Have you ever been treated unjustly and wondered why God seemed to ignore the oppression? When Babylon conquered Israel in 586 BC, they were extremely cruel to the captive Jews. Those Jews were experiencing God’s correction in their lives. But the Babylonians went way beyond that. They exacted an oppression on the Jews that was uncalled for and cruel.
The nation of Israel knew about the justice of God. They were God’s people. They were asking God to defend them against their oppressors. Yet God did not seem to take up for them. How do we respond when people treat us badly and seem to get away with it? That is the issue our text deals with today.
We are currently studying the book of Zechariah. Last week we began discussing the first of eight visions that Zechariah received. Those eight visions are recorded in Zechariah 1:7 thru the end of chapter 6.
The first vision includes a scene in which a reconnaissance corps of soldiers has been dispatched to go throughout the earth gathering information on the current conditions, then report back their findings to the commander. The first thing Zechariah saw in this vision was “a man mounted on a red horse” (Zech. 1:1).i In our study last week, we learned that this “man mounted on a red horse” represents the preincarnate Christ—called “the angel of the Lord” in verse 11. We got through verse 11 last week, then ran out of time. So today we will finish Zechariah’s first vision, recorded in Zechariah 1:7-17.
I. The SCENE is recorded in Zechariah 1:7-11.
The most difficult issue in interpreting Zechariah’s first vision is sorting out the characters in the vision. Zechariah is faithfully reporting what he saw as he saw it. The scene opens with the “man mounted on a red horse” in verse 8. But Zechariah does not get the revelation that he is “the angel of the Lord” (preincarnate Christ) until verse 11. So that complicates the narrative. The horsemen in the vision are angels. Additionally, another angel stands beside Zechariah to help him understand his visions. Scholars refer to that angel as the “interpreting angel.” He will help Zechariah as the eight visions unfold. This “interpreting angel” is separate from “the angel of the Lord.” However, this can be somewhat difficult to sort that out when we read the text.
Therefore, as we read Zechariah 1:7-11, I will insert the word “Jesus” when the text is referring to the “angel of the Lord” (preincarnate Christ) and insert “interpreting angel” when the text mentions him. I am using the NIV this morning. Follow as we read Zechariah 1:7-11.
“On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo. 8 During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man [Jesus] mounted on a red horse. He [Jesus] was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him [Jesus] were red, brown and white horses. 9 I asked, ‘What are these, my lord [interpreting angel]?’ The angel who was talking with me [interpreting angel] answered, ‘I [interpreting angel] will show you what they are.’ 10 Then the man [Jesus] standing among the myrtle trees explained, ‘They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.’ 11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord who [Jesus] was standing among the myrtle trees, ‘We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.’”
That is scene we examined last week.
The report from this angelic patrol in verse 11 is: “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.” If we did not know the rest of the chapter, we might think the whole world being “at rest and in peace” was a good thing. But it was a discouraging reality for the Jews at that time. They were suffering hardship while their pagan oppressors were enjoying peace and rest.
The thing that made this particularly grievous for them was the fact that God had promised to judge the oppressor nations for what they had done to his people “in a little while” (Hag. 2:6). Two months earlier (Hag. 2:10, 20 compared to Zech. 1:7) God had promised to shake and overthrow the oppressor gentile nations. In conjunction with that he promised to bless Israel (Hag. 2:6-9, 23). Yet that had not happened! The evil nations were “at rest and in peace.” That left these Jews wondering why God hasn’t fulfilled his promise. Haggai 2 is essential background for understanding today’s text.
Follow with me as we read from Haggai 2:6:-23..
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai.” In verses 11-19 Haggai confronts the Jews with their need for repentance. They seem to be responding correctly, judging from the word of the Lord that follows. Verses 20-23: “The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month [in the second year of Darius; see verse 10]: 21 ‘Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
That promise to shake and overthrow the foreign oppressors had not happened. Instead, “the whole world at rest and in peace” (Zech. 1:11). That is the situation addressed in the rest of Zechariah 1.
II. The INTERCESSION in by the angel of the Lord is recorded in Zechariah 1:12.
Follow with me as we read Zech. 1:12-17:
“Then the angel of the Lord [JESUS] said, ‘Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?’ 13 So the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me [INTERPRETING ANGEL]. 14 Then the angel who was speaking to me [INTERPRETING ANGEL] said, ‘Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’ 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 17 Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”
First in that passage, we find “the angel of the Lord” (preincarnate Christ) interceding for God’s people. Zechariah 1:12: “Then the angel of the Lord said,’ Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?’” Richard Phillips erroneously thinks “the angel of the Lord” in this verse is bewildered (along with the Jewish remnant) by God’s lack of intervention.ii But what we have here is the second person of the Trinity identifying with the people of God and interceding for them, just as Jesus does for us today (Heb. 7:25).iii
The intercession itself reflects a common lament by God’s people expressed in Scripture.iv Let me give you a few examples of this:
? When Moses’s initial attempt to deliver Israel as commanded at the burning bush was unsuccessful, he went back to the Lord with this complaint. Exodus 5:23: “Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.” The way God was accomplishing his purposes did not line up with Moses’s expectations. How about you? Have you ever had that kind of experience?
