Welcome to the Feast of Tabernacles—2020

Be Filled with the Knowledge of God's Will

Fred R. Coulter—October 2, 2020

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Greetings, brethren! Welcome to the Feast of Tabernacles—2020!

It's been quite a year with the Wuhan Chinese Virus, and all of the things going on with it. But now is the time to set all of that aside, even though we still have to make provisions for it in many cases.

This is what we need to keep our mind on: God wants us:

• to dwell with Him
• to live with Him
• to assist Jesus Christ in saving the world

Think about that for a calling; that's quite a calling! To save the world!

It's going to be in the worst condition that it has ever been when we take over. What's the most important thing that we need to keep in mind for the Feast of Tabernacles. We will see that it has to do with the character that God builds in us as we yield to Him, and He and Christ dwell with in us!

So, here's a question in Psa. 15 that David asked the Lord, because he understood.

Psalm 15:1: "LORD, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle?…." That's the great tabernacle of God, and that will develop into the new heaven and the new earth; New Jerusalem!

Verse 2: "He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness…" Well, the only way you can walk uprightly is with the commandments and laws of God!

Righteousness comes from God! The righteousness of God given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit!

"…and speaks the Truth in his heart" (v 2).

• no agendas
• no two-facedness
• no infiltrators

None of that!

It's amazing how much is in the Old Testament relating to those of us in the New Testament and what it's going to be like, and how it's going to be carried out and what it will be.

Isaiah 51:1: "Hearken to Me…"—meaning hear to listen and obey; hearken to God! That's the most important thing for us to do.

"…you who follow after righteousness…" (v 1). That's what we do! We are seeking the righteousness of God, not our own righteousness as Paul said, but the righteousness that comes from God! That's what this Feast of Tabernacles pictures.

"…you who seek the LORD… [we're to seek Him with all our heart, mind, soul and being] …Look to the Rock from which you were cut…" (v 1). Who is that Rock? Jesus Christ!

"…and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug" (v 1). In other words, pulled out of the depths of Satan the devil!

As I read v 2 I want you to think in your mind Gal. 3, 'If you are Christ's, you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.' See how this ties in with:

Verse 2: "Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him, and made him many."

In Rom. 4 it says that he understood that he was to be heir of the world! Of course, Abraham is going to be right there next to God carrying all of this out. We're going to be there as kings and priests and doing the things that we need to do to teach the people and bring many sons into glory.

Verse 3: "For the LORD shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places…"—the whole world! Think about comforting the world! Not just the people, but the earth itself!

"…and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody" (v 3). Just think what that's going to be:

• no more war
• no more death
• no more killing
• no more Satan the devil

What a time that is going to be!

Verse 4: "Hearken to Me, My people; and give ear to Me, O My nation…"

This is what God is doing with us; He is preparing us to take over the world. Keep that in mind, and that's why we need to learn the lessons that we need to learn, now!

1-Peter 2:3: "If you yourselves have indeed tasted that the Lord is gracious…"—which we have through everything that we do and live!

Verse 4: "To Whom coming, as to a living Stone… [just like we talked about before] …rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house—a Holy priesthood—… [that's what we will be, kings and priests] …to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this reason it says in the Scripture, 'Behold, I place in Zion the Cornerstone, chosen and precious; and the one who believes in Him shall never be put to shame.' The preciousness is to you, therefore, who believe…" (vs 4-7).

Let's do this during this Feast of Tabernacles: Let's set aside every worry, every trouble, every burden, everything that troubles us! Set it aside and let God give us:

• happiness
• joy
• understanding
• in His Word
• in His Truth
• in His promises

For us! He's called us to be His children; His very children, indeed!

Verse 9: "But you are a chosen stock…"

• Isn't that true?
• Why are you here?
• Because you answered the call!

When you answered the call, God chose you and me! All the rest down through history! We are those who are living in the last times, and God is giving us knowledge, wisdom and understanding to prepare us to really be those who are assisting to help save the world when Christ returns.

In ages past they had no knowledge of what the end-times would really be like and all the things that take place.

"…a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people for a possession of God… [His very own children through the power of His Spirit] …that you might proclaim His excellent virtues… [to the whole world] …Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people, but now are the people of God; who had not received mercy, but now have received mercy" (vs 9-10).

We're going to help extend mercy to the whole world!Think about that! That's quite a thing!

Isaiah 51:5: "My righteousness is near… [and never before has that been more true than now] …My salvation has gone out…"—to all who are called and received the Holy Spirit of God! That's what's going to happen during the Millennium, and we will bring it out.

"…and My arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on My arm they shall trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens…" (vs 5-6).

Here's a good thing to understand. If you have the DVD: Special Message: True Fellowship with God, let me tell you that if you get down and depressed, and overburdened with things, you pray to God and get out that DVD and realize the greatness of the calling of God! And that He's given us true fellowship with Him and Jesus Christ!

• that why we're here
• this is what the Feast of Tabernacles is all about
  • living in the Kingdom
  • living with God
  • teaching the people of the world
  • bringing many sons and daughters into the Kingdom of God
  • bringing happiness and joy to the whole world

through the power of God!

