Psalms and the Millennium #2

Greetings, brethren. Welcome to Day 4 of the Feast of Tabernacles.

We've been going through the book of Psalms, looking at where it talks about the Kingdom of God and how that fits in with God's Plan and how He's working it out. Also, it helps us understand how we draw close to God, especially in this godless, sinful world that we are living in right now!

We see that everything we're doing and everything that God is doing is pointing toward the Millennial reign of Christ with the Kingdom of God on the earth, and with all of us having part in that.

• it's going to be spectacular
• it is going to be absolutely mind-boggling
• it's going to encompass the whole world

Most of this information, however, is contained in the Old Testament, and much of it is in with the Psalms. The Psalms also help us:

• come to God in faith
• come to God with our emotions
• come to God to understand that we need to stay close to Him and overcome

He is looking at the big picture of the whole world and all nations and all peoples.

In going through these Psalms, yes, we're going to be doing quite a bit of reading. But that reading is necessary to grasp and understand what God is going to do and is in the process of doing.

This helps us all draw closer to God and during the Feast of Tabernacles, closer to each other, and prepare us for when the Feast is over to go back into this wicked world and still be faithful. Here's one thing we will also see; there will be:

• a lot of singing
• a lot of praising
• a lot of worshiping God

Everything is going to be magnificent in such a way that we can't comprehend it today because of all the evil that surrounds us!

Psalm 68:32: "Sing unto God, you kingdoms of the earth…" We're going to look and see:

• the nations
• the kingdoms of the earth/of the world
• all peoples
• all of that together

"…O sing praises unto the LORD. Selah" (v 32). Every time you see or read 'Selah,' that means stop and meditate on this and think about it, because God wants us to use our mind with His Word and with His Spirit, so that we understand what He's doing, and helpfully, that will help us understand what we need to be doing.

Verse 33: "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…" (vs 33-35).

Remember what we talked about with the big tabernacle in Isa. 4, but also there's still that Throne of God in heaven above where the Father is.

"…the God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God" (v 35).

Think about that today. The only way we can survive in this world and have sanity and understand what's going on and have the peace of mind that has to come from God. That's why the Psalms are really very important for us

It's amazing how much is in the Psalms, how much is in the Prophets, and there's a little bit in the Law. Then there's a great deal in the Gospels, and a good amount in the Epistles.

But here in the Psalms, it's all put together in many different places.

Psalm 72:1: "Give the king Your judgments..." Think about that because it says in Rev. 20 we're going to be kings and priests! So, it says: "Give the king Your judgments…"

This is how we're going to rule and serve in the Kingdom of God, coming from God.

"…and Your righteousness to the king's son" (v 1).

This is David's Psalm for Solomon, and this is what he wanted:

Verse 2: "That he may judge Your people in righteousness and Your poor with justice."

That's what it is, righteous judgment. That's why we sent out the booklet before the Feast of Tabernacles: Judge Righteous Judgment.

Verse 11: "Yea, all kings shall prostrate themselves before Him; all nations shall serve Him."

That has to be throughout the entirety of the Millennium. When we worship God, there are special occasions that we will prostrate ourselves in the worship to God, just like the 24 elders that sit around the Throne of God. They're great, exalted, created, special elders that God calls, and they serve to help keep the whole universe running the way it needs to be run. But on the special occasions when the four living creatures cry out, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord, God Almighty,' they take their crowns, they put them down, and they prostrate themselves before God! Because:

• that's how powerful God is
• how much He is worthy of worship
• how gracious He is to all of us
• how loving that He is in everything that He does

But I want you to notice here, all nations shall serve Him:

Verse 12: "For He shall deliver the needy when he cries, and the poor with the one who has no helper. He shall have compassion upon the weak and needy, and shall save the lives of the needy" (vs 12-13).

This also tells us what we need to do in serving the people that we're going to be in charge of. We need to look out for them and watch out for them.

Like today, they're saying, 'Oh, we're going to reach a point where we have so many people we won't have enough food to feed ourselves. Well, without God, that is true! God can provide food for countless numbers of people that we cannot even imagine. Just stop and think about all of the vast vacant areas in the world today on the land, all the deserts in the world, all the jungles in the world, and those are turned into productive areas for growing food.

Verse 16: "May there be an abundance of grain in the earth upon the top of the mountains; may its fruit wave like Lebanon... [just goes back and forth with the wind] …they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure forever; His name shall be continued as long as the sun… [that's going to be virtually forever] …and men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed" (vs 16-17).

