The Last Generation

Greetings, brethren, welcome to the Feast of Tabernacles, day seven, which officially ends the Feast of Tabernacles, though there's one more day, the eighth day. Isn't interesting how God's Holy Days come together? When we begin in the spring, we have one day, the Passover, which begins. Then following seven days of Unleavened Bread, we count down to Pentecost seven weeks of seven Sabbaths; and on the day after the seventh Sabbath, we have the Day of Pentecost.

Then we come to the 1st day of the 7th month, which is the Feast of Trumpets; the 10th day of the 7th month, which is the Day of Atonement; the 15th day of the 7th month, which then is the Feast of Tabernacles. Here we are now on the last day, the 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles, because the command is: you shall keep the Feast of Tabernacles seven days. It ends up, as we will see tomorrow, with plus 1, which is 8.

So, we start out with 1+7 and we end up with 7+1. Of course, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and the Last Great Day are the Feasts, which apply to the beginning of the setting up of the Government of God, the return of Jesus Christ and the saints on the earth on the Feast of Trumpets, though many events take place between Pentecost and the Feast of Trumpets.

Then we have the Day of Atonement, as we have seen, where then the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins—for all people, all nations—then will be given after Satan has been bound for a thousand years. Now, without the book of Revelation, we would not know any of these things. In particularly, without the book of Revelation for the Last Great Day, as we will see tomorrow, there would be no understanding of Ezekiel 37.

Here we are on last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, day #7, and we are coming to the end of the Millennium. Human behavior always runs in cycles. Here we have a thousand-year cycle, and what happens before you get to the end of the cycle, you have a drop-off. You also have something that is very important to understand: All during the Millennium, everyone has free choice; and everyone has to choose God's way, which the majority will because of the Government of God, under Christ with all the saints ruling all the nations, teaching all the people everywhere. The majority of people will accept salvation, they will be converted and they will enter into the Kingdom of God.

But we always have another generation that comes along, and that generation is the last generation. Today we're going to talk about this situation and why, before the complete fulfillment of the 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Satan is loosed for a short season.

Let's just review so we understand everything that's going on; because God has a purpose, God has a plan on which it all hangs on the framework of the Sabbath and the Holy Days. God uses His Holy Days to fulfill His will:

• just like He did with the Passover and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
• just like He did with the Wave Sheaf Offering and Christ ascending to be accepted of the Father
• just like He did with the Feast of Pentecost

We've covered it also in the Old Testament and the New Testament: the Feast of Trumpets, Old Testament, New Testament, and it's undoubtedly true that Jesus Christ was born on the Feast of Trumpets.

When we come especially to Atonement and Tabernacles, there is very little evidence in the Old Testament as to what it is going to be, outside of the fact that Zech. 14 shows how the Millennium is going to begin. The first thing they're going to do is keep the Feast of Tabernacles. It says of the nations that don't come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles… Of course, all nations can't come to Jerusalem, physically, to be there. They will be represented by the delegations from each nation. The rest will be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles back in the countries that they are living in. Just like today, we are keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in certain locations in different areas of the world. If they don't keep the Feast of Tabernacles then God is going send a plague on them. If it's Egypt, they'll have the plagues. If it's a country that has lots of rain and fertility, God is going to cut off the rain.

When we think about it, this ought to tell us how important the Feast of Tabernacles and the Holy Days of God are to God; and how important it is for us to keep these days; and to keep them in a way that is pleasing to God; and to let God—with His Spirit and His Word—instruct us on these days so that we can learn, to grow in grace and knowledge and understanding.

The fulfillment of the Day of Atonement is Satan being cast into the bottomless abyss. Then we have:

Revelation 20:4: "And I saw thrones; and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given to them… [we're going to judge and rule for a thousand years] …and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and those who did not worship the beast or his image, and did not receive the mark in their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

How all that is going to be organized, God is going to tell us that; Christ is going to reveal it to us after we're resurrected. The beginning of understanding it is when we're on the Sea of Glass after the resurrection on Pentecost and:

• we receive our new names
• we get our assignments
• we know what cities that we're going to rule over
• we know where we're going to fit into the Government of God
• then when we come down and take over the world Satan is put into the abyss

The whole Government of God is going to reach out to the whole world, fill the whole world. It's going to be full of blessings and Truth and righteousness. We'll review some of these things in just a little bit.

Verse 5—after a parenthetical statement, which we will cover tomorrow: "…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…." (vs 5-6)—which means we have eternal life!

That is the covenant that we are in right now with Jesus Christ and God the Father: the covenant of eternal life!

"…But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (v 6). It says twice that we will reign with Christ a thousand years! How is the world going to be organized? We've already seen some of that but let's review a little bit of it!

