A Walk Through The Word

December 27, 2023

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday December 27, 2023 (NIV)

Zechariah 10-11

The Restoration for Judah and Israel

10 Ask rain ^(A)from the Lord
in the season of ^(B)the spring rain,
from the Lord ^(C)who makes the storm clouds,
and ^(D)he will give them showers of rain,
to everyone the vegetation in the field.
²For ^(E)the household gods ^(F)utter nonsense,
and the diviners see lies;
^(G)they tell false dreams
and give empty consolation.
Therefore ^(H)the people wander like sheep;
they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

³^(I)“My anger is hot against the shepherds,
and ^(J)I will punish the leaders;^[a]
for ^(K)the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah,
and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.
⁴From him shall come ^(L)the cornerstone,
from him ^(M)the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
from him every ruler—^(N)all of them together.
⁵They shall be like mighty men in battle,
^(O)trampling the foe in the mud of the streets;
they shall fight because the Lord is with them,
and they shall put to shame ^(P)the riders on horses.

⁶^(Q)“I will strengthen the house of Judah,
and ^(R)I will save the house of Joseph.
^(S)I will bring them back ^(T)because I have compassion on them,
and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
for ^(U)I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
⁷Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,
and ^(V)their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.

⁸^(W)“I will whistle for them and ^(X)gather them in,
for I have redeemed them,
and ^(Y)they shall be as many as they were before.
⁹^(Z)Though I scattered them among the nations,
yet in far countries ^(AA)they shall remember me,
and with their children they shall live and return.
¹⁰^(AB)I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,
and gather them from Assyria,
and ^(AC)I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,
^(AD)till there is no room for them.
¹¹^(AE)He shall pass through the sea of troubles
and strike down the waves of the sea,
^(AF)and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.
The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,
and ^(AG)the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
¹²^(AH)I will make them strong in the Lord,
and ^(AI)they shall walk in his name,”
declares the Lord.

The Flock Doomed to Slaughter

11 Open your doors, ^(AJ)O Lebanon,
that the fire may devour your cedars!
²Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,
for the glorious trees are ruined!
Wail, ^(AK)oaks of Bashan,
for the thick forest has been felled!
³The sound of ^(AL)the wail of ^(AM)the shepherds,
for their glory is ruined!
The sound of the roar of ^(AN)the lions,
^(AO)for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!

⁴Thus said the Lord my God: ^(AP)“Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. ⁵^(AQ)Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, ^(AR)I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. ⁶For ^(AS)I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”

⁷^(AT)So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named ^(AU)Favor, the other I named ^(AV)Union. ^(AW)And I tended the sheep. ⁸In one month ^(AX)I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. ⁹So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. ^(AY)What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” ¹⁰And I took ^(AZ)my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. ¹¹So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. ¹²Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages ^(BA)thirty pieces of silver. ¹³Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—^(BB)the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the ^(BC)thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. ¹⁴Then I broke ^(BD)my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

¹⁵Then the Lord said to me, “Take once more the equipment of ^(BE)a foolish shepherd. ¹⁶For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd ^(BF)who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but ^(BG)devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.

¹⁷^(BH)“Woe to my worthless shepherd,
^(BI)who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm
and ^(BJ)his right eye!
Let his arm be wholly withered,
his right eye utterly blinded!”

Footnotes:

Zechariah 10:3 Hebrew the male goats

Cross references:

Zechariah 10:1 : Jer. 14:22
Zechariah 10:1 : See Deut. 11:14
Zechariah 10:1 : Ps. 135:7
Zechariah 10:1 : Ezek. 34:26
Zechariah 10:2 : See Gen. 31:19
Zechariah 10:2 : Hab. 2:18
Zechariah 10:2 : Jer. 23:25
Zechariah 10:2 : Ezek. 34:5, 6
Zechariah 10:3 : [Ezek. 34:10]
Zechariah 10:3 : [Ezek. 34:17]
Zechariah 10:3 : Zeph. 2:7
Zechariah 10:4 : [Ps. 118:22]
Zechariah 10:4 : Isa. 22:23
Zechariah 10:4 : [ch. 9:8]
Zechariah 10:5 : [ch. 9:15]
Zechariah 10:5 : [Ps. 20:7]
Zechariah 10:6 : [ver. 12]
Zechariah 10:6 : ch. 8:7, 13
Zechariah 10:6 : [Jer. 3:18]
Zechariah 10:6 : Isa. 14:1
Zechariah 10:6 : ch. 13:9
Zechariah 10:7 : ch. 9:15
Zechariah 10:8 : Isa. 5:26
Zechariah 10:8 : Jer. 31:10, 11; See Hos. 1:11
Zechariah 10:8 : Ezek. 36:10, 11, 37
Zechariah 10:9 : [Hos. 2:23]
Zechariah 10:9 : Ezek. 6:9; See Deut. 30:1-3
Zechariah 10:10 : Isa. 11:11; 27:13; Hos. 11:11
Zechariah 10:10 : [Mic. 7:14]
Zechariah 10:10 : Isa. 49:20
Zechariah 10:11 : Isa. 11:15
Zechariah 10:11 : [Amos 8:8]
Zechariah 10:11 : Ezek. 30:13
Zechariah 10:12 : [ver. 6]
Zechariah 10:12 : Mic. 4:5
Zechariah 11:1 : [Isa. 2:12, 13]
Zechariah 11:2 : [See ver. 1 above]; [Isa. 2:12, 13]
Zechariah 11:3 : Jer. 25:34
Zechariah 11:3 : Jer. 25:34
Zechariah 11:3 : See Ezek. 19:1-3
Zechariah 11:3 : [Jer. 12:5]
Zechariah 11:4 : [ver. 7]
Zechariah 11:5 : Ezek. 34:3
Zechariah 11:5 : Hos. 12:8
Zechariah 11:6 : Jer. 13:14
Zechariah 11:7 : [ver. 4]
Zechariah 11:7 : ver. 10
Zechariah 11:7 : ver. 14
Zechariah 11:7 : [ver. 4]
Zechariah 11:8 : [ver. 3, 16; ch. 10:3; Jer. 22:11, 18, 24]
Zechariah 11:9 : Jer. 15:2
Zechariah 11:10 : ver. 7
Zechariah 11:12 : [Ex. 21:32; Matt. 26:15]
Zechariah 11:13 : [Matt. 27:9, 10]
Zechariah 11:13 : [See ver. 12 above]; [Ex. 21:32; Matt. 26:15]
Zechariah 11:14 : ver. 7
Zechariah 11:15 : See 2 Kgs. 24:18-20
Zechariah 11:16 : [Ezek. 34:4; John 10:13]
Zechariah 11:16 : Ezek. 34:3
Zechariah 11:17 : Jer. 23:1
Zechariah 11:17 : John 10:12
Zechariah 11:17 : [2 Kgs. 25:7]

English Standard Version (ESV)

Revelation 18

The Fall of Babylon

18 After this I saw ^(A)another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and ^(B)the earth was made bright with his glory. ²And he called out with a mighty voice,

^(C)“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become ^(D)a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt ^(E)for every unclean spirit,
a haunt ^(F)for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
³For all nations have drunk^[a]
^(G)the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and ^(H)the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and ^(I)the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

^(J)“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
⁵for ^(K)her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and ^(L)God has remembered her iniquities.
⁶^(M)Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her ^(N)double for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her ^(O)in the cup she mixed.
⁷^(P)As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
^(Q)‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
⁸For this reason her plagues will come ^(R)in a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and ^(S)she will be burned up with fire;
for ^(T)mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

⁹And ^(U)the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, ^(V)will weep and wail over her ^(W)when they see the smoke of her burning. ¹⁰^(X)They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

“Alas! Alas! ^(Y)You great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For ^(Z)in a single hour your judgment has come.”

¹¹And ^(AA)the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, ¹²cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, ¹³cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.^[b]

¹⁴“The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
are lost to you,
never to be found again!”

¹⁵^(AB)The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, ^(AC)will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,

¹⁶“Alas, alas, for the great city
^(AD)that was clothed in fine linen,
in purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold,
with jewels, and with pearls!
¹⁷For ^(AE)in a single hour all this wealth ^(AF)has been laid waste.”

And ^(AG)all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off ¹⁸and ^(AH)cried out ^(AI)as they saw the smoke of her burning,

^(AJ)“What city was like the great city?”

¹⁹And they threw ^(AK)dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,

“Alas, alas, for the great city
^(AL)where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For ^(AM)in a single hour she has been laid waste.
²⁰^(AN)Rejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and ^(AO)apostles and prophets,
for ^(AP)God has given judgment for you against her!”

²¹Then ^(AQ)a mighty angel ^(AR)took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

“So will Babylon ^(AS)the great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more;
²²and ^(AT)the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,
and ^(AU)the sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
²³and the light of a lamp
will shine in you no more,
and ^(AV)the voice of bridegroom and bride
will be heard in you no more,
for ^(AW)your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived ^(AX)by your sorcery.
²⁴And ^(AY)in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of ^(AZ)all who have been slain on earth.”

Footnotes:

Revelation 18:3 Some manuscripts fallen by
Revelation 18:13 Or and slaves, and human lives

Cross references:

English Standard Version (ESV)

Psalm 146

Put Not Your Trust in Princes

146 ^(A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
²I will praise the Lord ^(B)as long as I live;
^(C)I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³^(D)Put not your trust in princes,
^(E)in a son of man, in whom there is ^(F)no salvation.
⁴When ^(G)his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

⁵^(H)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose ^(I)hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶^(J)who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
^(K)who keeps faith forever;
⁷^(L)who executes justice for the oppressed,
^(M)who gives food to the hungry.

^(N)The Lord sets the prisoners free;
⁸^(O)the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
^(P)The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
^(Q)the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹^(R)The Lord watches over the sojourners;
^(S)he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but ^(T)the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰^(U)The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
^(V)Praise the Lord!

English Standard Version (ESV)

Proverbs 30:33

³³For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.

English Standard Version (ESV)

December 26, 2023

12/26/2023 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 9:1-17, Revelations 17:1-18, Psalm 145:1-21, Proverbs 30:32

Today is the 26th day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today, probably overly full bellies from yesterday. Trying to figure out what happened to our systems. Big day of like exchanging things. Oh, after holiday sales and all of that. So, well, welcome to the post-Christmas festivities here around the Global Campfire, it’s always kind of the same. It’s a peaceful place, God’s word is spoken here, straight from the Scriptures. No matter what’s going on in our lives, we can come in here and be here together. There’s no time that anybody is listening alone, and we have this place to re-center ourselves in the word of God and be oriented to God through his word, so that we know how to live our lives. And so, let’s take that next step, post-Christmas step, that leads us back into the book of Zechariah. Today we’ll read Zechariah chapter 9.

