Jonah 4: 1-11 Jonah's Displeasure Rebuked:

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you." Then Jonah cried out, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." The people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. This greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He went out from the city and made a shelter and sat under it until he could see what happened in the city. When the sun came up, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die. The Lord said, "You had compassion on the shelter which perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between right and left hand, as well as many animals?"

This is one of the Old Testament illustrations on God's concern for all persons, not only the Jews.
In the New Testament, Jesus echoes the same sentiment when he says that he has other sheep that he also tends. He was the Good Shepherd to the House of Israel, but he was also the one who left the ninety-nine to seek the one lost sheep. This is why he is called the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, instead of the King of Israel. God's own compassion along with his grace are the grounds for the Christian faith and our hope for forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

Daily Prayer: Father, I thank you that you do not remember our sins or count them against us.
Instead, you work all things together for good for those who love you and are called by you.
Let us be ones to tell others of your saving grace so that we can continue the work of Jesus in our own lives. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Jonah 2: 1-4, 10. Jonah's Prayer ( and Psalm)

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, "I called out of my distress to the Lord, and he answered me.I cried for help from the depth os Sheol, and you heard my voice. You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current engulfed me. All your breakers and billows passed over me. So I said that I have been expelled from your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward your holy temple." Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.

Jonah, in his prayer to God is repenting of his failure to obey the word of his God. He realizes that he is accountable to him and prays to be restored. He prays with confidence that the Lord will be attentive to his prayer. When God is satisfied with Jonah's confession, he brings him back from the deep for a time of service.

Daily Prayer: Father it is much easier to talk the talk, rather than walking the walk. It is easier to say that I believe, than to point one's own feet in the direction of obedience. I ask you this day, by the power of the Spirit that dwells in me, to give me the will to follow and obey. In Jesus name & for his sake I pray Amen.

Jonah 1: 1-4, 12, 17 Jonah's Disobedience

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down into it to go with them from the presence of the Lord. The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. Then Jonah said, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you." The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and nights.

Who can run from the presence of the Lord? If you go as high as heaven or as low as Sheol, God is there too! Jonah should have known that God is righteous, and every man is a liar.
Nineveh was the capitol city of Assyria, who were a world dominant power at that time, and no friend to the Jews. They were known for their cruel treatment of their enemies, so Jonah decided to ignore God's command and flee. Jesus refers to Jonah in the gospels. He says that just as Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days, so must the Son of Man be in the grave for three days before he is resurrected from the dead, claiming victory over it.

Daily Prayer: Father, it is hard for man to obey ever since the fall of Adam. I thank you for Jesus Christ who is the second Adam. He was fully obedient to you, even death on the cross.
It is through him that we share the victory and right standing with you. It is in Jesus name that I pray Amen.

Obadiah 1: 15-15-18 The Day of the Lord & the Future:

"The day of the Lord draws near for all nations, as you have done, it will be done to you. You drank on my holy mountain, now all the nations will drink their continually.On Mount Zion, here will those who escape, and it will be holy. Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau will be as stubble. They will set them on fire and consume them so that there will be no survivor in the house of Esau." The deliverers will ascend to Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord's.

From Jerusalem (Mount Zion) deliverers (judges) will govern the people who will have occupied the mountains of Esau (Edom). In the millennium, the kingdom will belong to the Lord and Israel will be restored as a nation, and will occupy the land, and be ruled by her King - the Lord himself.

When Edom was prosperous, one could have asked why the wicked do well, but the voice of Obadiah thunders through the Old Testament with a reminder that God will not be mocked, and whatever a man sows, he will also reap.

Daily Prayer: Father, help me to learn the hard lessons of life, especially those that come through discipline. Train my mind by your spirit to overcome the strongholds that keep me from living out a godly life. In your name I pray Amen.

Obadiah 1: 10-14 Edomites anger God Almighty:

"Because of violence to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and cut off forever. You stood aloof, when strangers carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered his gate. You gloated over his misfortune and rejoiced over the sons of Judah. You looted them on the day of their disaster, and you stood at the fork of the road to cut down their fugitives and take their survivors to prison."