No place in the world, nor any other thing in this world can even compare to what God has promised to give us! Keep that in mind and watch that video True Fellowship with God!

Verse 6: "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall become old like a garment… [talking about preparation for New Jerusalem; think about that clear back here in Isaiah—800sB.C.] …and its inhabitants shall die in the same way. But My salvation… [this is the greatest thing of all] …shall be forever…"

All of this that we're going through right now will seem like just a few minutes of difficulties in the passing of time of eternity. Think about that!

Verse 7: Hearken to Me, you who know righteousness… [that's us] …the people in whose heart is My Law…"

Heb. 10 says that 'this is the covenant that I will make with them in those days.' This is the covenant that God is making with us now: that 'I will write My laws and commandments in their hearts and minds!

Now you know why Bible study is so important!

"…do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their revilings; for the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but My righteousness shall be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation" (vs 7-8).

When God's plan is all over it's not necessary for salvation, because all will be saved, so it's "…from generation to generation" until it's fulfilled. Here's what we are to do:

• we come to God for this
• we come to His Word for this
• we use His Truth for this

Verse 9: "Awake! Awake! Put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab into pieces, piercing the serpent?" God is the One Who got rid of Satan the devil!

Verse 11: "Therefore, the redeemed of the LORD shall return…"—talking about the saving of Israel and bringing them back, but it's also talking about us in the first resurrection!

"…and come with singing into Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head…." (v 11).

• no more sorrow
• no more tears
• no more death
• no more pain

"…Gladness and joy shall overtake them; sorrow and mourning shall flee away. 'I, even I, am He Who comforts you…." (vs 11-12)

That's what we need now with all the things we've gone through we need:

• comfort
• strength
• redemption
• God's blessing
• God's intervention
• God's Law
• God's Truth

And we need to have a marvelous and wonderful Feast of Tabernacles!

"…Who are you, that you should be afraid of a man that shall die, or of the son of man who is made as grass?" (v 12).

Verse 15: "'But I am the LORD your God, Who divided the sea, so that its waves roared' (the LORD of hosts is His name)."

Here it is for all of us, because this is what we're going to do when we're kings and priests:

Verse 16: "And I have put My words in your mouth…" The words of God; that's what we need:

• the Truth of God
• the love of God
• the comfort of God
• the understanding of where we're going
• the understanding of why we're here
• the understanding of what we're doing

So, we look at the world all in turmoil and not knowing what's going on, think about how precious this is!

"…and I have covered you in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, 'You are My people'" (v 16). That's what it is for us, the people of God!

There are a lot of Psalms that talk about the Kingdom of God! Do a study through and look up every place where it talks about the Kingdom of God, and happiness and joy forever. What a great and wonderful thing that is going to be.

Psalm 68:16: "Why do you gaze in envy, O mountain range, at the mountain God has chosen for His resting place?…."—one place in Jerusalem!

When Christ and the saints come back the Mt. Olives is going to raise up to be high. We'll talk about the tabernacle that God is going to put there. What a beautiful thing that's going to be!

"…Yea, the LORD will dwell in it forever" (v 16).

Verse 20: "Our God is the God of salvation; for unto the sovereign Lord belong the issues of death"—referring to the resurrection!

Verse 32: "Sing unto God, you kingdoms of the earth… " That's what it's going to be!

Think about when the Sabbath begins at one end of the earth, it's going to be raising songs, prayers, joy as it goes clear around the world to complete the Sabbath for the whole world. Think about what it's going to be for the Feast; great indeed!

"…O sing praises unto the LORD. Selah. To Him Who rides upon the heaven of heavens which are of old; lo, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. Ascribe power to God: His majesty is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are awesome from Your Holy sanctuary… [God right there in that great tabernacle] …the God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God" (vs 32-35).

That's quite a thing, indeed! That's what God has called us to!God is preparing that right now. Everything that God is doing is going to come to pass as God has said, in the way that God has said, at the time that God determines that it's going to be. Here's what God is doing, and this includes all people of the world.

Think about this, the last thing that God prepares in preparation for the coming Kingdom and the last calling that He's going to give that will be answered, is to the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude. Perhaps that will be the greatest number of people saved in all the plan of God. That's something! The reason that Christ came and what He did and what He's doing is right here:

Ephesians 2:16: "And that He might reconcile both… [Jew and Gentile] …to God in one body through the cross, having slain the enmity by it."

• the enmity of carnal nature
• the enmity of the Jewish traditions
• the enmity of all religions

when they're called out and come to God in conversion!

Verse 17: "Now when He came, He preached the Gospel—peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. For through Him…

• our Savior
• our Lord
• our Master
• our High Priest in heaven right now
• and King over the whole world shortly!

"…we both have direct access by one Spirit to the Father" (v 17).

When we pray, it goes directly to the Father and to Jesus Christ. That is a marvelous thing, indeed, for us! That is what is meant by grace upon grace!

• grace to have our sins forgiven
• grace to draw near to God
• grace to have direct contact with God the Father and Jesus Christ
• grace in the calling that we are going to be those who are going to rule under Jesus Christ and bring peace to this world

All of that is grace!

Verse 19: "So then, you are no longer aliens and foreigners; but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of the household of God."

