For today, One Year Bible Online links here. We are approaching the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. Let us seek to serve God in all that we do in the New Year.

    The writer calls on us to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. If we want our society to prosper we must speak up for the poor and the helpless. We must seek to ensure that they receive justice. Any society which does not ensure that those who cannot speak for themselves receive justice will find itself in decline.

    This psalm calls on everyone and everything to praise God. Not for any particular reason except that God is our creator. Reading this psalm brings to mind one of my favorite songs. I know that song as Hymn 606 because it was number 606 in the Mennonite Hymnal I grew up with. I would encourage anyone who is unfamiliar with this hymn to search for “Mennonite Hymn number 606” on Youtube and watch a few different videos of it. Being part of a group singing that song in four part harmony, even if not very well, can lift your spirit in much the manner intended by this psalm.

    Next in John’s vision Satan is bound for a thousand years. During that thousand years Satan is unable to deceive the people of the world. During that thousand years those who had died for resisting the beast were raised from the dead and ruled over the earth. When the thousand years comes to an end Satan will be released. He will immediately proceed to deceive the people of the world once more. He will gather the nations to make war on God’s people but the vast army will be struck down by fire.
    This battle will be followed by the coming of God’s judgement on the living and the dead. Everyone will be judged according to what they have done. Anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death. What strikes me as I read this is that a casual reading seems to indicate that some will avoid the lake of fire because they lived exemplary lives. However, only those whose name is written in the Book of Life will avoid the lake of fire. It is not spelled out here, but elsewhere in the New Testament it is made clear that we do not earn our way into the Book of Life by our good behavior. Rather, we exhibit good behavior because our name is written in the Book of Life.

    Zechariah’s prophecy here resembles part of John’s vision in the book of Revelation, but it is not quite the same. If this prophecy is referring to the same events as the similar prophecy in Revelation there are enough differences that it is clear there is a different lesson here for us. In this vision we learn that Israel’s enemies will strike Jerusalem and defeat its armies taking many captive. Yet as soon as that has happened God will enter the battle on Israel’s behalf. His first act will be to provide them with a miraculous path to flee the destruction.
    God will come and rule over the world and no one will worship any other gods. A plague will come upon those who refuse to worship God and nations which do not worship Him will experience famine. As I read this passage it reminds me to redouble my prayers for my friends who do not yet know the Lord. Zechariah tells us that the day will come when everyone will realize who God truly is and worship His name. The suffering experienced by those few who refuse to worship Him will be obvious to all.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Zechariah prophesies that there will come a day when all the nations will gather to attack Israel. They will overrun and sack Jerusalem. When the conquest is completed, God Himself will fight against those nations. He will make a path for His people to flee from their enemies, while He brings down their armies. Once this has happened, a river of life-giving water will flow out of Jerusalem to the east and another to the west. God will send a plague on the nations which fought against Israel (the effects of the plague sound a lot like the descriptions of zombies). In the end, the people who survive the plaque will worship the Lord.
     The prophecy tells us that Jerusalem will be completely destroyed by its enemies, but no sooner will they have gained the victory then God will strike them down and rescue His people. God will exhibit His power on the earth and people will turn to Him for salvation. People from all over the earth will gather to worship His name. Those who refuse to worship the Lord will suffer, not because people persecute them, but because nature itself will turn against them. On the other hand those peoples who worship the Lord will prosper. There will be peace throughout the earth as everyone turns to the Lord and is governed by His will.

     John also tells us of a time when God shall reign on this earth. Satan will be bound for a thousand years, unable to deceive the people of the earth. During that time Christ will rule over the earth. At the end of that time Satan will be released and once more he will deceive people. He will gather armies from the ends of the earth to attack God’s people. His army will be as numberless as the sand on the sea shore. It will gather to attack God’s people, but before it can strike, fire will come from heaven and consume it. Satan, the beast, and the false prophet of the beast will be thrown into a lake of fire.
     Christ will come on a white horse and the earth and sky will be no more. All people from all time will be brought before Him to be judged according to their deeds. When the judgment begins death and the grave will be cast in the lake of fire, no more to have power over anyone. Those whose names were not recorded in the Book of Life will also be cast into the lake of fire. Both John and Zechariah tell us that the day will come when those who continue to refuse God’s grace will suffer for the consequences of the sins they have refused to repent. At the same time, God will rule over the earth and reward those who have accepted His grace and allowed Him to mend their ways.

     The psalmist reminds us to praise the Lord, for if it were not for Him we would not exist. He created us and gave us life. Let everything that is praise the Lord. From the least to the greatest, we owe God praise for all of the joy we have experienced. The surest way to experience more joy is to thank and praise God for the joy you have already experienced. I will praise the Lord.

     The writer tells us to speak up for those unable to speak for themselves. Let us fight for justice for those who are unable to fight for it for themselves. The only way to be sure that we will receive justice is to fight for justice for those who cannot do so for themselves.