Jacob and Esau were the two sons of Isaac and Jacob was chosen by God to receive the Abrahamic Covenant carrying on the work of Abraham to build a great nation for God. The descendants of both Esau and Jacob become great nations. Esau's descendants become national Edom who dwelt in the clefts of the mountain rocks south of Jerusalem. Jacob's name was changed by God to Israel and national Israel was derived from Jacobs twelve sons.
In the verses above, it is referring to a time when God was bringing judgment against the Jews in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. They were exiled outside of their land by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. God is angered at the Edomites (Esau's relatives) for rejoicing over their brother's misfortune. Now God has made a decision not to spare Edom because of their lack of brotherly love for Jacob.

Daily Prayer: Father, we are all so self-centered that we even reduce our own flesh and blood to stubble for our own pride. You do not permit this. This is why Jesus taught on the Sermon on the Mount that "blessed are the poor in spirit, because they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven."
This is what you look for in me, which is love for the other person and compassion on the lost.
In your holy name I pray Amen.

Amos 9: 1-2, 11, 14-15 God's Judgment & Restoration:

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, "Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake,and break them on the head of them all! And though they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword that it slay them, and I will set my eyes agaist them for evil and not for good." In later days, declares the Lord God, "I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old. I will plant them in their own land, and they will not again be rooted our from the land which I have given them," says the Lord God.

The book of Amos ends with a message of hope. God has not forgotten the promises that he made to Abraham and to David. Though God brings maximum covenant punishment on his people, he restores them because they were chosen by God to rule as a royal priesthood and to mediate God blessings to the nations. This is their calling, and it will surely come to pass.

Daily Prayer: Lord, you bring about all things so that your will is done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Praise be to your name for the sovereignty you have over the nations and your loving-kindness to those who you have called. I also want to give special thanks and recognition of answered individual prayers of the saints who depend on you for their well-being. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Amos 8: 1-11 Basket of Fruit - Israel's Captivity:

He said "What do you see?" And I said,"A basket of summer fruit." Then the Lord said to me, "The end has come for my people Israel, I will spare them no longer. The songs of the palace will turn to wailing in that day," declares the Lord. "Many will be corpses; in every place they will be cast the forth in silence." Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land saying, "When will the new moon be over, so that we may sell grain, and the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, to make the bushel smalller and the shekel bigger. To cheat with dishonest scales so as to buy the helpless for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and that we may sell the rufuse of the wheat. The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob, "Indeed, I will never forget any of their deeds. Because of this, will not the land quake, and everyone who dwells in it mourn? "The days are coming when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord."

The Israelites had replace God for money and a easy life style. They forgot the God who dwelt with their fathers and let them up out of Egypt in their time of distress. Now that they are in the land, they do not remember the strong hand of God's deliverence or the covenant made with their fathers. But the covenant remains, and the Israelites will pay the high price of going back into captivity and God will withdraw his word from them for 400 years, not to be renewed again until John the Baptist.

Daily Prayer: Father, today your word dwells in the hearts of the believer. We still do stumble, but greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world. Break us free from the sin that can bind us, and make us in the image of your Son or Redeemer. In His name I pray Amen.

Amos 7: 1-9 Warning through visions:

The Lord God showed me that he was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout. And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said,"Lord God, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, because he is small?" The Lord changed his mind about this. "It shall not be," the Lord said. The Lord showed me and he was calling to contend with them by fire and it consumes the farm land. Then I said, "Lord God, please stop! How can Jacob stand since he is too small?" "This too, shall not be," said the Lord. The Lord showed me, and he was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in his hand. "What do you see, Amos?"
I said, "A plumb line." The Lord said "I am about to put a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I will spare them no longer."

God does not desire to punish us in order to gain obedience. But the Bible says that the father who does not chasten his son does not love him. In the same way, we who are children of God need to revere our father and give him the obedience he deserves. The human heart is a thorny and hard to teach short of punishment. We lean not to wisdom, but to our own understanding. This is a result of the fall of man in the garden, when the Satan put the will of man against the will of their Creator. All will not be restored until we see the second coming of our Savior.

Daily Prayer: Holy Father, create in me a clean heart and give me understanding so that I can walk humbly before you. Give me only what I need for today so that I live a life that depends on you. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Amos 1:1, 4: 1-11 God's five proclamations against Israel:

These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel, two years before the earthquake. Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria. You oppress the poor, and you crush the needy. I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you have not returned to me. I withheld the rain from you so two or three cities would stagger to another to drink water, yet you have not returned to me. I smote you with scorching wind and mildew, yet you have not returned to me. I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, yet you have not returned to me.I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, yet you would not return to me.

