App
(Feast of Tabernacles—Day 7)
An event that takes place as the thousand years is coming to an end,
and "the nations shall know that I am the Lord God"'
Fred R. Coulter—October 9, 2020
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Greetings, brethren! Welcome to Day 7 of the Feast of Tabernacles!
The Feast of Tabernacles, as we know, is seven days long (Lev. 23). We know that it pictures the thousand-year rule of Christ and the saints on the earth. Let's see how the beginning and the ending are tied together in working out God's plan for all of mankind.
It's very interesting, because just as the Feast of Tabernacles has a beginning, it has an ending. Just like all humankind had a beginning, it also has an ending, but that ending doesn't come until the eighth day, which is tomorrow. When we come to Rev. 1 we find this concerning Christ, declaring Who He is and what He's doing.
The important thing in the very first verses of Rev. 1 is this, and many times when we get into a book we forget the very first part of it. However, the first part is really the most important.
Revelation 1:1: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him…" So, the book of Revelation is from God the Father, it says so directly here!
"...to show to His servants…" (v 1). All of us; we're all servants of God whether we do things in the ministry or not. We're all servants of God to do His will.
"…the things that are ordained tocome to pass shortly…" (v 1). A day to God is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day! So, in the scheme of things in God's plan, it's going to come to pass shortly, everything in the book of Revelation, of course.
"…and He made it known, having sent it by His angel to His servant John who gave witness to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all the things he saw" (vs 1-2).
Here's a promise, a blessing (v 3). Let's understand that the book of Revelation has some easy to understand parts, but has come very hard to understand parts and difficult to really come to understand. We know, and have found, that the key to understanding is:
- the Sabbath
- the Passover
- the Feasts and Holy Days
of God! They tell us what God is doing!
Verse 3: "Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and who keep the things that are written therein; for the time is at hand."
That time at hand actually began right then! What's the first thing we find in Rev.? The seven churches, which projects the churches down through the history of time until the return of Jesus Christ! It begins there.
Verse 4: "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace and peace be to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come…" From Jesus Christ Himself! From God the Father and Jesus Christ this is the most important message for the end-times.
"…and from the seven spirits that are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth…. [all kings on earth down through time (book of Daniel)] …To Him Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (vs 4-5). Now it gives the whole purpose:
- of why we are here,
- for all of those who have been called to the Church
- of our conversion
- of everything that we do
The ultimate result we find right here; v 6: "And has made us kings and priests to God and His Father…"
We also know from what are in other places that there what we call governors, administrators for the those of the resurrected saints to serve in the Kingdom of God to serve humanity for a thousand years, as depicted by the Feast of Tabernacles.
"…to Him be the glory and the sovereignty into the ages of eternity. Amen" (v 6).
This is interesting because many times a prophecy is given as something that has been completed. This is what you call a future perfect. We're not yet kings and priests, but we will be!
Verse 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."
God wants us to know, just like He has told us that He has had the plan of the Gospel before the ages of time! This also fits in with that as well:
Verse 8: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending,' says the Lord, 'Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come—the Almighty.'"
This is important for us to understand: God is the One Who is going to work everything out, according to His will! However, all of us have free moral agency and free choice as we have already covered. Likewise, during the Millennium they will have free moral agency. God is never, never, never going to take it away.
Verse 11: "Saying, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and what you see… [then the first thing he says to John is]: …write in a book…'"
Everything that God wants us to know in this age and of the coming age in the future, He has it written down! That way we can learn it!
- We've already started at the beginning and where does the beginning go? Clear back to Genesis!
- Where does the ending come? Clear to the end of this age of the earth and human beings!
That's an amazing thing to understand, and brethren, God has given us that understanding!
Rev. 20 is toward the ending; not quite there, yet, but we're getting close. We know that the first thing that was done to save the world—and this is a very important thing that we learn on the Day of Atonement—that as long as Satan the devil is around there will always be sin!
Even during the Millennium, because of human nature, there will be sin, but not as grievous as it was under Satan the devil. Satan is the one who causes war after war and hatred and viciousness and all of that sort of thing. Well, after the Millennium there will be human sin, but it's not going to be to the degree that we have in the world today. So, Satan was bound and cast into the abyss.
