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Feast of Tabernacles 2013
Fred R. Coulter - September 25, 2013
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Welcome to the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. There's one more day left, but that's a separate Feast. Everything that we see concerning physical life and human activity and so forth—and the plan of God—let's understand some very important things. This day has great meaning. This day is something that is very narrowly defined in the Bible.
Every year we virtually go through the same Scriptures, but this is important for us to understand, especially in the light of what we covered yesterday, how that it is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing! Nevertheless, the things of the flesh, if they are inspired and motivated and directed by the Spirit, will accomplish spiritual things, because it is God Who is doing it!
In Rev. 1 we find something very interesting concerning Christ. Just like everything, there's a beginning, there's and ending. Beginning with Adam and Eve and all of mankind, there was an ending of that world with the Flood, but a new beginning with Noah. Then after the rebellion, of the idolatry, God called Abraham, and that was a new beginning. From that everything else came through the cycle of beginning and ending.
through the life of Abraham
then
Isaac
Jacob
the 12 sons of Jacob
Joseph
the blessings
the enslaving—the beginning of it after Joseph died
the ending of it when God sent Moses to bring them out of Egypt
which began their trip to Sinai
Some of them didn't go into the 'promised land' because they didn't trust God. They wandered 40 years, so there was a beginning and ending of that. There was a beginning of the kingdom with the 12 tribes and their ups and downs; their sins and difficulties. Both ended up in captivity; the ten tribes being carried off into captivity by the Assyrians. The Jews, Levites and some of the Benjaminites were carried off into captivity to Babylon. Then there were those who came back after that, which was a new beginning after 70 years.
That carried on down to the time of the coming of Christ. Then that began with the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus Christ. Then the preaching of John the Baptist and the end of his life; the preaching of Jesus and His teaching of the disciples, which then ended with His crucifixion. But that was a new beginning for the Church spiritually, and going into all the world.
The world from that time until this has had various cycles of ups and downs, wars, famine, drought and all the difficulties that men have because they go against God!
Yet, threaded through the whole thing is the plan of God and the various cycles in the plan of God have a beginning and an ending. Jesus is the One Who starts all of it, because in the beginning was God, and that was Christ Who did the renewal of the earth. He was the Lord God of the Old Testament.
After He died of crucifixion, after preaching for three and a half years, He was resurrected, and that was a new beginning for the Church beginning on Pentecost in 30A.D. Then there was the end of Jerusalem with its destruction, and the ending of the apostolic age. That was a new beginning into lesser things for the Church.
As we come down through the seven-church history, there's the beginning, the ending, and those seven churches in Revelation are prophetic and historical and all of that.
Sidebar: Dwight Blevins wrote me about numbers, parallels, types and anti-types. You have:
7 churches—equivalent to the seven weeks harvest (Rev. 2-3)
John is brought up in vision to see the throne of God; a type of the resurrection (Rev. 4-5)
There are many things that the Word of God is layered with; so many things in it. It is inspired by the eternal mind of God, carried out by the eternal mind of Christ. He tells us this in Rev. 1. Let's see what Jesus says concerning Himself, and this is a great revelation for us so that we can understand the ending of the Millennium. The thousand-year period has a beginning; it has an ending. Remember this: Every ending has a new beginning! This is how Jesus is going to come:
Revelation 1:7: "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." This tells us how the world is going to react in summary before we find it in Rev. 6, 8, 9 and 16.
Verse 8: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega… [the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, stamping God's authority on the Greek New Testament] …the Beginning and the Ending'…'" He's the One Who begins it; He's the ending of it.
Heb. 11 tells us that Christ is 'the Beginner and Finisher of our faith.' He is the One Who calls, the Father is the One Who draws, gives us repentance so we can be baptized. That's an ending of living the way of the world and the beginning of living the way of God!
We are to endure to the end, and we come to a point that we die. Remember, all those who have been Christians in past time in history have all died in the faith. No one has gone to heaven except Jesus Christ. We're all awaiting the resurrection. So, the beginning and the ending, there are those things over and over again in the Bible.