Let's see a prophecy concerning Israel. When we go back and we read these things concerning the Kingdom of God ruling on earth, and it refers to Israel, let's also understand that the other prophecies, such as Zech. 14, includes all the nations, as we will see in just a little bit also in the book of Malachi. Let's see how God is going to organize it:

Ezekiel 37:15: "And the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'And you, son of man, take a stick and write on it, "For Judah and for his companions, the children of Israel." And take another stick and write on it, "For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel, his companions."'" (vs 15-16).

It's interesting that he says Judah and includes them as part of the children of Israel, because they are, but also notice what it says here for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel and his companions. These are the nations of Israel brought back out of captivity, returned into their lands, and here's how the government is going to be setup. This is something that is going to be a tremendous thing to behold, because we'll be part of it.

Verse 17: "'And join them to one another into one stick. And they shall become one in your hand. And when the children of your people shall speak to you, saying, "Will you not declare to us what do you mean by these?" Say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions, and I will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and will make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand'" 'And the sticks on which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes. And say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD…"'" (vs 17-21). Here is the meaning of taking the two sticks:

"…'Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone… [God is going to bring them back] …and will gather them on every side, and will bring them into their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king over them all. And they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all'" (vs 21-22).

Remember this part of the Scriptures when someone gives you the argument that all twelve tribes are Jews and they're all one nation. NO! It clearly says, as we put together the other Scriptures, until the time comes that Christ returns and re-gathers Israel—there are many other prophecies that show that—they are two nations. They are separate, and have been ever since the revolt against Rehoboam after the death of Solomon. Then the ten tribes were given to Jeroboam and they went off into captivity first.

"…they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all…" (v 22).

This is in the Jewish Bible, written in Hebrew; I wonder why they don't understand that? Well, it's because they don't accept the New Testament; they don't accept Jesus Christ—so they're blinded. They're blinded with the superiority complex that they constitute all the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, which is not true.

Verse 23: "Nor shall they be defiled with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with all of their transgressions. But I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they shall be to Me for a people, and I will be their God."

That's quite a tremendous thing! We can look for that to happen. We'll be part of making it happen.

Verse 24: "And David My servant shall be king over them. And there shall be one shepherd to all of them. And they shall walk in My ordinances and obey My laws, and do them."

That's what the unity of Scripture is all about between the Old Testament and the New Testament, the continuity of keeping the commandments of God. In the New Testament, under the New Covenant, we have to keep them with all our heart, mind, soul and being, motivated from the Spirit of God.

This is what they are going to learn. This is what they are going to come to understand, because they will be under a New Covenant, which is different from the covenant that we are under today. There's the New Covenant for the Church and there is the New Covenant for Israel when they are brought back out of captivity.

Verse 25: "And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, the land in which your fathers have dwelt. And they shall dwell in it, even they and their children, and their children's children forever…." God didn't reveal that it would be for a thousand years, but forever!

"…And My servant David shall be their ruler forever…. [if they attain to the Kingdom of God it shall be] …Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them…." (vs 25-26).

A new covenant that has not been yet made with the children of Israel and the children of Judah. That won't take place until the beginning of the Millennium.

"…It shall be an everlasting covenant with them…. [for eternal life] …And I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. And My tabernacle shall be with them. Yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And the nations shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in their midst forever." (vs 26-28).

Jer. 31—let's see something very similar to that, which shows that He's going to make a new covenant with them when they return. This will go all the way through the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ and the saints.

Jeremiah 31:31: "'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… [there's another good place to remember] …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. And they shall no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD"; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' says the LORD…." (vs 31-34)—because He's going to be on the earth!

"…'For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.' Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea when its waves roar; (the LORD of hosts is His name), 'If those ordinances depart from Me,' says the LORD, 'the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever'" (vs 31-36).

God is swearing on His existence; on His creation, that yes, He is going to do this. This is a tremendous promise! This is really fantastic!

Verse 37: "Thus says the LORD, 'If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be searched out, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done,' says the LORD. 'Behold, the days come,' says the LORD, 'that the city shall be built to the LORD from the Tower of Hananeel to the Corner Gate. And the measuring line shall yet go before it to the hill Gareb, and shall go around to Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook of Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be Holy to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more forever'" (vs 37-40).

Now this is a very significant thing because what He's talking about here in the Valley of Hinnom in the Brook of Kidron; that's where they sacrificed their children to the pagan gods when the children of Israel sinned against God just before they were kicked out.

Let's see what God is also going to do, because there has to be a change. People cannot continue with the same nature that they have. There must be a change of mind, of heart, of thought and everything that people do, and that comes with conversion. Here's what He's going to do:

Ezekiel 36:22: "'Therefore, say to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My Holy name's sake… [because He said He would] …which you have profaned among the nations where you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD,' says the Lord GOD…"'" (vs 22-23).

What's important to understand is: What comes to Israel and comes to Judah also goes to the nations. If it says they nations shall know the Lord, that means that they're also being called to conversion. So, here's the whole world—all the world now. A thousand years living under the Government of God and people who are converted, who at the end of their lives instead of dying and being buried, are then entering into the Kingdom of God.

