(Day 1—FOT—2022)
Fred R. Coulter—October 10, 2022
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Greetings, brethren! Welcome to the Feast of Tabernacles!
We're closer to the Kingdom than we have ever been! It's an amazing thing, isn't it? This is why God has His Feast every year; so that we can keep our mind focused on:
- what we're doing
- where we're going
- what God is doing
- what He has planned
- how we fit into that:
That's going to really be something! It says that the eye has not seen nor the ear heard what the Lord has planned for those who love Him! It an amazing thing!
Let's begin by going to Lev. 23 where we start off every Holy Day, because this is where they're all listed in order according to the timing of the Calculated Hebrew Calendar for us to keep them.
When you look at Lev. 23, these are the longest commands of all the Feasts right here. Just like we need to understand the Word of God and study it and re-study it and re-study it, we're going to read everything here about the Feast of Tabernacles. Then we're going to understand from the rest of the Bible how God is going to do it, and how we fit into it.
What God has for us is absolutely amazing, and breathtaking, and so fantastic that we cannot appreciate it until we are really a spirit being. We can get a glimpse of it. Like Paul has written: we are looking through a glass darkly!
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. On the first day shall be a Holy convocation. You shall do no servile work therein. Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day shall be a Holy convocation to you….'" (vs 34-36).
So, right at the end of it God has the most important day of all, but the least mentioned in the Bible! That's amazing of itself, isn't it?
Verse 37: "These are the Feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything on its day."
Since we don't have the tabernacle, and we don't offer animal sacrifices or the other sacrifices, we take up and offering.
We know that in Deut. 16 it tells us that we are to keep these three Feasts and all the males are to come. Lots of times people wonder why just the males. Well, there's a lot that can happen where the women are not able to come:
- childbirth
- caring for those who are sick and unable to go
Those are the two main things!
Deuteronomy 16:16: "Three times in a year shall all your males appear before the LORD your God in the place which He shall choose: in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles. And they shall not appear before the LORD empty." All of these things are for our benefit so we can learn:
- to love God
- to serve God
- to love the brethren
- to serve the brethren
- to look forward to the fulfillment of this in our life when Christ returns
Verse 17: "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God, which He has given you."
Whatever your blessing is! You look back and see the blessings that God has given you, and you consider that in your offerings.
(pause for the offering)
Thank you very much for the offering that you have given. As you know, we will always put it to use for what we do for serving the brethren, preaching the Gospel and doing the things that we need to do. Because of all the offerings down through the years and tithes that brethren have given, it's all been put to a good use.
We have more booklets and books, and things to study of the Bible than any other Church of God! This is not to put ourselves forward and make ourselves exalted above them. No, we wish them the best, pray for all of them and their brethren, as well. We are all going to be in the Kingdom of God. However, we have had had the time and we use the funds for the things that are necessary to get everything out to the brethren. That's what's important!
Leviticus 23:38: "Besides the Sabbaths…[that is plural] …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…. [He repeats it; this is the only Feast that is repeated] …On the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath" (vs 38-39). Well, that's something!
Verse 40: "And you shall take the boughs of beautiful trees for yourselves on the first day, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days."
Why did God have them take these branches? On Feast of Tabernacles when we were up at Twain Harte we decided that we were going to bring in a few branches and keep them here and we're going to see every day what's happening to them. There's a lesson that Jesus taught in John 15. He is the vine and we are the branches, and we must be attached to Him!
If you're not attached to Him, what happens? Every day it dries up a little bit, and at the end of eight days they're nearly dead. So, the whole lesson is that the whole way of God is to bring us life! Anything less than that is not going to work.
Verse 41: "And you shall keep it a Feast to the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths seven days…." (vs 41-42).
We don't have booths to dwell in seven days right now, but remember that wherever you are that dwelling is temporary. When Christ returns everything is going to be new. When the whole plan of God is finished, what's going to happen to the earth? He's going to take the Lake of Fire and first the wicked go into it and then it consumes everything on the earth! It even does away with the sea.
