Our Work of Salvation

Greetings, brethren! The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the redemption of the earth, all people. It begins with Israel. It begins with the 12 tribes of Israel.

God is going to bring them back to their land. God is going to re-establish them and bless them, and they are going to become the leading nation. It's going to be such that all the rest of the nations of the world are going to have to come to spiritual Israel, which will be us, the resurrected saints. They're also going to have to come to physical Israel, and from there the rule of the whole world will take place.

Let's see what's going to happen right at the first and we'll see the prophecies, and we'll understand why the disciples were kind of thinking maybe it's time to establish the Kingdom of God and restore it with Israel now, because Israel is out in the Diaspora. They knew where the ten tribes of Israel were. After all, James wrote an epistle to the ten tribes of Israel out in the Diaspora, scattered abroad. So they thought now is the time to do it, but Jesus said no, it's not time because all the other prophecies—not only concerning Israel but the whole world—have to be fulfilled before the Kingdom of God is established on the earth.

Jeremiah 30:17[transcriber's correction]: "For I will give health back to you, and will heal you of your wounds,' says the LORD…"

There are a lot of healings going to have to be done, especially those coming out of captivity, those who went through the Great Tribulation, those who suffered great losses. And just think, we're going to be part of that healing.

"…'because they called you an outcast, saying, "This is Zion; no one cares for her."' Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I turn back the captivity of Jacob's tents, and will have mercy on his dwelling places. And the city shall be built on her ruins, and the palace shall remain in its own place. And out of them shall come thanksgiving, and the voice of those who rejoice. And I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also honor them, and they shall not be disdained'" (vs 17-19).

So, everything that everyone wants in the world today—happiness, blessing, goodness—is going to come then. Not now! Because not only does God have to bring them back out of captivity, God also has to heal them and He has to give them a new heart.

Verse 19: "And out of them shall come thanksgiving, and the voice of those who rejoice. And I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also honor them, and they shall not be disdained. Also their children shall be as they were before, and their congregation shall be established before Me, and I will punish all who oppress them" (vs 19-20).

God deals with Israel first. Then He deals with the other nations. We'll see how that works.

Verse 21: "And their ruler shall be of themselves… [the spirit sons and daughters of God] …and their governor shall come from among them; and I will cause him to draw near…"

Who is going to be their governor? Christ and David and the 12 tribes of Israel, the sons of Jacob and the 12 apostles!

"…and he shall approach Me. For who is this who pledged his heart to come near to Me?' says the LORD. 'And you shall be My people, and I will be your God'" (vs 21-22).

What a fantastic time that is going to be, brethren. Just think of that! Think of what we are going to bring to Israel and to the world!

Verse 23: "Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD'S wrath goes forth, a sweeping whirlwind; it shall whirl on the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return until He has done it, and until He has fulfilled the purposes of His heart…" (vs 23-24).

We're going to read of the purposes of His heart. God has many purposes:

• for us—each one of us individually
• for the churches—collectively
• for Israel—individually and collectively

Those are the purposes of His heart!

"…In the latter days you shall understand it" (v 24).

Jeremiah 31:1: "'At that time,' says the LORD, 'I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.'…. [because He had to cast them off] …Thus says the LORD, 'The people who were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I will go to give him rest'" (vs 1-2). The Millennium pictures the rest of God!

Verse 3: "The LORD has appeared to me from afar, saying, 'Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with loving kindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel. You shall again put on your drums, and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things. For there shall be a day that the watchmen on Mount Ephraim shall cry, "Arise and let us go up to Zion to the LORD our God!"'" (vs 1-6).

When they come up to worship God they're going to see this incredible tabernacle that God has. It's going to be quite a thing. I gave a sermon What the Temple will be Like During the Millennium. Nothing like people imagine out of Ezek. 40 to the end, because that's talking about the second temple.

In Isa. 4 is the temple that God is going to create in Jerusalem. It's going to be magnificent indeed! Remember: Mt. Zion is going to be raised high above all the nations of the earth. So, when it says 'let's go up to Zion and appear before God' here's what they're going to see:

Isaiah 4:5: "And the LORD will create over every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies…

Who's going to live in Jerusalem? The saints! We'll have places there, though we'll rule in different places in the world, also.

"…a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy" (v 5).

Here's this canopy that's going to be over it. That is the Temple of God. It's not going to be a building as we think a building is. It's going to be a spiritual place. It is going to contain where Christ will live, but over it will show the continuing presence and dwelling place of Jesus Christ the Lord and the saints who rule with Him.

