The book of Revelation is about the drama of human history from God’s perspective.  We read of visions, largely, but not entirely, in symbol, these picture God’s judgements on human godlessness but ultimate blessings for those who remain faithful.  The climax from the believers perspective is the opening the book of life.  There are blessings for those he judges as righteous and the opposite for the others.  There is no third category.  Jesus said,  “Whoever is not with me is against me” [Matt 12 v.30]   The resurrection has taken place and John looks and sees “a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the lamb clothed in white robes …. crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb’” [7 v.9-10]  “The lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd and he will guide them to springs of living water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” [v.17]

Jesus is the Lamb and we recall he spoke of ‘living water’…  “If anyone thirsts, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”  [John 7 v.38].  Recall what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “whoever drinks of the water I will give him, it will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” [John 4 v.14]  We can understand that kind of symbolic language, let us drink that “water” every day.

One would like to ignore the other side of the picture!  The angel is told, “Do not harm the earth … until we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads”   This reminds us of the blood on the doorposts in Egypt when God was about to bring the final plague!   In Revelation we read of the plagues on “the rest of mankind” continuing on those “who were not killed by these (earlier) plagues, (but) did not repent … nor give up worshipping demons and idols … nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality …” [Ch.9 v.20-21]   It is interesting that in the margin of the NKJV Bible sorceries is given the meaning of drugs!   Is the increasing affect of global warming a plague?  The climax of human history is approaching fast, how much greater is the need to fill our minds daily with God’s word?

 The 31^st chapter of Job today is highly interesting; it is his final speech and in it he looks deeply into his conscience, reflecting on his motives for his actions.   In doing this he uses the word ‘IF’ no less than 18 times, saying if I have done this or that then I would be deserving of God’s judgements, i.e. punishment.  There is much food for thought here!

“If I have walked with falsehood” [v.5] “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman” [v.9] “If I have made gold my trust’ [v.24] “If I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant” [v.25]  “If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him that hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him” [v.29] “If I have concealed my transgressions as others do” [v.33] If I have not made fair and proper use of the produce of my lands [v.38/39]

In this self examination, Job also makes other statements that add up to a challenge to us as to our responsibilities (in the sight of God) toward others. He says, “If I withheld anything that the poor desired, or caused the eye of the widow to fail, or have eaten my morsel alone and the fatherless have not eaten of it.’ [v.16/17] “If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing” [v.19] and not looked after the traveller [v.31/32].   In some countries Governments and organisations provides for much of this, but let us not use that as an excuse.

Job recognized that God would judge him for his failures to act and for having wrong attitudes; it was not just a matter of avoiding doing bad things.  However, in the end because he was “blameless and upright” [Ch.1 v.1] and had spoken of God that which is right [42 v.7] Job is wonderfully blessed.  There are obvious lessons that all those who desire to follow in the way of Christ can take from Job’s words; but it is not a matter of justifying oneself, as though one can “earn” salvation by one’s own righteousness.

We should be motivated by a desire to come as close as possible to the character of Christ.  Remember what we read in John last week – “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive … and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1 v.8,9] 

Today we complete reading the seven letters that are sent to 7 churches.  These are contained in chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation.  Each letter begins with the words, “I know thy works,” that is, our deeds.  The letters are dictated by Jesus (Ch.1 v.17,18).  The churches are described as “Lampstands” [1 v.20].  Their responsibility is to illuminate the darkness in the world, to set the example because their members know that “your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” [Psalm 119 v.105]

Some are effective in doing this, some are not. The latter fail to realize that Jesus knows their works – and these must be works done in genuine faith.  Some think they are working well and are blind to the fact that Jesus does not think so – indeed, he sees them as “dead.”  The church at Sardis is a case in point! (Remember, church means the congregation – not the building).

Jesus says, “I know your works. You have a reputation (name) for being alive, but you are dead.” [3 v.1]  They were not seeing what they were doing in the spotlight of God’s word. However he says, “yet you have a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” [v.4]   These are the “garments of salvation … the robe of righteousness” [Isaiah 61 v.10] we received when our sins were washed away and we committed our lives to Christ in baptism. (Romans 6 v.4-19)

Revelation describes this as “fine linen, bright and pure” [Ch. 19 v.8].  So there are a few in Sardis who really know that their Lord sees all and knows all.  With his help they stay spiritually alive.  Of such Jesus says, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments and I will never blot his (or her) name out of the book of life. I will confess his name (reputation) before my father …” [v.5].  What will be confess of us? These 7 letters contain a tremendous range of food for spiritual thought making us reflect on the fact that Jesus knows our works. 

 Job’s three “friends” having ceased, due to their faulty “wisdom”, to responding to his words-  today we see how Job expands on a most important theme in the meaning of life. Our chapter (28) begins with reflections on how humans search for precious things; they dig mines for silver, gold and iron (v.1).  They look for “the place of sapphires” [v.6] and “the thing that is hidden he (man) brings out to light” [v.11].  But then Job asks the key question.

