App
The finality of God's Plan, and a glimpse into the ages of eternity
Fred R. Coulter—October 21, 2019
Greetings, brethren! Welcome to The Last Great Day! What a great day that this is in God's plan. Nothing like it! It is so fantastic and wonderful and good, because it answers the question: How is God going to save most of mankind?
This day is so important and fantastic, and so unbelievable to the world that God has hidden it very carefully in His Word! You have to take and put all the pieces together step by step and get a complete picture of what God is doing and what this day pictures.
We always start with Lev. 23 because that's the only chapter in the whole Bible that has all the Holy Days and Feats of God beginning with the weekly Sabbath listed in chronological order according to the Calculated Hebrew Calendar.
This day, the eighth day as it's called in Lev. 23 is the day after the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles, as great as it is and picturing how many people will be brought into the Kingdom of God and saved during that time. The Last Great Day pales into insignificance all of the Millennium. But you can't find that buried here.
Leviticus 23:34: "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.'…. [we just finished that yesterday] …On the first day shall be a Holy convocation…. [we finished that] …Seven days you shall offer an offering…" [we have done that] …made by fire to the LORD…. And you shall do no servile work therein. These are the Feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations" (vs 34-37).
Notice how carefully God has hidden this Last Great Day to when you read this it seems to be insignificant.
Verse 36: "Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day shall be a Holy convocation to you…." He explains absolutely nothing as to what it means! But through the rest of the Bible He has hidden all the facts, and saved the great understanding of this until the book of Revelation. So, hang on!
"…And you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly. And you shall do no servile work therein" (v 36). That is today, the Last Day, the Eighth Day!
Verse 37: "These are the Feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim…" No choice! Not optional! Doesn't say that you 'may discuss the Feast if you desire.' It say "…you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations… [because God puts His presence in these days] …to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD…"—etc.
Verse 38: "Besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. Also, in the fifteenth day of the seventh month when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a Feast to the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath" (vs 38-39).
Then it talks about how to build booths, picturing that the children of Israel came out of Egypt in booths, temporary dwellings.
Today we know that every dwelling on earth is a temporary dwelling when compared to God. We also know that in Deut. 16 that we are to bring offerings on Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles which includes the last day, the eighth day! We are to give according to the blessing that God has given to us, because God has blessed every single one of us!
If we put God first in our lives, first in our thoughts, first in what we do, then God will bless us and will have quite sufficient through the grace of God to bring an offering to God that will glorify Him, an offering that will be an abundance, as this Feast pictures.
(pause for offering)
Let's understand that in the very beginning of the creation of God, He made known certain things known concerning creation and the mankind.
Genesis 1:26: "26: And God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness…" [nothing else that God has created is like that] …and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that crawls upon the earth.' And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female" (vs 26-27).
That's what God did in the beginning! Why did He do this? So we can become perfect a our Father in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48)!
We've covered through the Holy Days beginning with the Passover and those who are called must be:
- in covenant, through the Passover, with God
- receive the Holy Spirit
- grow in grace and knowledge
During the week of Unleavened Bread Christ was crucified and raised from the dead! That's a key, important thing! The resurrection is what all of God's plan hinges on. As you know, it has nothing to do with souls going to heaven!
But we are to become perfect as our Father in heaven in perfect. That's the whole basis of the New Covenant: repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. God has made you in His image for a great purpose!
Psa. 8—I want you to think on this Psalm for just a minute. I want you to think about yourself, your husband/wife, your children, you relatives—all the people that you know. Remember, every human being is made in the image and likeness of God, and has been given special attributes that He has not given to any of the rest of His creation.
Psalm 8:1: "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings You have ordained strength because of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and the avenger" (vs 1-2). An amazing thing! God does not need huge armies!
Verse 3: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him…" (vs 3-40.
He is, and He's got a plan for all human beings, not just some, not like the Baptist say, 'If you don't belong to this Baptist church you're going to burn in hell forever! Lie!
"…and the son of man that You care for him? For You have made him a little lower than God…" (vs 4-5). Think on that! That's for a great purpose!
We know, as we have covered, for those in the first resurrection—as pictured by Pentecost—we are the firstfruits of the harvest of God, made in the image of God, and transformed into the spiritual image of Christ!
That we know, but what about the rest of the people in the world? What is going to happen to them? We'll answer that, so hang on!
"…and have crowned him with glory and honor" (v 5)—and have given him the whole earth!
Now let's cover some thing concerning man. When God breathed into Adam the breath of life, He also breathed into him the spirit of man. This is what makes man different from any of the rest of the creation of God: the spirit of man!
This was known, and they understood part of this. The spirit of man is unique to man, different than all the animals.
