Study Desk

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city.

Now many nations have gathered against you. "Let her be desecrated," they say. "Let us see the destruction of Jerusalem."

You keep only the laws of evil King Omri; you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin. You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you."

I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him. But after that, he will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The Lord will bring me into the light, and I will see his righteousness.

Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side. They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying, "So where is the Lord — that God of yours?" With my own eyes I will see their downfall; they will be trampled like mud in the streets.

Shields flash red in the sunlight! See the scarlet uniforms of the valiant troops! Watch as their glittering chariots move into position, with a forest of spears waving above them.

See the flashing swords and glittering spears as the charioteers charge past! There are countless casualties, heaps of bodies— so many bodies that people stumble over them.

All who see you will shrink back and say, ‘Nineveh lies in ruins. Where are the mourners?' Does anyone regret your destruction?"

But the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down. The enemy will consume you like locusts, devouring everything they see. There will be no escape, even if you multiply like swarming locusts.

Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.

I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.

I see God moving across the deserts from Edom, the Holy One coming from Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise.

I see the people of Cushan in distress, and the nation of Midian trembling in terror.

"Where are you going?" I asked. He replied, "I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is."

So the angel said to the others standing there, "Take off his filthy clothes." And turning to Jeshua he said, "See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes."

"What do you see now?" he asked. I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks.

And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl."

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand." (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)

"What do you see?" the angel asked. "I see a flying scroll," I replied. "It appears to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide."

Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, "Look up and see what's coming."