The whole thing of the Millennium, the minds, the hearts of people are going not to be as carnal as they are today.

Verse 18: "Blessed is the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone does wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and all the earth…" (vs 18-19).

Now again, this is what I want us to get out of all these Psalms: how great and encompassing that it's going to be. Now here in our meeting hall, over here on my right, we have a globe. That globe shows the whole world, and the part that's facing me now is the full Pacific Ocean. That is such a vast ocean with so much in it. The deepest place is 35,000 feet below the surface of the ocean.

They have actually had a special submarine go down there right to the bottom of it. They had to have everything perfect to do it. You can't have any mistakes. You can't have any little difficulties, because when you get down 35,000 feet below the surface of the earth the pressure is absolutely beyond belief. So, in building this, they had to calculate it. They had to make it right.

I think of that this way. It's just like with us, and just like with what we're going to do with the world:

• it has to be right
• it has to be true
• it has to be thorough
• it has to be penetrating

All of those things so that all of these people can grow in grace and knowledge and likewise enter into the Kingdom of God.

Remember this: after the earth and the Plan of God on the earth, the unspoken part and the unknown part is:

• What is God going to do with the rest of the universe?
• How do we fit into that?

Psalm 84 is really quite a wonderful Psalm. It shows

• a deep attitude of conversion and appreciation
• how we need to stay growing in grace and knowledge

Never coming to a point that we say, 'Oh, we've accomplished so much we can just relax for a little while.' Whenever you do that, guess what? Satan is there 'Johnny on the spot.'

Psalm 84:1: "How lovely are Your tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!

Think about that! We'll be making a lot of visits to the tabernacle of God on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Verse 2: "My soul longs, yea, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."

That's because everything we have comes from God. Look at it this way: The most wonderful thing that can happen to people is to receive the Spirit of God! Then to grow in grace and knowledge and their minds and their hearts are gradually opened to:

• the greatness
• the magnitude
• the love
• the compassion
• the goodness of God

That's what the Psalms do for us!

Verse 3: "Yea, even the sparrow…" What did Jesus say about a sparrow? That if a sparrow falls dead, God knows it! God is interested in these little birds. as well.

Verse 3: "Yea, even the sparrow has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young, even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God."

You've seen pictures of the temple, just pictures that may be up there. There are a lot of birds having their nest with the approval of God.

Verse 4: "Blessed are those who dwell in Your house…. [extended out to the Kingdom during the Millennium] …they will still be praising You. Selah."  

That's another time to stop and think what is said, what we need to do to ingest this into our minds.

Verse 5: "Blessed is the man whose strength is in You; Your ways are in their hearts."

This verifies what Prov. 3 says. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, because that's the best way to go. Then the other part of it is, to help you not slip back, it says, and lean not to your own understanding!

This is what happens when people come to the Bible and they don't know what they're doing, and they're not looking at it as the Word of God, the greatest book in the world, concerning everything pertaining to man, from the individual to the family to the community to the nation to the world, the whole environment and everything, and God's purpose and God's Plan.

This is the greatest book in the world because it has all of those things in this one book, and yet, the world says, 'Oh, that's filled with lies.' Well, the reason they think that is because they believe in so many lies that when they read it, they don't understand it.

Then they say, 'Oh well, that's lots of lies.' NO! It's the Truth! But the Truth in such a way it's kind of like this little square that you find on your computer every once in a while, and on a television screen that if you take your smart-phone and you click on it, it opens up a whole message there. Well, when it's in that square and scrambled up, you don't know what it's saying. Well, that's the way the Bible is to the world. The Holy Spirit and loving God unscrambles it for us so that we understand it!

Verse 4: "Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You; Your ways are in their hearts" (vs 4-5). That's quite a thing. In our heart:

• What do we think about?
• What leads us?
• What guides us?

You and I know we all talk to ourselves all the time! That's how we think. So, this is saying that the ways of God are in your hearts.

Verse 7: "They go from strength to strength, every one of them appearing in Zion before God." That's what you do when you pray! You come before God!

Verse 8: "O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah."

Look at the number of times we find Selah. Stop! Think! Meditate! Every time you see that, that's what that means, so that you can grasp the meaning of it. And many times, there are many meanings wrapped up in one verse, and then you tie it together with others, and you get a more complete understanding.

Verse 8: "O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah."