The book of Amos consists of five proclamations (given above), three judgments, and two woes. Amos is a sheepherder who lives outside of Jerusalem in Judah, yet he is sent by God to warn those in the northern kingdom of Samaria. God desires a relationship with his people, but the people were living comfortably in times of prosperity and taking advantage of those who were needy. In these verses, God calls them to account and finds them guilty under the covenant he made with their father's Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even with God's hand against them, they could not repent and live.

Daily Prayer: Father, you give me many chances to repent of the evil that dwells within me. By the power of the Holy Spirit, whom you have sent to guide me, let me break free from the cords that bind me. In Jesus name and for his sake I pray Amen.

Joel 3: 1-2, 14-17 the Nations will be judged:

"In those days, and at a certain time, I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem. I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of my people and my inheritance, Israel has been scattered among the nations, and divided up my land. Multitudes upon multitudes will be in the valley of decision! The Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The heavens and the earth tremble, but the Lord is a refuge for his people, and a stronghold to the sons of Israel. The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain, so Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will pass through it no more."

The prophecy found here goes back to the covenant God made with Abraham. He said that his seed would multiply and become a great nation. He willed these chosen ones land of their own and promised that through Israel, God would mediate his goodness to the nations. The kings of the world scattered his holy people and the land of inheritance they divided. Now at the end of our age, God himself and his son Jesus Christ will restore Zion and subjugate the nations.

Daily Prayer: Father, in my time, your elect is the Jewish people and those chosen by you to be followers of Jesus Christ. Convince and convict our friends, family, and neighbors of their sinfulness and need for a savior. In this way, they can avoid the day of judgment, because their sins are forgiven! In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Joel 2: 28-32 The promise of the Spirit:

"It will come about after this, that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind, and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth such as blood, fire, and colomns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered; on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, there will be those who escape, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls."

This is one of the great verses in the Old Testament with New Testament application. The giving of the Spirit is the Day of Pentecost whom Jesus said that he would send. The Spirit was sent to give the apostles and Christian's power. Starting on that day, those who called on Jesus as their Savior become indwelt by the Spirit of God, even to this very day. The awesome Day of the Lord is a reference to the latter days, the period of Great Tribulation before the second advent of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, I await your return which is the blessed hope. Hasten your return because the world and your redeemed groan until the day of our bodily redemption. In your name I pray Amen.

Joel 1: 1-4, 14-16 The Day of the Lord:

The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:" Has anything like this happened in your days? Tell your sons about it, and let your sons tell their son, and their sons the next generation." What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten. And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten. What the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten. Consecrate a fast, and proclaim a solemn assembly. Gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God and cry out the the Lord, because the Day of the Lord is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

Israel had undergone a locust plague. The prophet Joel says that the Day of the Lord is a time of judgment for his people. He wants them to learn from this devestation and have the generations to come to know about it. The locusts had taken the crop that the poeple depend upon. The Day of the Lord is not a good day where there is reward, but instead it brings judgment on the temporal problems (the food to eat, but also on national problem which is the coming invasion by the Babylonians). He exhorts the people to repent which is evidenced through the fasting and calling upon the name of the Lord their God.

Daily Prayer: Repentance is the turning away from my sin and seeking the Lord my God for my strength to live a holy life before him. Sin has brought terrible problems on us. Sin points my attention to myself instead of to my God who is my Father and Redeemer. As a son of the Most High, I need to learn to walk by the Spirit, so that I do not fulfill the desires of the flesh. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Hosea 14: 1-3, 8-10 Israel's Future Blessing

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. For you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him, "Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, so that we may present the fruit of our lips. Assyria will not save us, and we will not ride on horses, nor will we say again, 'Our god,' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy." O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant cypress; from me comes your fruit. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; and whoever is discerning, let him know them. The ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them.

These verses refer to a future time. Assyria took Israel into captivity, and there is no record of their return. However, when the Son of Man returns, he will be received by a remnant of all of his people. They will repent and they will be restored. As for now, their hearts remained hardened as we await the return of the Redeemer.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. In you rests all power and wisdom of the people of the world. You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Apart from you, there is no deliverance. Keep me this day in the shadow of your protection. Bless me and keep me so that I may praise you and magnify your name. Amen.

