Feast of Tabernacles 2007 — Day 5

Welcome, brethren! We won't get into as much detail as we did yesterday, otherwise we'll have to have a 50-day Feast of Tabernacles. So, we'll stop and look at certain details as we go along.

What I've done in going through this is put in my margin 'judgment and correction,' because that's what Isa. 3 is all about. Let's also understand something very, very important that we need to rely on more and more as we get closer to the end. We need to be trusting in God and have faith in God and look to Him for everything.

This is judgment and correction and this happens over and over and over in different cycles according to the obedience or disobedience of the people. This was happening exactly then when Isaiah gave the prophecy and it's happened down through the history of Jerusalem—even clear down to the destruction of it in 70A.D. and on through its ups and downs from then until now. Also, it has to do with the children of Israel as well, so we have a broader picture here that we need to look at.

Isaiah 3:1: "For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water."

That's easy to do in Jerusalem because it was up high, and when you cut off the water there's no way to get water to it. The Spring of Gihon was the one that gave water for all the temple services and it flowed naturally. Well, during the days of Hezekiah, during the siege that came against Jerusalem, he built a tunnel so that the water would be diverted so there would be water for all of Jerusalem.

Needless to say, all the plans of men and all the things that they do to protect themselves against the disasters that come because of the correction of God, all fail! They may work for a while. It may seem like you can avoid it for a while. But every single one of them fails because God then increases. He increases the intensity of it. He increases the sentence of it. So, let's look at what happens here.

Verse 2: "The man of might and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the ancient, the captain of fifty, and the honorable man and the adviser, and the cunning charmer and the skillful enchanter…. [all of them are going to be worthless] …And I will give young lads to be their princes, and capricious children shall rule over them" (vs 2-4).

Just stop and think about the political situation in the modern nations of Israel today, on again/off again, flippers/floppers! We have that especially in America. Every politician has been accused of flip-flopping, like the infamous thing that was played over and over again in the 2004 election with John Kerry. He said, 'I voted for the bill before I voted against it.' They used that as an advertisement to show a flip-flopper. Everything he said he would change because of the political whims of the way political winds would be blowing.

Verse 5: "And the people shall be crushed, every man by another, and every man by his neighbor; the young shall rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable."

We're going to see that happen here. We're going to see chaos take place in all the nations of modern Israel today, sooner or later. Now, here's a promise in v 10. So, when things start getting bad:

• we need to be cautious
• we need to be careful
• we need to be trusting in God

But we need not have fear grip us! Because God has given us promises:

Verse 10: "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." God will protect us!

Psalm 91 is a Psalm that we're going to have to claim as protection and God's blessing for us in times of difficulties, because we will be helpless. We don't arm ourselves, we don't shoot our enemies, we don't kill those who attack us, and things like that. We have to trust in God to be able to protect us and watch over us! We need to always ask that in our prayers to God; here's why

Psalm 91:1: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." There's something very important about a shadow. The only time you see a shadow is when you look down on the ground and see it. But you could look straight through a shadow and not even see it.

For example: if there's a big tree and there's a shadow here and you're standing back and you look down straight past the tree—and the shadow is way out at this point and there's a big shadow on the ground—you look straight down the tree and you cannot see the shadow.

That is just like the way that God protects us. You can't see it. He also has angels there to watch over us, to take care of us. This is why David said:

Verse 2: "I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I will trust.'"

This is what we're going to have to be doing as we enter into more of the treacherous days of the end-time. The way I see things happening, it's going to get gradually worse and worse, and we'll reach various crises points. Just like what has happened this past summer in Great Britain with those car-bombs foiled. They may be able to foil them, but sooner or later they're not going to be able to stop them. All of their efforts is going to come to naught because the problem is not the radical Islamists. That's the effect.

• the problem is rejecting God
• the problem is getting rid of the Word of God

That's where we're headed in this nation—same way. We'll see the same thing happen.

We can stop many, many of those attacks, that is true. But it also fulfills that five of the enemy will chase a thousand of us. So, it took a thousand men and all of their activity that was necessary to arrest the perpetrators of those car-bombs in Great Britain. Also, Great Britain is filled with surveillance cameras everywhere! So much so they have monitors watching people, and if people throw things on the ground a voice will come out of where the camera is and say, 'Please pick up that which you threw on the ground.'

You see all the effort that is in there. Whereas, God says, It would be simple:

• if you would obey Me
• If you would love Me
• If you would keep My commandments
• If you would do that which is right in My eyes

But the nation won't do it. They've turned their back on God in whatever way that they used to have God in their lives. We will see it with all the modern technology and things that we have we've watered down more and more to where those who really believe God will be viewed as nuts! But nevertheless, God will protect us! Here's a promise:
Verse 3: "Surely He will deliver you from the fowler's trap and from the destroying pestilence." Part of that is because we need to take care of:

• our lives
• our bodies
• our diets
• things like that

Then God will protect us!

Verse 4: "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge.… [supernatural protection from God] …His Truth shall be your shield and buckler."

The Truth of God in your heart and in your mind is what is going to protect you! Not weapons, not guns, not bars on the windows, because everything devised to protect, evil men can figure a way around it.

