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This seems to me to be a good time to talk with you about how to understand the prophetic books of the Bible, as we now are starting to read the Babylonian exile prophet Ezekiel. And starting in a week and extending to the end of the year, our poetry readings will be from the prophet Isaiah, who lived 200 years before Ezekiel. Near the end of the year we'll read the minor prophets in quick succession. All the books in the prophetic genre are hands-down the most difficult books to understand in the Bible. So I hope I can give basic pointers in this episode that will be helpful to you from now on to the end of the year. I will start with quoting a paragraph from How to Read the Bible for all it's worth (by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart) that gives one reason people have difficulty with the 16 prophetic books of the OT: We come to these books with false expectations. Speaking about the word 'prophecy' they state: For most people this word means what appears as the first definition in most dictionaries: "foretelling or prediction of what is to come." It often happens, therefore, that many Christians refer to the prophetic books only for predictions about the coming of Jesus and/or certain features of the new-covenant age—as though prediction of events far distant from their own day was the main concern of the prophets. In fact, using the prophets in this way is highly selective. Consider in this connection the following statistics: Less than 2 percent of Old Testament prophecy is messianic. Less than 5 percent specifically describes the new-covenant age [we are currently living in]. Less than 1 percent concerns events yet to come in our time. (p. 166) The prophets did indeed announce the future. But it was usually the immediate future of Israel, Judah, and other nations surrounding them that they announced rather than our future. Rather than thinking of prophets as prediction makers, Fee and Stuart give this very accurate job description of them: The prophets were covenant enforcement mediators. This definition explains a lot! There were hundreds of prophets in the Old Testament, starting with Moses. Many were unnamed. Only 16 were selected to write books for us. Several named prophets wrote historical books that we wish we had. In all cases, the prophets were speaking to the people of their age. So understanding what was happening at the time of the writer is key to understanding the prophetic books. You won't understand the historical setting without help. This is why I will make several book recommendations at the end of this episode. I was in a village in Papua adjacent to the Orya area and where many Orya people come to shop for things they need. This was at the very beginning of the Covid Pandemic. I stayed overnight with a hospitable pastor there who said, "I've heard that this epidemic has something to do with bats. I found this verse. Is God saying this to us? Isaiah 2:20 (NET)  At that time men will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made for themselves to worship, into the caves where rodents and bats live, I replied, "Probably that isn't for us. We should first figure out what was happening in Isaiah's time, and then see if that message is appropriate for our time also." The pastor kind of rolled his eyes and held up the palms of his hands, as if to say, "How in the world can I do that?!" I must admit, he would have few resources to call on to find answers. But you have many ways to gain the needed background information: His translation doesn't have good section headings. Yours probably does. Good section headings really help the reader, and the listeners. That's why I read the section headings in prophetic books in my podcasts. He wasn't using a meaning-based translation for reading the prophets. I hope you will! The GNT and NLT convey the meaning as we would say it in normal modern language. Trying to force English to say things like the Hebrew does results in verses that leave the readers scratching their heads.  Use some of the extra resources I will recommend at the end to help you to understand the historical context. This will help the prophetic books to come alive for you. I was rather surprised when one of the elders in our church here in Arkansas complained bitterly about the major prophetic books. He said something like, "I've been working to penetrate Jeremiah the last couple of months. I hate reading these chapters that say, 'Woe to you, king of somewhere…' What am I supposed to find in these books?" I was shocked that an elder— who is an intelligent and well-educated professional— would speak so negatively about any part of God's Word. I was unprepared to answer him. Let me tell you what I wish I had said to him: First, he was doing none of the three things I just mentioned. He was clearly not coming with the right expectations for what God has for us in the prophetic books. "The prophets were covenant enforcement mediators." (Fee and Stuart) This means that they often rebuke God's people for breaking the covenant, or call Israel to come back to obeying the covenant. We can summarize the covenant as being embodied in the Ten Commandments. This is why the prophets continually come back to the same points: Don't worship idols; don't commit adultery; don't lie, cheat, or steal, etc. Therefore, from now on in the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan, please be on the lookout for places where the different prophets say the same thing. After all, the ultimate Author is the same, as Peter says,  2 Peter 1:20-21 (NET)  Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet's own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.  Consider this oracle of woe to the king of Egypt from Ezekiel 32:1-2 (NLT): On March 3, during the twelfth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: "Son of man, mourn for Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and give him this message: "You think of yourself as a strong young lion among the nations, but you are really just a sea monster, heaving around in your own rivers, stirring up mud with your feet. First, I think it highly unlikely that Ezekiel would be able to give Pharaoh this message! Ezekiel was a refugee living in Babylon. Rather, I think that the message is actually to encourage the exiles living with Ezekiel, and he may have sent this message to his people still living in Jerusalem. So this can be understood as the figure of speech called 'apostrophe', which is basically lambasting an enemy who is not in your audience to encourage your actual readers. Second, be aware that the kings of Egypt, Tyre,  or Babylon may actually symbolize Satan, who is the ruler behind the evil world system that opposes God. My favorite places in prophecy are those times when God so wonderfully repeats promises to his people which we count as fulfilled in this age. An example will come soon in day 305, where Ezekiel says,  Ezekiel 36:25‭-‬28 GNT I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. That is strikingly similar to the favorite verses found in Jeremiah 31 which are quoted in Hebrews 8, especially verse 10: Hebrews 8:10 GNT Now, this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel in the days to come, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Again in Hebrews 10, some of that same Jeremiah 31 passage is referred to, and the writer goes on to explain: Hebrews 10:21-22 (NET)  since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Wait a minute. That's what we just read in Ezekiel! This gives me goosebumps. These wonderful spiritual realities are true of us today, for all of us who are understanding our unity with Christ, our great high priest. We can appreciate how people in Jeremiah and Ezekiel's day would have longed for the things that now have been given to us. Beginning with the writings of the prophet Moses, God keeps repeating, "You will be my people, and I will be your God." I just love it when so many correspondences line up. To me this proves that God has so wonderfully constructed his Word, and He will keep on fulfilling his plans and promises. It's worth it to read God's prophets in order to more fully appreciate the treasures we have been given. I am not able to include a discussion of Revelation in this discussion of prophecy. In the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan, we start that book on December 8. Revelation is in a different genre than most OT prophetic books, called the apocalyptic genre. Zechariah, and parts of Ezekiel and Daniel are early examples of apocalyptic writings. Such writings include symbolic numbers, surreal and highly symbolic visions, and cyclical organization. This is NOT what we expect: chronological organization. High examples of the apocalyptic genre are found in Jewish literature. 10. non-canonical (taken from D. S. Russell, The Method and Message of Jewish Apocalyptic, pp. 37-38) (Taken from Utley http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL12/VOL12_introduction.html a. I Enoch, II Enoch (the Secrets of Enoch) b. The Book of Jubilees c. The Sibylline Oracles III, IV, V d. The Testament of the Twelve Patri

