Prophecy in the Bible

David wants to build God a temple, but God tells Nathan to relay the Davidic covenant: God will build David a house — an eternal dynasty. David responds with a humble prayer of amazement and gratitude.

David organizes the temple musicians into 24 divisions corresponding to the priestly divisions. The musicians include the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, totaling 288 trained musicians who prophesy with instruments.

Paul compares prophecy and tongues, arguing that prophecy builds up the church while uninterpreted tongues only build up the individual. He urges orderly worship where everything is done for edification. God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

The aging King David's son Adonijah attempts to seize the throne. Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan intervene, and David confirms Solomon as his chosen successor. Solomon is anointed king at Gihon, and Adonijah's supporters scatter.

Solomon's many foreign wives turn his heart to other gods in his old age. God raises adversaries against him and tells Solomon the kingdom will be torn from his son, leaving only one tribe for David's sake. Solomon dies after 40 years.

Rehoboam rejects the elders' counsel and harshly increases the people's burden. Ten northern tribes rebel under Jeroboam, splitting Israel into two kingdoms. Jeroboam sets up golden calves at Dan and Bethel to prevent people from worshiping in Jerusalem.

A man of God from Judah prophesies against Jeroboam's altar at Bethel. He obeys God's command not to eat there, but is deceived by an old prophet and killed by a lion for disobeying. Jeroboam continues in sin regardless.

Jeroboam's son falls ill, and the prophet Ahijah foretells the destruction of Jeroboam's entire dynasty. In Judah, Rehoboam's reign brings spiritual decline and Shishak of Egypt plunders Jerusalem.

Abijam and Asa reign in Judah. Asa does what is right, removing idols and deposing his grandmother for her idol. In Israel, Nadab and Baasha reign, with Baasha destroying Jeroboam's entire family as prophesied.

Rapid succession of wicked kings in Israel: Baasha's dynasty is destroyed by Zimri, who reigns only seven days before Omri takes power. Omri's son Ahab becomes king and marries Jezebel, introducing Baal worship on a massive scale.

The prophet Elijah appears and declares a drought upon Israel. God sends him to the brook Cherith where ravens feed him, then to a widow at Zarephath whose flour and oil never run out. Elijah raises the widow's dead son back to life.

Elijah confronts 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in a dramatic contest. When Baal fails to answer, Elijah prays and God sends fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, the altar, and the water. The people cry: The Lord, He is God! Elijah then prays and the drought-ending rain comes.

After Mount Carmel, Jezebel threatens Elijah's life, and he flees to the wilderness in despair. God ministers to him with food and rest, then speaks to him not in wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a still small voice. Elisha is called as Elijah's successor.

Ben-hadad of Aram besieges Samaria twice, but God gives Ahab victory both times to demonstrate His power. However, Ahab foolishly spares Ben-hadad and makes a treaty. A prophet declares that Ahab will pay for releasing Ben-hadad.

Ahab covets Naboth's vineyard. When Naboth refuses to sell his ancestral land, Jezebel orchestrates false charges and has Naboth stoned to death. Elijah confronts Ahab with God's judgment: dogs will lick his blood and devour Jezebel.

Ahab and Jehoshaphat plan to attack Ramoth-gilead. The prophet Micaiah warns of defeat, but Ahab goes anyway. Ahab disguises himself in battle but is struck by a random arrow and bleeds to death in his chariot. Dogs lick his blood, fulfilling Elijah's prophecy.

Hannah offers a prophetic song of praise after dedicating Samuel to the Lord. Meanwhile, Eli's sons Hophni and Phinehas are corrupt priests who abuse their position. A prophet warns Eli that judgment is coming on his household.

God calls young Samuel in the night at Shiloh. After Eli helps him recognize God's voice, Samuel receives a sobering message of judgment against Eli's family. Samuel is established as a prophet throughout Israel.

Saul, a tall and handsome man from Benjamin, is searching for his father's lost donkeys when God directs him to Samuel. God reveals to Samuel that Saul is the one chosen to be Israel's first king.

Samuel anoints Saul as king privately, and the Spirit of God transforms him. Saul prophesies among the prophets, astonishing those who knew him. At Mizpah, Saul is publicly chosen by lot and presented to the people.

Saul makes a rash decision to offer sacrifices himself rather than wait for Samuel, violating God's command. Samuel declares that Saul's kingdom will not endure and that God has sought a man after His own heart.

God commands Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites, but Saul spares King Agag and the best livestock. Samuel confronts Saul, declaring that obedience is better than sacrifice. God rejects Saul as king over Israel.

Saul massacres 85 priests at Nob for helping David, fulfilling the prophecy against Eli's house. Only Abiathar escapes and joins David. David gathers a band of 400 outcasts at the cave of Adullam.

Facing a massive Philistine army, Saul is terrified and gets no answer from God. In desperation, he visits the medium at Endor, who conjures Samuel's spirit. Samuel delivers a final message: Saul and his sons will die tomorrow.

Paul teaches that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, urging believers to be alert and sober. He calls them to encourage the disheartened, help the weak, and be patient. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances—for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Paul warns of future apostasy and instructs Timothy to be nourished on sound doctrine. He tells the young pastor not to let anyone look down on his youth but to set an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. He urges Timothy to give himself wholly to his ministry and watch his life and doctrine closely.

Rehoboam rejects the wise counsel of the elders and follows young advisors who urge harsh treatment. The ten northern tribes rebel under Jeroboam, splitting the kingdom. The Chronicler notes this was from God to fulfill Ahijah's prophecy.

God prevents Rehoboam from attacking the northern tribes through the prophet Shemaiah. Rehoboam fortifies Judah's cities, and faithful priests and Levites from the north relocate to Judah, strengthening the southern kingdom for three years.

The prophet Azariah encourages Asa: The Lord is with you while you are with Him. Asa removes idols, repairs the altar, and leads a national covenant renewal ceremony. People from the northern tribes join Judah because they see God is with them.

In his later years, Asa makes a treaty with Aram against Israel instead of trusting God. The seer Hanani rebukes him, saying God's eyes search for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. Asa imprisons the prophet and becomes diseased, dying without seeking God.

Jehoshaphat unwisely allies with wicked King Ahab to attack Ramoth-gilead. The prophet Micaiah warns of defeat, but Ahab goes anyway. Ahab is killed by a random arrow in battle, fulfilling Micaiah's prophecy.

Jehoshaphat is rebuked by the seer Jehu for his alliance with Ahab but commended for seeking God. He appoints judges throughout the land, charging them to judge fairly because they judge for the Lord, not for man.

Jehoram kills his brothers and follows the wicked ways of Ahab's family through his wife Athaliah. Elijah sends a letter predicting judgment. Edom and Libnah revolt. Jehoram is struck with an incurable disease and dies unmourned.

At age 16, Josiah begins seeking God. At 20 he purges idolatry from Judah. During temple repairs, the Book of the Law is found. When it is read to Josiah, he tears his robes and leads the nation in covenant renewal. The prophetess Huldah confirms coming judgment but promises it will not come in Josiah's lifetime.

Judah's final four kings are quickly summarized — all do evil. Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the temple, deporting the people to Babylon. The land lies desolate for 70 years until Cyrus of Persia decrees the return, ending the book with hope.

King Ahaziah of Israel falls through a lattice and sends messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub. Elijah intercepts them and pronounces death for seeking a foreign god. Two companies of fifty soldiers are consumed by fire from heaven before a third captain humbly asks for mercy.

Elijah is taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire and a whirlwind. Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit and receives it. He parts the Jordan, purifies Jericho's water supply, and is confirmed as Elijah's successor.

Israel, Judah, and Edom unite to fight Moab. Running out of water, they consult Elisha, who provides water miraculously and prophecies victory. The Moabites misread the water as blood and are defeated.

Elisha performs multiple miracles: multiplying a widow's oil to pay debts, promising a son to a Shunammite woman, raising that son from death, purifying poisoned stew, and feeding 100 men with 20 loaves.

Naaman, commander of the Aramean army, has leprosy. An Israelite servant girl suggests he visit Elisha. Naaman is initially offended when told to wash seven times in the Jordan but obeys and is healed. Elisha's servant Gehazi secretly takes payment and is cursed with leprosy.

Elisha makes an axe head float, reveals Aramean battle plans to Israel's king, and is surrounded by an enemy army. He prays for his servant's eyes to be opened, revealing mountains full of angelic horses and chariots of fire. Elisha leads the blinded Arameans into Samaria and feeds them.

During a severe famine in besieged Samaria, Elisha predicts abundance by tomorrow. Four lepers discover the Aramean camp abandoned — God had caused the enemy to flee. The prophecy of abundance is fulfilled exactly as Elisha declared.

The Shunammite woman's land is restored after Gehazi tells the king of Elisha's miracles. Elisha weeps prophesying that Hazael will become king of Aram and bring terrible suffering to Israel. Jehoram and Ahaziah, wicked kings of Judah, are introduced.