I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but the whole point is that everything physical now is temporary. This is one of the things that we are to learn: life is temporary!
Verse 43: "'So that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' And Moses declared the appointed Feasts of the LORD to the children of Israel" (vs 43-44). Compare that to:
Verse 1: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, "Concerning the appointed Feasts of the LORD…"'" (vs 1-2).
These are appointed times by God for us to come before Him so we can learn of His way and His Truth!
"…which you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations… [and we do, all of the Feasts; even the Sabbath] …even these are My appointed Feasts (v 2).
Let's understand something very important with everything that we do: When God sets the appointment, we are to come! The first appointed Feast is the Sabbath, the weekly Sabbath! God does something special in all of His Feasts! He puts His spiritual presence there so that we can draw close to God, draw close to each other and learn of God's way. In all of this:
- What is it going to do?
- What did the Apostle Peter say about the time ahead of us and what God is going to do?
Acts 3—this is after they—Peter & John—healed the man. Let's understand something else, everything that we have comes from God! There is nothing that you can show, or any man can show, that he made it without using something that God made.
Here in the healing of the man; Acts 3:12: "And when Peter saw it, he answered to the people… [all the people coming because they healed the man] …'Men, Israelites, why are you wondering at this? And why are you looking upon us so intently as if by our own power or Godliness we have made him to walk?'"
A good lesson for all of us elders, when we anoint people, it's God Who does the healing. Here Peter said that 'it's not from us.'
Verse 13: "The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Son Jesus, Whom you delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, after he had judged to release Him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and requested that a man who was a murderer be granted to you" (vs 13-14).
It shows something else: human nature can never choose what is right of and by itself! If you don't believe that, look at the world today!
Verse 15: "And you killed the Author of life… [Peter is telling them that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh]…Whom God has raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses."
This is the hope that have pictured by Pentecost, being raised from the dead! Then the Feast of Tabernacles tells us what we're going to be doing after we're spirit beings.
Verse 16: "And through faith in His name, this man whom you see and know was made strong in His name; and the faith that is through Him gave this complete soundness to him in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I realize that you acted in ignorance, as did your rulers also; but what God had before announced by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He has accordingly fulfilled" (vs 16-18).
Now listen! This is something true for every day that we live. You read the model prayer and it says, 'Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.' Repentance is a daily thing! You will come to understand that more as you come to understand how deceitful and evil your own human mind is, especially in this wicked world today!
Verse 19: "Therefore, repent and be converted in order that your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Him Who was before proclaimed to you: Jesus Christ Whom the heaven must indeed receive until the times of restoration of all things…" (vs 19-21).
That's what the Feast of Tabernacles pictures: the restoration of all things, everything on the planet! All human beings and the heavens around us!
"…of which God has spoken by the mouth of all His Holy prophets since the world began" (v 21). That's quite a thing!
We need to realize what these things are. Let's see a prophecy that we've covered before, but we need to cover it here now.
Isa. 9 is a good lesson on how God has put things together. Just by reading them they are not in a chronological sequence in which they will occur. But you have to have the chronological sequence pattern of the Sabbath and Holy Days so you can put all of the different things in the prophecies of God in the proper perspective.
Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a Child is born…"
Who would have ever thought that God would have done what He did? Remember that Jesus was God before He came in the flesh! We know what He did (Philip. 2). He reduced Himself to a pinpoint of life to be begotten in the womb of the virgin Mary. But of the Jews, who among them… They still don't believe it, many of them, to this day that God would actually do that. That He would be born as a baby and grow up as a man.
"…unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders…" That's the Government of God on the earth! Later when it expands out to the universe it is God the Father and Jesus Christ!
"…and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God…" (v 6). You don't call a physical man Mighty God! Some men have thought that that's what they were. But you know what happened to them.
"…The Everlasting Father…" (v 6).
Sidebar: It is during the time of the fulfilling of the 1,000 years, which the Feast of Tabernacles pictures—that all of those coming into the Kingdom of God to become spirit beings come through Jesus Christ and the saints. That's when Jesus becomes an "…Everlasting Father…"
We have come into the situation with God the Father! Then Jesus will be a Father.