Verse 24: "For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries, and will gather you into your own land. And I will sprinkle clean waters upon you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you…. [conversion] …And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" (vs 24-26).

So, the nature of all people then is going to be changed and that refers to the time as we find in Acts 3, the 'restoration of all things.' People will be given a nature more like the nature that Adam and Eve had when they were created. God is going to make it so that even their physical minds—their spirit, their attitude—and everything is going to be changed and then improved with conversion! This is going to be something! This is really going to be amazing!

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." That's conversion!

We are going to be the ones who will be superintending this and making sure that it is done. So, we have a great calling to do; and this is going to go on through all the Millennium.

Verse 28: "And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers…."—which includes wherever Israel is today, because that's what He gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not just that little area in the Middle East, that's a very small area. But wherever modern Israel is today.

"…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" (vs 28-30).

Something else is going to happen that has never happened in the whole history of Israel, and it cannot happen until God makes it possible. We'll understand a little bit more about that tomorrow.

Verse 31: "And you shall remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations."

God is going to grant them repentance, the graciousness of God leads you to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Lest Israel think, 'I deserve this.' NO! He says:

Verse 32: "'I do not do this for your sake,' says the Lord GOD, 'be it known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.' Thus says the Lord GOD, 'In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the wasteland shall be tilled, instead of being desolate before all who pass by. And they shall say, "This land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden…."'" (vs 32-35). The restoration of all things!

"'…And the wasted, desolate and ruined cities now are fenced and inhabited.' And the nations that are left all around you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it" (vs 35-36).

That's really going to be quite a thing! Let's also see how this is going to be. Quite a fantastic thing that is taking place.

Isa. 65 we've also always applied to the Last Great Day on how long people will live. But let's apply it also to the Millennium, because there has to be a time to end the life of an individual who does not accept God's way and rejects salvation all during the Millennium.

There has to be a time when those who are righteous are counted worthy to enter into the Kingdom of God. Perhaps it will be very much like it is when Jesus Christ returns and the seventh trump is sounded. 'The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who remain and are alive shall be caught up in the air together with them and we shall be changed.'

So, there would be very little reason at all for those who have been righteous, who have repented, been baptized, received God's Holy Spirit, and maybe they were baptized at age 20 and they lived to be a hundred years.

Here they have 80 years of righteousness as showing and demonstrating that they love God, that they will always serve God and now they have, through the operation of God, qualified for salvation. As I've said before, why not have at Sabbath services a 'going out' party; a 'going out' service. This week we're going to have so many, we could say, going out service for so-and-so, and so-and-so, and so-and-so. Then right during that service, while we as spirit beings pray for them and lay hands on them to finalize the covenant that they were with to receive eternal life, that they are changed from flesh to spirit and enter into the Kingdom of God.

This is going to be very spectacular for everyone to see and to witness. Also, as a witness, it is going to give them the desire to want to receive eternal life. However, as we're going to see, toward the end of the Millennium—the last generation—may have some other thoughts.

Isaiah 65:17: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth…." That's not the new heavens and new earth of Rev. 21 & 22. This is the renewing of the earth and the heavens and everything like that after all the wars that have gone on leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. He's going to have to make the world new. He's going to have to make the heavens around the earth new. That's what it's talking about.

"…And the former things will not be remembered, nor come to mind. 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, nor the voice of crying" (vs 17-19). This is one of the reasons that we also apply it to the second resurrection or the Last Great Day!

Verse 20: "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."

When that transformation takes place, it has to be sort of an instantaneous death of the physical body, and that then being wholly consumed into a new spiritual body. As in Adam we all die! This is probably the operation that's going to take place, and that's why it says we'll die a hundred years. The rest of the Bible has to interpret, what happens after that? When they become spirit beings, they enter into the Kingdom of God to live forever!

The sinner, who is a hundred and dies is going to be accursed. All during the Millennium the only ones who are buried are the sinners. Why is that? Because the sinners who have committed the unpardonable sin obviously are not going to enter into the Kingdom of God. We know from Rev. 20, all those who've committed the unpardonable sin are going to be cast into the Lake of Fire, which is their second death! When the sinner dies 'accursed' that's his first death. When that takes place everyone is going to know this person rejected salvation; this one did not listen to God. There will be part of that all interspersed through all during the Millennium.

Verse 21: "'And they will build houses and live in them; and they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 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…. [a hundred years is long] …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. They will not hurt nor destroy in all My Holy mountain,' says the LORD" (vs 21-25)—everything referring to the way of God, the plan of God during the Millennium and so forth!

Micah 4 also tells us how it's going to be during the Millennium and how the people are going to live. It also tells us something else that's important to understand, which is that right at first, all nations are not going to submit themselves to the authority and rule of the Kingdom of God. There's going to be a little persuasion that has to take place.

Micah 4:1: "But it shall be in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come and say, 'Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD… [go up to Jerusalem] …and to the house of the God of Jacob….'" (vs 1-2).