Revelation 20:3: "Then he cast him into the abyss, and locked him up, and sealed the abyss over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were fulfilled…" That's what this day pictures: the thousand years coming to an end!
So, there is a beginning and an ending with the Feast of Tabernacles and a thousand years.
Verse 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."
So, the first resurrection happens, everything takes place on the Sea of Glass in heaven above necessary for us to take over the rulership of the world. We come down to the earth with Christ and Christ sets up the whole Government of God. But Satan has to be removed first!
Remember that at the end of the Millennium there is going to be an event that takes place that is going to be quite fantastic, indeed! We'll see that later on!
Here's a clue as to what tomorrow is all about, because the eighth day is tied to the seventh day! Whenever there's an ending, there's a new beginning.
Verse 5: "(But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed.)…." We will go through that tomorrow (Last Great Day).
"…This is the first resurrection…. [this is what we're shooting for, right here]: …Blessed and Holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power…. [we'll analyze that more tomorrow] …But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (vs 5-6).
Verse 7: "Now, when the thousand years have been completed… [there it is again] …Satan shall be loosed out of his prison." We will come back to that later and see why he is loosed out of his prison!
Let's just go back and review some of the things that takes place when the Millennium begins and during the Millennium.
We also find in the Old Testament, and somewhat in the New Testament, but in the O.T. a little bit more, this phrase: and it shall be in the last days! The last days phrase is used over and over again.
Micah 4:1: "But it shall be in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established…" Mountain means the Government of God! That authority will be the highest!
"…in the top of the mountains… [higher than all the rest of the nations] …and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it" (v 1). It's going to be a constant:
- people coming/saints coming
- people going/saints going
And the big tabernacle that will be there with fire by night and cloud by day that covers over all of Jerusalem and the Mt. of Olives; that is going to be quite a thing! Why are they coming up? It tells us:
Verse 2: "And many nations shall come and say, 'Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths'…"
That's what we're going to be: teachers, priests, kings! We're going to teach! They're going to come and say, 'Lord, what should I do?' He's going to say: '
Here's what you're going to do; here are the rulers that are going to be over you from now on.
Everything works out together. However, some will not want to do that, which we will see in just a minute.
The reason that they walk in God's way or path, is: "…for the Law shall go forth out of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among many people, and will rebuke strong nations afar off…" (vs 2-3).
We know that the two chapters in Ezek. 38-39 are the conquering of God over Gog and Magog and Prince Tubal and Meshach and all of those nations that are in the north and clear to the east, all the way to China. They are not going to want to come willfully or willingly to Jerusalem. There will have to be after the first seven years of the Millennium—Ezek. 38—that they will come and want to attack all the children of Israel now in the land that God has restored them in. but God is going to destroy them with a blitzkrieg from above. It says over and over again, when God has done this then all the nations shall know that God is God!
So, part of that is rebuking the nations that are far off. Here's what's going to happen.
"…and they shall beat their swords into plowshares…" (v 3). Think about how much money, energy and everything that goes into war and protection! Think about that!
In the Millennium when everything is setup, there will be tithes and offerings that will be required. No money will be necessary to support an army. Here in America that would save about three-quarters of a trillion dollars a year. Think about what could be done with money like that in various communities!
That's just a year! Furthermore, it won't be necessary to have a police force like we have today, because the people will be keeping the laws and commandments of God, and we will make sure that they will do so, which means they will be keeping the Ten Commandments.
All during the Millennium they will be worshipping the true God, there will be no idols, no taking of the name of God in vain and the Sabbath is going to be the focal point of everything along with the Passover and Holy Days.
Think of all the money that will be saved, because there won't be need of a police force or prisons. That's going to be quite a world, indeed! Actually, when you get down to it, that's what every human being actually longs for. But with the human nature that we have and Satan ruling the world today, it's not possible to have it come to pass.
"…and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (v 3). No more learning of war!
When you watch anything to do with the history of mankind, it's nothing but war after war after war; fight after fight after fight! All that is going to be eliminated!
Verse 4: "But they shall sit each one under his own vine and under his own fig tree; and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken, for all people will walk, each one in the name of his god… [referring to us, because we will be the sons and daughters of God] …and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever" (vs 4-5)—both combined together!
