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The whole plan of God is centered on dwelling with God
Fred R. Coulter—October 16, 2016
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Greetings, brethren! Welcome to the Feast of Tabernacles! As we say every year, time marches on!
Here we are with the Feast of Tabernacles, and as you look at the world today and see how absolutely evil that it is, and all of the terrible things going on remember this: the people of God who will be in the first resurrection are the solution to the problems of this world!
It is evident from everything that goes on that the first and foremost characteristic that is necessary is righteous character, to have the right kind of government and oversight.
2-Tim. 4 is a very important section for us to understand, because as you look around, other than those who have died in the faith, you may have friends, relatives, even those in your own family who have turned their backs on God. While there is life, there is still hope! They can repent, and we hope that they do; we hope that they come back.
Here is the thing that’s important for us to understand and realize with this season of the Feast of Tabernacles. When we come to the Feast of Tabernacles and when we come together, there are many, many things that are blessings, helpful, good, right and help us to understand the way and the plan of God and to love each other more. Here’s an important part of the Feast of Tabernacles. We are to bring the spiritual food from the inspired Word of God as Paul says, ‘In season.’
2-Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work” (vs 16-17). This is why we are called!
Most people today, especially the Christianity of this world, pick and choose which Scriptures they want, so they can do the most destructive thing of all: take the Truth of God, inspired by God—given to us to learn and understand His way—to change the meaning of things through the exclusion of Scriptures and twisting of interpretations! The Bible says every word—“ALL…” All means each and every one.
Now, that is important for us who are doing the teaching and preaching, that we:
serve the brethren
educate the brethren
grow in grace and knowledge
draw close to God
draw close to each other
That’s only possible with the Spirit of God and the Truth of God!
Here’s a charge that Paul gave to Timothy, and this was just before he was martyred; 2-Timothy 4:1: “I charge you, therefore, in the sight of God… [you can’t get any greater authority than that] …even the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is ready to judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.” That’s what this Feast of Tabernacles pictures:
the rule of God
the Kingdom of God
the reign of the saints
All of those in the first resurrection, as we have covered going down through the plan of God leading up to this time of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Verse 2: “Preach the Word!….” the Word here means all of the words of God:
the teachings of Jesus Christ
the teachings of the apostles
the teachings of the Prophets
the teachings of the Law
the teachings of the Psalms
and our personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ! “Preach the Word!….”
Here’s a Scripture that shows that they kept the Feasts of God, “…Be urgent in season and out of season…” (v 2)—all year long:
always be current
always be up to date
always be preaching God’s way
at the time God has said it is to be!
“…convict, rebuke, encourage, with all patience and doctrine” (v 2).
We have seen v 3. When you first come into the Church you have no idea that something like this could happen. When we’re first called into the Church everything is new, right, good and so forth. ‘How could we have missed that in the Bible’—etc.; especially if you were a Protestant or a Catholic.
Verse 3: “For there shall come a time when they will not tolerate sound doctrine…” As we have seen in the report of the Presbyterians and the Muslims having prayer services together in a Presbyterian church! Think on that one for a minute!
How do all of these things come about? Listen, brethren, when we’re in the Kingdom of God and we have authority over this world to rule and reign with Christ, none of this is going to happen. Look at it. How does this come about?
“…but according to their own lusts they shall accumulate to themselves a great number of teachers, having ears itching to hear what satisfies their cravings; and they shall turn away their own ears from the Truth; and they shall be turned aside unto myths” (vs 3-4). The Truth of God is:
the Word of God
the commandments of God
the Passover
Unleavened Bread
Pentecost
Trumpets
Atonement
Tabernacles
Last Great Day
The myths:
Halloween
Christmas
Easter
New Years
Sunday
When people turn away and leave those (the Truth of God) then they give themselves over to the ‘god of this world’ Satan the devil. They harden their hearts by turning away and not listening. “…and they shall be turned aside unto myths.”
Verse 5: “But as for you, be vigilant… [that’s what it has to be with us] …in all things, endure hardships… [yes, we’re going to have hardships coming up and a lot of us are living through them right now] …do the work of an evangelist; fully carry out your ministry. For I am now ready to be offered…” (vs 5-6)—and waiting for the crown and you’ve got to take over. That’s what it was with Paul and Timothy at this point.
Let’s see that the whole plan of God is centered around one phrase: To dwell with God! To dwell with His people!
With the creation of Adam and Eve they lived in the Garden of Eden with God. How long they were there with Him we don’t know. We’re not told, but we see the same thing that we read of in 2-Tim. 4 happen with Adam and Eve even though they were in the presence of God and spoke with Him on a daily basis.
That’s why Satan had to come to test them. The plan of God is so great, God having given us independent free moral agency (IFMA) God wants to know what we will choose and how we will choose, because that is the only way that we can develop the character of God necessary to receive eternal life, live forever and rule the world. And as we will see by the end of the Feast, enter into New Jerusalem.
