Tues.’s Devo - The Best is Yet to Come!

Read: Malachi 1:1-2:17; Revelation 21:1-27; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 31:10-24 Malachi is sort of a mystery. He isn’t mentioned anywhere else in the Bible and he gives no clues as to when he prophesied, yet his prophecy is the last book in the Old Testament. *** The children of Israel had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild and restore their land. They began strong but had quickly fallen into complacency and became immoral and careless. Malachi answers many of the questions he heard the people asking about God. They doubted God’s love for them so Malachi explained how God loved Jacob but rejected his brother Esau. They were Jacob and God loved them and gave them back their land, but he destroyed Esau’s land and said it would not be rebuilt. He named it “The Land of Wickedness” and called the people “The People with Whom the Lord dis Forever Angry.” *** God accused the people for having no respect for his name because they brought animals that were lame and blemished to the Temple to give to him. They prayed that God would have mercy on them yet they were not willing to give God their best. God said it would be better for them to shut the Temple doors for all the good it was doing them. He explained how other nations honored him and respected him yet his own nation treated him with contempt. *** Malachi rebuked the priests for offering these defective offerings on the altar. They were bringing a curse down on themselves. They were not teaching truth to the people. God’s covenant was to bring life and peace in exchange for their respect and reverence. *** Malachi pointed out the sin of the men of Judah. They had married women who worshipped idols. He also called out those who made vows to their wives and then were unfaithful to her. He told them to be faithful to their first wife because he hates divorce. *** The last thing Malachi pointed out was their deception of justice. They called the evil good and had lost sight of right and wrong. They cried out for justice when they were tolerating injustice. *** In Revelation, John saw the new heaven and earth. The old had disappeared along with the sea. Heaven came to earth looking like a bride. God now dwelled with his people. Death, sorrow, crying and pain were all gone forever. God said he was making all things new. The victorious were given their inheritance. They could now drink from springs of life. The wicked were thrown into the lake of fire. *** John was taken to a high mountain to see the bride. He saw the city of Jerusalem coming down from heaven and shining with God’s glory. It had a wall around it with 12 gates that were guarded by 12 angels. There were three gates on each side. On the foundation stones were written the names of the twelve apostles. *** The angel measured the city, its gates and its walls and it was 12,000 stadia square (1,400 miles square). The walls were make of jasper and the city was made of gold. The foundation stones were the gems of the tribes of Israel. The gates were made of pearl and the streets of gold. There was no temple in the city because the Lord and the Lamb are its temple. There was no need of sun or moon because God’s glory lit the city. Its gates will always be open so that all the nations can bring their glory and honor into the city. No evil will be allowed to enter. Only those whose names were written in the Book of Life may enter the city. *** Lord, your ways are amazing. I can not even imagine how glorious this is going to be. We have so much wonderful things to look forward to. Thank you that the best is yet to come!