EZEKIEL 1: Yesterday in the last chapter of 2nd Chronicles, we heard of the quick succession of the kings of Judah at the very end before the exile to Babylon: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. And after the fall of Jerusalem, chapter 36 also told of the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy about Cyrus, who gave the decree to rebuild the Temple of God. While Jeremiah prophesied about the fall of Babylon and specified the 70 year duration of the exile, it was Isaiah who mentioned King Cyrus by name— one of the most stunning of all prophecies. Ezekiel was not only a prophet, but also a priest. When he was 25 years old, he was carried into exile in Babylon along with the upper class of people in 597 BC. Ezekiel was no doubt a pupil of Jeremiah before Ezekiel was taken into exile. The 48 chapters of this book are divided right in the middle. *1-24 Pre-siege, prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem. *The second half can also be divided into two parts: Chapters 25-32 talk about after the fall of Jerusalem, prophecies dealing with the punishment of Judah's enemies. *33-48 Prophecies about the restoration of Judah. Ezekiel is a book that is highly important for understanding the book of Revelation in the New Testament, because things that Ezekiel saw, John also saw. SONG OF SOLOMON 1: In this book Solomon extols how wonderful love is. This may be a series of wedding songs. (And Solomon needed such songs frequently!) The main question is: Is this book merely a series of songs calling for sexual faithfulness to one's spouse? The well-known allegorical interpretation goes back at least to the Puritan period, but probably much farther to the church fathers. However, it seems to me that making this about Christ and the church is a bit forced. Certainly Solomon would not have written this with Christ and the church in mind. However it is possible that the Holy Spirit inspired Solomon to write things with allegorical meanings beyond his own understanding. MATTHEW 23b: Yesterday we heard the first part of Jesus' invective against the Pharisees and teachers of religious law. Jesus told the truth. In a way, it was a loving act— to warn them. He already knew that these were the very men who would crucify him.

