Daily Bible Reading - October 18, 2018

Today's Reading:

Revelation 19

Isaiah 5-6

Psalm 109:20-31

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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading   

In Psalm 109:26-29, we find a powerful perspective on rejection, hate, and abuse. Just as the Scripture states, Yahweh delivers us from our oppressors. But the good news is that they may curse, but when Yahweh blesses, you're blessed. Consider the powerful testimony of Elder Ron Archer, who was a hated "trick baby". 

What a wonderful God we serve who raises us up from such things and pronounces upon us a blessing which is uncurseable! Your value and blessing comes from Him! And that's all that matters.

Psalm 109:26-29 - "Help me, O Yahweh my God: O save me according to Thy Mercy: That they may know that this is Thy Hand; that Thou, Yahweh, hast done it. Let them curse, but bless Thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let Thy servant rejoice. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle."

Isn't it a blessing to remember that it what God says and thinks of you that matters? And what does He say about you?

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." 

Daily Bible Reading - October 17, 2018

Today's Reading:

Revelation 18

Isaiah 3-4

Psalm 109:1-19

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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading   

In Revelation 18:1-4, we find the Message of the Fourth Angel. This Message is also known as the final Elijah Message. It is this Message which lightens the whole earth (light symbolizes Truth) at the end of the world. So what is the Fourth Angel's Message?

Revelation 18:1-4  "And after these things I saw another angel come down from Heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."  

 The Fourth Angel gives his Message after the first three angels of Revelation. His Message adds greater light to their previous Messages and embodies final Gospel Call to mankind.

So what is the Message of the Fourth Angel? The Fourth Angel magnifies the Law of God. How can we know this? Consider the following keys from Revelation 18:

1) He calls God's people out of Babylon so that they will not be partakers of her sins.

• Sin is defined by the Law of God. It is impossible to identify the sins of Babylon, in order to "come out" of them, without understanding and obeying the Law of God (Romans 3:20, Romans 7:7).

2) His Message brings great Light to this sin-darkened planet.

• The Law is the epicenter of Light (Proverbs 6:23). In Scripture, the Law is the Source of Light. And because it holds this position, all other Scripture is to be interpreted through it. Any doctrinal understanding which deviates from the Law of God (Torah: Genesis-Deuteronomy) is in error, and is of darkness, not light (Isaiah 8:20). So, the fact that this angel brings Light once again reveals that the Fourth Angel's Message magnifies the Law of God (Isaiah 42:21).

The Fourth Angel actually adds light to the messages of the prior three angels, as follows:

THE MESSAGE OF THE FIRST ANGEL

Revelation 14:6-7  - "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His Judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."  

Decoding the 1st Angel's Message Key 1:  
FEAR GOD = Keep the Ten Commandments

To "fear God" is to keep His Commandments. Thus, the Message of the first angel points to the Ten Commandments.

Psalm 111:10  "The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His Commandments: His praise endureth for ever."

Ecclesiastes 12:13  "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."  

Decoding the 1st Angel's Message Key 2:  
GIVE GLORY TO GOD = We give glory to Yahweh by keeping His Law

Matthew 5:16-18  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.  Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till Heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled." 

Works are considered "good" only when they measure up to the Law of God (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
The greater revelation of existing Light from the 4th Angel's Message = There is more to God's Law than just the Ten Commandments. Keep both the Commandments and Statutes

Deuteronomy 6:1-2  "Now these are the Commandments, the Statutes, and the Judgments, which Yahweh your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear Yahweh thy God, to keep all His Statutes and His Commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged."

Malachi 4:4-6 "Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahweh: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

The Fourth Angel's Message reminds us that keeping the Statutes as well as the Commandments is all part of fearing God. Causing the people to remember the Law with the Statutes and Judgments, is the final Message to go to the world. In Malachi 4, it is the final Elijah Message. But in Revelation 18, it is the Message of the Fourth Angel. These two names are actually referring to the same Message. 

Decoding the 1st Angel's Message Key 3:  
WORSHIP HIM AS CREATOR = Keep the Seventh-day Sabbath

We honor Yahweh as Creator by remembering the Seventh-day Sabbath to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11). But the Light of the Fourth Angel's Message takes it one step further. This Message reminds that Yahweh didn't just make a weekly appointment Time, He also gave annual appointment Times, also known as Feasts of Yahweh. These annual Sabbaths are listed in Leviticus 23.

In the second angel's call to come out of Babylon, we find a warning to remove from the way of sun worship. At first, many understood this to mean that we should keep the Seventh-day Sabbath, and not the papal replacement day (Sunday), which was the "venerable day" of the sun from
ancient, Babylonian paganism.

But in the fourth angel's message, we are reminded that Yahweh's annual days were also replaced by sun worship days. We are called to keep Yahweh's days and have nothing to do with the pagan days of the sun.