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NOVEMBER 26
DAY 25:Why did Peter write his first epistle?
When the city of Rome burned,the Romans believed that their emperor,Nero,had set the city
on fire, probably because of his incredible lust to build. In order to build more, he had to destroy
what already existed.
The Romans were totally devastated.Their culture, in a sense, went down with the city. All the
religious elements of their life were destroyed—their great temples, shrines, and even their house-
hold idols were burned up.This had great religious implications because it made them believe that
their deities had been unable to deal with this conflagration and were also victims of it.The people
were homeless and hopeless. Many had been killed. Their bitter resentment was severe, so Nero
realized that he had to redirect the hostility.
The emperor’s chosen scapegoat was the Christians, who were already hated because they
were associated with Jews,and because they were seen as being hostile to the Roman culture.Nero
spread the word quickly that the Christians had set the fires. As a result, a vicious persecution
against Christians began,and soon spread throughout the Roman Empire,touching places north of
the Taurus mountains, like Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1:1), and impacting the
Christians, whom Peter calls “pilgrims.” These “pilgrims” were probably Gentiles, for the most part
(1:14,18;2:9,10;4:3),possibly led to Christ by Paul and his associates and established on Paul’s teach-
ings. But they needed spiritual strengthening because of their sufferings. Thus the apostle Peter,
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote this epistle to strengthen them.

“Son of man, describe the temple to the
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November 26 house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of
their iniquities; and let them measure the pat-
tern. And if they are ashamed of all that they
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have done, make known to them the design of
Ezekiel 43:1–44:31
the temple and its arrangement, its exits and
Afterward he brought me to the gate, its entrances, its entire design and all its ordi-
43 the gate that faces toward the east. And nances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it
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behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from down in their sight, so that they may keep its
the way of the east. His voice was like the sound whole design and all its ordinances, and per-
of many waters; and the earth shone with His form them. This is the law of the temple: The
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glory. It was like the appearance of the vision whole area surrounding the mountaintop is
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which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.
came to destroy the city. The visions were like 13 “These are the measurements of the altar
the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and in cubits (the cubit is one cubit and a hand-
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I fell on my face. And the glory of the LORD breadth): the base one cubit high and one
came into the temple by way of the gate which cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of
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faces toward the east. The Spirit lifted me up one span. This is the height of the altar: from
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and brought me into the inner court; and the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two
behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple. cubits; the width of the ledge, one cubit; from
6 the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four
Then I heard Him speaking to me from the
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temple, while a man stood beside me. And He cubits; and the width of the ledge, one cubit.
said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My 15 The altar hearth is four cubits high, with four
throne and the place of the soles of My feet, horns extending upward from the hearth.
where I will dwell in the midst of the children 16 The altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve
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of Israel forever. No more shall the house of wide, square at its four corners; the ledge,
Israel defile My holy name, they nor their fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide on its
kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it;
of their kings on their high places. When they its base, one cubit all around; and its steps face
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set their threshold by My threshold, and their toward the east.”
doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between 18 And He said to me, “Son of man, thus says
them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the Lord GOD: ‘These are the ordinances for
the abominations which they committed; the altar on the day when it is made, for sacri-
therefore I have consumed them in My anger. ficing burnt offerings on it, and for sprinkling
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9 blood on it. You shall give a young bull for a
Now let them put their harlotry and the car-
casses of their kings far away from Me, and I sin offering to the priests, the Levites, who are
will dwell in their midst forever. of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to
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