We saw how that the temple is going to be during the Millennium, with a great canopy over Jerusalem. They won't go into the city, but they will come up to Jerusalem. They won't go into the place that is reserved only for spirit beings. But they will come up to Jerusalem.

"'…And He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths'—for the Law shall go forth out of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (v 2)—and we're going to be the ones carrying that out!

This is going to solve all the problems of mankind. Remember, as I've stated over and over again, man thinks he can do it his way, with his religions, with his politics. But remember this: You cannot solve the spiritual problems on your own, man's way, it must be God's way! It must be through Jesus Christ! Any other way, it's just not going to work.

Now look what's going to happen here, v 3: "And He shall judge among many people, and will rebuke strong nations afar off…

Even though Christ is on the earth, even though many nations have repented, and they're sending their representatives up to find out how to live, what are the Laws of God, what do we need to teach the people, and we go back with them and we say 'Here is the way it is, thus says the Lord.' That's the way it's going to be. Now, there's some strong nations that won't want to submit, so here's a little 'friendly persuasion' that's going to take place.

"…and they shall… [they're going to learn because there's going to be a war against them] …beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (v 3). That's the whole history of man: war, war, war!

I know it always just stuns me when I go through the synopsis of the world history in Langer's Encyclopedia of World History. There's nothing but war! power controls! struggle control! false religions! It is just absolutely mind-blowing! It all goes back to Satan, who's the author of war, because he's the one who started the first war against God and was cast back to the earth.

Verse 4: "But they shall sit each one under his own vine and under his own fig tree; and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken."

That's how it's going to be done. I think we're going to find that all this modern age and everything that we have today and all the fantastic prognostications, as we have seen, that those like Ray Kurzweil want to do to make man immortal are just absolutely worthless and wretched and will come to nothing. Only God's way will work. That's why we're going to teach them God's way.

Let's also see how God is going to take care of those nations that rebel. He has to persuade them. We will know and understand that this is interpreting Micah 4 and Isa. 2 on how He's going to rebuke those nations till they know that God is God!

Ezek. 38:1—in this particular case, parts of these prophecies apply to cyclical things within history. Part of it applies to the whole invasion of the Mongols who came and were stopped at the doors of Europe. Part of it applies to the things that occurred in WWII. Part of it is going to apply again after the Millennium starts. These nations will not submit to God and He has got to show them that He is God. In Ezek. 38 & 39, we find a very important thing for us to realize and understand that's going to happen.

Ezekiel 38:1: "And the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief ruler of Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him'" (vs 1-2).

The wave of that before the return of Christ, we find in Rev. 8 & 9 when the wave of the kings of the East take place. Then we have another wave of them when we come to Rev. 16. Here's the final wave of them. It's going to be very difficult to persuade all these nations of the East and the North, to submit to the Kingdom of God. So, here are the 'friendly persuaders'—not too friendly persuaders—that are going to take place.

Verse 3: "And say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief ruler of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you back, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed most gorgeously, a great assembly with buckler and shield, all of them swordsmen; Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them…"'" (vs 3-5). The Libya that is in the Middle East, not the nation that is in northern Africa!

"…all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all his bands; the house of Togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north, and all his bands; and many people with you. Be prepared; yea, prepare for yourself, you and all your assembly that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them" (vs 5-7).

This is what's going to happen, v 8: "After many days you will be summoned. In the latter years you shall come into the land restored from war…" That is Israel brought back to the area that God originally gave to David called the Holy Land!

"'…gathered out of many people, on the mountains of Israel, which have always been waste. (But she has been brought out of the nations, and they shall dwell securely, all of them.) And you shall go up, coming like a storm. You shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you and all your bands, and many people with you.' Thus says the Lord GOD, 'And it shall be in that day that things shall come into your heart, and you shall devise an evil plan. And you shall say, "I will go up to the land of unwalled villages…."'" (vs 8-11).

There won't be any defenses there. There won't be any need for defensive walls or things like that, because God will be the one Who will defend them.

"…I will go to those that are at rest [the Millennium], who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and there are no bars nor gates to them'" (v 11).

They're living out here in their countries all destitute, because they haven't submitted to God, not keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, so they're getting no rain, they're getting plagues. Still they don't repent to God. So, they say, 'All right, let's go up, let's gather the armies, let's go take it'; God is going to absolutely destroy them!

Verse 22: "'And I will judge him with pestilence and with blood. And I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people with him, an overflowing shower, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone…. [they didn't learn the lesson of Rev. 16] …Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself. And I will have Myself known in the eyes of many nations, they shall know that I am the LORD'" (vs 22-23).

This is going to take place right at the beginning of the Millennium. It's important for us to understand the flow of everything to where we come to the end so we know what's going to happen and why these events are going to take place.

(go to the next track)

Let's see why God does this, and why it happens at the beginning of the Millennium; and then we will take a review of what's going to happen all during the Millennium.

