Deuteronomy 15, Isaiah 33

Deuteronomy 15
- At the end of 7 years they shall grant a release.
- Every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor because God the Lord's release was proclaimed
- They may exact it on the foreigner but not their brothers.
- There will be no poor in the land God is giving them if the strictly obey God's commandments.
- God will bless them and they will lend to others but not borrow from anyone
- If that is true, why would they borrow from each other?
- This is because other nations won't rule over them.
- If anyone becomes poor they shall give without hardening their hearts.
- They shall lend whatever their brother needs.
- If in the 7th year, they don't help out their brother and he cries out to God, that is sin.
- They shall give freely without complaining because God will bless them for giving to the poor.
- There will never cease to be poor so God commanded them to open their hand to the poor.
- Why does it say there won't be poor in v.4 and then say there will never cease to be poor in v.11?
- If a Hebrew man or woman is sold to them they shall work for 6 years and be let free in the 7th year.
- When they are freed they shall be given supplies from the flock, the threshing floor, and the winepress.
- They should do this because God blessed them when they left Egypt.
- If the slave says he doesn't want to leave because he loves them, they shall punch a hole in the slave's ear and they will be his slave forever.
- They shouldn't be upset when freeing a slave because they slave worked for half the cost of a hired servant.
- How much did a slave make?
- The firstborn males in herds and flocks shall be dedicated to God.
- They shouldn't use the firstborn for work or wool.
- They shall it the firstborn before God.
- If the firstborn has any blemishes it shall not be sacrificed to God.
- The clean and unclean may eat it.
- They shouldn't eat its blood but pour it out on the ground.

Isaiah 33
- Who is the "destroyer" that this verse speaks of?
- The destroyer will be destroyed and the betrayer, betrayed.
- This verse asks God to be gracious and arm every morning.
- When God lifts Himself up the nations scatter.
- The Lord on high is exalted and fills Zion with righteousness and justice.
- He is the stability in these times.
- God gives salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
- The fear of God is Zion's treasure.
- Their heroes cry and traveling ceases.
- Covenants are broken and the land mourns.
- Lebanon is confounded and withers away.
- Sharon is a desert.
- Bashan and Caramel shake.
- In the midst of this chaos, God will raise Himself up.
- The people will be burned like chaff.
- Those near and far should acknowledge God's might.
- The sinners and godless of Zion tremble with fear.
- They know they cannot dwell among the consuming fire.
- The ones who can stand walk in righteousness and speaks uprightly, despises oppression, won't take a bribe, stops bloodshed, doesn't look on evil.
- That righteous person will stand on high, his bread will be with God.
- Their eyes will behold the beauty of their king.
- Insolence and not understanding people will end.
- They will see Zion and see Jerusalem without trouble.
- The Lord in His majesty will be for us in a place ships cannot sail to.
- The LORD is our judge, lawgiver, and king who will save us.
- In that time the spoil will be divide among them.
- No one there will be sick and they will be forgiven of their iniquities!

Deuteronomy 14, Isaiah 32

Deuteronomy 14
- It starts off by reminding them that they are sons of God (before listing what they should and shouldn't do)
- They shouldn't cut themselves or shave their heads for the dead.
- They are God's treasured and chosen people out of the whole earth.
- This chapter lists food restrictions.
- They are allowed to eat; deer, gazelle, the roebuck, wild goat, the ibex (addax), the antelope, and the mountain sheep. (Any animal with a two parted cloven hoof that chews the cud.)
- The animals that chew the cud with no parted hoof NOT to be eaten are: camel, hare, rock badger.
- The pig parts the hoof but doesn't chew the cud so shall NOT be eaten.
- Those animals shall not be eaten or touched.
- In the water they can eat anything with fins and scales, but if it doesn't have fins and scales it should NOT be eaten.
- They may eat clean birds but these they may NOT eat; eagle, bearded vulture, black vulture, kites, falcons, ravens, ostriches, the nighthawk, seagulls, hawks, the little owl, short-eared owl, barn owl, tawny owl, carrion vulture, cormorant, stork, heron, hoopoe, or the bat an all winged insects.
- They may NOT eat anything that died naturally, but may give it to the sojourner or he may sell it to a foreigner.
- They were NOT to boil a young goat in its mother's milk either.
- They were to tithe for all crops grown each year.
- They should eat the tithe of their grain and firstborn livestock so that they may fear the Lord always.
- How does this make them fear the Lord?
- If carrying the tithe to God's chosen land is too much, they may turn the tithe food/livestock into money and carry that.
- Why are they able to spending their tithe on whatever they want like food or strong drink?
- They shall eat there and rejoice with their household.
- The Levites should not be neglected
- At the end of every 3 years, they should bring the tithe of their produce into their towns for the Levites, sojourners, fatherless, and the widow.
- Didn't they spend their tithe money on food and strong drink?
- When they do this, God will bless them in all that their hands do.

