The Zechariah Zone chapter 1:1-6

Coming Home to the Lord
Zechariah 1:1-6

Mat 23:35-36 KJV  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.  (36)  Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

Luk 11:37-54 KJV  And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.  (38)  And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.  (39)  And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.  (40)  Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?  (41)  But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.  (42)  But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  (43)  Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.  (44)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.  (45)  Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.  (46)  And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.  (47)  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  (48)  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.  (49)  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:  (50)  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;  (51)  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.  (52)  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.  (53)  And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:  (54)  Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

James Tissot, Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees, Brooklyn Museum

Zec 1:1 KJV  In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

Let’s start off by saying believe what you wish but when we see commentaries tell us that this is actually the Zechariah found in 2nd Chronicles 24. Jesus clearly states that this is the same Zechariah we see here in our upcoming journeys. The very heading of our first passage a call to return to the Lord should be a reminder also who exactly who we are dealing with. Maybe say pay attention to what He is saying. Jesus clearly states that this is the same Berechiah.

We should not need any other reason to state our case but in case you desire such here we go. As we mentioned in the introduction Zechariah is the name of 30 or so men in the Bible. However when we search the phrase “Zechariah the son of”

1Ch_9:21  And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

2Ch_24:20  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

Ezr_5:1  Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.

Ezr_6:14  And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

Ezr_8:11  And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.

Neh_12:35  And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets; namely, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:

Isa_8:2  And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

7 verses found, 7 matches

If you noticed only one of these matches up with Jesus’ words. That of course being the Zechariah contained herein. That’s all we are going to say about the matter see it how you wish.

A Call to Return to the Lord
Zec 1:1-6 KJV  In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,  (2)  The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.  (3)  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.  (4)  Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.  (5)  Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for  ever?  (6)  But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

We will start our first journey by exploring the history of the first verse. If you remember during our Daniel journeys another Darius had some encounters there also. There were 3-4 kings associated to the name over the course of the Media-Persian empire which was basically Iranians or Persians inside Iraq or Babylon. Just a little reminder of things we might know all over again in the not so distant future. This is described as the 8th month 2nd year which brings us to the year 520 BC. No we do not believe in bce around here and it does not deserve capitalization. As we mentioned briefly in our introduction Zechariah, Haggai and Ezra were  contemporaries of each other. The book of Haggai has only 2 chapters so we may include some detailed study of his book as well as Zechariah’s.

The Command to Rebuild the Temple

Hag 1:1 KJV  In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

The 2 messages of Haggai and Zechariah come within 60 days of each other.

Zec 1:1 KJV  In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

As we mentioned in the introduction and we will again here simply because we can the names of the 3 gentlemen involved spell out God Blesses and God Remembers His witness.

The Parable of the Tenants

Mat 21:33-46 KJV  Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:  (34)  And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.  (35)  And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.  (36)  Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.  (37)  But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.  (38)  But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.  (39)  And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.  (40)  When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?  (41)  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.  (42)  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?  (43)  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.  (44)  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.  (45)  And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.  (46)  But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

Zec 1:2 KJV  The LORD hath been sore displeased H7107 H7110 with your fathers.

H7107
קָצַף
qâtsaph
kaw-tsaf'
A primitive root; to crack off, that is, (figuratively) burst out in rage: - (be) anger (-ry), displease, fret self, (provoke to) wrath (come), be wroth.
Total KJV occurrences: 34

H7110
קֶצֶף
qetseph
keh'-tsef
From H7107; a splinter (as chipped off); figuratively rage or strife: - foam, indignation, X sore, wrath.Total KJV occurrences: 29

The culmination of this displeasure resulting in the 70 year captivity.

Lam 1:7-9 KJV  Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.  (8)  Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.  (9)  Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.

Zec 1:3 KJV  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

Deu 4:30-31 KJV  When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;  (31)  (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Repentance and Forgiveness

Deu 30:1-10 KJV  And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,  (2)  And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;  (3)  That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.  (4)  If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:  (5)  And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.  (6)  And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.  (7)  And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.  (8)  And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.  (9)  And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:  (10)  If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

A verse out of this passage we called upon a lot in our roles reversal studies was verse 7.

