00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:10 The Plan for the Podcast

01:08 Chronological Bible Reading

02:53 Key Dates and Figures in Ezra

08:12 The Role of the Apocrypha

13:57 Rebuilding the Temple

17:37 Concluding Thoughts and Prayer

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

surprise of the daily Bible podcast.

3

Wow.

4

I'm surprised that you're here again.

5

Yeah.

6

And we're doing this again.

7

Wow.

8

I'm surprised our plan is to do

this for the foreseeable future.

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And the rest of our lives,

maybe one day we old men.

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We'll have an episode that never areas.

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Why is that?

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Because Jesus Wolf come back.

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Oh, okay.

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Although, I guess it would still go out.

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It would still go out cause

we would pre we preload them.

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Yeah.

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They're bullets to get fired

automatically, but if you're ever

18

listening to the daily Bible podcast

and then tomorrow there's no episode.

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You should be suspicious.

20

You should check.

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Check your heart.

22

You should call Kirk Cameron.

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Find out if he's still here.

24

And be like, okay.

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Kirk's if Kirk's gone,

then I'm in trouble.

26

Because now I'm left behind.

27

I left behind.

28

That was a good series.

29

You know, it was.

30

Yeah.

31

Good job.

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I mean, for if you approach

it for what it is, which is.

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Artistic interpretation.

34

Yes.

35

Yeah, the books were good.

36

Yeah.

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The movies were.

38

Yeah.

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It doesn't matter, but it's, it's a good.

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Use of sanctified imagination.

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Yes.

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Which is appropriate from time to time.

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To be able to say, okay.

44

Yeah.

45

That's fun.

46

That's fun.

47

That's exciting to think

about some of those things.

48

Yeah.

49

So, um, Hey, we're, we're

jumping backwards in our Bibles.

50

We we've talked about

jumping backwards in time.

51

That's right, but pastor, rod,

why are we going all the way back

52

to just after second Chronicles?

53

Because we're doing a chronological plan.

54

Oh yeah, that's right.

55

And the chronological plan does not follow

the order that's written in your Bible.

56

There's nothing.

57

Uh, inspired about the order

of the books in your Bible.

58

It's kind of a traditional way that

we've organized the structure, but as

59

rhe falls quite nicely into the section

that we're now looking at, so we're going

60

to see the proclamation of Cyrus and

Ezra Nehemiah kind of a package deal.

61

Yeah.

62

As I understand it, they used

to be one book and they were

63

separated for the sake of, uh, of

organization and scrolling, I suppose.

64

I think in the Hebrew Bible, there's

still, there's still one book.

65

Okay.

66

I should get a Hebrew Bible.

67

I should.

68

Actually, no, I do have one.

69

I'll go check and see if that's the case.

70

Yeah.

71

As at home though.

72

So, yeah, that's why we're going

backward, but we're, we're doing.

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Going chronologically.

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And you and I were just talking before

the podcast about how much you've been

75

enjoying this, this plan, because it

really helps put everything in context.

76

And we're not reading Ezra, just

because, oh, as far as after second

77

Chronicles, which it actually kinda

works nicely there, but we're reading

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in the sense of here's when this

stuff happened and that's so helpful.

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This has been such a

good thing, by the way.

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If you have any opinions about

this plan and you have a strong

81

desire to see us do a different

one next year, sanctified opinions.

82

Uh, sanctified opinion with, with

humility and love and respectability, I

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suppose, send us an email, let us know.

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We're thinking about next year's plan.

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And I think.

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This kind is probably good enough for

us to go through a couple more times.

87

But one of the downsides we were

just noting is that we're not getting

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into the Bible, the new Testament

Bible until the end of this month.

89

Right.

90

The beginning of October,

I think technically.

91

So I'm kinda missing that.

92

And not that you can't read

it, you should read it.

93

On a regular basis, but not having it

in our regular church diet in terms

94

of what we're asking people to do.

95

That's a bit of a downside.

96

Yeah, it is.

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It is, if there's a downside,

that's the downside for sure.

98

Yeah.

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Yeah.

100

Well, this book covers

a broad timeframe here.

101

And so we're going to kind of walk through

some key dates here to, to keep in mind.

102

So fall of Judah in the

original temple, 5 86 BC.

103

Okay.

104

So keep that in mind.

105

The decree of Cyrus that we

open up here within the book

106

is it goes out in 5 30, 8 BC.

107

And that decree is the

decree that they can go back.

108

And Cyrus even says, Hey, the God,

put on the God of Israel, put on my

109

heart to have the temple rebuilt.

110

The temple is going to

be rebuilt and five 16.