But the whole thing has been to dwell with God! When God dwelt with the patriarchs He was with them. He didn’t necessarily live with them, but He saw them all the time and taught them directly. They understood His Word. Look at the relationship that God had with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and how that was such a tremendous thing. Everything about us goes clear back to Abraham. We are the spiritual seed of Abraham! We are the children of God through that plan and process that God has given.
When God called Israel out of Egypt and brought them to Himself at Mt. Sinai—of course, there are parallels with that, with our calling out of this world, which is called Sodom and Egypt—the goal was that God would dwell with His people!
In Exo. 25 is where God began to give them the instructions to make the tabernacle, to make the sanctuary, to make everything with it. All the details there are very interesting. You need to see the sermon on The Tabernacle of God based on the book by Moshe Levine that I did showing the depiction of the temple and the Ark of the Covenant and all of the implements and dressing of the priests and Levites.
This shows that God wants our participation with it, Exodus 25: “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel that they bring Me an offering. You shall take an offering from every man that gives it willingly with his heart’” (vs 1-2). That’s what God wants with all of us! Our heart! That our heart are right with God and with His Spirit!
“And this is the offering…”—(vs 3-7)
Verse 8—a very important verse: “And let them make Me a sanctuary so that I may dwell among them.” God wants to dwell with His people.
After He gave all the instructions and everything, we will see that He summed it up with what He began with.
Exodus 29:42: “This shall be a burnt offering forever throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD, where I will meet you, to speak there to you. And there I will meet with the children of Israel…” (vs 42-43)—right there at the door of the entrance to the tabernacle summing up the whole reason of everything for the tabernacle.
Verse 44: “And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar. I will also sanctify both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me in the priest’s office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God” (vs 44-45). Think of that!
Go back and think about what happened with Adam and Eve. They rejected God! The whole world has suffered because of it. God was dwelling with them! Now we come to Israel and God says, “I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.”
Verse 46: “And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, Who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt so that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.”
You know the whole story that went because of that. You know the whole history of it. That’s the whole Old Testament. Let’s see some other Scriptures that are important, which show us concerning the Feast; rightly divide the Word of Truth!
Psalm 68:18—a prophecy of Christ: “You have ascended on high; You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, yea, among the rebellious also, that You might dwell among them, O LORD God.” This is what God wants, and that is the ultimate of the plan of God.
Just as we begin in Gen. 1, when we get to Rev. 21-22 what is the theme of that? Dwelling with God!
Verse 19: “Blessed is the LORD; He daily bears our burdens, the God of our salvation. Selah.”
Verse 32—a prophecy of when the Kingdom of God will be ruling on the earth: “Sing unto God, you kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the LORD. Selah…. [stop, think and meditate on this] …To Him Who rides upon the heaven of heavens which are of old; lo, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. Ascribe power to God: His majesty is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are awesome from Your Holy sanctuary; the God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God” (vs 32-35).
That’s the message of the Feast of Tabernacles! Quite an amazing thing.
When you really understand the Bible and put it all together, it’s all one complete unit describing ‘here a little, there a little,’ here is some more, there is some more from:
the Law
the Prophets
the Psalms
the Writings
the Gospels
the Epistles
Revelation
All about the plan of God! A wonderful thing indeed!
Here us also a prophecy for us because we are the seed of Abraham, Isaiah 51:1: “Hearken to Me…” Listen carefully to God. Doesn’t that sound a little bit like where we began? Be diligent! Preach the Word! The time will come when they won’t listen!
“…you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the Rock… [Christ] …from which you were cut, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you… [we’re called after Isaac] …for I called him alone, and blessed him, and made him many” (vs 1-2).
That’s what we are now, many. Think of what it’s going to be at the resurrection. I can’t help but think and just wonder in my mind: What is Abraham going to say to God when Abraham shows Him all the spiritual children through him, and then shows Him all the other descendants who are still on the earth while we are on the Sea of Glass up there looking down.
What is God going to say? Remember what God promised Abraham: Your seed shall be like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand that is on the seashores! There he will see it all! Amazing!
Here is what is going to be our job; here’s what we’re going to do during the Millennium:
Verse 3: “For the LORD shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.”
Isn’t that something? What a thing that is! It even says that the trees are going to sing! That’s an amazing thing!
Verse 4: ‘Hearken to Me, My people…” We are the people of God, brethren.
Listen to God!
Listen to His Word!
Drink in of the things that we will have here at the Feast of Tabernacles:
with the fellowship with one another
the fellowship with God
the Spirit of God
the Word of God
All of that together!
“…and give ear to Me, O My nation… [we are a Holy nation of priests] …for instruction shall proceed from Me, and I will make My justice as a light to the people” (v 4). My salvation is near!
Verse 5: “My righteousness is near; My salvation has gone out, and My arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on My arm they shall trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall become old like a garment; and its inhabitants shall die in the same way. But My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished” (vs 5-6).
Amazing! That’s what we are going to be a part of! We look at this world today and it is in a mess! God is going to give us the authority, the strength, the ability to rule and reign with Christ, and fulfill these verses right here that I just read.