Commentary:

Okay, so, it’s the day after Christmas, right, so a lot of laying around but then a lot of also, I don’t know, visiting people are still around or just feeling tired from all of it. Maybe exhausted. It’s been an exhausting month. We’ll have leftovers today. Maybe exchange some gifts. Maybe today’s the day that family leaves and heads back to whatever state they’re going to, or maybe today’s the day you leave and you’re on your way back. But it’s today, like Christmas comes and then boom it’s over and our hearts start slowing moving away from the Christmas season and we start focusing on what’s to come. Slowly move away from what was and looking forward to the New Year. And what we just read in the book of Proverbs today, offered us wise counsel that it must inform us as we move forward. If you have acted like a fool by exalting yourself or if you’ve been scheming, put your hand over your mouth. So, no matter how we have conducted ourselves over the last couple of days, it’s not likely that we haven’t exhibited or encountered pride. We notice this in the overinflated versions of ourselves that we portray, that kind of curated versions that get put out there online. In fact, the last couple days, we’ve been around a lot of people probably that we’re not always around and maybe we’ve endured hours of conversation with people that we love that just compare themselves to everything: gifts, careers, spouses, kids, choices. Maybe we’ve made people that we love endure hours of us doing that kind of posturing. Proverbs is saying hey, why don’t you try this other path. Why don’t you shut your mouth. Why don’t you put your hand over your mouth. That’s ancient wisdom from thousands of years ago, so this has been going on for thousands of years among the human race. And it can seem harsh at first, put your hand over your mouth, but it’s freeing. We’re being given permission that we don’t have to do the game, we don’t have to play the comparison game, we don’t have to play the gossip and slander game. According Proverbs, that only makes us look like a fool and we don’t have to do it. We can…we can bite our tongue and leave those prideful words inside. They don’t need to be born into the world, we’re allowed to be who we are and we’re allowed to do that honestly. And that doesn’t have to be gained by comparison. We don’t have to go into this new year false. The word for next year is truth. Not only to explore the truth of the Scriptures, but to actually walk with the mirror in front of our face and see just how much false that we allow. We don’t have to go into the New Year false. We’ve been given permission to be true. We don’t have to go into the new year falsely inflated. I mean, we’re probably going into the New Year wanting to lose a few pounds. Maybe we can lose a little pride and a little arrogance while we’re losing a few pounds. We’ve learned all year that our identity can only be found by embracing the long-suffering mercy of God. And we’re nothing compared to that. But compared to each other, there is no comparison, we’re children of God. We don’t have to pose. We don’t have to hide. We don’t have to curate. We don’t have to present this image of spirituality in ourselves, it’s like what we hope to be, but it’s not what we are. It’s foolishness, it won’t get us anywhere. We’re wearing a mask, it’s not true. Let’s be true and grow in maturity and be who we are. When we were reading through Paul’s letters, he told us that we are all invited to reflect the glory of the Lord upon the earth. Think about that. We get to be ourselves and be true with nothing to hide as we reflect the glory of the Lord upon the earth. Hey, that’s a good New Year’s resolution. Let’s write that one down for the New Year and let’s live into it.

Prayer:

And Holy Spirit, come into that we pray, lead us into all truth, lead us away from what is false, not only the things that we need to avoid, but the things that are within us that need to not be there. Holy Spirit come, lead us forward in all truth as we humble ourselves before You and pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com that is home base, it’s the website. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here. The Daily Audio Bible app will do that, put in the palm of your hand, and you can just search for Daily Audio Bible at whatever app store works with your device. So, check that out. It’s Christmas time around here. We still have the Christmas vinyl albums that we, that we had during the Christmas season. Thank you for your partnership on those.

Those of you who want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in the final days of this year, thank you deeply. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if ever prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hi siblings, this is He Knows My Name. And I’m calling to pray for Manita’s son, Lucas who had an accident at work and he’s now, according to the doctors, blind. Father in Heaven, I wish to commit him to Your hands. Your son Lucas, Father, he was not born blind. Father, You give sight to the blind. You make the lame to walk. You make the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak. Nothing is too difficult for You to do. And Lord, You are more than able. I pray, oh Father God, You will please restore the sight of Lucas to the glory of Your most Holy name. Father, please work Your miracle in his life. Oh Lord, will You stand in the congregation of Your truth and You testify of Your goodness, oh Father. May You please meet me him at this point of need. Wherever else he feels pain or discomfort, Father, may You take the pain away. May You provide the finances that is needed. That he would receive the proper medical attention that he deserves. Pray oh Lord, that You will use him as a point of contact to reach out to every other person out there that has one or one kind of deformity or another due to accident, due to sickness or anything, anything at all Father. Will You stretch Your hands over them. May You heal them, oh Lord, from head to toe. And make them whole, oh Father, as You make whole, the son who came back to tell You thank You. It will come back to glorify Your name, to thank You, to testify to Your most holy name. The wonderful works, oh Father. May You make him whole. In Jesus mighty name. I’ve prayed with thanksgiving and adoration. Amen. He is healed in the mighty name of Jesus. He will see again. Thank you.

Good morning, DAB. My name’s Andrea. I’ve called in a few times for my son and his friend Ethan. But I need prayers. I just got a bad report from a doctor. I had a couple of ultrasounds to try and figure out what was going on in my abdomen. And I was blindsided by the information. I’m not gonna name it, cause I’m not claiming this. But I would appreciate any sort of prayers for complete healing for my body. I will be going to an OB/GYN soon to find out if there is a course of action here. But I’m standing on God’s word that I’m healed by the blood of Jesus. But I’m asking for prayers. I’m also asking for continued prayers for my daughter, Reign. That she would come home to Jesus. And I pray for everyone here. And I hope everybody has a really good holiday. And may God bless you and keep you. Thank you.

Hello, this is Dabs from Hampshire in the UK. And this prayer message is for Susan, God’s Yellow Flower and her son Keith. I just wanna pray for you both. Dear Lord Jesus, we pray that You will be with Keith and his mum, Susan, over these coming days and weeks. With this return of the cancer. Lord Jesus, we pray that You will give both Susan and Keith a renewed sense of peace. A renewed sense of strength and courage, knowing that You’ve been with them throughout this journey that Keith has been on. And that You will continue to be right by their side each and every day. And I pray Lord, for complete healing. Healing over Keith, we pray. I just pray Lord, that You will be with them both over Christmas. And You will just give them a sense of peace. Sending much love and prayers. Bye bye.

Hello my DAB family, this is Mark Street from Sydney, Australia. Today is Friday, the 23rd of December. And just wanting to call in and pray for Susan, God’s Yellow Flower and Keith, her son. Susan, I just want to pray for you. I don’t have any words of wisdom but I just want to pray for you. Dear Heavenly Father, You’re a parent to all of us. We know that You hurt so much when we fall away. So, we lift up Susan and Keith to You, Lord. She is hurting so much for her son Lord, and You know that _ Lord. Lord, Your way is the best way. Lord, heal Keith again and bring him back _. ___But Lord we do know, that Your will is best. Lord, comfort Susan. Let this be a wonderful season for Susan and Keith and her family. That they will feel your love. Bring them a happy season, a prosperous season for health, as well, Lord. In Your name, I pray. Susan, I know I’m one of many, but I ____Love you all.

December 26, 2023

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday December 26, 2023 (NIV)

Zechariah 9

Judgment on Israel's Enemies

9 The oracle of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach
and ^(A)Damascus is its resting place.
For the Lord has an eye on mankind
and on all the tribes of Israel,^[a]
²^(B)and on Hamath also, which borders on it,
^(C)Tyre and ^(D)Sidon, though ^(E)they are very wise.
³Tyre has built herself ^(F)a rampart
and ^(G)heaped up silver like dust,
and fine gold like the mud of the streets.
⁴But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions
and strike down ^(H)her power on the sea,
and ^(I)she shall be devoured by fire.

⁵^(J)Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;
Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;
Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.
The king shall perish from Gaza;
Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;
⁶^(K)a mixed people^[b] shall dwell in Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.
⁷I will take away ^(L)its blood from its mouth,
and ^(M)its abominations from between its teeth;
^(N)it too shall be a remnant for our God;
it shall be like ^(O)a clan in Judah,
and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.
⁸Then ^(P)I will encamp at my house as a guard,
^(Q)so that none shall march to and fro;
^(R)no oppressor shall again march over them,
^(S)for now I see with my own eyes.

The Coming King of Zion

⁹^(T)Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
^(U)Behold, ^(V)your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
^(W)humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
¹⁰^(X)I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and ^(Y)the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and ^(Z)he shall speak peace to the nations;
^(AA)his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from ^(AB)the River^[c] to the ends of the earth.
¹¹As for you also, because of ^(AC)the blood of my covenant with you,
^(AD)I will set your prisoners free from ^(AE)the waterless pit.
¹²Return to your stronghold, O ^(AF)prisoners of hope;
today I declare that ^(AG)I will restore to you double.
¹³For ^(AH)I have bent Judah as my bow;
I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, ^(AI)O Greece,
and wield you like a warrior's sword.

The Lord Will Save His People

¹⁴Then the Lord will appear over them,
and ^(AJ)his arrow will go forth like lightning;
^(AK)the Lord God will sound the trumpet
and will march forth in ^(AL)the whirlwinds ^(AM)of the south.
¹⁵The Lord of hosts ^(AN)will protect them,
and ^(AO)they shall devour, ^(AP)and tread down the sling stones,
and ^(AQ)they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
and be full like a bowl,
drenched ^(AR)like the corners of the altar.

¹⁶On that day the Lord their God will save them,
as ^(AS)the flock of his people;
for ^(AT)like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
¹⁷^(AU)For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
^(AV)Grain shall make the young men flourish,
and new wine the young women.

