Tues.’s Devo - The Four Kingdoms

Read: Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm143:1-12; Proverbs 30:24-28
Every nation has an angel assigned to it and a principality (Satan’s counterpart) assigned to it. Zechariah was shown the angels that are assigned to the four governing nations: Rome, Assyria, Persia and Greece. The angel that rode on the black horse was going north to Rome to bring sorrow, lack and famine. The angel on the white horse was going to Persia to bring truth and purity. The angel on the dappled horse was going south to Egypt to bring both blessings and curses.
Then the Lord told Zechariah to take the gold and silver that three of the exiles had brought from Babylon and make a crown to set on the head of the high priest, Joshua. He was to tell Joshua that his name was the Branch and he would branch out from there and build the temple of the Lord. He would sit on his thrown clothed in majesty as a king but also as a priest. People from far and wide would come and help him build his temple.
This was prophetic of the Messiah who would be the Branch that would build his kingdom on earth. All would be welcome in his kingdom if they came through his blood covenant.
In Chapter Seven, the people had come to the priests asking them if they should keep fasting during the fifth and the seventh month. These were months that Jerusalem was greatly attacked and taken. God asked them if they had done their annual mourning and fasting for Him or for themselves. They were sad about what it had done to their comfortable lifestyle but God wanted them to have a change of heart. He wanted them to repent for not showing justice and mercy to the poor. Their fasting was pointless because their hearts were hard. It was their sin that had caused all their calamity and it would be their returning that would bring blessing.
In Revelation we see the end of God’s wrath and the victorious ones who survived the Great Tribulation given their harps and singing the song of the redeemed. The seven angels were given the bowls of God’s wrath which would be poured out on the earth. All of God’s people have been taken from the earth at the last rapture at the last Feast of Trumpets and the only ones left are the wicked stubborn people who refused to repent. They will endure the wrath of God.
Once the bowls of wrath were taken from the temple in heaven, the temple was so full of glory that no one could enter it until the bowls were poured out on the earth.
Lord, your plan is perfect. Help us to walk in your ways today.