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That a virgin would bring forth a son is astounding; that Jesus will certainly save his people is reassuring; that God would condescend to be with us is humbling. But there is another point that Matthew purposefully interjects into the inspired account of Jesus’ birth, and it is this: “all this was done, that it might be fulfilled.”
When you think of Biblical prophecy, do you think of God describing events that will later come to pass, or of God declaring that events will later come to pass? In other words, is prophecy simply God “looking down through the tunnel of time,” seeing what is going to happen, and reporting what he sees? Or is prophecy the declaration of God, based upon his almighty power and wisdom, of what he has foreordained to happen?
If we speculated that prophecy is merely description based on foresight, then we would expect Matthew to say something like this: “so God had spoken all these things by the prophet because they were going to happen later.” But Matthew actually says the opposite! “All this was done, that it might be fulfilled…” All these things happened, Matthew says, because God said they were going to happen!
From Matthew’s careful wording in this story, we learn that God’s word is more certain, more secure, more immovable than any event on earth. Reality itself must conform to the perfect purpose and plan of God. And this choice of words by Matthew is no mistake or anomaly. Matthew uses the exact same phrase — “that it might be fulfilled” — no less than ten times throughout his gospel!
Clearly, Matthew intends for us to see God’s omnipotence shaping reality with his Word. Is that the way you view the world around you today?
The Zondervan Illustrated Collection combines three of the best individual Bible study titles together in one collection. This post will walk you through how to use these three resources to get more out of your Bible study. Here’s what’s included in the package:
The Zondervan Atlas of the Bible
The Zondervan Bible Commentary
The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Though these three volumes are available individually, by far the best deal is to purchase the collection. Let’s take a look at how these three volumes work seamlessly in the Olive Tree app. The Scripture we’ll be studying is John’s first vision in Revelation.An Exilic Vision
After a brief introduction and greeting in verses 1-8, John describes the circumstances surrounding the vision he received of Christ in Revelation 1:9. “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
With this verse open in the main window, the Resource Guide shows two notes from the Zondervan Bible Commentary.
Tap on the resource and it will show you the larger section of the letter this vision is a part of (1:9-11:19) and the length of the inaugural vision (1:9-20). Tap on “I. The Inaugural Vision” and check out the commentary notes on verse 9.
John describes himself as a fellow companion to his readers in the suffering…kingdom…and patient endurance that they share together in Jesus. Let’s dig in here to find out more about what John is getting at.
Suffering for Jesus
Let’s do a word search on “suffering.” In the Resource Library tap on “Lookup.”
Type suffering in the Search Bar and survey the results that will auto-populate. There are ninety references to suffering in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
Instead of surveying each of those references, let’s look for an article on suffering instead. Scroll until you see the “Articles” heading and tap on Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
Two separate articles are shown for the word suffering: persecution and tribulation. Tap on tribulation.
Now you can read all about tribulation and the following article on the great tribulation. There are several references to the tribulation in Revelation (Rev. 2:22; 7:14; cf. 6-19). The article doesn’t list verse 9, but it does give us a general reference to what John refers to. He was fellow companion in the suffering being experienced by all the other brothers at that time.
On Patmos
Another interesting feature of this opening verse to John’s vision is that he actually gives his location. He is “on the island of Patmos.” Since this is not as well-known as other places in the NT, this is where the Zondervan Atlas of the Bible comes in handy. We can search for Patmos just like we searched for tribulation.
If you tap on the first reference, you’ll see a picture of Patmos. Tap on the picture to see it open in the entire window. Doesn’t look like a very luxurious place! I can see why John referred to his time there as suffering for Jesus!
Or we can go back to the Resource Guide and scroll down to the Maps section. Here, we’ll find the maps available in our Library. John identifies the recipients of his letter by name. Let’s tap on the map that will show the location of Patmos and the seven churches in Revelation. Here we see the location of Patmos in relation to the churches that would receive this letter.
The Seven Churches
There is a great article in the Zondervan Atlas of the Bible on the seven churches in Revelation. Each of the seven cities where the churches are located are described in great historical detail. A remarkable photo of a stunning open-air amphitheater is included in the section on Pergamum.
Go Deeper With This Collection
If you liked what you read here, then check out the Zondervan Illustrated Collection (3 Vols.) in our store!
The maps and charts at the back of your Bible provide just a taste of how illustrated study aids can bring your Bible reading to life. Imagine the impact of a product chock full of interesting and helpful illustrations about the land and culture of the Bible story! The Zondervan Atlas of the Bible is the perfect product to make the pages of the Bible come alive with understanding and context.
Laid out for easy access to the information, the product opens with a broad focus on the Middle East as a whole, featuring discussions on the geography of the area and narrowing to a particular focus on Israel and Jordan.
The second section follows a historical timeline beginning in the third millennium BC and working through the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Divided out into significant eras, it provides a guide that will allow you to understand more deeply how the land, culture and geography affected the Israelites, with both biblical and extra biblical sources tapped.
The final section provides several appendices, including a geographical dictionary and index. Looking up a location in this index can give you quick one-tap access to the related material in the atlas.
Great Savings!
Zondervan Atlas of the Bible
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?
I love Spaghetti. It is one of my favorite dishes that I fix often. I make this dish where I work and they love it. The thought of eating my favorite dish makes me happy. It is so delicious! It’s quick to make depending on the kind of spaghetti strings you’re using. I like the angel hair pasta strings, they cook quick. I like how they take in the sauce all of the way and not just partly. This dish is delicious because it reminds me of my childhood learning to make it differently instead of the same way all of the time. Now that I am grown, I have more ideas for this dish. The possibilities are endless but I will keep them to myself for now. I have to try them out before I share them. What’s the most delicious thing you have ever eaten? Until next time, keep being creative in the kitchen.
bible.com/bible/1/jhn.1.29.KJV
www.olivetree.com/votd/index.php
Food for the Soul 