But you can't beat the promise that God gives concerning the Feast of Tabernacles and His other Feasts. He says, 'When you go you won't have worry about someone taking your goods.' Why is that? Are there angels placed around your house? Could be!

I have not heard of a report where someone's house was broken into while they were gone to the Feast of Tabernacles. There is living proof of God's protection!

Verse 5: "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flies by day, nor for the plague that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction laying waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand; it shall not come near you" (vs 5-7). This verse backs it up.

There is a unity of Scripture. All Scripture is unified. But it's put in such a way that you have to work at it, and you have to put it together properly.

Isaiah 3:10: "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! For the evil doing of his hand will be given to him. As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. Oh, My people, those who lead you cause you to err and destroy the way of your paths" (vs 10-12).

That's exactly what we're seeing happen. That's why in this world today we need to be preparing spiritually and mentally to be able to rule in the Kingdom of God, because we're going to come and correct all of these problems.

• Isa. 5 will help us also see the unity of Scriptures.

Then we will survey many of the chapters in the book of Isaiah, and we will see that it's not structured in a chronological sequence of the Passover and Holy Days, but the Passover and Holy Days are all there.

It's just a matter of putting together rightly, and that's why when we come to the New Testament, all the Holy Days are there, and especially with the book of Revelation, which is structured on the Holy Days. {note book: God's Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days}

Isaiah 5:1: "Now, I will sing to my Beloved a song of my Beloved concerning His vineyard. My Beloved… [Israel, now it's the Church] …has a vineyard in a very fruitful hill. And He dug it up, and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines, and built a tower in its midst, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and He looked for it to produce grapes But it produced worthless fruits" (vs 1-2). God expects us to work and produce!

Now we'll look at a couple of other Scriptures here that will be very interesting in how, in the unity of Scriptures. we find it in the New Testament.

Verse 3: "And now, O people of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, I ask you to judge between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Who knows? I looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard; I will take away its hedge, and it shall be consumed; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down; and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor dug; but briers and thorns shall come up. And I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it" (vs 3-6).

Compare that with Israel, with the modern nations of Israel today, and compare that with the Church.

Verse 7—then correction from here all the way through: "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant; and He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress!"

Then he shows why with the woes—woe, woe, woe, woe and the final one is that they have rejected the laws and commandments of God. Let's see how Christ even spoke of this. Let's see what Christ said about a vineyard. Almost identical to what we find back here in Isa. 5.

Luke 20:9: "And He began to speak this parable to the people: 'A certain man planted a vineyard… [right straight from Isa. 5] … and leased it out to husbandmen, and left the country for a long time.'" He's talking about Himself!

The way that God does things is that He gives mission statements. Here's one of the greatest mission statements in the world: Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all nations, making disciples of them, and commanding them to observe all things that I have taught you! And baptize them into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

He leaves the rest of it up to the ones He's chosen to do it, to figure out how to do it and to be led of the Holy Spirit by God to accomplish what He wants. The way you're led of the Holy Spirit of God is that you have the laws and commandments of God written in your heart and your mind and you're going to do what God wants and you desire to do what God wants!

This is how it's going to be during the Millennium:

• everything is going to be set up
• Satan is going to be removed
• human nature is going to be changed through conversion
• they will have the commandments of God set before them
• we will teach them
• we'll teach them on the Sabbath
• we'll teach them on the Holy Days
• God's way will be taught throughout all the world
• everyone's going to have to choose what they're going to do

The same way here!

He left for a long time. That's the first coming of Christ, then the second coming of Christ:

Verse 10: "And in the harvest season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, so that they might give him some of the fruit from the vineyard; but the husbandmen beat him and sent him away empty. And after that he sent another servant; but they also beat him and scorned him and sent him away empty. And after that he sent a third servant; but they also wounded him and cast him out. Then the lord of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps when they see him, they will respect him.'But when they saw him…" (vs 10-14). This is a parable, but also a prophecy of what they were going to do to Christ.

"…the husbandmen reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.' And they cast him outside the vineyard and killed him…." (vs 14-15). Isn't that the way that people do to God? They:

• cast away God
• cast away Christ
• kill His memory
• accept satanic lies:
  • atheism
  • false teachings of false gods and idols

"'…Therefore, what will the lord of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.' Now, after hearing this, they said, 'MAY IT NEVER BE!' But He looked at them and said, 'What then is this that is written: "The Stone that the builders rejected, this one has become the head of the corner? Everyone who falls on that Stone shall be broken; but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder"'" (vs 15-18).

Then they sought to lay hands on Him. Matthew's account said that the leaders understood that He was talking about them. Did God take the vineyard away from Judah and Jerusalem? Yes, He did! Who did He give it to? John 15 shows that the Church is the vineyard!

We've gone thought this many, many times, so we'll just read few verses here in John 15. This is to show how that the Bible, inspired by the mind of God, is in complete agreement with itself. There are what appear to be contradictions. But when you really get into it, there are no contradictions in the Bible or the Word of God at all! The reason being is very simple:

• God is true
• God's Word is true
• His Spirit that inspires it is called the Word of Truth

Those who did the writing, were led by God to do and write exactly what He desired them to do. So, there are really no contradictions. Let's see how this parable comes along here, because He said then He would give the vineyard to others.