Job 32:8: "But there is a spirit in man…" What is that spirit? What gives life, because James says:
James 2:26: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, in the same way also, faith without works is dead."
What is the spirit of man? It is a spirit essence that is given at conception! When conception takes place, the evidence of the spirit of man given to that newly conceived and begotten life, is that there is an electrical charge of 480,000 volts—BOOM!—almost like a celebration! A new life beginningto be formed in the image of God in the womb of its mother. Think on that, and think how God hates abortion!
Job 32:8: "But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding."
Also, God can connect with the spirit of man with the Spirit of God. But that cannot happen until there is repentance and baptism.
Job 33:4—Elihu says: "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life."
Isn't that true, that from your first breath to your last you must be breathing? But the spirit of man is the important thing that you need to understand, and why that is important.
What happens to that spirit? Psa. 146 tells us that when we die our thoughts perish and that is in our brain!
Psalm 146:3: "Do not put your trust in princes, nor in the son of man in whom there is no salvation…. [the only one is Jesus Christ Who became a man] …His breath goes forth; he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish" (vs 3-4—that is in the mind in the body of the corpse. There is no thinking!
That is why one of the most satanic futilities is to try and make contact with the dead! If people seem to get in contact with the dead, that amounts to deceiving spirits from Satan the devil! That is not from God!
What happens to the spirit when you die? We will see something very interesting in Ecc. 12! There was, for the ones who wrote the Bible, understanding of the spirit of man. In some cases of the patriarchs, also the Spirit of God!
Let's see what happens when a person dies. Their thoughts in their brain cease! The body is dead. Why? Because James says:
James 2:26: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, in the same way also, faith without works is dead."
Ecclesiastes 12:7—talking about death: "And the dust returns to the earth as it was… [and that agrees with what God told Adam, 'dust you are and unto dust you shall return] …and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
So, at the instant of begettal and conception, a new human being in its smallest form begins to develop. It can't develop and it can't have life without that spirit of man from God. So, at conception is when it's given! It remains with the individual until death, then it returns.
All of this has an awful lot to do with The Last Great Day, because The Last Great Day could not be accomplished unless there was the spirit of man, and unless it went back to God when the person died!
1-Corinthians 2:11: "For who among men understands the things of man except by the spirit of man, which is in him?…." The spirit of man is connected directly to the brain!
- this gives you life
- this gives you thought
- this makes you an individual person
Made in the image of God, a little lower than God for His great purpose!
"…In the same way also, the things of God no one understands except by the Spirit of God" (v 11). So, the spirit of God at the time of the laying on of hands after repentance and baptism, gives you the added dimension of the Spirit of God, the begettal of God, to be a future son or daughter of God.
- we know about the firstfruits
- we know about the patriarchs
- we know about the first resurrection when Christ returns
All of that is going to be accomplished by the Spirit of God, and that is God's plan!
We also saw in the sermon The Job Syndrome—Day 7—that one of things that is important is that no thought can be withheld from God!
I want to do a little demonstration: Here is an audio recorder. How does it record? There is chip! If we liken the recorder to a human body and where the chip goes into the recorder, that's the human brain, then we will see that this is like the spirit of man. It goes into the brain and now with electricity it can record. It records everything that is spoken.
With the video that's being done, it's being recorded on chip similar to this one for the audio recorder. That records everything: sight and sound, color and action. You can liken that to the spirit of man.
Therefore, everything that you do is recorded on that spirit of man. When you die, that goes to God. If you are converted and have the Spirit of God, when you die, let's see something concerning that.
Heb. 12 talks about those who have been perfected, that is those who have been baptized, received the Holy Spirit, have grown in grace and knowledge, have overcome and been perfected that way. When they die, that spirit goes back to God.
Hebrews 12:22: "But you have come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem…" That is going to come down to earth for the Family of God, those in the first resurrection!
"…and to an innumerable company of angels; to the joyous festival gathering; and to the Church of the Firstborn, registered in the Book of Life in heaven; and to God, the Judge of all; and to the spirits of the just who have been perfected" (vs 22-23).
So, when I'm done recording I take the chip and give it to Bonnie who edits it. The video goes to Randy who edits it. We mail this out so you can have the live message that has been recorded and you can play it.
The spirit of just men made perfect have been put someplace near the altar of God. How much room does that take? Probably very little! Now, we understand that process.
- Why do we have The Last Great Day, and what does that mean? Let's find out! Let's see something that Jesus said!
- What provision has God made for all of those whom He did not call? And He deliberately did not call them!
- Are their lives wasted?
- Did God just reject them because He didn't call them?