Footnotes:

Zechariah 9:1 Or For the eye of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, is toward the Lord
Zechariah 9:6 Or a foreign people; Hebrew a bastard
Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates

Cross references:

Zechariah 9:1 : See Isa. 17:1
Zechariah 9:2 : Jer. 49:23; See 1 Kgs. 8:65
Zechariah 9:2 : Josh. 19:28, 29; Isa. 23:1, 2
Zechariah 9:2 : Josh. 19:28, 29; Isa. 23:1, 2
Zechariah 9:2 : See Ezek. 28:3-5
Zechariah 9:3 : [Josh. 19:29]
Zechariah 9:3 : Ezek. 28:4, 5
Zechariah 9:4 : Ezek. 26:17
Zechariah 9:4 : Ezek. 28:18
Zechariah 9:5 : See Zeph. 2:4
Zechariah 9:6 : [Deut. 23:2]
Zechariah 9:7 : See Lev. 3:17
Zechariah 9:7 : [Isa. 66:17]
Zechariah 9:7 : [Isa. 14:1]
Zechariah 9:7 : ch. 12:5, 6
Zechariah 9:8 : [ch. 2:5]
Zechariah 9:8 : ch. 7:14
Zechariah 9:8 : ch. 10:4; [Isa. 60:17]
Zechariah 9:8 : [ch. 12:4]
Zechariah 9:9 : See Zeph. 3:14
Zechariah 9:9 : Cited Matt. 21:5; [John 12:15]
Zechariah 9:9 : See Jer. 23:5
Zechariah 9:9 : [Matt. 11:29]
Zechariah 9:10 : See Hos. 1:7
Zechariah 9:10 : See Mic. 5:10
Zechariah 9:10 : See Mic. 5:5
Zechariah 9:10 : Ps. 72:8
Zechariah 9:10 : See Ex. 23:31
Zechariah 9:11 : Ex. 24:8
Zechariah 9:11 : Isa. 42:7; 51:14; 61:1
Zechariah 9:11 : [Gen. 37:24; Jer. 38:6]
Zechariah 9:12 : [Jer. 31:17]
Zechariah 9:12 : Isa. 61:7
Zechariah 9:13 : [ch. 10:3, 4]
Zechariah 9:13 : Gen. 10:2; Ezek. 27:13
Zechariah 9:14 : See 2 Sam. 22:15
Zechariah 9:14 : [Isa. 27:13]
Zechariah 9:14 : Isa. 21:1
Zechariah 9:14 : [ch. 6:6]
Zechariah 9:15 : ch. 12:8; [ch. 10:5]
Zechariah 9:15 : ch. 12:6
Zechariah 9:15 : [ch. 10:5]
Zechariah 9:15 : ch. 10:7
Zechariah 9:15 : [Lev. 4:18, 25]
Zechariah 9:16 : Ps. 100:3
Zechariah 9:16 : Isa. 62:3; [Mal. 3:17]
Zechariah 9:17 : [Isa. 62:3, 4]
Zechariah 9:17 : [Isa. 62:8, 9; Jer. 31:12]

English Standard Version (ESV)

Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

17 Then ^(A)one of the seven angels who had ^(B)the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of ^(C)the great prostitute ^(D)who is seated on many waters, ²^(E)with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and ^(F)with the wine of whose sexual immorality ^(G)the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” ³And ^(H)he carried me away in the Spirit ^(I)into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on ^(J)a scarlet beast that was full of ^(K)blasphemous names, and ^(L)it had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴The woman ^(M)was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned ^(N)with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand ^(O)a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. ⁵And on her forehead was written a name of ^(P)mystery: ^(Q)“Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” ⁶And I saw the woman, drunk ^(R)with the blood of the saints, the blood of ^(S)the martyrs of Jesus.^[a]

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. ⁷But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you ^(T)the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. ⁸The beast that you saw ^(U)was, and is not, and ^(V)is about to rise from ^(W)the bottomless pit^[b] and ^(X)go to destruction. And ^(Y)the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in ^(Z)the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because ^(AA)it was and is not and is to come. ⁹^(AB)This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; ¹⁰they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. ¹¹As for the beast ^(AC)that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. ¹²And ^(AD)the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings ^(AE)for one hour, together with the beast. ¹³These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴They ^(AF)will make war on the Lamb, and ^(AG)the Lamb will conquer them, for he is ^(AH)Lord of lords and ^(AI)King of kings, and those with him are ^(AJ)called and chosen and faithful.”

¹⁵And the angel^[c] said to me, ^(AK)“The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. ¹⁶And ^(AL)the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast ^(AM)will hate the prostitute. They will make her ^(AN)desolate and ^(AO)naked, and ^(AP)devour her flesh and ^(AQ)burn her up with fire, ¹⁷for ^(AR)God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and ^(AS)handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. ¹⁸And the woman that you saw is ^(AT)the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes:

Revelation 17:6 Greek the witnesses to Jesus
Revelation 17:8 Greek the abyss
Revelation 17:15 Greek he

Cross references:

English Standard Version (ESV)

Psalm 145

Great Is the Lord

^[a] A Song of Praise. Of David.

145 ^(A)I will extol you, my God and ^(B)King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
²Every day I will bless you
^(C)and praise your name forever and ever.
³^(D)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his ^(E)greatness is unsearchable.

⁴^(F)One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
⁵On ^(G)the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
⁶They shall speak of ^(H)the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
⁷They shall pour forth the fame of your ^(I)abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is ^(J)gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹The Lord is ^(K)good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

¹⁰^(L)All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your ^(M)saints shall bless you!
¹¹They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
¹²to ^(N)make known to the children of man your^[b] ^(O)mighty deeds,
and ^(P)the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³^(Q)Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]^[c]
¹⁴The Lord ^(R)upholds all who are falling
and ^(S)raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵The eyes of all ^(T)look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
¹⁶You ^(U)open your hand;
you ^(V)satisfy the desire of every living thing.
¹⁷The Lord is ^(W)righteous in all his ways
and ^(X)kind in all his works.
¹⁸The Lord is ^(Y)near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him ^(Z)in truth.
¹⁹He ^(AA)fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also ^(AB)hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰The Lord ^(AC)preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and ^(AD)let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Footnotes:

Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
Psalm 145:12 Hebrew his; also next line
Psalm 145:13 These two lines are supplied by one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac (compare Dead Sea Scroll)

Cross references:

Psalm 145:1 : Ps. 99:5, 9
Psalm 145:1 : Ps. 98:6
Psalm 145:2 : [Ps. 146:2]
Psalm 145:3 : Ps. 48:1
Psalm 145:3 : Job 5:9; [Isa. 40:28]
Psalm 145:4 : Isa. 38:19
Psalm 145:5 : ver. 12
Psalm 145:6 : [Ps. 78:4]
Psalm 145:7 : Isa. 63:7
Psalm 145:8 : See Ps. 86:5, 15
Psalm 145:9 : See Ps. 100:5
Psalm 145:10 : [Ps. 19:1; 103:22]
Psalm 145:10 : [Ps. 132:9, 16]
Psalm 145:12 : Ps. 105:1
Psalm 145:12 : ver. 4; Ps. 150:2; Deut. 3:24
Psalm 145:12 : ver. 5
Psalm 145:13 : See Ps. 10:16
Psalm 145:14 : [Ps. 37:17, 24]
Psalm 145:14 : Ps. 146:8
Psalm 145:15 : Ps. 104:27
Psalm 145:16 : Ps. 104:28
Psalm 145:16 : [Ps. 104:21; 147:8]
Psalm 145:17 : See Ps. 116:5
Psalm 145:17 : Ps. 18:25; Jer. 3:12
Psalm 145:18 : [Ps. 34:18; 119:151; Deut. 4:7]
Psalm 145:18 : John 4:23, 24
Psalm 145:19 : Prov. 10:24; [John 9:31]
Psalm 145:19 : Ps. 31:22
Psalm 145:20 : See Ps. 97:10
Psalm 145:21 : [Ps. 150:6]

English Standard Version (ESV)

Proverbs 30:32

³²If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
^(A)put your hand on your mouth.

Cross references:

Proverbs 30:32 : Mic. 7:16; See Job 21:5

English Standard Version (ESV)

December 25, 2023

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday December 25, 2023 (NIV)

Zechariah 8

8 ^1-2The word of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, came, this time bringing a series of five short messages about hope.

Eternal One: First, I have a jealous desire to be among My people in Zion. I want it more than anything. I am burning with angry jealousy for her and her welfare.

³Second, I will return to Zion and live in the heart of Jerusalem. So it will then be known far and wide as the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will be called Holy Mountain.

⁴Third, elderly men and women will sit in Jerusalem’s streets with staffs in hand because of their old age. ⁵The city streets will bustle with boys and girls playing outside on the roads and in the squares.

Ultimately, God’s purpose is redeeming His fallen creation. He initiated His plan of redemption by calling and equipping the children of Abraham to be a light to the nations. Zechariah foresees a day when Jerusalem is the center of the world; when people of every race, creed, and color journey to it; and when the Jews show the rest of the world the way to the one True God.

After chapter 8, the Book of Zechariah changes—its tone, its character, its focus. Chapters 1–8 have been about the people and times immediately after the exile ended, a period when Persia ruled the world. Chapters 9–14 seem removed from that world, its people, and its interests—but just how far removed is uncertain. It is possible that these last chapters were not written by Zechariah, and the debate about who wrote them and when they were written has raged since Jesus died. In 27:9-10 of his Gospel, Matthew identifies the author as Jeremiah, a forerunner of Zechariah. More recent scholarship has further confused the matter because the setting in chapter 9 could describe any time in Jerusalem between Hezekiah’s rule before the exile and the Maccabean revolts 400 years later. This inability to positively identify the author and the audience, along with the lack of historical, contextual markers in the text itself, make these words universally applicable. They may even describe the end time when God judges the nations.

⁶Fourth, this may come as a surprise to the remnant of these people, eking out an existence during these harsh days, but what is surprising to you is not for Me.

⁷Fifth, I will rescue My people from far and wide, from east to west across the land, ⁸and I will bring them home to live in peace in Jerusalem where they will be My people once more. I will be truthful and just to them as their God.

⁹Here is an encouragement from the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies.

Eternal One: To those of you who have been listening recently to My words through the prophets, who were working for Me when the foundation of the house of the Eternal One was being laid just decades ago, keep yourselves strong so that the temple walls may now be built. ¹⁰Before then no one could earn a living in Jerusalem or in exile. Neither men nor their animals could find work. No one could move about safely for fear of his enemies because I had turned every man against each other. ¹¹However, that was the past. I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, promise I will not treat the remnant of My people as I once did. ¹²What you witness now will be very different—a new day when seeds of peace will be sown in fertile soil. The seeds will grow into sheaves of wheat, and the vines will produce luscious grapes. The ground will yield its crops, and pleasant dew will again fall from the heavens. And I will give these things to My remnant as their inheritance. ¹³Because you, people of Judah and Israel, were once the objects of scorn among the nations, I will rescue you and you will become a blessing. Don’t be afraid, and keep yourselves strong.

¹⁴When your ancestors angered Me, I was determined to bring disaster to your generation as well as theirs, and I refused to change My plan. ¹⁵All the same, I have now determined to do good for Jerusalem and the people of Judah. Don’t be afraid. ¹⁶Here are the things you must do: Speak truth to each other. Pursue justice in your courts. Render decisions that reflect truth and bring peace to the community. ¹⁷Do not conspire to bring harm against one another. Do not make promises you don’t intend to keep. I hate all these things.

So said the Eternal.

¹⁸The word of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, came to me with three brief messages about a happy future for His people and the entire world.

Eternal One: ¹⁹From now on, the fasting times of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will be happy occasions and times of celebration for the people of Judah. So you should love truth and pursue peace.

²⁰Many people from many cities will come streaming to My holy city. ²¹The citizens from one of these cities will approach the citizens of another and say, “You must come with me. Let’s journey to Jerusalem to seek the blessings of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, and ask for His favor directly. I am certainly going.”

²²That is why many people and powerful nations will come together as one to Jerusalem to seek the blessings of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, and ask for His favor directly.

