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DECEMBER 14
I will not accept them, 8 But my eyes are upon You,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace O GOD the Lord;
offerings. In You I take refuge;
23 Take away from Me the noise Do not leave my soul destitute.
of your songs, 9 Keep me from the snares they have
For I will not hear the melody of your laid for me,
stringed instruments. And from the traps of the workers of
24 But let justice run down like water, iniquity.
And righteousness like a mighty stream. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.
25 “Did you offer Me sacrifices
and offerings Proverbs 29:26
In the wilderness forty years, 26 Many seek the ruler’s favor,
O house of Israel?
26 You also carried Sikkuth your king But justice for man comes from the LORD.
And Chiun, your idols, Revelation 4:1–11
The star of your gods, After these things I looked, and behold, a
Which you made for yourselves.
4 door standing open in heaven. And the first
27 Therefore I will send you into captivity voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking
beyond Damascus,” with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show
Says the LORD, whose name is the God you things which must take place after this.”
of hosts. 2
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold,
a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the
throne. And He who sat there was like a
3
jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and
there was a rainbow around the throne, in
5:25,26 In addition to worshiping the Lord in 4
the wilderness, Israel also worshiped other appearance like an emerald. Around the
gods, carrying along “Sikkuth [or “tabernacle”] throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the
your king [or “Molech”] and Chiun, your idols.” thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting,
Molech worship included the astrological clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of
5
worship of Saturn and the host of heaven and gold on their heads. And from the throne pro-
the actual sacrificing of children (2 Kin. ceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.
17:16,17). Warned against Molech worship Seven lamps of fire were burning before the
(Deut.18:9–13),Israel nevertheless pursued all throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
facets of it, continuing with Solomon (1 Kin. 6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass,
11:7) and his descendants (1 Kin. 12:28; 2 Kin. like crystal. And in the midst of the throne,
17:16,17; Jer. 32:35) until Josiah (2 Kin. 23:10).
Stephen recited Amos 5:25–27 when he
recounted the sins of Israel in Acts 7:42,43.

4:4 twenty-four elders. Their joint rule with
Christ, their white garments (19:7,8), and their
Psalm 141:5–10
golden crowns (2:10) all seem to indicate that
Let the righteous strike me; these 24 represent the redeemed (vv. 9–11;
5
It shall be a kindness. 5:5–14; 7:11–17; 11:16–18; 14:3; 19:4). The
And let him rebuke me; question is,Which redeemed? Not Israel, since
It shall be as excellent oil; the nation is not yet saved,glorified,and coro-
Let my head not refuse it. nated. That is still to come at this point in the
events of the end.Their resurrection and glory
For still my prayer is against the deeds will come at the end of the 7-year tribulation
of the wicked. time (Dan. 12:1–3).Tribulation saints aren’t yet
Their judges are overthrown by the saved (7:9,10). Only one group will be com-
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sides of the cliff, plete and glorified at that point—the church.
And they hear my words, for they are Here elders represent the church, which sings
sweet. the song of redemption (5:8–10).They are the
Our bones are scattered at the mouth
7 overcomers who have their crowns and live in
of the grave, the place prepared for them, where they have
As when one plows and breaks up the gone with Jesus (John 14:1–4).
earth.

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