Feast of Tabernacles 2007 — Day 7

Greetings brethren, and welcome to the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, 2007. Of course, the Feast of Tabernacles is seven days long, even though we refer to the whole time period of the eight days, including the Last Great Day as the Feast of Tabernacles. I hope that that was helpful for you to see the tremendous number of things that are in the book of Isaiah about the Kingdom of God and how it will be.

Let's just take all of those things—we'll review just a little bit of it, Remember that during that time we have the temple on earth, that we went through on days 1-3: The Millennial Temple #1-3. How it's going to be the most beautiful place on earth where the temple of God is, and how that all nations are going to be ruled by Jesus Christ and the saints. They're all going to be taught God's way.

Let's see what this is going to be and  put some other Scriptures in to the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is a thousand years long (Rev. 20). There are several Psalms where it says 'the Lord reigns,' and all of those are Millennial Psalms.

Psalm 93:1: "The LORD reigns; He is clothed with majesty…" That's something to really consider! You think about that and you tie that together with how Christ looks in Rev. 1 in His glorified form, to where His face shines like the sun and He has glorious clothing and it is absolutely marvelous.

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

There isn't going to be any change of government once Christ returns. It's going to remain the same.

Verse 2: "Your throne is established of old; You are from everlasting."

It's going to be quite a thing in how this is going to come about, and how things are going to be on the earth during the Millennium.

Now, let's review just a few Scriptures here so we can see again how it begins. As you go through all of the Prophets, none of them have as much concerning the Millennial reign as does Isaiah. But there are some prophecies and most of these have to do with the beginning of the Millennium. Of course, that important to understand because everything has a beginning, everything has an ending as far as it relates to us in our lives in the plan of God.

Zephaniah 3:14—here we find a Millennial setting; and we find that the whole earth is going to be centered around Jerusalem: "Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD has turned away your judgments…" (vs 14-15)—for your sin, everything that took place because of the Tribulation.

"…He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst…" (v 15). We also know that the Lord is called 'King of all the earth' (Zech. 14). We know that that refers to Jesus Christ, because when Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are You a King?' Jesus says, 'To this end was I born; this is why I am here, but My Kingdom is not yet of this world. If it were, then My servants would fight.'

"…you shall not fear evil anymore" (v 15). Evil is going to be brought—especially for Jerusalem—there's no more evil going to be there!

But in the society around and in the different countries, there's obviously going to be some kind of evil and overcoming sin. But nowhere in the way that we understand the societies today and sinners and lawbreakers, nowhere near that!

Verse 16: "In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, 'Fear not! Do not let your hands be slack, O Zion. The LORD your God is mighty in your midst; He will save; He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest in His love; He rejoices over you with singing'" (vs 16-17).

This helped set the whole stage for the whole Millennium. We have seen the Scriptures where they're going to rebuild the waste places and so forth and so on.

Let's see the promises that we find here. Jeremiah has a few prophecies of the Millennium, but most of these have to do with the beginning of the Millennium. Ezekiel has very few Scriptures referring to the Millennium. We find in the Gospels many references to the Kingdom, so we could take at different times and different years:

• the Millennium in the Law
• the Millennium in the Prophets
• the Millennium in the Psalms
• the Millennium in the Gospels
• the Millennium in the Epistles
• the Millennium in the book of Revelation

Jeremiah 31:7: "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." 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, the woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; a great company shall return there… [back to Israel to the possession of the nations that God gave them] … They shall come with weeping, and with prayers I will lead them.…'" (vs 7-9).

So, here we have repentance, and also with it: joy, gladness and relief that everything is finally over because of all the suffering and all the terrible things that have gone on the earth.

God says. "…I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way…" (v 9). Now rivers of water likened unto the Holy Spirit. "…In a straight way…"; that's the way of the Lord.

All the earth, beginning with physical Israel, brought back to the Holy Land, and brought back to the other nations that God gave them when He told Abraham that they would spread to the north, to the south, to the east and to the west. They will be going back there as well.

"'…they shall not stumble in it, for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.' Hear the Word of the LORD, O nations… [now it goes out to all the 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. '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; and they shall not pine away anymore at all'" (vs 9-12).

No societies like we have them today. This is going to be quite a way to live. When you stop and think about it, every human being has a deep longing for what I just read, down deep inside—because God put it there. God established it for this very purpose, that when He finally brings it about it will be very fulfilling.

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, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness,' says the LORD" (vs 13-14).

Let's understand something very important. What we're going to read about here is the covenant that God is going to make with physical Israel after He brings them back from their captivity. Because every time God does something, there is always a covenant. Now this is true this can refer to the covenant called the New Covenant in the New Testament, as we understand. So, as much as this applied to the calling of the Jews and the Israelites down through time, this would apply. But it does not apply in the same sense as the covenant that God is going to make with Israel when the Millennium begins. Here's a prophecy of that:

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.'"