? David opens Psalm 10 asking, “Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble? 2 The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor. . . “ (NKJV). Have you ever wanted to ask God “why”?
? Read Psalm 73-74 and you find Asaph struggling with that question of why. Where are you, God? Why are you not intervening in my behalf? Why do the wicked seem to get away with their evil? In Psalm 74:1-2 he prays, “O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? 2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed — This Mount Zion where You have dwelt” (NKJV). He is not speaking those words out of rebellious defiance. He is honestly seeking to understand.
? Even Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34 NKJV).v His heart remained loyal and obedient to God, even as the honest
question was spoken. The secret to defeating Satan is to keep trusting and obeying God, even when you don’t understand.
? Look at the question asked by the martyrs in Revelation 6:9: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’” God is not upset with that question. He answers them in verse 11: “Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” God always acts at the right time, even though we often feel he is mighty slow. You may be asking God today, “How long will this trial go on? When will you heal my loved one? When will you intervene in our nation? He is never too early and never too late for the maximum benefit to be realized. Justice will ultimately prevail. Revelation 13:10: “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (NKJV).
Our aversion to dealing with this subject of lamentation has left many in the church ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of life. The popular message in America is health and prosperity. And certainly, there is that side of life in the Bible. In fact, the passage before us in Zechariah promises that to Israel as she emerges from God’s seventy years of correction. But there is a lot of lamentation in Scripture, and it is typically avoided in the pulpit, especially in our charismatic circles. Who wants to work hard all week; then go to church and hear a lamentation, instead of a pep talk? I’ll tell you who: those who want to know the whole truth!
The Bible gives us balanced instruction about life. There is “a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot . . . a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Eccl. 3:2-4). Authentic Christianity teaches us how to deal with the full range of the human experience. We have lost authenticity in the church because we avoid truths like this in Scripture.vi
So, we have the intercession by “the angel of the Lord” in Zechariah 1:12.
III. The ORACLE given in Zechariah 1:13 is in response to the intercession.
“So the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.” Who is “the angel who talked with me” in that verse? Throughout these eight visions, when you encounter that phrase, it is referring to the interpreting angel who is helping Zechariah understand the visions.
What kind of answer does God give? He speaks “kind and comforting words.” This is a summary statement. In the verses that follow we are given the details of that message. The interpreting angel tells Zechariah to go preach this message. Verse 14: “Then the angel who was speaking to me said, ‘Proclaim [preach] this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says. . . .” It’s not the angel’s word to Zechariah. The interpreting angel is just a messenger. It is God’s word to Zechariah which is also God’s word to all the Jewish remnant there rebuilding the temple. And
by extension (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11) God is speaking “kind and comforting words” to us today. Your labor is not in vain. Your prayers are not in vain. God is moved with compassion toward our need. He will answer the cry of his people in every generation. He did it for Zechariah and the remnant there in Jerusalem. He will do it for us as well. We must meet the conditions, just as they were required to do. But God is faithful to all his people in all generations (Ps. 33:11). The message God gives Zechariah are “kind and comforting words.”
God punctuates his word with this phrase: “This is what the Lord Almighty says.” The NKJV translates it: “Thus says the LORD of hosts.” That’s a military phrase. He has all the resources necessary to bring his word to pass.
A major theme in book of Zechariah is the sovereignty of God. We must not miss that message. When the world looks upside down, we must know that he is God Almighty. When we experience turbulent seas on our personal journeys, we must remember: He is God, and nothing can override his purposes for us as his deal children.vii
Paul put it this way in Romans 8:31-39:
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced [Are you convinced?] that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God does not promise there will be no persecution, no spiritual battles, no hardships. What he promises is victory through Christ in whatever comes. Our nation is on a rapid decline morally, spiritually, and economically. It could be very alarming if—if we did not know God is ultimately in charge. The nations may rage. The wicked may even boast against God himself.viii But in the end, the wicked will perish, and God will take care of his people.
After 40 years of pastoring, I am convinced that faith is not saying the right religious phrases or just keeping a positive attitude. Yes, there is value in both. But faith is trusting God to be what he is declared to be in Scripture and to do what he promises to do. When we respect him in that way, we do not have to live in fear, even if mountains fall into the sea and the earth shakes under our feet.ix He asks the question in Isaiah 40:25: “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?” Sometimes we need to get a fresh perspective on things. We can get so enmeshed in earthly problems that we lose sight of God’s ability to take care of us.