111

And then you're going to read about

Ezra being in Jerusalem in 4 58 BC.

112

So there's a lot going on.

113

Those are kind of some, some high-level

time markers here to be aware

114

of, but the book does open there.

115

In 5 30, 8 BC, some names to think

about in this book that you're

116

going to hear, that you probably are

aware of, or, and I've read other

117

places about Zerubbabel is one.

118

Uh, as rhe obviously is a key

player in the book of Ezra.

119

And then Nehemiah is another

one that's important.

120

Uh, as a rubber bell is the one

that's going to rebuild the temple.

121

Why?

122

Because the temple was in rubble

when he went to go find it.

123

So it's a rubber bell.

124

We rebuilt the temple.

125

Hey, Nehemiah is going to be

the one that rebuilds the wall.

126

Sometimes I confuse those two, but here's

how you can remember Nehemiah with a wall.

127

You know how this one.

128

Uh, I do.

129

You said it last year and it stuck.

130

Yeah, because of the wall.

131

When the time I got

there was only knee-high.

132

So he was the one that had to

rebuild the wall is a rubber Belle,

133

rebuilt the rubble of the temple.

134

There you go.

135

That's how you can keep that straight.

136

Well, okay.

137

I guess we're going to get into this,

but keep that, keep that in mind, because

138

we're going to have a question about this.

139

Bizarre guy.

140

okay.

141

Because his name is his name shows

up here in our, in our book of Ezra.

142

Yeah.

143

And we're, we're questioning who he

is and whether or not he's the one

144

who's doing some of the buildings,

because it says that he had, he

145

did, he doesn't fit in a song.

146

Okay, so you don't have anything

for shush, shush, shush.

147

a temple building session.

148

Uh, as a, one-on-one the reference

here to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 29,

149

10 Jeremiah, 25, 11 through 12.

150

We talked about that, right?

151

The 70 years of captivity.

152

And so here we see that brought up again.

153

And so in verses two through four Cyrus

issues, this decree from the Lord.

154

So this is not Cyrus sitting around going,

you know what I think would be good.

155

I think it'd be good to send

them back to rebuild the temple.

156

No instead he, uh, thinks about

this because God places it on his

157

heart for him to go and do this.

158

And so he issues to this decree, uh,

allowing any of the Jews that wish

159

to return to Jerusalem to do so and

commissions them to rebuild the temple.

160

Exodus one six.

161

He, we, we find here that on

their way out, they get a bunch

162

of gold and in silver from the,

uh, the people here in Ezra.

163

Uh, exit is one six, uh, talks

about that with the, the Israelites

164

as they were fleeing Egypt.

165

Um, that they would also be

loaded up with their own.

166

Uh, gold and silver and so forth is.

167

Xs one six is not right.

168

That's what I wrote down in my, my Bible.

169

I'm my mind is failing me because

I'm looking at that going that.

170

That can't be right.

171

But you know, the story, when

the Israelites left Egypt,

172

they plundered the Egyptians.

173

Maybe it's 11 six.

174

Let's see.

175

That's probably that's

gotta be, take a look here.

176

I forgot a one.

177

Is that what it is maybe around there.

178

I'm lucky to take it, man.

179

I was way off on this.

180

Uh, no, let's see it here.

181

Do you do?

182

What was I thinking?

183

I don't even know.

184

You know, it, it shows that you're human.

185

You know what I think I wrote.

186

Exodus one six.

187

I think I met Ezra one six.

188

Ezra once I was thinking Exodus, because

all who were with them, 80 of them

189

with vessels with silver gold goods.

190

Is Ezra one six talks about how they

took the gold from the people there.

191

And it reminded me of the Exodus.

192

And so my brain.

193

Crossed wires.

194

Okay.

195

Well, Exit is 1236 talks about plundering.

196

The injection.

197

So maybe that's what you meant.

198

Yeah, no, but what the parallel

is when I was driving 12 30, 5 36.

199

Yeah.

200

Check.

201

Yeah.

202

And then in verses seven through 11

of chapter, one Cyrus also returns

203

the vessels of the temple taken by

his, his father never can measure it

204

well, not his father, but by Babylon.

205

Uh, by king Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon.

206

So.

207

Chapter one, the, the, the

commission goes forth, go home,

208

return home, go there and do this.

209

Um, chapter two.

210

It just a bunch of names.

211

Well, one of the names that you skipped.

212

Next to no shush, shush.

213

No, let's talk about you.

214

You love you some.

215

so let's talk about.

216

I just want to know who he is and that's

why I was, I was stumped in my reading

217

it because, okay, so he shows up here for

the first time in chapter one, he does,

218

he's called the prince of Judah, which

is interesting language because that's.