Let's also understand that those who were first called into the Church were those from the house of Israel and the house of Judah. But this was the Covenant of Eternal Life that God established with the Church, not with the nations of Israel and Judah. So, here it is with the nations of Israel and Judah.

Verse 32: "'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 32-33).

Now this covenant is what's going to then expand out from Israel to the whole earth. That's why, as we saw, all nations will come up to Jerusalem to learn the way of the Lord. And those that don't are going to have some very powerful persuasion from God that they will see that they need to do this. Now notice what this is going to do:

Verse 34: "And they shall no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD'…

We won't have evangelism like we have today. God will be here. The saints are going to be in charge. The Government of God is going to be on the earth. The knowledge of God is going to cover the earth as the seas cover the earth, so this is going to be a fantastic thing. This is going to be the cream-de-la-cream of everything of God, the greatest, the greatest, the greatest of everything. People will live in that state of existence for a thousand years. This is going to be astounding.

"…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" (v 34). This is quite a thing! There has to be this covenant with Israel, and it has to be in the way that God wants!

We see that in Jeremiah that it talks about the return of Israel and Judah from captivity. Now in type that applied to the return of the Jews after the 70-year captivity in Babylon. But it was never anything like this. God never made a New Covenant with the Jews when they came back. They went back and renewed the Old Covenant that was given through Moses. If you read there in Ezra and Nehemiah, that's exactly what they did.

Here is another prophecy of the beginning of the Millennium and what it will be like when God rules on the earth, as it says there:

Psalm 93:1: "The Lord reigns; He is clothed with majesty..."

Jeremiah 32:36: "And now, therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city [Jerusalem], of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the plague.'" He says, 'I'm going to solve that problem.' Let's see how this also applies to the end-time.

• Is Jerusalem going to be surrounded with armies? Yes! (Luke 21)
• Is it going to overrun by the Gentiles? Absolutely!

As a matter of fact, right there in Jerusalem, just before the Tribulation begins, the two witnesses of God and the beast and the false prophet are going to have face-to-face, head-to-head confrontations right there in Jerusalem. So yes, going to have to be delivered from it. Now then, when the Millennium begins

Verse 37: "Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands where I have driven them in My anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath. And I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one way…" (vs 37-39)—meaning that their human nature is going to be more like ours than the human nature in the world!

Today we are converted; we still have fight sin, we still have to overcome. What is one of the things that we greatly long for? That we don't have to live in this world of sin! That's why there's a greater reward for those who are in the first resurrection than those who come into the Kingdom of God during the Millennium.

• that's why we are going to be the kings, priests and rulers
• that's why we are going to be the first ones resurrected and serve with Christ

because we have to live in this evil world!

Yet, we have to grow and develop and develop the character of God so we can do this. This gives us a whole lot more to work on and overcome than they will have during the Millennium. But just think of what it's going to be.

Verse 39: "And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for their good and for the good of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, rather, to do them good. But I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me" (vs 39–40).

All during the Millennium, with a great harvest of people, it's going to be something! It's going to be really be a great thing that God is going to do.

Ezek. 36—again, we have the beginning of the Millennium, but that sets the stage for the whole thousand years. It tells us what kind of nature that people are going to have. It's going to be a whole lot different than God having to deal with stubborn, rebellious Israel as He had to in the wilderness and all during the history of Israel down through time.

Ezekiel 36:6: "So, prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My fury because you have borne the shame of the nations.' Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'I have lifted up My hand; surely the nations around you shall bear their shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall put out your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel; for they will soon return…. [God is preparing] …For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and you shall be tilled and sown'" (vs 6-9).

God is talking to the land; and it's going to be quite a thing that's going to happen. It will be everywhere, everywhere in the world! I wonder what it's going to be like to not have supermarkets? Ever thought of that? I wonder what it's going to be like to have food at its absolutely best, the peak of everything? You won't have to worry one whit about poisons, hybrid things to eat, genetically modified or genetically-engineered foods. You won't have to worry about contaminated milk, contaminated meat, contaminated air or contaminated water. God is going to clean all that up.

Verse 10: "And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it. And the cities shall have people, and the wastes shall be rebuilt. And I will multiply men and beasts upon you, and they shall increase and be fruitful. And I will make you dwell after your old estates… [back to where you were] …and I will do better to you than at your beginnings. And you shall know that I am the LORD" (vs 10-11). It ties right in with everything, to know the Lord!That's why today we know the Lord.

