Daily Bread, December the 27th, 2 Chronicles chapter 32. After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city, and they did help him. And so there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water? all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired millow in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance. And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying, Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria. nor for all the multitude that is with him, for there be more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem. But he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him. Unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it? Know ye not that what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand? Who is there among all the gods of those nations that my father has literally destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your god should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? Now therefore, let not Hezekiah deceive nor persuade you on this manner. Neither yet believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hands of my fathers. How much less shall your god deliver you out of mine hand." And his servants spake yet more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. He wrote letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand. Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them and to trouble them, that they pardon me, that they might take the city. And they spake against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. And for this cause Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos prayed and cried to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel which cut off all the mighty men of valor and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria And so he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was coming to the house of his God, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with a sword. Thus, the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many brought gifts unto the Lord, to Jerusalem, and presence to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth. And in those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord, and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up. Therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself with the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels. storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil, and stalls for all manner of beasts, and kotes for flocks. Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks, and herds in abundance, for God had given him substance very much. This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper water course of Gihon and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. Albeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princess of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did honor him at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. Revelation chapter 18. And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lighted with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Reward her, even as she rewarded you, and double unto her, double according to her works. in the cup which she hath filled to the fill, to her double. How much she has glorified herself and lived deliciously! So much torment and sorrow give her! For she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine. and she shall be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city, for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thine and wood, and in all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet and pearls. For in one hour so great riches is come to nothing, and every shipmaster and all the company in ships and sailors and as many as trade by sea stood afar off. And they cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is likened to this great city? and they cast dust on their heads and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by the reason of her costliness, for in one hour she is made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee. And no craftsman of whatsoever craft he be shall be found any more in thee. And the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee. And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee. and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee. For thy merchants were the great men of the earth, for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth." Zechariah chapter 14 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished. And half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west. And there shall be a very great valley, And half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains. For the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azar. Yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. and it shall come to pass in that day that the light shall not be clear nor dark. But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night, but it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day that living water shall go out from Jerusalem half of them toward the former sea and half of them toward the hinder sea. In summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth. In that day there shall be one Lord and His name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimon, south of Jerusalem, and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananiel unto the king's winepress. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. And this shall the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them, And they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold and silver and apparel in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass. and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents as this plague. And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that shall have no rain. And there shall be the plague, for with the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses holiness unto the Lord, and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts, and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein. And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts. John chapter 17. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee. As thou has given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the one only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which you gave me, and they have received them. and have known surely that I came out from you, and you have believed, and they have believed that you did send me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which you have given me, for they are yours, and all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world. And I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through your own name those who you have given me, that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those that you gave me, I have kept. none of them is lost except the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to you and these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through your truth. Your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them. and for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me. and has loved them as you have loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which you have given me. For you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you. And these have known that you have sent me. And I have declared unto them your name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.