- Are they doomed that their purpose in life is over because they have lived and died?
Let's see what Jesus says on The Last Great Day:
John 7:37: "Now, in the last day, the great day of the Feast… [Why is called "…the great day of the Feast…"] …Jesus stood and called out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.'"
What if you existed before Jesus came? It says anyone! It doesn't say anyone from this time forward. God deliberately did not call some people. Why would Jesus say "…'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink'"?
Verse 38: "The one who believes in Me…" What if you lived your whole life and never knew that there was even going to be a Jesus, let alone live in a time when you understood when He did live and came as the Savior, and lived and died so that we could receive salvation? What is God going to do about that?
"'…as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, which those who believed in Him would soon receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified" (vs 38-39). Well, doesn't that create a problem?
- If God made us in His image, which He did
- If God made us a little lower than God, which He did
- If God gave the spirit of man to every human being, which He did
Why did God not want them converted? Let's answer that question! Those of us who have been converted, and God has given us His Spirit and has opened our eyes to the Truth and understanding what it is, then we can understand why. We will see that God deliberately did not call them at this time.
Does that mean that they have no hope? God doesn't tell us here in Matt. 13, but let's see what Jesus said:
Matthew 13:10: And His disciples came to Him and asked, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' And He answered and said to them, 'Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given'" (vs 10-11). If it hasn't been given:
- What is God going to do about that?
- Are they rejected forever?
Verse 12: "For whoever has understanding, to him more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance, but whoever does not have understanding, even what he has shall be taken away from him…. [We've seen that, haven't we? That is true!] …For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they see not…" (vs 12-13).
They like to hear and they like to see, but they don't grasp what they see or understand what they hear!
"…and hearing, they hear not; neither do they understand" (v 13)—because the Spirit of God alone gives the understanding. Without the Spirit of God they cannot understand!
Is that fair of God to do it to them? And all the hundreds of billions down through history from Adam and Eve down to Christ and then down to our day? Is that fair of God?
We will see that God is going to be more than fair! We're going to see that God is going to be gracious, loving, kind, helping, and He has not forgotten them! Though they have lived their lives and died cutoff from God. Also, deliberately because they don't want to see and they don't want to hear, Jesus says this:
Verse 15: "For the heart of this people has grown fat, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and should hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them."
That's quite a fantastic statement! Let's compare this with John 3:16; again, God has done something to these people and has cut them off.
- What is God going to do?
- Were their lives completely in vain?
- Were their lives totally wasted and worthless?
- Why would we say that God called us and not them?
Lest we get all lifted up with vanity, beware lest you fall!
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world…"
- How can you say it's love if they're cutoff?
- How can you say it's love if God never gave them any understanding?
- How can you say it's love if they've lived and died and had no knowledge of salvation or of Jesus Christ or the Word of God?
- How can you say it's love if they had some knowledge, their minds were blinded and they never understood?
The world here is cosmos, which means this age or this time!
- Did God love the world when He created it and all down through history?
- Did God love the world when He destroyed those with the Flood?
- Does God love the world even though men have been absolutely horrendous, satanic and demonic against one another in:
- war
- killing
- plagues
- sickness
- death
- suffering
- misery
- ruin
Is that love? No, that's all the result of rejecting God and following Satan the devil! But it still says that God loves this age.
"…that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone…" (v 16). It doesn't say that anyone that I call. Everyone is all inclusive, meaning each and every human being. How can that be:
- if they are blinded and cutoff?
- if their minds are closed?
- if they live and die?
- What is God going to do about that?
That is the great question that philosophers cannot answer, and yet, they reject the Bible that gives them the truth to understand it! Think about that for a minute, how great God's plan is that He hid it very carefully in the Bible and these great men with these great minds, the theologians and all of the rulers and the best minds in technology and everything…
Those who are of the people of God understand more than they ever have thought about! We will see that God has a plan to solve this problem.
"…everyone who believes in Him may not perish…" (v 16). It doesn't say may not die. Paul wrote that if Christ is not raised then those who are asleep in Christ… (1-Cor. 15). That means they died, but sleeping means they're awaiting the resurrection.
If those who are asleep in Christ then if Christ is not raised they have perished, meaning no longer existing: no thought, no remnant, no memorial, no nothing!
"…but may have everlasting life" (v 16). That's what God wants!
How is God going to accomplish that? Let's see, again, exactly what Jesus says concerning this very problem!
John 12:35: "Then Jesus said to them, 'Yet, a little while the Light is with you. Walk while you have the Light, so that the darkness will not overtake you. For the one who walks in darkness does not know where he is going'"
That's the way that the world is, and at the end-time the prophecy in Isaiah is that 'darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the people.' That's where we are! Look how few there are that understand the Truth, and look at the laziness and lackadaisicalness and the Solomon Syndrome and the Job Syndrome that too many people within the Churches of God have even today.