John 15:1: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. He takes away every branch in Me that does not bear fruit… [He's actively working in His Church all the time—the Father is] …but He cleanses each one that bears fruit, in order that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean through the word that I have spoken to you…. [in other words, you have been purged, cleansed] …Dwell in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, but only if it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you are dwelling in Me. I am the vine, and you are the branches.…" (vs 1-5).

Questions for the Church: every member, every minister, every organization that professes the name of God as a Church of God, who keep the Sabbath and Holy Days:

• What kind of fruit are you bringing?
• Are you bringing good fruit?
• Are you bringing worthless fruit?

Again. we see how the Bible itself agrees with the Bible—and likewise with all the Holy Days. What happens with it then when you go through the Bible and you start outlining the Scriptures concerning the Holy Days, beginning with the Passover and then Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and Last Great Day; you see the whole Bible is structured that way. It really becomes fantastic!

All the things concerning correction, warning, war and destruction you can put under Trumpets. We find in Isa. 6 something that is contemporary. Notice the authority from where Isaiah got the words that he was to speak.

Isaiah 6:1: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I then saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple…. [he had a vision of the temple] …Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another, and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory'" (vs 1-3). Did he see the throne of God? Yes!

Let's see how we see a very similar vision that John had. What we want to do is show how that the Old and the New Testaments are an integral part of one book.

Revelation 4:1: "After these things I looked, and behold, a door opened in heaven; and the first voice that I heard was as if a trumpet were speaking with me, saying, 'Come up here, and I will show you the things that must take place after these things.' And immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One was sitting on the throne" (vs 1-2).

He was sitting on it, it describes the appearance of it, you can read the rest of there in Rev. 4. So, we're dealing with the same God. We're dealing with the same Truth.

Verse 8: "And each of the four living creatures had six wings respectively; and around and within they were full of eyes; and day and night they cease not saying, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty…'"

Isaiah 6:4: "And the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of the one who cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, 'Woe is me!.… [I guess so!] …For I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts'" (vs 4-5).

That's why you can be absolutely guaranteed when someone says, 'Oh, God talked to me.' He didn't talk to them. Or, 'I saw God.' No, you didn't see God. If you did, you would have an experience like John did and like Isaiah did.

Verse 6: "Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth and said, 'Lo, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin atoned for'" (vs 6-7).

After an experience like this, and think about the experience that Jeremiah had and Ezekiel had and all of the other prophets; and you think about how the apostles and disciples were taught; and how they went and preached, and what they wrote and how God inspired them. Do you even suppose that they would dare write something which was not true? That's why we can depend on the Word of God. God used righteous men, faithful men moved of the Holy Spirit, who wrote what God wanted them to write. Not their ideas or anything like that.

Verse 8: "And I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I; send me!'" So, he was willing. This is what we have to do. We have to make ourselves willing!

Verse 9: "And He said, 'Go, and tell this people…'" What does that do? You find that many places in the New Testament: Matt. 13; John 12; many places in the book of Acts—Acts 13 & 28

"…'You hear indeed, but do not understand; and you see indeed, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes" (vs 9-10).

Jesus said they have shut their eyes, so it works both ways, just like it did with Pharaoh. Pharaoh hardened his heart and God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Why? Because Pharaoh was not willing to listen! Then God made it harder. People hear the same thing. They don't want to listen. God closes their understanding, and we have seen that happen. That's why we are where we are today, doing what we are doing to try and serve God and let Him

• lead us
• guide us
• help us
• protect us
• watch over us
• inspire us

So that we can preach and teach, and do the things that God wants for the brethren; for all the Church; and for those of the world whom God is going to send. And lo, He will send them! We have to prepare, we have to be ready. It's like the old saying, 'If you build it they will come.'

If you get beside a busy highway and say, 'Oh boy, a motel right here would really, really be good. I wish I could have a motel here.' You come out there a year later and say, 'Oh, a motel here would be really, really good, I wished I had a motel here.' You come out five years later and say the same thing; ten years later and say the same thing. Then guess what, in the mean time maybe someone else comes along and says, 'Hey, be a good place for a motel, let's build it.' It's built and then you come along and say, 'Someone stole my idea.' No, God expects us to work! So, we have to repent, which opens our heart and our mind and then God gives us His Spirit.

"…shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and return, and be healed" (v 10).

• God isn't going to give any blessings to those who won't repent
• God isn't going to give eternal life to any of those who won't repent

That is straight through from Genesis to Revelation—all the way through—we see here an inset verse again, which applies directly to Christ, which was quoted in Matt. 1:18.

Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore, the LORD Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin… [that's what it is in the Hebrew and the Greek] … shall conceive and bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel."

That refers to Christ because when the child was born by the prophetess he did not call the name of the child Immanuel, he called him 'Maher-shalal-hash-baz,' which then means to make haste to plunder. So, v 14 does not refer to the child that was conceived in Isa. 8:3.