Verse 23: "'And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations… [when you went into captivity] …which you have profaned in their midst. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD,' says the Lord GOD…"

When you start going down and reading all these things, 'shall know that I am the Lord'… That might be an interesting Bible study for someone to do. Go through and look up all the Scriptures that say, "…shall know that I am the Lord…" See how all of those apply to:

• the Church
• to all the people during the Millennium

"…'when I shall be sanctified in you before their very eyes'" (v 23).

As we have seen in the past during the Feast of Tabernacles, God is going to be dealing with Israel first. God is going to bring them peace, God is going to bless them, God is going to bless the land, they're going to get settled, and the heathen—especially as we find in Ezek. 38 & 39—are going to come up and try to re-capture Israel because they're all at peace. That's going to be the final war after the Millennium begins. There will be that war, because it says there in Isa. 2, that He's going to rebuke nations afar off until they 'beat their spears into pruning hooks and their swords into plowshares.' So they're going to have to learn it. This is talking about it here.

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."

Then Satan had to be removed. Now, we'll come back to Satan toward the end this sermon, because there's still yet another task for Satan to accomplish. But we have to change the nature. So here again, every time you see the beginning of the Millennium and God dealing with Israel and Judah, what does He do?

• He forgives their sins
• He grants them repentance
• He gives them a new heart

That's the only way that the Millennium is going to work!

Verse 25: "And I will sprinkle clean waters upon you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you…." (vs 25-26). This is conversion! Our ruling and reigning over the people is going to be a whole lot different than what it is today!

"…And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" (v 26)—which shows that they're still going to have human nature that they need to overcome! But it's not going to be as evil as the human nature that we see in the world today, of which when God calls us to repentance, we have to repent and be baptized so that we have the circumcision of the heart. This is what it's talking about here: the circumcision of the heart for them, and their conversion!

Verse 27: "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances and do them.… [the Lord reigns] …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 27-31). That's going to give a tremendous start for the Millennium!

How are they going to be taught? What did we read concerning Isaiah that's going to happen all during the Millennium? From one month to another month, from one Sabbath to another Sabbath 'shall all flesh come before the Lord to worship Him.' That means wherever there are churches, when they gather together, they are coming together before the Lord. God is going to be able to know what's going on everywhere. I mean, we need to realize that. We're there to make sure that God's way is carried out. We're going to be there to teach them. We're going to be there to help bring the stability to help everyone when they start going astray.

Isaiah 30:20: "And though the LORD gives you the bread of adversity… [before what happened in the Tribulation] …and the water of affliction, yet… [now at this time] …your teachers shall not be removed into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers."

They will see us, and there will be many other teachers, too. There will be humans teaching humans, and we will teach the human teachers to teach the people.

Verse 21: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left."

Finally the solution that all people really want, which is when something really evil happens, what's the first thing that people say:

• Why did God allow this?
• Why does God allow that?
• Why didn't God stop it?

Well, now's not the time to do it!

During the Millennium, as we're reigning and ruling and teaching under Christ, we will stop it! This has to do with teaching them, because every Sabbath they're going to be taught. It's not going to be teaching necessarily in the way that we understand it today. There's going to be so much more available with:

• the knowledge of God
• the knowledge of things
• the knowledge of science
• the knowledge of life
• the purpose of life
• why we're here
• where we're going

Children are going to be popping out like popcorn, as it were, because God is interested in multiplying human beings and there will be the sorrow removed and the pain removed from childbirth, so it's going to be a whole totally different thing. We're not going to be confronted with all the difficulties of child rearing that we have today. Mothers will stay at home and take care of the children. The children will be taught the right way. The school will be just down at the corner. There won't be any pedophiles; there won't be any murderers; there won't be any drug dealers there to lead our children astray, they won't exist! That's going to something. That's how it's going to work.

Now let's look at some of the other things that they need to also realize that's going to happen, because we need to cover some of this. How then is everything going to be so easy compared to what we do? Some people complain and say:

Why didn't God just wait until I get in the Millennium, then it will be so much easier? or I just wish God wouldn't have called me now, because it's so hard! I wished He would have left it until the 100-year period, because it's going to be so easy.

You need to realize that we are forever going to be in a category, at a level of existence as spirit beings, that those who come into the Kingdom of God during the Millennium will not attain to that level. We need to understand that. That's why the first resurrection is a better resurrection. And the first resurrection has a greater reward. Don't ever get the attitude that it's going to be easy and it's been so hard for us. In a way, they're going to have harder lesson to learn. That harder lesson is called vanity. That's what the book of Ecclesiastes is all about.

Psalm 39:5: "…Surely every man at his best state… [During the Millennium is everyone going to be at their very best? Yes!] …isaltogether vanity."

