January 8, 2023 – John’s Writings – Victory in Small and All Things

Victory in Small and All Things

Zechariah 4:1-14 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. ² He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. ³ Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

⁴ I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.

⁶ So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

⁷ “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

¹⁰ “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

¹¹ Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

¹² Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

¹³ He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

¹⁴ So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”

Who returned and woke Zechariah up (verse 1)?

What did Zechariah see (verse 2)?

Where were the two olive trees (verse 3)?

In your opinion, why did Zechariah ask “what are these” (verse 4)?

What is the word of the Lord Almighty to Zerubbabel (verse 6)?

What will happen to the “mighty mountain” before Zerubbabel (verse 7)?

Whose hands will complete the temple (verse 9)?

In your opinion, what does the question “who dares despise the day of small things” mean (verse 10)?

What is Zachariah asking about in verse 11?

What is Zachariah asking about in verse 12?

What are the two olive branches (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how followers of God have victory even when confronted by the world?

John 7:25-34 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? ²⁶ Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? ²⁷ But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

²⁸ Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, ²⁹ but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

³⁰ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. ³¹ Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

³³ Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. ³⁴ You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

What did some of the people of Jerusalem begin to ask (verse 25)?

How did the people think the authorities dealing were with Jesus (verse 26)?

Why did some of the people in Jerusalem conclude that Jesus was not the Messiah (verse 27)?

In your opinion, why does Jesus say that “I am not here on my own authority” (verse 28)?

Why does Jesus know the One who sent Him (verse 29)?

What “had not yet come” (verse 30)?

Who said “when the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man” (verse 31)?

What did the chief priests and the Pharisees do (verse 32)?

How long will Jesus be with them (verse 33)?

What will happen when they look for Jesus (verse 34)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how followers of God have victory even when confronted by the world?

In your opinion, how is the obstruction by the enemies of Israel to the completion of the temple in Zechariah 4:1-14 similar to the obstruction that Jesus faced from those who did not believe He was the Messiah in John 7:25-36?

1 John 4:1-6 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

⁴ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

How should Christians react to “spirits” (verse 1)?

What have “many false prophets” done (verse 1)?

How can you “recognize the Spirit of God” (verse 2)?

Who is not from God (verse 3)?

Where is the “spirit of the antichrist” (verse 3)?

How have Christians overcome the false prophets (verse 4)?

Why does the world listen to false prophets (verse 5)?

Who listens to John and others from God (verse 6)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how followers of God have victory even when confronted by the world?

In your opinion, how is the prophecy of Zechariah that Zerubbabel would complete the temple in Zechariah 4:1-14 similar to John’s reassurance to the Christians that they “are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”?

In your opinion, is there anything we can learn about the actions of the antichrists we are warned about in 1 John 4:1-6 from the reactions of those who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah in John 7:25-36?

Revelation 11:1-10 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. ² But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. ³ And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” ⁴ They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” ⁵ If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. ⁶ They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

⁷ Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. ¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

What was John to do with the reed (verse 1)?

Why was John to “exclude the outer court” (verse 2)?

What will happen to the “holy city” for 42 months (verse 2)?

Who will “prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth” (verse 3)?

Where do the two olive trees stand (verse 4)?

What happens when people try to harm them (verse 5)?

How long will the two witnesses have the power to “shut up the heavens so that it will not rain” (verse 6)?

What will the two witnesses have the power to do to the waters (verse 6)?

Who will attack and kill the two witnesses (verse 7)?

In your opinion, where will all this happen (verse 8)?

How long will “some from every people, tribe, language and nation” refuse to allow the witnesses to be buried (verse 9)?

What will the “inhabitants of the earth” do (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how followers of God have victory even when confronted by the world?

In your opinion, how are the purposes of the two olive trees of Zechariah 4:1-14 similar to the purposes of the two olive trees of Revelation 11:1-10?

In your opinion, how is the desire of people to kill Jesus in John 7:25-36 similar to desire of the nations to kill the two witnesses in Revelation 11:1-10? 

In your opinion, what part of the temple that John is measuring in Revelation 11:1-10 would the people who 1 John 4:1-6 says “are from God and have overcome” be in?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Zechariah, John, 1 John and Revelation teach us about who has the ultimate power over today, tomorrow, and eternity?

In your opinion, as Christians what is our responsibility in the conflict between the world and God?