Verse 6: "And there shall be a tabernacle for shade by day from the heat, and for refuge, and for shelter from storm and rain." That's what the temple is going to look like!

Jeremiah 31:6—when they say: "…'Arise and let us go up to Zion to the LORD our God!'… [notice how they're going to come]: …For thus says the LORD, 'Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations. Cry out, give praise and say, "O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel"…. [that's going to start the new exodus] …Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the corners of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame… [He's going to make them see] …the woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; a great company shall return there. They shall come with weeping… [repentance] …and with prayers I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way; they shall not stumble in it, for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.'" (vs 6-9).

That's going to be something to re-establish all the nations. What will the world be like? I do a lot of flying and I look down and see the earth. When you're up at 30,000-feet or higher, you look down and you can't see anything down there. It looks like there's hardly anything on the earth. In many places it's barren and desolate.

Just think what it's going to be like during the Millennium. They're going to have rain; they're going to have plenty; they're going to have food; and everyone is going to 'sit under his own tent' as it were. Everyone's going to have his own piece of land. Not like it is today. We will have true economics at that time.

Verse 10: "Hear the Word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off. And say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd keeps his flock.' For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of the one stronger than he" (vs 10-11) It's going to be a tremendous time!

Verse 12: "Therefore, they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and the herd. And their soul shall be as a watered garden… [no sickness, no disease, none of that] …and they shall not pine away any more at all."

Can you imagine everybody healthy? Hello, physicians, you're going to be put out of business!

Verse 13: "'Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their affliction. And I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness… [the richness of the goodness of God and we shall be the priests, talking about us] …and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness,' says the LORD" (vs 13-14).

• no more trouble
• no more difficulty
• no more holding back

This is something that I'm really anxious to be there to see this happen!

• we're going to be a part of that
• we're going to help lead them back
• we're going to be there
• to heal the wounded
• to heal the sick
• to give sight to the blind
• to give strength to the lame

That is something!

Verse 20: "'Is Ephraim My dear son?…. [lamenting over the trouble He had to bring upon them] …Is he a delightful child? For as often as I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still…. [read the book of Hosea, what He says of Ephraim: 'like a silly dove'] …Therefore, My heart yearns for him… [God has feelings and emotions and expression of it, too] …I will surely have mercy on him,' says the LORD. 'Set up way marks, make sign posts for yourself. Set your heart toward the highway, even the way that you went. Return again, O virgin of Israel, return to these your cities'" (vs 20-21).

That's something! They're going to return and we are going to help them.

Verse 22: "How long will you go to and fro, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the land; a woman shall court a man." There are going to be more women than men; so God will have to take care of that!

Verse 23: "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Again they shall speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I shall bring them back from their captivity. The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness and mountain of Holiness."

God is going to cleanse and purify, starting right there in Jerusalem and on Mt. Zion.

Verse 24: "And farmers, and those going forth with flocks, shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities of it together. For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul'" (vs 24-25).

Every wound, every broken heart, every traumatic thing that they had gone through, God is going to heal. I remember reading an excerpt from a book where there was a man who was a prisoner of war of the Japanese in Thailand when they were building the rail there. He had been wounded. He just gave up and became filled with sores and everything all over him. I can't help but think of that kind of person right here:

• that we're going to heal
• that God is going to raise up
• that God is going to establish and bless them

We'll be the instrumentality of blessing! Isn't that something?

Verse 26: "On this I awoke and looked up; and my sleep was sweet to me. 'Behold, the days come,' says the LORD, 'that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of animal. And it shall come to pass, as I have watched over them to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so I will watch over them to build, and to plant,' says the LORD" (vs 26-28).

All this world's system has got to be brought down totally. Think about these prophecies and how God is going to do it compared with how human beings today think that they're going to make things right; and think that they're going to make things good and prosperous again. Never happen! God is no patcher. He's going to be a Builder, and God is going to remake it new.

Verse 29: "In those days they shall not say any more, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.'" Proper judgment!

If there's sin, God is going to take care of it. But that's what they used to say. This becomes an important thing when He brings them out and brings them back together in the land, just like He did when He brought them out of the land of Egypt and brought them to Mt. Sinai, He made a covenant with them. This covenant has never been established. This is not necessarily talking about the covenant that we are under, the New Covenant under Christ today. But this is a new national covenant with Israel and with Judah.