They're still going to have to overcome self. While their human nature is going to be changed, and have a new heart given to them, and have God's Spirit given to them, they're still going to have to overcome. They're going to be living in a society, as we read, where there is going to be gold and there's going to be plenty of everything. It is going to make the whole kingdom of Solomon look like a token down payment on what the Millennium is going to be all about.

They're going to have wealth and peace and happiness. They are going to have all of these great advantages, but they're still going to have to overcome human nature. I think one of the most important books that is going to be studied in the Millennium is the book of Ecclesiastes, and other books which will be created to fill in the gap, to help them overcome the vanity of human nature. Let's realize this is still going to apply during the Millennium. Let's also understand that at the time that Solomon's kingdom was here:

• Did they have peace? Yes!
• Did they have rest from their enemies? Yes!
• Did they have the overwhelming blessing of God as never before? Yes!

But not quite as what it's going to be during the Millennium!

Notice what King Solomon wrote, and he was the one who really understood this, because he:

• had more wealth than any other man
• had more knowledge than any other man
• had more understanding than any other man
• he was able to do more to experiment with life than any other man

So, what he has written here really is a Millennial education book about the vanity of human nature, which all during the Millennium we'll have to overcome. That's why he starts out here:

Ecclesiastes 1:1: "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem…. [the only one that fit was Solomon] …'Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'vanity of vanities! All is vanity'" (vs 1-2).

That's going to be hard for people during the Millennium to really grasp that, because they have everything:

• everything to the full
• everything beautiful
• everything righteous

all of their teachers:

• watching over them
• teaching them
• leading them

• everybody keeping the Sabbath
• everybody keeping the Holy Days
• everybody in unison with God

But there is still human nature and vanity!

Verse 3: "What profit does a man have in all his labor, which he labors under the sun? 4: One generation passes away, and another generation comes…" (vs 3-4).

We're going to see that during the Millennium. But there's going to be one caveat that we're going to see happen, and we'll talk about that a little bit later. Instead of death, there's going to be graduation to eternal life. They'll be able to see that. There will be every incentive to overcome. But vanity is going to be the key thing that they have to work on.

"…but the earth remains forever. The sun also arises, and the sun goes down… [still going to be going on during the Millennium] …and hurries to its place where it arose. The wind goes toward the south, and it turns around to the north; it whirls around continually…" (vs 4-6).

With all the knowledge of the Lord and all the knowledge of all the scientific things we know, they will know more, more, more! They will be satiated with knowledge and understanding. And we're going to see that the vanity of all of this is going to magnify itself in the last generation of the Millennium. And they won't be satisfied.

Then he talks about the rivers and he says, v 8: "All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing…. [that'll be true then, because that part of human nature is not going to change] …That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun" (vs 8-9).

I tell you what, during the Millennium we're going to learn that in many, many different ways. That's what we're going to teach them. They've got to overcome their vanity. Although it's going to be easier for them during the Millennium, they're still going to face the things of vanity, and that's what they're going to have to look at, and that's what they're going to have to overcome. They're going to have to come to repentance! Every generation is going to have to repent of vanity and selfishness. Now, it won't be quite as magnified as it is today, but it will still be there. So, it's going to be a thing for them.

Ecclesiastes 6:1—here's going to be part of the challenge during the Millennium for everyone there: "There is an evil, which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon men: A man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires for his life…" (vs 1-2).

Isn't that going to happen during the Millennium? Yes! It's going to be a little different because it says here:

"…yet, God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease" (v 2).

That's not going to happen during the Millennium! They're going to have power to eat of it, they're going to enjoy it, everything is going to be really wonderful, every great, deep desire that God has left within human beings for things of goodness and peace and everything will be fulfilled.

Verse 3: "If a man beget a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his life is not filled with good…"

There's the vanity of that, and we could say that they really never learned the way of the Lord while living in the Kingdom of God when the way of the Lord is there to be taught and learned; and they will have lived it. How many will come to the conclusion that they don't want that? Don't know! But God still is not going to remove choice. God still is going to test them and prove them. This is not just an automatic grease-slide shoot into eternal life.

"…and also that he has no burial…" (v 3).

Are we not talking about those who, during the Millennium, have committed the unpardonable sin? Could we not apply that to it? Because there will be those who will! There will be some who will reject God's way in spite of everything that takes place. Now granted, that may be a very few; but nevertheless, that's still going to be.

"…I say, a miscarriage is better than he. For he comes in with vanity and goes out in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness" (vs 3-4). If that is not the sentence of eternal death in the Lake of Fire, I don't know what it is!