Verse 7: "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and over His Kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with righteousness from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this."
That's why we need to understand how true the Word of God really is! He will do it!
Isaiah 33:14: "The sinners in Zion are afraid; terror has seized the ungodly. 'Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?'"
That means that as spirit beings we can be right there and that will not harm us at all. We look at the Sea of Glass and it looks sometimes like it has fire on it. Who is going to do it?
Verse 15: "He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly; he who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands free from holding bribes, who stops his ear from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he shall dwell on high… [that's quite a thing to understand] …his refuge shall be the strongholds of rocks; bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure" (vs 15-16).
Now, take this spiritually: Water is type of the Holy Spirit. Bread is the Word of God. We're going to feed on the Word of God and grow in knowledge forever! That is an amazing thing to comprehend!
Verse 17: "Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty… [both Christ and the Father] …they shall behold the land that is very far off…. [that's the New Heaven and the New earth] …Your heart shall muse on the terror…. [look back on it and see and say]: …Where is the scribe? Where is the one who weighed? Where is the one who counted the towers?' You shall no longer see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than you can understand; of a foreign tongue that no one understands" (vs 17-19).
Verse 20: "Look upon Zion, the city of our Holy gatherings… [that's where we will be] …your eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet home, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of its stakes shall ever be removed, nor shall any of its cords be broken. But there the glorious LORD will be to us a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars shall go, nor shall a mighty ship pass by it. For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us" (vs 20-22).
That's quite a salutation to God and what He's going to do! Let's look and see who God tells us is going to be there and what we need to do:
Psa. 15 is a very encouraging Psalm and this tells us why what we do in loving God and keeping His commandments and everything about it is worth it all, even though we may have trials and troubles as we go along. We have the trials and troubles for what purpose? To see if we're going to:
- believe God
- trust God
or
- do it our own way
Psalm 15:1: "LORD, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle?…. [Feast of Tabernacles] …Who shall dwell upon Your Holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the Truth in his heart" (vs 1-2).
That means that it's in your heart and your mind! That's the whole purpose, to get the Truth of God in our mind so we:
- think that way
- reason that way
- understand that way
Verse 3: "He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor, in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change it" (vs 3-4).
That's an important part we all need to understand. If you pray and tell God that you're going to do 'thus and such' you better do it! One good example. People who have been addicted—drunkards or any drugs: cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, whatever—when you tell God 'I'm never going to touch it again' you better keep your word! Or whatever thing it may be, you better keep your word because God is going to hold you accountable for it!
Verse 5: "He who has not put out his money at usury, nor has he taken a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved."
Now let's see what God is going to do. We know that one of the worst things possible is war. We're told in Isa. 59 that today there is no peace.
- there's no peace in the world because there's war
- there's no peace between people because they're fighting and oppressing each other
But that peace has to come from God!
Let's see what God is going to do; this is quite a thing! We are going to see how everything is going to flow together here:
Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." As we go through this life we're going to have trouble, but God will be there to help us!
Verse 2: "Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."
Have you ever seen an earthquake that powerful and live through it? You will know that this is true!
Verse 3: "Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains shake with the swelling of it. Selah. There is a river whose streams make the City of God rejoice, the Holy dwelling place of the Most High" (vs 3-4). Out of Zion is going to flow pure water to the east and to the west, and heal the whole world!
Verse 5: "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her at the approach of the morning. The nations raged, the kingdoms were shaken; He uttered His voice, the earth melted" (vs 5-6). That's showing the return of Christ and bringing all war to an end!
Verse 7: "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD who makes desolations upon the earth" (vs 7-8).
He has to do that to get rid of everything that men have done. Then in the Millennium the first thing is lots of work; got to repair everything!
Verse 9: "Who makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire."
That's going to be one of the biggest things we're going to do. Think about how much money, resources, manpower, labor and factories—everything like that—that go into war making; destructions making. It's an amazing thing!