Verse 36: "'While you have the Light, believe in the Light… [Jesus is the Light of the world] …so that you may become the children of Light.' Jesus spoke these things and then departed from them and was in hiding. Although He had done so many miracles in their presence, they did not believe in Him" (vs 36-37).
People like to see miracles, they like to see the magical—as they would look at it—thing take place. But think of this:
- How many thousands were healed by Jesus during His ministry?
- Where were they when the Church began at the temple in 30A.D. on Pentecost?
- How many were baptized? 3,000!
To us that seems like a lot, but compared to all the preaching that Jesus did, and all the miracles that occurred while He was preaching, that's a scant few!
Remember that in this age it's the few that are called, chosen and faithful! There's a reason for that.
Verse 38: "So that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled who said, 'Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' For this very reason they could not believe because again Isaiah said, 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I would heal them'" (vs 38-40). Quite an amazing thing! God blinded them!
- Why? Because they didn't believe!
- Are they eternally damned?
- Are they completely cutoff from God?
- What's going to happen to them?
Verse 42: "But even so, many among the rulers believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so that they wouldnot be put out of the synagogue." Well, isn't that too bad?
Oh yes, I've got to be my good political self for all of those who are in my group. I dare not say or believe anything that they don't tell me.
CUTOFF!
Verse 43: "For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. Then Jesus called out and said, 'The one who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him Who sent Me'" (vs 43-44). Now you believe—if you're converted—rises to a higher level; to God the Father!
What did Jesus say about God the Father? That you pray directly to Him, because He loves you!
- think about your calling
- think about your relationship with God
- think about how much He loves you
- think about how much Christ love you
- think about how important that is
But all of these, they were like today, people play church, they were playing synagogue.
Verse 46: "I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness."
- What if you die and you're still in darkness?
- What's going to happen then?
We'll answer that question!
Verse 47: "But if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world…. [What's going to judge him? The very words Jesus spoke!] …The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has one who judges him; the Word, which I have spoken, that shall judge him in the last day" (vs 47-48). That means you have committed the unpardonable sin!
Verse 49: "For I have not spoken from Myself; but the Father, Who sent Me, gave Me commandment Himself, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life. Therefore, whatever I speak, I speak exactly as the Father has told Me" (vs 49-50).
John 5:24—talking about the resurrection: "Truly, truly I say to you, the one who hears My Word, and believes Him Who sent Me… [the Father] …has everlasting life and does not come into judgment; for he has passed from death into life."
That judgment is the judgment unto eternal death! Yes, the Church is judged now, differently than the world. But through Jesus Christ and the Father, and how we grow, change and overcome. All of that is much different than the world.
Verse 25: "Truly, truly I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. For even as the Father has life in Himself, so also has He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and has also given Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of man. Do not wonder at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice" (vs 25-28).
Think on that! All who hear Him from the graves shall come forth!
Verse 29: "And shall come forth: those who have practiced good unto a resurrection of life… [notice that He didn't say eternal life; He didn't say to the resurrection of eternal life] …and those who have practiced evil unto a resurrection of judgment"—condemnation to be thrown into the Lake of Fire!
- How is that going to work?
- What is God going to do?
Let's add to this mystery a little deeper here, before we come to the answer.
I want you to think about the Old Testament record of the Israelites, and how many times that they sinned, and how many times was it because they were blinded. All of those times were because they didn't have the Spirit of God.
So, what's going to happen to Israel? We'll see in Rom. 11 that Paul makes some very profound statements.
Romans 11:25: "For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this mystery… [a secret of God] …brethren, in order that you may not be wise in your own conceits: that a partial hardening of the heart has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved…" (vs 25-26).
How is that going to happen when most of them lived and died and had no true knowledge of God's plan?
Verse 32: "For God has given them all over to unbelief in order that He might show mercy to all."
- How is that going to happen? They're all dead!
- How can He show mercy to them?
- How can He show mercy to the Gentiles?
- Is God going to reject nearly all of mankind because He gave them over to Satan the devil and their own devices and left them deceived?
- How is that going to work?
(go to the next track)
Let's solve the mystery as God reveals the answer. It wasn't definitively written down until John wrote it down in Rev. 20.