"…says the Lord, 'Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come—the Almighty'" (v 8). He wants us to know that everything that is in the book of Revelation, also verified by the Word of God up to this point, is going to happen! It is true!
Verse 9: "I, John, who am also your brother and joint partaker in the tribulation and in the kingdom and endurance of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Day of the Lord…" (vs 9-10). The beginning of the intervention of God directly on the earth, then extends clear out through the Millennium. A day in the eyes of the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day.
We will see tomorrow when the Millennium ends there is another new beginning. When that ends, there is the beginning of the rest of eternity!
Verse 10: "I was in the Spirit on the Day of the Lord and I heard a loud voice like a trumpet behind me, saying, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last'; and, 'What you see, write in a book, and send it to the churches that are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea'" (vs 10-11).
We have gone through the Holy Day cycle beginning with Passover. We've gone through most of the book of Revelation—haven't we? Isn't that interesting?
Let's put this together with what we know concerning the book of Revelation. This one book—22 chapters—represents the seventh and last division of the Bible. You need all the rest of the Bible to understand the book of Revelation. You cannot come to the book of Revelation and say, 'Oh, I'll read this. I'll understand it.' NO! You have to have the whole Bible. You also have to live in the end-times to understand everything from Rev. 6 on to the end. Otherwise it won't make any sense!
All you have to do to realize that is read any of the commentaries written by those who wrote on the book of Revelation—50 years ago, 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 250 years ago. They give their speculations, but they don't have a clue what its real meanings are, because God told Daniel that in the end the 'wise shall understand, but the wicked will do wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand.' The only reason we understand it as much as we do is not because of who we are and what we are, it's because of Jesus Christ, God the Father, the Word of God as we have it, and the age in which we are living.
Let's come to Revelation 20:6 and let's just review a bit: "Blessed and Holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
Before that starts, Satan is removed. When Satan is removed and bound, wars cease, violence drops, God brings people back to their natural inheritance and blesses the whole world for a thousand years, as we have seen with everything that God does:
with plenty
with much
everything physical
everything spiritual
And with 'the knowledge of Lord is going to cover the earth as the oceans cover the earth.' I tell you what, I want to be there to be a part of that. Jesus said of our day, when the Son of man returns, 'will He find the faith in the earth.'
How many people really believe? How many people are willing to go through the things at the end-time that we know we're all going to be facing, which Jesus said that there would never ever again be a time like this?
Verse 7: "Now, when the thousand years have been completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison."
Why?
Why will that happen?
What is the purpose in this?
How is that going to work?
We'll come back to that a little later, but just keep that in mind.
Let's understand what this period of time that we have been talking about—through the Millennium—is all about. It is a thing that all humanity has been waiting for—for God's timing—for it to happen. That was the beginning of the Millennium. Everyone looks back and reads in Gen. 2 & 3 about Adam and Eve and Gen. 4 about Abel and Cain and all the things there, and wonder: Why did God do this? Why did God do that? We cover all of those as we come through the Holy Days during the year!
But here is what this represents, and this will be all during the Millennium. Everything is going to be so great! No one is going to have any excuse and say, 'Lord, why was it so difficult?' As we covered yesterday {day 6 of the Feast} the most difficult thing we're going to have to cover is complacency.
Here is where after Peter and John, through the power of God, healed the man at the Gate Beautiful, they wanted to know about it. Remember, whenever something like that happens, it's an opportunity to preach the Gospel. Peter did and said:
Acts 3:19: "Therefore, repent and be converted in order that your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" That's the Millennium. When Peter was saying this, he didn't have a clue how far down in the future this would be!
Verse 20: "And that He may send Him Who was before proclaimed to you Jesus Christ Whom the heaven must indeed receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God has spoken by the mouth of all His Holy prophets since the world began" (vs 20-21). Yes, indeed!
Where do we find out about the restitution of all things? We're not told very much about it in the New Testament! We're told an awful lot about it in the Old Testament—aren't we? Yet, we use the book of Revelation as the key to start to go back and understand the things in the Prophets so that we understand what went on.