(go to the next track)

The book of Ecclesiastes doesn't fit exactly, precisely, but there are some tremendous lessons that they're going to learn in building their character. The greatest thing that they're going to have to overcome is vanity; especially when everything they do turns out well. I wonder how many are going to think: 'I've done this; I've done that; I've done the other thing. Well, I know God is done this and God has done that, but look what I've done. Look how good I am.' You know that's going to be part of it.

Ecclesiastes 8:1: "Who is as the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. I counsel you, 'Keep the king's word, … [that's what we're going to do; Christ is going to be King] …and that in regard of the oath of God'" (vs 1-2).

They're going to constantly be brought back to the time when they made their covenant with God through baptism.

Verse 3: "'Do not be hasty to leave his presence. Do not take a stand in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.' Because the word of a king is that which has power… [Christ is King; the saints are kings and priests and teachers] …who may say to him, 'What are you doing?'" (vs 3-4).

Remember that their challenge to God is never going to be overt. There will be for some for whom it will be covert. They will keep it in their hearts, but nevertheless, God knows the hearts. So, they're still going to have to repent.

Verse 5: "Whoever keeps the commandment shall feel no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore, the misery of man is great…. [that misery is going to be lifted during the Millennium] …For he does not know what shall be; for who can tell him when it shall be?.… [during the Millennium that won't be exactly true] …There is no man who has power over the wind to restrain the wind…." (vs 5-8). That's the important thing that they're going to have to learn!

Each one has the 'spirit in man'; each one, when they repent and receive the Spirit of God. But only God has the power over the spirit, not man. There will be great cause for vanity for the great things that people will be able to do during the Millennium. So, they're have to keep getting the vanity down, as it were.

"…nor power over the day of death… [because death will not be entirely removed during the Millennium—there will still be death] …and there is no discharge from war… [in other words, you don't get rid of things by fighting] …nor shall wickedness deliver those who are given to it. All this I have seen, and I gave my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt…. [that's not going to happen during the Millennium] …And so I saw the wicked buried…" (vs 8-10).

That's going to be an object lesson during the Millennium all the time. There is one thing that is true, the Bible says the wicked must die twice! They will suffer the second death. So, they will see with wicked buried.

"…who had come and gone from the Holy place. And they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This is also vanity" (v 10). They will see that!

Every funeral during the Millennium is going to be a time of education, because the two ways will be clear:

• the way of God, which leads to life
• the way of vanity, which leads to death

The majority will follow God's way. But there will still be some that die, and here is part of the things that they are going to have to learn as they're growing up. God is still not going to take away choice from man or woman. Everyone is going to have to choose. Now, because the system will have everything convenient:

• for obeying God
• for keeping the Sabbath
• for keeping the Holy Days
• for keeping the commandments of God

Those will all be taught in school, taught in Church, and I'm sure there'll be a church on almost every corner, and in the church there will be a school. It's not going to be like these big amalgamated schools that they have today, where they funnel satanism right into the children's mind beginning in kindergarten. They'll be taught God's way. One thing that God will never do: He will never take away choice! There's still going to be choice. This will still apply:

Ecclesiastes 11:9: "Rejoice, in your youth, O young man; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart…"

If their heart is converted and they have the Spirit of God, they're going to walk in the ways of God. If they are not converted, they don't have the Spirit of God, they, in the letter, because the society is geared to obeying God, will be walking in the way of God in the letter, but in their mind they may not.

"…and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment" (v 9). Judgment is always taking place!

In the world, God is judging the world—whether for good or whether for evil! God is always judging every individual according to their choice, but He doesn't have to go down and judge them every instant. He has it automatic: sin is a law, 'the law of sin and death.' When people sin things automatically are judged against them, and things happen. That's just the way that God has set it up. So, it's an automatic judgment that takes place. God will judge them.

Verse 10: "Therefore, remove vexation from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and vigor are vanity."

The only thing is from about maybe 14-years-old to about 26 youth do not understand that, because their minds are so locked in that now they are adults and now they can choose and now they can see the sins of their parents and the weakness of their parents and other people. They get lifted up in their vanity of how great they are. So, during the Millennium, of course, this is going to be minimized, but nevertheless, it's still going to be there.

Here's the admonition of Solomon, which he forgot in his old age. It's not how you start, but how you finish! {Note sermons: It's Not How You Start, But How You Finish #s1-2}. All during the Millennium it's going to be same way:

• How did you start?
• How are you doing?
• How will you finish?

Ecclesiastes 12:1: "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years of old age draw near, when you shall say, 'I have no pleasure in them.'"

Then it goes on showing how when you get old you don't see, you don't walk, you can't get out and do things, you're teeth wear out, and you are just sitting there waiting for death. Well, that's kind of the way it is in this life. He gives a conclusion of the whole matter, which will constantly apply all during the Millennium to every individual throughout his whole life.