Now, I'd like to talk to William Shatner sometime, because he's trying to search out the ancient aliens and find out where they are. I would tell Shatner that I talk Him every day; I'm in communication with the Sovereign of the Universe every day. How is that? Well, I pray to Him. How does He talk to you?

Well, He's already talked to me through His Word, and whatever He wants for all mankind is already here. You don't have to go out and try and find ancient space aliens roaming around space. The Sovereign of the Universe is as close to you, William Shatner, as your knees are to the floor!

Verse 9: "Behold, O God, our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed"—talking about Christ! But also referring to us; we are anointed with God's Holy Spirit!

Then he says, comparing living on this earth and anticipating being in the Kingdom of God:

Verse 10: "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."

That's what we see today, wickedness taking over!

Verse 11: "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory…"

That's quite a thing; you talk to a lot of Protestants, they don't think there's grace in the Old Testament. What you need to do is ask for our:

• Booklet: The Grace of God in the Bible
• In-Depth Studies with CDs:
  • Grace of God
  • Grace Upon Grace
  • God's Grace and Commandment-Keeping

God is gracious, Old Testament and New Testament!

"…no good thing…" (v 11)—in the final analysis; just like in Psa. 119, he talks about being afflicted. David said, 'before I was afflicted, I went astray.' All of us go astray in many different ways. 'But my affliction led me to come back to God.' So this is what it's talking about here.

"…no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You" (vs 11-12)—also every woman, every child, young or old, trusting in God!

So, you see how much you can learn on conversion and drawing close to God by studying the Psalms. The reason we are going through it is because this is how it's going to be in the Millennium.

Psalm 86:8: "Among the gods..."That's what people have done!

They've searched out all the religions of the world and all the gods of the world, and they haven't found out that Satan is the god of this world and all of the other gods are demons. All of the idols have demons associated with them.

Verse 8: "Among the gods there is none like You, O LORD; neither are there any works like Your works."

What works have any of the gods of this world done? Nada! Nothing!

Verse 9: "All nations whom You have made…"

I want you to think about that. When you go through the television shows and you watch these archaeological digs and these civilizations going way back. Remember this: all of the measurements going back 10-12,000 years on human activity, they're looking at some things that were buried with the Flood. We do not know the amount of radiation or the lesser amount of radiation that was coming into the world at that time.

So, when they make the measurement of it, it elongates the supposed years that they're trying to discover when this was. But the measurement can never be right. The measurement is only good up to about 4,000, 5,000 years. That's about it. Beyond that, all the measurements are different.

Verse 9: "All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O LORD, and shall glorify Your name, for You are great and do wonderful things; You alone are God" (vs 9-10).

Now, since we're made in the image of God, and He's given us free moral agency and choice, He wants us to know of His ways. Now the other thing about knowing God that I would tell William Shatner is this:

God instructs me every day through His Word. That's the best kind of instruction that you can have! Why? Because it's from your Creator!

• Can you get it any better than that?
• Can you find:
  • any philosopher
  • any teacher
  • any school
  • any university
  • any scientist
  • any great expert in anything

greater than what God has?

Verse 11: "Teach me Your way, O LORD…"

That's what we need! That's what we will teach everyone in the Millennium. Teach them the way of God!

"…I will walk in Your Truth…" God's way is a way of life, based on:

• Truth
• law
• love
• judgment
• mercy
• grace
• forgiveness

All of the things that human beings need! That comes from God with His Spirit, and is recorded for us. Right here in God's Word!

"…unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O LORD my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore, for great is Your mercy toward me" (vs 11-13).

Think about that! Having the sacrifice of Christ applied to you personally, because when you read Rom. 6, we are conjoined. I look at it this way: God lays us right on the body of Christ, the sacrifice for our sins, personally to each one. Yet, it is so great, He can do it personally to everyone who repents. That's a magnificent thing!

"…and You have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave" (v 13)—that's the resurrection!

Verse 15: "But You, O LORD, are a God full of compassion, and gracious... [there it is again, grace] …slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and truth!"

That's what God wants for us. That's why Jesus said that the ministers and elders are NOT:

• to lord it over the brethren
• to have the brethren be their personal servants and slaves
• to have dictatorial control over their thoughts and lives

We are to teach them:

• the way of God
• the mercy of God
• the compassion of God
• to come to God and repent

Verse 17: "Show me a token for good, so that they who hate me may see and be ashamed because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me."

Now look at where all of that says. And especially living in the world we're living in today. We need:

• the love of God
• the comfort of God
• the faith of God
• the truth of God
• the trust of God

This is why the Psalms are so important! That we learn it. God wants us to learn it now! For what? So we can help and teach those in the Millennium to come to God and be converted!