Ezekiel 39:1: "Therefore, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about, and lead you on. And I will bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and I will bring you against the mountains of Israel. And I will strike your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand. You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your bands, and the people with you. I will give you for food to the birds of prey of every kind, and to the beasts of the field. You shall fall upon the face of the open field, for I have spoken it," says the Lord GOD. "And I will send a fire on Magog, and on those who dwell in the isles. And they shall know that I am the LORD"'" (vs 1-6).

God does all of this so that men—through their own devices and their own connivings and wanting to take and destroy and not submitting to the government of God under Jesus Christ—which is coming out of Jerusalem to the whole world. God is going to make them an example; and God is going to do it so the nations will know that God is God! Now, you have to also say, some people are very, very stubborn and hard to get the point.

Verse 7: "And I will make My Holy name known in the midst of My people Israel. And I will not let them profane My Holy name any more. Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel."

Read all the way through Ezek. 38 & 39, God does this so they will know that He is the Lord.

Verse 8: "'Behold, it is coming, and it shall be done,' says the Lord GOD. 'This is the day of which I have spoken." It's going to be really something!

Verse 11: "'And it will be in that day that I will give to Gog a burial place there in Israel—the valley of those who pass by, east of the sea. And it shall block off those who pass by. And there they shall bury Gog and all his multitude. And they shall call it, The Valley of the Multitude of Gog. And the house of Israel shall bury them, to cleanse the land, seven months. And all the people of the land shall bury them, and it shall be to them a day of renown, the day that I shall be glorified,' says the Lord GOD" (vs 11-13).

Verse 21: "And I will set My glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see My judgments which I have executed, and My hand that I have laid on them."

This is going to be a dramatic thing. When that is done, then we usher in more of the Kingdom of God; more of the things that God wants us to know and to do.

Let's read about what the Millennium is going to be like. This is the last war, at the beginning of the Millennium. We're going to see that Gog and Magog were so infamous that God is going to take part of Gog and Magog and use that for a special place for sinners to go. Here's what it's going to be like all during the Millennium, very similar to what we read in Isa. 65.

Isaiah 11:1: "And there shall come forth a shoot out from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." That's talking about Jesus' first coming, then it blends into His second coming!

Verse 2: "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, 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). There we have a combination of the first and second coming altogether!

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… [that ties in with what we read in Isa. 65] …and the leopard shall lie down with the kid… [instead of killing it and taking it up in a tree and eating it.] …and the calf and the cub lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the viper's den. 'They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My Holy mountain… [the Government of God] …for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (vs 5-9).

That's really something! That's the way it's going to be. How outstanding, brethren! Now let's look and see how they're going to be taught.

A man wrote in and said, 'Will we be visible to the people that we are teaching? or Will we be invisible'? We will be visible, and we will show them God's way!

Isaiah 30:19: "For, O people, who dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you shall weep no more; He will be very gracious to you at the voice of your cry. When He hears it, He will answer you. And though the LORD gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet,  your teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more, but your eyes shall see your teachers" (vs 19-20).

This is going to lead to a few problems, as we will see, at the end of the Millennium; because here's what's going to happen:

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." They are going to be taught! They are going to know!

Let's think about how absolutely wealthy and filled with all kinds of things that this world is going to be during the Millennium. It's going to be in such way that it is also going to effect human nature. The further that the people are removed from the setting up of the Kingdom of God, and the last war with Gog and Magog, the more they're going to get settled into a routine in the Millennium.

Let's see some of the instructions that are given to us, as well as some of the instructions that are going to be given to the people.

Isaiah 51:1: "'Hearken to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the Rock from which you were cut, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him, and made him many.' For the LORD shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden…" (vs 1-3).

So again, many references that during the Millennium the whole earth is going to be like Eden.

Now, many of you have flown in planes and I do quite frequently in my traveling. I look down on the earth and 10%, is populated; 90% of the land is given to forests and mountains and to deserts and things like this. Now just picture the whole world as a Garden of Eden. How many billions can this world support? With God's grace, His blessing, for a thousand years it's going to be absolutely tremendous! It's going to be something!

"'…and her desert like the garden of the LORD…. [it's going to be all transformed it says in other places the desert is going to bloom] …Joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. 'Hearken to Me, My people; and give ear to Me, O My nation; for instruction shall proceed from Me, and I will make My justice as a light to the people. My righteousness is near…'" (vs 3-5). So there's always going to be access to the righteousness of God!

"…My salvation has gone out, and My arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on My arm they shall trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath… [because this is going to be part of it] …for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall become old like a garment; and its inhabitants shall die in the same way…. [that's the wicked in the Lake of Fire] …But My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished" (vs 5-6).

Tremendous what God has said here. All of these things have to do with our serving and loving God and doing the things that He wants us to do.