Elisha sends a prophet to anoint Jehu as king of Israel with a mandate to destroy Ahab's house. Jehu drives furiously to Jezreel, kills King Joram with an arrow, and has Jezebel thrown from a window. Dogs eat her body, fulfilling Elijah's prophecy.

Jehu systematically destroys all of Ahab's descendants, seventy sons in all. He lures all Baal worshipers into a temple and massacres them, eradicating Baal worship from Israel. However, Jehu does not turn from Jeroboam's golden calves.

Elisha is on his deathbed and tells King Joash of Israel to strike the ground with arrows. Joash strikes only three times, and Elisha declares he should have struck more for complete victory over Aram. Even after death, Elisha's bones raise a dead man to life.

Amaziah of Judah defeats Edom but foolishly challenges Israel and is humiliated. Jeroboam II of Israel restores Israel's borders during a long, prosperous but spiritually hollow reign. Both kings face the consequences of pride.

The northern kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria in 722 BC. The people are deported and foreigners are settled in their place. The narrator explains this happened because Israel abandoned God's covenant, worshiped idols, and ignored the prophets' warnings.

Hezekiah prays desperately in the temple after Sennacherib's threats. Isaiah delivers God's answer: Sennacherib will not enter Jerusalem. That night, the angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Sennacherib retreats and is later murdered by his own sons.

Hezekiah falls deathly ill, and Isaiah tells him to set his affairs in order. Hezekiah prays, and God adds 15 years to his life, confirming it with the shadow retreating ten steps. Hezekiah foolishly shows Babylonian envoys all his treasures, and Isaiah foretells the Babylonian exile.

Manasseh becomes Judah's most wicked king, rebuilding high places, practicing sorcery, and setting up idols in the temple. God declares that because of Manasseh's sins, Jerusalem will be destroyed. His son Amon reigns briefly before being assassinated.

Young King Josiah orders temple repairs, and the Book of the Law is discovered. When it is read to Josiah, he tears his robes in anguish, realizing how far Judah has strayed. The prophetess Huldah confirms that judgment is coming but will be delayed because of Josiah's repentance.

Josiah leads the most thorough religious reform in Judah's history, destroying idolatrous sites throughout the land and reinstating the Passover. He fulfills the 300-year-old prophecy from 1 Kings 13 by desecrating the altar at Bethel. Despite his faithfulness, Josiah is killed in battle at Megiddo.

After Josiah, Judah rapidly declines under Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jehoiachin. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieges Jerusalem, takes the first wave of captives (including Jehoiachin and Daniel), and plunders the temple. Zedekiah is installed as puppet king.

Zedekiah rebels against Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. The people are deported to Babylon, ending the kingdom of Judah. The book ends with a glimmer of hope: Jehoiachin is released from prison in Babylon and given a place at the king's table.

Peter urges believers to supplement their faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, mutual affection, and love. He confirms the reliability of eyewitness testimony of Christ's glory at the Transfiguration. Scripture did not originate from human will but from men speaking from God as they were carried by the Holy Spirit.

Peter addresses scoffers who mock the promise of Christ's return. God is not slow about His promise—with the Lord a day is like a thousand years. He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish. The day of the Lord will come like a thief. Peter urges believers to live holy lives and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

David wants to build God a temple, but God instead promises to build David a house — an eternal dynasty. This Davidic covenant promises that David's throne will be established forever, pointing to the Messiah.

The prophet Nathan confronts David with a parable about a rich man stealing a poor man's lamb. David condemns himself, and Nathan declares you are the man. David repents, but the child born to Bathsheba dies. Solomon is later born to them.

David's last words are recorded as a prophetic oracle about righteous rule. The chapter lists David's mighty warriors and their extraordinary feats, including the three who broke through Philistine lines to get David water from Bethlehem's well.

Paul corrects a false alarm that the day of the Lord has already come. He describes the man of lawlessness who must first be revealed, setting himself up as God. He urges the Thessalonians to stand firm and hold to the teachings passed to them.

Jesus commissions His disciples to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth and ascends to heaven. The disciples pray together in the upper room, and Matthias is chosen to replace Judas, restoring the twelve apostles.

The Holy Spirit is poured out at Pentecost with rushing wind and tongues of fire. Peter preaches powerfully, three thousand are saved and baptized. The early church is born, devoted to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer, sharing everything in common.

Peter and John heal a lame man at the temple gate called Beautiful. The healed man leaps and praises God, drawing a crowd. Peter seizes the moment to preach about Jesus as the Messiah, calling the people to repentance for the refreshing times that come from the Lord.

Stephen delivers a powerful speech recounting Israel's history from Abraham to Solomon, showing the nation's pattern of rejecting God's messengers. He accuses the council of resisting the Holy Spirit. As they stone him, Stephen sees Jesus standing at God's right hand and prays for his killers' forgiveness, becoming the first Christian martyr.

Persecution scatters the believers, spreading the gospel. Philip preaches in Samaria with signs and wonders. Simon the sorcerer seeks to buy the Spirit's power. Philip is directed by an angel to an Ethiopian official reading Isaiah; Philip explains the gospel and baptizes him on the road.

The church in Antioch commissions Barnabas and Saul for their first missionary journey. They preach in Cyprus and Pisidian Antioch, where Paul delivers a major sermon about Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel's story. Some believe, but jealous leaders oppose them, and they turn to the Gentiles.

Paul preaches in Thessalonica and Berea, where the Bereans examine the Scriptures daily to verify his teaching. In Athens, Paul addresses the Areopagus, declaring the unknown God they worship is the Creator in whom we live and move and have our being, calling all people to repentance.

Paul travels to Jerusalem despite warnings from prophets about his arrest. He visits James and the elders, who report the growth of the Jewish church. Paul is seized in the temple by a mob who falsely accuse him of defiling it by bringing Gentiles inside.

Paul presents his most eloquent defense before King Agrippa, recounting his Pharisee background, his persecution of Christians, and the Damascus road encounter. He passionately proclaims the gospel to the king, who famously responds: Do you think in so short a time you can persuade me to become a Christian?

Amos, a shepherd from Tekoa, delivers God's roaring judgment from Zion. In a devastating pattern — for three sins and for four — he pronounces judgment on Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, and Edom for their war crimes and cruelty.

The judgment pattern continues to Moab, then shockingly turns on Judah and Israel. Israel is condemned for selling the righteous for silver, trampling the poor, and profaning God's name. They have perverted every institution God gave them.

Can two walk together unless they agree? God does nothing without revealing His plan to the prophets. Israel was chosen above all families — but with privilege comes greater accountability. Destruction is coming to the altars of Bethel and the mansions of the wealthy.

Amos calls the wealthy women of Samaria cows of Bashan who oppress the poor. God sent famine, drought, plague, and destruction — yet you did not return to me, repeats five times. If repeated discipline doesn't work, prepare to meet your God.

A funeral dirge for living Israel: she has fallen, never to rise again. Seek me and live — not Bethel, Gilgal, or Beersheba. Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. God hates their religious festivals because they are divorced from justice.

Woe to those at ease in Zion — lounging on ivory beds, feasting on lamb, singing idle songs, drinking wine by the bowlful, but not grieving over Israel's ruin. Their complacency in the face of injustice brings them first into exile.

Three visions of judgment — locusts, fire, and a plumb line. God relents from the first two but not the third: Israel is crooked by the plumb line of justice. The priest Amaziah expels Amos, who responds: I was no prophet — just a shepherd and fig farmer. But God called me.

A basket of ripe fruit — the end is ripe for Israel. The merchants can't wait for the sabbath to end so they can cheat the poor with dishonest scales. The sun will go down at noon, and God will send a famine — not of bread or water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.

Final judgment: no one can escape God — not in Sheol, the sea floor, or Carmel's peak. Yet the book ends with stunning hope: God will raise up David's fallen booth, restore Israel, and they will plant vineyards and gardens, never again to be uprooted. Grace has the last word.

Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great statue: gold head (Babylon), silver chest (Medo-Persia), bronze belly (Greece), iron legs (Rome), and feet of iron and clay. A stone cut without hands shatters the statue and fills the earth — God's eternal kingdom that replaces all human empires.

Nebuchadnezzar's testimony: he dreams of a great tree cut down, and Daniel interprets it as a warning. The king is driven to live like an animal for seven years until he acknowledges God's sovereignty. His reason returns and he praises the Most High — the only conversion testimony of a pagan king in Scripture.

Belshazzar's feast: the king drinks from the temple vessels and a disembodied hand writes on the wall — MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN. Daniel interprets: you have been weighed and found wanting. That very night, Babylon falls to the Medes and Persians and Belshazzar is killed.

Daniel's vision of four great beasts from the sea representing four kingdoms. The terrifying fourth beast has iron teeth and ten horns. The Ancient of Days takes His throne and gives everlasting dominion to one like a Son of Man coming on clouds — Jesus's favorite self-title.

A vision of a ram (Medo-Persia) and a goat (Greece) with a prominent horn (Alexander the Great) that breaks into four (successor kingdoms). A little horn arises who desecrates the sanctuary — fulfilled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, prefiguring the Antichrist.

