a thread opens
But Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
The Vigil
Today’s scroll, one verse at a time — each linked to the last by the cross-references rather than by any model of you. The same vigil for everyone, and a different one tomorrow.
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a slave woman, the other by a free woman.
from Galatians 4:26
And Hagar bore Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bore, Ishmael.
from Galatians 4:22 · a strong link
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham:
from Genesis 16:15
The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
from Genesis 25:12
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent you, and believe the gospel.
from Acts 20:21
And saying, Repent you: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
from Mark 1:15 · a strong link
Repent you therefore, and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
from Matthew 3:2
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
from Acts 3:19
And he said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
from Luke 1:16
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
from Acts 13:38
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
from II Corinthians 5:18
That in the administration of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
from Colossians 1:20 · a strong link
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
from Ephesians 1:10 · a strong link
I saw in the night visions, and one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
from Daniel 2:44
And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven.
from Daniel 7:13
a thread opens
Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved to fire for the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
from Acts 17:31
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
from II Peter 3:7
But the word of the Lord endures for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you.
from Matthew 24:35 · a strong link
a thread opens
For truly against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
from Acts 4:30
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues;
from Acts 3:6
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I have become as sounding bronze, or a clanging cymbal.
from Mark 16:17
a thread opens
You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
from Acts 7:51
And why has the LORD brought us to this land, to fall by the sword, so that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
from Acts 7:39
How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
from Numbers 14:3
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
from Psalms 78:40
Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had worked wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
from Psalms 95:8
a thread opens
And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles.
But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
from Acts 22:21 · a strong link
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
from Acts 9:15
And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
from Romans 1:5 · a strong link
Which has come to you, as it is in all the world; and brings forth fruit, as it does also in you, since the day you heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
from Acts 6:7 · a strong link
He has remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
from Colossians 1:6
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before you.
from Psalms 98:3 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Galatians 4:26 along this chain. Today’s own vigil is laid separately.
Each verse follows the one before it along the chain a study Bible draws — a century old, public, and compiled by people arguing about Scripture rather than about how long you stay. Every card says which verse it came from and opens the chapter it belongs to. Today’s vigil is the same for every reader and is worked out from the date alone, so there is no account, no counter, and nothing stored in your browser or ours.
The text is the Lantern Modern Standard. The links are openbible.info’s cross-reference set (CC BY), the same apparatus behind the reader’s Echoes drawer. Read a whole book · Today’s table