2CHRONICLES 36: Josiah's Passover celebration showed wonderful ability to get everyone to work together and great organizational talent. It is the capstone of the revival that he led. Unfortunately, he was stubborn about going to war with Pharaoh Neco, which cost him both his own life and his son's life. ECCLESIASTES 12: Yesterday's short chapter recorded proverbial advice to young and old, and that theme continues in today's reading. MATTHEW 23a: In yesterday's reading Jesus roundly defeated the Sadducees, telling them that they did not know the Scriptures or the power of God. He answered the question about the most important Law, and he asked the question no one could answer. GNT Translation notes: Ecc. 12:8 Useless, useless, [says I,//said] the Philosopher. It is all useless. 9 But because [I,] the Philosopher [have been//was] wise, [I//he] kept on teaching the people what [I know//he knew]. [I//He] studied proverbs and honestly tested their truth. 10 [I have//The Philosopher] tried to find comforting words, but the words [I have written are at least//he wrote were] honest.

2CHRONICLES 35: It is simply amazing that we have books like Deuteronomy, since we see that it (or perhaps Leviticus) was almost lost. And it shows how far Judah had slipped that they didn't know of any copies. Josiah sincerely repented after hearing God's Word. ECCLESIASTES 11: Yesterday's chapter of Ecclesiastes was mainly separate proverbs. As an example I quote verse 3, which I like in the NLT: Ecc. 10:3 NLT You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street! MATTHEW 22b: Jesus told a pointed parable yesterday in the one about the King's wedding feast for his son. And the people sent by the Pharisees with friends of King Herod failed miserably to trap Jesus. And why did the man at the wedding feast get thrown out for not wearing wedding clothes? If you don't know the answer, there's a golden treasure there waiting for you to find it. GNT Translation notes: 2Chr. 35:15 [NET The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed by [King] David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's prophet.// GNT The following musicians of the Levite clan of Asaph were in the places assigned to them by King David's instructions: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king's prophet.] The guards at the Temple gates did not need to leave their posts, because the other Levites prepared the Passover for them. ==== Ecc. 11:3 GNT Their stupidity will be evident even to strangers they meet along the way; they let everyone know that they are fools. [One can be sure that ESV is overly literal with the last phrase, "he says to everyone that he is a fool." I've met plenty of fools, and such a person doesn't actually "let everyone know" (GNT) that he/she is a fool. CEV is also correct that 'walking' might best be taken in its other more general meaning of 'live'.] 3 CEV Fools show their stupidity by the way they live; it's easy to see they have no sense. ==== Mat. 22:1 NLT That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees— [who are] religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question:// GNT That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus and claimed that people will not rise from death.] 45 If, then, David called him '[my] Lord,' how can the Messiah [just] be David's descendant?"

2CHRONICLES 34: We are definitely in the back-and-forth pendulum period of Judah. After one fantastic king, the next two were terrible. And now Josiah is again like David. ECCLESIASTES 10: Here is a highlight from yesterday's reading: Ecc. 9:11 GNT I realized another thing, that in this world fast runners do not always win the races, and the brave do not always win the battles. The wise do not always earn a living, intelligent people do not always get rich, and capable people do not always rise to high positions. Bad luck happens to everyone. MATTHEW 22a: With the parable of the two sons and the parable of the evil farmers, we are in the portion of Jesus' teaching where he both warns and confronts his enemies, showing divine wisdom that none can refute.

