The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 5:3-4,
"This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. The Lord Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.'"
This is the explanation Zechariah is given when he has a vision of a "flying scroll". The scroll is an imprecation, or curse, against people who do evil. Thieves and liars are pointed to as those who will be banished. The imprecation is universal in that "the curse that is going out over the whole land". The destruction coming is complete as the curse is seen as entering the houses of sinful people and will destroy those houses completely, "both its timbers and its stones."
This curse finds its ultimate fulfillment pictured in Revelation 20:11-15, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
In the following chapter we read, "The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8.
All mankind has sinned, all mankind is sinful. We all face that judgment, Romans 3:22-23, "There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". The flying scroll of Zechariah looks ahead to the judgment of all who have sinned.
I am reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." However, Paul points out that the believers were these very people at one time! But, they were washed! They were sanctified! They were justified! All this because they responded to the message of faith in God that leads us to a righteous standing with God. "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed,you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11.
How wonderful is that?! And, how wonderful is the gospel message?! All of us should be able to say along with Paul, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. The Lord Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.'"
This is the explanation Zechariah is given when he has a vision of a "flying scroll". The scroll is an imprecation, or curse, against people who do evil. Thieves and liars are pointed to as those who will be banished. The imprecation is universal in that "the curse that is going out over the whole land". The destruction coming is complete as the curse is seen as entering the houses of sinful people and will destroy those houses completely, "both its timbers and its stones."
This curse finds its ultimate fulfillment pictured in Revelation 20:11-15, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
In the following chapter we read, "The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8.
All mankind has sinned, all mankind is sinful. We all face that judgment, Romans 3:22-23, "There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". The flying scroll of Zechariah looks ahead to the judgment of all who have sinned.
I am reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." However, Paul points out that the believers were these very people at one time! But, they were washed! They were sanctified! They were justified! All this because they responded to the message of faith in God that leads us to a righteous standing with God. "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed,you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11.
How wonderful is that?! And, how wonderful is the gospel message?! All of us should be able to say along with Paul, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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