Eternal One: ²³A day is coming when 10 men, people from every nation speaking every language will grab the cloak of a Jew and beg him, “Let us come with you because we have heard the True God is among you and we want Him to save us, too.”

The Voice (VOICE)

Revelation 16

Just as God used the plagues to judge the Egyptians and deliver His people from bondage (Exodus 7–12), these plagues will help rescue God’s faithful servants.

16 Then I heard a great voice coming from the temple ordering the seven heavenly messengers.

A Voice: Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth.

²So the first messenger poured out his bowl onto the earth. When he did, a foul-smelling, painful sore broke out on each person who bore the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image.

³The second messenger poured out his bowl into the sea. When he did, the waters became like the blood that spills from a dead body, and every living creature in the sea died.

⁴The third messenger poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of fresh water. When he did, they, too, became blood. ⁵And I heard the messenger over the waters speak.

Messenger over the Waters: You are just, O holy One who is and who was,
for You have judged these things rightly.
⁶Because people shed the blood of the saints and prophets,
You have given them blood to quench their thirst.
They are deserving of these punishments.

God’s judgment is true and just. Violent people are thirsty for blood, so God gives it to them. Sometimes judgment means receiving what you desire.

⁷And I heard a voice from the altar agree.

A Voice: Yes, Lord God, the All Powerful,
true and right are Your judgments!

⁸The fourth messenger poured out his bowl on the sun. When he did, the sun was permitted to blister people with its fire. ⁹The incredible heat of the sun burned their skin; but instead of rethinking their actions^[a] and glorifying God, they cursed God’s name because He had the power to carry out these plagues.

¹⁰The fifth messenger poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. When he did, its kingdom was blanketed in darkness. People chewed on their tongues out of the depth of their agony. ¹¹Still they refused to change their wicked ways,^[b] so they cursed the God of heaven because of their painful afflictions and ulcerous sores.

¹²The sixth messenger poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. When he did, the river dried up and became a road so that the kings from the east and their armies could make their way. ¹³What I saw next troubled me deeply: three foul spirits like frogs appeared, belched from the mouth of the dragon, the mouth of the beast, and the mouth of the earth-beast. ¹⁴These frogs are demonic spirits. As they go into the world, they perform miracles persuading the kings of the world to gather for the last battle on the great day of God, the All Powerful.

The dragon, beast, and earth-beast are an unholy trinity who send out demonic spirits. These spirits resemble frogs and remind the reader of the plague of frogs that invaded Egypt before the exodus. These foul spirits roam the world, persuading the kings of the earth to assemble together to do battle against God and His chosen.

A Voice: ¹⁵See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the person who watches and waits, dressed and ready to go, so as not to wander about naked, exposed to disgrace.

¹⁶And the kings gathered at the place called Har-Magedon in Hebrew.

Har-Magedon means Mount Megiddo and is sometimes transliterated “Armageddon.” This refers to the battleground where the armies of the earth, led by the forces of evil, will assemble to mount their final attack against God. This place is often associated with the plain of Megiddo in northern Israel because the fertile land there has often been turned into fields of blood during gruesome battles. In a place like this, for one last time, evil will raise its ugly head against good.

¹⁷Finally, the seventh messenger poured out his bowl into the air. When he did, a great voice came out of the temple, from the throne.

A Voice: It is accomplished!

¹⁸At the sound of the voice, there were flashes of lightning, sounds of voices, rumblings of thunder, and tremors of an earthquake. In all of human history, there had never been an earthquake of this magnitude. ¹⁹The great city was torn into three parts, and the cities of all the nations fell. God remembered the great city, Babylon, and made her drink the cup of His fury and wrath. ²⁰Every island sank into the ocean, and no mountains were left to be discovered. ²¹And great hailstones, each weighing nearly 100 pounds, fell from the sky onto the people until they cursed God because the plague of hail was so severe.

Footnotes:

16:9 Literally, repenting
16:11 Literally, repent

The Voice (VOICE)

Psalm 144

A song of David.

¹Blessed be the Eternal, my rock.
He trains my hands for war, gives me the skills I need for battle.
²He is my unfailing love and my citadel.
He is my tower of strength and my deliverer.
He is my shield of protection and my shelter;
He holds my people in check under me.

³O Eternal One, what is man, that You even care to know him?
or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
⁴Humans are like a passing breath;
their time on earth is like a shadow that passes over us during the day and soon is gone.

⁵Eternal One, stretch out an opening in the heavens, and descend.
Touch the mountains, and make them smoke.
⁶Send forth bolts of lightning, and scatter my enemies.
Shoot Your fiery arrows, and rout the enemy.
⁷Reach down from Your high place;
save me out of the great waters;
rescue me from the grasp of these foreigners
⁸Who speak only lies
and don’t have truth in their deeds.

⁹To You, my God, I will sing a new song;
I will sing Your sweet praises to the sound of a ten-stringed harp,
¹⁰For You deliver kings from their enemies
and You rescue Your servant, David, from the sword of evil.
¹¹Rescue me,
and save me from the grasp of these foreigners
Who speak only lies
and don’t have truth in their deeds.

¹²May our sons be like healthy plants
as they grow and mature,
And may our daughters be like the corner pillars
that decorate a palace.
¹³May our storehouses be full
with abundant supplies of every crop,
And may the flocks of our fields
multiply into thousands and tens of thousands!
¹⁴May our cattle be strong and productive,
without miscarriage, without loss,
and may there be no riots or protests in our streets!

¹⁵Happy are the people for whom all this is true;
happy are the people whose God is the Eternal!

The Voice (VOICE)

Proverbs 30:29-31

²⁹There are three creatures with majesty in their stride,
no, make it four that move with grace:
³⁰The lion, which is the strongest of the animals,
does not back down from any other creature;
³¹The strutting rooster, the male goat,
and a king as he goes out with his army.^[a]

Footnotes:

30:31 Meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

The Voice (VOICE)

December 24, 2023

12/24/2023 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 6:1-7:14, Revelations 15:1-8, Psalm 143:1-12, Proverbs 30:24-28

Today is the 24th day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is great to be here with you today, it’s Christmas Eve. Here we are, last day of the Advent season. And it’s Christmas eve and so Merry Christmas to everybody as we kind of settle in to the festivities and the goings-on of the next couple of days. It’s wonderful to be here with you to spend Christmas Eve for a few moments together around the Global Campfire. And we will simply take the next step forward as we do every day, and our next step forward leads us back into the book of Zechariah, and we’ll continue with Zechariah’s visions and they may sound similar to what we’re reading in the book of Revelation because this is apocalyptic literature, highly symbolic. So, it’s interesting for us to hear this, the symbolism of Zechariah, or in Revelation, just ask ourselves, what am I considering symbolism, and what am I, what do I literally and…and why? And just kind of explore the things that we see and hear. Let’s take that next step forward now. Zechariah chapters 6 and 7 today.

Commentary:

Okay, so, it's…it’s Christmas Eve right, and that’s, that makes it the final day of the Advent season. Tomorrow, we commemorate the arrival of Jesus. So, there’s joy in our hearts. There’s probably a lot on the to do list, still to go for, for tomorrow, maybe tonight is a candlelight celebration at church, maybe even like a midnight service to ring in the arrival of Christmas and the…the arrival of the Savior. And through all of this we’ve established this rhythm, every day, moving through the Scriptures and the Scriptures continue to speak to us. We’re reading in Zechariah today and we heard what the prophet had in a visionary experience and what it reminds us of. Zechariah said this is what the Lord of Heaven’s armies says, judge fairly, show mercy and kindness to one another, don’t oppress widows, orphans, foreigners and the poor and don’t scheme against each other. We can see in the prophecies that Christmas isn’t a blackout date where we can just do all those things during Christmas because it’s a different time of year and everybody, everybody does different things. Like, there’s no blackout. This is what we’re supposed to do all the time. And if there were a season to judge fairly and show mercy and kindness to each other, wouldn’t that be now? May we do that and as we do that, let’s consider what we saw in Revelation. John sees what looks to him to be a sea of glass that’s on fire, very hard to comprehend but this is what he’s seeing and next to that sea were those who had endured and God gave them hearts and they were singing to the lamb in worship and their words were great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God the Almighty, just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name. For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous deeds have been revealed. That may not be like a well-known Christmas Carol that we might sing today, but it’s a song wholly appropriate for the arrival of the king of all. Right, we’re celebrating this…this first arrival of the Savior, as we celebrate Christmas. But we are also longing for the second Advent for a return, and as we read Revelation, we’re prophetically hearing what that worship will look like in advance from a time that we long for, when all things will be made new again and all things have been made new again. Because of the arrival of Emmanuelle, because God came to be with us. And so, may we rejoice today, may we treat each other with kindness and mercy. May we extend the love of God to everyone that we interact with. May we look in the mirror and extend the love of God to the person there, and may we open our hearts to the joy of Christmas.

Song played: “Silent Night” Sleeping At Last

December 24, 2023

12/22/2023 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 2:1-3:10, Revelations 13:1-18, Psalm 141:1-10, Proverb 30:18-20

Today is the 22nd day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is fantastic. It is a joy; it is an honor and a privilege. It’s crazy that we even have this place that we can come, and call home and just be warm and cozy around a campfire together. That’s a peaceful oasis for us; it’s a joy to be here with you today. So, we began the book of Zechariah yesterday and that is the second to the last book in the Old Testament, and we will continue with Zechariah for the next several days, until the last couple of days of the year. So, we’re not flying through another book today in its entirety, we’re picking up where we left off, which is our normal custom around here. So, things should feel a little bit more normal, even though Christmas is almost upon us. Let’s pick up where we left off and that will be Zechariah chapters two and three today.

