Three & One

God pleads with Israel. Making known what He has wanted from them all along what He has required from them all along, as the end of Micah is mixed with mercy. And, we are introduced to two witnesses just before the seventh trumpet.

The Lord's reign in Zion. Zion's future triumph. The coming Messiah. A little baby born, in the little town of Bethlehem. And, a mighty angel hands John a little book to eat.

A man named Micah, mourning for Israel and Judah, warning those who do evil - lying prophets, wicked prophets, religious rulers. And, we look at what the fifth and sixth trumpet judgements release upon a Christ rejecting world.

We met a man named Jonah. A reluctant prophet, a disobedient prophet, on his way away from Nineveh. But, God had a way to get him back and on track. And, the seventh seal is opened and the first four trumpets sound.

God gives a prophet named Obadiah a vision concerning the coming judgement of a Gentile nation called Edom, including Israel's eventual triumph. And, in-between the sixth and the seventh seal, God seals 144,000.

Amos intercede's, twice. The Lord relents, twice. Vision after vision after vision is given to the sheep breeder turned prophet culminating in the destruction and ultimate restoration of Israel. And, we see the first six seals opened on the seven sealed scroll.

Israel is once again impenitent. Refusing correction. Refusing to repent. Even after God's judgements increase in intensity. So God offers up His own lament and yet AGAIN calls for repentance. And, we see a Lamb who is worthy of our worship.

God calls a shepherd to speak His word, His word of judgement against the nations, including His own nation - Israel and Judah. And, John sees into the future concerning the coming Day of the Lord.

The land laid waste. Mourning over the land. The Day of the Lord. A call to repentance. The land refreshed and restored. God's Spirit poured out. God defends and blesses His people. And, Jesus completes seven letters to seven churches.

We see the goodness and the severity of our God, as God unleashes His holy judgement upon Israel, but then also calls the to repent and return so that HE can heal and restore. And, Jesus Himself writes seven letters to seven churches.

We see Israel's sin and captivity. We see God's continuing love for Israel. We hear God's charge against Ephraim. And, we begin the last book in the Bible, The Book of Revelation, The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

God would have healed Israel. But, Israel was impenitent, reliant on the other nations, even allowing themselves to sink into the depths of apostasy. Sowing the wind, they reaped the whirlwind. And, Jude identifies and warns against apostates.

The Idolatry of Israel. Impending judgement on Israel and on Judah. A call to repentance. A refusal to repent on the part of Israel and Judah. And, the Apostle John writes his 3rd epistle to warn and encourage a friend named Gaius.

Hosea is asked to marry a harlot, a woman who would wander, similar to the way that God's people had wandered away from God. So prophecy and prophet are empathetically intertwined. And, the Elder John writes to the elect lady.

Weak and worried, Daniel is touched, lifted up and strengthened. The angel Gabriel continues to announce the events of the end times, including prophecy concerning the Anti-Christ. And, John ends his first epistle with exhortation.

Daniel is given an overview in vision form of every empire until even the end of the world itself narrowing in on the transition from the Medo-Persians to the Grecians, all with startling specifics. And, John tells us to test the spirits who claim to speak for Christ.

Nebuchadnezzar has his second dream with Daniel receiving and interpreting the meaning. Belshazzar receives a visit from a mysterious hand. Daniel stands strong in the face of extreme opposition. And, John emphasizes the imperative of love in our life.

Daniel and his friends remain loyal to God in the midst of great temptation and trial. Standing and serving before a maniacal, egomaniac despot named Nebuchadnezzar. In captivity they maintain their purity. And, John helps us to see if we are truly God's kids.

God continues to give prophecy with specificity, concerning a city to come. A place to call home. A place to worship God. A river of life running through. And, the name of that city - "THE LORD IS THERE." And, we begin the book of 1 John.