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And I say to you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
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.
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
from Matthew 8:11
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
from Isaiah 59:19
And they begged him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth: and to him was given the key of the abyss.
from Luke 8:31
I am he that lives, and was dead; and I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
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As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
from I Corinthians 8:4 · a strong link
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to carved images.
from Deuteronomy 6:4
That men may know that you, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, are the most high over all the earth.
from Isaiah 42:8 · a strong link
Consume them in wrath, consume them, so that they may not be: and let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah.
from Psalms 83:18
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By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
from John 3:16 · a strong link
Not pilfering, but showing complete faithfulness; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
from Titus 3:4 · a strong link
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But the anointing which you have received of him remains in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall remain in him.
Being born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, by the word of God, which lives and remains for ever.
from I John 2:27
Of his own will he fathered us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
from I Peter 1:23
Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
from James 1:18
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation, neither shadow due to change.
from John 3:3 · a strong link
Then spoke Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
from James 1:17
For you will light my lamp: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
from John 8:12 · a strong link
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And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, varieties of tongues.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
from I Corinthians 12:28 · a strong link
And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
from Ephesians 4:11 · a strong link
And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
from Jeremiah 3:15
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
from Ezekiel 37:24
And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall remain: for now shall he be great to the ends of the earth.
from Isaiah 40:11 · a strong link
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I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, who are present here, to offer willingly to you.
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.
from I Chronicles 29:17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
from Hebrews 4:12 · a strong link
In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them.
from Romans 1:16
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
from II Corinthians 4:4 · a strong link
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Clean out therefore the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
That you put off your old self, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
from I Corinthians 5:7
Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
from Ephesians 4:22 · a strong link
Do you not know that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, so that you may obtain.
from Hebrews 12:1 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Matthew 8:11 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