Hosea 11: 1-2, 5, 8-9 God is faithful to his people:

When Israel was a youth I loved him. And out of Egypt I called my son. The more they called them, the more they went from them. They kept sacrificing to the Baals, and burning incense to idols. They will not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria will be their king, because they refused to return to me. My heart is turned over within me, and all my compassions are kindled. I will not execute my fierce anger, I will not destroy them, because I am God and not man. (the holy one in their midst).

The first verse in this set is picked up by the New Testament writers as a reference to Jesus being called out of Egypt by his father. In the context of this text, however, it explains that even though God has always been faithful, the Israelites did not trust him so they sacrificed to Baal, who is the god of fertility. God explains that because of their lack of trust in him, they will seek and find another king who is Assyria who is the nation God used to bring Israel out of the land and into captivity. But God remembers his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and reserves a day for reconciliation.

Daily Prayer: Holy Father, do not cast aside the people of God. Instead give us the power to strive for holy living this side of heaven. Do your work through the Holy Spirit so that when we walk by the Spirit, we will not turn to the flesh for our answers. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Hosea 8: 1-9 Israel reaps the whirlwind:

Put the trumpet to your lips! Israel has rejected the good, so now the enemy will pursue him. They have set up kings, but not by me. They have appointed princes, but I did not know it. With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves. The Lord has rejected your calf, O Samaria, saying, "My anger burns against them!" How long will they be incapable of innocence? Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces. For they sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads, and yields no grain. Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up. For they have gone to Assyria like a wild donkey all alone.

The Jews were a divided nation at this time. There was the kingdom of Israel whose capital city was Samaria and the kingdom of Judah whose capital is Jerusalem. God is directing this message toward Israel, because their first king who was Jeroboam made for his kingdom golden calvess to worship. He wanted them worshipping these idols to prevent them from going to Jerusalem for true worship in God's temple. This became known as the sin of Jeroboam, who caused the people to sin. This same sin was repeated by succeeding kings in Israel, even though it was God who delivered them from bondage in Egypt with a strong hand. Because of this disobedience, these Jews will be operating without God's covenant blessing.

Daily Prayer: Father, it is easy to look at others and say, "How could they do such a thing?" Yet in our own way, we repeat the same sin. Every time we put anything ahead of you, such as shopping, ballgames, finances, or our homes and children, we are committing the sin of idolatry. Forgive us Father. Create in me a clean heart and renew my spirit so that I turn to you first for all my needs and praises. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Hosea 5; 1-3, 12-14 The people's apostacy rebuked:

Hear this, O priests! Give heed, O house of Israel! Listen, O house of the king! For the judgment applies to you, for you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread out on Tabor. O Ephriam, you have played the harlot. Isreal has defiled itself. Their deeds will not allow them to return to God, because they have the spirit of harlotry within them. Judah has stumbled with them. Ephriam will become desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel I declare what is sure. Therefore I am like a moth to Ephriam, and like rottenness to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away. I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver. I will go away and return to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their affliction they will earnestly seek me.

Both Israel and Judah were seeking thier help from pagan nations and not the God of their covenant.
This is the spirit of harlotry God speaks of. He will indeed bring judgment on his people. Israel will be removed from their land by the army of Assyria and Judah will be carried away by Babylon. This is the maximum covenant judgment that God brings against the descendants of Abraham.

Daily Prayer: Father, teach me faithfulness in my day. Let me be the one to acknowldge you as God and your Son as Savior. Wash away my sins and guilt by the blood of Jesus. In his name I pray Amen.

Hosea 1: 2-9 The call of Hosea as God's representative:

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, "Go take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord."
So he went and took Gomer, and she conceived and bore him a son whose name was Jezreel (which means God sows). He said, "In a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the Kingdom of the House of Israel. Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter whose name was Loruhaman (which means she has not obtained compassion). Later she conceived again and had a son whose name is Lo-ammi (which means not my people). "The sons of Judah and of Israel will gather together and they shall go up from the land, because great will be the Day of Jezreel."

In these passages, God is using his representative Hosea to bring to the attention to the Israelites that they have not been faithful the the covenant and to their God. Their lack of love for God was so great that he is saying that he will remove them from the land and the inheritance given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hosea lives out before the people their adultress ways which lead to judgment.