There's going to be such economic power; there's going to be such economic things going on that it's going to be almost unbelievable. It's going to be the greatest time in the history of all mankind. God is going to give them every blessing, every physical thing in addition to opportunity for salvation.

• they are not going to be hungry
• they are not going to suffer famine
• there will not be any crime
• there aren't going to be any policemen around in the sense that we know today
• no prisons
• no jails
• no hospitals
• it's going to be perfect the way God wants it to be

As we look at it here, and all of these things will be here.

Isaiah 60:15: "Instead of being forsaken and hated, so that no one passes through, I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. You will also suck the milk of nations, and suck the breast of kings; and you shall know that I the LORD am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob" (vs 15-16).

This applies to those of us who are spirit beings. We're going to benefit from everything that is done on the earth. We will be priests under Christ, which means that we are going to share in the tithes and offerings that the people bring to God. Just exactly like the Levites shared in the tithes and offerings, and then they sent up an offering to the priests. So likewise, in the Millennium that will be. We'll have wealth beyond imagination.

Notice what the economy is going be like, v 17: "For bronze I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver…"

This shows that there's going to be mining; there's going to be refining; there are going to be all those things undertaken.

"…and for wood I will bring bronze, and for stones, iron. I will also make your overseers to be peace, and your rulers to be righteousness. Violence will no more be heard in your land…" (vs 17-18).

You stop and think about that as a fantastic blessing. No violence! No killing! No murder! No gangs! If they start going out of the way, we say, 'No! No! Here is the way, walk in it!' I'm sure, that every Sabbath when we're instructing the people—because we will be—that's when they're going to get the instructions on the 'way to go,' as well as hearing the voice behind them: don't do that!

For those who are converted, they'll be very happy to hear it. But think about those who are marginal and are not converted, and they hear this voice telling them, do this, do that, do the other thing. You know what it's going to do? It's going to cause them to resent it, especially in the last generation. There are always going to be some people who will not choose God's way. Those are going to be the ones who will die accursed and wait the second resurrection to the Lake of Fire. So, the government will appear—to those people who don't repent—to be oppressive. Just think about that for a minute as we read on here.

Verse 18: "Violence will no more be heard in your land, neither wasting nor ruin within your borders; but you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise"—then it blends on into the New Jerusalem!

Now, let's come here to see the mission of Jesus Christ along with the blessing that is given to those in the first resurrection, who then are the teachers during the Millennium.

Isaiah 61:1: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me because the LORD has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to preach the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn" (vs 1-2). Part of this was fulfilled during the first coming of Christ!

Verse 3: "To appoint to those who mourn in Zion, giving to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the mantle of praise for the spirit of heaviness; so that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.' And they will build the old wastes, they will raise up the desolations of former times. And they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations" (vs 1-4). It's going to really be something when they do that!

Verse 5: "And strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the stranger will be your plowmen and your vinedressers." It's going to be a time of really fantastic things that are going to be taking place.

Verse 6: "But you shall be called the priests of the LORD; it will be said of you, 'The ministers of our God'; you will eat the riches of the Gentiles… [we are going to have wealth given to us] …and you will boast in their glory. For your shame you will have double; instead of dishonor they will rejoice in their portion; therefore, in their own land they will possess double; everlasting joy will be theirs. 'For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people; all who see them will acknowledge them, that they are the seed the LORD has blessed'" (vs 6-9).

Then it blends into those of us who will be serving as kings and priests during the Millennium: v 10: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul will be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the robes of salvation, He covered me with the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom adorns himself with ornaments, and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels; for as the earth brings forth its bud, and as the garden causes that which is sown to grow; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to grow before all the nations" (vs 10-11).

So this is quite a magnificent way of explaining what is it going to be like all during the Millennium.

Now let's go to Rev. 20 and pick up the rest of the story. Let's find out that there are some people, in spite of all of this, toward the end of the Millennium, and even during the Millennium—because there will be those who will die accursed and will wait the second resurrection to the Lake of Fire; which will be the few. But at the end of the Millennium we are going to see a great case of complacency and the pull of human nature of those who are not converted, who are not accepting the salvation that God gives! And they will not want to be part of what's going on.

What did God do with Adam and Eve when they sinned? He exiled them from the Garden of Eden because it wasn't time for them to die! If He would have executed them—'the wages of sin is death' and in the eating of the fruit: 'in the day that you eat thereof in dying you shall surely die'—if He would have carried out that penalty right at that moment, there wouldn't be anymore mankind!

So, God has let mankind go his way. And Adam and Eve, when they went their way, He exiled them out of the Garden of Eden and placed Cherubim at the east entrance to 'keep the way of the Tree of Life' so they couldn't get in there. However, they probably met God out there at the east entrance and conversed with Him and so forth.