I wonder how many—I don't know who could ever count it—artillery shells of all sizes have been made and used in wars since they invented canons, small and large, that could fire them? Just to give you an example: for the war in Ukraine, guess how many artillery shells that the United States has sent to the Ukraine, along with all of the artillery hardware to fire them? Just the shells: 400,000! That's breathtaking! Think about how many bombs, artillery shells, machinegun shells, hand-grenades, bazookas, rockets were in WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam War and the Iraqi Wars.
Just those! We're not talking about anything going backward from that. Think about all the money! There wouldn't be a poor person around if that money had not been used to make all those weapons. So, God makes wars to cease!
If there's going to be a restoration of all things, all of those have to be gotten rid of. When you get a little depressed and down, and you think 'Oh, woe is me' read Psa. 37 because it tells you all the way through that the righteous shall inherit the earth! That's what Jesus promised (Matt. 5).
Psalm 37:9[transcriber's correction]: "For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth."
Right here in the meeting hall we have a nice big globe. Most of it is a dark, dark blue, because there's water all over the earth; more than land.
Verse 10: "It is but a little while, and the wicked shall be no more; yea, you shall diligently consider his place, but he shall not be there. But the meek shall inherit the earth…" (vs 10-11). There are several other places that it says the same thing!
"…and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" (v 10)—because Christ is the Prince of Peace!
There will be peace, prosperity, calmness, love, and correction of those who are evil. It's going to be something! Picture this: the whole world keeping the Sabbath, Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles!
- all for the glory of God
- all for the blessings that God will pour out upon all people
Think about that! It's not going to be like it is today!
I feel sorry for those of you who live in some of these more dangerous cities. But it shows you that one thing for sure that is true: when Satan rules everything is evil! That's what we're seeing, and that will be gone!
Verse 28: "For the LORD loves justice and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off"—because there will be proper justice!
Do you know what the best constitution of governing people is? The Bible! The Word of God! Not the U.S. Constitution!
Verse 29: "The righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell in it forever."
Verse 22: "For those blessed of Him shall inherit the earth; and those cursed of Him shall be cut off."
All of those things are right there! That's why we need to go over these things: to know them and learn them so that we know that the blessings and promises of God are sure and they are coming!
Verse 32: "The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to kill him."
They won't be able to do that during the Millennium! If anyone has murder in his heart, he's going to be told no, no, no! If they get out of the Way, we're going to tell them, 'Here is the Way, walk in it!' If they sin they will be given an opportunity to repent! If they really dig down in and get their life straightened around they need to go for a special place where they can study and pray and draw close to God and repent. There won't be any jails!
Verse 34: "Wait on the LORD and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the earth; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it." My! My, my, my!
That's why I said that when you're feeling down or depressed, read this Psalm and other Psalms, too.
Verse 39: "But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them…" (vs 39-40).
Claim this promise anytime you have a difficulty; turn right here and claim this promise. Don't come with a presumptuous attitude toward God. Come to Him and say:
O Lord God Almighty, how righteous are You; how merciful are you! This is a time of trouble and You have promised that You will help us in times of trouble. Help us, O Lord!
If you're really down to the very last nubs then you have to pray and say:
O Lord, heal my soul!
That's why God let's people come to those places!
"…He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them because they take refuge in Him" (v 40).
(break@43:25)
Let's see how we are going to operate in teaching the people and the brethren at that time. All during that time people are going to be having children and think about this: no more wars! God causes wars to cease! For childbearing, no more sorrow!
Isaiah 30:18: "And therefore, will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you…. [in other words, God is going fulfill His will at His time for you] …And therefore, He will be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you, for the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him."
Do you always wait on God? You will b e blessed! That's what's going to happen during the Millennium. Everybody is going to believe God and wait on God.
Verse 19: "For, O people, who dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you shall weep no more; He will be very gracious to you at the voice of your cry. When He hears it, He will answer you." We'll be the ones to carry out the answer!
Verse 20: "And though the LORD gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction…"
Yes there will be difficulties that will come along. I don't know how severe they will be, but in order to prove anyone's faith, you have to have some kind of adversity where you must trust in the Lord! You must overcome the sin that is within so that you love God and continue in His way.