Let's do that; let's come back to Isa. 2; this is a parallel with Micah 4, because both of them prophesied at the same time. Isa. 2 tells us about
the coming Christ
the setting up of everything in Jerusalem
the ruling of the world by Christ
what it's going to be like
It starts out with the beginning of it and we've gone through the Scripture that shows what happens: so opulent, plush, wonderful and perfect physically everything is. And, as we learned yesterday, the flesh—as great as God is going to make it—profits nothing! You must have the Spirit of God and you must use the things of the flesh His way.
Let's understand something about Isaiah: these prophecies were given during the reign of King Hezekiah, beginning in about 800B.C. Amazing, isn't it? Yes, indeed! Down through the history of the Jews, they've always wanted to know: 'Lord, when will you restore Jerusalem?' And the Jews have something they say whenever they pray: 'See you next year in Jerusalem.' Think of that! For nearly 2700-plus years they've been reading the Old Testament and they've rejected Jesus Christ and embraced all of their traditions. They're blinded to many of the things in the Scriptures, and in rejecting the New Testament they have 'thrown away the key' that unlocks the Scriptures!
Isaiah 2:1: "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass, in the last days…" (vs 1-2). How many times down through history have people thought they were in the last days? They went through it in 66-70A.D., but even after the destruction of Jerusalem it didn't happen. Here we are, but this is going to be true, and will be fulfilled.
"…the mountain… [Government of God] …of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains… [over all nations] …and shall be exalted above the hills… [so important will this be that]: …and all nations shall flow into it" (v 2). That will be the headquarters of the world! What an awesome place that God is going to make that.
Isn't it something that many of us will be right there with Christ; others of us will be kings and priests working with the rest of the saints to rule and govern the world. That's an amazing thing that's going to happen!
Verse 3: "And many people shall go and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.'…." They'll learn the lesson. The way we have been as carnal nations—warring and fighting among each other.
No one has had peace!
No one has had righteousness!
No one has had goodness!
Whatever little success there has been from time to time in the history of the world is really not very long lived. I've got Langer's Encyclopedia of World History, and as I've mentioned numerous times, I go through that and I'm amazed; it's: war, killing, looting, changes of government—get a new king; a new queen; others rise up; get rid of that one—in every country of the world! Think of that! All the way down through time!
God has chosen us along with those who were forerunners with us to help establish the Government and Kingdom of God on this earth, and it's going to come! That's going to be something that we are going to do. "…For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (v 3).
At the beginning of the Millennium, Jesus is going to have to do this, and we know that is Gog and Magog, because they're going to come down about seven years into the Millennium and look at Israel re-established over there in the Near East and they're going to say 'Look, these are unwalled villages. Come, let us conquer them and come after them.'
These are the remnants leftover from the hordes of the east, from the armies of the 200-million. Not all 200-million can get in one place at one time like when they come against Jerusalem. So, God is going to leave them back there. Some of the nations are going to come and say, 'We want to learn God's ways.' God is going to leave them back there because He is going to take care of them about the seventh year into the Millennium. It says in Ezek. 38-39 that then the 'nations shall know that the Lord is God!'
Verse 4: "And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Then it will be restored like the Garden of Eden—the whole world. What a great place that is going to be!
In Micah 4 it says that every man is going to sit under his own tent. Yes, indeed! No one is going to make them afraid; no way!
God is going to bless the people
God is going to bless the land
God is going to bless the crops
We will help administer
peace
prosperity
plenty
the true worship of God
the true fellowship of mankind
We help them live in peace for a thousand years! There is going to be such an overflowing abundance of everything.
Amos 8:13—this is quite a verse, especially for those of you who are ranchers, farmer, etc. think of this: "'Behold, the days come,' says the LORD, 'that the plowman shall overtake the reaper… '[Hey, hurry up and get that harvest in, I'm plowing.'] …and the treader of grapes him who sows seed. And the mountains will drop sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it.'" It is going to be a time of unbelievable prosperity; unbelievable knowledge of God:
the love of God
the Spirit of God
the Truth of God
Unbelievable in the children that are born. I'm sure that God is going to take away an awful lot of the pain that's associated with childbirth. It's going to be a time of education, a time of love, as we have seen all the way through there. How is God going to do it? Let's see how God is going to do it! We'll be part of that. There will be:
rulers over countries
rulers over cities
administrators
teachers
priests
all of these things that are necessary in society, setup and established God's way! Everything is going to function around the Sabbath and the Holy Days. It's going to be amazing!
