Last Great Day – 2003

Fred Coulter - October 18, 2003

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Greetings, brethren. Welcome to the Last Great Day. The Feast of Tabernacles finished yesterday, and there is one more day, and there’s a great reason for this day. And this is really a great day in fulfilling the plan of God and accomplishing what He started in the beginning. And as you know the whole theme of this feast has been “The Beginning and the Ending.” And we’re going to see that repeated again here in the Last Great Day. As a matter of fact what we’re going to do when we go to Leviticus 23, so let’s turn there, we are going to see that we have progressed through the holy days all the way through Leviticus 23. So we began at the beginning of Leviticus 23, which talks about the Sabbath, then which relates clear back to the very beginning when God created the Sabbath. And now we’re coming down through, we’ve gone through the Feast of Tabernacles and now we’re coming down to the Last Great Day. And tremendous meaning that is associated with this and it answers most of the key questions and difficulties that people have about human life, death, suffering, and what is God doing about it, and why hasn’t He done something about it, etc.

Now let’s go to Leviticus 23, and let’s pick it up here once again in verse 34. So we’ll just review a little bit here. “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles…” Now we’ve already finished that. And that’s for seven days. “On the first day shall be an holy convocation [we’ve done that]... Seven days [we’ve done that]…on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation…and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein” (Lev. 23: 34-36). And we’re going to see that this day pictures the greatest work of God that He will have ever done in dealing with human beings.

Then he goes on and tells a little bit more about it again in verse 39. It says, “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath.” And so today is a Sabbath day, and this year when it falls in the sequence that it has it falls on a regular Sabbath, just like the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles fell on a regular Sabbath, the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles falls on a Sabbath, which then is the Last Great Day. And it’s included in the phrase Feast of Tabernacles. That’s why God has to reiterate that there is the eighth day.

Now as you know we always take up an offering on the holy day, and we follow the command of God to do so, and you all know the scriptures. I don’t have to go through and tell you what kind of attitude you ought to have, or what kind of diligence you ought to have, or what kind of generosity you ought to have. You should know that. And besides it’s between you and God, and God judges the heart and the intent anyway. So we will go ahead and we will pause and will take up the offering, just realizing that in whatever you do God has promised to give you sufficiency in all things.

(Pause)

Now John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Or that is, may have everlasting life. And of course the Greek there means in believing that it is a continuous ongoing belief. It is not just an acknowledgment of a fact that God loves the world, or an acknowledgement of the fact that God sent Jesus Christ. It is a deep abiding belief into Christ on a continuous ongoing basis. Because, as Jesus said, “Many will say, ‘Lord, Lord, we’ve done this, we’ve done that.’” And Jesus will say, “I never knew you.” But the question is, if God loves the world, which He does, and it says that He does, why are there so many difficulties and problems in the world? Why do we have so much sickness, disease, and death, and sin, and wretchedness that is just sweeping the world today? Well it’s quite a thing, isn’t it?

Well, the way we understand this is we go back to the beginning, just like we have done all the way through the feast. And the reason that there has to be the Last Great Day is because what was done at the beginning, and what God has done since then. Now we know what happened when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, ate of the tree of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And of course this tells us, and always remember this, not all good comes from God. The good of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is that good which Satan promulgates, which looks good to human beings. All true good comes from God. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil has good and evil mixed together. And that resulted in their dying. And God gave them the sentence that, “You are dust, and unto dust you shall return.” And then right at the beginning what do we have? We have the first murder, don’t we? And it’s continued ever since, hasn’t it? And Cain killed Abel. And Abel was a preacher of righteousness. Well if God loved Abel why didn’t He stop Abel from being killed? See, a lot of people blame God for evil. Evil comes because of the choice of human beings, first by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And it comes secondly from Satan the devil, whom Adam and Eve made their god by obeying him instead of the true God. So now we’re stuck with the problem that Satan the devil is the god of this world. And Satan the devil is the one who has caused all these problems and difficulties because he has deceived the whole world. Now we’re living also in a time, that we are told by Jesus Himself, that as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of man. And we are living in truly an evil time.

So let’s go to Genesis 6. Let’s just review here a little bit and let’s understand something that’s profound and important and helps us to realize why God is doing what He is doing, and then how He’s going to undo the evil. Now you see just like it was in the days of Noah. Let’s read it here, Genesis 6:5. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” And that’s exactly where we are in the world today, and what happened because of it then.

