Wednesday, October 16, 2013

The Bible Challenge: Day 289

The scriptures read are Ezekiel 37-38, Psalm 87 and Revelation 10.

Ezekiel 37. The valley of bones is probably the most famous passage in Ezekiel, inspiring the famous spiritual about "Them bones, them bones, them dry bones!" God will resurrect the nation of Israel.

Then Ezekiel ties two sticks together to symbolize the nations of Israel and Judah coming together as one nation under one Davidic king.

Ezekiel 38. Gog, from the land of Magog, thinks to invade the newly restored nation of Israel. God says it will not go well. (Gog is not easy to identify but it is grouped with nations descended from Noah's son, Japheth, whose descendants settled Asia Minor and Europe.)

Psalm 87. A rousing and powerful vocal version of this psalm in Hebrew.

Revelation 10. To everybody, the mighty angel is Christ. To the Historicist, the scroll is the Bible and this is about the Reformation. John is not to write down what the Thunderers say because they are papal bulls and invalid. To the Preterist, the scroll is the book of Revelation itself and it is small because all of the seals are broken and its contents are depleted. John is given a private message which is none of our business. To the Futurist, the scroll a title deed to earth. John is not to write what the Thunderers say because God has secrets he cannot yet reveal.To the Spiritual school, the seven Thunderers are the voice of God. John's silence about what is said parallels what Paul said about hearing inexpressible sound which he could not utter (2 Cor. 12:4.)

The best explanation of the mystery of God is to identify it with what Paul calls the mystery of God in Colossians 2:2, Romans 16:25 and Ephesians 3:3-6--the union of Jews and Gentiles into one body in Christ.

The eating of the little book is (H) the church's reception of the Bible, (P) the prophesy of the destruction of Jerusalem, (F&S) the word of God.  

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