Then we find another exile when Cain killed Abel; and God did not execute the death penalty against him. What He did, He cursed him and sent him away to the 'land of wandering.' After the Flood—of course, the Flood destroyed all the wicked at that time—God made it known that the nations, when they became evil, that God would send armed forces against them and carry them off into captivity—just like He did with the ten tribes of Israel and the house of Judah. The house of Judah went into captivity twice! The final time in 70 AD and there're just a few that have come back to the area they like to call Israel today.

So whenever people sin and God does not want to execute the death penalty against them at that particular time, He exiles them! Now if we can put this together and understand what we're talking about in Rev. 20, we have to go back to the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement when Satan is cast into the abyss:

Revelation 20:1: "Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Then he 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…" (vs 1-3). Many have wondered:

• Why did God do it this way?
• What was the purpose of not eliminating Satan altogether?
• Why just eliminate him for a thousand years?

Notice what it says when the thousand years was fulfilled:

"…and after that it is ordained that he be loosed for a short time" (v 3) We're not told exactly how long a short time is!

• Why is this going to happen?
• How many people are going to be involved?

We're not told how many will be involved. But the truth of the matter is that even though the Kingdom of God is on earth and there are going to be great blessings and tremendous things for all human beings, God is not taking away choice!

• people have to choose to repent
• they have to choose to love God
• they have to choose to obey God
• they have to choose to desire eternal life

There will still be that part of human nature in some people, that they will resent the kind of teaching and instruction and direction that they are given. They will not want to submit to God's way. So there will be some sinners.

When the population increases all during the Millennium, and we don't know how many billions of people are going to be on the earth in the last generation of the Millennium, but it's not inconceivable that it's going to be billions and billions of people. Because men and women are going to be fruitful and multiply because God wants many, many, many sons and daughters in His Kingdom. He is determined that they all have to be fleshly human beings first! Those who repent and accept God's way will receive eternal life. Those who don't will be rejected and face the Lake of Fire!

During the Millennium the sinners will die, that's their first death. Toward the end of the Millennium we have some rebellion, plus complacency and the carnality of wanting to go their own way! What you might say, we have a huge case of Laodiceanism; because they look back and they see all the things that have been the same for years and years, and human nature desires something different. They will choose and God will open the door for them to choose it so that He can bring upon them what we find here in:

Revelation 20:7: "Now, when the thousand years have been completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison."

Here's what's important: all during the Millennium Satan is not there. All those who reject salvation will do so knowingly, because Satan is not there to deceive them. So, at the end of the Millennium we have these people who knowingly reject salvation, and yet, God has not come to the point that they should die. God follows what He's always done: He exiles them! Where does He exile them?

Verse 8: "And he shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog…"

Remember how we covered at the beginning of the Millennium the epitome of sin and rebellion was Gog and Magog and the armies that they brought against Israel after Christ was here, returned to Israel their own land, and the Millennium had begun.

God has reserved in the geographical area of Gog and Magog a place of exile! How do we know that it's not the people of Gog and Magog? Well, very simply, because if God, Who says He's no respecter of persons, destined all of Gog and Magog never to receive salvation, then He surely would have been a respecter of persons. So, this cannot refer to the people alone, but to the area of Gog and Magog.

"…to deceive the nations… [that means there are people from every nation who are there] "…Gog and Magog, of whom the number is as the sand of the sea, to gather them together for war" (v 8).

This doesn't tell us how many there are. And the reason it doesn't is because God yet does not know, because they haven't made their choice to go God's way or reject God's way. It's going to be from all nations. There will be those who will not serve God, those who will reject salvation and now, in order to prepare for the fulfillment of the Last Great Day, God has to do something with all of these who have been exiled because of their rebellion and their sin. So, He sends them to Gog and Magog.

Now Satan comes! Satan comes! He's going to appear, as he always does, as an angel of light. And he's going to say to them: I am the real God. Down here in Jerusalem is the false god.

Just like it was when Jesus returns. The false Christ and the false Prophet are going to say, 'That which is coming in the heavens is the antichrist.' As a matter of fact, even the Catholic prophecies say that the antichrist will reign for a thousand years and abolish all idols. Now that tells you they know something! Yes, indeed! Satan comes out and says:

I am the real God. Now you deserve what is down there. You deserve it; it is your right. What we need to do is arm ourselves because these people don't have any weapons. These people down here, they don't even have any bars. As you know, you came from there. They don't have any bars. They don't have any bars of iron to protect themselves. They don't have any implements of war. So, what we're going to do is make implements of war and we're going to go forward with this.

I imagine he's even going to set up the false religious system again where they're worshipping Satan the devil, and he's going to stir them up in a ravenous state to come down and to take what 'rightfully belongs to them.' Because he does this: "…to gather them together for war." That's the purpose! What's going to happen to them? This is why God does it:

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; and fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them."

What is that? They're all destroyed! That's their first death! All of those who reject salvation and are incorrigibly wicked must die two deaths! There has to be a first death for all of those who rebel and were sent off into exile into the area of Gog and Magog, they all die!