Daily Prayer: Lord, we don't appreciate the faithfulness that you bring every day. Sin has drawn us to place ourselves ahead of the Lord of the universe. Now that we have forgot our Creator, we must surly bear the consequences. Give us wisdom to learn from our mistakes and place you ahead of all things. In your holy name I pray Amen.

Daniel 12: 1-2, 7 The Time of the End

"Now at that time Michael the great prince, who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occured since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone found in the written book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, some to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt." I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finished the events would be completed.

Michael is the archangel who protects Israel from the Evil One. In 1 Thessalonians 415-17, Paul agrees with this prophecy that the dead in Christ will be raised first, and those who remain will be taken up to Christ so that all of God's Children will be with him. Then suddenly for a time, times, and half a time - three and a half years, the anti-christ will break a covenant of peace leading to the return of Jesus Christ. However it will come upon us like a thief in the night.

Daily Prayer: It is good to know that for those who have received Jesus as Savior and Lord, they will not go through the period of the great tribulation. This is the period of grace for those who are in Christ. Come quickly Lord! Amen.

Daniel 9: 24-27 70 Weeks Prophecy

"Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in time of distress. Then after sixty-two weeks; the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who make desolate, even until a complete destruction, on that is decreed, is poured out on the one who make desolate."

On "week" is a period of seven years. We are told after 62 weeks or in 434 years, Messiah the king is presented. That takes us to Palm Sunday. One week later, the Messiah is crucified and has nothing. Seven weeks later or 49 years, the temple is thrown down. Finally the last week of the prophecy is when the Anti-Christ will rule on earth before the return of Christ.

Daily Prayer: Lord, you have revealed to us your plans and they are true. Let us live a life according to the truth you have presented to us. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Daniel 7: 9 - 14 The Ancient of Days Reigns & the Son of Man Presented:

"I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing, and coming out from before him was thousands upon thousands attending him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before him. Then the books were opened. Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given over to the burning fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like the Son of Man was coming, and he came up to the Ancient of Days. To him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. All the peoples, nations,and men of every language will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away. And his kingdom will not be destroyed."

In this vision, the Ancient of Days is Father-God. The beast is Satan of old. The Son of Man is Jesus Christ. This is an eschatlogical scene as to what will happen in the latter days. It informs us that Satan is judged, but his time in hell is delayed for a period of time. Jesus is the King of King and the Lord of Lords. This refers to his Second Advent, because his first coming was to save his people from judgment by his substitution as the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This revelation was made known to Daniel, even prior to Christ's first advent.

Daily Prayer: Father, you make known to us the end from the beginning. Let us take these words and this revelation to heart so that we can live our life with the blessed hope of the return of our Savior. In his name I pray Amen.

Daniel 5: 1-5, 11-2,18-20, 27-30 Babylon falls and the Medo-Persian empire takes hold:

Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine before them. He gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem so that he and his guests might drink wine from them.
Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand appeared and began writing on the wall of the palace. The king's face grew pale and he summoned Daniel who his father had made chief of the diviners because of his extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and insight. Then Daniel was brought before the king and said, "O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to your father, but when his heart became proud, he was driven away from mankind and was made like the beasts until he recognized that God is ruler over man and that he sets over it whomever he wishes. Yet you, his son, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. Then the hand was sent and this is the inscription: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. That night, Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

Babylon literally fell into the hands of the Medes & Persians in a day. Satan was cast from heaven over his pride and it was pride that cost the king his kingdom. It seems difficult to learn life's hard lessons from the experience of your father, but without the ability to act wisely, the king was slain and his empire was given to another.

Daily Prayer: Father, grant me wisdom in my life's journey. Help me also to teach is to my children so that we don't have to experience divine judgment. In your holy name I pray Amen.

Daniel 4:11-15, 22-26 King Nebuchadnezzar's vision of a large tree:

"Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: A tree grew large and became strong, and its height reached to the sky. Its foliage was beautiful, and its fruit abundant. The beasts of the field found shade under it. The birds of the sky dwelt in its branches. I was looking in the visions in my mind and an angelic watcher, a holy one , decended from heaven. He said,
"Chop down the tree and cut off it branches. Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground." Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar replied, "My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries.
You are the tree, O King; for you have become great and grown stong. This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High. You will be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you will be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever he wishes."

