Tag Archives: Zechariah 9:1-17

December 26, 2014 Bible Study — The Great Prostitute

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Day yesterday. God bless us every one.

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Proverbs 30:32

    If you have exalted yourself, blown your own horn, or otherwise promoted how wonderful you are to others, you have been foolish and should be ashamed of yourself. If you have planned evil, you should be even more ashamed of yourself.

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Psalm 145:1-21

    Each generation will tell the next of God’s wonderful power. I will meditate on the works which God has done and proclaim His deeds. If you are a faithful follower of God you will speak of the glory of His kingdom and give examples of His power. Let us tell others how God has worked in our lives and exalt Him before all we meet.

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Revelation 17:1-18

    After the seven plagues, one of the seven angels took John to show him another vision. He saw a woman dressed in purple and scarlet, the colors of royalty and wealth, sitting on a scarlet beast. The beast had seven heads and ten horns. I am sure that John believed the woman to be the Roman Empire, and he may have been correct (at least partially). The passage tells us that the seven heads are seven kings, five of whom have already fallen from power, a sixth who is currently ruling, and a seventh who has yet to rise to power. Then we are told that the beast is an eighth king. We are told that the ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power.
    The angel in the vision tells John that the beast was alive, is not now, yet will come up out of the Abyss. Those who do not serve God, whose names are not written in the Book of Life, will be amazed when the beast reappears. The beast and the ten horns will hate the woman. They will combine their power first in order to attack God and those who serve Him. They will be defeated, but before that happens they will destroy the woman. The woman is the city who rules over all the kings of the world.
    As I read this passage, parts of it seem to fit into something I can understand, then I read on, or refer back, and it all slips away. However, there are a few points which always remain. First, secular power is always transient. Those peoples and nations who have power today will lose that power before long. The second is that secular powers will, sooner or later, end up defying God and persecuting those who faithfully serve Him.

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Zechariah 9:1-17

    Zechariah prophesies that Israel’s neighbors who are also her enemies will be destroyed. Further he prophesies that the remaining Philistines will join the Jews in worshiping God, becoming a clan of Israel. God promises to protect Israel from being overrun ever again. Does this prophecy apply today? Or is it for some time yet to come?
    Zechariah then gives a prophecy concerning the coming of Israel’s king, a prophecy which I see as clearly a prophecy of the Messiah. Zechariah speaks of Israel’s king riding into Jerusalem victorious, but humble. Zechariah tells us that when the Messiah comes, it will not be with great military power. In fact, the Messiah will destroy all military equipment and bring peace to the world. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, at the height of the crowd’s Messianic fervor for Him, it was this passage which He chose to embody. By doing this, Jesus was telling us that He was already victorious and would not be using military force to bring about His Kingdom.

December 26, 2013 Bible Study — Meditate On God’s Greatness, Then Proclaim It

     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.

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Zechariah 9:1-17

     Zechariah prophesies the fall and destruction of all of Israel’s neighbors. Their destruction will be so devastating that those who survive will turn to God and join with the Israelites in worshiping Him. At the same time, God will send a King to bring peace to Israel and the world. This King will not bring peace through might and power, instead He will bring peace through humility and service. The King will come, not as a ruler, but as a servant leader. He will do away with weapons and armies. God’s people will be victorious as they follow the King He has given them, not through military might, but through serving and relying on God.

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Revelation 17:1-18

     Next in John’s vision was the image of a woman sitting on a beast with seven heads and ten horns. John is told that the woman is a prostitute who rules over much of the earth. The rulers of the world have committed adultery with her and the people of the world have indulged, to the point of drunkenness, in her immorality. The beast upon which she sits will gather the power of many kings and go to war against the Lamb of God, but they will be defeated by the Lamb. Despite the fact that the woman has provided immoral delights to the peoples and rulers she rules over, they will hate her. In the form of the beast, and the rulers who are represented by its heads and horns, the peoples of the world will turn on the prostitute and destroy her.
     There is a lot of symbolism in this passage, and I believe it refers to a specific set of events. I am also convinced that there are general messages for us in this passage as well. One general message is that nations and people can come to be dominant in the world through offering trade and things which people desire. Yet if that nation and people do not maintain a godly set of morality, the peoples they dominate will hate them and turn on them at the first opportunity, even if that means yielding authority and power to those who are blatantly evil, those who are obviously a beast. The only path to peaceful victory is to follow the Lamb’s example of servant leadership.

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Psalm 145:1-21

     The psalmist reminds us that each generation must tell the next of God’s mighty acts and wondrous deeds. I will meditate on God’s majesty and splendor, but I will not stop there. I will go from meditating on God’s greatness to proclaiming it to those I meet. God keeps His promises and helps those bent beneath their loads. He will keep close to those who call on Him and satisfy the desires of those who fear Him. He protects those who love Him but destroys the wicked. I will praise the Lord and call on everyone to bless His Holy name.

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Proverbs 30:32

     If you have boasted of your greatness or plotted evil, now is the time to recognize your error and change your ways. Do not continue to boast, or follow through on your plots. Otherwise, you will suffer for your actions.

December 26, 2012 Bible Study — Join Yourself With the People of God

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

And a Child Shall Lead Them
And a Child Shall Lead Them

Zechariah 9:1-17

     Zechariah prophecies the downfall of the countries surrounding Israel. He says that they think they are well defended, but they will be destroyed. The Philistines will be so terrified by the coming destruction that they will join with the people of Israel in order to enjoy the protection of God. God will watch over His people and will ensure that no more foreign oppressors overrun their land. God will send their king and He will come riding on a donkey. The King will come to bring peace. God will destroy the weapons of war and free the captives. God will rescue His people and bring peace to the world.

Angels We Have Heard On High
Angels We Have Heard On High

Revelation 17:1-18

     The writer describes how in his vision he saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. He was told that she was a prostitute who rules over many waters. The kings of the world had committed adultery with her and the people who belonged to this world had become drunk on the wine of her immorality. The heads and the horns represent kings who will give their power to the beast. The kings will give their power to the beast and together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them. The horns and the scarlet beast will turn on the woman and destroy her.
     There is a lot of symbolism in this passage, most of which I have no idea how to interpret. However, there is one message that I see that some people should take to heart. The woman represents a nation that has ruled over the world by trade and negotiation. She has gained her power, at least in part, by giving to the peoples of the world things that they desire. Nevertheless, they hate her. I am not a big fan of attempting to apply these prophetic passages to modern politics. I generally believe that God does not call us to be involved in politics. However, I think there is a message here that applies to the modern U.S.. If any country in the world today were to qualify as the prostitute from this vision, it would be the U.S.. The U.S. has spread immorality throughout the world in the form of our culture. Despite the fact that many throughout the world have (from a worldly perspective) benefited from their relationship with the U.S., they still hate the U.S.. Ultimately the lesson to be learned from this is that we was Christians are not to be in the business of building up kingdoms in this world. We are instead to put our energy into building up the kingdom of the One who said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Three Wise Men
Three Wise Men

Psalm 145:1-21

     I will praise the Lord. I will meditate on God’s majestic splendor and wonderful miracles. I will be one of His faithful followers and praise Him. I will speak of the glory of His Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven. I will not give my loyalty to any kingdom or nation of this world, but only to God Himself and His Kingdom. The Lord lifts those bent under the burden of their loads and helps the fallen. The Lord is righteous and I will call on Him. He will protect me and provide for me.

Mary & Joseph
Mary & Joseph

Proverbs 30:32

     Forgive me Lord for my pride and the evil I have plotted.