2CHRONICLES 33: The account in 2 Chronicles of Hezekiah's victory through prayer over the vast Assyrian army is summarized. It is much more dramatically related in 2nd Kings. Hezekiah's experience with the envoys from Babylon can also be used as a spiritual parable for us. We need to be careful what we just accept as fate, without asking God for something better. ECCLESIASTES 9: A nugget of exceptional wisdom from Solomon was in yesterday's reading, and it brings with it a problem in translation. I like how GNT made the overall pessimistic meaning clear by including quote marks in 12-13. NLT does not interpret that part as an argumentative quote and casts the meaning in an optimistic light. Ecc. 8:11 GNT Why do people commit crimes so readily? Because crime is not punished quickly enough. 12 A sinner may commit a hundred crimes and still live. Oh yes, I know what they say: "If you obey God, everything will be all right, 13 but it will not go well for the wicked. Their life is like a shadow and they will die young, because they do not obey God." 14 But this is nonsense. Look at what happens in the world: sometimes the righteous get the punishment of the wicked, and the wicked get the reward of the righteous. I say it is useless. MATTHEW 21b: In yesterday's reading in chapter 21, we heard of the triumphant entry, Jesus cleansing the Temple and cursing the fig tree, and the question about what right he had to do such a thing like cleansing the Temple. NLT/GNT Translation note: Mat. 21:32 [NLT For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw [that miraculous thing//this] happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.//GNT For John the Baptist came to you showing you the right [way to live//path to take], and you would not believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. Even when you saw [that miraculous thing//this], you [refused to believe him and repent did not later change your minds and believe him.]

2CHRONICLES 32: Following that special Passover, the people went home and destroyed all the pagan shrines. And a good summary of chapter 31 is the last verse: 2Chr. 31:21 He was successful, because everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to his God. ECCLESIASTES 8: Yesterday's chapter of Ecclesiastes included quite a variety of Solomon's proverbs, including: Ecc. 7:5 GNT It is better to have wise people reprimand you than to have stupid people sing your praises. 20 There is no one on earth who does what is right all the time and never makes a mistake. MATTHEW 21a: The first will be last, the last first. I think we will be amazed at the justice of God's rewards. And in some sense, we all will receive "a fair day's pay." The meaning of that parable was matched and furthered by the story of the mother of James and John and what Jesus said to them. GNT Translation note: Mat. 21:1 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. There Jesus sent two of [us//the] disciples on ahead 16 So they asked Jesus, "Do you hear what they are saying?" "Indeed I do," answered Jesus. "Haven't you ever read this scripture [when the writer said to God]? 'You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise.'"

2CHRONICLES 31: A sign of how far Judah and Israel had wandered from the Lord was that even the Passover was not celebrated. When Hezekiah reinstituted the Passover celebration, it was the start of a real revival. ECCLESIASTES 7: I find it interesting that Solomon would say that everything has been decided beforehand. GNT certainly implied Who it was who decided beforehand, but NLT makes that explicit: Ecc. 6:10 NLT Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny. Not about the issue of destiny, but about another key point presented in chapter 6, I think that Solomon would have taken back some of his words if he could have listened to what Jesus taught in yesterday's reading in Matthew. MATTHEW 20: In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught how evil divorce is, He blessed children (because they are so close to the kingdom of God), and He taught about the difficulty for rich people in this world to enter the Kingdom of God. And at the end of chapter 19, he gave that promise that all missionaries love, the one about the eternal rewards that will be given to those who leave their families and possessions for the Kingdom of God. GNT Translation notes: Mat. 20:7 'No one hired us,' they answered. 'Well, then, you go and work in [my//the] vineyard,' he told them. 16 And Jesus concluded, "[Even so, at the end//So] those who are [now] last will be first, and those who are first will be last." 17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took [us,] the twelve disciples[,] aside and spoke to [us//them] privately, as [we//they] walked along. 18 "Listen," he told [us//them], "we are going up to Jerusalem, where [I,] the Son of Man[,] will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn [me//him] to death 19 and then hand [me//him] over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of [me//him], whip [me//him], and crucify [me//him]; but three days later [I//he] will be raised to life." 22 "You don't know what you are asking for," Jesus answered the [two] sons. "Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?" "We can," they answered. 28 [For even [I,] the Son of Man,//like the Son of Man, who] did not come to be served, but to serve and to give [my//his] life to redeem many people." 32 Jesus stopped and called [to] them [to come and then asked them,//.] "What do you want me to do for you?" [0//he asked them.]

2CHRONICLES 30: Hezekiah led a wonderful spiritual revival which included the reopening and cleansing of the temple and the resumption of sacrifices. And he wasted no time in doing those things. ECCLESIASTES 6: Solomon gave wonderful conclusions about happiness in yesterday's reading. And he also observed that we leave the world as naked and empty-handed as when we came into the world. MATTHEW 19: Yesterday's portion of Matthew 18 included the important parable about the king and the forgiven servant who did not forgive the debt of his fellow servant. GNT Translation notes: Mat. 19:13 Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and to pray for them, but [we//the] disciples scolded the people. 25 When [we//the] disciples heard this, [we//they] were completely amazed [and asked]. "Who, then, can be saved?" [0//they asked.]   26 Jesus looked straight at [us//them] and answered, "This is impossible for human beings, but for God everything is possible." 28 Jesus said to [us//them], "You can be sure that when [I,//the] Son of Man [sit on my//sits on his] glorious throne in the New Age, then you twelve followers of mine will also sit on thrones, to rule the twelve tribes of Israel.