Isaiah 32
- The king will reign in righteousness and the prince rule in justice (Is this referring to God and Christ?)
- They shall be like a shelter from a storm or like water in a dry place (desert)
- Then people will see and hear and give their attention.
- The hearty of the hasty with understand and those who stutter shall speak clearly.
- The fool will not be called noble nor the scoundrel called honorable.
- The fool speak folly and his heart is busy with iniquity, ungodliness, and he utters errors about who God is.
- The fool leave those without food hungry and the thirsty without drink.
- The scoundrel is evil and plans wicked to ruin the poor and needy by lying to them.
- "But he who is noble plans noble things and on noble things he stands" (v.8)
- Isaiah tells the resting women to rise up with their complacent daughters.
- In a little over a year they will shutter because the grape and fruit harvest will NOT come.
- Isaiah tells the complacent to shudder and dress in sack cloth for the "pleasant" fields and soil which will grow briar's and thorns.
- The palace will be forsaken and the populous city will be deserted.
- The watchtower will be a place for animals until "the Spirit is poured upon us from on high" (a possible connection to Acts?)
- The wilderness will then be fruitful again and the field be called a forest
- Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness live in the fruitful fields.
- Righteousness's effect will be peace, quietness, and trust (security) forever.
- God's people will live in peace, security, and quiet resting places.
- It will hail when the forest falls and the city will be laid low.
- Why this negative thing in the positive section of peace and security?
- Happy are the people who sow next to the waters and let their oxen and donkeys range free.

Clarifying My Quiet Time Plan

I know a few of you check out my blog from time-to-time and I hope any notes you've read here have been helpful. My original plan was to read through the Bible in a year using For the Love of God by D.A. Carson and take notes this time. I started off well, but when taking notes and seeking to truly understand the daily readings it was taking over an hour in the mornings. Two weeks ago, I finished up Revelations and 2 Corinthians thus ending the OT. Now I still need to do several OT books. I paused in Deuteronomy with chapter 13 and in Isaiah on chapter 31. Since I realize now that my D. A. Carson plan is way off, my new plan is to wrap up Isaiah and Deuteronomy and then wrap up the missing OT books. Just for my personal info; I still have Joshua, Hosea, Obadiah, Habakkuk, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Psalms, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Amos, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Let the final leg begin!

Revelations 22

Revelations 22
- The angel showed John the river of life which flows from God's throne through the city.
- The tree of life is on both sides of the river
- Why isn't "tree" plural?
- The tree yield 12 kinds of fruit, a different one each month (so time still works during this time)
- The leaves of the tree were for healing the nations.
- There is no longer anything accursed, but God will be in it all.
- His servants will worship Him and His name will be on their foreheads.
- There will be no more night and God will be their light.
- The angel told John that these wards are trustworthy and true.
- God sent the angel to show John what must soon take place.
- Whoever keeps the words of the prophecy of this book will be blessed.
- John again states that when he saw these things he fell down to worship the angel who told him not to do that.
- The angel was with John and the others and they were to worship God.
- The angel told John not to seal up this prophecy for the time was near.
- The wicked will still be wicked and the righteous still do righteous things.
- He (the angel?) says he will soon repay everyone for what they have done. He is the Alpha and Omega (Is this the angel or God speaking now?)
- Blessed are those who wash their robes (or keep His commandments)
- Those who do will right will enter the city and have access to the tree of life.
- Outside are the dog; those who do evil and love to practice falsehood.
- Jesus says He sent His angel to tell these things to the churches.
- Jesus says He is the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star
- The Spirit and the Bride say come to those who want to drink of the water of life without price
- The warning - anyone who adds to this book, will have plagues added to them.
- If anyone takes away from this book, God will take away that person's share of tree of life and the holy city
- Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon."
- John ends by saying " The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all (or all of the saints). Amen"