A lot of people say that means that One. It doesn't, because it's completely the opposite. Isa. 8:1-12 is warning and prophecy. Many places are prophecies and warnings and warnings and prophecies.

• Isa. 8:13 is talking about Christ, and Him probably born on the Feast of Trumpets, so you have that day.

When was He crucified? On the Passover Day! Anything to do with Christ has to do with that. While He was dwelling on earth—as we saw earlier—that is likened unto the Feast of Tabernacles: tabernacling among men.

Isaiah 8:13: "The LORD of hosts, Him shall you sanctify, and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He shall be a sanctuary for you—but for a Stone of Stumbling, and for a Rock of Offence to both the houses of Israel…" (vs 13-14).

What are 'both the houses of Israel'? The ten tribes of Israel and Judah! Both are the houses of Israel. How is Christ the Stumbling Block 'for both of them?

• for the Jews, they rejected Him as Messiah. that is more obvious
• for the house of Israel, the ten tribes—especially in the modern time today—they have 'a Christianity' with a false christ

The true Christ is a stumbling block to them, because the true Christ kept the Sabbath! He kept the Holy Days, and the apostles, directly taught by Him, did the same thing.

"…and for a trap and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken, and be snared, and be taken" (vs 14-15).

There's warning and prophecy, which has to do with death and destruction. And we can also add in there for Jerusalem, the 9th and 10th of Ab as part of the day of destruction because in 586B.C. and also in 70A.D. the temple was destroyed and burned on those days.

Verse 16—a prophecy of the coming New Testament: "Bind up the testimony, seal the Law among My disciples."

This is why the Law of God is not complete. Yes, you have the first five books called The Law, but that's not complete. You have the Law given by Christ in Matt., Mark, Luke and John. That expands the spiritual meaning of the Law. How was that put together? By the disciples, the apostles of Jesus Christ, they wrote it. So, here's a prophecy of it.

Verse 17: "And I will wait upon the LORD, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will trust in Him. Behold, I and the children… [quoted in Heb. 2] …whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion" (vs 17-18).

Then here's also a prophecy that we have against the occult 'Christianity' of this world. And against all of the other religions that are demonic.

Verse 19: "And when they shall say to you, 'Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and to wizards who peep and mutter'—but should not a people seek unto their God?.…"

Shouldn't you seek God? 'Oh, here's a way to do it, go to this astrologer, go to this palm reader, go to this spiritist, go to this one who claims he's Christ.' Yes, and there are thousands who follow a man who says, 'I am the incarnation of Christ.' And they all take 666 tattoos on their bodies.

"…Should the dead be sought on behalf of the living?…. [here's how you separate out everything; that's why the Word of God is important] … To the Law and to the testimony!.… [Old Testament Law, New Testament Law] …If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them" (vs 16-20). Amazing!

The unity of Scripture shows Old Testament/ New Testament and you cannot have the Old Testament without the New Testament, and you cannot have the New without the Old, because the two constitute the whole Word of God that He has revealed to mankind at this time. Then you can structure all of the Old Testament and all of the New Testament and break it down into Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and Last Great Day. That is an amazing thing indeed!

• Isa. 9 has some contemporary prophecies
  • v 1 has to do with Christ and preaching the Gospel up in Galilee
  • v 6 is fundamental to the Feast of Tabernacles, and also shows that the life of Christ.

As He lived in the flesh, was a foretaste of living with God, because God, in the flesh, was living with men. This is a hard one for the Jews to get around. This is a hard one for anyone to get around. I mean, even if you are a non-believer.

Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders…" That's talking about the Millennium!

Who is the Head of the Church today? Jesus Christ! Everywhere you can read in the New Testament that Christ is the Head of the Church, the Body, this verse applies. That's why we have the booklet: The Ministry is Not the Government of God—never has been, never will be! The ministers and elders and teachers are not to be policemen over the brethren. They are to teach so the brethren can live their lives before God in love, in faith, in hope, in obedience, to learn, so that they can be mature and spiritually able to live their lives before God. We have to learn how to do this, because that's exactly what we're going to teach all the people in the Kingdom of God when we are ruling on the earth.

"…the government shall be on His shoulders… [Wonder what the pope would have to say about that?] …and His name shall be called… [this is where the Jews can't get around it, because these are all the names of God]: …Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God…" (v 6).

Can God appear in the flesh? This verse tells us! Again, we have the unity of the Scripture: Old Testament and New Testament

"…The Everlasting Father…" (v 6). He will become the Everlasting Father when there are children brought into the Kingdom of God through Christ and the Bride, which is the Church. And most of the places in the Old Testament where God refers to Himself as a Father and people refer to Him as a Father, you read those very carefully and the majority of them refer to the time of the Kingdom of God on earth.

"…The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David…" (vs 6-7). That encompasses a lot of things. That tells us that the throne of David is still somewhere here on the earth.

"…and over His kingdom… [and that kingdom has been expanded] …to order it and to establish it with judgment and with righteousness from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this" (v 7).

So, here we have first coming of Christ, Feast of Trumpets, second coming of Christ to take over the government, Feast of Trumpets. We have the Holy Days right there, structured in the book of Isaiah.