2CHRONICLES 29: Ahaz's rule was one of the darkest chapters in Judah's history. The people didn't even bury him in the royal cemetery. He closed the temple and put up places to worship Baal all over the country. Even when under severe punishment from the Lord, he never turned to the Lord for help. ECCLESIASTES 5: In yesterday's chapter, I really like the passages that talk of having the companionship of 2 (or perhaps 3) people. And that idea was echoed by Jesus' teaching about 2-3 gathered to promote Jesus' cause. MATTHEW 18b: Yesterday we heard the passage that deals with following Jesus with child-like faith. And we heard instructions for restoring broken relationships, and what to do if reconciliation is not achieved. GNT Translation note: Ecc. 5:6 Don't let your own words lead you into sin, so that you have to tell God's priest that you didn't mean [something//it]. Why make God angry with you? Why let him destroy what you have worked for? 9 Even [the//a] king depends on the harvest. ==== Mat. 18:20 For where two or three [of you] come together [because you want to glorify Me//in my name], I am there with [you//them]."

2CHRONICLES 28: Yesterday we heard of the reign of Uzziah (who suffered a terrible punishment for his pride) and the reign of his son, Jotham. Both were basically good kings. ECCLESIASTES 4: Yesterday we heard the famous chapter of Ecclesiastes which starts with Ecc. 3:1 (like NLT) For everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season, (turn, turn, turn) a time for every activity under heaven. GNT is very perceptive in bringing out some implicit information that would have been understood by Solomon's audience, but which modern readers could easily miss in NLT's translation, namely that God sets the seasons: Ecc. 3:1 GNT Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. 2 He sets the time for birth and the time for death, the time for planting and the time for pulling up, MATTHEW 18a: Yesterday in Matthew 17 we heard the story of the mount of transfiguration, the shorter story of the healing of the demon possessed boy right afterward, and we ended with Peter catching a fish to pay the temple tax for him and Jesus. GNT Translation notes: Mat. 18:1 At that time [we//the] disciples came to Jesus, asking, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" 2 So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of [us//them], 6 "If anyone should cause one of these little ones to [stop believing//lose his faith] in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea. 7 How terrible for the world that there are things that make people [stop believing in me//lose their faith]! Such things will always happen—but how terrible for the one who causes them!   8 "If your hand or your foot makes you [stop believing//lose your faith], cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life without a hand or a foot than to keep both hands and both feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye makes you [stop believing//lose your faith], take it out and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. 20 For where two or three [of you] come together [because you want to glorify Me//in my name], I am there with [you//them]."

2CHRONICLES 26-27: King Joash didn't end so well, did he?! He killed Jehoiadah's son Zechariah. When Jesus mentioned killing prophets A through Z, that Zechariah was the Z that he mentioned by name. Time and time again Judah's kings needed to learn not to be proud, and that certainly happened to Joash's son Amaziah, who was assassinated like his father. ECCLESIASTES 3: Chapter 2 ended with a significant conclusion or two: Ecc. 2:24 GNT The best thing we can do is eat and drink and enjoy what we have earned. And yet, I realized that even this comes from God. 25 How else could you have anything to eat or enjoy yourself at all? 26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness to those who please him, but he makes sinners work, earning and saving, so that what they get can be given to those who please him. It is all useless. It is like chasing the wind. MATTHEW 16:24—17: Yesterday we heard the words that remind me of Jim Elliot's words, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." We'll start by re-reading those words of Jesus at the end of chapter 16, so that we get a good transition to chapter 17.