Now, there are many, many other places and many other Psalms, but these are some that are particularly important for the Feast of Tabernacles.

Psalm 93:1: "The LORD reigns…"

That is the only governmental rulership that will work. But it won't work unless He has the Family of God to administer it. Think about that!

"…He is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength. He clothed Himself and the world also is established; it shall not be moved" (v 1).

Look at how all encompassing this is going to be. Because remember, as I've said, remember all nations, all people, but it starts with the individual!

I was having a discussion with a man, and we were talking about what's the most important thing. The most important thing individually is this: that we have self-control with the Spirit of God!

We study God's Word, and we implement it in our lives. We add it to our thoughts and our minds, and we put our hearts in it and trust the Lord.

• Do you need any dictatorship to tell you what to do?
• Do you need any dictatorship to tell you to keep the Law?
• NO!

Because you will do it—self control, self rule! That's what independent free moral agency is all about. We must choose!

• God is not going to force us
• God is not going to take away free choice

There's Satan the devil in this age and in its world who won't be around during the Millennium! But now, he confronts all of the people of God with problems from time to time. This is why we need to stay close to God and be prepared!

"…the LORD is clothed with strength. He clothed Himself and the world also is established; it shall not be moved. Your throne is established of old; You are from everlasting" (vs 1-2).

Now think about that for a minute, everything we have here in the Bible. Remember what it says back there in Titus 1 and 2-Timothy 1? That in the ages of time, before the world was!

How far back is that? We have no idea! But that's where God is!  So, when He says it's established from everlasting,  That's exactly what it means! That's amazing! That also means that in studying the Word of God and living by every word of God, as Jesus has said, that we are practicing the most perfect way of living, which is also the most ancient way. Ever think of that?

Psalm 96 shows the happiness, the joy, the peace, the love, the goodness and everything that will be during the Millennium when all people will know God!

We will be the ones to teach them to know God! We're not going to take anything to ourselves. No, it's all going to come from God to us and us to them and them back to God! You can't have any more of a perfect relationship than that.

Psalm 96:1: "O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth."

I don't know what that is going to be like, but there's going to be a lot of singing. He even talks about the trees are going to sing. I don't know how the trees are going to sing. I don't know what it's going to be. Are the squirrels going to pass out hymnals to the trees and they're all going to sing? No, they won't do that! But that just shows the peace and the great loving atmosphere that will be in the world.

Verse 2: "Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim His salvation from day-to-day."

That's what we're going to be doing. Day in and day out and day in and day out and Sabbath in and Sabbath out and all the Holy Days when they come. This is going to be magnificent.

Verse 3: "Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all people."

What the Feast of Tabernacles pictures is the greatest thing that the wildest imagination of men cut off from God cannot even fathom, even though in their heart and mind they may have a yearning and desire for it. But they want to get it by their own means, so they will never get it!

Verse 4: "For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods." There won't be any more gods after that!

Verse 6: "Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O you kindreds of the people; give to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of Holiness…" (vs 6-9). The absolute most perfect worship of God! What is that going to be like?

"…tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns, and the world shall be established; it shall not be moved; He shall judge the people with righteousness.' Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness of it. Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it; then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD; for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with His Truth" (vs 9-13).

Now, that's quite a thing! These are such powerful words, meaning so much, and understanding:

• the greatness of God
• the love of God
• the truth of God
• the power of God

and now going to the whole world!

Stop and think about this: Next time you watch the news, and all the trouble that's going on, wars, fighting, riots, protests, killings, raping, slaughtering and all kinds of ways of death, drugs, dishonesty, all the way of the world and the way of man!

Psalm 97:1: "The Lord reigns…" That is the whole heart and core of the Kingdom of God!

Now, it also tells us in the New Testament to let the peace of God rule in our heart. That means that you have a reason to that you have a relationship close to God; His Spirit will be there with you! You can overcome the difficulties that you're confronted with. You can receive the blessings of God!

• you don't have to be nervous
• you don't have to get upset
• you don't have to have trauma
• you don't have to have a nervous breakdown
• you don't have to worry and anything like that

Let the peace of God rule in your heart!

Verse 1: "The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of islands be glad. Clouds and darkness are all around Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His Throne" (vs 1-2).

Again and again and again it talks about the love and righteousness of God to the world!

Verse 5: "The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory" (vs 5-6).