Some people will wonder if they will make it. Of course you will! ‘Well, I don’t have much. I’m old. I’m weak.’ Listen, it is the Spirit that gives life! This old flesh is going to get weak and old for every one of us. Has that not been happening right on down through time? Yes! And it will continue until the return of Jesus Christ! So, the important thing is that:
we develop the righteousness of God
we develop the character of God
we learn how to make righteous judgment
we learn how to live by the Truth
we learn from everything that God has given
so that we can fulfill Psa. 15.
Psalm 14:1: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God!’…. [you can read all about that] …They are corrupt; they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” That’s why God has called us to take over the world!
Verse 2: “The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” Isn’t that amazing? That’s what God is doing right now. We will see that the opposite of the atheists is the one who enters into the Kingdom of God.
Verse 3: “They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not even one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, those who devour My people as men eat bread and do not call upon the LORD?” (vs 3-4).
Yes, we’re going to have persecution, those after us. That’s promised; look what happened to Christ. Like He said, ‘If they call the Master Beelzebub, what do you think they’re going to call you? What do you think they are going to do to you?’ This is why He said, ‘Don’t fear those who can only kill your body; they can’t take your life from you, because that belongs to God!’ So, we don’t worry about it.
Verse 5: “There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You have put to shame the counsel of the poor; but the LORD is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the LORD turns away the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad” (vs 5-7).
That’s the mission of our work in the Millennium right there! There are atheists in Psa. 14, the true believers in Psa. 15 dwelling with God!
Psalm 15:1: “LORD, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell upon Your Holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the Truth in his heart” (vs 1-2).
Not double-minded, not doubled-heart, but single heart! Single purpose! “…speaks the Truth in his heart.” What is the Truth? The Word of God! Isn’t that what Jesus said? Your Word is the Truth! Sanctify them in Your Truth! That’s how you are made Holy. That’s why this is the Holy Bible. That why these are the Holy righteous and spiritual words of God.
Let’s see that at this time having the Spirit of God, God dwells in us spiritually, and that becomes the focal point:
of conversion
of conviction
of Truth
of everything that we are to do
1-John 4 tells us another very important aspect of the Feast of Tabernacles. Yes, the first part of 1-John tells us that our fellowship is with God the Father and Jesus Christ, and then with each other. At the Feast of Tabernacles we’re going to have an opportunity:
to fellowship with each other
to love each other
to love God, to learn of His way
to look forward to the completion of God’s plan
So that during this time, during this eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day we will be strengthened spiritually, mentally, physically and after that’s over we have to head back out into the world again, and WOW! what a world it is going to be! So, let’s be encouraged with this and keep our mind on this.
1-John 4:4: “You are of God, little children… [that’s what we are, the children of God] …and have overcome them because greater is He Who is in you than the one who is in the world.”
we overcome the evil in the world
we overcome our own human nature
we overcome Satan the devil and the demons
We are victorious through Christ!
Verse 5: “They… [the ones in the world] …are of the world; because of this, they speak of the world, and the world listens to them.” Whereas, we listen to God!
We listen to Jesus Christ!
We listen to His Word!
We believe it!
We love it!
We live by it!
Also, on the other hand, we test false prophets. Do they speak the Word of God, as God wants it spoken? or Do they follow the deceptiveness of Satan the devil?
Verse 6: “We are of God; the one who knows God listens to us…” Why? Because if anyone knows God:
they know the Truth
they know the Bible
they will hear the Truth
they will live by it
they will follow it
“…the one who is not of God does not listen to us….” (v 6).
I had a man that I communicated with this summer who sent me an e-mail that since he was converted nine years ago he hasn’t sinned, because they take the verse that says: This is the first commandment that you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and being, and the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
So therefore, with this mindset, they go out and try and make everything that they do in the world the will of God. He could not even be moved from his positions, knowing that Sunday is pagan, that Christmas, Easter, the Lord’s Supper—all of those things—are not of God! He won’t listen! Well, his day is going to come! I wonder what’s going to happen on that day?
Verse 5: “They are of the world; because of this, they speak of the world… [the world’s false Christianity] …and the world listens to them. We are of God; the one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not of God does not listen to us. By this means we know the Spirit of the Truth and the spirit of the deception” (vs 5-6).
We have the perception, knowledge, Truth and understanding from the Word of God to know right from wrong, good from evil, Truth from error and deception.
Verse 8: “The one who does not love does not know God because God is love.” After explaining about the love of God and sending Christ to die for our sins, and how much love that involved toward us:
Verse 11: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also are duty-bound to love one another.” This, at the Feast of Tabernacles, is a great time for fellowship and loving one another.
During this Feast, spend time together, love one another, help one another, enjoy each other, make this a great and a wonderful Feast!
Scriptural References:
2 Timothy 3:16-17
2 Timothy 4:1-6
Exodus 25:1-3, 8
Exodus 29:42-46
Psalm 68:18-19, 32-35
Isaiah 51:1-6
Psalm 14:1-7
Psalm 15:1-2
1 John 4:4-6, 8, 11
Scriptures referenced, not quoted: Exodus 25:4-7
Also referenced:
Sermon: The Tabernacle of God (2007 FoT)
Book: The Tabernacle of God by Moshe Levine