Isaiah 66:22: "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make…" He's going to once again renew the surface of the earth; restore things. We don't know what's going to happen and how it's going to be, except that it says that God is going to 'shake the earth.' It's going to be shaking and everything is going to be literally upside down! So, there's going to be a lot to straighten out.
You look at the mountains and you see pictures and they have planes that fly along and they take pictures of the tops of the mountains that are lifted up. That's an amazing thing, and God says that 'all the mountains are Mine; I made them.' He tilted up the earth and made those things.
What's going to happen with all those earthquakes that we find in the book of Revelation? It's going to reconfigure the earth! It's a 'new heavens' and a 'new earth.' Not the spiritual one, but the physical one for the people to live in.
"'…shall remain before Me,' says the LORD, 'so will your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one month to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me,' says the LORD." (vs 22-23). A wonderful thing! Can you imagine what it's going to be like on the earth; the whole earth keeping the Sabbath? That's going to be an amazing thing!
Isn't it amazing how much Isaiah talks about the things that we have been reading and going through concerning the Millennium and the fulfillment of it.
Isaiah 59:17[transcriber's correction]: "For He [Christ] put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon His head. And He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was covered with zeal like a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay; fury to His foes, deed for deed to His enemies. He will repay their deeds to the isles. So they shall 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 make him flee" (vs 17-19). No more wars! This is talking about rebuking many nations afar off.
Verse 20: "'The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,' says the LORD. 'As for Me, this is My covenant with them,' says the LORD, 'My spirit that is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed's seed,' says the LORD, 'from now on and. forever'" (vs 20-21).
That's going to be really quite a thing, restoring the earth! How that's all going to be rebuilt and everything is going to be really quite a thing. Here's how He's going to do it:
Isaiah 61:8: "For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in Truth…" That's what it's going to be. What did we read how the throne is established? By love and Truth! That's what's going to pour out to the whole world. It's going to really be amazing—isn't it? Imagine how absolutely wonderful it is going to be for all the children growing up. They live their lives, have knowledge about salvation, be able to see us as teachers. We can appear and disappear. We'll be there if they start going the way they shouldn't, we'll say, 'Here's the way, walk in it.'
We'll be conducting the Sabbath services every Sabbath. The people will also participate in it, that will be fine, no problem with that. Just imagine what it's going to be like to have a church on every other corner. Those church buildings will also be school buildings—what do you know about that? Just think: no one is going to be afraid; no one is going to have to worry about robbery and violence, and things like that.
"'…and I will make an everlasting covenant with them…. [an opportunity for eternal life] …And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people; all who see them will acknowledge them, that they are the seed the LORD has blessed.' I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul will be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the robes of salvation…" (vs 8-10). This is Isaiah speaking.
Isn't it something? We're going to be clothed with "…robes of salvation…" During the Millennium, when they come into the spiritual Kingdom of God, they will be clothed with "…robes of salvation…"
"…He covered me with the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom adorns himself with ornaments, and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels; for as the earth brings forth its bud, and as the garden causes that which is sown to grow; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to grow before all the nations" (vs 10-11). What an historical time that is going to be.
I wonder if, at that time, how much God is going to give us, a lot of supplementation for the Word of God? I wonder what kind of Bible, as spirit beings, the Word of God is going to have for us? There will be directions for us as spirit beings, yes, indeed! It's all going to be based on:
love
obedience
God's commandments
God's grace
God's goodness
working to help people on the earth
What a fantastic time that will be!
Isaiah 62:1: "For Zion's sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until its righteousness goes out as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch." That's describing how the Law is going to go forth from Jerusalem—in righteousness and Truth!