Then the last thing that is going to happen, and here's what's going to take place at the end of the Millennium, the very fulfillment of God's Word. Satan will have no longer any purpose at all. Because as we will see tomorrow, those who are resurrected in the second resurrection for salvation, Satan the devil will not be around.

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." They were cast in there at the beginning of the Millennium!

We know that flesh cannot be tormented by fire day and night. It burns up. It's like being thrown into the rolling volcanic lava flow or a volcanic lava lake that is just seething with lava. Anyone's thrown in there, you're ashes in nothing flat.

"…and they…" (v 10). This is a difficult thing in the Greek, because 'they' does not refer to the beast and the false prophet, but it refers to Satan and his demons!

"…Satan and the demons, shall be tormented day and night into the ages of eternity" (v 10).

What is the final thing that is going to happen to them? They are going to be put into outer darkness. They're cast into the Lake of Fire first, and then they are removed to outer darkness, never again to deceive; never again to make war.

Let's come here to the book of Jude—the last of the General Epistles—and we will see their fate; and we will see what God says it's going to be. This is the fitting punishment for Satan and the demons, and this will be more torment than being in a Lake of Fire.

Jude 6: "And the angels who did not keep their own original domain, but deserted their habitation…"

That was in Satan's rebellion before man was created and a third of the angels followed him.

"…He is holding in eternal bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day" (v 6). This is the judgment right here, just before the great day occurs!

Verse 7: "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah—and the cities surrounding them, in the same manner as them—having given themselves over to sexual debaucheries, and having gone after different flesh, are themselves exhibited as a perpetual example of undergoing the punishment of eternal fire"—which came down out of God and destroyed them!

What happened with Sodom and Gomorrah should be a lesson for everyone; should have been a lesson for those in the last generation! If you rebel against God, though God let's you live and though God let's you sin, know that judgment is coming! Just like fire came down on Sodom and Gomorrah and consumed them and the cities all around; so likewise, those who rebelled against God and were exiled and allowed to live in their sins in exiled area of Gog and Magog, when they came down to battle against Jerusalem fire came down from God and destroyed them all, just like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah.

Verse 8: "In the same way also, these dreamers of filthy dreams are defiling the flesh, and are declaring as invalid the Lordship of God, and are blaspheming the Divine powers." That's exactly what Satan is going to inspire them to do, to gather them together for battle!

Verse 10: "As for these, whatever things they do not understand, they blaspheme; but whatever things they understand by instinct, as irrational brute beasts, they are corrupting themselves in these things…. [that's just showing the degenerateness of human nature] …Woe to them! For they have walked in the way of Cain…" (vs 10-11).

That is the religion that is in the world in it's various divisions called the great religions of this world. They are all the 'way of Cain.' When Satan is allowed to go to Gog and Magog to deceive them into battle, guess what they're going to be following? The 'way of Cain!'

"…and for gain… [Satan says, 'Come on, let's go down and take it.'] …they have wholly given themselves up to Balaam's delusion, and haveperished in the rebellion of Korah" (v 11).

This is bringing everything together. What Jude is doing here, he is bringing all the worst punishments that God has executed upon sinning man, and he's saying, 'This is going to come upon the angels who left their first estate.'

Verse 12: "These are subversive stains in your love feasts, feasting in person together with you; fearlessly they are feeding themselves…." That's what's happened down through history and in the Church of God, as well!

"…They are clouds without water… [never converted, just phewww!] …being driven by the winds; trees of late autumn, without any fruit, uprooted, twice dead" (v 12).

All of those who follow Satan the devil and the demons are going to die twice!

Verse 13: "Raging waves of the sea… [it blends into Satan the devil here] …casting up like foam their own ignominious shame; wandering stars… [that's referring to Satan the devil and the demons] …for whom has been reserved the blackest darkness forever!" (vs 12-13).

That's why they will be tormented forever! Thus ends the thousand-year Millennium! The Kingdom of God on earth is not yet finished, because there's one more day and there is one more time of salvation that God is going to give! We will find out to whom He will give it and how He will give it and the meaning of the Last Great Day. So come back tomorrow and we will finish the plan of God as outlined in the Scriptures.

Scriptural References:

• Revelation 20:4-6
• Ezekiel 37:15-28
• Jeremiah 31:31-40
• Ezekiel 36:22-36
• Isaiah 65:17-25
• Micah 4:1-4
• Ezekiel 38:1-11, 22-23
• Ezekiel 39:1-8, 11-13, 21
• Isaiah 11:1-9
• Isaiah 30:19-21
• Isaiah 51:1-6
• Isaiah 60:15-18
• Isaiah 61:1-11
• Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10
• Jude 6-8, 10-13

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Zechariah 14
• Acts 3
• Roman 2:4
• Revelation 21; 22
• Isaiah 2
• Revelation 8, 9, 16

Also referenced: Langer's Encyclopedia of World History

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8-24-08
Reformatted/Corrected: 11/2019