Let's look at those in the first resurrection. There are different places where it talks about the first resurrection, those who are raised to life at the return of Christ, and all of that. We know that Paul wrote, 'Christ the firstfruit and those who are His at His coming.' That means all of those who will be in the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:4: "And I saw thrones; and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and those who did not worship the beast or his image, and did not receive the mark in their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
Notice this parenthetical statement in v 5. We can understand v 4, and there are many Scriptures that help us understand it and realize that this takes place at the first resurrection. But notice this parenthetical statement:
Verse 5: "(But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed.):…" That's quite a statement!
Then it refers back to v 4 when it says: "…This is the first resurrection" (v 5).
Stop and think about this for a minute and combine it together. If it's the first, that tells us that there's more than one. If there was only one resurrection, it would say, 'This is the resurrection.' But is it says, "…This is the first resurrection"
Go back and read the first part of v 5 again: "(But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed.)…"
If they live again, what is that? That is a resurrection, another resurrection, and we can call this the second resurrection! It says that "(But the rest of the dead… [the good, the evil, etc.] …did not live again until the thousand years were completed.)…."
That's quite a thing when you think about it; the rest of the dead! That includes all of those killed in wars, accidents, shipwrecks, every kind of evil and human sacrifice, and everyone that was not in the first resurrection.
What did Jesus said in John 5, some to life and some to condemnation! Condemnation, as we will see, is the Lake of Fire.
Verse 11: "Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who was sitting on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and no place was found for them"—that is the rest of the dead!
Verse 12: "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God; and the books were opened… [this has to be the Word of God so they can be taught the Word of God] …and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life"—meaning they will be given an opportunity to receive eternal life!
"…And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works" (v 12).
If they lived their life and died, then everything they did up to the point of death now can be set aside. Now they're going to be judged by the standard of God's Word for eternal life. Who are these dead? These are all of those who did not commit the unpardonable sin! Let's see how Jesus makes a distinction of this in Matt. 12. This helps us to understand.
That one phrase/sentence, 'The rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed' is the key that unlocks these Scriptures that we're going to read in Matt. 12, and as we will see later in the book of Ezekiel. This is quite interesting when you put it all together. This is why in understanding these things, it's a little here and little there and we rightly divide the Word of God to come up with the Truth.
Matthew 12:30: "The one who is not with Me is against Me, and the one who does not gather with Me scatters. Because of this, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; that shall not be forgiven to men" (vs 30-31).
Why? Because this shows that this is the Holy Spirit from God the Father! That shows that these people have rejectedthe Spirit of God, rejected the Truth and would not repent!
Those are the ones who will not be found written in the Book of Life that will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20)
Verse 32: "And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming age."
Did you get that? The coming age is the time after the Millennium! That period of the Great White Throne Judgment is going to follow the same pattern that we saw during the Millennium.
These people will be raised to life. So many there's hardly any room for them. Just think what's going to have to happen for those toward the end of the Millennium to prepare for this second resurrection. They're going to be raised from the dead, all who have died.
Those with untimely deaths, and even those who have been aborted. The reason is that at conception everything that a person is, is already locked into the genes and chromosomes. The only difference between that and a full-grown human being is growth.
Do you think that God is going to give Satan one single victory? Of course not! So, God is able to resurrect them. How? I think it will be like full-term infants! Will there be a lot of people around to take care of them? There will be plenty of people! For those poor mothers who had their children aborted, they will have their children given to them so they can take care of them.
Think about undoing one of the greatest evils of all. Only God can do that! That's why this is such a fantastic and tremendous day, and is called The Last Great Day! It is!
"…it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming age" (v 32). So, you have those who are wicked who will not repent, and they will be destined to the Lake of Fire.
Verse 36: "But I say to you, for every idle word that men may speak, they shall be held accountable in the day of judgment." The second resurrection is their day of judgment!
Think of the repentance that's going to take place with all of these people. They will recognize that 'here we have life. Look at all the sons of God who are here to help us, and Christ.' Then the knowledge of God the Father. We will teach them and help them, and they will overcome.
- What about all of those who died in the atomic blast in Nagasaki and Hiroshima?
- What about all of those who are fighting in wars and theirs heads were lopped off or their brains shot out?
- What about all of those who were killed in ritual sacrifice?
- What about all of those who died in the Flood?
- What about all of those who died in earthquakes, floods and different disasters?
You name the disaster! They will be resurrected back to a physical life! We will see that in just a little bit.
Then some of the scribes wanted a sign and He didn't give it, then Jesus says:
Verse 40: "For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, in like manner the Son of man shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The men of Nineveh shall stand up… [resurrected] …in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (vs 40-42).
Think about this Great White Throne Judgment, how fantastic that this is going to be. Let's see how all Israel shall be saved! Quite a phenomenal thing indeed!
You cannot understand the timing of Ezek. 37 without the book of Revelation, which tells us when this is going to be applied. Also, you need to understand the principle, because Jesus said that the men of Nineveh—who were Gentiles—shall be raised in the judgment with them.