Daniel prays one of Scripture's greatest confessional prayers. Gabriel reveals the prophecy of Seventy Weeks — 490 years until the Anointed One comes and is cut off. This is the most precise messianic timeline in the Bible, pointing directly to Christ's coming.

After three weeks of fasting, Daniel sees a terrifying angelic being. The angel reveals that a spiritual prince of Persia delayed him for 21 days until Michael helped. This chapter uniquely pulls back the curtain on spiritual warfare behind world events.

A remarkably detailed prophecy of conflicts between the Ptolemies (kings of the south) and Seleucids (kings of the north), culminating in Antiochus Epiphanes' persecution. The chapter transitions to an end-times tyrant who exalts himself above every god.

The grand finale: Michael arises, a time of distress unlike any before, and the dead are raised — some to everlasting life, others to shame. Those who are wise will shine like stars forever. Daniel is told to seal the book — the words are for the time of the end.

Moses urges the new generation to obey God's commands without adding to or subtracting from them. He reminds them of the Baal Peor incident and warns against idolatry, since God is a consuming fire and jealous God. He speaks of God's uniqueness — no other nation has a god so near to them — and prophetically warns of future exile and restoration.

Moses warns against three sources of temptation to idolatry: false prophets who perform signs, close family members, and entire cities that turn away. Even if a prophet's sign comes true, if he leads people to other gods, he must be rejected. An idolatrous city must be completely destroyed as a devoted thing to the Lord.

The Levites' inheritance is described as the Lord Himself and the offerings. Occult practices — divination, sorcery, mediums, spiritists — are strictly forbidden as detestable to God. Moses prophesies that God will raise up a prophet like himself from among the people, whom Israel must obey — a key Messianic prophecy.

Moses presents the fullest statement of covenant blessings and curses. Blessings for obedience include prosperity, military victory, agricultural abundance, and honour among nations. Curses for disobedience are far more extensive — disease, drought, defeat, siege, exile, and scattering among the nations. The chapter prophetically describes events that would unfold centuries later.

Moses prophesies that after exile and judgment, if Israel returns to God wholeheartedly, He will restore their fortunes, gather them from all nations, and circumcise their hearts to love Him. He sets before them the ultimate choice: life and death, blessing and curse. He pleads with them to choose life by loving and obeying God.

Moses, now 120 years old, tells Israel he can no longer lead them and formally commissions Joshua as his successor. He writes down the law and entrusts it to the Levites to be read publicly every seven years. God warns Moses that Israel will eventually turn away, and commands him to write a song as a witness against them.

Moses recites the Song of Moses, a powerful poem recounting God's faithfulness and Israel's future unfaithfulness. It portrays God as the Rock, a faithful creator and father, while Israel is a perverse and crooked generation that will provoke God to jealousy with foreign gods. The song ends with God's ultimate vindication and mercy. God tells Moses to ascend Mount Nebo to view the land before he dies.

Before his death, Moses blesses each tribe individually, similar to Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49. Judah receives strength in battle, Levi the priesthood and teaching role, Joseph extraordinary fruitfulness, and Benjamin God's protection. The chapter opens and closes with majestic praise for God who rides the heavens to help His people.

Moses ascends Mount Nebo and God shows him the entire Promised Land — from Gilead to Dan, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah to the western sea, and the Negev. Moses dies at 120 with his eyesight undiminished and his vigour unabated. God buries him in an unknown location. Joshua succeeds him, but the text notes that no prophet like Moses has since arisen in Israel.

God announces the final plague: the death of every firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh's son to the servant's son. Moses warns Pharaoh, but his heart remains hardened. God tells Israel to ask the Egyptians for silver and gold, and the Egyptians give generously because God has given the people favour.

Ezekiel's stunning inaugural vision by the Kebar River in Babylon: four living creatures with four faces, wheels within wheels covered with eyes, and above them a throne of sapphire with a figure like glowing metal — the glory of the Lord. Ezekiel falls facedown.

God commissions Ezekiel to speak to rebellious Israel, warning that they are stubborn and hard-hearted. God gives him a scroll written on both sides with words of lament, mourning, and woe — and tells him to eat it.

Ezekiel eats the scroll and it tastes like honey. God appoints him as a watchman for Israel — responsible for warning the wicked or sharing in their guilt. The Spirit lifts him up and he sits overwhelmed among the exiles for seven days.

God commands Ezekiel to perform dramatic sign-acts: build a model of Jerusalem under siege, lie on his left side for 390 days and his right for 40 days representing years of Israel and Judah's punishment, and bake bread over dung as a sign of unclean food in exile.

God tells Ezekiel to shave his head and divide the hair: one third burned, one third struck with a sword, one third scattered to the wind — representing Jerusalem's fate. A small portion tucked in his garment represents the remnant. God's anger is described in terrifying terms.

God pronounces judgment on the mountains and high places of Israel where idolatry was practiced. The idols will be shattered and their worshipers will fall among them. Yet a remnant will survive, and in exile they will remember God and loathe their sinful past.

The end has come. God declares the final day of judgment on the land of Israel. Wealth will be thrown in the streets, the temple will be profaned, and violence fills the land. No prophet's vision or priest's teaching can save them now.

The Spirit transports Ezekiel to Jerusalem's temple where he sees escalating abominations: an idol of jealousy at the entrance, elders burning incense to images of crawling creatures, women weeping for Tammuz, and men worshiping the sun. The corruption is total.

God commands six executioners and a man with a writing kit. The scribe marks the foreheads of those who grieve over Jerusalem's abominations — they will be spared. The rest are slaughtered without mercy, beginning at the sanctuary itself.

The glory of the Lord — the same vision from chapter 1 with cherubim and wheels — begins to depart from the temple. God's presence moves from the Most Holy Place to the threshold, then to the east gate. The departure of God's glory is the most devastating event in Israel's history.

Ezekiel sees corrupt leaders in Jerusalem planning evil. God strikes one dead as a sign. The exiles are told they are actually closer to God than those in Jerusalem. God promises a new heart and a new spirit — removing the heart of stone and giving a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel acts out exile by packing his bags and digging through a wall at night. He eats bread with trembling and drinks water with anxiety. These sign-acts are for the rebellious house who keep saying the visions are for the distant future — God insists: none of My words will be delayed.

God condemns false prophets who prophesy from their own imagination, whitewashing a flimsy wall that will collapse. He also confronts false prophetesses who practice divination. Their lies give false hope and prevent the wicked from turning back.

Elders come to consult Ezekiel but have set up idols in their hearts. God refuses to answer them. Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could only save themselves — not the nation. Personal righteousness cannot substitute for national repentance.

Jerusalem is compared to a vine — but unlike a fruitful vine, its wood is useless for anything. Not even good enough for a peg, and now it's charred by fire. God will make the land desolate because of their unfaithfulness.

An extended allegory: Jerusalem was an abandoned newborn whom God rescued, raised, and married in lavish splendor. But she used her beauty for prostitution with every passerby — worse than Sodom and Samaria. Yet God will remember His covenant and establish an everlasting one.

Two eagles and a vine: a riddle about international politics. The first eagle (Babylon) planted a seed (Zedekiah), but the vine turned to a second eagle (Egypt). God condemns Zedekiah's broken oath and promises to plant His own cedar sprig on a high mountain — a messianic image.

A funeral lament for Israel's princes, using images of a lioness whose cubs (kings) were captured, and a vine once fruitful now withered and burned. The chapter mourns the end of Judah's royal dynasty.

God recounts Israel's history of rebellion — from Egypt through the wilderness to the promised land, every generation rebelled. Yet God withheld judgment for His name's sake. He promises a future purging and restoration in a new exodus greater than the first.

God unsheaths His sword against Jerusalem. The sword is sharpened and polished for slaughter. Nebuchadnezzar stands at a crossroads using divination to decide whether to attack Jerusalem or Ammon — the lots fall on Jerusalem. The crown will be removed until the rightful ruler comes.

A comprehensive indictment of Jerusalem as a bloody city. Princes, priests, prophets, and people are all corrupt — violence, extortion, profaning holy things, and oppressing foreigners. God searched for someone to stand in the gap but found no one.

The allegory of Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem) — two sisters who became prostitutes in Egypt from their youth. Oholibah is worse, lusting after Assyrian and Babylonian lovers. God will turn these lovers against her in graphic judgment.

On the very day Babylon besieges Jerusalem, God tells Ezekiel to boil a pot symbolizing the city's bloody corruption. Then God takes Ezekiel's wife — the delight of his eyes — and commands him not to mourn publicly, making his grief a sign to the exiles.

Oracles against four neighboring nations who rejoiced over Jerusalem's fall: Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. Each is condemned for gloating over Judah's destruction. They too will know that God is the Lord through His judgment.

An oracle against Tyre, the great Phoenician trading city. God sends Nebuchadnezzar against it like waves of the sea. Tyre will become a bare rock where fishermen spread their nets — a prophecy remarkably fulfilled in history.