Verse 2: "And the Gentiles will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory… [we'll be the kings and the priests] …and you will be called by a new name… [we are going to get a new name!] …which the mouth of the LORD shall name. You also will be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You [Israel] will no more be called Forsaken; nor will your land any more be called Desolate; but you will be called My Delight is in Her, and your land, Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married" (vs 2-4)—that is, to you.
That means that you take care of it. That is why those who tend the land are called 'husbandmen.' They're going to take care of it the way that God wants it taken care of; to produce the crops that should be.
Now we're ready for Isa. 65; all right close together. It's quite a thing the way the Bible is put together. We've applied this to the 100-year period at the end of the Millennium; after the Millennium is officially and completely over. But this also applies to those during the Millennium. Let's see that it is nearly identical to Isa. 11 in many aspects of it. Here it gives us a little more information.
Isaiah 65:17: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. And the former things will not be remembered, nor come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing… [rather than the curse that it is now] …and her people a joy…. [rather than hated] …I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and I will joy in My people; and the voice of weeping will no more be heard in her, nor the voice of crying" (vs 17-19).
That's how wonderful it is going to be. Think today how many people go to bed weeping because their lives are upside down; their emotions and feelings are all torn apart because of hatred and difficulty and strife. All that's going to be gone! No more!
Notice how life is going to be in the Millennium. This is going to be the great harvest of God. I know that God said in Gen. 6 that men's lives will be 120 years, and we see gradually, as we come down to the time of Moses, he died at 120. It came down even more where King David died at 70, and he said it was a good, ripe old age. The Psalm that he wrote says, 'How long is your life? Three score and ten, which is 70-years-old, and if by strength four score—that's 80 years.
Now for the Millennium, God is defining, again, how long will people live? You don't want them living in the flesh a thousand years. What purpose would that serve if they are righteous and ready to enter into the Kingdom of God? It would serve no purpose! So, the harvest is going to continue all during the Millennium, every generation.
Verse 20—compared to this age, the new age of the Millennium: " There will not be an infant who lives but a few days…" No infant deaths; no abortion, no late-term abortion. Children are going to be wanted and loved and it's going to be marvelous, indeed!
"…nor an old man that has not filled his days, for the child will die a hundred years old; but the sinner who is a hundred years old shall be accursed. And they will build houses and live in them; and they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build, and another live in them; they will not plant, and another eat; for like the days of a tree areso will be the days of My people, and My elect will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for calamity…." (vs 20-23). Won't that be great!
"'…For they are the seed of the beloved of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear…. [and just like in Isa. 11]: …The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the food of the serpent. They will not hurt nor destroy in all My Holy mountain,' says the LORD" (vs 23-25).
That's quite a picture. However, at the end of the Millennium there are certain difficulties that have to be addressed.
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It talks about that they will live a hundred years. It also says that the infants will die a hundred years. But the sinner who is a hundred years shall be accursed. If they are righteous, let's see what happens at the end of that 100 years. The sinner who is accursed and dies will be put in the grave. Why? Because those who commit the unpardonable sin have to die twice! They will be buried and await the resurrection of the wicked, which is the second part of the resurrection of the Last Great Day.
But what about people who qualify? If they're faithful to the end, let's see where, from the New Testament, what's going to happen to them. It's 'given to men once to die, and after that the judgment' (Heb. 9:27). Well, everyone who is righteous is going to die once.
Let's look at an example that is at the return of Christ. When it comes time for the resurrection, there will be those people who will not have died. What's going to happen to them? Let's see what 1-Thess. 4 tells us; it talks about the resurrection. The first resurrection, through the Millennium, will have already been past. Let's look at it concerning those who remain alive, what happens to them? If they die, why would they be put in the grave? Then you would have multiply resurrections down through the Millennium! Yet, it says, 'it's given to men once to die, and after that the judgment.'
Well, during the Millennium, they have a judgment upon them, and when they have been faithful to the end, the judgment is going to be eternal life. What's going to happen when they reach that point of a hundred years and they have been faithful? The sinner who has not been faithful will die and be buried! Everyone will know that that person is going to be cast into the Lake of Fire.