IV. God’s JEALOUSY for his people is declared in Zechariah 1:14.
His jealousy is an expression of his passionate love for those who belong to him.
Verse 14: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.’” If nothing has happened, it is not because God is unconcerned. It’s not because he is disinterested or doesn’t care. God wants his people to know how passionately he loves them (Jer. 31:3).
The book of Hosea portrays God as the husband of Israel. There we see the unrelenting emotion of God’s love toward his people. Even when Israel was unfaithful to him through their idolatrous worship, God says to her in Hosea 11:8, “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.”
God’s jealousy is “a zeal to protect a love relationship or to avenge it when broken.”x The Bible speaks often of God’s jealousy over his people. That is often misunderstood because human jealousy is often flawed. Human jealousy is often expressed as control over another person for selfish purposes. But God is utterly unselfish. His jealously is aroused out of a desire for the very best for those he loves. God’s jealousy is aroused when Israel turns to other gods because he knows how destructive that will be for Israel. It will cut them off from the true vine.xi It will interfere with their highest good.
V. God’s ANGER toward the oppressors of his people is declared in Zechariah 1:15.
Notice in verse 15 God’s reaction to those who harm his people. “and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.” God’s wrath is provoked against anything that threatens the wellbeing of his beloved people.xii That was true in the Old Testament, and it is true today.
Most people only see the negative side of God’s wrath. Some even think a loving God should not have wrath. But a God who indulges any and everything is no protection for anyone. What if we had a government that enforced no boundaries on behavior? Would your children be safe from pedophiles? Would your wives and daughters be safe from rapists? Would you really want a government that sets no boundaries on behavior—that tolerates anything the worst criminals want to do? Would not the confusion and anarchy make life miserable for everyone?
We should appreciate the mercy of God. But we should also appreciate the justice of God. The right balance is essential for happiness. And God’s character is perfectly balanced between the two. There could never be a heaven without a hell. There could never be utopia without the confinement of that which would destroy the utopia. We must not attribute the flawed motives in most human wrath to some flaw in God.xiii It is his love for that which is good that motivates his anger toward that which is evil.
The avoidance of this subject in American pulpits has produced a perverted gospel that deprives many people of the full counsel of God.xiv J. I. Packer observed, “To an age which has unashamedly sold itself to the gods of greed, pride, sex and self-will, the church mumbles on about God’s kindness but says virtually nothing about his judgment.”xv If anyone does declare it, deceived media will portray that person as a mean-spirited, judgmental voice that should not be taken seriously.xvi Yet “there are more references in Scripture to the anger, fury, and wrath of God, than there are to His love and tenderness” (emphasis Pink’s).xvii
God used gentile nations (especially Assyria and Babylon) to execute his chastening of Israel. But out of evil intentions, those nations went way beyond the correction. They unleashed their cruelty on the Jews satisfying their own lust for power, control, and greed. Look carefully at the wording in verse 15: “and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.”xviii
VI. The PROMISE of Restoration is declared in Zechariah 1:16-17.
In verses 16-17 God reinforces the promise he gave in Haggai 2. The judgment of their enemies has not happened yet, but it will. The blessings he promised for Israel is going to happen as well. Zechariah 1:16-17: “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 17 Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”
The measuring line mentioned in verse 16 was “a string used to mark the foundation lines of walls and building (cf. Ezek. 40:1-3).xix It is symbolic of the construction process. God is promising the completion of the temple and the restoration of the city as well. The awful debris that fills the conquered city will be cleaned up, the buildings and walls will be restored, and the city will once again prosper.xx This promise will be the subject Zechariah’s third vision in chapter 2. We will deal with this subject more fully when we interpret that vision.
VII. The JUDGMENT of the oppressors is explained in Zechariah 1:18-21.
Now we will quickly show the connection of Zechariah’s second vision to this first vision, then explain it more fully next week. Follow with me as we read Zechariah 1:18-21:
“Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. 19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, ‘What are these?’ He answered me, ‘These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.’ 20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, ‘What are these coming to do?’ He answered, ‘These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”
In Haggai 2 God had promised to judge the nations who had treated Israel so harshly. Yet the report of the angelic reconnaissance patrol in verse 11 was that they “found the whole world at rest and in peace.” The nations that God promised in Haggai 2 to shake and destroy are living in peace and prosperity.
This second vision described what God will do to those nations. The primary interest of Zechariah’s audience was Babylon. That’s the nation that destroyed their temple, destroyed Jerusalem, and carried them into captivity. But there is a long-term prophetic dimension to this vision as well. We will deal with that next week. In Zechariah 1:15 God said, “I am very angry with the nations that feel secure [cf. vs. 11]. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.” In this second vision, Zechariah sees what God will do about that.
