Old Testament reading: Isaiah 34-36
Isaiah 34 is a graphic description of God’s judgment upon the nations. “The sword of the Lord is filled with blood… For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom… Their land shall be soaked in blood… For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance” (vv 6-8). Isaiah 35 foretells of the restoration of God’s people, Israel. In view of the coming deliverance, God’s children are urged to strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees (v 3). Moreover, they are not to be fearful but strong (v 4). These verses are quoted in Hebrews 12:12, and in the same context. In Hebrews 12 the brethren are told not be discouraged though the time is coming when they must shed their blood for their faith (vv 3-4). Verses 5-11 instruct that this suffering is the discipline of the Lord. Then verse 12 quotes Isaiah 34:3. Seeing Old Testament verses in New Testament contexts helps to properly understand the intended meaning in both appearances. Isaiah 35:8 speaks of the highway of holiness. I believe this to be a reference to Christianity, the only road of holiness for men today.
New Testament reading: Revelation 1-3
Revelation is a book of great symbolism, but one must also understand the nature of the language used. For example, when Jesus speaks of the seven stars being the seven angels of the churches, He does not speak of angels in the sense of literal, heavenly creatures (cf Luke 22:43). And when instructions are given to these angels, He does not speak of heavenly beings. The word “angel” is from the Greek angelos, thus the rendering is not a translation, but a transliteration, meaning each Greek letter or sound in the is given its nearest English counterpart. The word appears 186 times in the New Testament, and overwhelmingly it refers to heavenly beings. But the meaning of the word is “messenger.” Angels are God’s messengers (cf Matt 1:20). But Jesus called John the Baptizer “My messenger” (Matt 11:10), and even those sent from John to Jesus were called John’s messengers (Luke 7:24). So, these churches did not have angels preaching to them, neither did they receive special messages from angels. These angels of the churches were preachers of the gospel.
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