“But where shall wisdom be found?  And where is the place of understanding?” [v.12].   He makes the point that “man does not know its worth” [v.13] instead he values inanimate things like “precious onyx, or sapphire. Gold and glass … coral … crystal” [v.16-18]  He then declares, “the price of wisdom (as distinct from knowledge) is above pearls …  nor can it be valued in pure gold” [v.18,19]  He returns to the key question, “From where does wisdom come?” [v.20] and states, “God understands the way to it” [v.23] and Job then notes the balance God has given to the things he created, the need and value of things like wind, rain and water. 

The climax is in the last 2 verses, God “saw it and declared it, and searched it out. And he said to man. ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”   Now “the fear of the Lord” is a key phrase in Scripture, the utter awe we all should have of what God must be!   Consider this Psalm, “He who planted the ear, does he not hear?  He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge – the LORD knows the thoughts of man that they are but a breath.” [94 v.9-11]

Man thinks he has all the answers, or is well on the way to getting them!  What foolishness. “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? Declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth … let him who has my word speak my word faithfully” [Jeremiah 23 v.23,24,28]  We all have his word in our hands, let us read it faithfully.

We have started reading the prophet Zechariah and before that we read the two chapters of Haggai.  We recall that these were the 2 prophets named by Ezra in his book that we read last month. Ezra had been dismayed at the lack of progress in rebuilding the temple when he arrived back from captivity and noted how “the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah” [Ezra 4 v.4] but later “the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah” [6 v.14]

Haggai had rebuked them, “Is it time for yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses while this house (the temple) lies in ruins.  Now therefore, thus says the LORD of Hosts: Consider your ways” [1 v.4].  It seems to us there is a kind of parallel with the lack of spirituality in modern Israel after their return to the land: they are failing to consider their ways.

In our reading in Zechariah we have the intriguing statement that heads these thoughts.[Ch.3 v.2]. The Lord is rebuking “Satan” – but who is this Satan?  We have previously seen that satan means adversary or accuser as our Bible notes indicate in relation to this verse.  In many other places the context indicates who the adversaries are – they are humans.  Therefore the LORD, because Jerusalem is his chosen city, is rebuking those who oppose its restoration – the same now as we are on the verge of seeing its full restoration.

What is most intriguing about Zechariah’s prophecies is that while he is initially addressing the situation then, 2,500 years ago, God causes him to have visions and make prophecies of future events surrounding both the first and second comings of his Son,  the Lord Jesus.  He also has visions of the ultimate glory of Jerusalem such as in today’s reading. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD.  And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people … And the LORD … will again choose Jerusalem.” [Ch. 2 v.10-12]

Today we read those two short personal final letters by the Apostle John.  In 2 John we are challenged by the fact that four times in the first 3 verses he uses the word Truth.  We read, we need to “love in truth” to “know the truth” and go forward “walking in truth”. 

That last phrase jumps out at us. In John’s Gospel he recorded the words of Jesus to those “who believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ ” [Ch 8.v.31-32].  

Truth is not just something you know, it is something you do; it is a vital principle by which you live; above all it sets you “free”.   What does that mean?  Free from what?  Reading the ongoing conversation we realize it means we are set free from observing the letter of the law; instead, we are challenged to embrace the spirit of the word. Now this is a reaction of the heart, not the head, and results in “love” in action.

In his letter John states his alarm that “many deceivers have gone out into the world” [v.7] these had distorted what the Apostles had taught. This led to a group “who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh”.   They were converts who thought they could improve on what they had been taught by their own reasoning.  After accepting the teaching that Jesus was the Son of God and had brought God’s message to human beings (1 John 5 v.20), these deceivers were saying Jesus could not really have been a human being, as he was God’s son, which means, they reasoned, he could not have been flesh and blood.  

This is serious, John says that such “a one is a deceiver and the antichrist,” and comments, “Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what you have worked for” [v.8]. He then says that anyone who “does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God.” [v.9.]   He describes those who taught wrongly as doing “wicked works” [v.9].   This is disconcerting; we would love to see all Christians being one, but it is impossible because of human nature.  We need to have a profound sense of awe about Jesus Christ and his work before God, realizing that God will have the final say as to whether we receive his wondrous eternal blessings.

In John’s third and final letter he writes more about “walking in the truth” [v.3,4] and those like Diotrephes [v.9] who do not do so.  Let us make sure we know the truth so that we can walk in it and practice it “in love.”  