Let's see how great that this is going to be; we need to understand that. Never before in the history of the world had it been done. There was only one time in the whole history of the world when there was a bit of peace akin to what it will be in the Millennium. It didn't last very long, because Solomon and the people sinned! There's never really been any real peace on this earth, and won't be until Christ returns and the saints are resurrected!
Here's what's going to happen to Israel and every nation that comes under the jurisdiction, which they all will, whether willingly or not. Remember that Zech. 14 says that if they don't keep the Feast of Tabernacles, if they live in Egypt where they don't have rain, then there's going to be the plague. Well, that will have to happen only once or twice and they'll get the point. In other areas where they need rain, if they don't come and keep the Feast of Tabernacles, it's not going to rain.
Isaiah 58:8: "Then shall your light break out as the dawn, and your health shall spring out quickly…"
Another factor during the Millennium, we won't need all the medical things that we have today. Won't that be good? Look at how much money people spend on all the medicines, surgeries, medical procedures and so forth. All the hospitals costs a lot to operate, and all the research centers. All of that is the penalty for leaving God, beginning with the Garden of Eden!
"…and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard" (v 8)—because all of us as sons and daughters of God are going to leading the way in getting this done! We're all going to be following Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Verse 9: "Then you shall call, and the LORD shall answer; you shall cry, and He shall say, 'Here I am.'…. [that will be through us] …If… [there are conditions; you have to change your behavior] …you take the yoke away from among you, the pointing of the finger, and speaking malice; and if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul…" (vs 9-10).
Of course, right at first it will be that way, but later on it won't be.
"…then shall your light rise in darkness, and your gloom shall be as the noonday. And the LORD shall always guide you and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones fat…" (vs 10-11).
That doesn't mean that they're going to actually be fat, but it means that the morrow, which is fat; of the bones, which is blood, and the life is in the blood physically, and is going to always be healthy. Sickness will be a very rare thing!
"…and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not. And those who come of you shall build the old ruins…" 9vs 11-12).
We are going to have building and construction boom that will be unmatched in the history of the whole world!
"…you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called: The Repairer of the Breach… [the sin of Adam and Eve] …The Restorer of Paths to Dwell in" (v 12)—the Word of God!
We can be sure that it's going to be expanded during the Millennium, without a doubt! Then it talks about the Sabbath right after that. This shows the importance of the Sabbath. What is that going to do for the people?
Verse 13: "If…"—still conditional!
- IF you will love God
- IF you will choose His ways
- IF you will do what is right
- Then this will happen and that will happen
"…you turn your foot away from the Sabbath, from doing your own desires on My Holy Day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the Holy of the LORD, honorable; and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor pursuing your own desires, nor speaking your own words, then… [of course, we're going to make sure that they will be doing it] …you shall delight yourself in the LORD…" (vs 13-14).
Very few people today delight themselves in God! Yes, we in the Church of God know how to do that and delight ourselves in God and all that He does. Knowing that in Him we live, move and have our being, and everything about us and everything that God wants us to do.
"…and I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it" (v 14)—meaning that it's as good as done even before it has even started!
Isn't it interesting how many of these prophecies of the Millennium are in the Old Testament? Why is that? Because this deals with the physical aspect of human life! Whereas, the New Testament deals with the spiritual aspect of physical life when you belong to God now, and what the future will be at the resurrection.
Even though we have all of this, think about all the things that are going to take place and how great it's going to be.
Jeremiah 30:8: "'For it shall be in that day,' says the LORD of hosts, 'I will break his yoke from your neck and will burst your bonds. And strangers shall no longer enslave him.'"
That's talking about Jacob and how God is going to lift all of those things that have burdened them down!
Verse 9: "But they shall serve the LORD their God… [not the governments on the earth] …and David their king, whom I will raise up to them"—showing the resurrection of David to be king over all Israel! Then each one of the 12 apostles as judges over the 12 tribes!
Verse 10: "'And you, O My servant Jacob, do not fear,' says the LORD. 'Do not be terrified, O Israel. For lo, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. And Jacob shall return, and shall be at rest…'" That's what the Feast of Tabernacles pictures, the rest of God! And it shall be glorious, as He says.
