[reaction to OYB’s Dec. 13-16 readings]
In OT I covered Obadiah, Jonah and Micah this morning. Obadiah is like a mini-Jermiah that only deals with Edom and Israel/Judah, in other words the nations descended from Isaac. It is just an interesting grouping. Jonah is out of place. It is a fable like Job; it just has a prophet as a main character. Nonetheless, it has some interesting stuff about fairness in it. I recommend clicking on the link and giving it a quick read. Finally, we get to Michah. Here’s what I use Micah for: And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. It is a fair quote that includes most of Micah 6:8. And indeed Micah has other nice scriptures, such as this description of the last days.
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Compare with Joel 3:10 (“Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, ‘I am strong!'”) The thing about Micah, and frankly all the prophets, is that while they absolutely do talk about justice for the poor and doing what is right, and that is more important than giving sacrifices or acting holy, they also are really concerned with worshiping only YHWH. Sometimes political liberals can get carried away with emphasizing only the former. Or at least one political liberal can.
As for Revelation, I noticed significant similaries between Isaiah & Ezekiel and Revelation. Consider this first Ezekiel 1:10, then Isaiah 6:2-3. Their faces looked like this:
Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.|| Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy
is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Now consider Revelation 4:7-8.
The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
Revelation, is a New Testament Prophesy. And in case you didn’t get it, he kicks the trippy parts off with some pretty direct citations to the old masters. Nice.