Deu 30:7 KJV  And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.

How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?

Psa 137:1-9 KJV  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.  (2)  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.  (3)  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.  (4)  How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?  (5)  If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.  (6)  If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.  (7)  Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.  (8)  O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.  (9)  Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Faithless Israel Called to Repentance

Jer 3:21-25 KJV  A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.  (22)  Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.  (23)  Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.  (24)  For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.  (25)  We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

The Compassion of the Lord

Isa 55:1-13 KJV  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  (2)  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.  (3)  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.  (4)  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.  (5)  Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.  (6)  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:  (7)  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  (8)  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  (9)  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  (10)  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:  (11)  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  (12)  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  (13)  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

There’s something about the overall subject here. Something that only God can accomplish with a little help from His Son Jesus. That inner calling that at some point in time throughout our lives inevitably finds its way into our lives. Many of us respond to that calling the Way the Lord would prefer. Many people unfortunately will not. We have met many here in the ministry. Not trying to say we are “holier than thou” types in any way.

I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life

Joh 14:1-7 KJV  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  (2)  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  (4)  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  (5)  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?  (6)  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  (7)  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Dan 12:1-3 KJV  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  (2)  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  (3)  And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Job 19:25-27 KJV  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  (26)  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:  (27)  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Zec 1:4 KJV  Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.

A Rebellious People

Isa 30:8-17 KJV  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to comeH314 for ever and ever:  (9)  That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:  (10)  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:  (11)  Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.  (12)  Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:  (13)  Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.  (14)  And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.  (15)  For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.  (16)  But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.  (17)  One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

Here is a prophecy that employs the use of the word “acharon” the last generation facing the east. Could we say that America is there today? Of course we can. We are very much a stubborn and rebellious people before the Lord.

Jer 6:16-19 KJV  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.  (17)  Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.  (18)  Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.  (19)  Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

A brief visit to our current Psalm in the acharon studies.

Tell the Coming Generation

Psa 78:1-8 KJV  Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.  (2)  I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:  (3)  Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.  (4)  We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to comeH314 the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.  (5)  For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:  (6)  That the generation to comeH314 might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:  (7)  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:  (8)  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

H314
אַחֲרֹן    אַחֲריֹן
'achăryôn    'achărôn
akh-ar-one', akh-ar-one'
From H309; hinder; generally late or last; specifically (as facing the east) western: - after (-ward), to come, following, hind (-er, -ermost, -most), last, latter, rereward, ut(ter)most.
Total KJV occurrences: 50

Evil in the Land

Jer 7:1-11 KJV  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,  (2)  Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.  (3)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.  (4)  Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.  (5)  For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;  (6)  If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:  (7)  Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.  (8)  Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.  (9)  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;  (10)  And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?  (11)  Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Mat 21:12-17 KJV  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,  (13)  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.  (14)  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.  (15)  And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,  (16)  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?  (17)  And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

Zec 1:5-6 KJV  Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?  (6)  But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

The Day of the Lord Will Come

2Pe 3:1-13 KJV  This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:  (2)  That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:  (3)  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,  (4)  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  (5)  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:  (6)  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:  (7)  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  (8)  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  (9)  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  (10)  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  (11)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  (12)  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  (13)  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Final Words

2Pe 3:14-18 KJV  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.  (15)  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;  (16)  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.  (17)  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.  (18)  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

You Must Be Born Again

Joh 3:1-15 KJV  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:  (2)  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.  (3)  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  (4)  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  (5)  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  (6)  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  (7)  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  (8)  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.  (9)  Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?  (10)  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?  (11)  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.  (12)  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?  (13)  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.  (14)  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  (15)  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God So Loved the World

Joh 3:16-21 KJV  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  (18)  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  (19)  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  (20)  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  (21)  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Rev 22:7 KJV  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

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