219

It seems like he's a pretty

prominent player in the game.

220

And yet you really don't read much

about him in the narrative, except

221

when a chapter five, he comes up again.

222

Uh, he is called the name.

223

Chef's bizarre.

224

bizarre.

225

Whom he had made governor.

226

So it looks like he has an oversight

kind of role here, but he really has no.

227

And there's also called, he's also said

to have laid the foundation of the temple.

228

But you know, is not true.

229

That's not, he doesn't do that.

230

Right.

231

But he's giving credit for it.

232

So I'm led to believe that.

233

He's either it's either egg.

234

Another name for is a rebel.

235

Or be it's a, it's some kind of political

overseer who's, you know, he's there

236

for the, you know, puts, he puts the.

237

The, the shovel in the ground

takes a picture and then he leaves

238

and then other people are the

ones who are doing the work is.

239

Well being among them.

240

I'm willing to think that he's probably

an oversight of some sort and oversee

241

or that just gets credit for the work.

242

Yeah.

243

So first estrus, which

is not in your Bible.

244

Um, ciphers.

245

Let's talk about the

Apocrypha for a second.

246

For a second.

247

What do we do with the Apocrypha?

248

What is the Apocrypha?

249

The Apocrypha Apocrypha is a list of books

that are included in the Catholic Bible.

250

Um, they were there in at least

some of them were in the Septuagint,

251

which is the Greek translation

of the Hebrew scriptures.

252

Um, And the Catholic church today still

teaches that they are authoritative.

253

They were declared to be that

at the council of Trent, I

254

think in the 15 hundreds.

255

Um, in response to the Protestant

reformation, they were declared

256

to be on par with, with scripture.

257

That's about right.

258

You're not going to

find them in our Bible.

259

Um, and so we're dealing with

books like first and second

260

esters first and second Maccabees.

261

Uh, bell and the dragon is,

uh, is in there as well.

262

Weird stories.

263

There's some strange stories in there.

264

And that's one of the reasons why

we say no, cause there's some things

265

in there that are so fantastical.

266

We're like this is outside the bounds

of what we normally read about and

267

what we consider to be authority.

268

Like the one with the

bird poops in the guys.

269

Yeah.

270

That's interesting.

271

There's other reasons though, why we

don't in one of them, Jesus never quotes

272

from any of the apocryphal books at all.

273

Um, nor do any of the, the, uh, the

disciples in any of the, the, uh, the

274

early church writings quote from the.

275

Uh, the apocryphal books.

276

And so what we have there is we have

a situation where we're their silence

277

speaks to the lack of authority there.

278

The early church really

didn't recognize them.

279

The old Testament Jews didn't

recognize them as authoritative.

280

And even the books themselves

claimed not to be prophecy.

281

The old Testament,

apocryphal books, they say.

282

The profits ceased, you

know, at this time period.

283

So they're realizing man, that God is

not speaking during this timeframe.

284

So first Esther is being one

of those, all that to say.

285

There is still historical

information in the apocryphal books.

286

There are helpful things for

us to learn about by reading

287

some of the apocryphal books.

288

Uh, first and second Maccabees gives a lot

of the background to what we talked about

289

yesterday in the whole interaction between

Antiochus Epiphanes and the desolation

290

of, uh, the abomination of desolation.

291

Uh, Hanukkah, that that whole thing

comes out of the rededication of

292

the temple that takes place in the

books of first and second Maccabees.

293

So there's history there.

294

That's helpful worth reading them all.

295

Yeah.

296

All that to say.

297

First estrus does reference.

298

Uh, bizarre as the governor of Judaism

and a couple of times, and references

299

him as the one installed as the governor.

300

So I'm with you all that said,

I think he was probably the.

301

The one, the figurehead,

and in as such, he gets.

302

He gets the credit.

303

He gets the validation, even though

it was technically as a rubber ball.

304

Totally.

305

Yeah.

306

Yeah.

307

All right.

308

Chapter two giant list of names.

309

All right.

310

Chapter three.

311

No, I know this, this matters.

312

Um, a couple of things to note.

313

Uh, as to, to the, the Nehemiah that's

there is, is not the, the Nehemiah

314

that's going to show up later.

315

Um, neither is the Mordecai there.

316

The Mordecai that's going to

show up in the book of Esther.

317

So we need to be careful

when we're reading.

318

Names that we don't assume.

319

Okay.

320

This must be this person that

this must be that person just like

321

there are other PJ's in the world.

322

There are other rods in the world.

323

No, they're not.

324

Okay.

325

I take that back.

326

Um, there are other people

in the world that share your

327

name and you realize, okay.