"'…and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with you,' says the LORD, 'to save you. Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet, I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you in measure, and will not utterly destroy you.' For thus says the LORD, 'Your bruise is incurable, and your wound is grievous'" (vs 10-12).
In other words, if they don't come to God, there's no help from it!
Jeremiah 32:38: "And they shall be My people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one way…" (vs 38-39).
As we saw earlier, God is going to give them a heart of flesh, rather than a carnal heart of disobedience.
"…that they may fear Me forever, for their good and for the good of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, rather, to do them good. But I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good…" (vs 39-41).
This is what God wants, but the truth of the matter is it can't be this way until we are resurrected from the dead or changed at the return of Christ. We learn what we need to learn to come and rule the people and teach them. We're not going to rule over them harshly; we'll have whatever power we need as necessary, but we will help them and love them and turn them to God.
"…and I will truly plant them in this land with all My heart and all My whole soul.' For thus says the LORD, 'As I have brought all this great evil on this people… [it's going to be good] …so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them" (vs 41-42).
Jeremiah 33:6: "Behold, I will bring it health and healing, and I will heal them and will show them the riches of peace and Truth."
The fact is that if you don't have peace and Truth with God, whatever riches you have are not going to do you that much good.
Verse 7: "And I will cause the return from captivity of Judah and the return from captivity of Israel, and will build them, as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me; and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned, and by which they have transgressed against Me. And it shall be for Me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth…" (vs 7-9).
Here's how they're going to come and say, 'Whoa! Let's go up to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem and let's learn of His ways. We'll understand it.'
"…which shall hear of all the good that I do to them. And they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the peace that I bring to it" (v 9). Quite a thing! That's magnificent, isn't it?
We need to review Isa. 65 and understand how life is going to operate during the Millennium. This applies to the Millennium and also apply to the Last Great Day and what we know as the second resurrection!
Isaiah 65:17: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth…." Think of how everything is going to be all messed up with the return of Christ and all the fighting of the nations!
"…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, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and I will joy in My people…" (vs 17-19).
Think about this: Those who live in Jerusalem will all be the sons and daughters of God! There won't be fleshly people living in Jerusalem. That's the headquarters of God, and everything for the whole world is going out from there.
Verse 20: "There will not be an infant who lives but a few days… [no premature deaths] …nor an old man that has not filled his days…"
Now here is where we get that during the Millennium they're going to live for 100 years; the infant for fullness of days, the adult for fullness of days, but notice the sinner, because there will still be sinners.
Why? Because God is not going to remove independent free moral agency! He doesn't want robots. He wants those who love Him with all their heart, mind, soul and being. He wants those who are going to keep His commandments and do what is right.
But if they refuse, then they're going to have to either repent or be removed. We're going to see something that at the end of the Millennium it's going to be quite a thing about those who do not accept God's way!
"…but the sinner who is a hundred years old shall be accursed" (v 20)—meaning you have had your chance and did not take advantage of it. You decided to go your way, to live in your sins, and now—since you haven't repented—you are removed!
- just like God did with Cain after he killed Abel
- just like God did with the children of Israel when they sinned
That's going to happen. I also think that the first removal will be to a Repentance Center where
- they can be helped
- they can study the Word of God
- they can have time for fasting and prayer
- they can decide what they want to do
IF they really repent they can return back to the community!
But the one who is accursed is the one who did not repent! They will be exiled to Gog and Magog and there as where they will die, all those during the Millennium who refuse!
But at the end of the Millennium there's the 100 year period for them to die. So, God is going to have to take care of it a little differently, as we will see.
(Break)
Let's understand more about the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and how wonderful that the Millennium is going to be, and how God is going to handle it.
Eternal life, as best as we can understand it from the Bible, is going to be so supremely greater than human life. We must learn—all of us who enter into the Kingdom of God—the righteousness of God, the love of God, and why it's so important to have:
- no sin
- no rebellion
- no self-serving
That's what has destroyed the universe, as it were, with Satan and the angels that rebelled!