So, as we read Ezek. 37 know that this is going to happen to all people from all nations down through all time regardless of when it was.
Once they are raised and they are given the books to know and understand how to receive eternal life, then they will be able to understand about Jesus, they will be able to repent, and they will be able to be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, live that 100 years so they likewise can enter into the Kingdom of God as spirit beings.
Remember where we started: In the beginning… Let's see how God is going to solve all the problems of death in the world, death for those who did not commit the unpardonable sin. Those who sin greatly, very greatly, yes indeed, think for just a minute. Remember Ahab, king of Israel? He was called 'most wicked.' God sent Elijah to tell him that he was going to die.
What did Ahab do? He repented, put on sackcloth and 'walked tenderly.' Then God said to Elijah, 'Go back and see My servant Ahab and how he's repented.'
Think about Manasseh and his great sin, and he repented! Think about what it's going to be with all people in their lives. There are going to be some with a great number of sin. There are going to be some with, what you might say are ordinary sins of living, but not having the commandments of God, nor knowledge of salvation. As Paul said, 'Those who do the things contained in the Law are a law unto themselves.' So, there will be a lot of those people
The ones who I think are going to be the most surprised of all will be the Protestants. They think they are so close to having salvation, and that they're all going to go to heaven. What a surprise it's going to be for them when they are raised from the dead, and they're physical beings again.
Ezekiel 37:1: "The hand of the LORD was on me, and brought me by the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of a valley, and it was full of bones…. [a great valley] …And He made me walk among them all around…." (vs 1-2).
Ezekiel, go down and walk in there and look at all of that, all those bones—leg bones, heads, skulls and all of that!
"…And behold, very many were in the open valley. And lo, they were very dry…." (v 2). They had been dead a long, long time!
You can see that in some of the excavations that they do in various places in the world. They find skulls, whole leg bones, whole skeletons, and everything.
Verse 3: "And He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'…." Ezekiel is looking at all of these bones, and God says, 'Hey Ezekiel, do you think they can live?'
"…And I answered, 'O Lord GOD, You know.'…. [In other words, 'Don't ask me, I couldn't tell You, Lord.'] …Again He said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, "O dry bones, hear the Word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live'" (vs 3-5).
This is the resurrection to a second physical life. This doesn't have anything to do with eternal life, yet. But Rev. 20 shows us that their names will be written in the Book of Life if they do the rest of what the New Testament shows: repent, are baptized and grow in grace and knowledge. They will have every opportunity to do this. We'll be there to do it.
Verse 6: "And I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the LORD."
- What was it that the children of Israel didn't know, even though they were God's people? Very few knew the Lord!
- Why? Because they got carried away with Baalism!
Verse 7: "So, I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise. And behold, a shaking! And the bones came together, a bone to its bone." We can have that in movies today, all the parts come back together!
Verse 8: "And as I watched, behold the sinews and the flesh came upon them… [this was astonishing] …and the skin covered them above. But there was no breath in them." So, here's a whole valley full of rejuvenated corpses!
Verse 9: "And He said to me, 'Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain that they may live.'"'" Imagine the eye-popping expression on Ezekiel's face!
Verse 10: "So, I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army." Sound a lot like Rev. 20? Yes, indeed!
Verse 11: "And He said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel…." Stop and think about that! Paul wrote that all Israel shall be saved. Even though this was available to Paul, he didn't even mention it. But he knew somehow that this was going to happen. But he didn't know anything about the second resurrection.
"…Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we ourselves are completely cut off'" (v 11). Why? Because of their sins!
- Did not God blind them?
- Did not God say that He didn't want them to understand at the time of Christ?
- Yes!
Go back into the centuries before that, all the way back, they had no opportunity for salvation. They figured, 'Hey, the jig is up!'
Verse 12: "Therefore, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, O My people, [#1]I will open your graves and cause you to [#2]come up out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel"'" That means they lived once, died and were buried!
Verse 13: "And you shall know that I am the LORD… [which they didn't know in their first life] …when [#3]I have opened your graves, O My people, and have [#4]brought you up out of your graves…. [here's how they're going to be saved; how they're going to be converted]: … And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live…" (vs 13-14).
They will live that 100 years and have an opportunity for salvation. What a fantastic time that will be. Every evil will be undone, annulled. It says of Satan that 'Christ came to annul the works of Satan.' That is make them as if they never occurred! Only God can do that! You need to think about and realize that!
"'…and I will place you in your own land. And you shall know that I the LORD have spoken it and have done it,' says the LORD" (v 14). That's quite a fantastic thing indeed!