"…yet, your teachers shall not be removed into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers" (v 20).
Isn't that going to be something? We can appear and disappear. Think about how that's going to be. From our point of view in helping them, and their point of view in knowing that they can't get away with sin. That's why we have to be perfect!
Verse 21: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left."
Think how many crimes could be stopped today if we had that kind of government. You can't have that kind of government with just people because it would become oppressive. You have to have it with the sons and daughters of God who:
- have been perfected
- have righteous judgment
- have love
- have understanding
- know how do these things the right way
So that there will be peace all during the Millennium!
If we're going to restore all things, the first thing that God has to do is bring human nature back to where it was before Adam and Eve had sinned. Human nature that Paul calls the law of sin and death is what happened to the nature of Adam and Eve after they sinned.
Think about Adam and Eve, created by God. They talked to God and saw God. Obviously not in His glory, because no one can see God in His glory and live. So, when they were talking to God, He was more in the form of a man.
When the serpent said, 'If you eat of this fruit you will become like God to decided for yourself good and evil.' We don't know what other words he may have said; he may have said:
Look, you're smart! You're intelligent! You have ability! You want to become more wise? You want to become like God so you can decide what is right and wrong? You can eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. I know that God said that you shouldn't eat of it, lest you die, but I tell you you're not going to die.
So, they took it!
Ezekiel 36:21: "'But I had pity for My Holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they were exiled. Therefore, say to the house of Israel,' Thus says the Lord GOD…" (vs 21-22).
There's going to come a time when all these difficulties are going to end! That's what the Feast of Tabernacles pictures.
"'…I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My Holy name's sake… [because He has proclaimed it] …which you have profaned among the nations where you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD,' says the Lord GOD…" (vs 22-23).
That's something none of the nations know today; they don't know the Lord. They're going to know the Lord through us, because we're going to be the teachers and the ones to help them. That's why God has saved the great innumerable multitude.
How are you going to deal with those people when the Millennium begins? You have to have those who understand the language!
"…'when I shall be sanctified in you before their very eyes. For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries… [scattered everywhere] …and will gather you into your own land" (vs 23-24). That doesn't mean just there in the Middle East!
- Where did God send all the 12 tribes of Israel?
- Are they not nations today? Like in:
- Europe
- America
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Are they not going to go back to that part of Israel? That's actually Israel in God's eyes!
There will be a lot go back to the Holy Land, and it will be Holy then. Today it's anything but Holy!
Verse 25: "And I will sprinkle clean waters upon you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols."
Notice v 26 because you have to take away the hostility of the carnal mind. That was the result of Adam and Eve eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That is passed down genetically to all human beings. God has to intervene and change that.
Verse 26: "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh."
You have to do that first! Get rid of all the carnality, all the sin and this shows that there has to be repentance and forgiveness and the wiping away of sin.
In order for the Millennium to work, in order for us to be kings and priests and to bring the Truth the way that it has to be brought, God has to do this so that the people will be receptive! They will want to learn and that we're not going to have any more rebellion. We're not going to have any more secret sins.
They will be offered salvation, and this will be the first time it will be offered to the whole world! That's going to be something! Can you imagine what that's going to be like with human beings having a nature that is not vehemently sinful against God? But then having God's Spirit and being converted:
Verse 27: "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances and do them."
They're going to keep all the Holy Days! Doesn't Zech. 14 say that they're going to keep the Feast of Tabernacles? Yes!
Verse 28: "And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be My people, and I will be your God." We're going to be there to help cause this to be done; that's why:
- we're here doing what we are doing
- we are learning God's Word
- we need to grow in grace and knowledge
- we need to have understanding in everything that we do
So, I encourage you this Feast of Tabernacles that if you have anything against anyone of the other brethren, go to them and you resolve it.
Remember that you can never have true peace with God when you have still hatred or antagonism in your heart. You can't do it!
Now is a good time to do it! Heal the breach! Isn't that what we're going to do in the Millennium? Well, here at the Feast of Tabernacles if you have an difficulty with anyone, now is a good time to do it peaceably, and love each other!