• What's that going to be like? I don't know!
• Is there going to be a special day in the year or special times in the year when the glory of God will be manifested for everyone in the world to see? Think about what that will be like!

Verse 10: "You who love the LORD, hate evil!…."

That's the best way to overcome it; hate it. Don't roll it around in your mind and think, 'well, that's not too bad,' Hate evil!

"…He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked" (v 10).

Isn't that interesting? How many people are in the grasp of Satan the devil today? Nearly the whole world, because it says there in Rev. 12.9, what? That he has deceived—present tense participle—is deceiving actively, ongoing, all the time with the demons, the whole world!

Compare that with what God gives concerning the Feast of Tabernacles and the Millennium and salvation being granted to all men and women that come to the knowledge of the truth! Those who are:

• willing to repent
• willing to yield their lives to God

and we will be there to administer it! Think about that!

This is why we need to grow in grace and knowledge. We need to have the Word of God written in our heart and in our mind the way that God wants, so that the way that we live that way will then become automatic. When that happens, we will understand more about:

• the power of God
• the graciousness of God
• why we're here and where we're going

(break@40:56)

Let's continue on with our survey of the book of Psalms and the Feast of Tabernacles. We see how great that the book of Psalms is to give us a personal connection:

• to God
• to His Word
• to His Truth
• to His laws
• to His Plan

To everything that God is doing in a personal way!

Other parts of the Bible give us other details on how it's worked, how it's carried out, and all of that. While we are attending the Feast of Tabernacles, we need to focus right in on:

• What are we going to be doing during the Millennium?
• What is the quality of worship that we will have?
• What will be our duties and assignments as far as we know?

We know that when we're on the Sea of Glass, we'll get our first assignments and what we need to do, but we will have other things that will develop all down during the Millennium, as well.

Psa. 99—There are several of the Psalms that start out this way, which are emphasizing the Millennial reign of Christ and the Kingdom of God on earth.

Psalm 99:1[transcriber's correction]: "The LORD reigns; let the people tremble. He sits between the cherubim; let the earth quake." That's showing again the power of God!

Verse 2: "The LORD is great in Zion, and He is high above all the people." Everyone's going to know who God is!

Verse 3: "Let them praise Your name as great and awesome; Holy is He." That's something!

What will happen with these Psalms as you study more and more of them, and understand them, it will give you a greater awesome understanding of God and:

• what He's doing
• how He's doing it
• the magnificence of our calling

I know living in this wicked world, I just got a letter from a man saying, 'Everyone, all the wicked are around me.' Well, that's the way it is in the world sometimes. No more in the Millennium! It's going to be:

• all of the righteous are around me
• all of those loving and praising God are around me

Completely different! The Lord reigns!

Verse 3: "Let them praise Your name as great and awesome; Holy is He. The strength of the King also loves justice; You established uprightness; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob" (vs 3-4)—and in the whole world!

• Isn't that what is lacking?
• What is true?
• What is right?
• What is wrong?
• What is it in the world?
• How do you get justice?

• you never get justice with lying judges
• you never get justice with lying prosecutors
• you never get justice with corrupt defenders

All of that's going to be gone!

Verse 5: "Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His footstool, for He is Holy."

That's what it's going to be. And everyone's going to know that they have a Holy calling!

Verse 9: "Praise the LORD our God and worship at His Holy mountain… [where the new tabernacle is going to be] …for the LORD our God is Holy."

Psalm 100—nice short little Psalm. But again, it shows not all prayers have to be long prayers. Once in a while, they're short ones.  So here's this short Psalm, but it tells a lot.

Psalm 100:1: "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth."

Now, I don't know what that's going to sound like. I don't know how it's going to be done, but it will be done.

Verse 2: "Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing." Amazing, isn't it? Completely different than the way the world is today!

Verse 3: "Know that the LORD, He is God. He has made us, and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture." Everyone's going to know:

• Why were you born?
• Why are you here?
• Why are you male?
• Why are you female?
• What is the purpose in all of this?
• What is the rest of the creation?
• What are the angels?
• Who are they?
• What are they doing?
• Where are the sons and daughters of God ruling in the Millennium? 

All of that, that's going to be a tremendous thing!

Verse 4: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; give thanks unto Him and bless His name, for the LORD is good; His steadfast love is everlasting; and His faithfulness endures to all generations" (vs 4-5). Think about that; everything about God:

• what He has done spiritually
• what He has done physically
• what He has done in creating everything  that there is and the way that it works

Psalm 102:12: "But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; and Your name is unto all generations."