(go to the next track)

Now we're going to start focusing in on the Millennial prophecies in the book of Isaiah. I find it very interesting and also very inspiring, that in the book of Isaiah we have more prophecies of the Millennium than of any of the other single prophets. The other ones have a bit here and bit there and little more here and little more there, but not like Isaiah. Isaiah has a substantial amount scattered all the way through the 66 chapters of the book of Isaiah. I also find it very interesting that the book of John, in the New Testament, is laid out and structured to the Holy Day seasons. So, you have Isaiah and then you have John, and then the book of Revelation is structured more on the Holy Days than any other book in the Bible.
When you understand the Holy Days and realize what it's all about and how that these books of the Bible are structured on the Holy Days and have relevance to the meaning of the Holy Days, how can people say the Holy Days have been done away? In saying the Holy Days are done away they don't realize that they're saying that God isn't going to use these days either. But what they're really saying is that 'we don't have to keep them; we're good the way we are.' Well, God will decide that in the long run!

Now let's see another false doctrine that the Seventh Day Adventist have. They believe that during the thousand years everyone who is saved is going to be in heaven, and for a thousand years be going over the judgment books and decide who receives salvation or not. When you read Isa. 11 you find that no, that can't be. Because what it does, it talks about the renewing of the earth! God isn't going to leave it desolate for a thousand years as some claim. When we get to Isa. 24 we will see that it's just the opposite. Isa. 24 is really a fantastic chapter in itself.

• Isa. 11 talks about Christ. This has to do with His first coming and also His second coming and the changing of everything back to what it was as we started the restoration of all things.

So, we find again the unity of Scriptures, and you're going to hear me talk a lot about the unity of Scriptures in the coming months and years.

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." This is referring to a prophecy of the removal of the throne of David from the area of Jerusalem and it was removed and, as we know, it now resides in Great Britain. The 'Branch' is Christ.

Verse 2: "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest on Him… [we saw that fulfilled in Mat. 3, when Jesus was baptized] …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 2-4).

Isn't that what it says He's going to do? 'Out of His mouth goes a sharp, two-edged sword' (Isa. 19)! It's the words that He speaks. Does He not destroy that enemy, the armies gathered to fight against Him? Yes! So here in Isa. 11 we have blended together His first coming and His second coming.

We also have His ministry, His rule and reign over the earth, and the changing of the earth back to what it was before Adam and Eve fell.

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, 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" (vs 5-6).

Totally different from what it is today. So this is going to be a magnificent time for the world. A time of peace, prosperity, plenty, righteousness, goodness, elimination of all crime; and anyone who sins it's going to be something indeed! If somebody sins really, extremely terrible, then this will be an abhorrence to the whole community.

Now here in Hollister, just recently, there was a murder. Some young woman was killed, murdered, stabbed, had a black plastic bag over her head and dumped off in some cul-de-sac in Hollister. Something like that, oh it was a headline in the paper. But if something like that happened during the Millennium, that would be something greatly well-known, and it would be an abhorrence. We can say it's not going to happen during the Millennium.

What's going to happen when we get to Isa. 30? Your teachers are not going to be in a corner anymore. If you go to the right hand or your go to the left hand there will be a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it'!

Those things won't happen, that's why it's going to be righteousness and faithfulness. So great that the wild animals are going to be pets. Isn't that going to be a marvelous thing, get rid of all those stupid plastic toys.

Verse 7: "And the cow and the bear shall feed…" Bears eat a lot of grass. I saw a special on the bears up in Kodiak Island. They eat an awful lot of grass. I was surprised to see that.

"…their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox…. [that's going to be something to see] …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; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea'" (vs 7-9).

What does that tell us? That tells us what we know in the Bible is just an itty-bitty amount of the knowledge of God that we have today. Yet, people can hardly take that. Amazing! Going to be totally different.

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; and His rest shall be glorious."

You can tie that in with Isa. 2: Many nations shall come and say, 'Let us go up to the house of the God of Jacob and let us learn of His Law and of His way and the Law shall go forth from Zion'!

• it's going to be rest
• it's going to be peaceful
• it is going to be wonderful
• every human being will know they're needed
• they're wanted
• they're loved
• they can be educated
• they can be taught
• they can be successful
• they will have skills they will excel in
• they will have recognition
• there will be communities and villages and cities and people who will dwell in peace
• they'll be a church probably on every other corner
• where there are cities there will be nice broad streets
• children can play right in the streets
• you don't have to worry about gangs
• you don't have to worry about thugs
• you don't have to worry about kidnappers and rapists

What a fantastic time that will be!

I can picture the young kids riding on the back of a lion or a leopard or we can picture them on horses and donkeys now. But you know, that'll be quite a thing, riding on a lion, having a pet lion. You don't have worry about how much meat it's going to eat because it'll eat grass. I've often thought of this every time I read this. What's it going to be like to see a lion open its mouth or as we could say 'smile' and you see all of its teeth straight for eating grass? I don't know if that's going to happen, but that just kind of thing I think of every time I read that.

