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

 

Swallowing Pride

 

Mistake number one

He sent someone to me,

Mistake number two

It was a maid; that was funny.

Mistake number three

You wouldn’t believe,

It was the awful instruction

That I received.

Me, second to the king only

Can you dig this?

Dip in Jordan?

There must be something I missed.

And that wasn’t all

There was mistake number four:

Dip not one time

But six times more.

Back home in Damascus

We had Abana and Pharpar,

Compared to the River Jordan

These were cleaner by far.

I was so angry

That I just turned away,

I had come with hope

But it wasn’t my day.

I had heard about Elisha

A very great man indeed,

I had been convinced

That he could meet my need.

Surely if he had come out

And stood before me

I was definitely sure

He could heal my malady.

How dare he

Insult the second in command,

I can tell you now

That was not my plan.

  

That was it for me

Dip in Jordan?  Not a chance,

A dip in dirty Jordan

Couldn’t my skin enhance.

Just then my servants spoke

It was what they said,

Their words made sense

By them I was led.

One dip in dirty Jordan

But there was no change,

Two dips, three and then four

My skin still looked strange.

Down a fifth time

My skin looked no different,

If only you knew

How much this folly I resent.

I paused before the sixth

Then I took the dive,

My skin was still the same

My healing had not arrived.

Well I had dipped sixth times

Seven?  Why refuse?

I was now dirty all over

There was nothing to lose.

So down again I plunged

For dip number seven

And when I came up

That was like heaven.

I had never seen

Anyone’s skin so clean,

You could just imagine

With delight I screamed.

My pride was messier

Than the Jordan I’m sure

But for such an outcome

I could dip fifty times more.

Stewart Russell © May 2018