Daily Bread, December the 26th, 2 Chronicles chapter 31. Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and break the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places, and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, and Ephraim also, and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service. The priests and Levites for burnt offerings, and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the Lord. He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wed, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the Lord. Moreover, he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord. And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey. And of all the increase of the field and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. And concerning the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep. and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid them by heaps. In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel. Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have left plenty, for the Lord has blessed his people and that which is left at this great store. Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them, and brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully. over which Conaniah the Levite was ruler and Shimei his brother was the next. Jehiel and Azahiah and Nahath and Azhael and Jeremoth and Josabad and Elio and Ismahiah and Mahath and Benaniah were overseers under the hand of Kona-aniah and Shimei, his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. And Kore, the son of Emna the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the free will offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the Lord and the most holy things. And next to him were Eden, and Minyamin, and Jeshua, and Shehemiah, and Amariah, and Shechaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their said office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small. Beside their genealogy of males from three years old and upward, even unto every one that entereth into the house of the Lord, his daily portion for their service and their charges according to their courses, both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses. and to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation. For in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness. Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs, in their cities, of every several city, the men that were expressed by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites. And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered. Revelation Chapter 17 There came, and there came, one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither. I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Why didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that you saw was and is not. and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they beheld the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. And there are seven kings, five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as of yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. And they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou saw upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked. and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth." Zechariah chapter 13. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, said the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered. And also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live, for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord. And his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. And it shall come to pass in that day that the prophets shall be ashamed, every one of his vision. When he has prophesied, neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive. But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a husbandman, for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in your hands? And he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, it is my people. And they shall say, The LORD is my God. John chapter 16 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you. because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me, and none of you ask of me, Where goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on me. of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more, of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he says unto us? A little while, and ye shall not see me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me, and because I go to the Father, They said, therefore, what is this that he sayeth a little while? We cannot tell what he says. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said a little while, and ye shall not see me? And again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament. But the world shall rejoice, and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in travail, has sorrow, because her hour has come. But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born to the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. And hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs, but the time comes when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, but the Father himself loveth you. because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father and am come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.' His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now we are sure that you know all things, and need not that any man should ask you. By this we believe that you came forth from God.' And Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour comes, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.