Verse 13: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole man." Duty in the King James is in italic. This is what makes people whole. Then with the Spirit of God.

Now then he gives one final warning, which God executed upon Solomon[transcriber's correction] himself, when he took away the ten northern tribes, right, because of his sins? Yes!

Verse 14: "For God shall bring every work into judgment, concerning every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether it isevil." Isn't that profound, that that is directed toward the youth?

If we could all look back, all of us who are older can look back, and those of you who are still young, you can see that you do this: When you get out away from your teachers and you get out away from your parents, and you get together in your little groups, that you know and I know and your heart you understand that you do things that your parents don't even know about—and wouldn't want you doing them. The secret things! But know this: God is going to judge you for it; you just need to realize that! It's going to be that way all during the Millennium. Not in quite the intense degree that we find here in the book of Ecclesiastes, but nevertheless, it's going to be.

Why would we have the prophecy about 'you'll see your teachers,' and 'if you go to the left hand or you go to the right hand' they're going to say, 'this is the way, walk in it'?

Let's look at another aspect of the Millennium. When Christ returns, the Millennium is set up, it's going to be a new heaven and a new earth. He's got to straighten it all out, just like He did after the rebellion of Satan the devil. Of course, when Christ returns, that's going to be one of the final rebellions of Satan. Not quite, because there's one more escapade that God has reserved for Satan to do. We will see why that is done. We will see how God, toward the end of the Millennium is going to allow people to be granted more freedom. After a period of time this always happens: every generation that comes along does not like the restrictions of the generation that was before them. This will never change. But before we get there:

Isaiah 65:16: "He who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself by the God of Truth. And he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of Truth… [exactly what Jesus meant when He said, 'Let your 'yes' be yes and your 'no' be no] …because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes... [going to change the whole world for a thousand years] …for behold, I create new heavens and a new earth…." (vs 16-17).

That's at the beginning of the Millennium. This is not the new heaven and the new earth back in Rev. 21 & 22. When we get to day eight and the second resurrection, there is no need for a new heaven and a new earth because what happens at the end of the Millennium does not destroy the whole earth. There's only one little minor, minor, minor, as far as the proportion of the battle is concerned.

"…And the former things will not be remembered, nor come to mind…. [though we can apply some of these things to the lives of those who will be resurrected in the Great White Throne Judgment] …But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and I will joy in My people; and the voice of weeping will no more be heard in her… [it may be heard in other places, but not in Jerusalem] …nor the voice of crying. There will not be an infant who lives but a few days, nor an old man that has not filled his days, for the child will die a hundred years old; but the sinner who is a hundred years old shall be accursed" (vs 17-20).

Now the only thing that has always been a difficulty to reconcile has been, "…for the child will die a hundred years old…" When we understand that during the Millennium, in all probability, those who are righteous we need to ask:

• Why would they die?
• Why would they not be transformed from flesh to spirit just like those who are still alive when Christ returns are changed from flesh to spirit?
• Is that change and transformation considered and instantaneous death? I don't know!

I've debated that back and forth in my own mind. Because it says, it's given to once man to die (Heb. 9:27). So, is that considered an instantaneous death? Because they are changed 'in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.' This would be a great object lesson all during the Millennium!

Those who are righteous, those who overcome vanity, those who are faithful, live to be a hundred. I don't know how it would be. Would we have one service a month where those who have reached a hundred-years-old would then have a 'transformation party' or service right at the church? I mean, that would be spectacular, wouldn't it? I mean you talk about showing that the way of God leads to life, there you've got it.

But nevertheless, the wicked have to die. So those who don't are going to die, and it says and "…but the sinner who is a hundred years old shall be accursed"—which means that whenever there is a funeral and there is a burial, they know that that person has committed the unpardonable sin and has died and has been buried. We would have to look at this and say that we have to, in order to understand it correctly, because there is no way that the Hebrew can be changed here to make it fit any other way than it says. This means that we would have to consider at that instant that the person is changed from flesh to spirit that that must be considered an instantaneous death and change. The physical body is no longer there, but it has been transformed to a spiritual body.

However God is going to do that we don't know. But here we have a time of 100 years. All during the Millennium we will have ten generations, which they overlap, because every year someone's going to be 100-years-old. This begins to present a problem when we get down toward the end of the Millennium.

Verse 21. "'And they will build houses and live in them; and they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit…. [this we can also apply to the 100-year period of the Great White Throne Judgment, which we will cover tomorrow on the Last Great Day] …They will not build, and another live in them; they will not plant, and another eat; for like the days of a tree are so will be the days of My people, and My elect will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for calamity. For they are the seed of the beloved of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the food of the serpent…. [nothing's going to change with that] … They will not hurt nor destroy in all My Holy mountain,' says the LORD" (vs 21-25).