Now this is such a profound thing that even God was sorry for making man. Let’s read it. “And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart” (vs. 6). Well, why didn’t God then stop it? Why didn’t God then intervene? Well, number one because He’s given us choice, and God will not take away choice. We are free moral agents and He set before us life and good, and death and evil. And He commands us to chose Him and to chose life that we may live. And He set this proposition before all people, all generations down through history.

Now then, what a situation here. God said He’s going to destroy man from off the face of the earth. “…Both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (vs. 7-8). You know the rest of the story. You know that God is more interested in those people who individually will seek Him, and they will find grace in His sight. The rest of the world He’s going to take care of, as we will see, in this Last Great Day. But sure enough what happened with this flood? They all died, didn’t they? Only Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives escaped.

And then right after the flood, Genesis 11, men started it right back again, didn’t they? So here man had a new beginning right after the flood. So we had the beginning with the creation, we had all the evil that took place, we came up to this point with the flood and the destruction of all human life. God cleansed the earth, covered it with water, and then had the waters recede, removed the flood from the earth, and Noah and his family came out and lo, and behold, almost instantly sin began. Isn’t that amazing? So God knew that it would be this way. That did not deter God’s plan. God has a way to work it out because He is the author of life. He is the giver of life, and He has not done all of this in vain. But what He is going to do is show the vanity of human life under Satan the devil without God, and how regardless of the best intentions of men it leads to the greatest evil. Because men with free choice without the Spirit of God, without the Word of God are not capable of doing good. It’s an utter impossibility because of the nature that human beings have, the nature of the law of sin and death in them, and the nature of good and evil within them. And yet through it all God is going to do a great and a marvelous work. God is going to accomplish what He’s going to accomplish, that He will be glorified.

Now let’s go to Philippians 2 here and let’s see something very important. Because no person, no man, no woman anywhere in any time in history, in any society regardless of religion, regardless of deception, the time is going to come when this will happen. Come to Philippians 2. This is a promise. God said it would be. Written and recorded by the Apostle Paul, Philippians 2. And of course this shows that Jesus Christ is the Savior. And what God had to do in order to rescue mankind from the law of sin and death, to rescue him from his own sins, to rescue him from his own rottenness and death and misery, Christ came. And of course that’s where we begin with the Passover, isn’t it? Yes, indeed. And so He did not do this in vain.

Verse 6, “Who, being in the form of God [or, existing as God], thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation [He emptied Himself],…and was made in the likeness of men:…” Now you can read in the Passover book all about the nature that Jesus had, and how He had to overcome the very nature as a human being that He gave to Adam and Eve, which all their progeny had received. So, “…He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” And it says verse 9, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:…” That’s because Jesus succeeded, that’s because Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Now notice verse 10, “…That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:6-11). Now that’s going to happen. It isn’t happening right now but it’s going to happen. How is it going to happen? When is it going to happen? Why is it going to happen? How is God going to make it happen?

Now let’s look at another couple of scriptures, which then are very important in coming to understand this. And we show what God desires. But even with God’s desire He is not going to take away free choice from anyone. He’s not going to make us robots so that we just enter into the kingdom of God just automatically. No, God gave choice because that is the only way that men are going to be able to then, through choice and growth and overcoming and serving and loving God, that they’re going to be able to be in the kingdom of God and live as God. That’s why.

Now here Paul says concerning praying and living in godliness and honesty, 1 Timothy 2:3. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved,…” Now that is His desire. But is it the desire of every man? That’s the other question. Since God has given free moral agency, He’s not going to take it away. And He’s not going to force salvation upon anyone. If they don’t want salvation, well then we’ll see what happens to them. If they don’t love God then we’ll see what happens to them. If they don’t want to live by God’s way and love Him with all their heart, and mind, and soul, and being then we will see God has a plan to handle that, and it’s related in the Last Great Day. So He would “…have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3-4).

Now verse 5, “For there is one God, and one mediator [Christ is the mediator] between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;…” And so everyone is going to be confronted with Jesus Christ. Now what if they never knew anything about Jesus Christ in their lifetime, how is it that they are going to bow the knee? How is it that they are going to confess with the tongue? Well, we’ll see. God has a plan. Now it also says of Jesus, “…Who gave Himself a ransom for all,…” (vs. 5-6), and so forth.

