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First Reading: Ezekiel Chapter 10 and 11

Ezekiel 10

1 Then I looked, and behold, in the firmament that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

2 And he spake unto the man clothed in linen, and said, Go in between the whirling `wheels', even under the cherub, and fill both thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

3 Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

4 And the glory of Jehovah mounted up from the cherub, `and stood' over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Jehovah's glory.

5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaketh.

6 And it came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim, that he went in, and stood beside a wheel.

7 And the cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took `thereof', and put it into the hands of him that was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.

8 And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings.

9 And I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like unto a beryl stone.

10 And as for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel have been within a wheel.

11 When they went, they went in their four directions: they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.

12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, `even' the wheels that they four had.

13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, the whirling `wheels'.

14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third face the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 And the cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.

16 And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also turned not from beside them.

17 When they stood, these stood; and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

18 And the glory of Jehovah went forth from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.

19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth, and the wheels beside them: and they stood at the door of the east gate of Jehovah's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

20 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim.

21 Every one had four faces, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.

22 And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward.

Ezekiel 11

1 Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of Jehovah's house, which looketh eastward: and behold, at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

2 And he said unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity, and that give wicked counsel in this city;

3 that say, `The time' is not near to build houses: this `city' is the caldron, and we are the flesh.

4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

5 And the Spirit of Jehovah fell upon me, and he said unto me, Speak, Thus saith Jehovah: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.

6 Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

7 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this `city' is the caldron; but ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it.

8 Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, saith the Lord Jehovah.

9 And I will bring you forth out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.

11 This `city' shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; I will judge you in the border of Israel;

12 and ye shall know that I am Jehovah: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye executed mine ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.

13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

14 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them, `are they' unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from Jehovah; unto us is this land given for a possession.

16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they are come.

17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;

20 that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord Jehovah.

22 Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

23 And the glory of Jehovah went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

24 And the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

25 Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that Jehovah had showed me.

Second Reading: Jude Chapter 1

Jude 1

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

2 Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.

3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in privily, `even' they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

6 And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

8 Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities.

9 But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed.

11 Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved forever.

14 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,

15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling `words'), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.

17 But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 That they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.

19 These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And on some have mercy, who are in doubt;

23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy,

25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, `be' glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen.

Bible Background

BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

JUDE

The author of this small book is a disciple named Jude. It is not certain just who Jude was but many scholars believe that Jude is another name for Judas. There was Judas the apostle (not Iscariot) and also Judas, the brother of Jesus. However, the writer does not identify himself other than that he is a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

Time: 65-70 A.D.

Summary: The primary message Jude is trying to relate is the danger of the false teachers who have "slipped in" unawares among the new Christian converts. Jude further outlines the past judgments upon evil men who forsook the Word of God and perverted it into the traditions of men.

Contending Earnestly for the Faith:

INTRODUCTION - vv.1-2

THE NEED TO CONTEND - APOSTATE TEACHERS - vv. 3-16

THE WAY TO CONTEND - AVAILABLE RESOURCES - vv. 17-25

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