Let's see what we need to understand that's going to happen at the end of the Millennium. Some people think that its right the last few years before the Millennium ends, and then the Last Great Day has to do with New Jerusalem. Well, we will see that that's not quite correct. Let's read some verses and bring us up-to-date where we are toward the end of the Millennium. Now, let's understand what happens when people get satiated with everything? They get complacent! Isn't that what happens to the Laodiceans? They're rich and increased with goods. Well, think what it's going to be like all during the Millennium:

• everything is right there
• God is right there
• the Truth is right there.

They will have known nothing other than the Truth, except the 'secret inward thoughts' as we saw in the book of Ecclesiastes, that some people will hold!

Now, when we come to this last generation, is it going to be the last 100 years, or maybe the last 50 of the hundred years, and there's going to be a separation and a division of those who are righteous and want to follow God and those who want to go their own way. Is God, at that time, going to say: 'All right, we have had nearly a thousand years and you still want to go your own way.' Let's see how maybe God is going to accommodate them. We know that Satan is bound, and it's important to understand that even though you have forgiveness of sin; and even though you have people able to overcome sin now, as long as Satan is around you can't truly get rid of sin! That's why He has another mission at the end of the Millennium. So, Satan is bound for a thousand years, not 997 or whatever.

Revelation 20:3: "Then he…[the angel] …cast him into the abyss, and locked him up, and sealed the abyss over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were fulfilled…"—completed! Nowhere is the Greek term 'teleos' used in the Greek in Rev. 20, indicating that at the end or toward the end of the thousand years. Here's a sentence that has people perplexed.

"…and after that it is ordained that he be loosed for a short time" (v 3)—an indeterminable period; we don't know how long it is. We see in relationship to Satan having a short time in Rev. 12, we can kind of calculate that out. That's a little greater than 3-1/2 years. But we don't know if it applies here in this case. Then we see the Millennium began. The thrones are cast down, judgment given to them, and:

Verse 4: "…they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Not almost a thousand years, but a thousand years.

Here's a key for the Last Great Day, v 5: "(But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and Holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Now, when the thousand years have been completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison" (vs 5-7).

• Why would God do this?
• What is the purpose of this?
• What does this serve?

Remember that all during the Millennium the people who come are reproduced and physical people in the world do not have to live under Satan.

• Why would God do this?

Hearken back to the beginning where the book of Revelation is the beginning and the ending

• What was the very first thing that Satan was allowed to go into the Garden of Eden and do? He started deceiving!
• What does he do here? He deceives!

Verse 8: "And he shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog…" This also presents another little problem, because we're told in Rom. 2 that God is no respecter of persons. If a certain race of people, being Gog and Magog, are not offered salvation, then is not God a respecter of persons? But of course He would be! Then we would have conflict with the Bible. So, how do we understand?

"…four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog…"? Could this be—and I think it is, and we can make a case for it—that this is the geographical area of Gog and Magog, just like you talk about Israel as a geographical area; or Babylon as a geographical area. When you say the children of Israel you're talking about the people. When you say the Babylonian people you're talking about people. So, the only way we can understand this is that this is the geographical area of Gog and Magog. There are people out there that God is going to allow Satan to deceive.

"…the nations..." The only thing we conclude is that this has to be from all nations of the world. How did they get there, and what were the circumstances for them to get there?

"…of whom the number is as the sand of the sea, to gather them together for war" (v 8).

I think we can conclude this and be on very safe ground, doctrinally. Toward the end of the Millennium, say maybe the last 50 years, those who are born into the world come in to the way that it's been run all during the Millennium, with the exception that God is going to give an exception, which is this: those who secretly do not want to go along with God's Word, instead of being able to live a hundred years and commit the unpardonable sin and die accursed, God is going to let them have the choice: do you want to live here in this society or we have a place over there where you can go. Just exactly like God did when Adam and Eve sinned. He exiled them out of the Garden of Eden.

When Cain sinned, God further exiled him to the land Nod. Is Gog and Magog the land of the Gog and Magog—the geographical area—a place there that is for exiles. When they choose to reject God's way, they're going to be given a choice. You can either repent or you can immigrate over here and there are some people there and you can go live your life the way you want to, and you don't have to be bothered anymore with keeping the commandments. You don't have to worry about the oppression of this society in holding you back from expressing yourself. That's why vanity becomes such a key thing to overcome during the Millennium.