Commentary:

Okay, unless we’ve been asleep most of the year, Christmas is upon us. We’re just a couple of days away and those of us with kids, especially with little kids, probably counting down the hours and they can’t sleep and try to figure everything out and some of us are getting ready to travel and make sure we don’t forget anything like kids. Others of us are making the preparations to receive family that’s gonna be traveling to us, maybe they’re coming from just across town but maybe they’re coming from across an ocean, and that’s, that brings a very disruptive but very joyous time right, the coming back together. It should be joyous, it brings us back together and around people who were present in our early years, maybe our siblings, parents, aunts, cousins, uncles, whoever, reunited, we become reunited kinda with our childhood in some ways and even though we’re adults now and maybe we have families of our own and maybe we even live in a different city and we’ve built our own life. It doesn’t take long when we get back in our environment to fall immediately back into the role that we, that we were forced to play, or that we played as youngsters. And when we find ourselves in that place, and we’re like, this isn’t really who I am anymore. I have my own kids. I have my own life. I have my own spouse; I have my own everything. I feel like this younger thing going on, right, the soft places start getting touched and then something gets said, an old word, and old teasing, old scorn. These things start creeping in and then maybe the generational differences and all of the opinions that go on in family and the convictions rubbing up against each other and that’s just a, it’s a beautiful, joyous time that is ripe for something to start a fire, right. Somebody says something that’s volatile; just a little too far. And then everything, everything starts to go sideways and a good day becomes a very difficult day. We read something in Psalms today that maybe should give us some advice on how to handle this. Oh Lord, place a guard on my mouth, protect the opening of my lips. Do not let me have evil desires or participate in sinful activities with people who behave wickedly. I will not eat their delicacies. It’s a pretty ancient prayer, it comes from King David. So, thousands of years ago, but it compels us to make some choices now, right before any gifts are brought from any trunks, any keep of any moments where words may form and happen before they can be unsaid. We’re out in front of all of that. We need to remember that we’re not who we used to be. Like, if you’ve been here all year, and we’ve been just taking this journey this year, then you’re not who you were at the beginning of the year. You’re not who you were before, and you can choose who you are, you can choose to bring light and life into situations where you may have once jumped right into the darkness. But it’s not easy to make these decisions in the moment, they need to be made in advance. So, let’s remember this season, this is Emmanuel, this is God with us. This is God’s unwillingness to abandon His people and leave us in our story. It shows us that He deeply longs to be a part of everything that we do and He wants it intensely, including intimacy with those that we often find ourselves in conflict. So, we have the joy of Christmas to give or to withhold. We have love to give or withhold. May we go into these next days, offering the light of the world flowing through our very lives and out of our mouths. May we be lights that shine the kingdom’s brightness, as we celebrate the arrival, the advent of the Savior. And may wherever we walk, may that be holy ground. Because as we read in the Scriptures in the Psalms yesterday, where can I go, that You are not; where can I flee from Your spirit. The spirit of the living God is in us, let’s let loose love, joy, peace, long-suffering, patience, kindness, gentleness. And let’s choose that in advance.

Prayer:

And so, Father, we come to You choosing that in advance, out in front of things we need Your Holy Spirit. Some of the people we have to deal with can be very, very difficult to deal with. And maybe we can be really difficult to deal with too. May Your spirit hover; may You permeate our words and our actions. May we act in love, as we interact in the disruptive ways of Christmas time. Come, Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com, that’s home base, that’s where you find out what’s going on around here. The Daily Audio Bible app does that as well. And that’s right in the palm of your hand, just search for Daily Audio Bible, at whatever app store works with your device. And it’s Christmas time around here and so, we brought out these commemorative, keepsake vinyl projects, five different musical projects from the Daily Audio Bible as collectors editions. And those are still available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop or in the app, just navigate to the Shop and look for the Christmas category and you’ll find them there. Thank you for your partnership as we press forward into the new year and toward brand-new technology coming into all of our lives, as we move forward as the Global Campfire.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible as the, as the year ends. Thank you, humbly and profoundly. Thank you. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

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And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragement:

Hey my compassionate DAB fam, this is Kingdom Seeker Daniel. Family, I am coming to you guys to ask for prayer for one of our beloved DAB members. Most of you know her as Susan from Canada, God’s Yellow Flower. I have the distinct pleasure and privilege of knowing her as mom. God has so blessed my life to have this sweet lady take me in as her son, her boy. And so, many of you guys know the journey that she and Keith have been on with the battle with cancer. And so, she just learned a couple of days ago that the cancer has returned in Keiths body. And as you guys know, mom is a trooper, she’s a warrior, she’s always gonna have a good attitude and praying for others and lifting others up. And just caring on others. And so, she mentioned the other day that she’s a little anxious. And so, I’m asking you family, will you join me lifting up our beloved Susan from Canada, God’s Yellow Flower, my mom here at the DAB. So, let’s pray real quick. Father, I thank you for this amazing servant of Yours and for Keith, as the reports have come in that the cancer has returned, God we thank You that You have defied the odds once before in Keiths life, will You do it again. Will You continue to sustain Keith’s body. Comfort moms heart. Strengthen her and let her know, You’ve got her boy. And we give You praise for what You will do, in Jesus name. Amen.

Good morning, DAB family. This is Paula from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Gosh, I love you guys. Merry Christmas and hope that you guys are having a wonderful holiday season and celebrating with your families. Yeah, I’m one of those people that I will Merry Christmas people until their ears hurt. Anyway, I called for Greg, our brother that is struggling in his marriage. Greg, I know your pain. Me and my ex-husband lived as what I had heard at the time, this term called married singles. We lived in the house together with our children, while we were in the midst of our divorce. It was painful. My ex-husband became more and more bitter. It is hard. And I tried just loving him. We’ve been divorced almost 17 years, and he still has so much bitterness inside of him, it’s really sad. Just love her. And I agree with our brother that called and prayed for you today, Monday, December 18th, that love conquers all. Just stay in there, hang in there. Do not give in. I was reminded by friends that separation, legal separation is only one signature away from a divorce. Lord, I lift them up to you, every single married couple that is having problems in their marriage. Give them the strength, the love, the endurance. Help them to recognize that You are there in the midst of it. Amen.

Trajan from Massachusetts, this is Susan from Canada, God’s Yellow Flower. And we heard your prayer request. Sometimes it goes on the Community Prayer. But they’re all played, I believe. So, I just loved your prayer. I just loved it. And I just wanna bless you that, know that we are praying for you. Yeah, that Lord God, that you’re, the anger in this heart, the hurt in his heart. The pain in his heart, Lord God, would be replaced with the joy of the Lord. The joy of knowing eternity, that these brief and momentary troubles we are having on earth, are but just a, like someone said, a spec of memory in light of eternity. And we are waiting, we are waiting Lord, for Your rest in heaven with You. Lord God, and we want to do the best we can while we’re down here. So, I pray You will help this young man and just lift him out of this miery clay and set him on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Where no storms can dash him away. But that You would hold firmly onto him and replace a broken heart with a full heart for You. Holy Spirit, just touch him gently and draw him out of the pain that he’s in and into freedom with Christ. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Salutations my DAB family. It’s His Little Songbird from Alberta, Canada. And I just heard God’s Smile on the Prayer and Encouragement. Oh, sweety you sound so burdened, like your heart is just dragging behind you. I want you to know that I am praying for Tom and I’m praying for you as well. Cause I know what it’s like to hurt for my child. I just, I pray, and I ask the Lord to wrap His hedge of protection around the both of you. To put His blood covering over you and to help you through whatever it is that is happening. Oh, my sweet sister. I love you. God loves you so much more.

December 24, 2023

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday December 24, 2023 (NIV)

Zechariah 6-7

When Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem in 586 b.c., he carries her chief citizens off into exile in Babylon. Thousands don’t survive the brutal journey. Those who do must start their lives over in a hostile land where they are subjects of violence, slavery, and every manner of wickedness. That’s why Babylon becomes synonymous with evil. In this vision, the wickedness of Judah is contained and sent far away to Babylon, where it is not only tolerated but is worshiped. Civilization reaches its nadir when wickedness is worshiped.

6 That night I had an eighth vision. I looked up and saw four chariots emerging from between two mountains made of bronze. ²The first chariot was pulled by red horses; the second was pulled by black horses. ³The third was hitched to white horses and the fourth to spotted, strong horses.

A final vision echoes the first vision as four great spirits of heaven unleash judgment upon the whole earth.

Zechariah (to the heavenly messenger): ⁴What are these, sir?

Heavenly Messenger: ⁵These are the four winds of heaven that disperse His power and enact His will. They have been standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth awaiting His command. Now the Lord has dispatched them to patrol the earth. ⁶The chariot pulled by black horses will travel to the north land, followed by the white horses and then the spotted horses, which travel to the south land.

⁷The strong horses and their chariots went on their patrols of the earth with great speed and excitement at God’s command: “Go now. Patrol the entire surface of the earth.” They did as they were told.

Eternal One: ⁸Watch, Zechariah. The horses going to the north land have appeased My restless, vengeful Spirit.

⁹The word of the Eternal came to me describing how He would fulfill His promise of restoring Jerusalem and His temple.

Message: ^10-11Find three men who have returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. Their names are Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah. Then collect money, silver and gold, from the Babylonians for rebuilding Jerusalem, and travel to the house of Josiah (Zephaniah’s son) who has also returned from Babylon. You will find Joshua (Jehozadak’s son) there. With the money you took from the Babylonians, fashion a crown for Joshua, the high priest, and place it on his head.

¹²Once Joshua accepts the crown, tell him these words from the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies: “Pay attention to a man who is named ‘Branch.’ He will branch out from where He is and will build the Eternal’s temple. ¹³Yes, He is the temple builder of the Eternal One and will carry honor. He will sit on the throne of His kingdom to rule, and He will sit on a throne as a priest. Between those two there will be a peace agreement.”

¹⁴The crown will then be taken from Joshua’s head and placed in the temple of the Eternal One as a reminder to Heldai,^[a] Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah^[b] (Zephaniah’s son). ¹⁵People will come from great distances to assist with the building of the Eternal One’s temple. Tell the men, “If you do exactly what the Eternal, your True God, says, this will happen as you have seen and heard it. Then you will know for certain the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, sent me to you.”

“Branch” is a prophetic title for the Anointed One, that royal descendant of David whom God will send to usher in a new age of justice, peace, and joy. In Zechariah’s day, the people wonder if Zerubbabel is that king. Ac cording to the prophet, God has designs on him as the one to rebuild the temple and occupy the throne, but he is not destined to reign alone as the Anointed One will. Zerubbabel reigns with Joshua, the high priest. Together they are anointed, acclaimed, and crowned leaders to watch over God’s people.

7 Two years after I saw the eight visions, on the fourth day of the ninth month (called Chislev) of the fourth year of the reign of Persian King Darius, the word of the Eternal came to me, Zechariah. ²The situation was this: the citizens of Bethel had sent a delegation, including Sharezer and Regemmelech and his men, to seek the favor of the Eternal One ³by questioning the priests working in the temple of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, and by questioning the prophets.

Delegation: During the fifth month of every year, I fast and mourn. Should I continue separating myself from the impure world on these occasions as I have for so many years?

⁴The word of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies came to me and told me how to address their question.

Message: ⁵Ask the citizens of the land and the priests, “When you fasted and mourned during the fifth and seventh months for the last seventy years, were you really fasting for My benefit or just for yourselves? ⁶When you were feasting on holy days, weren’t you just eating and drinking for yourselves instead of honoring Me? ⁷Aren’t these the same directives the Eternal One gave you through the work of earlier prophets, when Jerusalem was bustling with people and prosperous, when the villages around Jerusalem throughout the south^[c] and the western valleys were settled?”

⁸The word of the Eternal came to me, Zechariah, again.

Message: ⁹Here is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has to say: “Dispense true justice, have mercy on others, and show all people compassion. ¹⁰Do not take advantage of those who have lost a spouse or a parent, or those who are outsiders or poor. Don’t purpose to do evil toward your fellow Israelites.”