328

More than one person has that name.

329

And so we've got to be careful about that.

330

And so that's where a good study

Bible commentary comes in handy to go.

331

Is that who this is?

332

It's good to recognize those

names and say, wait a second.

333

But that's, that's not

who those, those were.

334

Hey man.

335

Uh, notice versus 64

through 65 at chapter two.

336

Um, you've got, uh, the number of mounts

to four 49,897 people, which is very close

337

to in Nehemiah in Nehemiah 7 66 through

67, we read 49,942 people came back.

338

And so we're missing 45 people

that basically comes down to

339

the number of singers that are

represented each of the books there.

340

So that's, that's a pretty close

representation between these

341

two records of the number of

people that returned under them.

342

What shows the accuracy, the

trustworthiness, things like that.

343

That's cool.

344

Yeah.

345

I liked school.

346

Anything else on these names?

347

That's right.

348

They're they're important.

349

And I guess they're the reason

that they're important is because.

350

Israel took very, uh, take great

pains to make sure that they, that

351

the purity of their people and in

particular, the purity of their worship.

352

I remember not anyone could be a worship

leader and I didn't want to be a Levi's.

353

Uh, obviously you gotta be of

the tribe of Levi to be a Levi

354

and I didn't want to be a priest.

355

And so they are very careful about making

sure they knew who belonged to what tribe.

356

And so that's why the list belongs here.

357

They're they're careful.

358

They're are they're articulating

who belongs to which tribe they're

359

counting people, but it's not just

a list of names for the list sake.

360

They had to do this in order to

maintain fidelity to God in their

361

worship and in their livelihood.

362

So it's here for that reason

and it was a big deal.

363

It still is a big deal because this

is in part how we know that Jesus is

364

from the line of David, because they

had lists like this where they could

365

tell, oh, you're from this family.

366

Oh, he's from that family.

367

So these lists made a big difference.

368

Maybe not for us immediately,

but at least down to Christ being

369

the, the legal heir of, of the.

370

I mean legal and by birth, I think because

Mary also comes from the tribe of David.

371

Uh, to, to the ascendancy of the throne

as the, as their Messiah and their king.

372

Yeah.

373

And I was also struck just by the fact

that these categories still existed.

374

Even through the exile.

375

They still knew who the singers were,

who the gatekeepers were, who all

376

these other people were in and the

tribal families and stuff, which is.

377

Pretty cool.

378

Yeah, it is cool.

379

I kind of want to go to the ancestry.com

and do some of that from me.

380

Because I'm partly Jewish.

381

And I tell you yet, you did, you

mentioned that a few times a few times.

382

Just want to make sure you

don't forget because I am.

383

I'm of the tribe of Israel.

384

I'm an Israelite.

385

It's going to say it.

386

It's not a popular thing to say today.

387

Well, I'm going to say it.

388

Yeah.

389

I'm going to put it on our website.

390

Awesome.

391

Well, good.

392

Pastor Ron.

393

AKA Jewish pastor.

394

Buttery voice.

395

You show up on Sunday

wearing a yamaka dude.

396

I think I might.

397

Okay.

398

Am I.

399

We're fine.

400

Rod Ben Gomez, the.

401

The rock rod Mecca.

402

Play the harmonica we're in the yamaka.

403

Okay, we got to stop, uh,

chapter three, chapter three.

404

The first thing that they do when they get

there is what they, they build the altar.

405

Why?

406

Because they want to

get the offerings back.

407

Don't remember 70 years away from

the temple away from the offerings.

408

They're hungry to get back to

what God has committed them to do.

409

This was part of their worship

and they'd been away from it.

410

And so.

411

They're wanting it to say

rebuild the altar here.

412

And then I think it's really cool in

verse four, that the first thing that

413

that happens chronologically during

the season is that they're able to

414

celebrate together the feast of booths.

415

And the reason why I think that's so

cool is because the feast of booths

416

was the feast and the celebration

remembering God's faithfulness to the

417

people of Israel during the Exodus

to bring them to the promised land.

418

Yep.

419

And now here they are

backing the promised land.

420

And the first fees that they get to

observe together is the feast of booths.

421

Just a really cool thing

there in verse four.

422

Yeah, this is a big deal because I

think this would be when I think.

423

Uh, during the rebuilding of the temple,

when they are actually celebrating or the

424

end formalizing the end of the 70 years.

425

So there's a few ways to

not with the initial return.

426

No, I don't, I don't think that's it.

427

I think this is it.

428

After the temple has been rebuilt in

chapter three, which is about 5 37, 5 36.

429

I would say this is the time

when the 70 years has finished.