A detailed lament over Tyre's splendor as a great trading ship. Every luxury and trading partner is catalogued — a remarkable economic snapshot of the ancient world. But this magnificent vessel will sink beneath the waves, and all who traded with her will mourn.

The king of Tyre is addressed as one who was in Eden, adorned with precious stones, a guardian cherub on God's holy mountain. His heart grew proud because of his beauty. This passage is often interpreted as describing Satan's fall alongside Tyre's literal king.

An oracle against Egypt: Pharaoh is a great dragon in the Nile that God will hook and drag out. Egypt will become desolate for forty years then be restored as a lowly kingdom — never again a source of false confidence for Israel.

The Day of the Lord comes for Egypt and its allies. God will break the arms of Pharaoh while strengthening Babylon's arm. Egypt's proud power — its cities, armies, and alliances — will be shattered, and they will know that God is the Lord.

Egypt is compared to Assyria, once a magnificent cedar of Lebanon, taller than all trees, envied by Eden itself. But its heart became proud and God cut it down. Egypt will share the same fate — a warning against national pride.

A lament over Pharaoh as a dragon caught in God's net. Egypt descends to the pit, joining other fallen powers — Assyria, Elam, Meshech-Tubal — all lying slain. A haunting tour of Sheol where mighty empires rest in shame.

After Jerusalem falls, Ezekiel is reinstated as watchman. God declares: I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that they turn and live. A survivor arrives confirming Jerusalem's destruction, and Ezekiel's mouth is opened to speak freely again.

God condemns the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves instead of the flock. He will rescue His sheep personally and raise up one shepherd — His servant David — to tend them. A covenant of peace and showers of blessing will follow.

An oracle against Mount Seir (Edom) for its ancient hatred of Israel and its gloating over Jerusalem's fall. Because Edom said these two nations will be mine, God will make Edom a perpetual desolation.

God will restore the mountains of Israel — not for their sake but for His holy name. He will sprinkle clean water on them, give them a new heart and new spirit, remove the heart of stone, and put His Spirit within them. One of the most important regeneration passages.

The famous Valley of Dry Bones: God leads Ezekiel through a valley of bones and asks, Can these bones live? Ezekiel prophesies, the bones reassemble, flesh covers them, and breath enters — they live! God promises to reunite Israel and Judah under one king, with His Spirit among them forever.

Gog from the land of Magog leads a massive coalition against restored Israel. God Himself fights back with earthquake, plague, fire, and hailstone — a dramatic end-times battle demonstrating His power before all nations.

The defeat of Gog continues: his armies are destroyed so thoroughly that Israel burns their weapons for seven years and buries their dead for seven months. God's glory is displayed to all nations, and He pours out His Spirit on Israel, never hiding His face again.

Fourteen years after Jerusalem's fall, Ezekiel is transported to Israel and shown a vision of a new, perfectly measured temple. A man with a measuring rod details every gate, court, and chamber — the vision of restoration takes architectural form.

The detailed measurements continue into the inner temple: the Most Holy Place, wall decorations of palm trees and cherubim, and a wooden altar described as the table before the Lord. Every detail reflects divine order and beauty.

The measuring continues with priests' chambers where they eat holy offerings and change garments. A clear distinction between holy and common space is maintained. The outer dimensions of the entire temple complex are given.

The climactic moment: the glory of the Lord returns to the temple from the east — the same direction it departed in chapter 10. God declares this is His throne forever. The return of God's presence reverses the devastating departure and completes the restoration vision.

The east gate is shut because the Lord entered through it — no one else may use it. Rules for priests are established: the Zadokite line alone will minister before God. Levites who went astray are demoted but not rejected — a picture of grace with consequences.

Water flows from under the temple threshold, growing from ankle-deep to a river that cannot be crossed. Wherever the river flows, everything lives — even the Dead Sea teems with fish. Trees along its banks bear fruit every month with leaves for healing. A vision of paradise restored.

The land is divided among the twelve tribes in parallel horizontal strips, with the sacred district at the center. The city has twelve gates named for the tribes. The book ends with its most beautiful statement: the name of the city from that time on shall be The Lord Is There — Yahweh Shammah.

Cyrus king of Persia issues a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy. He even returns the temple vessels Nebuchadnezzar had taken. About 50,000 Jews prepare to return under Sheshbazzar.

Encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Jeshua restart the temple construction. The regional governor questions their authority and writes to King Darius for verification of Cyrus's original decree.

The serpent deceives Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, and Adam follows. Their disobedience brings sin, shame, and death into the world. God pronounces curses but also promises that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head.

God blesses Noah and establishes a covenant never to destroy the earth by flood again, setting the rainbow as its sign. God gives new dietary permissions and institutes the principle of capital punishment for murder. Noah plants a vineyard, becomes drunk, and Ham's disrespect leads to prophetic blessings and curses on his sons.

God makes a formal covenant with Abram, promising him descendants as numerous as the stars and the land of Canaan. Abram believes God and it is credited to him as righteousness. God reveals that Abram's descendants will be enslaved for 400 years before returning to the land.

Sarai, unable to conceive, gives her servant Hagar to Abram as a wife. Hagar becomes pregnant and despises Sarai, leading to conflict. Hagar flees but the angel of the Lord finds her and tells her to return, promising her son Ishmael will become a great nation.

God establishes the covenant of circumcision with Abram, renaming him Abraham and Sarai as Sarah. God promises that Sarah will bear a son named Isaac, through whom the covenant will continue. Abraham circumcises all the males of his household as God commanded.

Abraham dies and is buried with Sarah. The chapter lists Ishmael's descendants and records the birth of Esau and Jacob as twins to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew, despising his inheritance.

Jacob deceives his blind father Isaac by impersonating Esau to steal the patriarchal blessing. When Esau discovers the deception he weeps bitterly, but Isaac confirms Jacob's blessing cannot be revoked. Esau vows to kill Jacob, so Rebekah sends Jacob away to her brother Laban.

Joseph, Jacob's favoured son, receives a special coat and has dreams foretelling his family's future submission to him. His jealous brothers plot to kill him but instead sell him to Midianite traders heading to Egypt. They deceive Jacob with Joseph's bloodied coat, and Jacob mourns believing his son is dead.

In prison, Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker. The cupbearer's dream means he will be restored to his position in three days; the baker's dream means he will be executed. Both come true exactly as Joseph predicted, but the cupbearer forgets to mention Joseph to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh has two dreams that none of his wise men can interpret. The cupbearer finally remembers Joseph, who is brought from prison to interpret the dreams: seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh appoints Joseph as second-in-command over all Egypt to manage the crisis.

The famine reaches Canaan and Jacob sends ten of his sons to buy grain in Egypt, keeping Benjamin home. Joseph recognises his brothers but they do not recognise him. He tests them by accusing them of being spies and demands they bring Benjamin to prove their honesty, keeping Simeon as hostage.

Jacob falls ill and Joseph brings his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh to be blessed. Jacob adopts them as his own, giving them inheritance among his sons. He deliberately crosses his hands to give the greater blessing to Ephraim the younger over Manasseh the firstborn, continuing the biblical pattern of the younger being chosen.

Jacob gathers his twelve sons and delivers prophetic blessings over each, foretelling the character and destiny of the twelve tribes. Judah receives the sceptre and ruler's staff prophecy pointing to the Messiah. Jacob gives instructions for his burial in the cave of Machpelah and then dies.

Habakkuk boldly questions God: Why do you tolerate injustice in Judah? God's shocking answer: He is raising up the Babylonians to punish them. Habakkuk protests again — how can a holy God use a more wicked nation to judge a less wicked one?

Habakkuk waits on his watchtower for God's answer. It comes: the vision awaits its appointed time — wait for it. The righteous shall live by faith — a verse that shapes Paul's entire theology. Five woes follow against the arrogant oppressor. The earth will be filled with knowledge of God's glory as waters cover the sea.

The returned exiles have built their own paneled houses while God's temple lies in ruins. Haggai challenges them: consider your ways — you eat but never have enough, earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes. They obey and begin rebuilding the temple.

God encourages the discouraged builders: the glory of this latter house will be greater than the former. God will shake the heavens, earth, sea, and nations, and the desired of all nations will come. He declares Zerubbabel His chosen signet ring — a messianic symbol reversing Jehoiachin's curse.

God, who spoke through the prophets in many ways, has now spoken definitively through His Son, who is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being. The Son is superior to angels, having inherited a more excellent name. He sustains all things by His powerful word.

Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, prefigures Christ's eternal priesthood. Unlike the Levitical priests who die, Jesus lives forever and holds His priesthood permanently. He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises. The author quotes Jeremiah's prophecy of the new covenant, where God puts His laws in their minds and writes them on their hearts. He will be their God, and they will be His people. The old covenant is obsolete.

God commands Hosea to marry Gomer, a promiscuous woman, as a living parable of God's relationship with unfaithful Israel. Their children receive prophetic names: Jezreel (God scatters), Lo-Ruhamah (no mercy), and Lo-Ammi (not my people).

