.comProduced by Unmutable™

In Ezekiel 16-18, what is all the imagery talking about? What does it mean that "the soul who sins shall die?" and "Does God take pleasure in the death of the wicked? In today's episode, Emma Dotter and Watermark member Brett Bruster answer these questions and discuss best Bible study practices for challenges passages, like here in Ezekiel. Additional references: Exodus 20Check out the Ezekiel commentaries by Daniel Block: https://a.co/d/an7FOseTo dig in deeper, check out: www.bestcommentaries.comYou can also check out the Join The Journey Jr. Podcast: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey-junior/id1660089898Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6SG7aaE1ZjjFkgB34G8zp3?si=c960a63736904665Check out the Join The Journey Website for today's devotional and more resources!https://www.jointhejourney.com/Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Watermark-Community-Church/author/B0BRYP5MQK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1755623322&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=8aeeec3b-6c1c-416d-87ae-5dfbbb6981dfCheck out the study sheet for the book of Ezekiel: https://assets.ctfassets.net/t8fa2ob1jrlx/1nfYhjBL8GoghOiWIQ8idp/72e3e691a949f1ca64db8f43b2a07eda/26-Ezekiel-Study-Sheet.pdf

Fr. Mike shows us from our reading of Jeremiah that when we give our hearts and minds over to idols we become foolish. The way of man is not in himself, we need the Lord to guide and correct us. In Ezekiel, we read about the vision of the measuring of the temple and Fr. Mike shows us how the early Church Fathers would read the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. Today's readings are Jeremiah 10-11, Ezekiel 40, and Proverbs 15:5-8. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

In Ezekiel 47, the prophet, along with his angelic guide, witnesses a river of living water flowing from the temple. Sitting on the bank of the river with the angel, Ezekiel observes that the river brings life to everything it touches. In the Gospels, Jesus often referred to himself as living water. This wasn't just a casual use of a metaphor; it was a deliberate theological statement that connected his ministry to ancient prophetic promises.Support the show

Fr. Mike explains the significance behind the mention of bones in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In Jeremiah, we learn that the bones of God's people are scattered because of their worship of false gods. In Ezekiel, we see the prophet prophesy over the valley of dry bones and the Lord's Spirit restoring and moving within them. Today's readings are Jeremiah 8, Ezekiel 37-38, and Proverbs 14:33-35. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Fr. Mike points out that the prophecy from Isaiah 61 is fulfilled by Jesus (as described in Luke 4). In Ezekiel, Fr. Mike draws our attention to the importance of the Sabbath as the sign of the covenant with God. The readings are Isaiah 61-62, Ezekiel 20, and Proverbs 13:13-16. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

“On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: ‘Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!’ The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.” (Jonah 3:4–5 NLT) The Old Testament prophet Jonah very reluctantly went to the city of Nineveh to warn that God was going to judge its people in forty days. Jonah was reluctant because he understood God’s nature. He knew that if the Ninevites repented, God would forgive them and spare them His judgment. That’s not the outcome Jonah was rooting for. He hated the Ninevites and wanted to see them face God’s judgment. Jonah understood that he served a merciful and loving God. The fact that God was sending him to warn the Ninevites to repent instead of just judging them was evidence of His compassion and concern. Sure enough, Jonah’s worst-case scenario became a reality. The people of Nineveh repented from their sins and the king commanded his subjects to “pray earnestly to God” (Jonah 3:8 NLT). As a result, God lifted His judgment from the people of Nineveh. People in our culture today would have you believe that the God of the Bible is a vengeful deity who revels in His power to bring death and destruction on anyone who dares to disobey Him. Scripture itself paints a different picture. The God of the Bible is holy and just. Sin cannot exist in His presence. And He demands that all sin be punished. In Romans 6:23, the apostle Paul tells us that the punishment for sin is death. But the God of the Bible is also loving in a way that we cannot fully comprehend. He sent His Son to take the punishment we deserve for our sin and to die in our place. God sacrificed His Son so that anyone who believes in Him can escape judgment and have eternal life. In Ezekiel 33:11, God said, “I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live” (NLT). The apostle Peter, in talking about why Jesus hasn’t returned yet, said, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9 NLT). Everyone has sinned, so everyone deserves God’s punishment. If you receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you receive eternal life in Heaven with Him because your punishment has already been taken by Him. If you reject Him, you will face God’s punishment yourself—that is, eternal separation from Him. God has gone to unimaginable lengths to save you from His punishment. The next step is yours. If you confess your sins, turn away from them, and trust in Jesus, you will never have to worry about God’s judgment. Instead, you’ll discover the depths of His mercy, grace, and love. Reflection question: How would you explain God’s holiness, justice, and love to someone who knows little about Him? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.