Verse 28: "And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be My people, and I will be your God."
Think about that! All the people of the children of Israel. Of course, who is going to be there, as well? Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Think about what Abraham is going to be thinking all during this time. The promise that God gave to Abraham is so absolutely overwhelming that it is almost unreal to contemplate it. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed!
That cannot happen unless God's plan is fulfilled as we know through the Passover and Holy Days. Think about what this is going to be right here. Look at what He says it's going to be.
Verse 29: "I will also save you from all your uncleannesses, and I will call for the grain, and will increase it, and will lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruits of the tree and the increase of the field, so that you shall never again receive the curse of famine among the nations" (vs 29-30).
What a promise! But in order for them to receive that they have to repent! Every single one individually!
Verse 31: "And you shall remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations."
They began to understand with depth the spiritual understanding how great sin is and what abominations really are, and how they got carried away with these things. Of course, this is going to be something!
Now, as we will see on the Last Great Day, this will again be repeated. So, we will be reading these Scriptures again on the Last Great Day, and we'll get a glimpse of the magnitude of what that is going to be.
Verse 32: "'I do not do this for your sake,' says the Lord GOD, 'be it known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.' Thus says the Lord GOD, 'In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the wasteland shall be tilled, instead of being desolate before all who pass by. And they shall say, "This land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden…."'" (vs 32-35)—the restoration of all things!
We are going to be principle, instrumental workers and shepherds of God to make it happen!
"'"…And the wasted, desolate and ruined cities now are fenced and inhabited." And the nations that are left all around you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it'" (vs 35-36).
How great is this going to be. Down deep inside of every human being, it doesn't matter how superficially righteous or how evil that they are, there's a place there that yearns for what I'm reading, but they don't know how to find it, because they have been cutoff from God. Now God is going to change all of that!
Verse 37: "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'I will yet be sought by the house of Israel to act for them. I will increase them with men like a flock. As a Holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed Feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. And they shall know that I am the LORD'" (vs 37-38).
Those are the most astounding and wonderful words of the Bible that we could ever imagine. What is it going to be like?
Isa. 2—remember that this was given in the 800sB.C.; so by the time that this is being fulfilled it will be pretty close to 4,000 years. So, this also tells us how far in advance that God thinks. The way we measure time are short little particles of time. The way God measures time is by ions and ions. Remember those beautiful pictures from the James Webb Telescope that we showed and we have online? Stars and galaxies 13-billion light years away! God made it all!
This helps us to understand why we need to yield to God and do things the way God wants them done. After all, only He is truly righteous!
Isaiah 2:1: "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw… [interesting; it was probably a picture with words] …concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass, in the last days the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains…" (vs 1-2).
Above every other nation in the world; we saw how that's going to be Zech 14, that the Mount of Olives is going to raise up and split in two, to the north and to the south. Then we see in Isa. 4 a great beautiful tabernacle. No temple and no sacrifices! The tabernacle of God!Whoever is going to be in it, and I'm sure that it's going to be of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the apostles and of the prophets.
Can you imagine what it's going o be like when Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel and all of the prophets—Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah and so forth all the way down to be right there in Jerusalem. The very things that they prophesied of to happen.
"…and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it" (v 2). Everybody is going to come to Jerusalem, all the heads of nations.
Verse 3: "And many people shall go and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways…'"
That's everything that we're going to be doing during the Millennium. Generation after generation! It's going to be multiplying of men and women, boys and girls, and it's going to be a fantastic thing, indeed!
"'…and we will walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (v 3)—everything from there! That's going to be absolutely marvelous!
Verse 4: "And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares…" There will be a lot of scrap metal after all the wars that take place right at the end!
"…and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (v 4).
Kids learn war early! Especially today! We have television—war, fighting, hatred, greed—going right into the minds of our little children while we dilly-dally away and let the television or smart-phone baby-sit them! You ought to take both of those away from little kids and give them real toys and spend some time with them.
Verse 5: "O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the Light of the LORD.' That's what we have to do!