¹¹Some refused to listen. They turned their backs on this message and plugged their ears. ¹²They made their hearts as hard as flint, refusing to listen to the law or the messages the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, sent by His Spirit and enacted through earlier prophets. That’s why His great wrath and calamity fell upon His people.

Eternal One: ¹³When I called out, they chose not to hear Me, so when they called out, I returned the favor and decided not to hear them. ¹⁴Like a sweeping tornado, I blew them throughout the nations, scattering them in distant lands where they were aliens, all alone. That’s how the land and its cities were emptied out and left so barren that no one even traveled through it. This is how your pleasant hills and valleys turned into empty lands.

Footnotes:

6:14 Hebrew manuscripts read, “Helem.”
6:14 Hebrew manuscripts read, “Hen.”
7:7 Hebrew, Negev

The Voice (VOICE)

Revelation 15

The New Testament God is not a God of fluffy love as some suppose. His judgment, while difficult to comprehend, is real; and fear of it should motivate repentance now.

15 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing: seven messengers with seven plagues—plagues that marked the end. With these the wrath of God reached its end.

²And then I saw something like a sea made of glass mixed with fire flashing through it. Those who had been victorious over the beast, its image, and the number of its name were standing on the sea of glass, holding the harps of God in their hands. ³As they stand and play their harps, they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.

Victors: Great and amazing are Your works,
Lord God, the All Powerful.
Right and true are Your ways,
King of all nations.
⁴Who will not fear You, Lord?
Who will not glorify Your name?
Because You alone are holy,
all the nations will come
and worship before You,
For Your righteous judgments have been revealed.

⁵After I had taken all this in, I looked again; and the inner part of the tabernacle of witness opened in heaven. ⁶Out of the temple came seven messengers, clothed in pure linen, bright and shining, their chests clad in a golden sash, carrying seven plagues. ⁷Then one of the four living creatures stepped over to give to the seven messengers seven golden bowls brimming with the wrath of God who lives throughout the ages. ⁸The temple was full of the smoke billowing from the magnificent glory of God and from His power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven messengers accomplished their God-ordained end.

The Voice (VOICE)

Psalm 143

A song of David.

¹Eternal One, I come to You in prayer.
Hear me out; I plead with You.
Lend an ear to my requests.
In Your faithfulness and justice, respond to my pleas.
²Be kind and slow to judge Your faithful servant,
for compared to You, no one is truly just.

³My adversary has pressed in, drawn closer, threatened my life;
he’s crushed me, driven me underground.
He’s forced me to live in the dark;
it’s as if I joined those who died a long time ago.
⁴That’s why my spirit is growing faint inside me; I have nothing left;
my heart is completely empty and desolate.

⁵And yet I can’t forget the days of old, the days I’ve heard so much about;
I fix my mind on all You have done;
I ponder the work of Your hands;
⁶I reach out my hands to You.
All that I am aches and yearns for You, like a dry land thirsting for rain.

[pause]^[a]

⁷Hurry and answer me, O Eternal One,
for my spirit is weak, my courage is gone.
Do not turn away; let me see Your face;
otherwise, I’ll die and be like all those who have gone to the grave.
⁸Make me hear of Your faithful love in the morning,
for I trust in You.
Teach me how I should walk,
for I offer my soul up to You.

⁹Rescue me from my enemies, Eternal One,
for You are my shelter from them.
¹⁰Teach me how to do Your will,
for You are my God.
Allow Your good Spirit to guide me
on level ground, to guide me along Your path.

¹¹For the sake of Your name and the good of Your reputation,
preserve me, O Eternal One.
In Your righteousness, save my life from burden and misery.
¹²In Your loyal love, silence my enemies for good;
destroy all those who take pleasure in my suffering,
for I am Your faithful servant!

Footnotes:

143:6 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”

The Voice (VOICE)

Proverbs 30:24-28

²⁴There are four creatures on earth that are small,
but they are very wise and we can learn from them:
²⁵While ants are hardly a strong species,
they work constantly to store up food during the summer;
²⁶While badgers are animals without many defenses,
they are wise enough to make their homes in the rocky cliffs;
²⁷While locusts live without a ruler,
they all know how to move in formation;
²⁸While a lizard is easy enough to catch in your hand,
it is shrewd enough to enter the palaces of kings.

The Voice (VOICE)

December 23, 2023

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 23, 2023 (NIV)

Zechariah 4-5

4 The heavenly messenger who had been talking with me returned and stirred me, as if I had been asleep. It was time for a fifth vision.

Heavenly Messenger: ²What do you see before you?

A fifth vision shows the lamp of God’s grace completing what has begun.

Zechariah: I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl on top of it and seven oil lamps on it. Each of the seven lamps has a spout, which the wicks lie in to soak up oil as they’re burned. ³There are also two olive trees nearby: one on the right and the other on the left of the bowl.

⁴But what are these things, lord?

Heavenly Messenger: ⁵Do you not know what they are?

Zechariah: No, lord. I don’t.

Heavenly Messenger (changing the subject): ⁶The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has said this to Zerubbabel: “Your strength and prowess will not be enough to finish My temple, but My Spirit will be.” And He says this to those thwarting Zerubbabel’s efforts: ⁷“Who are you, O mighty mountain of opposition? Before Zerubbabel, you will become nothing more than a smooth plain, and he will quarry the capstone and bring it out to the sound of people shouting, ‘God, grant it Your grace! God bless it!’”

⁸The word of the Eternal came to me again to reiterate what was just reported.

Heavenly Messenger: ⁹Zerubbabel’s very own hands have laid the foundation of this new temple, and his hands will complete it. When he does, it will be clear to you that the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has sent me to you. ¹⁰Now all who have frowned on the day when only slight progress was made to reconstruct the temple will celebrate when they see the stone that centers the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel, who will survey Jerusalem.

(finally answering his earlier question) The seven lamps on top of the lampstand are the eyes of the Eternal One, diligently searching the earth.

Zechariah (to the heavenly messenger): ¹¹What are the two olive trees, the ones on the right and left of the lampstand? What do these mean?

¹²(persisting) And the two fruitful olive branches that extend toward the lampstand, the ones supported by the two gold pipes pouring out their gold oil—what do these mean?

Heavenly Messenger: ¹³Do you not know what they are?

Zechariah: No, lord. I don’t.

Heavenly Messenger: ¹⁴The olive trees are the two men who have been anointed with fresh oil, Zerubabbel and Joshua. They will rule Jerusalem jointly, one over politics and one over religion, and serve the Master over all the earth.

5 That night I had a sixth vision. I looked up and saw a large scroll flying.

Heavenly Messenger: ²What do you see before you?

A sixth vision reveals the righteous ness held in God’s word, the true measure by which all are judged.

Zechariah: I see a large scroll flying. It’s at least 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.

Heavenly Messenger: ³This scroll is God’s curse of judgment that blankets all the land. On one side, it is written that all who steal will be banished from the land. On the other side, it says that all who break their solemn vows will be banished. ⁴The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, says, “I will dispatch this curse of judgment into the home of every thief and every perjurer who invokes My name. The decree will remain through the night in that house until it destroys everything, even its wood and stone.”

⁵The heavenly messenger who had been talking with me went out. It was time for a seventh vision.

Heavenly Messenger: Look up. What do you see moving forward?

A seventh vision explains that the wickedness infecting the world will one day be contained by the agents of God.

Zechariah: ⁶What is it?

Heavenly Messenger: It is a six-gallon basket^[a] moving forward. Like the scroll, it, too, is a mark of judgment carrying the iniquity that they committed in the land.

⁷Suddenly, the basket’s lead cover was lifted, and I saw a woman inside. She seemed to want out.

Heavenly Messenger: ⁸This is Lady Wickedness.

The messenger pushed the woman back into the basket and replaced the basket’s stone (that is, its lead cover) over the mouth so she’d stay inside it. ⁹Then in this vision, I looked up and saw two women moving forward with wings resembling the wings of storks. With the power of the wind in their wings, they lifted the basket up to a place somewhere far away, between heaven and earth.

Zechariah: ¹⁰Where are they taking the basket?

Heavenly Messenger: ¹¹It is being delivered to the land of Shinar, which you know as Babylon. A temple is being built for it there; and once it is ready, they will put the basket on its own altar cart. Let the Babylonians worship what God has condemned.

Footnotes:

5:6 Hebrew, ephah

The Voice (VOICE)

Revelation 14

The number “666” stands in contrast to the perfection of the Lamb and the Spirit. Because this number is “the number of a person,” readers have tried to pin down the identity of this person throughout history. In John’s day, the name and title “Nero Caesar” was a likely candidate for the beast because Nero persecuted and executed believers, demanding obedience and even worship. Every era seems to have its Neros, those beastly characters who occupy seats of power and yet use their power to oppress God’s people. The speculation continues as to this person’s identity, but what has not changed is the message of hope in the midst of extreme persecution; that is the beauty proclaimed in this vision given to John.

14 The scene changed. I looked and saw the Lamb standing on top of Mount Zion, and with Him were the 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name inscribed on their foreheads. ²And I heard a voice from heaven roaring like a waterfall and clapping like thunder. The voice I heard was like a symphony of harpists playing their instruments. ³As I watched, they began to sing a new song before the throne, the four living creatures, and the twenty-four elders. The only ones with the ability to learn this song were the 144,000 who had been rescued from the earth, ⁴virgins who had not given themselves to sexual relations. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been purchased from among humanity as the firstfruits, set apart for God and the Lamb. ⁵In their mouths, no lie was found; no blemish marred them.

⁶I saw another messenger flying through midheaven. He carried an eternal gospel, bringing good news to all the citizens of the earth—every ethnicity, nation, language, and people.

Heavenly Messenger (with a loud voice): ⁷Fear God. Give Him glory, for the time of judgment has arrived. Worship the One who fashioned heaven and earth and created the seas and the springs.

⁸Another messenger, a second, came along.

Second Messenger: Fallen, fallen is Babylon, the great city! She has intoxicated all the nations with the wine of the wrath of her sexual perversion.

⁹Another messenger, a third, followed.

Third Messenger (with a loud voice): Those who worship the beast and its image, and all who receive its mark on their foreheads or on their hands, ¹⁰will be forced to drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured out undiluted into the cup of God’s anger. And they will face the torment of fire and the agony of sulfurous flames before the holy messengers and the Lamb. ¹¹The smoke of their torment will rise throughout the ages for eternity. Day and night will come and go without pause or cessation. There will be no end to the torture experienced by those who worship the beast and its image and by those who receive the mark of its name.

¹²Here is the patient endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and remain faithful to Jesus.

¹³Then I heard a voice call out from heaven.

A Voice: Record this: “Blessed are the dead who have died in the Lord from now until the end.”

Spirit: Yes, they will rest from their labors because their deeds remain with them.