God as the spurned husband will punish unfaithful Israel but ultimately woo her back. He will allure her into the wilderness, speak tenderly, and restore the relationship. She will call Him my husband instead of my master — a beautiful image of renewed intimacy.

God tells Hosea to buy back his adulterous wife, demonstrating His love for Israel despite her unfaithfulness. Hosea pays the price and asks Gomer to wait for him faithfully — a picture of redemption at great personal cost.

God brings charges against Israel: no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God. Priests fail to teach, the people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Spiritual and physical adultery are linked — Israel has left their God to give themselves to prostitution.

Judgment is pronounced against both Israel and Judah. Their pride testifies against them, and God will be like a moth and like rot to them — slow, persistent decay. Yet God will withdraw until they acknowledge their guilt and earnestly seek His face.

Israel's superficial repentance: Come, let us return to the Lord — but their love is like morning mist that quickly vanishes. God declares: I desire mercy, not sacrifice — a verse Jesus quotes twice. True knowledge of God matters more than religious ritual.

Israel is like a half-baked cake — heated on one side, raw on the other. Their hearts burn with intrigue like an oven, mixing with nations, calling to Egypt and Assyria. They are like a faulty bow that misses every target.

Israel sows the wind and reaps the whirlwind. They set up kings without God's consent, make idols from gold and silver, and their golden calf of Samaria will be destroyed. Israel has forgotten its Maker and built temples to itself.

Israel will return to captivity like another Egypt. The prophet is considered a fool, the spiritual man mad. Ephraim's glory will fly away — no birth, no pregnancy, no conception. God found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, but they turned to shame.

Israel is a luxuriant vine that produced fruit for itself. Their heart is divided, their altars will be destroyed, and thorns will grow over their high places. The call: Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap steadfast love, break up your fallow ground — it is time to seek the Lord.

God recounts Jacob's history — wrestling with the angel, meeting God at Bethel — and challenges Israel to return like their ancestor did. Ephraim's lies and violence are condemned, while the prophet's role in delivering Israel from Egypt is affirmed.

God's fierce judgment: I will be like a lion, a leopard, a bear robbed of cubs. Israel's king cannot save them. Yet the stunning declaration: I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? — echoed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15.

God confronts Judah's rebellion, comparing them to Sodom and Gomorrah. He rejects their empty religious rituals and calls them to genuine justice and repentance, promising cleansing for those who return to Him.

Isaiah envisions the future exaltation of God's temple above all mountains, with nations streaming to learn His ways. The chapter contrasts this glorious future with present-day idolatry and human pride that will be humbled.

God removes Judah's leadership and stability as judgment for their sin. The chapter describes social collapse and specifically addresses the proud women of Zion, warning that their luxury will be replaced with shame.

After judgment, God promises a remnant will be called holy. He will create a canopy of glory over Mount Zion, providing shelter and protection — a beautiful picture of restoration after discipline.

The famous Song of the Vineyard portrays Israel as God's carefully tended vineyard that produced only bad fruit. Six woes follow, condemning greed, drunkenness, and moral confusion — calling evil good and good evil.

Isaiah's dramatic throne room vision of God's holiness. Seraphim cry Holy Holy Holy as Isaiah is undone by his uncleanness. A burning coal purifies his lips, and he responds to God's call with the famous words: Here am I, send me.

During the Syro-Ephraimite crisis, God tells King Ahaz not to fear and offers a sign. When Ahaz refuses, God gives the Immanuel prophecy — a virgin will conceive and bear a son. This becomes a key messianic text.

God instructs Isaiah to name his son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz as a sign of coming Assyrian invasion. The chapter warns against consulting mediums instead of God and describes growing darkness for those who reject His word.

From the darkness of chapter 8 comes glorious light. The famous messianic prophecy declares a child is born whose name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace — one of the most beloved Christmas passages.

God uses Assyria as His rod of discipline against Israel but will then judge Assyria for its arrogance. A remnant of Israel will return, trusting in God rather than their oppressors.

A shoot from Jesse's stump will bear fruit — the Spirit-filled messianic King who judges with righteousness. His kingdom brings cosmic peace where the wolf lies with the lamb, and knowledge of God covers the earth.

The first of Isaiah's oracles against the nations targets Babylon. God summons warriors for the Day of the Lord — a day of destruction, darkness, and cosmic upheaval against Babylon's pride.

Continues the Babylon oracle with a taunt song against the fallen king. The passage about the morning star falling from heaven has been historically interpreted as describing Satan's fall. Israel's restoration is contrasted with Babylon's ruin.

An oracle against Moab describing the nation's devastation. Isaiah shows genuine grief over Moab's suffering — his heart cries out for them — revealing God's compassion even in judgment of enemy nations.

Continues the Moab oracle, urging Moab to seek shelter under Judah's king. The chapter prophesies Moab's eventual humbling within three years and expresses Isaiah's deep sorrow over their coming destruction.

An oracle against Damascus and northern Israel (Ephraim) who allied against Judah. Both will face devastation, but a remnant will turn back to God, forsaking their idols and altars to false gods.

An oracle concerning Cush (Ethiopia/Sudan), describing a powerful nation beyond the rivers. God watches from His dwelling as events unfold, and eventually Cush will bring gifts to the Lord on Mount Zion.

An oracle against Egypt describing civil war, economic collapse, and spiritual confusion. Remarkably, it ends with Egypt, Assyria, and Israel worshiping God together — one of the most inclusive visions in the Old Testament.

God commands Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot for three years as a prophetic sign against Egypt and Cush. This dramatic acted prophecy warns Judah not to trust in Egyptian military alliances for deliverance.

Oracles against Babylon (the Desert by the Sea), Edom (Dumah), and Arabia. Isaiah is physically shaken by his vision of Babylon's fall, crying out like a watchman in the night about what he has seen.

An oracle against the Valley of Vision (Jerusalem itself). While the people party, Isaiah weeps over coming destruction. The chapter also addresses Shebna's demotion and Eliakim's elevation as steward — a type of Christ's authority.

An oracle against Tyre, the great Phoenician trading city. Its commercial empire will be destroyed for seventy years, then restored — but ultimately its wealth will be dedicated to the Lord.

The Isaiah Apocalypse begins. The entire earth faces devastating judgment — the land is laid waste, social order collapses, and even the cosmic powers are shaken. Yet the chapter ends with God reigning gloriously on Mount Zion.

A triumphant hymn of praise within the apocalyptic section. God will swallow up death forever, wipe away tears from all faces, and prepare a great feast for all peoples on His mountain — imagery echoed in Revelation.

God will punish Leviathan, the twisting serpent, and care for His vineyard Israel. Unlike chapter 5's judgment, here God tenderly watches over His vineyard. Israel will blossom and fill the earth with fruit.

Woe to the drunkards of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is fading. Isaiah confronts leaders who mock his message. God will lay a precious cornerstone in Zion — a messianic prophecy — while judgment comes like a flood on the scoffers.

Woe to Ariel (Jerusalem) — God will besiege His own city, yet enemies will vanish like a dream. The chapter condemns lip-service worship and announces that God will do a wonderful work, turning Lebanon into a fruitful field.

Woe to those who trust Egypt rather than God. Judah's alliance with Egypt is futile — like trusting a cracked wall. Yet God longs to be gracious, waiting to show compassion, and promises to guide His people with a word behind them.

Another warning against relying on Egypt's horses and chariots instead of God. The Lord will fight for Jerusalem like a lion over its prey, and like birds hovering to protect their young — He will shield and deliver Zion.

A king will reign in righteousness and leaders will provide shelter like streams in the desert. After warning complacent women about coming hardship, the chapter promises the Spirit will be poured out, bringing justice, peace, and security.

A prayer for God's intervention against Assyria. When the destroyer finishes, he will be destroyed. Those who walk righteously will see the King in His beauty and dwell securely in Zion where God is judge, lawgiver, and king.

A terrifying oracle of universal judgment. God's wrath falls on all nations, particularly Edom, in apocalyptic language of cosmic destruction. The sword of the Lord is bathed in blood as He executes justice on the earth.

A breathtaking vision of restoration — the desert blooms, the blind see, the lame leap, and a highway of holiness leads the redeemed home to Zion with everlasting joy. One of Isaiah's most beautiful chapters of hope.

The historical narrative begins: Assyria's commander Rabshakeh besieges Jerusalem and taunts King Hezekiah, mocking Judah's trust in God and Egypt. He tries to undermine the people's faith by speaking in Hebrew to the crowds on the wall.

Hezekiah prays desperately before God, spreading the threatening letter in the temple. Isaiah prophesies Assyria's defeat. That night, the angel of the Lord strikes 185,000 Assyrian soldiers — a dramatic divine deliverance.

Hezekiah falls mortally ill and God adds fifteen years to his life after his tearful prayer. Hezekiah writes a psalm of thanksgiving, reflecting on his brush with death and God's faithfulness in restoring him.

