Day 347

OYB - December 13

Devotional Old Testament New Testament Psalm Proverb

Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast. The voice said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things."

The fourth chapter of Revelation portrays an awesome scene. In this passage we get our first glimpse of heaven's glorious landscape and beauty. Even though we know in our hearts that heaven is real, to have it described is breathtaking: "I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it! The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones- jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow" (vv. 2-3).

Rainbow colors of precious jewels were all around the throne of God. Before the throne were the twenty-four elders, the seven lamps of the Spirit of God, and the sea of glass. Four awesome creatures surrounded the throne, and day and night, they cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty-the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come" (v. 8).

The earthly ark of the covenant was just a little gold-plated box that symbolized this awesome throne. David's heart's desire was to build a place for that ark in Zion, for God had said, "This is my home where I will live forever. . . . I will live here, for this is the place I desired" (Psalm 132:14).

Make spending time in God's presence the greatest desire of your life. One day your eyes will see Him face-to-face upon the throne of His glory.

Obadiah 1:1-21

Edom Will Be Humbled

1The vision of Obadiah.

Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom—

We have heard a report from the Lord,

And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying,

“Arise and let us go against her for battle”—

2“Behold, I will make you small among the nations;

You are greatly despised.

3The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,

You who live in the clefts of the rock,

In the loftiness of your dwelling place,

Who say in your heart,

‘Who will bring me down to earth?’

4Though you build high like the eagle,

Though you set your nest among the stars,

From there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.

5“If thieves came to you,

If robbers by night—

O how you will be ruined!—

Would they not steal only until they had enough?

If grape gatherers came to you,

Would they not leave some gleanings?

6O how Esau will be ransacked,

And his hidden treasures searched out!

7All the men allied with you

Will send you forth to the border,

And the men at peace with you

Will deceive you and overpower you.

They who eat your bread

Will set an ambush for you.

(There is no understanding in him.)

8Will I not on that day,” declares the Lord,

“Destroy wise men from Edom

And understanding from the mountain of Esau?

9Then your mighty men will be dismayed, O Teman,

So that everyone may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.

10“Because of violence to your brother Jacob,

You will be covered with shame,

And you will be cut off forever.

11On the day that you stood aloof,

On the day that strangers carried off his wealth,

And foreigners entered his gate

And cast lots for Jerusalem—

You too were as one of them.

12Do not gloat over your brother’s day,

The day of his misfortune.

And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah

In the day of their destruction;

Yes, do not boast

In the day of their distress.

13Do not enter the gate of My people

In the day of their disaster.

Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity

In the day of their disaster.

And do not loot their wealth

In the day of their disaster.

14Do not stand at the fork of the road

To cut down their fugitives;

And do not imprison their survivors

In the day of their distress.

The Day of the Lord and the Future

15“For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations.

As you have done, it will be done to you.

Your dealings will return on your own head.

16Because just as you drank on My holy mountain,

All the nations will drink continually.

They will drink and swallow

And become as if they had never existed.

17But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape,

And it will be holy.

And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.

18Then the house of Jacob will be a fire

And the house of Joseph a flame;

But the house of Esau will be as stubble.

And they will set them on fire and consume them,

So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau,”

For the Lord has spoken.

19Then those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau,

And those of the Shephelah the Philistine plain;

Also, possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,

And Benjamin will possess Gilead.

20And the exiles of this host of the sons of Israel,

Who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath,

And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad

Will possess the cities of the Negev.

21The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion

To judge the mountain of Esau,

And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

Revelation 4:1-11

Scene in Heaven

1After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. 4Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

The Throne and Worship of the Creator

5Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 6and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

9And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Psalms 132:1-18

PSALM 132

Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary.

A Song of Ascents.

1Remember, O Lord, on David’s behalf,

All his affliction;

2How he swore to the Lord

And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

3“Surely I will not enter my house,

Nor lie on my bed;

4I will not give sleep to my eyes

Or slumber to my eyelids,

5Until I find a place for the Lord,

A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah,

We found it in the field of Jaar.

7Let us go into His dwelling place;

Let us worship at His footstool.

8Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,

You and the ark of Your strength.

9Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,

And let Your godly ones sing for joy.

10For the sake of David Your servant,

Do not turn away the face of Your anointed.

11The Lord has sworn to David

A truth from which He will not turn back:

“Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.

12If your sons will keep My covenant

And My testimony which I will teach them,

Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forever.”

13For the Lord has chosen Zion;

He has desired it for His habitation.

14“This is My resting place forever;

Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

15I will abundantly bless her provision;

I will satisfy her needy with bread.

16Her priests also I will clothe with salvation,

And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.

17There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth;

I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed.

18His enemies I will clothe with shame,

But upon himself his crown shall shine.”

Proverbs 29:24-25

24He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life;

He hears the oath but tells nothing.

25The fear of man brings a snare,

But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.