Revelations 21

Revelations 21
- the old heaven and earth passed away and were replaced by new ones.
- The sea was no more.
- John saw the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven like a bride for her husband.
- The voice from the throne said this was a dwelling place of God with man.
- God will now dwell with man and they will be His people.
- God will wipe away every tear and death will be no more.
- There will be no crying or pain.
- The one on the throne said He was making everything new.
- He told John to write this down.
- He said to John, "I am the Alpha and Omega and He is giving water of to people without payment.
- The one who conquers will "be God's son".
- But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will be thrown into lake of fire.
- One of the 7 bowl holding angels spoke to John, and wanted to show him Christ's bride.
- The angel took John in Spirit to a high mountain to see New Jerusalem.
- The city looked like clear jasper.
- Why did it have high walls? Aren't they for protection?
- It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed.
- There were 3 gates at each direction; N,E,S,W.
- And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb
- The angel had a golden ruler to measure the city.
- He measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia (1,380 miles). It was a perfect cube.
- The wall was 144 cubits high.
- The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel.
- The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
- Each gate was made from a single pearl and the street were made of gold but transparent.
- There was no temple in the city because the temple is God Himself.
- The glory of God was the light of the city and Jesus was its lamp.
- The nations will now walk in God's glory.
- The gates will never need to be shut and there will be no night.
- They will bring honor and glory into the city.
- Nothing detestable will ever enter it, but only what is in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Revelations 19 - 20

Revelations 19

- John heard loud voices shouting, "Hallelujah, salvation and glory belong to God whose judgments of the prostitute are true and just."

- God avenged the blood of the saints and immorality she brought.

- They again shouted her smoke goes up forever.

- The 24 elders fell and worshipped the one on the throne.

- The one on the throne (Jesus?) said praise God all who fear Him; great and small

- He heard the voice of the multitude say, "Hallelujah because God reigns so we should rejoice and give Him glory."

- The marriage of the Lamb to His bride has come.

- It was granted that she would dress in pure, bright white.

- Her fine linens are the righteous deeds of the saints.

- The angel told John to write that those invited to the wedding are blessed.

- These words of God are true.
- John's response was to fall down and worship the angel, but the angel told him not to do that.
- The angel said he was a fellow servant of Jesus.
- John then saw heaven open up and a white horse come out.
- The rider was called Faithful and True.
- He makes war and judgments in righteousness.
- His eyes are like fire and He wears many crowns and has a name that only He knows.
- He wears a robe dipped/sprinkled with blood.
- He is called the Word of God (John 1)
- The armies of heaven wore pure white and followed Him on white horses.
- A sharp sword comes from His mouth to strike down the nations and rule them with an iron rod.
- He treads God's wine press of His wrath.
- King of Kings and Lord of Lords is written on His robe and thigh.
- John saw an angel in the sun who told the birds to eat the flesh of the kings, captains, soldiers on horses, slaves and free and the armies of earth.
- The beast and the armies of earth came out to meet Him in battle.
- The beast was captured along with his prophet who did signs to trick people to worship idols.
- Those two were thrown alive into a lake of fire and sulfur.
- Christ's tongue cut down the beast's armies and the birds gorged themselves.