What God is going to do, I think that's what's going to happen. Now they're going to get out there and they're going to see:

• yes, they have their difficulties
• yes, they have their problems
• yes, they have their troubles

but they have the freedom! No one there to tell them 'this is the way to walk in it; don't go to the right hand or to the left hand.' We are here to make our own choices, and they will immediately revert back to what human nature always does: to live in sin! Isn't that what human nature always does? Yes!

Here they are out there, cut off from God. Now, lo and behold, God has a mission for Satan. What is this mission going to accomplish? It's got to finish the thousand years! This has to be the last act of the thousand years, because it says:

Verse 7: "Now when the thousand years have been completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison; And he shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, of whom the number is as the sand of the sea, together them together for war" (vs 7-8).

So, it's an indeterminable number because human choice is involved. Whenever there's human choice involved you don't know what the final number is going to be.

Verse 9—here is why Satan is let out. He is let out to gather them together to come and fight. God has a purpose in that and that is to bring upon these people who are sinners by choice, their first death, because they've committed the unpardonable sin. Now it'll be very easy for Satan to convince them. You can almost write the script if you had a movie. He comes out of the prison, all the demons are with him and there's a great spiritual revival and he says:

I am really god, and this One down in Jerusalem, unfortunately, got the upper hand over me for nearly a thousand years, but I have escaped His power; and I am come now to lead you in going down because these people have no implements of war and we can conquer them. It will be a 'cake-walk,' and we will take over Jerusalem and I will be your god and you can worship me. We will get rid of them.

And they're all going to bite it 'hook, line and sinker.' What do they do?

Verse 9: "Then I saw them go up upon the breadth of the earth and encircle the camp of the saints, and the beloved city…"

What happens? There's no contest! God is going to let them all come up. They're not going to have great implements of war. There won't be time for that. They'll probably have swords, spears, shields, clubs and things like this. God's purpose is to bring about their first death all at once, in preparation for the 100-year period that comes later: the Great White Throne Judgment.

What happens? God's secret weapon always works! "…and fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them" (v 9). Who's standing there? Satan and all the demons! Satan's judgment comes upon him, which will be the final act. So, however long this is going to be from the ending of the thousand-year period into the beginning of the Great White Throne Judgment, we're not told. But it doesn't have to take very long to do this.

Verse 10: "And the Devil, who deceived them, was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet had been cast… [as we saw at the beginning of the Millennium] …and they, Satan and the demons…"—can only refer to Satan and the demons, because fleshly human beings cast into a Lake of Fire are burned up and they are no more, and they are ashes. They have no thought, they have no feeling, the spirit goes back to God, their life is ended and whatever God does with that spirit, He can take that spirit power and reuse it into something else.

"…Satan and the demons, shall be tormented day and night into the ages of eternity" (v 10.) Satan has to be removed the second time! Why? Because those who come up in the Great White Throne Judgment have already lived one life under Satan the devil! They don't need two lives under Satan the devil. One, as I've said many times, is quite sufficient.

With that taking place, we'll look at just a couple of Scriptures here and see what this does to Satan the devil. let's see how Heb. 2 fulfills the prophecy that we find of what Christ was going to do to Satan.

Hebrews 2:14: "Therefore, since the children are partakers of flesh and blood, in like manner He also took part in the same, in order that through death He might annul him who has the power of death—that is, the devil."

God is going to annul everything that Satan has done! That's what's going to happen. Everything that Satan worked for is going to come to nothing! All the schemes, all the plans, all the evil is going to be gone!

Then it says in the book of Jude that they are going to be given the blackness of darkness forever, which then will be the greatest torment. First they're cast into a Lake of Fire and then they are put into the blackness of darkness forever. So, the Millennium finishes with the final judgment against of Satan the devil, the author of sin and thus the beginning and the ending in reference to Satan has taken place!

Now, we have one more day, the Last Great Day, tomorrow. So you come back and we'll do a Paul Harvey tomorrow for 'the rest of the story.'

Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References

• Psalm 93:1-2
• Zephaniah 3:14-17
• Jeremiah 31:7-14, 31-34
• Psalm 93:1
• Jeremiah 32: 36-40
• Ezekiel 36:6-11, 23-31
• Isaiah 30:20-21
• Psalm 39:5
• Ecclesiastes 1:1-6, 8-9
• Ecclesiastes 6:1-4
• Ecclesiastes 8:1-10
• Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
• Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13-14
• Isaiah 65:16-25
• Revelation 20:3-10
• Hebrews 2:14

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 1
• Ezekiel 38, 39
• Zechariah 14
• Luke 21
• Isaiah 2
• Revelation 12; 21; 22
• Hebrews 9:27
• Romans 2
• Jude

Also referenced:

• Sermons: It's Not How You Start, But How You Finish #s1-2
• Sermon Series: The Millennial Temple

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8-21-07
Reformatted/Corrected: 9/2019