Verse 31: "'Behold, the days come,' says the LORD, 'that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,' says the LORD. 'But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' says the LORD. 'I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people'" (vs 31-33).

That's quite a covenant! Everything is going to change because we'll be there to teach. They're going to learn. They're going to know.

Verse 34: "And they shall no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD'; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' says the LORD. 'For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.'"

Here is the promise and He tells you how sure it is, v 35: "Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea when its waves roar; (the LORD of hosts is His name), 'If those ordinances depart from Me,' says the LORD, 'the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever.' Thus says the LORD, 'If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be searched out, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done,' says the LORD" (vs 34-37).

There's the promise! There's the guarantee! He's going to bring them back!

Now, when He brings them back, He's going to plead with them in the wilderness. Let's see what's the first thing that is going to happen. Can you imagine such a vast transformation of human nature that's going to be exhibited here?

Ezekiel 36:22: "Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My Holy name's sake, 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…."'" (vs 22-23).

He wants them to know and remember what they did so they can repent!

"…And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their very eyes" (v 23). God is going to work with Israel first, then the rest of the nations!

Verse 24: "For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries, and will gather you into your own land. 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" (vs 24-25).

It's important! Look at what has to be done first. Just like we've said a number of times. Before you can have anything right, you've got to take care of the spiritual first. This is what God is doing. He takes care of the spiritual first:

• by bringing them repentance
• by putting His laws and commandments in their hearts
• by giving them a new nature—one that that is not hostile and rebellious and sinful—yielded to God

That nature is going to be very easy to convert! This is the nature, really, that Adam and Eve should have started out with.

I've often wondered what it's going to be like with Adam and Eve. I wonder: Are they going to be in the first resurrection? or The second resurrection? I don't know. But those are some of the things we can wonder about. I wonder what it's going to be like when they're resurrected and they see what God has really done in overcoming all the sin that was perpetrated on all of mankind because of their sin and giving up to Satan the devil and rejecting God.

Here it is, all being redone, v 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, I will put My Spirit within you… (vs 26-27).

There we have a new spirit, a better spirit of man than we have now, a new heart—one that is willing to obey; on top of that:

"…and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances and do them" (v 27).

Think about this verse in relationship to what we have learned in our in-depth study concerning God's Grace and Commandment-Keeping. God wants it from our heart. God wants it from a spiritual perspective.

So this whole argument of law and grace, let's understand that we are not going to fight the Protestants anymore, we are going to defeat them! We aren't going to sit back and take any more arguments about law and grace, but we are going teach the Truth and show that in the covenant that we have today, we must keep the laws and commandments of God through the grace of God, exactly as it's going to happen to Israel when they come back out of captivity.

"…and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances and do them" (v 27). What does that mean?

• keeping the commandments of God
• keeping the Holy Days of God

No more Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Groundhogs Day, no more religions' fake Christianity! The kings and priest—the sons and daughters of God—are going to be ruling and reigning and teaching and bringing the glory of God to the whole world, beginning with Israel. That's what we're going to be doing! It's not something that God is going to do without us. That's why He's called us!

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. 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. 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" (vs 28-31).

True deep repentance! That's what's going to have to happen first, and it will! Then it will go from there to the whole world.

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).

Remember what we mentioned yesterday? The restitution of all things!

"…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). That's a tremendous thing!

Now, let's see what's going to happen after God first establishes things with Israel. It's going to go worldwide.

Isaiah 2:1: "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass, in the last days… [that's where we are right now] …the mountain of the LORD'S house… [tie in Isa. 4] …shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills… [all other nations] …and all nations shall flow into it" (vs 1-2).

Jerusalem is going to be the capital of the world, the center of civilization, the home of Jesus Christ and the saints, and all those filling whatever offices and jobs that there are. As they flow to it

• we go out into the world
• we rule over cities
• we rule over regions
• we teach people the Word of God

If they go to the right hand or the left hand, we tell them, 'Don't do that. Here's where to go.' I think of this many times:

What is a city going to be like in the Millennium? I think that they're going to be spread out because there will be plenty of land and room. There are going to be a lot of buildings that are going to be for Sabbath services, for assemblies, for schools, for learning and teaching God's way. It's going to be something! God's blessings are going to flow, just exactly like the magnetic power that comes on this earth; flow and bless everyone.