Let’s come to 2 Peter 3 and let’s see something very important here. 2 Peter 3, where it also talks about that God is not willing that any perish. Again, we need to distinguish the will of God, human choice, and the will of human beings. It was God’s will in the beginning that Adam and Eve eat of the tree of life. And He commanded them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, right? Yes. But God gave them the choice to do so. So if God wills this does not mean, as some people have come up with from time to time and it resurfaced itself again. You know every false doctrine and every heresy just kind of runs in a cycle. And sure enough if it hasn’t come up in a while it’s going to come up again. And there are those who are proclaiming that there is going to be universal salvation for all men, and even Satan the devil is going to be saved. Well, the truth of it is that’s from Star Wars number three when Darth Vader is saved. Satan is not going to be saved. We’ve already seen his judgment yesterday, haven’t we?

Ok, so let’s read it here. Let’s come to 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise [nor any promise that God has given], as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering [toward us] to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” And repentance also is a choice. When a person makes the choice and admits that they are wrong, then they can come to repentance and God will grant them the gift of continuous repentance as they grow and overcome. So God is not willing that they perish, but are there going to be some that will perish? Yes, indeed. We’re going to see that there are some that will perish. Without a doubt.

Now let’s look at the best intentions – even the best intentions of men. Let’s come to Luke 18. Even living a good life, because you see even all so-called good and sincere people die, don’t they? What’s going to happen to the good and sincere people? Now they may not have been called of God, and we’ll talk about God’s calling here in a little bit, but they’ve lived decent lives. They’ve been much like this certain ruler, the rich man, when he came to Christ.

Now let’s begin here Luke 18:18. The parallel account is in Matthew 19, but let’s read Luke’s account this time. “And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Everyone wants to do something. “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou Me good? none is good, save one, that is, God” (Luke 18:18-19). Now why did Jesus say, if He was God in the flesh, there’s none good except one, and that is God? Because Jesus as a human being, though He was God in the flesh, divested Himself of His glory and power to become a human being. So therefore compared to God the Father, though Jesus was perfect and never sinned, as long as He was in the flesh He could not be called good in the sense that God is good.

Now let’s continue on here. Verse 20, He says, “Thou knowest the commandments,…” Now there are a lot of people who know the commandments. There are a lot of people that understand the commandments and we’re going to read here. Now the Sabbath is also… Remember, and all those who turn here and say, “Well, you know what, Jesus didn’t say we ought to keep the Sabbath.” Well that’s a traditional Protestant argument and what is the answer to that, because He didn’t say the Sabbath there did He? Because He said in another place that He’s Lord of the Sabbath. And besides in Judea and in Galilee what were they? They were a Sabbath keeping society, so this man was already keeping the Sabbath. And he was probably already keeping the holy days the way the Jews kept them and understood them at that time. So Jesus said, “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up” (vs. 20-21). And in Matthew’s account the young man said, “What do I lack?”

Now there are a lot of good sincere people out there in the world just like him. Although they’re becoming fewer, and fewer in number as this age is converting into Sodom and Gomorrah. But there are many, a good number who have not committed adultery, or killed, or lied – well everyone lies so you can’t say that. He says shall not bear false witness. That has to do in testimony, not to stand up and give false witness. Honor your father and mother. So then Jesus told him one thing yet that he had to do. And this is true with every human being, you see. When you come to God you have to be willing to do what Jesus says here. So let’s see what that requirement was. And He says, “Here’s what you’re lacking.” “…Sell all that thou hast [now he was rich], and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow Me.” So if you’re going to follow God, you’re going to follow Christ, you have to give up everything. And it starts with your own life. And you can’t look at the goods and everything that you have and think that just because God has blessed you with these things that you are in right standing with God. That’s the fatal mistake of Laodiceans, you see. “So when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich” (vs. 22-23). So he kept his riches and turned back on eternal life.

“And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, He said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (vs. 24). You know, it’s like the man who died (now this is a joke) and he was going to go to heaven, according to the way the world thinks of it, and he kept asking Peter, “Well when I go can I bring some of my gold with me?” He said, “No, no you can’t bring anything with you.” He said, “Well, I want to bring my gold with me.” And he said, “Well, no.” Finally Peter said, “Ok, you can bring one suitcase of gold.” So he gets up there and he’s in line ready to go through St. Peter. And St. Peter let’s everybody else go through including those of Hell’s Angels, and different ones, and they got through the pearly gate. And finally he got up to St. Peter, supposedly, and St. Peter said, “Well what do you have in your suitcase?” And he said, “I have some gold.” “Oh, why did you try and bring pavement here in the first place?” See? (Laughter) Because as we will see they that enter into the kingdom of God and get into new Jerusalem, the streets are going to be paved with gold. So that which people think is important here on earth in this life is not important to God. And so the whole situation here, see.