God is going to solve all of those things, but with people we have to live this life in the flesh. We have to show with the Spirit of God, the Truth of God and loving and serving Him that we will:
- always be faithful
- always be loving
and when we make mistakes
- always repent
Some mistakes, as we have seen like with King David, can be very grievous. But God forgave him! When we were born into the Kingdom of God, all of these things of the flesh will be left behind.
During the Millennium when those who prove this and they come to the end of the 100-years, they will be changed from flesh to spirit. That change will represent an instantaneous death and resurrection. Why? Because it's given to all once to die! As in Adam we all die, and that's because we all—and that will carry over into the Millennium as well—have 'the law of sin and death' in us. When the Millennium starts, God is going to take away the part of the harshness of human nature so that it is not quite as evil as it is today.
But without Satan around it will be easier to recognize and easier to correct. That's what will happen during the Millennium.
As we have seen, if you live a hundred years and you've been righteous, there's no need for you to die and go in a grave.
- When would you be resurrected?
- A week later?
- Five years later?
No! It won't be necessary! Let's just review that again so that we understand for those who are righteous during the Millennium there is no need for them to be buried—to die and be buried—because they will be changed:
1-Thessalonians 4:15: "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 and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 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" (vs 15-17).
This has got to show that for them to be changed, caught up, it has to be an instantaneous dead and resurrection. Therefore, that has to be the way that God will do it during the Millennium.
I do believe that wherever there is a congregation—and lo there will be millions of them—when it comes time for a person who is successfully attained to 100-years and is righteous, who has been in the grace and love of God, that there is no reason for them to die and be buried. But when they're changed it will be an instantaneous death and transformation.
1-Corinthians 15:44: "It is sown a natural body… [that's what it is today, and when you die it's put in the ground] …it is raised a spiritual body…. [we can understand that] …There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body; accordingly, it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul; the last Adam became an ever-living Spirit.' However, the spiritual was not first, but the natural—then the spiritual. The first man is of the earth—made of dust. The second Man is the Lord from heaven. As is the one made of dust, so also are all those who are made of dust… [all human beings] …and as is the heavenly One, so also are all those who are heavenly" (vs 44-48). That's going to be the difference in transformation!
Here we are, we have a body of flesh; v 49: "And as we have borne the image of the one made of dust…"
All made in Adam, fleshly beings. This, in fact, is also a guarantee that you will be in the resurrection and have a spiritual body IF you're faithful! The fact that you have a physical body is a precursor that you will have a spiritual body.
"…we shall also bear the image of the heavenly One. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God…" (vs 49-50)—the spiritual Kingdom!
But when the Kingdom of God comes to the earth and there are physical human beings on the earth, they will be under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of God, because they cannot come into the Kingdom of God unless they are spirit beings.
"…nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery… [How is God going to do this? We don't know, it's a mystery!] …we shall not all fall asleep… [tie in 1-Thess. 4] …but we shall all be changed, 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" (vs 50-52).
Then, as we saw in 1-Thess. 4, those who are alive will be caught up in the air, obviously changed! So, during the Millennium that's how it's going to be. But what about those who must be exiled? Let's look at that again, because that becomes very important.
Revelation 20:3: "Then he cast him [Satan] into the abyss, and locked him up, and sealed the abyss over him, 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." We don't know how long a short time is!
Verse 7: "Now, when the thousand years have been completed… [that's what is pictured by this seventh day] …Satan shall be loosed out of his prison."
Why is God going to do this? Let's see what happens and then we can answer the question!
Verse 8: "And he shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog…"
We've already covered this: Gog and Magog are going to attack against the children of Israel in the seventh year after they have come into the Millennium. They're going to come against the cities, because they're not defended, and there's going to be this last great battle where Gog and Magog are going to be destroyed and all those with them.
Then it says that 'the nations shall know that I am the Lord God!' this is going to be the final battle to secure all nations under the jurisdiction of God as the Millennium begins. That's what it says; that He's going to rebuke strong nations afar off.
Since even Gog and Magog are going to know the Lord, this reference to Gog and Magog does not refer to the people.
- How do we know?
- Are Gog and Magog the only who are going to sin during the Millennium? No!
There will be sinners out of all nations! So, this had to be referring to the geographical territory—or part of the geographical territory—of Gog and Magog.