Conclusion:
Life can be very unjust at times. Good things do happen to bad people, and bad things do happen to good people. Job struggled with this. Habakkuk struggled with it. And the Jews in Zechariah’s days struggled with that reality as well. But we do too!
God uses injustices and trials to purify our faith and train us in righteousness.xxi He often gives space for repentance to evil doers.xxii The rewards of righteousness are often delayed. Sometimes they are postponed until after the resurrection. We can lose heart if we don’t trust the ultimate goodness and justice of God. In the end, every injustice will be made right. Every act of obedience will be rewarded.xxiii But here is the patience of the saints: the waiting time in between.xxiv
What do we do when God has not yet intervened? Follow the advice given in Psalm 37:1-6: “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”
ENDNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes are from the New International Version unless indicated otherwise.
ii Richard D. Phillips, Zechariah, Reformed Expository Commentary, R. D. Phillips and P. G. Ryken, eds. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing Co., 2007) 22.
iii Leupold correctly writes, “Some interpreters think it strange that the Angel of the Lord should pray to God, especially if He Himself is considered divine. This is no more strange than the fact that Christ prays to the Father I the days of His flesh (John, chapter 17). . . . In the ‘how long’ of His prayer the many kindred cries of God’s people are reflected, who were often compelled to utter similar pleas before God 0cf. Ps. 74:10; Jer. 12:4, etc.).” Leupold, Exposition of Zechariah, 40-41.
iv “The interrogative phrase How long? is a technical expression often found in Hebrew laments (e.g. Pss 6:3; 13:1-2; 79:5)” (emphasis Hill’s). Andrew E. Hill, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, TOTC, D. G. Firth, ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012) 134.
v Keep in mind that in the incarnation Jesus divested himself of his divine prerogatives (Phil. 2:6-7). As a man dependent upon the Father, he did not know everything (cf. Mark 13:32).
vi Quoting an article by Walter Brueggermann entitled, ‘The Costly Loss of Lament,’ Boda writes, “Brueggemann voices his concern that by participating exclusively in ‘history-stifling praise,’ we can encourage psychological inauthenticity in our people’s relationship with God. Such inauthenticity can foster conditions conducive to hypocrisy as we seek to praise with no recourse to lament.” Mark J. Boda, The Book of Zechariah, The New
International Commentary on the Old Testament, eds., R. K. Harrison and R. L. Hubbard, Jr. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016) 209 quoting W. Brueggemann, “The Costly Loss of Lament,” JSOT 36 (1986): 57-71; repr. In The Psalms and the Life of Faith, ed. P. D. Miller (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995), 98-111.
vii “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do. No one can reverse my actions” (Isa. 43:23 NLT). Cf. Isa. 45.
viii Cf. Ps. 2; 94:1-7.
ix Cf. Hab. 3:17; Rev. 8:8. God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim. 1:7). Over and over in Scripture we are told to not fear and not be anxious.
x J. I. Packer, Knowing God, 1973 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993) 170.
xi Cf. Jonah 2:8; John 15:5-6.
xii For an analysis of the Hebrew words translated “jealous” in verse 14 and “angry” in verse 15 see Mark J. Boda, The Book of Zechariah, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, eds., R. K. Harrison and R. L. Hubbard, Jr. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016) 145-46.
xiii Cf. James 1:20.
xiv Cf. Luke 3:7; Act 20:27; Heb. 12:28.
xv “IT IS SAD TO FIND so many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology; or at least they wish there were no such thing . . . Even with those who are more sober in their judgment, not a few seem to imagine that there is a severity about the divine wrath which is too terrifying to form a theme for profitable contemplation. Others harbor the delusion that God’s wrath is not consistent with His goodness, and so seek to banish it from their thoughts” (emphasis Pink’s). Arthur W. Pink, Gleanings in the Godhead (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1975.) 76.
xvi Of course, people can become mean-spirited and portray an unhealthy obsession with God’s judgment and wrath. But that extreme is less common today than extreme tolerance and indulgence toward sin that offends the holiness of God.
xvii Arthur W. Pink, The Attributes of God, 75 as quoted by J. I. Packer, Knowing God, 1973 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993) 149.
xviii Cf. Isaiah 54:8.
xix Andrew E. Hill, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, TOTC, D. G. Firth, ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012) 136.
xx “The surveyors will measure where streets and houses shall be located. The miserable heaps of ruins shall be a thing of the past.” Leupold, Exposition of Zechariah, 40. The reconstruction of the walls is chronicled in the book of Nehemiah.
xxi Cf. Job 23:10; Mal. 3:3; John 16:20; James 1:3-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-9.
xxii Cf. 2 Pet. 3:8-10; Rev. 2:21.
xxiii Cf. Mark 9:4; Isa. 3:10-11; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7.
xxiv Cf. Heb. 10:35-37; Rev. 13:10.