Daniel was renamed Belteshazzar which means "protect the king." Nebuchadnezzar did indeed spend time with the beasts of the field, and become humbled before God. God often referred to him as a servant. This was a good lesson for him. The vision with the tree's stump remaining means that if he becomes humble to God, then God would preserve his kingdom. We will see later that the king's son did not adopt the humility before the Lord and paid the price.

Daily Prayer: Father, I desire to walk humbly before you. I cannot comprehend the extent of your glory, but I do know that you love me, and gave your son for me. This is so that as long as I place my trust in you, I will never be disappointed. Amen.

Daniel 2:1, 31-35 King Nebuchadnezzar's Troubling Dream

Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. Once summoned, Daniel replied to the king, "You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. The head of the statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, and its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and it became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

The interpretation is that God was giving revelation which kingdoms would rule over Judah and the world before the return of Christ. This is referred to as the Times of the Gentiles. In this dream, the gold stands for the Babylonian Empire who dominated the world and Judah.
The breasts of silver refer to the Medo-Persian Empire who overthrows the Babylonian rule.
The iron and clay refer to the Roman Empire who were destroyed from within their nation.
Finally the belly and thighs of brone refer to the Greek rule through Alexander the Great.

Daily Prayer: Father, you reveal the beginning from the end, yet we still act as though we had no clue about the future. We are a very selfish lot and are hard to discipline. Wake up this sleeping world with new revelation. Grant us wisdom to live a skillful life before you so that when your son comes, we will be ready for his return. In your holy name I pray Amen.

Ezekiel 40: 2-4 Vision of the third temple

In the visions of God he brought me ino the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, and on it to the south there was a structure like a city. So he brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. The man said to me, "Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see."

In these passages, and in particular those which follow, the angel of the Lord is revealing a third temple for a restored and regathered Israel. In that day, there won't be a divided nation, but instead a unified nation under God. In Jerusalem the third temple will be constructed. In the chapters that follow, the angel of the Lord gives the specific measurements of this new temple.
The location of the temple is not given, but it is my assumption that it will be where the Dome of the Rock stands today, which is the Muslim temple. It is my belief that that temple will be supernaturally destroyed, because it occupies the space where both Solomon's temple was built and also the second temple. This place is considered to be most holy, because this is where Abraham offered up Isaac before the Lord, proving his faith in God.

Daily Prayer: Father, all those who call themselves Christian look forward to the future with a blessed hope. In this time, all of your promises will unfold and the events of the Bible will culminate in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. This is my hope for the future. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Ezekiel 37: 1-3, 9-10 Vision of dry bones:

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, "O Lord God, you know." Then the Lord God said, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life." Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel, and they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves. My people and I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people."

In this passage, we recall that God had hardened the hearts of Israel so that they could not believe. This was a prophecy of Isaiah. Now they have reached the maximum covenant punishment which is removal from the land of inheritance. Now he is speaking of a new day and a new covenant. God will bring them to their land again as he did in the Exodus, but this time their hearts will not be hard, and Israel and Judah will come together as a united nation under God.

Daily Prayer: Father, we are a hard people to teach, and obedience comes with great difficulty.
If we could only learn to do things your way, life would be so much easier. Sin has dealt severe consequences for us. Now, in my time, we have the fullness of God in Jesus Christ. In my time,
the people of God is both the Jews and the Church and you are the Good Shepherd of both. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Ezekiel 34: 2-10: Prophecy against the shepherds of Israel

"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shephrds, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. 'Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and severity you have dominated them." Therefore you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: "As I live," declares the Lord God, "surely because my flock has become a prey, my flock has even become food for the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my flock, but rathter the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my flock; therefore, you shepherds I am against you and will demand my sheep from you and make them cease from feeding the sheep. I will deliver my flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them."

When the Lord refers to the shepherds, he is referring to the priests and the makers of the law.
Those who have governing and religious positions over the many. They were politically and religiously corrupt. The Lord places a high value on the shepherd. He judges his kings by their shepherding ability. The New Testament continues this theme God presents here when Jesus tells the disciples that those who feed the hungry, clothe the needy, take care of the disabled, that when you help the least of these my brothers, you have done it for me.