2CHRONICLES 24-25: Yesterday we heard of Ahaziah's one year reign, and then his mother Athaliah's reign. The baby Joash was the only royal descendant of David saved from slaughter. He was raised in the temple by Jehoiada and Jehosheba. When he reached only seven years old, Jehoiada mounted a dangerous coup, which succeeded. ECCLESIASTES 2: In yesterday's reading, Solomon sought to find meaning in life through pleasure, folly, wine, and hard work. But both the wise man and the fool share the same fate (as far as Solomon could see). MATTHEW 16: In yesterday's reading, Matthew gave more than one hint that Jesus' work would benefit more than just the Jews. Note that the baskets used in the feeding of the 5,000 were different than the baskets used for the feeding of the 4,000. In the first miracle, the smaller Jewish basket was used. But in the feeding of the 4,000, the larger Gentile basket was used. (This was the same size basket that was used to lower Paul down from the wall at Damascus.) GNT Translation notes: Mat. 16:3 And early in the morning you say, 'It is going to rain, because the sky is red and dark.' You can predict the weather by looking at the sky, [so how come you aren't able to//but you cannot] interpret the signs concerning these times[?]! 8 Jesus knew what [we//they] were saying, so he asked [us//them], "Why are you discussing among yourselves about not having any bread? [How little you believe in me!//What little faith you have!] [Other third person references to the disciples in this chapter changed to 1st person plural to indicate that Matthew was present.] 13 Jesus went to the territory near the town of Caesarea Philippi, where he asked his disciples, ["What role do people say that I, the Son of Man, am fulfilling?//Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"] 14 "Some say [the role of] John the Baptist," they answered. "Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet." 15"What about you?" he asked them. "[What role do you say that I am fulfilling//Who do you say I am?]" 16 [Peter— also called Simon//Simon  Peter] answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 19 I will give you the keys [to//of] the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." 23 Jesus turned around and said to Peter, "Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don't come from God, but from [a human point of view//human nature]." 27 NLT For [I,] the Son of Man will come with [my//his] angels in the glory of [my//his] Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.//GNT For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds.] 28 I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen [me, the victorious Son of Man, coming to rule as king.//the Son of Man come as King.]"

2CHRONICLES 22-23: Yesterday we heard of Jehoshaphat's famous victory, accomplished only by prayer, worship, and the power of the Lord. Then his son Jehoram might possibly be Judah's worst king, except for several at the very end of that kingdom. ECCLESIASTES 2a: Yesterday the theme of Ecclesiastes was given in these words: Ecc. 2:2 NLT "Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless!" 15 What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered. 18 The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. MATTHEW 15b: In yesterday's reading, the confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders about traditions of hand washing before eating led to Jesus' revolutionary teaching about what defiles a person. It is what comes out of the heart that defiles people. GNT Translation note: Mat. 15:37 They all ate and had enough. Then [we//the] disciples took up seven [large] baskets full of pieces left over.

2CHRONICLES 20-21: Yesterday we heard of Jehoshaphat wisely appointing judges, and he also travelled all over Israel personally encouraging people to follow the Lord. ECCLESIASTES 1: The book of Ecclesiastes is the record of Solomon seeking to find God in a worldly way. This is a book of worldly wisdom. Solomon repeatedly uses the key theme word 'useless' to describe our lives on earth. God had not given clear promises about how all mankind will live after death, and Solomon considers the afterlife an open question. Had he known what we know, his opinions on many things would have changed. He does finally come to the same conclusion found in Proverbs— namely that the best thing is to fear God and keep his commands. MATTHEW 15a: Yesterday we heard of John the Baptist's beheading. Jesus retreated to the countryside, but a huge crowd followed him. Then he worked several powerful miracles— all of which hold clear symbolic meanings for us. It is worth the time to meditate on Jesus' miracles! GNT Translation notes: 2Chr. 20:8-9 [We, their descendants,//They] have lived here and have built [this//a] temple to honor you, knowing that if any disaster struck [us//them] to punish [us//them]—a war, an epidemic, or a famine—then [we//they] could come and stand in front of this Temple where you are worshiped. [We//They] could pray to you in [our//their] trouble, and you would hear [us//them] and rescue [us//them]. ==== Mat. 15:8 'These people, says God, honor me with their words, but their heart[s are// is] really far away from me. 12 Then [we, his//the] disciples came to him and said, "Do you know that the Pharisees [were offended//had their feelings hurt] by what you said?" 14 "Don't worry about them! They are blind [people leading other blind people//leaders of the blind]; and when one blind man leads another, both fall into a ditch." 15 Peter spoke up, "Explain [to us what you said about things that defile people.//this saying to us.]" 16 Jesus said to them, "CEV Don't any of you know what I am talking about by now?//You are still no more intelligent than the others.]