This has to be the final place of exile! So, in the last generation there are going to be a lot of people ending up over there in Gog and Magog in the land of exile, because they don't want to do God's way. That's why Satan is loosed!
This will tell us what's going to happen. Here are all of those in Gog and Magog who have been exiled, still alive as physical human beings. Satan is loosed out of his prison and he goes there and says, 'I am God,' and the people will believe that deception. Satan will probably say:
This God down in Jerusalem… And by the way, they don't have any defenses, so what we're going to do, we're all going to prepare for war. So, let us makes some weapons, whatever we can do, because if we come down there and conquer Jerusalem and take over Jerusalem we will rule the world!
Hasn't that always been Satan's desire? Yes!
Verse 8: "And he shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth… [I just described that deception] …Gog and Magog… [the geographical territory] …of whom the number is as the sand of the sea…"—a great number of people!
This show that free moral agency is always active and we must:
- by free choice
- by free will
- by devotion
- through repentance accept:
- God
- His way
- His Truth
- His Laws
- His commandments
- everything about God
"…to gather them together for war" (v 8).
So, the first thing that Satan does again is instigate war, to takeover from God, to try and overthrow God! This is his last chance to do it. Of course, you know that the demons are all there with him, too, because they were all cast into the abyss. Wherever Satan is, the demons will be, also.
When they come out and show all of their false miracle and tell these people in Gog and Magog:
Look, we're going to do this! This is going to be easy to do. Think about it; they're all gentle, gentle, gentle and they have no defense; they don't know how to fight. But we'll learn all of that right now and we will go in a mammoth army and we will takeover Jerusalem.
Quite a spectacular deception!
Verse 9: "Then I saw them go up upon the breadth of the earth and encircle the camp of the saints…"
Remember, there's that great pillar, that great tabernacle with the pillar of light and so forth.
"…and the beloved city…" (v 9). God let's them get right up close to it and it looks like they could just run and take it, but God has other plans!
"…and fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them" (v 9). What is this? For all of those out there in Gog and Magog, they did not have a chance to die accursed and be buried! So, they have to all die once, and they're going to die again at the second resurrection.
This is a way of getting rid of all those who committed the unpardonable sin toward the end of the Millennium, and Satan brings them for war against the Holy City, and God destroys them all!
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… [because right at the beginning of the Millennium we find this:
Revelation 19:19: "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war with Him Who sits on the horse, and with His army." Satan is always war, war, war; that's all he knows!
Verse 20: "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked miracles in his presence, by which he had deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Those two were cast alive into the Lake of Fire, which burns with brimstone."
What happens when human beings are cast into a Lake of Fire? They burn up! That's why in Revelation 20:10 it is translated "…had been cast…" there is no such thing as flesh living in and ever-burning fire. It's doesn't happen.
"…and they, Satan and the demons, shall be tormented day and night into the ages of eternity" (v 20).
What is Satan's fate? Jude talks about those who have committed the unpardonable sin! It talks about the demons and Satan the devil who caused them to do it.
Jude 6: "And the angels who did not keep their own original domain… [Where was that? On the earth? Everything indicates that they were on the earth!] …but deserted their habitation, He is holding in eternal bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day." A prison! Rev. 20 calls it the abyss! All referring to where the rebellious angels are kept!
1-Peter 3:18: "Because Christ indeed once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God; on the one hand, He was put to death in the flesh; but on the other hand, He was made alive by the Spirit… [that's what we are to follow] …by which… [the Spirit when He was a spirit being before He became a man] …He also went and preached to the spirits in prison, which disobeyed in a past time when once the longsuffering of God was waiting in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared…" (vs 18-20).
At that time that's when He went to the angels to warn them, to preach against them, that all that they did before the Flood was coming to an end! Now it's going to all be coming to an end again!
They left their first estate and here's what they do: when they're out of the prison they cause people to sin. Satan is the author of sin and his rebellion is the original sin. The original human sin was with Adam and Eve. But who led them into sin? Satan!
Jude 7: "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah—and the cities surrounding them, in the same manner as them—having given themselves over to sexual debaucheries, and having gone after different flesh, are themselves exhibited as a perpetual example of undergoing the punishment of eternal fire."