That answers how not only Israel, but all nations will be saved. Remember that before the rest of the dead are resurrected, Satan is removed and cast into the Lake of Fire with all the demons. All of those in the second resurrection will have lived one life already under Satan the devil, so they will be able to live just like the people during the Millennium. They didn't have to put up with Satan the devil. He will be in the Lake of Fire in torment. Then his final judgment with the demons is to be in the blackest darkness forever!
Isn't it an amazing thing that God has done, the greatest work is going to be in the least considered day! It's not even called The Last Great Day until John 7, but it's called the 'eighth day' and eight is the number of new beginnings. So, this is a new beginning for salvation to all those who will repent and be baptized, and grow and overcome during the 100 years.
Then those who don't, those who have previously committed the unpardonable sin will be raised to join the ranks of those who during the Great White Throne Judgment refuse salvation. They will all be cast into the Lake of Fire, and they will perish! It will be as if they never existed! God cannot have an eternal kingdom that is constantly fighting and warring, because you cannot work and produce.
The greatness of God is yet to be done from this time forward with all of these entering into the Kingdom of God!
Revelation 20:14: "And death and the grave were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire" (vs 14-15)—all fleshly and burned up!
Satan removed, and all spirit beings now in the Kingdom of God. This earth is going to be so literally covered with all the people on the earth as spirit beings.
Remember, the firstborn are going to be in a special category. We will be the ones who will be in New Jerusalem. All the rest that are saved after that will live in spiritual nations on the earth.
- What is the work going to be for that?
- How is that going to be accomplished?
Well, that's something God will tell us when we're spirit beings. With that everything is new!
Revelation 21:1: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea."
How did that happen? The Lake of Fire into which the evil were thrown begins to consume the whole earth! So powerful and so hot—it doesn't affect us as spirit beings—and it's going to evaporate all the oceans, no more sea.
Verse 2: "And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven say, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men…'" That's the ultimate meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles] …and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and God Himself shall be with them and be their God…. [then the time that every human being longs for[: …And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall not be anymore death… [Isn't that amazing?] …or sorrow, or crying; neither shall there be any more pain, because the former things have passed away'" (vs 2-4)—gone!
Verse 5: "And He Who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' Then He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'"
They're going to happen, brethren. We're reading of the plan of God that very few grasp and understand.
- It is faithful!
- It is true!
- It's going to come to pass!
Verse 6: "And He said to me, 'It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts, I will give freely of the fountain of the water of life." That is continuous spiritual understanding, improvement in living and whatever that means!
Verse 7: "The one who overcomes shall inherit all things…" That means the vastness of the universe. You have to be a spirit being in order to travel in the universe. You can't be flesh and blood. What is that going to be like? It's going to be a new heaven and a new earth, so how is that going to work? Well, the only way we can find out is to be there!
"…and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death'" (vs 7-8)—meaning they have to live twice in the flesh! These are the ones who will perish, no remembrance of them at all throughout all eternity.
Verse 9: "And one of the seven angels that had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, 'Come here, and I will show you the Bride, the Lamb's wife.'"
This is not showing the Bride literally, but where the Bride will be: in New Jerusalem!
Verse 10: "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her radiance was like a most precious stone, as crystal-clear as jasper stone" (vs 10-11).
As we read this about New Jerusalem, remember what Jesus told His disciples: You believe in God, believe also in Me! I'm going to prepare a place for you, and if I prepare a place for you, I'm coming again to receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may also be! This is New Jerusalem.
Verse 12: "And the city also had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and inscribed on the gates were the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east were three gates; on the north were three gates; on the south were three gates; on the west were three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and written on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (vs 12-14).
This is going to be a fantastic thing, indeed! Think about the possibility of living there in New Jerusalem as the Church of the Firstborn, the firstfruits, forever and ever and ever down through eternity.
So, if there is any difficulty or any problem you're having now, get your mind on the final result. That will diminish it down to a proportion that you can easily handle that problem, because your mind is on the completed goal as a spirit being in the Kingdom of God.
Verse 16: "And the city lies foursquare, for its length is as long as its breadth. And he measured the city with the rod, twelve thousand furlongs… [that is, I think, 1500 miles] …the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal."
Then John measured the walls, the foundations, all the stones and all the beauty that is there. This is going to be something:
- we will be with God
- we will see God as He is
- He is our Father
- Jesus Christ is at His right hand
Think on that! That's why we were made at little lower than God! For the very purpose of God's plan to have a great and perfect family of spirit beings that love Him and Jesus Christ, and love each other and all that God has saved and love them. All working together for whatever great plan that God has. If this is great, think about how marvelous it's going to be when all are spirit beings and we can understand exactly what God is doing.