Notice how he says all generations, because when you include the Last Great Day with it, that's all generations--past, present—in our day and future; the Millennium—all during the Millennium—then all the generations that will be resurrected in the Last Great Day, going clear back as how far God wants to go. That's amazing!

Verse 13: "You shall arise and have mercy upon Zion, for it is time to be gracious to her; yea, the appointed time has come."

That's what the Feast of Tabernacles pictures, the appointed time. And remember it says, the moon has been given for the appointed times.

Verse 14: "Your servants take pleasure in her stones and favor her dust. So, the nations shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth Your glory. When the LORD shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory" (vs 14-16).

Now, that means not only just Zion, but everything about the Kingdom of God, and all of that that we have during the Millennium.

Notice how powerful that these Psalms are. All of this gives us a good overview of what's going to happen during the Millennium.

Psa. 108—Here's what it has to be for us right now. Here's what we have to do with the conversion that God has given us, and with the faith that we need, so that:

• we remain faithful
• we love God
• we keep His commandments

Psalm 108:1: "O God, my heart is fixed…"

No wishy-washy back and forth; no 'maybe.' Everything is 'your yes is 'yes,' and your no is 'no,' and your heart is fixed by the Spirit and Power of God and the Word of God in you:

• for the Millennium
• for serving God in all eternity

"…I will sing and I will give praise, even with my glory…. [this shows after resurrection] …Awake, harp and lyre; I will awake early. I will praise You, O LORD, among the people; and I will sing praises to You among the nations, for Your mercy is great above the heavens…" (vs 2-4).

We will be dispensing the mercy of God to all people! Think about the masses that don't know God. Think about that IFwe get into the Great White Throne Judgment and all of those people. I mean, this helps expand everything out in a way to give us greater understanding.

Verse 4: "For Your mercy is great above the heavens; and Your Truth reaches unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth, so that Your beloved may be delivered; save with Your right hand, and answer me" (vs 4-6). That's how God intervenes for us!

Now, think about this. If we all had the attitude that we're covering here right now and a relationship with God, pointing to God, how much God would intervene in our lives and help us? Think about that!

He wants us to do everything with all our might and all our strength in everything that we think and do. But think about with the glorious blessing of God.

Psa. 113—Notice all the praise that will be there. We'll see how much God is going to be praised when we get close to the end of this message.

Psalm 113:1: "O praise the LORD! Give praise to the LORD, O you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD."

In order for us to continue working in the Millennium, this is going to be part of it, because we are not going to be doing anything that we would like to do contrary to the Word of God, but we're going to:

• praise God
• receive His instructions
• receive His Spirit
• receive His love
• receive the mercy that we need to give to the people

Verse 2: "Blessed is the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to its going down, the LORD'S name is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, Who dwells on high, Who looks down low upon the heavens and upon the earth?" (vs 2-6). He's actually going to be on the earth at that time, as we know!

Let's come to the next one here. Let's come to Psalm 117. There are many different things we could get out of many different other Psalms, but this is something. Here is quite the Psalm, the shortest Psalm of all!

Psalm 117:1: "O praise the LORD, all you nations..."

Does this not give us a picture of the all-encompassing application and domain and everything concerning the Kingdom of God over all nations?

"…praise Him, all people… [ every single person; quite different to what it is today] …for His merciful kindness is great toward us; and the Truth…" (vs 1-2). That's the whole thing that makes it work!

• God is the true God
• His Word is true
• everything that He says is true
• His way is true
• His Law is perfect and true
• all of His Holy Days are perfect and true

This is what we need to continue to have our heart fixed and stay close to God! Right there!

Verse 2: "For His merciful kindness is great toward us; and the Truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!"

Now, just remember this little Psalm when you come across someone who says that 'the Law has been done away.' Just ask them, 'Do you think the Word of God is true? Yes! What does it say here? "…the Truth of the LORD endures forever." If it endures forever, how can you do away with it?

They never think about it. It's just like they do today. They get everybody with a short memory and they're all trained on their smart-phones. Few little short answers and then you think they're all intelligent.

Now, you can get some good things on it; that's fine. But IF that's the total of your life, THEN you need to think about expanding it, because it's restricted.

Let's see some more about the Psalms and how that fits in with the Feast of Tabernacles. Let's come to

What I want you to do is take the time; you're going to have to do this in stages. I want you to take Psalm19, which shows the strength of the Laws of God that they are perfect. 'More to be desired than gold, much fine gold.' So study Psa. 19 and then study Psa. 119.