That doesn't mean that they're being punished eternally. That means the fire comes from the Eternal God, so it's eternal fire vs fire that men would make.
Verse 8: "In the same way also, these dreamers of filthy dreams are defiling the flesh, and are declaring as invalid the Lordship of God, and are blaspheming the Divine powers."
Isn't that exactly what always happens? They defame God! Think about what it's going to be when Satan is loosed on the number of the sand of the sea and says 'Let's get together for a war!' Same thing!
He's going to be blaspheming God in all the saints and Jesus Christ down in Jerusalem. Notice part of the battle that took place:
Verse 9: "But Michael the archangel, when he was personally taking issue with the devil, disputing about the body of Moses."
What would Satan have done if he could have gotten the body of Moses and put it in a glass tomb so you could look into it, and filled it with honey so that his body would never decompose? Then build a giant temple and cathedral and have Moses there as their relic! That's what Satan was wanting!
[Michael] "…did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment against him, but said, 'The Lord Himself rebuke you!' As for these, whatever things they do not understand, they blaspheme; but whatever things they understand by instinct, as irrational brute beasts, they are corrupting themselves in these things. Woe to them!…." (vs 9-11).
I'm going through this because we're going to see that all of this has to do with the rebellion of the angels and Satan, and causing mankind—in the guise of these instances—to sin.
Verse 11: "Woe to them! For they have walked in the way of Cain…" What happened to Cain? He was exiled! Premiere sinner.
"…and for gain, they have wholly given themselves up to Balaam's delusion, and haveperished in the rebellion of Korah. These are subversive stains in your love feasts…" (vs 11-12).
We've had those come into the Church of God and actually take it down. There were those that went on television and bragged how they took down the Worldwide Church of God. They knew what they were doing, and that it was deliberate!
Verse 12: "These are subversive stains in your love feasts, feasting in person together with you; fearlessly they are feeding themselves. They are clouds without water… [these are empty human beings] …being driven by the winds… [whichever way Satan causes the wind to blow] …trees of late autumn, without any fruit, uprooted, twice dead." In other words, they will suffer the second death!
Verse 13: "Raging waves of the sea, casting up like foam their own ignominious shame; wandering stars…"—defining all of the rebellious angels!
Since they are spirit beings they have to be put someplace. Let's see about that!
"…for whom has been reserved the blackest darkness forever!" (v 13).
That's where they are going to go! Their fate and that of Satan the devil is set right after the Millennium, and right after that final battle. What Jude was writing about there was to show that all of these things emanated from the rebellious angels who caused all of this sin and all the wretchedness of all of mankind. That's what it's showing!
All those who came down as human beings, who were sent off into exile were burned up, all ashes—nothing left of them—they still have to face the second death, because that was their first death.
Revelation 20:10: "And the Devil, who deceived them, was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone…"
That's where his punishment starts; after that it is to the blackest darkness forever! Is that some giant black hole out in the universe, where once they are in there they can never escape? Probably so!
"…where the beast and the false prophet had been cast; and they, Satan and the demons, shall be tormented day and night into the ages of eternity" (v 10).
Don't you think that the blackest darkness forever is the fit punishment for them? Yes, indeed! Then comes the activities after the seventh day.
Let's have an introduction to it, v 11[transcriber's correction]: "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. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God…" (vs 11-12). This is the second resurrection!
Tomorrow we are going to see the meaning of that day, and how that is one of the greatest and most fantastic days in the history of all mankind!
Scriptural References:
- Revelation 1:1-8, 11
- Revelation 20:3-7
- Micah 4:1-5
- Isaiah 58:8-14
- Jeremiah 30:8-12
- Jeremiah 32:38-42
- Jeremiah 33:6-9
- Isaiah 65:17-20
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
- 1 Corinthians 15:44-52
- Revelation 20:3, 7-10
- Revelation 19:19-20
- Revelation 20:10
- Jude 6
- 1 Peter 3:18-20
- Jude 7-13
- Revelation 20:10-12
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Leviticus 23
- Ezekiel 38; 39
- Zechariah 14
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8/10/10
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