September 20, 2012 … The King Is Coming!

Chronological Bible Reading Plan - Day 264

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Zechariah, Chapters 5-9 To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Highlight Passage: Zechariah 5: 3-4; 9-11 : [NLT] … 3 Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land.” 4 And this is what the LORD Almighty says: “I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely by my name. And my curse will remain in that house until it is completely destroyed—even its timbers and stones.”… 
9 Then I looked up and saw two women flying toward us, with wings gliding on the wind. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they picked up the basket and flew with it into the sky. 10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel. 11 He replied, “To the land of Babylonia, where they will build a temple for the basket. And when the temple is ready, they will set the basket there on its pedestal.” 
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Highlight Passage: Zechariah 6: 1; 5; 8; 12-13; 15 : [NLT] … 1 Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains. … 
5 He replied, “These are the four spirits£ of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work. …” 
8 Then the LORD summoned me and said, “Those who went north have vented the anger of my Spirit there.” … 
12 Tell him that the LORD Almighty says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out where he is and build the Temple of the LORD. 13 He will build the LORD’s Temple, and he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between the two. ... 
15 Many will come from distant lands to rebuild the Temple of the LORD. And when this happens, you will know my messages have been from the LORD Almighty. All this will happen if you carefully obey the commands of the LORD your God.  
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Highlight Passage: Zechariah 7: 3; 6; 8-9; 11-12 : [NLT] … 3 [The remnant of believers in the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem] They were to ask this question of the prophets and of the priests at the Temple of the LORD Almighty: “Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?” … 
6 [God’s response through Zechariah ] … “And even now in your holy festivals, you don’t think about Me but only of pleasing yourselves. …” 
8Then this message came to Zechariah from the LORD: 9 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: Judge fairly and honestly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. … “ 
11 “Your ancestors would not listen to this message. They turned stubbornly away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. 12They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the law or the messages that the LORD Almighty had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD Almighty was so angry with them. …”  
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Highlight Passage: Zechariah 8: 1-3; 6-8; 9; 13; 18-19 : [NLT] … 1 Then another message came to me from the LORD Almighty: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem! 3 And now the LORD says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain. …” 
 6 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “All this may seem impossible to you now, a small and discouraged remnant of God’s people. But do you think this is impossible for me, the LORD Almighty? 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west. 8 I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God. …” 
9 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Take heart and finish the task! You have heard what the prophets have been saying about building the Temple of the LORD Almighty ever since the foundation was laid. …” 
13 “ … Among the nations, Judah and Israel had become symbols of what it means to be cursed. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing! So don’t be afraid or discouraged, but instead get on with rebuilding the Temple! …” 
18 Here is another message that came to me from the LORD Almighty. 19 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter£ are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.  
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Highlight Passage: Zechariah 9: 9; : [NLT] … 9 Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey — even on a donkey’s colt. … 

Cross Reference Passage: Matthew 19: 26 : [NLT] …  Jesus looked at them [i.e., His disciples] intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”  
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Cross Reference Passage: Matthew 21: 1-1 : [NLT] … To read this fulfillment of Zech. 9: 9 … GO TO THIS LINK ... 
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Blogger’s Addendum: For added devotional emphasis of these wonderful prophesies from Zechariah, may I link you to that wonderful old praise song, The King Is Coming!, written and performed by Bill Gaither and his Trio - 
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My Journal for Today: Was led into the next four chapters in Zechariah’s prophetic journal today; and it was a glorious time of study and meditation this morning. I’m not going to write much here in my journal today, hoping that you’ll take the time to read and reflect on Zechariah’s prophesies in these passages.

I was especially taken by that marvelously accurate prophesy of the Palm Sunday scene in Zechariah 9: 9, [in a separate color above] where The Messiah, Whom we now know is Jesus, from the scenario in Matthew 21: 1-11, linked above, is triumphantly riding on the little colt, prophesied by Zechariah, down that street from the Mount of Olives into the Temple Gates. And at that moment God’s people would seemingly recognize that their King is coming again. But just a few days later, that triumphant scene would be replaced with the horror of many of the same people calling for the God-man’s crucifixion.

And as I read through all of the Messianic prophesies of Zechariah this morning in my quiet time, I couldn’t help by remember and pull up from You Tube (linked above) the old song, written and sung by Bill Gather and his trio; and I hope you link to it and watch this piece to get a sense of what Zechariah, some 500+ years before Christ’s first coming, was prophesying of our Lord’s second coming; and isn’t that prophesy in Zechariah, Chapter 9, verse 9 just the most wonderful picture that The King Is Coming again … in glory!!

My Prayer Today: … Awaiting Your return, Lord; … come soon, Lord, Jesus! Amen