Hezekiah foolishly shows Babylon's envoys all his treasures. Isaiah prophesies that everything will be carried off to Babylon — a pivotal moment linking the Assyrian crisis to the coming Babylonian exile.

The first Servant Song introduces God's chosen Servant who will bring justice to the nations with gentleness — not breaking a bruised reed or snuffing a faintly burning wick. A new song of praise follows, and God promises to lead the blind by new paths.

God pours out His Spirit on Israel's descendants and mocks the absurdity of idol-making — a craftsman uses half a log for cooking and carves the other half into a god. God alone is the Rock; there is no other.

God calls Cyrus by name as His anointed (messiah) to conquer Babylon and free Israel — remarkable because Cyrus doesn't even know God. The chapter declares God's absolute sovereignty: He forms light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates calamity.

Babylon's idols Bel and Nebo are carried away on beasts, burdens to their worshipers. God contrasts this: He has carried Israel from birth to old age. Idols must be carried; God carries His people.

A dramatic taunt against Babylon, personified as a pampered queen who will be reduced to a slave grinding grain. Her sorceries and astrologers cannot save her. Babylon's fall is certain and complete.

God challenges stubborn Israel: He declared things beforehand so they couldn't credit idols. He refines them in affliction's furnace and calls them to leave Babylon. Yet there is no peace for the wicked.

The second Servant Song: the Servant is called from the womb as a light to the nations. Though Israel feels forgotten, God inscribes them on His palms. The Servant's mission expands beyond Israel to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.

The third Servant Song: the Servant's obedience despite suffering. He offers his back to those who strike him and his cheeks to those who pull out his beard. He sets his face like flint, trusting God to vindicate him — a clear foreshadowing of Jesus's passion.

Zion is told to awake, put on beautiful garments, and shake off chains. The famous declaration: how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news. The chapter ends with the fourth Servant Song beginning — the Servant will be disfigured beyond recognition.

The climactic Suffering Servant passage: He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows. He bore our griefs, was pierced for our transgressions, and by His wounds we are healed. He was led like a lamb to slaughter. The most detailed messianic prophecy in the Old Testament.

Israel's sins have separated them from God — His arm is not too short to save, but their iniquities have hidden His face. Sin is vividly described. God Himself puts on righteousness as armor and comes as Redeemer to Zion.

Arise, shine, for your light has come! Nations stream to Zion's light, bringing wealth and worship. The sun will no longer be needed because God Himself will be the everlasting light — imagery fulfilled in Revelation's New Jerusalem.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me — to proclaim good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for captives, and comfort all who mourn. Jesus read this passage in Nazareth and declared it fulfilled. Beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning.

God will not rest until Zion's righteousness shines like a blazing torch. Jerusalem receives a new name and is no longer called forsaken. Watchmen on the walls give God no rest, praying continually until He establishes Jerusalem as the praise of the earth.

God responds to the prayer: He has always been available to those who didn't seek Him, yet Israel provoked Him. He promises new heavens and a new earth where weeping is no more, life is long, and the wolf and lamb feed together — ultimate restoration.

The grand finale: heaven is God's throne and earth His footstool — what house could contain Him? He values the humble and contrite. Zion gives birth to a nation in a day. God gathers all nations to see His glory. A vision of eternal worship and the new creation.

Deborah the prophetess judges Israel and commissions Barak to fight Sisera's army. Barak insists Deborah accompany him. After Israel's victory, Jael kills Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple.

Abimelech, Gideon's son by a concubine, murders his 70 brothers and makes himself king at Shechem. Only Jotham escapes and pronounces a prophetic parable. Abimelech's violent reign ends when a woman drops a millstone on his head.

The angel of the Lord appears to a barren woman from the tribe of Dan, announcing she will bear a son set apart as a Nazirite from birth. Samson is born, and the Spirit of the Lord begins to stir him.

God calls Jeremiah as a prophet before he was born, overcoming his objection of being too young. God touches his mouth and commissions him to uproot and plant among the nations. Two visions — an almond branch and a boiling pot — confirm his calling.

God recalls Israel's early devotion like a bride, then charges them with a double sin: forsaking Him, the fountain of living water, and digging broken cisterns that hold nothing. Israel has exchanged its glory for worthless idols.

Despite Israel's spiritual adultery — unfaithfulness worse than a divorced wife — God pleads for them to return. He contrasts faithless Israel with treacherous Judah, and promises that genuine repentance will bring shepherds after His own heart.

Judgment from the north approaches like a lion from its thicket. Jeremiah agonizes over the coming destruction and sees a vision of creation undone — the earth formless and void again. He pleads with Jerusalem to wash its heart from evil.

God challenges Jeremiah to find even one just person in Jerusalem — if one exists, He will forgive the city. But the people are rebellious, their prophets speak lies, and they have no fear of God despite His power over the sea and seasons.

Disaster approaches from the north as God tells Jeremiah to sound the alarm. The people refuse correction, their ears are closed. Jeremiah is appointed as a tester of metals — the people are rejected silver, impure and worthless despite refining.

The famous Temple Sermon: Jeremiah stands at the temple gates warning not to trust in the mere presence of the temple building. Worship without justice is meaningless. God reminds them of Shiloh's destruction and threatens the same fate for Jerusalem.

The people persist in deception, with priests and prophets offering superficial peace. Jeremiah laments: the harvest is past, the summer ended, and we are not saved. Even the stork knows its seasons, but God's people don't know His requirements.

Jeremiah wishes his head were a fountain of tears to weep for his people. The land is full of deceit and no one speaks truth. True boasting is not in wisdom, strength, or riches but in knowing the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness.

A powerful contrast between worthless idols — scarecrows in a cucumber field — and the living God who made the heavens and earth. Idols are crafted by human hands and cannot speak or walk. The Lord is the true God, the living God, the everlasting King.

God reminds Judah of the covenant they broke — the terms of the Mosaic covenant they swore to keep. A conspiracy against Jeremiah's life is revealed, even from his hometown Anathoth, showing the personal cost of his prophetic ministry.

Jeremiah dares to question God: why do the wicked prosper? God's answer is sobering — if running against men exhausts you, how will you compete with horses? The chapter describes God's grief over abandoning His beloved land to enemies.

God uses a linen belt and wineskins as object lessons. The belt buried by the Euphrates and ruined symbolizes how God will ruin Judah's pride. The chapter warns of coming exile and laments whether Ethiopia can change its skin or a leopard its spots.

During a severe drought, Jeremiah intercedes for the people, but God tells him to stop praying for them — their judgment is sealed. False prophets promise peace, but God disowns their message. Yet Jeremiah continues pleading, torn between duty and compassion.

Even Moses and Samuel couldn't intercede for this people. Jeremiah's personal anguish deepens — he wishes he'd never been born. Yet God's words were his joy and delight when he found them. God promises to make Jeremiah a fortified wall of bronze.

God forbids Jeremiah from marrying, attending funerals, or feasting — his solitary life is itself a prophetic sign of the coming devastation. Yet beyond judgment, God promises a second exodus greater than the first, gathering Israel from all lands.

Judah's sin is engraved with an iron stylus on their hearts. The famous contrast: cursed is the one who trusts in man, blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord — like a tree planted by water. The heart is deceitful above all things — who can understand it?

God sends Jeremiah to the potter's house. As the potter reshapes a marred vessel, so God can reshape nations. When the people plot against Jeremiah, he prays for judgment on his persecutors — one of his most raw, honest prayers.

God tells Jeremiah to buy a clay jar and smash it before the elders as a dramatic sign: Jerusalem will be shattered beyond repair. The valley of Ben Hinnom — where children were sacrificed — will become a valley of slaughter.

After being beaten and put in stocks by the priest Pashhur, Jeremiah pours out one of Scripture's most anguished laments. He curses the day of his birth yet cannot stop prophesying — God's word is like fire shut up in his bones.

King Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah during the Babylonian siege, hoping for a miracle like Hezekiah received. Instead, Jeremiah says God Himself will fight against Jerusalem. The only survival is surrender to Babylon.

Jeremiah confronts the royal house of Judah, contrasting good King Josiah with his wicked sons. King Jehoiakim built his palace with forced labor and injustice. King Jehoiachin (Coniah) is declared childless regarding the throne — none of his descendants will rule.

Woe to false shepherds who scatter God's flock. God promises a righteous Branch from David's line who will reign wisely — the Lord Our Righteousness. The chapter fiercely denounces false prophets who speak visions from their own minds rather than from God.

After the first deportation, God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs. The good figs represent the exiles in Babylon whom God will restore. The bad figs represent those remaining in Jerusalem and Egypt — they face destruction.

Jeremiah summarizes twenty-three years of ignored warnings. God will send Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and the nations, followed by seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Then Babylon itself will be judged. A cup of God's wrath passes to all nations.

Jeremiah preaches the Temple Sermon (chapter 7) and is arrested, tried for blasphemy, and nearly executed. Elders defend him by citing the precedent of Micah the prophet. He narrowly escapes death, while prophet Uriah is not so fortunate.