430

And other people disagree somewhat

start the counting at 6 0 5.

431

Um, I'm I'm I'm of the 5 86 variety.

432

Um, if, and it will actually 6 0

5 would be the beginning of the

433

70 years now I think about it.

434

6 0 5 to about 5 36, 5 37.

435

Give or take.

436

That would be the 70 years.

437

Um, although I guess, yeah, to clarify,

although I do think there is something

438

about that 5 86 timeframe that gives me

pause besides that I think the rebuilding

439

of the temple gives me that sense of hope.

440

Fair.

441

I'm not going to argue with you.

442

That's interesting.

443

Unusual.

444

Feeling.

445

Okay.

446

Um, I'm sick.

447

I'm horribly sick.

448

That's what's going on.

449

Uh, and then is there a.

450

Or three eight through 13, the

foundations of the temple are laid

451

and there's an interesting response.

452

There's a mixture of joy and sorrow.

453

Um, Um, joy from the people saying,

Hey, look, the temples getting rebuilt.

454

This is going to be great.

455

We're going to have the temple back.

456

This is awesome.

457

Um, but then those that were there for

the first temple that saw what the temple

458

used to look like, Solomon's temple,

there are morning and they're wailing.

459

And the reason being is because

they're realizing, man, this

460

is not going to be the same.

461

Yeah.

462

Um, this is going to be far

different in not as good.

463

And they're sorrowful

over that and sure enough.

464

It's not going to be only, not the same

in scope and in beauty and majesty,

465

but it's also not going to be the same.

466

Cause God's glory is not going to

inhabit it the way it inhabited the

467

first temple, which is fascinating.

468

Why doesn't it inhabit it

because it's the temple, right.

469

I guess I I'm curious as to why God chose

not to the glory of God did go to Babylon

470

and then it left, uh, left the temple

and went to Babylon to go visit Ezekiel.

471

So why, why did his glory

not fill the temple here?

472

Uh, I'm not entirely sure.

473

I know why.

474

I am with you.

475

I mean, scripture silent on that.

476

I wonder if in part it's, because

they're truly, wasn't the, the

477

contrition, the brokenness, the genuine

repentance on the part of the people.

478

That's a fair guess.

479

And that God was saying I'm not.

480

I'm not coming back.

481

Wow.

482

That's how that's hard.

483

Yeah.

484

I would cry too.

485

If that were me, we spend all this time

building the temple and God's not here.

486

Yeah.

487

And yet, isn't it interesting

because this is going to be the same

488

temple that is standing with Jesus.

489

Is there.

490

Now while.

491

Renovated right.

492

It's been renovated, but it's the same

benefits, same, same general structure.

493

Um, And Jesus refers to

it as his father's house.

494

Yeah.

495

So it's still, that's still his right.

496

There's still a significant

and a weightiness to it.

497

Right?

498

But the glory is not there.

499

Interesting.

500

Very interesting.

501

The art's not there either though.

502

Right?

503

I don't think so.

504

So I think they've lost it.

505

Yeah.

506

By this point anyway.

507

Cause it's not even mentioned.

508

Yeah.

509

Yeah.

510

Who knows.

511

God does.

512

That's the answer to that question?

513

God knows.

514

Yeah.

515

All right.

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Well, let's pray.

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And then we'll be done with another

episode of the daily Bible podcast.

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God, thanks for this book.

519

Thanks for your faithfulness to us.

520

Thanks for your encouragement.

521

Uh, To allow us to read these

things and to be encouraged by them.

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Just an awesome thing, even

just to see that the celebration

523

of the feast of booth.

524

Uh, it reminds us of a, another

celebration, which will be when we

525

are finally with you forever and ever.

526

There's the marriage, supper

of the lamb that we get to

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look forward to as the church.

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And then there's also going to be the

time when the new earth is established and

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you wipe away every tear from every eye.

530

No more sickness, none of that.

531

None of the effects of sin or

anything else, because sin will

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be no more either what a day.

533

That will be a celebration

that is going to pale.

534

Uh, that, that we'll

put this one to shame.

535

This one will pay when comparison

to that, but just cool to be able

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to see the joy of the people.

537

Coming back and to be reminded of

your faithfulness in the first.

538

Uh, bringing them into the promised

land after the Exodus as well.

539

So.

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God, we thank you so much for your word.

541

We pray that we would continue to be

faithful to read it, and that you'd be

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faithful to bear fruit through that.

543

We pray in Jesus name.

544

Amen.

545

Keep her in your Bibles tune in

again tomorrow for another episode

546

of the daily Bible podcast, please.

547

And thank you.

548

Bye.