Psa. 119 is broken down into 22 sections of eight verses a piece. Now, think about how what we would say little and restricted our minds are today. The Levites sang this song at the temple. Each of the 22 sections of eight verses start out with the letter of that section of the alphabet. They had to memorize the whole of Psa. 119 so they could sing it by heart. Now, think about that!

That's a tremendous task even for us to contemplate, let alone actually try and carry out. But that was quite a thing. That will tell you all about:

• the Commandments of God
• the Laws of God
• the Statutes of God
• the Precepts of God

This shows the foundation of it. So, when you study about them you will have this as a foundation of knowledge for what you're studying and why it's right and good.

Think about what it's going to be like when we make trips from wherever we are assigned on the earth to go to Jerusalem and to go to the great Tabernacle of God. To go before the Throne of Jesus Christ, and probably all of the patriarchs are there, and probably all of the Prophets are there. What a magnificent thing that is going to be!

Psalm 122:1: "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the LORD.'"

What's that going to be like? Think about this for New Jerusalem, when we get to that for the Last Great Day.

Verse 2: "Our feet shall stand within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is all joined together as one" (vs 2-3).

Now, we'll look at New Jerusalem when we come to the Last Great Day. That's a magnificent thing! When we read how it's going to be built, and how it's made, and what it's made of, for us to be there is just breathtaking.

We need to have all of these things to encourage us, because of the world that we're living in today, surrounded by evil on every side, like that one man just said.

Verse 3: "Jerusalem is built like a city that is all joined together as one where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD… [different ones of the nations] …unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD, for there were set the thrones of judgment…" (vs 3-5).

Remember what Jesus told the 12 apostles? You'll sit on thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel! There'll be various thrones of judgment there.

"…the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you prosper. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.' For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, 'Peace be within you.' For of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good" (vs 5-9).

Amazing! Tell you what, it makes me really desire to be there—to see, hopefully, to comprehend it now—in anticipation of what it's going to be like.

Psalm 148 talks about praising God! I don't think that we really comprehend what it's going to be like to praise God as one of his sons or daughters, as a spirit being, and actually look at Him face to-face, eyeball to eyeball, and talk with God the Father and Jesus Christ

Psalm 148:1: "O praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights. Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts. Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light" (vs 1-3).

I don't know how that's going to be, but there is something powerful about the creation of God that we don't even understand.

Verse 4: "Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree, which shall not pass away. Let praise be to the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters, and all the depths" (vs 4-7).

Now, I can't imagine how that's going to be. I don't know what it's going to be like to a whale to praise God, or what it's going to be like that a crab can praise God. I have no idea, but it's going to be a tremendous thing.

Verse 7: "Let praise be to the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters, and all the depths; fire and hail, snow and vapor, stormy winds fulfilling His Word, mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars, beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds, kings of the earth and all people, princes and all judges of the earth" (vs 7-11).

Wow! What an all-encompassing thing!  Think what that is going to be like to be praising God. I don't think we understand the kind of existence that God is in, or that we understand fully what we are going to be like.

Now, we can look at it and get a glimpse of it, and the Bible gives us some understanding of it, but we don't have the depth of understanding like we find here in the Psalm. But going over these things, this will help us get closer to understanding it

Verse 12: "Both young men and maidens, old men and children; let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and the heavens" (vs 12-13). What a thing that is going to be!

Verse 14: "And He has also lifted up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints, even of the children of Israel… [that is not just physical Israel, that's spiritual Israel] …a people near to Him. O praise the LORD!"

This tells us that we're going to be near God, right close at hand. Quite a wonderful thing! All of this just in the Psalms. We need this now in the time of trouble that we are facing and the difficulties that we are going to be confronted with so that we can have stability in Truth.

As the one Psalm said, 'Our heart is fixed' and that we stay loving, kind, righteous and stand in the strength of God!

Psalm 149 and Psalm 150 shows how much God is to be praised. God wants us to do this with understanding, as well. This is part of what we need to inculcate into our prayers every day and to study the Psalms and to know what it is and to come to have the kind of mind that God wants us to have with His Word!

Now think of this. There can be nothing greater than the Spirit of God in our mind right now and the Word of God that the Spirit of God can write in our mind right now and do it every day:

• in prayer
• in study
• in practice
• in living
• in everything that we do

Psalm 149:1: "O praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song… [we don't know what that new song is going to be or what the words are] …and His praise in the congregation of saints.