 At the end of the Book of Job we will read how God rebukes Eliphaz and his two friends who have argued with Job.  God says “for you have not spoken of me what is right [40 v.11]  Today we have read Ch. 22, the third speech of Eliphaz who is reacting to Job’s complaint “will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood” [21 v.34]Consider the response of Eliphaz, can we see how wrong he is?  “Can a man be profitable to God?” he asks, “Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?” [22 v.2,3] There is a half truth in his implication that we cannot be profitable to God, but it is to God’s glory if we behave wisely with the wisdom that comes down from above.  Do you remember reading that in James 3 v.13-18 earlier this month?  And there is joy in heaven over every sinner who repents [Luke 15 v.7]

    We have seen how Eliphaz and his 2 friends have a total mindset than when things go wrong in the life of a human being then it is always a punishment for some sin, a cause and effect situation.   Even his disciples thought this way [John 9 v.2] when they asked Jesus concerning a blind man, “who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” and Jesus had to correct them. The ways that God thinks are far beyond the way we think [Isaiah 55 v.8,9] yet the more we read God’s word day after day, year after year, the more we can tune into his wavelength.  Those who do not do this so often utter “empty nothings”, like saying God is purely a God of love.

    “Love” has been a key word in John’s epistles, as we have seen.  Is it significant that the word “love” does not occur in the book of Job?   Yet God “blessed the latter days of Job” [40 v.12] and showed his love by his actions, just as he will bless us if we speak of God that which is right as well as doing that which is right. 

The word LOVE is used so much in conversation we can easily undervalue the meaning of this word in the Bible. It occurs repeatedly in the 2 chapters we read in 1 John today (3 & 4). It is a simple, yet, at the same time, a profound subject.  The Apostle John uses it frequently in his Epistles.   He himself is described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” [John 21 v.7,20]  But did not Jesus love them all?  Of course he did!  But love comes in degrees of intensity; it understands the character which is its objective.  A mother still loves a naughty child, but there is a different “focus” and expression, often shown in actions, in expressing that love.  Jesus found it necessary from time to time to reprove the disciples for their little faith, to rebuke Peter for tempting him to disobey his Father, to chide Thomas for his lack of belief, unless he saw with his own eyes.   But John himself was prepared to go in and witness the trial of Jesus, although he does not name himself [John 18 v.15-16] and to stand beside the cross with Mary, his mother. [19 v.26-27]  

All true believers must aim to develop a living and loving relationship with Jesus day after day.  As in all true relationships, it must grow and blossom and bring forth fruit.  Today we read “See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are“ [v.1]  Do we know that?  What kind of knowing is that?

John goes on to write, “You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him is no sin.  No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or knows him” [1 John 3 v.5,6]  So those who fail to become more like Jesus have never really known him!    John says they haven’t “seen him”.  The sense of “see” we have noted before, it is when Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus that God “may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance …” [1 v. 17,18] 

This is all involved in the “kind of love” he has given to us.  With what kind of love do we respond? John goes on to write, “let us not love in word and talk, but in deed and in truth” [v.18].   Our actions prove we mean what we say!   In chapter 4 John writes, “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us … we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.  God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this is love perfected in us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgement … there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear “ [4 v. 12,16-18]   Love perfected in us? The wonder of the divine meaning of the word “love” is the ultimate challenge to the reality of our faith.

 Yesterday in reading the chapter in Peter we could have noted that Peter also wrote, “you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets …” [v.2].   Now we are currently reading the short prophecy of Zephaniah. His message starts “The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah …”   It is God revealing the future to him – and through him to us. 

His first chapter is about “the great day of the LORD” [v.14] and of course a day of God’s judgements was soon to come on Jerusalem in the next generation or two – but this prophecy, while including predictions about that tragedy, so much deserved because of their spiritual failures, goes on to look beyond this to an ultimate day when, says God, “I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD … In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed” [v.18]. 

This reminds us that Peter wrote that the “heavens and the earth which now exist are stored up for fire” [3 v.7].  Now “fire” is used as a means of getting rid of that which is bad, a cleansing, leading to renewal.  We know how the bushfires in this country lead to a cleansing and renewal of growth.  In today’s chapter God in Zephaniah has a powerful message for us. “Before the decree takes effect (today, here and now) before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD.  Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden in the day of the anger of the LORD.” [2 v.2,3]

To that message we can add what John writes in our New Testament reading, “all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of possessions – is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” [1 John 2 v.16,17] 

In Peter’s Epistle we read of “the heavens that existed long ago” [2 Peter 3 v.5] and “the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished” [v.6].  Of course the world and the heavens that were deluged did not perish – it was the people who perished so we understand the heavens to be the rulers and the earth the people they ruled over. (Notice how “heavens” occurs 5 times in this chapter)

Then Peter goes on to write, “But by the same word (God’s decree) the heavens and the earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” [v.7]   Then Peter is given, under divine inspiration, God’s perspective on the passage of time.  He writes the challenging words, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” [v.8]

These words, written about 1950 years ago are potent with meaning for us in this 21^st Century, so many see God’s word as being irrelevant to today; they dismiss them as ancient fables, without reading them.  Note the words Peter adds, “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” [v.9] When the Lord Jesus comes “like a thief” i.e. totally unexpectedly, “then the heavens will pass away with a roar” [v.10] meaning that all the ungodly systems of human Govt will be overturned, “but according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” [v.13]

“Therefore, beloved, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace … take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people … but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” [v.14,17,18]  A major way to “take care” is to read God’s word every day.