In v 11 there changes to another prophecy. This is how the Word of God is in the Old Testament: 'line upon line, here a little there a little, precept upon precept'—put it all together. So, vs 11-16 is the re-gathering and the future exodus of the people of Israel and Judah back to their own homeland, pictured by Trumpets and Atonement.

• Trumpets:  they are released
• Atonement:  they are at-one with God. So they will be coming back and to be at-one with God

Verse 11: "And it shall come to pass in that day, the LORD shall again set His hand, the second time…"

This is referring to the first coming of the children of Judah going into captivity into Babylon, which had not yet happened. That didn't happen for well over a hundred years.

"…to recover the remnant of His people that remains, from Assyria and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Ethiopia, and from Persia, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the coasts of the sea. And He shall lift up a banner for the nations, and shall gather the outcasts of Israel and gather together the scattered ones of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (vs 11-12).

That's something! That's the coming exodus. Then he says the strife and envy between Judah and Ephraim is going to end.

Verse 16: "And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, those left from Assyria; as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt."

This is really quite a fantastic chapter. We have the Millennium, Trumpets and Atonement. Isa.  12 is something! This is one concerning salvation. This has to do with us. We could say this is Pentecost, a resurrection chapter.

Isaiah 12:1: "And in that day you shall say, 'I will give thanks to You O LORD; though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You do comfort me…. [this is Israel talking to God] … Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD God is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation'" (vs 1-2).

When we're resurrected what are we going to do? We're going to sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb!

One man wrote me and asked, 'Why are we going to sing the song of Moses first?' Well, he's probably one of the first ones to qualify for salvation, so maybe God is going to do some things in chronological order, I don't know. I'll tell you this: If you attain to the resurrection—whoever it was that asked that question—while you're on the Sea of Glass you'll get your answer. In the meantime, let's be faithful unto the end.

Verse 3: "And with joy you shall draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day you shall say, 'Praise the LORD! Call upon His name; declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing to the LORD; for He has done gloriously; this is known in all the earth…. [this is a great and fantastic thing] …Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst'" (vs 3-6). That has to do with us!

• Isa. 13—This is the coming judgment of Babylon the Great. This is dual: It talks about the judgment of Babylon when the captivity of the children of Judah is over after 70 years. Then it's talking about, in this case, Babylon the Great, which will encompass the whole world at the end-time. This has to do then with judgment. {note: Rev. 16-19, the judgment of Babylon the Great. }

Isaiah 13:5: "They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, the LORD and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole earth."

What we are going to see is how God gives prophecies that cover the whole earth: nations, kings, the earth, including Israel, Judah and all the nations close to what we call in the Holy Land, Palestine today.

Verse 6: "Howl! For the Day of the LORD is at hand… [Trumpets] …it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore, all hands shall be faint, and every man's heart shall melt; and they shall be afraid. Pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them. They shall be in pain like a woman who travails. They shall be amazed at one another, their faces are like blazing fire. Behold, the Day of the LORD comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to make the earth a desolation; and He shall destroy the sinners out of it, for the stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not give light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not reflect its light" (vs 6-10).

Note Rev. 6, 8, 9, 11; Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21. Again, the unity of Scripture, and it's based around the Holy Days. The Holy Days tell us the sequence and how these things are going to be.

Verse 11: "And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the tyrants."

Verse 13: "Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall move out of its place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger" You can read the rest of it there.

• Isa. 14—the first part is re-gathering, Trumpets and Atonement.
• v 3—Tabernacles and the Kingdom of God.
• v 7—All the earth is at rest, Kingdom of God, Feast of Tabernacles
• v 11 onward—has to do with how Satan came on the scene to make war against God.
• v 24—has to do with Trumpets and God's purpose.

Therefore, in order to understand this, how do we understand it? Through the framework of the Holy Days!

Isaiah 14:24: "The LORD of hosts has sworn…" When God swears, know and understand that God doesn't need to swear. But somehow men, because of their weakness and lack of faith, if God swears that means more to them. It very well may be. However, when God swears you can be guaranteed it's going to happen.

"…saying, 'Surely as I have thought, so it shall come to pass; and as I have purposed, so it shall stand" (v 24).

No one is going to turn back the hand of God. No one is going to change the purpose of God. Now you know why the Psalm says, 'The fool has said in his heart there is no God.' They are dumb, stupid, ignorant and worthless of consideration. Now the world, oh they're great, important people. But that's going to change.

Verse 25: "That I will break Assyria in My land…" An immediate prophecy that happened during the days of Hezekiah, true. Prophecy at the end-time in referring to the beast power as Assyria. Where is the final battle going to be fought? The book of Revelation! Joel says the final battle is going to be fought in the Valley of Jezreel! Where is that? That's just north of Jerusalem! So there it is, you got it.

"…and upon My mountains, and trample him under foot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, and his burden shall be taken off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed on all the earth…" (vs 25-26)—every bit of it. So we're dealing with great and magnitudeness events that are going to take place. All pictured by the Holy Days of God.

Verse 27: "For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who shall reverse it?.…" No one! You have Satan's rebellion over here, just before it. So, even Satan cannot turn back God's plan.