¹⁴Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, a golden wreath atop His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. ¹⁵Another messenger proceeded from the temple and called with a loud voice to the One who sat on the cloud.

Heavenly Messenger: Take Your sickle and reap the harvest, because the harvest of the earth is full and ripe and because the time to harvest has come.

¹⁶Then the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth gave up its harvest.

¹⁷Just then another messenger proceeded out of the heavenly temple. He also had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸Then another messenger (the one with authority over fire) came out from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle.

Messenger of Fire: Take your sharp sickle and gather together the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for the grapes are ripe and ready for harvest.

¹⁹So the heavenly messenger swung his sickle over the earth, gathered the fruit of the vine from the earth, and threw it into the great winepress, which is the wrath of God. ²⁰And the winepress was trampled outside of the city, and blood flowed from the winepress. The blood ran deep. It reached as high as the bridle on a horse and ran for the distance of about 185 miles.

The Voice (VOICE)

Psalm 142

A contemplative prayer^[a] of David while he hid in a cave.

¹I call out loudly to the Eternal One;
I lift my voice to the Eternal begging for His favor.
²I let everything that’s going wrong spill out of my mouth;
I spell out all my troubles to Him.
³When my spirit buckled under the burdens I bear,
You knew my way.
They conspired to trip me up and trap me
on the path where I was walking.
⁴Take a look around and see—to the right, to the left—
no one is there who cares for me.
There’s no way out of here;
no one cares about the state of my soul.

⁵You are the One I called to, O Eternal One.
I said, “You’re the only safe place I know;
You’re all I’ve got in this world.
⁶Oh, let me know that You hear my cry
because I’m languishing and desperate;

Rescue me from those who torment me
because there’s no way I can stand up to them;
they are much too strong for me.
⁷Lift my captive soul from this dark prison
so I may render to You my gratitude;
Then Your righteous people will gather around me
because You will treat me with astounding goodness.”

Footnotes:

142:title Hebrew, maskil

The Voice (VOICE)

Proverbs 30:21-23

²¹Three situations disturb the earth,
no, make it four that it cannot endure:
²²When a slave is elevated to king,
when a fool is full of fine food,
²³When a hated woman finally marries,
and when a serving girl takes possession of her mistress’s wealth.

The Voice (VOICE)

December 22, 2023

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 22, 2023 (NIV)

Zechariah 2-3

2 That night I had a third vision. I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.

Zechariah: ²Where are you going with that?

Surveyor: I am going to measure the city of Jerusalem to find out how wide and how long it is so that a wall may be built around it.

A third vision looks forward to a time of restoration and the coming of God’s Anointed One when things will be set right.

³Then the heavenly messenger who had been answering my questions since my first vision left my side, and a second messenger came and met him.

Second Messenger: ⁴Go quickly, and tell that young surveyor with the measuring line, “Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the vast number of people and all their domesticated animals living in it.” ⁵For the Eternal One says, “Instead of a wall of stone, I will be a wall of fire protecting her all around, and I will be the shining glory within her.”

Eternal One (to Zechariah): ⁶Tell all the Israelites to hear My message: “Up! Flee from your oppressors in the north. I have scattered you far across this earth, as if you were the four winds of heaven, and now I call you to return.” ⁷Then tell My people in Jerusalem to hear My message: “Escape from subservience to daughter Babylon and go to Zion!”

⁸So said the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies.

After His glory has arrived in the city, He will send me to the nations that stripped you bare, Jerusalem, because any nation who harms you harms the apple of His eye.

Eternal One: ⁹Watch what I’m going to do: I am ready to wave My hand over them to command punishment, and their own slaves will turn against them and strip them bare.

When these things happen, you will know the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has sent me as His prophet.

Eternal One: ¹⁰Sing out loud and be happy, daughter Zion, because you will see Me coming and I will live among you. I, the Eternal One, promise this. ¹¹When that day comes, many other nations will join with Me, and their people will become My people. Still I will live among you, my covenant people.

When these things happen, you will know the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has sent me to you. ¹²The Eternal will inherit Judah as His share in the holy land, and He will again choose Jerusalem as His city. ¹³Hush, all people! Be silent before the Eternal, for He has awakened and has come in glory to Jerusalem from His holy home in heaven.

3 Then the heavenly messenger showed me a fourth vision: Joshua, the high priest, was standing in front of the Eternal’s Special Messenger who was presiding over a heavenly council meeting. Standing to Joshua’s right was the one called the Accuser.^[a] He was ready to argue that Joshua was unworthy to serve as high priest.

In this vision Zechariah sees a heavenly court. Joshua the high priest is on trial, charged with impurity and accused of being unfit to serve as high priest. The Accuser appears in the role of a prosecuting attorney, bringing charges and attempting to undermine the credibility of the one person God wants to lead His people. But the Judge will have none of it.

Eternal One (to the Accuser): ²I am reprimanding you, Accuser. I, the Eternal One, have chosen Jerusalem as My own, saved her from My fiery wrath as if she were a wooden poker just pulled from destruction in a fire.

³Joshua stood motionless before the Eternal’s messenger, still dressed in filth-covered clothes, as if recently returned from captivity.

Special Messenger of the Eternal (to the other heavenly council members): ⁴Remove the filth-covered clothes from this man.

(to Joshua) Just as I have taken away your dirty clothes, I have taken away your guilt from you. In place of those clothes, I will dress you in pure, expensive garments. Then you will be ready to serve God and lead the festival.

Zechariah (to the Eternal’s Special Messenger): ⁵Your fellow council members should put a pure turban befitting of the high priest on his head. It will indicate his dignity.

So they placed a pure turban on his head and finished dressing him in his new clothes while the Eternal’s Special Messenger stood by, supervising the cleansing. Joshua could now safely approach God.

⁶The Eternal’s Special Messenger then stood before Joshua and cautioned him.

Special Messenger of the Eternal: ⁷Listen to what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has to say: “If you bind yourself to Me, walk according to My teachings, and perform your priestly duties without fail; then you will be in charge of My house in Jerusalem, you will organize the activities in the courtyards surrounding the most holy place, and I will give you a place among all My heavenly council members gathered here. ⁸Listen to Me, Joshua the high priest—you and your colleagues who maintain the temple alongside you. These men are a sign of wonders to come. Watch, because I am going to bring My servant, who is the Branch of David, to lead you.” ⁹The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has this to say: “You will see the stone I set before Joshua: on it are seven eyes, on it I will engrave a special word, and in a single day I will purge guilt from the land. ¹⁰And on that day I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, promise everyone will invite one another to sit under the shade of his own vine and fig tree and be at peace.”

Footnotes:

3:1 Literally, the satan

The Voice (VOICE)

Revelation 13

13 I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the blackness of the sea. On its horns hung ten crowns, and on its heads were inscribed blasphemous names. ²This beast was like a leopard, its feet were like the claws of a bear, and its mouth was like the jaws of a lion. The dragon bestowed it with his power and his throne and his great authority. ³One of the beast’s heads appeared to have suffered a fatal blow, but its mortal wound had somehow been healed. Amazed at the miracle and its power, all the earth followed the beast. ⁴People worshiped the dragon because he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast because of its power.

Earth: Who can match the beast? Who can fight against it?

The beast emerges from the murky waters resembling the dragon; but it has other features, too, that resemble the four beasts as described in Daniel 7. Daniel, in his visions, learns that the beasts represent the empires that terrorized Israel and the rest of the world: the Babylonians, Persians, Medes, and Greeks. Prophetic images are difficult to identify. The beast in John’s vision could be none other than the Roman Empire or another empire to come later. Rome has its own beastly authority, the Caesar, who demands worship. “Caesar is Lord,” they dare to claim. But John knows better. In every generation, powerful people and institutions arise—political predators that demand loyalty, sometimes even worship.

⁵And the beast was given a mouth that bellowed arrogant boasts and uttered great blasphemies, and it was permitted to do what it willed for 42 months. ⁶Its mouth opened with a stream of insults against God, blaspheming His name, cursing His dwelling and those who live in heaven. ⁷Also it received permission to declare war against the saints and conquer them. Not a single nation, people, language, or ethnicity could escape its dominion. ⁸The inhabitants of the earth will worship it, that is, all those whose names have not been recorded before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

⁹Let the person who is able to hear, listen carefully.

¹⁰If someone is destined for captivity,
a captive he will be.
If someone is destined [to die]^[a] by the sword,
by the sword he will die.

The endurance and faithfulness of the saints will be tested here.

¹¹As I watched, I saw a second beast, this one rising up from the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it was speaking with the voice of a dragon.

The second beast, which later becomes “the false prophet,” has horns like the lamb; but its true nature is revealed in its dragon-like voice. Many pretenders and posers exist in the spiritual world. This new beast wants the world to believe it represents the True God, the only King worthy of worship. But it’s a deceiver, a counterfeit of the true King; it steals devotion away from the one true God, producing signs to dazzle the inhabitants of the earth.

¹²This earth-beast exercises all of the authority given to it by the first beast, and it forces the earth and all its inhabitants to bow down and worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. ¹³And the earth-beast performs fantastic miracles. Like Elijah on Mount Carmel, it even causes fire to blaze down from heaven to earth for all to see. ¹⁴Since it is allowed to perform these miracles in the presence of the first beast, the earth-beast deceives the inhabitants of the earth, commanding them to make an image of the first beast that had survived the mortal wound inflicted by the sword. ¹⁵And the earth-beast was granted permission to breathe into the image and to animate it so that it could even speak. It decreed that those who refuse to worship the image of the first beast must be killed, ¹⁶and the earth-beast mandates that all humans must carry a mark on their right hands or foreheads: both great and small, both rich and poor, both free and slave.

The beast demands worship and requires all to carry its mark. Those who don’t face severe punishment.

¹⁷Those who do not carry this mark, that is, those who do not have the name of the first beast or the number representing its name inscribed on them, are not allowed to sell their wares or buy in the market.

¹⁸Here is divine wisdom: let anyone who understands these mysteries figure out the number of the beast because it is the number of a person. Its number is 666.^[b]

Footnotes:

13:10 Other manuscripts read “to kill.”
13:18 Some manuscripts read 616.

The Voice (VOICE)

Psalm 141

A song of David.

¹O Eternal One, I call upon You.
Come quickly!
Listen to my voice as I call upon You!
²Consider my prayer as an offering of incense that rises before You;
when I stand with my hands outstretched pleading toward the heavens,
consider it as an evening offering.

³Guard my mouth, O Eternal One;
control what I say.
Keep a careful watch on every word I speak.
⁴Don’t allow my deepest desires to steer me toward doing what is wrong
or associating with wicked people
Or joining in their wicked works
or tasting any of their pleasures.