• bearing the name of God
• the spiritual begettal of God
• at the resurrection blossomed into its fullness

Verse 20: "You are being built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone."

Everything has to come through Christ, and He is the One Who gave us direct access to God the Father in heaven above. Remember what He told the disciples on the night before He was arrested:

Heretofore, you have asked nothing in My name, I say to you, 'You pray to the Father for He Himself loves you, and you pray in My name.

That's a paraphrase of John 16!

Verse 21: "In Whom all the building, being conjointly fitted together, is increasing into a Holy temple in the Lord":

• a temple
• a tabernacle
• a building
• a nation
• a priesthood

The righteousness of God in all of it!

Verse 22: "In Whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit." That's really a profound and wonderful thing indeed, when we really, really understand it and grasp it!

Let's see something else, quite a few important things. Col. 1 is one of the most important chapters in the Epistles of Paul. It tells us our connection with God the Father through Jesus Christ and the whole plan of God and what He is doing right now.

Colossians 1:9: "For this cause we also, from the day that we heard of it… [their love and faithfulness to Christ] …do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will…" That's what we will cover during the Feast of Tabernacles:

• the will of God for us
• the will of God for the world
• the will of God for those who were never called, but will be when we get to the last day

"…in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (v 1). In other words, to really get right the way God wants!

Verse 10: "That you may walk worthily of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God." That's what we must constantly do:

• grow in grace and knowledge
• grow in understanding
• grow in wisdom
• grow in Truth
• grow in the Laws of God
• grow in righteousness
• grow in Holiness

All of that together!

Verse 11—notice what this will do: "Being strengthened… [that's what we need] …with all power according to the might of His glory, unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy." That's what we need to do with this Feast of Tabernacles!

Remember what it says in John 6:44: "No one can come to Me unless the Father, Who sent Me, draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." And He also says in another place that 'no one can come to the Father except through Me!'  Both of Them are working together and that's how we got here:

• where we are
• what we're doing
• where we're going
• how we're going to do it

I want you to understand that God the Father Himself is the One Who intervenes in our lives when we call upon Him to do this:

Verse 12: "Giving thanks to the Father, Who has made us qualified for the share of the inheritance of the saints in the Light."

The Father is working with us to qualify us; that's why we need to respond:

• in love
• in truth
• in obedience
• in yieldedness

through

• prayer
• study
• daily living
• everything that we do

When we make mistakes, sin and fall, get up on your knees and pray and repent, and have God forgive you; He is rescuing you!

Verse 13: "Who has personally rescued us from the power of darkness…"—from Satan the devil—personally!

In the Greek there is a verb called the middle voice, which is the subject is also the object of the action. God Himself is doing this personally so that through us it comes back to Him as His sons and daughters!

"…and has transferred us unto the Kingdom of the Son of His love" (v 13).

We are not yet in the Kingdom of God, because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, but we are under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of God, and that comes first before anything else!

Verse 14: "In Whom we have redemption through His own blood, even the remission of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation" (vs 14-15). The Firstborn from the dead of all the creation that God is doing in His Church through His people! This is important for us to grasp!

Verse 16: "Because by Him were all things created, the things in heaven and the things on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him." And He has the pre-eminence of all!

Now, this is what we want. Let's see, if we can, at this Feast all come together in love and fellowship, whether there are two, three, five or a larger group. We don't know what it will be, depending on what transpires. But nevertheless—even if you are alone—that makes no difference. If you have the love in you, when you get together with the brethren, you will love them as well.

John wrote that because God has loved us and given us His son as a Savior, we are duty-bound to love one another! Let's keep that in mind as I read this:

Ephesians 1:15—Paul said: "For this cause… [everything above talks about the calling of God; the Father intervening Himself personally] …I also, after hearing of the faith in the Lord Jesus that is among you, and the love toward all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers" (vs 15-16).

Notice this, and let this be so during this Feast of Tabernacles, that we can come a to a greater, more profound and more spiritually filled knowledge of God's plan in His love for us and His love for humanity, and our part in it!

Verse 17: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."

Verse 18 is something, because this is a real opening of the mind to the Truth. That's what it means, because you don't have a third eye. Paul expresses it that way because it's the receiving of the true knowledge of God spiritually.

Verse 18: "And may the eyes of your mind be enlightened in order that you may comprehend… [here's what that will do]: …what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the inner working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above every principality and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named—not only in this age, but also in the age to come" (vs 18-21).

That's what this Feast of Tabernacles is about, the age to come to save the world, to save all those who will then enter into the Kingdom of God!

Brethren, have a wonderful and great Feast!

Scriptural References:

• Psalm 15:1-2
• Isaiah 51:1-2
• 1 Peter 2:3-7, 9-10
• Isaiah 51:5-9, 11-12, 15-16
• Psalm 68:16-20, 32-35
• Ephesians 2:16-22
• Colossians 1:9-11
• John 6:44
• Colossians 1:9-16
• Ephesians 1:15-21

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Galatians 3
• Romans 4
• Hebrews 10
• John 16

Also referenced: DVD:
            Special Message: True Fellowship with God

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 7/26/20

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