"…And His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?" (v 27). The rest of it there has to do with current prophecies going there.
Isa. 16—what you're going to find here is, what you would say are 'inset verses.' Just put there which applies to the Kingdom of God, Feast of Tabernacles, the rule of Christ.

Isaiah 16:5: "And in mercy the throne shall be established; and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice, and speeding the cause of righteousness."

• Isa. 17 has to do with the near future that was going to take place at the time that Isaiah was giving the prophecies, so not all the prophecies are not necessarily dual. Not all the prophecies are related to the end-time, but many of them. It's a mix of many, many things here.
• Isa. 18 has to do with beyond Ethiopia. In reading this I kind of thought that maybe this has to do with Darfur today, because somehow that is such a thing when it talks about the people and how terrifying they are and so forth.
• Isa. 19 has to do with the judgment of Egypt, end-time judgment. We finish it up with a reference to the Millennium:

Isaiah 19:23: "In that day there shall be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria… [that goes right through the Holy Land] …and Assyria shall come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and Egypt shall serve with Assyria. In that day Israel shall be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land; whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, 'Blessed be My people Egypt, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance'" (vs 23-25). There you go. That can't happen today. It'll happen then.

• Isa. 20—Then we have a prophecy concerning Assyria at that time.
• Isa. 21—We have a prophecy concerning Elam and Media. Then we have a prophecy concerning many countries all around there even including Babylon.
• Isa. 22—We have a prophecy of Persia, City of David, Jerusalem.
• Isa. 23—We have a prophecy which can only refer to Alexander the Great in conquering Tyre and the ships of Tarshish and the Isles of Chittim and Sidon and Egypt and Tyre again, and Tarshish and so forth—the Chaldeans and the Assyrians and Tyre.

• Isa. 24 is really an eye-opening chapter, because it talks about the earth seventeen times.

Remember what we've understood about the Word of God. If God says it once, it's true! If God thinks it in His mind, it's going to happen! So, when we have it written down here, what we find in Isa. 24 is an end-time prophecy and judgment against Babylon the Great pictured as encompassing the whole earth without mentioning Babylon directly.

This has the whole world at the end-time, before God begins to bring His judgment upon the earth. This is a tremendous chapter, and will help us understand the condition that the earth will be in when we start to take over and rule and reign on the earth. Verse 1 is the one where the Seventh Day Adventist go wrong and say that the earth will be desolate a thousand years. It does say that the earth will be desolate, and they assume everyone on earth is going to be killed, which is an assumption, because we will see that there will be, as it says here, few men left!

Isaiah 24:1: "Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants.".

Just exactly how that's going to be, I can't imagine that. Only the power of God can do that. I mean, in our minds imagine it or even kind of a movie-type of thought in our minds.

Verse 2: "And as it is with the people, so it shall be with the priest; as with the slave, so with the master; as with the handmaid, so it is with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor." Sounds like a lot of economic havoc!

Verse 3: "The earth shall be completely laid waste, and utterly stripped; for the LORD has spoken this word." This is something! I just wonder, what was Isaiah thinking when he was given this prophecy and told to write it down, inspired to write it this way?

Verse 4: "The earth mourns and languishes; the world withers and languishes; the proud people of the earth wither." So, there are people still left!

Verse 5: "And the earth is defiled under its people; because they have transgressed the Laws, changed the ordinance, and have broken the everlasting covenant."

Now, think on that for a minute. What is this talking about? This is talking about the Christianity of today! They have changed the ordinance. They have broken the covenant. They have nothing to do with the New Covenant. Now that's amazing to contemplate.
Verse 6: "Therefore, the curse has devoured the earth, and they who dwell in it are desolate; therefore, the people of the earth are burned, and few men are left."

Doesn't say they're all gone, all destroyed. No, because the Kingdom of God is going to come on the earth and rule on the earth for a thousand years.  Then it talks about some of the things of wine and food and so forth.

I want to focus on the things that are going to happen on the earth. Remember that this is judgment, which is Trumpets:

• picturing the Tribulation
• picturing the captivity
• picturing God's intervention
• picturing God's warring against the armies of the earth

Verse 13: "For so it is in the midst of the earth among the people, it shall be like the shaking of an olive tree and as gleanings when the grape harvest is completed."

{note Rev. 14, the great harvest, the resurrection of the saints, and the harvest of the wicked follows after that}

Verse 14: They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Therefore, glorify the LORD in the east where the light dawns, the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. From the ends of the earth we have heard songs, 'Glory to the righteous.'…. [talking about the resurrection, and that means Pentecost] …But I said… [people on the earth] …'Leanness to me! Leanness to me! Woe to me! Deceivers deceive, even treacherously. Deceivers deceive!' Dread and the pit, and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall be, he who flees from the sound of dread shall fall into the pit. And he who comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare, for the windows from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth quake" (vs 14–18).

• Rev. 6 shows the heavens roll back as a scroll when the sixth seal is open
• Matt. 24—the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven; this is Trumpets, the return of Christ

Verse 19: "The earth is broken, yea broken down! The earth is crumbling, yea crumbling to pieces! The earth is tottering, yea tottering! Like a drunkard the earth is staggering, yea staggering!…. [fantastic prophecy] …And it rocks to and fro like a tree hut! And its transgressions are heavy upon it…" (vs 19-20).