Revelations 20
- An angel came from heaven with a key to the bottomless pit and a long chain.
- The angel bound Satan (the dragon and serpent) and bound Satan for 1,000 years.
- For 1,000 years Satan could effect no one, but then he had to be released.
- Why did Satan have to be released?
- John saw thrones of those given authority to judge.
- John saw the souls of those beheaded and who did NOT follow the beast and they came and reigned with Christ for 1,000 years. (first resurrection)
- The rest of the dead didn't come alive until AFTER the 1,000 years.
- Blessed and holy are those in the first resurrection.
- The second death has no power and they will reign with Christ for 1,000 years.
- Satan was released after 1,000 years and he will deceive God and Magog and gather them together. Their number is like the sands of the sea.
- Satan's army was consumed by fire from heaven and Satan was thrown into the Lake of Fire with the beast and false prophet to be tormented day and night forever.
- John saw a great white throne and Him seated on it.
- The earth and sky fled from His presence.
- How could no place be found for earth and sky?
- John saw all the dead great and small standing before the throne where the books were.
- What were the first set of books for?
- Another book, the Book of Life, was opened and each person was judged by what they had done.
- The sea, Death and Hades, each gave up their dead to be judged.
- Death and Hades were then thrown into the Lake of Fire
- Who were Death and Hades and what was their rule before this time?
- The lake of fire was the second death.
- Anyone whose names was NOT in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelations 17 and 18

Revelations 17
- One of the 7 angels came to John to show him the judgement of the great prostitute.
- She sits on many water and has committed sexual immorality with many kings.
- They have become drunk on her immorality like a drunk on wine.
- The Spirit took John into the wilderness where the woman was on a scarlet beast.
- Blasphemous names were written on the beast and it had seven heads and ten horns.
- She was dressed in scarlet and purple and adorned with jewels.
- She held a cup full of her immoralities and abominations.
- A name of mystery was written on her forehead, "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations"
- John saw a woman drunk on the blood of the saint and martyrs of Jesus.
- John marveled at the woman and the angel asked him why.
- What does it mean the beast was and is not ( sounds like it counters God is was, is and is to come)?
- The beast is about to arise from the bottomless pit and reap destruction.
- Those not in the book of life will marvel at the beast.
- The 7 heads are 7 mountains, and also 7 kings (5 of which have already fallen, one is, and one will come later).
- That one will come and remain for only a short time.
- The beast is the 8th, but belongs to the 7 and is goes to destruction.
- The 10 horns are kings who have not yet received their royal power.
- They will receive power for 1 hour along with the beast.
- They are of one mind and will make war on the Lamb.
- The Lamb will conquer them and those with Him are called "chosen and faithful"
- The "waters" around the prostitute are the multitudes of people and languages.
- Why will the 10 kings and the beast hate the prostitute?
- They will make her naked and burn her with fire.
- God has planned that they be of one mind and hand their power over to the beast until His words are fulfilled.
- The woman = great city that has dominion over kings of earth.

Revelations 18
- John saw another angel who had great power whose glory made earth bright.
- The angel said Babylon has fallen and become a place for demons, unclean spirits and animals
- All nations have drunk her passion of sexual immorality.
- Kings and merchants have grown rich from being immoral with her.
- Another voice told his people to come away from her so they won't take part in her sins.
- God has remembered her sins and she will be paid back double
- For all her luxurious living she will have equal torment given to her.
- She boasts and for that reason she will see mourning and famine and death all in the same day.
- Those who were immoral with her will mourn at her burning.
- They will mourn her loss (She is Babylon)
- The merchants weep because no one now buys their cargo.
- Their cargo is many things; valuables, clothes, wood, bronze, scents, livestock, slaves and human souls (human lives).
- They will lose all of these splendors and delicacies.
- These merchants who gained wealth from her will stand far off and weep.
- All her wealth is taken away in a single hour.
- The seafarers stood far off and mourned too.
- Heaven will rejoice with the saints and prophets over God's judgment of her.
- The angel threw a huge stone into the sea and said that is the way Babylon will go too.
- It won't be found anymore; no light, no sounds, no voices, no marriages, will be found there because the nations were deceived by her sorceror and the fact that she killed the saints there.