- Jesus is the Light
- the Word of God is the Light
Now remember that we saw that they're going build the waste places again in the cities. Just think about what that's going to be like.
Here we have the announcement of Jesus that He was the Savior (Luke 4):
Isaiah 61:1: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me because the LORD has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."
That's what Christ did when He was here at His first coming! This is what we are going to do on a mammoth scale when the Millennium begins.
Verse 2: "To preach the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, giving to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the mantle of praise for the spirit of heaviness; so that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified"(vs 2-3). That's the mission for the Millennium! The first thing to do:
Verse 4: "And they will build the old wastes, they will raise up the desolations of former times. And they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." That's going to be an absolutely magnificent time! Think about that!
Verse 5: "And strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the stranger will be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be called the priests of the LORD…" (vs 5-6).
Doesn't that tie in with Rev. 20, that we shall be priests and kings and reign with Him a thousand years! There it is, right there!
"…it will be said of you, 'The ministers of our God'; you will eat the riches of the Gentiles, and you will boast in their glory. For your shame you will have double; instead of dishonor they will rejoice in their portion; therefore, in their own land they will possess double; everlasting joy will be theirs" (vs 6-7).
This is the only way that the fulfillment of all people is going to happen. Think about that God has called us to prepare now to do this when He returns! That is going to marvelous beyond anything that we can imagine!
Verse 8: "'For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.'"
Just think about how long all of these words have been here. How God has hidden this by the way He caused the Bible to be written and put together, and that only those who love God and keep His commandments, His Sabbath and Holy Days, will understand. This is why the Feast of Tabernacles is so great!
Let's see how the New Testament confirms every bit of this. This is something! Brethren, I hope you really grasp the magnitude of what God is showing us here! This is why we keep the Sabbath and Holy Days. Just think where we would be if we didn't do it. Think how much that the poor Protestants don't know! But in their deception think that they do know! But they don't comprehend!
Romans 8:14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God."
That's why we pray and study every day and walk in God's way every day, so that we may be the sons of God. In 2-Cor. 6 it says sons and daughters of the Almighty!
Verse 15: "Now, you have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship, whereby we call out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God. Now, if we are children, we are also heirs… [meaning you are going to inherit] …truly, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer together with Him, so that we may also be glorified together with Him" (vs 15-17).
With the things we're going to have to face in the world when we leave here and go back to our own homes, back into the world again, here's what we need to remember:
Verse 18: "For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us…. [part of our very being] …For the earnest expectation of the creation…" (vs 18-19).
See how important it is for us? Think about the whole creation of God is waiting for the resurrection of the children of God! They don't know it, but God has His time-schedule!
"…itself is awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God, because the creation was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope, in order that the creation itself might be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God." (vs 19-21).
I tell you that Revelation is really alive today, when you look at it and all the events that are talking place in the world.
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." And after that on into the ages of eternity!
Out in the universe wherever God wants us to go, with beauty, splendor and living forever and loving God and all the saints and all the people converted and brought in by the plan of God. That is going to be the glorious time, indeed!
Verse 6: "Blessed and Holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
That's what the Millennium means; the Feast of Tabernacles! The great Feast of God for the great harvest, the great influx of those coming into the Kingdom of God. Remember: of the increase of His Government there is no ending going out into the ages of eternity! Amen!
Scriptural References:
- Leviticus 23:34-37
- Deuteronomy 16:16-17
- Leviticus 23:38-44, 1-2
- Acts 3:12-21
- Isaiah 9:6-7
- Isaiah 33:14-22
- Psalm 15:1-5
- Psalm 46:1-9
- Psalm 37:9-10, 28-29, 22, 32, 34, 39-40
- Isaiah 30:18-21
- Ezekiel 36:21-38
- Isaiah 2:1-5
- Isaiah 61:1-8
- Romans 8:14-21
- Revelation 20:4
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- John 15
- Philippians 2
- Isaiah 59
- Matthew 5
- Zechariah 14
- Isaiah 4
- Luke 4
- 2 Corinthians 6
FRC:bo
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