1-Thessalonians 4:14: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in exactly the same way also, those who have fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." They have to get up there to the Sea of Glass and be with Him, so when He comes He will bring them. Paul is telling the result that's going to happen before it takes place.
Verse 15: "For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall in no wise precede those who have fallen asleep. Because the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel… [archangels are in charge of other angels and they're going to harvest all the people being resurrected in the first resurrection] …and with the trumpet of God… [because it is the last trump; the seventh trump of Rev. 11] …and the dead in Christ shall rise first." (vs 15-16). That we understand.
Verse 17: "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds for the meeting with the Lord in the air; and so shall we always be with the Lord." Then we come back to the earth as it says in v 14.
What happens when we're caught up in the air? We know that this physical body must be transformed from flesh to spirit! In order for that to happen and still fulfill the Scripture that says that 'it's given to me once to die and after that the judgment,' if they have the judgment before they come to end of their life, what is going to happen? We have to deduce this from the Scriptures in the Bible. So far we know that those who are alive when Christ returns will be caught up in the air and meet Him.
We know that in the process they're going to have to be changed from flesh to spirit. So, we come to 1-Cor. 15:50. We know they're not going to meet Christ in the air as physical human beings. So, they're here on earth, they see those who are dead rise first, go up to the Sea of Glass and be with Christ. Those remaining here are caught up.
What happens when they are 'caught up'?
What happens when you are transformed from flesh to spirit?
Does that not cause the physical body to die—quickly transformed into a spirit body?
That would have to happen in order to meet the requirement that it's given to man once to die!
1-Corinthians 15:51[transcriber's correction]: "Behold, I show you a mystery…" The resurrection is the final mystery of God for us in the realm of this earth. There are other mysteries of God, which God is going to show us going on into all eternity at a later time.
"…we shall not all fall asleep…" (v 51). You're not going to die if you're alive when the resurrection takes place; you're not going to be dead and buried.
"…but we shall all be changed" (v 51). So, when you're changed, that has got to be an instantaneous death and resurrection. All the Scriptures are harmonized with that.
Verse 52: "In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Those during the Millennium that are faithful and alive, when it comes time that they are ready to enter into the Kingdom of God spiritually, it's going to be an instant death and change. It would have to be! Therefore, all the Scriptures have been fulfilled when that occurs.
The sinner is put into the ground—buried, accursed—because they have committed the unpardonable sin, they have rejected God's plan, being here on earth. That will take care of the sinner.
Now, when we come to the end of the Millennium, we have a very unusual problem, which is those who sin will not be able to live to a hundred to be put in the grave. What's going to happen in the last 100-year period?
There will be those who will reject salvation. What's going to happen to them? It's going to be the greatest case of Laodiceanism that has ever been. They come into a world—and here it is amazing the way God is going to make it during the Millennium—all of the things that they see and do, everything around them, is going to be accepted as normal. When they begin to reject God's way, God is going to let them sin. Then what's going to happen to them? Let's look at some things that God has done in the past concerning sinners!
What happened to Adam and Eve when they sinned? They were removed from the Garden of Eden!They were exiled!
What happened to Cain when he didn't repent after killing his brother Abel? He was removed even further!His exile was further away!
What happened when Israel sinned?
Let's read what happened to Israel, and later the same thing happened to Judah, because they didn't learn the lesson.
2-Kings 17 talks about the children of Israel were carried off into captivity. Here's why: They didn't walk in the way that God wanted them to walk. They had their sins, so here's the last generation of the children of Israel in the land of Israel. There's no time for them to live out their lives and die, because God is going to send them off into exile and let them die someplace else. Here's what God does because they went against Him. God being 'the same yesterday, today and forever' is going to do the same thing at the end of the Millennium.
2-Kings 17:8—referring to the children of Israel: "And walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which the nations had made. Now, the children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the LORD their God. And they built high places in all their cities for themselves from the Watch Tower to the fortified city. And they set up images and groves for themselves in every high hill, and under every green tree. And they burned incense in all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had removed from before them, and they practiced evil things to provoke the LORD to anger" (vs 8-11).