Jeremiah wears an ox yoke as a prophetic sign: all nations should submit to Nebuchadnezzar because God has given him authority. Resisting Babylon means resisting God's plan. False prophets who promise a quick end to exile are lying.

The false prophet Hananiah breaks Jeremiah's wooden yoke and prophesies a quick return from exile. God replaces it with an iron yoke and sentences Hananiah to death within the year — he dies two months later, vindicating Jeremiah.

Jeremiah writes to the exiles in Babylon: build houses, plant gardens, seek the welfare of the city, and pray for it. The massive promise: I know the plans I have for you — plans for welfare, not evil, to give you a future and a hope. After seventy years, God will restore them.

The Book of Consolation begins: God will restore Israel and Judah from captivity. Though discipline was necessary, God will heal their wounds. A new David-like leader will arise, and God's fierce anger will not return until He has accomplished His purposes.

While Jerusalem is under siege and Jeremiah is imprisoned, God tells him to buy a field in Anathoth — an absurd investment in a doomed land. This radical act of faith demonstrates that houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in the land.

God tells Jeremiah to call to Him and He will answer, showing great and mighty things. The Branch of righteousness from David is reaffirmed. God's covenant with day and night is compared to His unbreakable covenant with David's line and the Levitical priests.

King Zedekiah briefly freed Hebrew slaves during the siege, then re-enslaved them when pressure eased. God condemns this hypocrisy and covenant-breaking, declaring that those who passed through the cut calf will be given to their enemies.

The Rechabites obey their ancestor's command to never drink wine, even when Jeremiah offers it to them. God uses their faithfulness as a shaming contrast: the Rechabites obey a human father, but Israel won't obey their heavenly Father.

God tells Jeremiah to write his prophecies on a scroll. When it's read to King Jehoiakim, he cuts it apart and burns it section by section. God commands a new scroll with all the original words plus more — the word of God cannot be destroyed.

During a brief respite in the siege, Jeremiah tries to leave Jerusalem and is arrested as a traitor. Imprisoned in a dungeon, Zedekiah secretly consults him. Jeremiah repeats his message: Babylon will conquer. The king gives him better quarters but won't heed the message.

Officials throw Jeremiah into a muddy cistern to die. Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch, courageously rescues him with old rags as padding under the ropes. Zedekiah again consults Jeremiah secretly but lacks courage to follow God's counsel to surrender.

Jerusalem falls to Babylon in 586 BC. Zedekiah flees but is captured, his sons killed before his eyes, then blinded. Nebuchadnezzar spares Jeremiah and frees him. Ebed-Melech is also spared because he trusted in God — faith rewarded amid catastrophe.

After Jerusalem's fall, Nebuchadnezzar's commander frees Jeremiah and allows him to stay in Judah. Gedaliah is appointed governor. Remnant Jews gather around him, and the land begins tentative recovery under Babylonian oversight.

The survivors ask Jeremiah to pray for guidance: should they stay or flee to Egypt? After ten days, God's answer comes clearly — stay in the land and He will protect them. If they go to Egypt, the sword and famine they fear will follow them there.

Despite God's clear command to stay, the people accuse Jeremiah of lying and force him to Egypt with them. In Egypt, Jeremiah buries stones at Pharaoh's palace entrance, prophesying Nebuchadnezzar will set his throne on that very spot.

In Egypt, Jeremiah confronts the refugees who are burning incense to the Queen of Heaven. They defiantly declare they will continue because things were better when they worshiped idols. Jeremiah pronounces God's final judgment on these stubborn idolaters.

A brief personal message to Baruch, Jeremiah's faithful scribe. When Baruch grieves over his hard life, God tells him not to seek great things for himself — in a time of universal disaster, having his life spared is gift enough.

Oracles against the nations begin with Egypt. Pharaoh Necho's army, defeated at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, is described as a swollen river turned back. Yet God promises that Jacob need not fear — He will save Israel from afar and discipline them justly.

An oracle against the Philistines as Babylon approaches from the north like rising floodwaters. The cities of Gaza and Ashkelon will mourn. God's sword of judgment will not rest until it has accomplished its purpose.

A lengthy oracle against Moab, detailing the destruction of its cities and pride. Moab trusted in its works and treasures, and its god Chemosh will go into exile. Yet God promises to restore Moab's fortunes in the latter days — judgment is not final.

Oracles against Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. Edom's destruction is most detailed — their pride in dwelling among the rocks (Petra) cannot save them. God promises restoration for Ammon and Elam in the latter days.

The massive oracle against Babylon begins. Babylon, destroyer of nations, will itself be destroyed. Israel and Judah will return from exile weeping with joy, seeking their God. The vengeance of the Lord will repay Babylon for destroying His temple.

Continues the Babylon oracle with cosmic-scale destruction imagery. God used Babylon as His hammer to shatter nations, but now shatters the hammer itself. Jeremiah tells Seraiah to read this oracle in Babylon and sink the scroll in the Euphrates — so shall Babylon sink.

A historical appendix paralleling 2 Kings 25: the fall of Jerusalem, the temple's destruction, the exile, and the final note of hope — King Jehoiachin is released from prison and given a seat at Babylon's king's table, a small but significant sign of future grace.

The Gospel opens with the cosmic prologue: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. John the Baptist testifies about the light, and the first disciples—Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael—begin following Jesus.

Jesus performs His first miracle at the wedding in Cana, turning water into wine. He then cleanses the temple in Jerusalem, declaring it His Father's house. When challenged for a sign, He prophesies His own death and resurrection—destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.

Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, offering her living water that becomes a spring of eternal life. She becomes an evangelist to her entire village. Jesus also heals an official's son from a distance, demonstrating that faith transcends physical proximity.

Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, teaching in the temple while the people are divided about His identity. Some believe, others want Him arrested. On the last day of the feast, Jesus stands and cries out that anyone who is thirsty should come to Him and drink.

Mary anoints Jesus' feet with costly perfume. Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph, and Greeks seek to see Him. He speaks of His death as a grain of wheat falling to the ground, promising that if He is lifted up He will draw all people to Himself. Despite His signs, many still do not believe.

At the Last Supper, Jesus washes His disciples' feet as an act of radical humility and servanthood. He predicts Judas' betrayal and gives the new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. By this all people will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Jesus is arrested in the garden after Judas' betrayal. Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant. Jesus is questioned by Annas and Caiaphas, then brought before Pilate. Peter denies knowing Jesus three times. Jesus tells Pilate His kingdom is not of this world.

Pilate has Jesus flogged, mocked, and presented to the crowd. Despite finding no guilt, he hands Jesus over. Jesus carries His cross to Golgotha and is crucified. He entrusts His mother to John, declares it is finished, and gives up His spirit. His side is pierced, and He is buried in a new tomb.

A devastating locust plague — wave after wave — strips the land bare. Joel calls the people to mourn, fast, and cry out to God. The priests should weep between the porch and altar. The day of the Lord is near, and even the animals groan.

The locust army becomes an image of the Day of the Lord — darkness and gloom, a powerful people like the dawn. Yet God calls: rend your heart, not your garments. He promises restoration, rains, and His Spirit poured out on ALL flesh — sons, daughters, old, young, servants. Peter quotes this at Pentecost.

God gathers all nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for judgment. Beat your plowshares into swords — the reverse of Isaiah's peace vision — for this is war. The nations are judged, Jerusalem becomes holy, and God dwells in Zion forever.

God calls Jonah to preach against Nineveh, but Jonah flees the opposite direction to Tarshish. A violent storm strikes the ship, and the pagan sailors prove more God-fearing than the prophet. Jonah is thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish.

Jonah preaches a one-line sermon — Nineveh will be overthrown in forty days — and the entire city repents, from king to cattle. God relents from the planned destruction. The greatest mass repentance in Scripture comes from the most unlikely audience.

The sacred gold is scattered, children beg for bread, and nobles once fairer than snow are blacker than soot. The horrors of the siege are described in graphic detail — mothers boiling their own children. Edom is warned that its turn for judgment is coming.

The angel Gabriel announces the births of John the Baptist to Zechariah and of Jesus to Mary. Mary visits Elizabeth, and the two expectant mothers rejoice. Mary sings the Magnificat, and Zechariah prophesies after the birth of John. Nothing is impossible with God.

Jesus is born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger. Angels announce His birth to shepherds, who rush to find the baby. Simeon and Anna recognize the infant as the promised Messiah at the temple. At age twelve, Jesus astonishes teachers in the temple.

John the Baptist preaches repentance and baptizes in the Jordan. He challenges the crowds to produce fruit worthy of repentance and prepares the way for Jesus. Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends, and the Father speaks. Luke traces Jesus' genealogy back to Adam and God.

Jesus is tempted in the wilderness for forty days. He reads from Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue, declaring the Scripture fulfilled, but is rejected and nearly thrown off a cliff. He demonstrates His authority by casting out demons and healing the sick throughout Galilee.