Now every time we come to praise, circle it, and then when we get done go back and count it. Then let's ask ourselves, I ask myself, well, how many times do you praise God, Fred?

Do we know what we praise God for and how we are to do it and what kind of attitude? It's All right there.

Verse 2: "Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King… [that's all of us in the first resurrection] ..Let them praise His name in the dance…" (vs 2-3).

Now I don't know what kind of dance it's going to be. I've often wondered. Many of the dances that we have today are just unreal.

"…let them sing praises to Him with the drum and lyre, for the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He crowns the meek with salvation" (vs 3-4).

So here the praise goes to God and back from God comes salvation, and His love to us. He takes pleasure in his people! That's a wonderful thing for us to know and understand and grasp.

Verse 5: "Let the saints be joyful in glory…" That's not going to be something!

We'll have a glorified body and a glorified mind and we will be joyful in the glory.

"…let them sing aloud upon their beds" (v 5). I don't know what that means, but it means what it says.

Verse 6: "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth..."

I don't know what a low praise is. I don't know what a high praise is. But the high praise must mean the greatest praise of all to God that can possibly be given by us.

"…and a two-edged sword in their hand… [we will carry out justice and vengeance] …to execute vengeance upon the nations and punishments upon the people" (vs 6-7). When it's necessary to do so, we will do it!

Verse 8: "To bind their kings with chains…"

That is the beginning of the Millennium, or we can put it this way. What's happening with Satan the devil and the demons back there in Rev. 20.

"…and their nobles with iron bands, to carry out upon them the judgment written—this honor have all His saints. O praise the LORD!" (vs 8-9).

Now think about that. That's going to be a great part of what God wants us to do as the Millennium begins. To bring everybody into the realm and power of God's Millennial reign with Christ and the saints.

If there has to be executions to begin with, we'll do that. If there has to be imprisonments for a time, we'll do that. But all of that will be based on the righteous judgment of God.

"…this honor have all His saints. O praise the LORD!" (v 9).

Now what I want you to do, I want you to go back and read Psa. 1 and then come back to Psa. 150, because Psa. 1 is the beginning; Psa. 150 is the ending. Psa. 1 tells you how to get to Psa. 150 and all the other Psalms in between.

Psalm 150:1: "O praise the LORD. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with the sound of the ram's horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre. Praise Him with the drum and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipes. Praise Him on the loud cymbals; praise Him with the resounding cymbals. Let everything that breathes praise the LORD. O praise the LORD!" (vs 1-6).

What a way to end the book of Psalm. But this then is a projection into Rev. 21 and 22. Can you imagine that?

• think of how wonderful that the Bible is put together
• think about how great it is that we have this
• think about how awesome that the Word of God is

God has called us; He has chosen us!

We are to be faithful and He will resurrect us. He will change us to be His Spirit sons and daughters:

• to serve in the Millennium
• to bring peace to this world
• to bring justice to this world
• to bring righteousness to this world
• to bring praise and honor to God and everything that there is

So this is all contained in the Psalms and all a part of what we need to understand in keeping the Feast of Tabernacles. So brethren,

• thank you for being here
• thank you for today

Enjoy the fellowship with one another, and go over some of these things before you come to services tomorrow. We will see you tomorrow for Day 5 of Feast 2024.

Scriptural References:

• Psalm 68:32-35
• Psalm 72:1-2, 11-13, 16-19
• Psalm 84:1-5, 7-12
• Psalm 86:8-13, 15, 17
• Psalm 93:1-2
• Psalm 96:1-4, 6-13
• Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 10
• Psalm 99:1-5, 9
• Psalm 100:1-5
• Psalm 102:12-16
• Psalm 108:1-6
• Psalm 113:1-6
• Psalm 117:1-2
• Psalm 122:1-9
• Psalm 148:1-14
• Psalm 149:1-9
• Psalm 150:1-6

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Isaiah 4
• Revelation 20
• Proverbs 3
• Psalm 119
• Titus 1
• 2-Timothy 1
• Revelation 12:9
• Psalm 19; 119
• Revelation 21; 22

Also referenced: {truthofgog.org}

Booklets:

• Judge Righteous Judgment. 
• The Grace of God in the Bible

In-Depth Studies with CDs:

• Grace of God
• Grace Upon Grace
• God's Grace and Commandment-Keeping

FRC:bo/po
Transcribed: 9/1/24

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