It's Revelation

 

 

 

I thought it was Hebrews

But not so anymore,

Those who think it is Hebrews

That’s traditional folklore.

 

What is it he talking about?

I thought you’d never ask,

Let me share the facts with you;

That’s not a difficult task.

 

I always used to contend

Hebrews was the Old Testament

Just like Isaiah, in my view,

Reads like the New Testament.

 

Regarding OT references

I thought Hebrews was the book

But three books score higher

When I took a closer look.

 

 

For Hebrews it was 42

While Matthew’s 45 was 3 more,

Romans’ 58 was a surprise to me

Being the highest score.

 

That was according to a study

That included ten books,

It appeared to me there and then

Revelation was overlooked.

 

So, I probed a little deeper

And discovered a little more,

Revelation topped the list

With a whopping 184.

 

A third study revealed

There were actually 278

And that this was out of 404 verses

Signified something great.

 

Of the 184 OT references

Isaiah accounts for 49,

Daniel accounts for 34

And 31 puts Ezekiel next in line.

 

 

Revelation was a letter

About what was soon to take place,

It was written to seven churches

And this can be easily traced.

 

These churches were located

On a circuitous route

And from Ephesus to Laodicea

Numbered seven in the group.

 

The churches were to prepare:

The wrong they must put right

For to neglect the instruction given

Would add to their plight.

 

That Revelation is mostly past

I am now particularly sure

And given its many OT references

I am convinced even more.

 

Stewart Russell © August 9, 2021

 

More Than A Collection of Books 4

Isaiah, the New Testament book in the Old Testament

Fixes its gaze on the suffering of Jesus Christ

It cites Israel’s sin, judgment, repentance and restoration

And also details the extent of the Saviour’s sacrifice.

Jeremiah sometimes called the weeping prophet

Demonstrated concern for Israel’s spiritual decline,

He prophesied against the evil kings of Judah

And often his prophecies were accompanied by signs.

Lamentations is an expression of Jeremiah’s lament

At the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian intent

To make captives of its inhabitants and lay it a waste

And their eventual reduction to a state of disgrace.

Ezekiel prophesied of Jerusalem’s impending siege

Of a rebellious people subject to God’s judgment,

He used visual aids having been commanded to be mute

And prophesied of God’s promise to preserve a remnant.

Daniel was one of those who was carried to Babylon

That kept his identity in spite of his name change,

He took a firm stand against Babylon’s idolatry

And determined regarding God he’d never be estranged.

Hosea was commanded to take a wife of whoredom

To demonstrate God’s love for backsliding Israel,

This prophecy illustrates what words could not do

Concerning the amazing grace God extends to his people.

Joel prophesied the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon all flesh

To which the Apostle Peter referred on the day of Pentecost

The key phrase of the book is “the day of the Lord”

Reminding believers whatever the challenge all is never lost

Amos at God’s command left his flock for a while

To deliver a specific message at Bethel,

He ministered in an age of affluence and moral laxity

When superstition and idolatry were a way of the people.

Stewart Russell © March 2017 

The Bible in Poetry: The Prophets

Extracted from the Bible In Poetry

From Genesis to Revelation

 
Then there were the prophets meant to lead the kings,

Each, the mouthpiece of God to guide in spiritual things;

Often the mighty king would ignore the word they brought,

The consequences were severe the people were distraught.

Samuel was not only a judge but a prophet and a priest,

He was not afraid of kings for God’s word never ceased;

As a priest he was revered, he sought no man’s favour,

It was of God he prophesied, for God he also laboured.

Once after a victorious battle he had to chastise Saul,

For being so disobedient that Samuel was appalled;

God’s instructions were clear which Saul had failed to keep,

Causing Samuel to ask, “What means the bleating sheep?”

Then there was Elijah, a prophet strong and bold,

He was a great reformer known to the men of old;

Elisha, as Elijah disappeared his falling mantle caught,

A double portion of the Spirit’s gift was Elisha’s lot.

Isaiah saw the Lord, “High and lifted up,” said he,

A miraculous encounter that certainly set him free;

He wrote of the Messiah to come at opportune time,

To save both Jew and Gentile from their sinful slime.

Then prophet after prophet had followed on behind,

Jeremiah and Ezekiel, two more that come to mind;

Micaiah is not to be left out or Hosea and Joel,

Amos, Obadiah and Jonah, of them the Holy Bible tell.

Jeremiah the weeping prophet destruction prophesied,

Over the city Jerusalem whose people had God denied,

He served among a people that had become so vile,

That God unleashed His judgment on them for a while.

Ezekiel saw a vision of a valley of bones that were dry,

“O ye dry bones hear God’s word,” to them he prophesied;

“Thus saith the Lord our God, O breathe upon these slain”

And then those dry bones stood and began to live again.

The list is not yet ended, check and you will see,

Nahum, Micah, Habakkuk, another case of three;

There were major prophets; some were minor too,

They all relied on God to prophesy what was true.

Zephaniah then Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi,

These are all the prophets, on God’s word we can rely;

They all were chosen of God to bring His good counsel,

But many refusing to listen preferred instead to rebel.

  

Do you remember Daniel, prepared as the lions’ meal?

God shut up the lions’ mouths on him he placed His seal;

Then there was that time only he understood the dream,

Of the kingdoms’ rise and fall upon the battle scene.

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego also took a stand,

Like Daniel in a foreign land heeding God’s command;

They would not bend and they did not burn,

A fourth man was in the fire, all would later learn.

Jeremiah had prophesied Israel’s coming captivity,

Carried away to Babylon they suffered great indignity;

But a Persian King named Cyrus heard from Nehemiah,

And allowed the Jews to return to the land of Judah.

The law was read again, the walls had been rebuilt,

With a purpose so to work; the people would not quit;

The temple was repaired; they had answered the call,

Ezra read the law while Nehemiah supervised the wall.

During the reign of Ahasuerus, Esther was the Queen,

Wicked Haman devised a plan to cause an ugly scene;

Mordecai would be hanged and many Jews destroyed,

But Esther had a counter plan to foil his wicked ploy.

Scripture recalls her words, she said, “If I perish, I perish,”

She went into the king praying he would honour her wish;

The king in granting her favour acceded to her demand,

“Hang Haman on his gallows,” that was the King’s command.


Stewart Russell © 2013