Verse 22: "And I saw no temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city has no need of the sun, or of the moon… [the sun and moon are still there, but they don't need it] …that they should shine in it; because the glory of God enlightens it, and the Light of it is the Lamb" (vs 22-23). Magnificent! How much glory of God are we going to be able to see at that time?
Verse 24: "And the nations that are saved… [all through the Millennium and all in the Great White Throne Judgment 100-year period] …shall walk in its light; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it."
What does all of that mean? I don't know! But in order for us to find out, we've got to get there!
Verse 25: "And its gates shall never be shut by day; for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. And nothing that defiles shall ever enter into it… [there won't be anything to defile anywhere] …nor shall anyone who practices an abomination or devises a lie; but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" (vs 25-27). Quite a wonderful and fantastic thing!
Rev. 22 is the capstone of the whole plan of God! Revelation 22:1: "Then he showed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the Throne of God and of the Lamb."
Magnificent! Here's the Throne of God and the Lamb and flowing out from underneath it is the River of Life! How that works for us as eternal beings, we don't know. But this also means that we are going to be continually learning.
Verse 2: "And in the middle of the street, and on this side and that side of the river, was the Tree of Life, producing twelve manner of fruits, each month yielding its fruit; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing… [[or the maintenance of the nations] …And there shall be no more curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face; and His name is in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; for they have no need of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God enlightens them; and they shall reign into the ages of eternity" (vs 2-5). That's something! Eternal life into the ages of eternity!
Verse 6: "And he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true… [they're going to happen, just as God has said] …and the Lord God of the Holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things that must shortly come to pass.'" Shortly on God's timetable, not ours! Ours is a little different because we're human beings now.
Verse 7: "'Behold, I am coming quickly….'" It's going to be quickly for all of those in the grave, regardless of when they died, because the next moment of their understanding is going to be that they will see Christ! He's here!
"'…Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book'" (v 7).
Go back and read Rev. 1, 'Blessed are those who read and those who hear the words of the prophecy of this book.' And here's the ending of it, Rev. 22:
Verse 8: "Now I, John, was the one who saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who was showing me these things. But he said to me, 'See that you do not do this! For I am a fellow servant of yours, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God'" (vs 8-9).
Just think of the kind of worship that we will have toward God at that time. Our love toward God and God's love toward us, and living in absolute spiritual perfection forever and ever and ever! Keep that focus in your mind because all of the difficulties in this life are to be counted as nothing! At the resurrection it will be as if they never existed.
Verse 10: "And he said to me, 'Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book because the time is near.' Let the one who is unrighteous be unrighteous still; and let the one who is filthy be filthy still; and let the one who is righteous be righteous still; and let the one who is Holy be Holy still. 'And behold, I am coming quickly; and My reward is with Me, to render to each one according as his work shall be'" (vs 10-12).
Coming back down to the earth, now we need to continue to grow and overcome all the time.
Verse 13: "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who keep His commandments, that they may have the right to eat of the Tree of Life, and may enter by the gates into the city" (vs 13-14).
So, all of those who don't keep the commandments of God, but think that they're going to attain:
Verse 15: "But excluded are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and devises a lie. I, Jesus… [here we are, brethren, the final salutation before the end of the Feast and the Last Great Day] …sent My angel to testify these things to you in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star" (vs 15-16).
Verse 17: "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who thirsts come; and let the one who desires partake of the water of life freely. For I jointly testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book… [this is the seal of the whole Bible]: …that if anyone adds to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and from the Holy City, and from the things that are written in this book. He Who testifies these things says, 'Surely, I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (vs 17-21).
That, brethren, is the meaning of The Last Great Day and a glimpse that God gives to us of all eternity to come, as the spiritual sons and daughters of God!
Scriptural References:
- Leviticus 23:24-39
- Genesis 1:26-27
- Psalm 8:1-5
- Job 32:8
- James 2:26
- Job 32:8
- Job 33:4
- Psalm 146:3-4
- James 2:26
- Ecclesiastes 12:7
- 1 Corinthians 2:11
- Hebrews 12:22-23
- John 7:37-39
- Matthew 13:10-13, 15
- John 3:16
- John 12:35-40, 42-50
- John 5:24-29
- Romans 11:25-26, 32
- Revelation 20:4-5, 11-12
- Matthew 12:30-32, 36, 40-42
- Ezekiel 37:1-14
- Revelation 20:14-15
- Revelation 21:1-14, 16, 22-27
- Revelation 22:1-21
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Deuteronomy 16
- Matthew 5:48
- 1 Corinthians 15
- Revelation 1
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8/8/19
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