⁵Let those who do right strike me down in kindness
and correct me in love.
Their kind correction washes over my head like pure oil;
do not let me be foolish and refuse such compassion.
Still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked:
⁶Their judges will be thrown from the edges of cliffs and crushed upon the rocks below,
and the wicked will hear my words and realize that what I said was pleasing.
⁷Just as when a farmer plows and breaks open the earth, leaving clumps of dirt scattered along the rows,
our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave.

⁸My gaze is fixed upon You, Eternal One, my Lord;
in You I find safety and protection.
Do not abandon me and leave me defenseless.
⁹Protect me from the jaws of the trap my enemies have set for me
and from the snares of those who work evil.
¹⁰May the wicked be caught in their own nets
while I alone escape unharmed.

The Voice (VOICE)

Proverbs 30:18-20

¹⁸There are three mysteries I find absolutely amazing,
no, make it four I cannot comprehend:
¹⁹The way an eagle flies through the sky,
the way a snake moves over a rock,
The way a boat glides through the middle of the sea,
and the way a man becomes one with his virgin wife.

²⁰An adulterous woman is so cavalier by nature.
When she’s done, it is as if she washed after eating
and then says, “I have done nothing wrong.”

The Voice (VOICE)

December 21, 2023

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday December 21, 2023 (NIV)

Zechariah 1

1 During the eighth month of the second year of the reign of Persian King Darius, the word of the Eternal One came to the prophet Zechariah (Berechiah’s son and Iddo’s grandson).

Message: ²The Eternal became very angry with your ancestors. That’s why He turned His back on them. ³Now, tell your people what the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies, has to say: “Return to Me, so I may turn back to you.” This is the message the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, burdens you with today, Zechariah.

⁴Do not be like your fathers and mothers, whom the prophets of their own time warned, “Here is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has to say: Turn away from your evil thoughts and your evil acts.” Even then they did not listen to Me. That was the message the Eternal One burdened His prophets with a generation ago.

Eternal One (to Zechariah): ⁵Where are your ancestors now? And what about the prophets I sent to warn them? They did not live forever, did they? ⁶Didn’t My words and My rules that I dictated through My servants the prophets outlive your rebellious ancestors? That’s why they repented eventually and realized, “The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has done to us exactly what He decided He would do if we behaved this way. His punishments match our evil thoughts and acts.”

Zechariah has a series of eight visions one night in early 519 b.c. These visions are filled with symbols, numbers, unusual sights, and distinct sounds. In order to understand what he is seeing, God sends a heavenly messenger to serve as Zechariah’s guide and interpreter. All the visions relate to some aspect of the restoration of Jerusalem and her people.

⁷On the 24th day of the 11th month (called Shebat by the Babylonians) of the 2nd year of the reign of Persian King Darius, the word of the Eternal came to me, the prophet Zechariah (Berechiah’s son and Iddo’s grandson). This is what happened: ⁸During the night, I had eight visions. I opened my eyes, and there was a man riding a red horse and bringing a message. He was in the middle of a stand of ever-blooming myrtle trees down in the lowest part of the Kidron Valley. Behind him stood horses of red, tan, and white.

This is not just any messenger who comes to Zechariah in his vision; he is a heavenly messenger whom Zechariah addresses as “lord.”

Zechariah: ⁹What are they, my lord?

Heavenly Messenger: I will show you.

¹⁰The man standing among the myrtle trees explained.

Heavenly Messenger: The horses and their riders have been sent by the Eternal to patrol the whole earth.

¹¹And they began to give reports to the Special Messenger of the Eternal One, who was standing among the myrtle trees.

Patrols: We have traveled back and forth across the surface of the whole earth and found it resting peacefully.

Special Messenger of the Eternal: ¹²O Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, how long will You keep Your mercy from Jerusalem? How long will You keep Your mercy from the cities of Judah, which have endured Your anger for the last 70 years?

¹³The Eternal One answered him, speaking kind and comforting words to the heavenly messenger who had been talking to me. He shared with me the message.

Special Messenger of the Eternal (to Zechariah): ¹⁴Tell everyone these words of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies: “I am very jealous for the people of Jerusalem and Zion. ¹⁵Also, I am very angry with those nations that feel at ease. I was only slightly angry with these other nations, but when they attacked more ruthlessly than I commanded them to, they made the situation much worse for themselves. ¹⁶Here’s what I will do: I, the Eternal One, will turn back to Jerusalem with that mercy they’ve missed for 70 years. My temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem,” says the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies; “surveyors will stretch out their measuring lines over Jerusalem, and craftsmen will return to rebuild it.” ¹⁷You must reiterate to your people what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, says: “My cities will once again be so prosperous, they will overflow. Once again I will comfort the people of Zion, and once again I will choose Jerusalem as My earthly home.”

¹⁸That night I had a second vision of God’s wrath. I looked up and saw four horns.

In a second vision of the power of God’s judgment, God’s people are oppressed by the nations, who are represented by four horns.

Zechariah (to the heavenly messenger): ¹⁹What are these?

Heavenly Messenger: These are the horns of the nations that have been raised in battles to scatter and oppress Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

²⁰Then the Eternal showed me four craftsmen.

Zechariah: ²¹And what are these people coming to do?

Heavenly Messenger: These are the horns of the nations that have scattered the people of Judah, and because of them, no one may lift his head up in dignity. The craftsmen have come to wreak havoc and inflict terror on the nations who own the horns, to strike down those who raised their horns before attacking Judah and sending her people into exile.

The Voice (VOICE)

Revelation 12

12 As I looked, a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman came into view clothed in the radiance of the sun, standing with the moon under her feet, and she was crowned with a wreath of twelve stars on her head. ²She was painfully pregnant and was crying out in the agony of labor. ³Then a second sign appeared in heaven, ominous, foreboding: a great red dragon, with seven crowned heads and ten horns. ⁴The dragon’s tail brushed one-third of the stars from the sky and hurled them down to the earth. The dragon crouched in front of the laboring woman, waiting to devour her child the moment it was born.

⁵She gave birth to a male child, who is destined to rule the nations with an iron scepter. Before the dragon could bite and devour her son, the child was whisked away and brought to God and His throne. ⁶The woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place of refuge and safety where she could find sustenance for 1,260 days.

The sign that appears in the vision is of a celestial woman who gives birth to a son. While it’s possible this could refer to Mary, the mother of Jesus, it is also possible this is a symbol of God’s chosen people. The faithful remnant of Israel is the womb that carried the Lord and delivered Him to the world. While the great red dragon does his best to destroy and devour Him, God has another plan. Since then, the dragon and his minions have done their best to harangue and persecute the woman’s children. But again he does not have the final word.

⁷A battle broke out in heaven. Michael, along with his heavenly messengers, clashed against the dragon. The dragon and his messengers returned the fight, ⁸but they did not prevail and were defeated. As a result, there was no place left for them in heaven. ⁹So the great dragon, that ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was cast down to the earth along with his messengers. ¹⁰Then I heard a great voice in heaven.

A Voice: Now the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of His Anointed One have come.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who relentlessly accuses them day and night before our God,
has been cast down and silenced.
¹¹By the blood of the Lamb
and the word of their witnesses,
they have become victorious over him,
For they did not hold on to their lives, even under threat of death.
¹²Therefore, rejoice, all you heavens;
celebrate, all you who live in them.
But disaster will befall the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to your spheres,
And he is incredibly angry
because he knows his time is nearly over.

¹³When the dragon realized he had been cast down to the earth, he pursued the mother of the male infant. ¹⁴In order to escape the serpent, she was given the two wings of the great eagle to fly deeper into the wilderness to her own special place where she would find sustenance for a time, and times, and half a time. ¹⁵Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a raging river that chased after the woman, trying to sweep her away in the flood. ¹⁶But the earth came to her rescue. It opened its gaping mouth and swallowed the river that spewed from the dragon’s mouth. ¹⁷As a result, the dragon was enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children—those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus.

¹⁸And [the dragon]^[a] stood waiting on the sand of the seashore.

Footnotes:

12:18 Some late manuscripts read “I.”

The Voice (VOICE)

Psalm 140

For the worship leader. A song of David.

¹Save me, O Eternal One, from the evil men who seek my life.
Shield me from this band of violent men.
²Their hearts devise evil! They conspire against me;
they are constantly causing a storm of war.
³These snakes have sharpened their tongues;
viper venom hides beneath their lips.^[a]

[pause]^[b]

⁴Keep me from the grip of these cruel men, O Eternal One.
Shield me from this band of violent men
whose only intention is to trip me up and undermine all I do.
⁵Those arrogant people are trying to catch me;
they’ve laid their trap, hiding a net along my path;
their traps are set, and I am the prey.

[pause]

⁶“Eternal One,” I said, “You are my one and only God.
Hear me, O Eternal, hear my humble cry for rescue.
⁷O Lord, Eternal One, power of my deliverance,
You are my helmet in the day of battle.
⁸So do not fulfill the desires of these evildoers, Eternal One;
do not advance their evil schemes, lest they brag about their successes.

[pause]

⁹“As for the gang leader of those who surround me,
let their mischievous words cover them; smother them in trouble.
¹⁰Let hot coals fall from heaven upon them
and cast them into the roaring fires.
May they sink into the muddy marsh from which there is no return.
¹¹Let no liar find a home anywhere in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man and do him in quickly.”

¹²I am certain the Eternal supports the cause of the distressed;
the poor will receive the justice they deserve.
¹³Indeed, the just-living will glorify Your name,
and honorable people will be at home in Your presence.

Footnotes:

140:3 Romans 3:13
140:3 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”

The Voice (VOICE)

Proverbs 30:17

¹⁷One who derides his father
and fails to honor his mother in old age
Will die in contempt: his eyes will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the young vultures when his unburied body lies on the trash heap.

The Voice (VOICE)

Zechariah 10-11

The Restoration for Judah and Israel

The Flock Doomed to Slaughter

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Revelation 18

The Fall of Babylon

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 146

Put Not Your Trust in Princes

Cross references:

Proverbs 30:33

Zechariah 9

Judgment on Israel's Enemies

The Coming King of Zion

The Lord Will Save His People

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 145

Great Is the Lord

[a] A Song of Praise. Of David.

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Proverbs 30:32

Cross references:

Zechariah 8

Revelation 16

Footnotes:

Psalm 144

Psalm 144

A song of David.

Proverbs 30:29-31

Footnotes:

Zechariah 6-7

Footnotes:

Revelation 15

Psalm 143

Psalm 143

A song of David.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:24-28

Zechariah 4-5

Footnotes:

Revelation 14

Psalm 142

Psalm 142

A contemplative prayer[a] of David while he hid in a cave.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:21-23

Zechariah 2-3

Footnotes:

Revelation 13

Footnotes:

Psalm 141

Psalm 141

A song of David.

Proverbs 30:18-20

Zechariah 1

Revelation 12

Footnotes:

Psalm 140

Psalm 140

For the worship leader. A song of David.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:17

^[a] A Song of Praise. Of David.

A contemplative prayer^[a] of David while he hid in a cave.