When they see these things, v 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, and we will walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people…" (vs 3-4).

As we have seen in the past, Ezek. 37-39 shows that He's going to have to deal with Gog and Magog—especially Ezek. 38-39—and that's after Israel has been at rest.

"…and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (v 4).

When do they learn war? Well, they start right at birth, because it's in the nature of man. That's why the nature of man has to be changed! Can't have the Kingdom of God without a change in the nature of man.

• that does not come unless there is repentance
• that does not come unless there is God's Spirit
• that does not come on a worldwide basis
• unless there is a Kingdom of God
• unless there are the kings and priest to rule and reign with Christ to bring it about

There's a lot that we're going to see!

We're going to do a little survey in the book of Isaiah, and we're going to see quite a few things that help us understand about the Millennium.

In a way you can even say that the book of Isaiah is the book of the Kingdom of God. Much more than any other book; but it is also the book that shows the destruction of this world—it's system, it's government. So, it shows both parts of it. We're going to see quite a few things here in the book of Isaiah; we'll do a survey and see about the Kingdom of God.

Let's look and see and read of some of these prophecies, and as we do, let's just imagine how the world is going to be. You see a lot of specials today where it shows the glories of the earth at it is now, but just think what it's going to be like during the Millennium. It's going to be a marvelous and a fantastic thing! Let's see how Christ is going to bring this about:

Isaiah 11:1: "And there shall come forth a shoot out from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."

That's a prophecy of Christ coming as a human being, and obviously, the other Scriptures where He's ascended to the Father, etc.

Verse 2: "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him… [that's of His first coming and likewise of His second coming] …the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. And His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. And He shall not judge according to the sight of His eyes, nor after the hearing of His ears. But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked" (vs 1-4). No wickedness is going to be allowed to prosper in this world!

Verse 5: "And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. Also the wolf shall dwell with the lamb…" (vs 5-6). Total change:

• in the environment
• in animals
• in humans
• in everything

That's why Satan has to be bound and put away before the Millennium can begin. As soon as Satan was allowed to go into the Garden of Eden—what happened? Adam and Eve sinned! You can never have righteousness with Satan still around—never! Total change in nature!

"…and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the cub lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them" (v 6).

I don't think we'll have very many plastic toys for children during the Millennium. We surely are not going to have plastic guns—are we? And we're surely not going to have X-BOXes where you play Dungeons and Dragons and all of these demonically inspired games. They'll be gone! Eliminated! Too much of the technology that we have today is based upon the evil of Satan the devil so he can get evil into the lives of people as early as possible and as long as possible and to keep them away from God. All that's going to be eliminated!

Verse 7: "And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My Holy mountain…" (vs 7-9).

In other words, under the Government of God on the earth there isn't going to be any more shooting, killing, looting, stabbing, stealing, poisoning, learning war—none of those things! Gone! Can you imagine a human society that way? But it's not going to happen unless we are there. So, you see why your calling is so important! You're going to help save the world! Think of how much better this is than trying to fix things with political parties and elections today.

Like one man said, 'You can never trust them when they get there to govern; everything changes!' Who's in charge? Not God! God is going to make a clean sweep of it, and He's going to do it the right way! He's going to do it in a way that's going to be fantastic. Brethren, if you think we know anything today, and if you think the knowledge and education that people have today…

Verse 9: "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My Holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." That's something! Satan is going to be bound, no longer there to deceive!

Verse: 10: "And in that day there shall be the Root of Jesse standing as a banner for the people; to Him the nations shall seek… [all peoples will flow unto Jerusalem] …and His rest… [His Millennial reign] …shall be glorious."

• that's our future
• that's our calling
• that's why we're here
• this is why we keep the Feast of Tabernacles
• this is why we keep the Sabbath
• this is why we study
• this is why we pray
• this is why we are to change and grow and overcome

We have a Holy calling, an eternal calling, and God has called us to it! Think of that! What a fantastic future that is!

(break)

Let's see how that all the way through—you might do this as a study—read through all of Isaiah and see how much of it pertains to the Millennium and the salvation of Israel and Judah, and how it's intermixed with references to us under Christ. Oh, yes, there's a lot of destruction that it talks about here, too. There's a lot of correction that it talks about, as well. But the book of Isaiah is really quite a fantastic thing. You might do that, just set that out as a project to do after the Feast of Tabernacles, so you can understand.

Isaiah 29:22: "Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, 'Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now become pale'"—because he has been saved!

