2 Thessalonians 2; Isaiah 27; Isaiah 28; Psalms 118

2 Thessalonians 2

1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him: we ask you, brothers,

2 not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come.

3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For [that day] will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.

4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God's sanctuary, publicizing that he himself is God.

5 Don't you remember that when I was still with you I told you about this?

6 And you know what currently restrains [him], so that he will be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way,

8 and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of His mouth and will bring him to nothing with the brightness of His coming.

9 The coming [of the lawless one] is based on Satan's working, with all kinds of false miracles, signs, and wonders,

10 and with every unrighteous deception among those who are perishing. [They perish] because they did not accept the love of the truth in order to be saved.

11 For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe what is false,

12 so that all will be condemned-those who did not believe the truth but enjoyed unrighteousness.

13 But we must always thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

14 He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, either by our message or by our letter.

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace,

17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.

Isaiah 27

1 On that day the Lord with His harsh, great, and strong sword, will bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent-Leviathan, the twisting serpent. He will slay the monster that is in the sea.

2 On that day sing about a desirable vineyard:

3 I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it regularly. I guard it night and day so that no one disturbs it.

4 I am not angry, but if it produces thorns and briers for Me, I will fight against it, trample it, and burn it to the ground.

5 Or let it take hold of My strength; let it make peace with Me- make peace with Me.

6 In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bloom and fill the whole world with fruit.

7 Did the Lord strike Israel as He struck the one who struck Israel? Was he killed like those killed by Him?

8 You disputed with her by banishing and driving her away. He removed [her] with His severe storm on the day of the east wind.

9 Therefore Jacob's iniquity will be purged in this way, and the result of the removal of his sin will be this: when he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.

10 For the fortified city will be deserted, pastures abandoned and forsaken like a wilderness. Calves will graze there, and there they will spread out and strip its branches.

11 When its branches dry out, they will be broken off. Women will come and make fires with them, for they are not a people with understanding. Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them, and their Creator will not be gracious to them.

12 On that day the Lord will thresh grain from the Euphrates River as far as the Wadi of Egypt, and you Israelites will be gathered one by one.

13 On that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as those dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship the Lord at Jerusalem on the holy mountain.

Isaiah 28

1 Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. [Woe] to those overcome with wine.

2 Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one- like a devastating hail storm, like a storm with strong flooding waters. He will bring it across the land with [His] hand.

3 The majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards will be trampled underfoot.

4 The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest. Whoever sees it will swallow it while it is still in his hand.

5 On that day the Lord of Hosts will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,

6 a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 These also stagger because of wine and stumble under the influence of beer: priest and prophet stagger because of beer, they are confused by wine. They stumble because of beer, they are muddled in [their] visions, they stumble in [their] judgments.

8 Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit; there is no place without a stench.

9 Who is he trying to teach? Who is he trying to instruct? Infants [just] weaned from milk? Babies removed from the breast?

10 For [he says]: "Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there."

11 So He will speak to this people with stammering speech and in a foreign language.

12 He had said to them: "This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose." But they would not listen.

13 Then the word of the Lord came to them: "Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there," so they go stumbling backwards, to be broken, trapped, and captured.

14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you mockers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

15 For you said, "We have cut a deal with Death, and we have made an agreement with Sheol; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, it will not touch us, because we have made falsehood our refuge and have hidden behind treachery."

16 Therefore the Lord God said: "Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.

17 And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the mason's level." Hail will sweep away the false refuge, and water will flood your hiding place.

18 Your deal with Death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not last. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled.

19 Every time it passes through, it will carry you away; it will pass through every morning- every day and every night. Only terror will cause you to understand the message.

20 Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in.

21 For the Lord will rise up as [He did] at Mount Perazim. He will rise in wrath, as at the valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.

22 So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become stronger. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts a decree of destruction for the whole land.

23 Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.

24 Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed? Does he [continuously] break up and cultivate the soil?

25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not then scatter cumin and sow black cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, with spelt as their border.

26 His God teaches him order; He instructs him.

27 Certainly black cumin is not threshed with a threshing board, and a cart wheel is not rolled over the cumin. But black cumin is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.

28 Bread grain is crushed, but is not threshed endlessly. Though the wheel of [the farmer's] cart rumbles, his horses do not crush it.

29 This also comes from the Lord of Hosts. He gives wonderful advice; He gives great wisdom.

Psalms 118

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.

2 Let Israel say, "His faithful love endures forever."

3 Let the house of Aaron say, "His faithful love endures forever."

4 Let those who fear the Lord say, "His faithful love endures forever."

5 I called to the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me [and put me] in a spacious place.

6 The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

7 With the Lord for me as my helper, I will look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in nobles.

10 All the nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I destroyed them.

11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I destroyed them.

12 They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I destroyed them.

13 You pushed me hard to make me fall, but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.

15 There are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the righteous: "The Lord's right hand strikes with power!

16 The Lord's right hand is raised! The Lord's right hand strikes with power!"

17 I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the Lord has done.

18 The Lord disciplined me severely but did not give me over to death.

19 Open the gates of righteousness for me; I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it.

21 I will give thanks to You because You have answered me and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

23 This came from the Lord; it is wonderful in our eyes.

24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.

27 The Lord is God and has given us light. Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will give You thanks. [You are] my God; I will exalt You.

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.