What's going to happen to those in that last hundred-year period of the Millennium when they refuse to obey? They'll be given many chances to repent!
What's going to happen because they didn't repent, and they are not yet ready to die? The sinner being a hundred will be accursed!
There will be those who won't even reach a hundred years, so how are they going to die?
Verse 12: "For they served the idols of which the LORD had said to them, 'You shall not do this thing.' And the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all the prophets, by all the seers, saying, 'Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.' Nevertheless, they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like the neck of their fathers who did not believe in the LORD their God. And they rejected His statutes and His covenant, which He made with their fathers, and His warnings that He testified against them. And they went after vanity, and became vain…" (vs 12-15). Sounds a little like Ecclesiastes? Yes, indeed!
"…and went after the nations around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them not to do like them. And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God and made molten images, two calves for themselves. And they made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire. And they used divination and sorceries, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger" (vs 15-17). So, what did God do? He removed them! (v 23)
Verse 18: "So, the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of His sight; not one was left, only the tribe of Judah by itself." Then Judah did evil.
Removing: Every time God does not destroy the wicked, He exiles them! I think this will help us greatly if we put it all together to understand the rest of Rev. 20 pertaining to the end of the Millennium. Let's read and understand what we have just covered. The righteous will enter into the Kingdom of God when they are ready, being 100-years-old. Let's talk about those who reject the salvation of God. You can't leave them living with the righteous. They must be expelled! They must be sent off to exile!
Revelation 20:4 talks about those of us in the first resurrection: "…and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years…. [notice the parenthetical, inset statement]: …(But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed.) This is the first resurrection" (vs 4-5)—referring to v 4.
Verse 6: "Blessed and Holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power…." Remember, the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed. So, there has to be a completion of the thousand years, and a beginning of the 100-year Last Great Day period. It will be very similar to the Millennium, only one-tenth of the time.
We read in v 3 concerning Satan the devil, which is the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement. Let's read v 3 and then v 7 and see if we can put it all together to understand what we need to.
Verse 3: "Then he [the angel] cast him [Satan] into the abyss, and locked him up, and sealed the abyss over him…" Wherever Satan is also are all the demons. We know in Rev. 8 it talks about how demons are released out of the abyss. Now they're put back there with Satan the devil.
"…so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were fulfilled; and after that it is ordained that he be loosed for a short time" (v 3). Why? The answer has got to be that in order to take care of the sinners sent into exile!
Where were they sent? Verse 7: "Now, when the thousand years have been completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison." It says for a short time. We don't know how long that is. A short time may refer to several years, maybe up to 3-1/2 years.
Verse 8: "And he shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog…" We know the infamy of Gog and Magog, because of what they did at the beginning of the Millennium. Is it that God has reserved part of God and Magog as a place of exile for these of the last generation? Could very well be!
It's just like if you say, 'I am an American.' Well, you could be from any nation—couldn't you? Yes, indeed! Likewise here; if it were just the people of Gog and Magog alone, then God would be a respecter of persons and would condemn them to death—to eternal death—with no salvation IF it referred to just the people of Gog and Magog. But if it refers to the geographical area of Gog and Magog, then that could become—that part of Gog and Magog—the place of exile for the sinners in the last generation of the Millennium to be sent to.
When sinners get all together—they're going to have to be living there—will they repent and some be allowed to come back? We're not told; we don't know! But we do know that those who remain there until the end of the Millennium will be the sinners who have not repented. What has to happen to all sinners who do not repent? They have to die the second death, which means they have to live twice.
What is accomplished here by releasing Satan at this time and sending them to the area of Gog and Magog where all the exiled sinners have been sent? Satan gets there and what's the first thing he does? The same thing he has always done! But this time he's going to appear as a savior to these people, and he's probably going to come and say, 'You know that God down in Jerusalem, the One you didn't want to obey? Well, you were doing right in not obeying Him, and I fought Him before the thousand years began, and He temporarily overcame me and put me in a prison, and now I have been released! Now I am here to let you know I am your new leader and I am really god, because I've always wanted to be god ever since I began resisting this One down in Jerusalem Who says He's the true God. You know we have to get ready and conquer them.'