In talking about Jacob, that is not just the son of Isaac, but this is talking about all the children of Israel, the 12 tribes.

Verse 23: "But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they shall sanctify My name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel…. [they're going to have to learn the way of God]: …Those who erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and those who murmured shall learn instruction" (vs 23-24). Quite a wonderful thing!

Can you imagine the whole world full of converted people? Imagine what that would be like! Look at the world the way it is today. Look at how all the leaders are serving themselves. It'll be a totally different thing when we're running things. We're going to tell all the governments of this world, through Christ, 'You're finished!' We're going to tell:

• all the elite, 'Go repent and learn a lesson'
• all the generals and those who have armies, 'No further need for you. Go in peace'

What a thing! A totally converted nation; totally converted world! Unheard of thing! Here's what's going to happen:

Isaiah 30:23: "Then He shall give the rain for your seed, with which you sow the ground…."

Entirely different today! Hey, look at what we've had in weather this year because of the volcano over there in Iceland; we've had lower temperatures all summer in western U.S., and that may be going to affect the crops. How profoundly? We'll just have to wait and see when the harvest is over. But here, 'rain in due season.'

"…And the bread of the produce of the earth also shall be fat and plentiful…." (v 23)—having all the nutrients in it that are necessary to sustain life, and that you have in hardly any food today. That's why we're so sick and miserable. It's going to be something!

"…In that day your cattle shall feed in large pastures. Also the oxen and the young donkeys that plow the ground shall eat clean fodder, which has been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork. And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers, streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall" (vs 23-25).

In other words, instead of all the blood that was shed on the earth, now streams of water. Water is like the Holy Spirit!

Verse 26: "And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold…" That's getting into the time of the Tribulation coming!

Let's look at some more of the things that are going to take place on the earth; let's see what also God says is going to take place:

Isaiah 48:1 "Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come out of the waters of Judah; who swear by the name of the LORD and make mention of the God of Israel (but not in Truth nor in righteousness)."

Verse 10: "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction."

Isn't that something! Israel is going to learn by the things that they suffer. Quite interesting, isn't it? "…I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction" Think about that the next time you're going through a fiery trial!

Verse 11: "For My own sake, for My own sake I will do it; for why should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. Hearken to me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last. My hand also has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens. When I call they stand up together" (vs 11-13).

God controls everything! Christ is the One Who upholds everything by the Word of His power. Now He's bringing it to the earth! Isn't that something?

Verse 14: "Let all of you be gathered together and hear; who among them has declared these things?…."

God has made it known. No wonder the Protestants don't know anything. They reject the Old Testament. How can they possibly know anything anyway? People are going to say, 'Well, Fred, when are you going to quit picking on the Protestants?' They have had 500-years to do their thing. What have they accomplished but the destruction of people? So indulge me for a few years; let's see what happens.

"…The LORD has loved him; He will do His pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be on the Chaldeans" (v 14).

Read Rev. 18, the judgment of Babylon, which God tells us today, 'Come out of her, My people. For her sins have reached up to high heaven and that you be not partaker of her plagues.' We're to come out of it!

Verse 15: "I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I brought him and he makes his way succeed. Come near to Me, hear this…" (vs 15-16).

God wants it known and this is part of preaching the Gospel. That's why it is called the Gospel of the Kingdom of God! What was the first thing that Jesus said after John was put in prison and He came into Galilee? What did He say? Repent and believe the Gospel for the Kingdom of God is at hand!' of course, it was with Christ there in person—wasn't it? Yes, indeed!

"'…I have not spoken in secret from the beginning. From the time that it was, there am I.' And now the Lord GOD, and His Spirit, has sent me. Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, 'I am the LORD your God Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way that you should go'" (vs 16-17). Oh yes, God is the One Who is going to do it!

Isaiah 49:7: "Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation hates, the Servant of rulers…"

That's what they do now, but notice what is going to happen:

"…'Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose You.' Thus says the LORD, 'In a favorable time I have answered You, and in a day of salvation I have helped You; and I will preserve You, and give You for a covenant of the people… [talking of Christ before His crucifixion] …to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the wasted inheritances'" (vs 7-8).

God will make it profitable and good again! Here's what we're going to do:

Verse 9: "That You may say to the prisoners, 'Go out!' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves!" They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.'" (

When I read that I think about what it was like when they came to the concentration camps and saw all these poor, pitiful people and they told them, 'Come out. Show yourself. Come, be healed!'