Jesus heals the centurion's servant, commending his extraordinary faith. He raises the widow's son at Nain from the dead. John the Baptist sends disciples to ask if Jesus is the one, and Jesus commends John. A sinful woman anoints Jesus' feet, and He declares her sins forgiven because she loved much.

Jesus commends the poor widow's offering and delivers His prophetic discourse about the destruction of Jerusalem and signs of the end. He describes tribulation, the coming of the Son of Man, and urges watchfulness and prayer to stand before the Son of Man.

Judas conspires to betray Jesus. At the Last Supper, Jesus institutes the new covenant in His blood. He predicts Peter's denial, prays on the Mount of Olives in such agony that His sweat becomes like drops of blood, is arrested, and Peter denies Him three times.

Women discover the empty tomb and angels remind them of Jesus' words. Two disciples encounter the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, recognizing Him in the breaking of bread. Jesus appears to all the disciples, opens their minds to Scripture, and ascends to heaven.

God declares His love for Israel but they question it: How have you loved us? God contrasts Jacob (loved) with Esau (Edom, rejected). The priests dishonor God by offering blind and lame sacrifices — try giving that to your governor, God challenges.

God will send His messenger to prepare the way — fulfilled by John the Baptist. Then the Lord will suddenly come to His temple. God challenges: return to Me and I will return to you. Bring the full tithe and test Me — I will open heaven's floodgates of blessing. I the Lord do not change — therefore you are not consumed.

The day is coming, burning like a furnace — but for those who fear God's name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. God will send Elijah the prophet before the great day, who will turn fathers' hearts to children. The Old Testament closes looking forward to the Messiah's forerunner.

The genealogy of Jesus Christ traces His lineage from Abraham through David to Joseph. The angel appears to Joseph in a dream, revealing Mary's conception by the Holy Spirit and the name Immanuel—God with us.

Wise men from the East follow a star to worship the newborn King, presenting gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Herod's jealous rage leads to the massacre of innocents, and the holy family flees to Egypt before settling in Nazareth.

John the Baptist appears in the wilderness preaching repentance and baptizing in the Jordan River. Jesus comes to be baptized, and the heavens open with the Spirit descending like a dove and the Father's voice declaring Him beloved Son.

Jesus is led into the wilderness where He is tempted three times by the devil, overcoming each temptation with Scripture. He begins His public ministry in Galilee, calling His first disciples and healing throughout the region.

Jesus praises John the Baptist and pronounces woes on unrepentant cities. He offers one of the most tender invitations in Scripture: Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. He reveals the Father's heart for the humble.

Conflict intensifies as the Pharisees challenge Jesus about Sabbath observance and attribute His miracles to Satan. Jesus declares that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand and warns about the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Jesus teaches in parables, including the sower and the seeds, the wheat and tares, the mustard seed, the hidden treasure, and the pearl of great price. He explains that the kingdom of heaven is revealed to those with receptive hearts.

Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus declares he will build His church on this rock. Jesus begins revealing His coming death and resurrection, and rebukes Peter for opposing God's plan. He teaches about denying self and taking up the cross.

Jesus is transfigured on a mountain before Peter, James, and John, His face shining like the sun and His clothes becoming brilliant white. Moses and Elijah appear, and the Father speaks from a cloud. Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy and teaches about faith as small as a mustard seed.

Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy. He cleanses the temple, curses a fig tree as a lesson on fruitfulness and faith, and confronts the religious leaders with parables about obedience and rejection.

The Olivet Discourse: Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple and describes signs of the end of the age, including wars, famines, and earthquakes. He warns about false messiahs, teaches the parable of the fig tree, and urges watchfulness since no one knows the day or hour of His return.

The events leading to Jesus' crucifixion unfold: the plot to kill Him, the anointing at Bethany, Judas's betrayal, the Last Supper where He institutes communion, the agony in Gethsemane, His arrest, and trial before the Sanhedrin. Peter denies knowing Him three times.

Jesus is tried before Pilate, who finds no fault in Him but yields to the crowd demanding crucifixion. Judas returns the silver and hangs himself. Jesus is mocked, beaten, and crucified between two criminals. Darkness covers the land, the temple veil tears, and Jesus gives up His spirit. Joseph of Arimathea buries Him in a new tomb.

The resurrection: women discover the empty tomb, and an angel announces that Jesus has risen. Jesus appears to the women and then to the disciples in Galilee. He delivers the Great Commission, commanding them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching, with the promise that He is with them always to the end of the age.

Micah announces judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem — the mountains melt under God's feet and valleys split apart. Samaria's idols will be shattered and its wages scattered. Micah mourns barefoot and naked, wailing like a jackal over the coming devastation.

Woe to those who plot evil on their beds and carry it out by morning — seizing fields and oppressing families. False prophets say peace when there is wine and beer. Yet God promises to gather the remnant of Israel like sheep in a pen.

Leaders who should know justice instead eat the flesh of God's people. Prophets lead people astray; they prophesy for money. Because of them, Zion will be plowed like a field. Micah is filled with the Spirit's power to declare Israel's sin boldly.

In the last days, God's mountain will be exalted, nations will stream to it, and swords will be beaten into plowshares. The lame and outcast will become a strong nation. Though Zion is now in distress like a woman in labor, God will redeem them from Babylon.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though small among Judah's clans — from you will come one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from ancient days. This messianic prophecy directs the Magi to Jesus's birthplace. The promised ruler will shepherd his flock in God's strength.

God takes Israel to court, with the mountains as witnesses. What does the Lord require? Not thousands of rams or rivers of oil, but to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God — one of the most famous ethical summaries in all of Scripture.

Mark opens with John the Baptist preparing the way, Jesus' baptism, and His temptation in the wilderness. Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee, calling His first disciples and demonstrating authority over sickness and demons with rapid-fire miracles.

Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt to shouts of Hosanna, cleanses the temple of merchants, and curses a barren fig tree. He teaches the disciples about the power of prayer with faith, promising that whoever believes and does not doubt can move mountains.

Jesus delivers His prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives, warning of the destruction of the temple, false messiahs, tribulation, and the coming of the Son of Man in glory. He urges His followers to stay alert because no one knows the day or hour.

A woman anoints Jesus with costly perfume at Bethany. Judas agrees to betray Him. Jesus shares the Last Supper, institutes the new covenant, and prays in Gethsemane. He is arrested, tried before the Sanhedrin, and Peter denies Him three times.

Jesus is tried before Pilate, who releases Barabbas instead. Soldiers mock Jesus with a purple robe and crown of thorns, then crucify Him. Darkness covers the land, Jesus cries out and breathes His last, the temple curtain tears, and a centurion declares He was truly the Son of God.

God is jealous and avenging against Nineveh — 150 years after Jonah, Nineveh has returned to wickedness. God is slow to anger but great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty. Yet He is a refuge in the day of trouble for those who trust in Him.

A vivid, cinematic description of Nineveh's fall: chariots race through streets, defenders stumble, the river gates open, and the palace collapses. The lion's den (Assyria's symbol of power) is emptied. God is against Nineveh — their cruelty comes to a decisive end.

Woe to the city of blood, full of lies and plunder! Nineveh is compared to a prostitute who seduced and enslaved nations through sorcery. Her fall will be total and unmourned — everyone who hears the news will clap their hands because of her endless cruelty.

Miriam and Aaron criticise Moses for his Cushite wife and question whether God speaks only through Moses. God rebukes them, declaring Moses uniquely faithful and that He speaks with Moses face to face. Miriam is struck with a skin disease for seven days, and the camp waits for her restoration.

Balak king of Moab hires the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. God tells Balaam not to go, then permits him with conditions. On the way, Balaam's donkey sees the angel of the Lord blocking the path three times and finally speaks to Balaam. God opens Balaam's eyes to see the angel.

Balaam attempts to curse Israel three times as Balak requests, but each time God compels him to bless Israel instead. Balaam declares that God is not a man that He should lie, and that what He has blessed cannot be cursed. Frustrated, Balak takes Balaam to another location for another attempt.

Balaam delivers two more prophetic oracles blessing Israel, comparing them to a lion and foretelling a star and sceptre rising from Jacob — a Messianic prophecy. Balak dismisses Balaam in anger, but Balaam gives a final oracle predicting the doom of Moab, Edom, Amalek, and other nations.

The shortest book in the Old Testament: a single chapter oracle against Edom for its pride and betrayal of brother-nation Judah. When Jerusalem fell, Edom gloated, looted, and handed over refugees. God will bring Edom low from its mountain strongholds, and Israel will possess its land.

A messianic royal psalm declaring God's authority over rebellious nations. God installs his anointed King on Zion and declares him his Son. The psalm warns rulers to serve the Lord with reverent fear.

A messianic psalm of trust. David declares God as his portion and finds boundary lines in pleasant places. He is confident that God will not abandon his soul to the grave, a prophecy Peter applies to Christ's resurrection.

A messianic psalm of suffering that begins with the cry Jesus quoted on the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It describes pierced hands and feet, divided garments, and mockery, yet ends in universal praise.