Daily Prayer: Father, help me to examine myself today. Let me ask the question whether I am a shepherd over my family, my church, and in my community. If I answer the question no, then let me repent and seek you once again on your terms and not mine. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Ezekiel 24: 15-27 Death of Ezekiel's wife is a sign:

"Son of man, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes (that is his wife) with a blow, but you shall not mourn and shall not weep for her. Speak to the house of Israel and say, 'I am about to profane my sanctuary which is the desire of your eyes and the delight of your soul, and the sons and daughters you have left behind will fall by the sword. Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; according to all that has been done you will do; when it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God. On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped , and you will speak and be mute no longer."

The command for Ezekiel not to mourn for his wife is a silent and profound grief. His wife is a symbol of the temple, of which the people were so proud; no one could have imagined it would be destroyed. Mourning was a function of the person's social status and the regard in which he or she is held. However, Ezekiel was not to weep for his wife; nor should the exiles show any public sign of grief; this would show that the misfortunes that befell Jerusalem were a private affair between themselves and God.

Daily Prayer: Father, grief is real, even in the hearts of believers. Sometimes your ways seem harsh, but I'm sure it is to break our love of the world and direct my love to you. Help me bear the burden of setting aside the world and having unconditional loyalty to you. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Ezekiel 14: 13-14, 18: 3-4 God deals justly with individuals:

"Son of man, if a country sins against me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out my hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves," declares the Lord God. What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, "The fathers eat sour grapes, but the children's teeth are on edge?" "As I live, declares the Lord God, "you are surely not going to use this proverb anymore. Behold all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son are mine. The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."

This is a shift in what we have seen previously. In prior times, God may choose to punish men generationally. Now Ezekiel is learning a new revelation from God. Now people are accountable to God for themselves, but not for their relatives. God starts by say that if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in your midst, they could only save themselves. These men were all declared to be blameless in the Bible text, yet their righteousness could only spare themself. In the New Covenant, Jesus is introduced as having the righteousness of God such that by his sacrifice, he can deliver many.

Daily Prayer: Lord, I am indeed fortunate to be counted as one of the many you have saved. By your grace I am washed from my sins by the blood of the Son who loved me and gave his life for me. Amen.

Ezekiel1 1:28, 2:2-3, 2:9, and 3:26-27 - The Call of Ezekiel

I saw something like fire, and their was radiance around him. As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likenwess of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. As he spoke to me the spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me, and lo, a scholl was in it. Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel." And then he said, "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, warn them from me. Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refule, for they are a rebellious house."

God is zealous for Israel and desired to give them every opportunity to repent. The temple is in Jerusalem and God's glory dwelled there. He also chose Jerusalem as the place where he would place his name. So without a doubt, he desired to spare Judah and Jerusalem. He not only sent Ezekiel there, but the other major prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Regardless of God's seeking to spare his people, they remained a rebellious people and went into exile and were trodden down by Babylon.

Daily Prayer: Father, all of us are sinners and are likewise rebellious. You solved the problem in the person of Jesus Christ. Through him, there was pure obedience, even his death on the cross.
Now, because of his merit, I can approach the throne of grace, because Jesus paid the full penalty for my sin. It is in his name I pray Amen.

Lamentations 5: 1, 7, 10-11, and 21-22 A Prayer for Mercy

Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us. Look, and see our reproach. Our fathers sinned, and are no more. It is we who have borne their iniquities. Our skin has become as hot as an oven, because of the burning heat of famine. They have ravished the women in Zion, and the virgins in the cities of Judah. Restore us to you, O Lord, that we may be restored. Renew our days as of old, unless you have utterly rejected us, and are exceedingly angry with us.

In previous times when Jeremiah was angry with God, he came back to him when he remembered God's goodness and faithfulness. Now it is the people who are asking God to remember, and to look at their circumstances in light of their father's sins. It is true what they said. It was the fathers who were the transgressors. We will learn in future chapters, when we study the post-exile period, that these people were not that bad at all. One could call them the remnant of Israel.
So now they appeal to God's mercy.

Daily Prayer: Father, it is not for man to know why God does what he does. You are not restricted in your power or your authority. It is good to know that the All-Powerful God, the Lord of Hosts, is merciful and gracious to those who love him. Stamp on my heart today the trait of love for you, even when things feel troublesome to me. In Jesus name I pray Amen.