Verse 10: "They shall not hunger nor thirst; nor shall the heat nor sun strike them; for He who has compassion on them shall lead them; even by the springs of water He shall guide them. And I will make all My mountains into roads, and My highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break out into singing, O mountains; for the LORD has comforted His people, and will have compassion upon His afflicted" (vs 10-13). What a time that is going to be!

• every wrong made right
• every sin forgiven
• people coming to God
  • that's our destiny
  • that's why we're called
  • that's why we're here

Verse 22: "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will lift up My hand to the Gentiles… [tie in Isa. 2, all nations shall flow unto it] …and have set up My banner to the people; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings… [former rulers] …shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They shall bow to you, with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the LORD; for they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me'" (vs 22-23). That's talking about us, how we're going to be ruling.

Verse 24: "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?…. [Yes! It's going to happen!] …But thus says the LORD, 'Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the fierce ones shall be rescued, for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children. And I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they shall be drunk with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob'" (vs 24-26).

That's quite something! Look forward to that; what a time that's going to be!

Isaiah 51:1—this is talking about us: "Hearken to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him, and made him many" (vs 1-2).

We, brethren, are the seed of the stars! We are the spiritual seed of Abraham. Just think what a marvelous thing this is going to be when Christ shows him all of this. I think of this every time I think of Abraham on the Sea of Glass and God takes him over to the edge of the Sea of Glass and He says:

Look down there, Abraham, here are your spiritual seed up here on the Sea of Glass so far, and look down there, there are your physical seed down there, too. Some are in captivity and we're going to bring them back, and others of Ishmael are fighting and warring. They're going to have to die, but we'll take care of them in the resurrection after the thousand years. But those are your seed, too.

How about that? That's something!

Verse 3: "For the LORD shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden…"

Just like we saw before, like the Garden of Eden. Notice again how Scripture agrees with Scripture. It all comes together. When you're reading the Old Testament it'll go along and it'll talk about the things concerning the Millennium, and then it will talk about other things after that. So, it's a 'little here, a little there; line upon line; precept upon precept' and you have to put it together so that you get the full picture. That's what we're trying to do here. Notice what it's going to be like:

"…and her desert like the Garden of the LORD…." (v 3).

Have you ever had a garden that you planted that was just an absolute total catastrophe? Yes, we've had a couple! You have to have God make the soil right. We tried planting a garden up in Salt Lake City and it was the hard, clay ground. We didn't think about trying to make it a better soil before we started planting and everything was a total disaster. We thought, oh good, we'll have some fresh tomatoes. They all withered up, nothing grew! Then. like the seagulls during the time of Joseph Smith, the descendants of those grasshoppers were out there eating up our garden.

"…Joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody…. [we're going have lots of singing, lots of music] …'Hearken to Me, My people; and give ear to Me, O My nation; for instruction shall proceed from Me… [we're going to bring it them] …and I will make My justice as a light to the people. My righteousness is near; My salvation has gone out, and My arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on My arm they shall trust'" (vs 3-5).

Quite a different world: the Kingdom of God! In every one of these things that we are reading, you're seeing your job; you are seeing what God has called you to do!

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; and its inhabitants shall die in the same way. But My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished."

That's why there is a new heaven and a new earth. And it shows what's going to happen to it. Isn't that the way that the earth is going to be changed? Yes! The wicked will be cast into the Lake of Fire, the Lake of Fire will consume the whole earth and burn everything up, eliminate the oceans, everything will be changed, we'll have a new earth. But God's righteousness is going to continue and it's going to continue on into New Jerusalem.

Verse 7: "'Hearken to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My Law…"

That's us! He's giving us comfort here, and He's telling us how to react to Him and the difficulties we're going to see coming on the world in just a short time.

"…do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their revelings… [don't worry about it, God is going to take care of them] …for the moth shall eat them up like a for the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool… [they're going to be gone] …but My righteousness shall be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation.' 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? Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return and come with singing into Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head. Gladness and joy shall overtake them; sorrow and mourning shall flee away" (vs 7-11).

Can you imagine that? Not like the world today. Think about this verse the next time you're watching television and you see all these ads to help people with depression, and to help people with headaches. They picture them as happy, happy, happy! But be careful, it might kill you or you may have tendency for suicide, but this is good stuff. Not going to be like that, it's going to be the real deal! The real thing from God!