So, Satan again is going to teach them war! Notice what he's going to lead them to do; and, of course, all the sinners are going to say, 'Yea! That's right! Let's do it!'
Verse 8: "And he shall go out to deceive the nations… [they've already rejected salvation; this is from all the nations wherever they may be] …that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, of whom the number is as the sand of the sea, to gather them together for war." What's going to happen? They're all going to come up to fight! Here's Jerusalem, not defended. No walls! No soldiers!
Here they come; whenever they're ready they will come, v 9: "Then I saw them go up upon the breadth of the earth and encircle the camp of the saints…" Maybe we're all there keeping the Feast of Tabernacles—who knows? Let's see what happens when they surround the camp of the saints:
"…and the beloved city [Jerusalem]; and fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them" (v 9). Let's think about that for just a minute. You're born, you live your life, you reject God, you're sent off into exile. In the last generation there will be a lot of people who will reject salvation, just by the nature of people. God is never going to remove free choice.
Then at the end of the Millennium how many there are—it says as the sand of the sea; an indescribable number. You would think that with God being there and the saints being there that surely people would choose God's way. But there will be those who won't, just like it is today. Only they will be more culpable, because Satan the devil will not have been around to deceive them when they were living in the flesh before they were exiled.
When they are consumed by the fire, what happens? They all die! That is their first death. So, God accomplishes His purpose, fulfills His Word, that the sinners who do not repent must die twice, and the second death is all of them together in the Lake of Fire. What God has done here in doing this, and saving Satan the devil for this last assignment is to bring the first death to all the incorrigible wicked at the end of the Millennium. That last generation for those for that last 100-year segment that do not accept salvation, that reject God. They're sent off to Gog and Magog in exile.
Then when Satan is loosed, Satan goes to them in Gog and Magog, stirs them up for however long it takes to make the weapons, do whatever they're going to do to make themselves ready for this battle and come down and, again, Satan trying to take over the throne of God, going all the way back to how Satan became Satan.
Verse 10: "And the Devil, who deceived them…" Before the Great White Throne Judgment begins, Satan must again be removed, because all of those—as we will see tomorrow—who have lived a life in this world lived in a world that was deceived by Satan the devil.
Do you think God would subject them to another life under Satan the devil, resurrect them to a second life of flesh and send them to the same circumstances that they were in their first life in the flesh? No! Living in a world run by Satan the devil for a lifetime is plenty enough for anyone. They don't need Satan the devil ever again. This is why the judgment of Satan the devil comes and he is once again removed before the rest of the dead live again.
Verse 10: "And the Devil, who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet had been cast; and they [plural in Greek. The beast and false prophet were consumed a thousand years before, so they has to refer to Satan and the demons] …Satan and the demons, shall be tormented day and night into the ages of eternity."
And we find in other Scriptures that they are going to be placed in the blackest darkness forever! Makes you wonder if that's some gigantic black hole, which once they're in there they can never get out? We don't know! We'll have to be there and we will see!
That ends all the events of the Millennium. The Millennium is over, however long it took for Satan after he's released to bring the incorrigible wicked in exile in Gog and Magog down to war against Jerusalem, we don't know. We're not told. But the Great White Throne Judgment cannot start until Satan is once again, with all the demons, removed forever!
So, for the rest of the knowledge of the Word of God, 'ya'll' come back tomorrow!
Scriptural References:
Revelation 1:7-11
Revelation 20:6-7
Acts 3:19-21
Isaiah 2:1-4
Amos 8:13
Isaiah 66:22-23
Isaiah 59:17-21
Isaiah 61:8-11
Isaiah 62:1-4
Isaiah 65:17-25
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
1 Corinthians 51-52
2 Kings 17:8-18
Revelation 20:4-6, 3, 7-10
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
Revelation 2-6; 8-9; 16
Hebrews 11
Genesis 2-4
Micah 4
Ezekiel 38-39
Isaiah 11
Hebrews 9:27
Revelation 11
2 Kings 17:23