 

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

December 30, 2018 – Looking Backward and Forward from Zechariah – Temple Building Then and Now

Temple Building Then and Now

Ezra 3:8-13 - New International Version (NIV)

⁸ In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. ⁹ Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.

¹⁰ When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. ¹¹ With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

“He is good;
    his love toward Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. ¹² But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. ¹³ No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

In your opinion, who are Zerubbabel and Joshua (verse 8)?

Who supervised “those working on the house of God” (verse 9)?

Who gave the priests and Levites “their places to praise the Lord” (verse 10)?

What did they sing about the Lord (verse 11)?

Why did the people give “a great shout of praise” (verse 11)?

In your opinion, why did “many of the older priests and Levites and family heads” weep aloud when they saw the foundation of the temple being laid (verse 12)?

What could not be destinguished (verse 13)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Zechariah 4:1-14 - New International Version (NIV)           

¹ Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. ² He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. ³ Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

⁴ I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.

⁶ So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

⁷ “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

¹⁰ “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

¹¹ Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

¹² Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

¹³ He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

¹⁴ So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”

Who woke Zechariah up (verse 1)?

How does Zechariah describe the lampstand he sees (verse 2)?

What does Zechariah see on the the right and the left of the lampstand (verse 3)?

What does Zechariah ask the angel (verse 4)?

What message does the angel have for Zerubbabel (verse 6)?

In your opinion, why will there be shouts of “God bless it” when Zerubbabel brings out the capstone (verse 7)?

How will Zechariah know that the Lord Almighty sent the angel (verse 9)?

In your opinion, who does date “to despise the day of small things” (verse 10)?

Who do the two “olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand” represent (verses 11, 12, 13 and 14)?

In your opinion, who are the “two olive trees” (verse 11)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, why does something as wonderful as building a temple to the Lord create weeping in Ezra 3:8-13 and cause some to despise it in Zechariah 4:1-14?

John 2:13-25 – New International Version (NIV)

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. ¹⁵ So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

¹⁸ The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.  ²⁴ But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

When did Jesus go to Jerusalem (verse 13)?

What did Jesus find in the temple (verse 14)?

How did Jesus react to what He found in the temple (verse 15)?

What did Jesus say they were turning His Father’s house into (verse 16)?

Who remembered that it was written “zeal for your house will consume me” (verse 17)?

In your opinion, why did the Jews ask “what sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this” (verse 18)?

How long did Jesus say it would take Him to rainse the temple again (verse 19)?

How long had it taken to build the temple (verse 20)?

What temple was Jesus speaking of (verse 21)?

When did the disciples recall what Jesus had said  (verse 22)?

Why did “many people” believe (verse 23)?

Who would Jesus not entrust himself to (verse 24)?

What did Jesus not need (verse 25)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what caused the temple that was so important to people at its beginning that the sounds of joy and weeping were heard “far away” in Ezra 3:8-13 to become a place that was used for the sale of cattle,  sheep and doves in John 2:13-25?

In your opinion, how are Zerubabbel from Zechariah 4:1-14 and Jesus from John 2:13-25 related, by family and position, and how are their positions different?

1 Corinthians 3:9-17 – New International Version (NIV)

⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

What are we (verse 9)?

What did Paul lay (verse 10)?

How should each on build (verse 10)?

In your opinion, why can no one “lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (verse 11)?

What does Paul say people can build on the foundation with (verse 12)?

How will their work “be shown for what it is” (verse 13)?

What will fire test (verse 14)?

Who will receive a reward (verse 15)?

How will the person whose work is burned up be saved (verse 15)?

What are Christians (verse 16)?

Where does God’s Spirit dwell (verse 16)?

What is sacred (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how are the foundation of Zerubbabel’s temple which was being laid in Ezra 3:8-13 and the foundation of “God’s building” which was described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:9-17 similar?

In your opinion, what can God’s statement “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” from Zechariah 4:1-14 teach us about building on the foundation of Jesus Christ with “gold, silver, costly stones, wood hay or straw” from 1 Corinthians 3:9-17?

In your opinion, how is the temple that Jesus talks about in John 2:13-25 different from “God’s building” that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 3:9-17?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Ezra, Zechariah, John and 1 Corinthians teach us about the building of God’s temple, from Zerubabbel’s time and our time?

In your opinion, how can we who build God’s temple today build with gold, silver and costly stones instead of wood, hay or straw?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)