Verse 12: "I, even I, am He Who comforts you. 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? And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who has stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. And you dread continually, every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor? The captive exile will soon be set free, he will not die in the dungeon nor will he lack his bread" (vs 12-14)—because of God, and because we're going to be sent to bring them out! We're going to be sent to:

• change their lives
• bring them health
• bring them healing
• bring them happiness
• bring them forgetfulness

So that they will see the greatness of God and not remember the suffering that they went through anymore!

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). And I have put My words in your mouth, 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'" (vs 15-16).

That's us! We are the people of God, and we're going to rule and reign with Christ!

Verse 17: "Awake! Awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, who drank the cup of His fury from the hand of the LORD; you have drunk of the cup of trembling to the dregs, and wrung them out." Yes, that's what it's going to be!

Verse 21: "Therefore, now hear this, afflicted one, and drunken, but not with wine. Thus says your Lord, the LORD, and your God who defends His people, 'Behold, I have taken the cup of trembling from your hand, even the dregs of the cup of My fury; you shall never drink of it again. But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to your soul, "Bow down so that we may walk over you"; and you laid your back like the ground, even like the street to those who walk over'" (vs 21-23).

• no more going to happen that way
• no more that kind of oppression
• no more totalitarian dictatorships

This message is really quite offensive to the rulers of the world. This sounds like here, what it's talking about, like what the Chinese have done to their people: 'Lay down on the ground and we'll walk over you.'

Isn't that going to be something? They're going to be given a chance, but they better repent, because if not, the sword of the Lord is coming! And also, we're probably going to help bring those nations to understanding, and we're going to help bring the 'sword of the Lord' that they will repent. Think of that!

Isaiah 52:1: "Awake! Awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful robes, O Jerusalem, the Holy city, for never again shall come to you the uncircumcised and the unclean ones."

Isn't that going to be something? Holiness and Truth! Of course, we'll be in Jerusalem as well.

Verse 6: "Therefore My people shall know My name, thus it shall be in that day, for I am He Who speaks; behold, it is I."

Now, you've often wondered about this verse here, haven't you? Paul quotes it in Rom. 10:

Verse 7: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings…"

Paul applied that to the preachers back in his day, and, of course, the preachers from then on. But this is also a prophecy of what we're going to be doing, because it's going to be us who are going to go on to mountains and bring 'good tidings.'

"…who publishes peace; who brings good news, who publishes salvation; who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (v 7). Christ is in Jerusalem!

• no more human governments
• no more war
• be healed
• be cleansed
• be raised up
• come and live
• come and learn about salvation

That's going to be our job, it's going to be something!

Verse 8: "The voice of Your watchmen shall be lifted up! They lift up the voice together; they sing aloud, for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD returns again to Zion…. [that's us with Christ] …Break out, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem" (vs 8-9).

• He had to do it with strength
• He had to do it with power
• He had to do it with might
• He had to do it by shaking the earth
• He had to do it by conquering the beast and the false prophet and their armies

He had plenty of power to do it!

Verse 10: "The LORD has bared His Holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."

That's the time of universal salvation! That's the time when people are going to live and know and understand the purpose of life. We're going to be there to teach; we're going to be there to help; we're going to be there to bring them all the good things that we find in the prophecies here in the book of Isaiah.

All of these things tell us about the Kingdom of God. All of these things show us what our job and our work will be. This is why God has called us, and this is why we are here.

So, at the Feast of Tabernacles let's all rejoice together and do it and make this continuing. We're halfway through the Feast now, let's make the second half as good or better than the first half.

Scriptural References:

• Jeremiah 30:17-24
• Jeremiah 31:1-6
• Isaiah 4:5-6
• Jeremiah 31:6-14, 20-29, 31-37
• Ezekiel 36:22-36
• Isaiah 2:1-4
• Isaiah 11:1-10
• Isaiah 29:22-24
• Isaiah 30:23-26
• Isaiah 48:1, 10-17
• Isaiah 49:7-13, 22-26
• Isaiah 51:1-17, 21-23
• Isaiah 52:1, 6-10

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Ezekiel 40-48; 38-39
• Revelation 18
• Isaiah 2
• Romans 10

Also referenced:

In-Depth Study: God's Grace and Commandment-
Keeping
Message: What the Temple will be Like in the
  Millennium

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 7-5-10
Reformatted: bo—9/2021