The earth is affected by the sins of men. The people, the earth: that means wherever people are;

• whether they're in the country
• whether they're in cities
• whether they're in the villages
• whether they are removed way far off in some country far away
• whether they are in the countries near to us and we know about it

Sin affects everything! Sin affects the earth and God is going to judge it.

"…and it shall fall and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high… [Who are they? Satan and his demons! Fighting against God, cast down to the earth!] …and the kings of the earth upon the earth" (vs 20-21).

So, 17 times the earth is mentioned. Are there going to be things happen on the earth? Guaranteed! Isa. 24 tells us that it will be.

Verse 22: "And they shall be gathered, as prisoners are gathered in a dungeon. And they shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days they shall be punished. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun shall be ashamed, for the LORD of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, and gloriously before His elders" (vs 22-23). So it goes right on into the Millennium. Fantastic verse here!

• Isa. 25 talks about the beginning of the Kingdom of God.
• Isa. 26—the return of the Jews from Babylon.
• v 19—we have the resurrection, just in one verse, then protection, place of safety. You see, all of those things are right there.

Isaiah 26:19: "Your dead ones shall live, together with my dead body they shall arise… [together]…. [Isaiah says he's going arise; this is the first resurrection] …Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust… [there in the grave] …for your dew is as the dew of lights, and the earth shall cast out the dead…. [first resurrection, Pentecost] …Come, my people…" (vs 19-20).

Now he talks about protection in time of tribulation. So this ties in where we began in Psa. 91, and all of that.

"…enter into your rooms and shut your doors around you; hide for a little moment, until the fury has passed by… [place of safety]. …For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the people of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall reveal her blood, and shall no more cover her dead" (vs 19-21). Hey, that's fantastic!

When you go through and you look at the structure of the Holy Days in anyone of the books, you find that it is there. Once you understand about the Holy Days, you can go back and you can go through it and you will see that.

Now, let's see the judgment of Satan; Isaiah 27:1: "In that day the LORD with His great and fierce and strong sword shall punish the sea-monster… [a type of Satan] …the darting serpent, the sea-monster, that twisting serpent; and He shall kill the monster in the sea."

Well, he's not exactly going to be killed. He's going to be put into the abyss with a seal set over him, as we find in Rev. 20. Then we have a restoration, which is the Millennium:

Verse 2: "In that day… [Atonement, getting rid of Satan, then we have the Millennium, the restoration] …sing to her, 'A delightful vineyard. I the LORD keep it; I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in Me; who would set the briers and thorns against Me in battle? I would step through it; I would burn it at once…. [He isn't going to let anything happen to us] …Or let them take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.' He shall cause those who come from Jacob to take root; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." (vs 2-6). Quite a fantastic thing!

• Isa. 28 talks about how to understand the Bible. We've been through that.
• Isa. 29 talks about Ariel, the city where David lived.

So that is Jerusalem, so we have a dual prophecy here. You can tie this in with Zechariah 12, that even though the whole earth be gathered against Jerusalem, it shall be a "troublesome stone."

Well, we've covered an awful lot here concerning the different Holy Days as found in the book of Isaiah. In part three I'm going to take the rest of those Holy Days that refer directly to the Kingdom of God and the Millennium that we have not yet covered that we find in the book of Isaiah, and put it together with the other Scriptures so we get a full picture.

But the thing that is exciting and wonderful to know is that once you understand about the Holy Days and the meaning of them, we can go back and we can study things like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. There is more in Isaiah concerning the Millennium and the Kingdom of God than any other book; and then John has a lot; and Revelation is filled with it from beginning to end.

Scriptural References

• Isaiah 3:1-5, 10
• Psalm 91:1-7
• Isaiah 3:10-12
• Isaiah 5:1-7
• Luke 20:9-18
• John 15:1-5
• Isaiah 6:1-3
• Revelation 4:1-2, 8
• Isaiah 6:4-10
• Isaiah 7:14
• Isaiah 8:13-20
• Isaiah 9:6-7
• Isaiah 11:1-12, 16
• Isaiah 12:1-6
• Isaiah 13:5-11, 13
• Isaiah 14:24-27
• Isaiah 16:5
• Isaiah 19:23-25
• Isaiah 24:1-6, 13-23
• Isaiah 26:19-21
• Isaiah 27:1-6

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Matthew 13
• John 12
• Acts 13; 28
• Matthew 1:18
• Isaiah 8:1-12
• Isaiah 2
• Hebrews 2
• Isaiah 9:1
• Revelation 17-18; 6, 8-9, 11
• Matthew 24
• Mark 13
• Luke 21
• Isaiah 14:3, 7,11; 17-18; 20-23
• Revelation 14; 6
• Isaiah 25
• Revelation 20
• Isaiah 28-29

Also referenced:

• Book:  God's Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days by Fred R. Coulter
• Sermon:  The Ministry is Not the Government of God

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8-13-07
Reformatted 3/2018