The Daily Audio Bible
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Two Olive Trees and the Capstone
4 Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me—like a man who is wakened from his sleep.
2 He asked me, ‘What do you see?’
I replied, ‘Behold, I see a solid gold menorah with its bowl at the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven pipes for the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 Also two olive trees are by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on the left side of it.’[a]
4 Then I responded by saying to the angel speaking with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’
5 The angel who spoke with me responded by asking me, ‘You do not know what these are?’
I replied, ‘No, my lord.’
6 Then he responded to me by saying, ‘This is the word of Adonai to Zerubbabel saying: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Ruach!” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 7 “What are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. He will bring out the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace” to it.’”
8 Again the word of Adonai came to me saying: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this House. His hands will also finish it. Then you will know that Adonai-Tzva’ot has sent me to you. 10 For who despises the day of small things? These seven—which are the eyes of Adonai that run back and forth throughout the whole earth—will rejoice when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
11 Then I responded by asking him, “What are these two olive trees, on the right and on the left of the menorah?” 12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two golden pipes that empty the golden oil out of them?”
13 He said to me, “You do not know what these are?”
I said, “No, my lord.”
14 So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Flying Scroll and Basket
5 Once again I lifted up my eyes and behold, I saw a flying scroll!
2 Then the angel asked me, “What do you see?”
I replied, “I see a flying scroll twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”
3 He said to me: “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land: everyone who steals will be swept away from here according to it, and everyone who swears will be swept away from here according to it.” 4 “I will send it out”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—“and it will enter into the house of the thief and into the house of the one who swears falsely by My Name and will reside inside his house destroying it, both its wood and its stones.”
5 Then the angel speaking with me came forward, and said to me, “Now lift up your eyes and see what is appearing.”
6 I asked, “What is it?”
He replied, “This is the measuring basket[b] that goes out.” He continued, “This is their eye in all the land.” 7 Then behold, a lead cover was lifted and a woman was sitting in the middle of the measuring basket. 8 The angel exclaimed, ‘This is Wickedness!’ Then he shoved her back inside the measuring basket, throwing the lead weight over its mouth.
9 After this I lifted up my eyes and behold, I saw two women emerging with the wind in their wings (they had wings like the wings of a stork) and they raised the measuring basket between the earth and the heaven.
10 I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the measuring basket?”
11 He said, “To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will live there in her own place.”
A Song for the 144,000
14 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion,[a] and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and the booming of loud thunder.[b] The voice I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they are singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one is able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
These have been redeemed from among mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no lie—they are blameless.[c]
Three Angels with Messages
6 And then I saw another angel flying high in the sky, having a timeless message of good news to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made heaven and earth and sea and springs of water.”
8 Another angel, a second one, followed, saying,
“Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great[d]—
she who made all nations drink
of the wine of the fury of her immorality.”
9 And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he shall also drink the wine of God’s fury, poured full strength into the cup of His wrath.[e] And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone[f] before the holy angels and before the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.[g] Those who worship the beast and its image and those who receive the mark of his name have no rest day or night.”
12 Here is the perseverance of the kedoshim—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yeshua.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying,[h]
“Write: How fortunate are the dead—those who die in the Lord from now on!”
“Yes,” says the Ruach, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”
Time to Harvest the Earth
14 Then I looked, and behold, there was a white cloud—and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man.[i] He had a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the Temple, crying out with a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud,
“Put in your sickle and reap,
for the hour to reap has come,
because the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”
16 So the One seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.[j]
17 Then another angel came out of the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel—the one who has authority over fire—came out from the altar; and he called out with a loud voice to the one holding the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sickle and gather the grape clusters from the vineyard of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the clusters from the vineyard of the earth and threw them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was stomped on outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress as high as a horse’s bridle for 1,600 stadia.[k]
A Refuge from Trouble
Psalm 142
1 A contemplative poem of David, when he was in the cave, a prayer.
2 I cry aloud with my voice to Adonai.
With my voice I seek favor from Adonai.
3 I pour out my complaint before Him,
before Him I tell my trouble.
4 When my spirit grows faint within me,
You know my path.
In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
5 Look at my right hand and see,
for no one cares about me.
I have no refuge—
no one cares for my soul.
6 I have cried out to You, Adonai.
I said: “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
7 Listen to my cry,
for I am brought very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
8 Bring my soul out of prison,
so I may praise Your Name.
The righteous will triumph through me,
for You will reward me.
21 Under three things the earth trembles,
and under four it cannot bear up:
22 under a slave when he becomes a king,
a fool when he is stuffed with food,
23 an unloved woman when she is married,
and a handmaid when she displaces her mistress.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.