Now then, “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” That is, with that attitude. “And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (vs. 25-27). So we have to understand that salvation is an impossible task which only God can do, and that’s why we need the Spirit of God.

Now, there’s another place where it says that God blinded their minds. And in blinding their minds then God cuts them off. And even Jesus said,… Here, let’s go to Luke 10. Let’s read that account right here. Right in Luke 10. Luke 10:23, “And He turned Him [Himself] unto His disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them” (Luke 10:23-24). And He’s blinded their eyes. They cannot know. And as Paul said we understand them spiritually. They are spiritually discerned comparing spiritual things with spiritual things. And that’s the way that we come to understand it. And so if God has blinded their eyes, and has hidden it from them, and then God does a special thing here too. He says…

Let’s come back here to verse 21. “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent [or that is, the intelligent], and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things are delivered to Me of My Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him” (vs. 21-22). So here you have a lot of good and sincere people living their lives going down the road of life and God hasn’t revealed Himself to them. And God is the one Who does the choosing. And God is the one Who does it personally.

So why does God exclude all of these other good people? Well, there’s a key? There’s a key. Daniel 12 tells us. Let’s go back there and read it. Let’s go back and read it. Not everyone…it’s not to the wise, it’s not to the swift, it’s not to those who are intelligent, it is not to those who are seeking and trying necessarily, though if someone seeks in sincerity and truth they will find God, no doubt about it. But here even Daniel, who was a prophet of God, and he wanted to know the things, but it wasn’t time to understand them. And he said, Daniel 12:9 the angel told Daniel, “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” We’re living in the time of the end. Now here’s a promise. And this is the only reason and the only way that we understand what God is doing. Not because we’re great, not because we’re something that is better than the world. No, but because God has called us and given us His Spirit, and given us His Word, and given us understanding. And that’s what’s important because He’s says, verse 10, “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand;…” And there is coming that dividing line very clearly now in society and the world. “…But the wise shall understand” (Dan. 12:9-10). Understand not only the prophecies, but understand what God is doing.

Now in order to understand what is going to happen we need to go to the end. So let’s go to the book of Revelation and let’s pick it up here in Revelation 20. And let’s review a couple of verses and than we will see what God is going to do and how God is going to accomplish it, you see. God has a great plan. God is greater than whatever any men have been able to think of Him. Because God said, “Who is the one who has counseled Me?” He counts all nations but just a drop in the bucket, and everything but vanity before Him. And so God is going to undo all the evil, undo all the wrong as we have seen, to begin to undo that. And in order to start the millennium Satan the devil had to be bound. And then he was loosed for a little season. But now something else is going to happen that happens at the end of the thousand years.

Now let’s read it right here. Let’s begin in Revelation 20:5. “But the rest of the dead…” Now who are the rest of the dead? Well the only ones who are resurrected are those who have the Spirit of God today, and those who have had the Spirit of God down through history, as we’ve seen and covered by the Feast of Pentecost. They will be in the first resurrection. And the rest of the dead don’t live until after the thousand years are finished. That’s what it says. “…The rest of the dead live not again…” Now what does this tell us? They already lived once. Here we have live again. “…Until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” That is, those who were in the first resurrection. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power,…” (Rev. 20:5-6).

Ok, now I want you to put this together. Live again, meaning they’ve already lived once. Now we have second death, which means that you can die the second time. There are those who can die the second time. This does not give universal salvation, does it? And “…on such the second death [that is, those who are in the first resurrection] hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Now then, there was a foretaste of the second resurrection. And there was a reason and a purpose for it. Now we’re going to see here in just a minute exactly how that took place.

Let’s come to Matthew 27. And the question was recently asked, “Well what happened to those people who were resurrected after Jesus was resurrected?” Well, we’ll answer the question here. And why were they resurrected? Some people want to know, “Well did they go to heaven with Christ?” Well, no because it tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that those who are Christ’s will not be resurrected until when? He returns. So let’s read it here, Matthew 27:52. Now why did God do this? Verse 52, “And the graves were opened [that is when the veil in the temple was rent and the earthquake took place]; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose [that is, they came back to physical life], and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matt. 27:52-53). Now that would have been an astounding thing. You know, just these two little verses tells us quite a fantastic thing happened, didn’t it? And I’ve often wondered what their relatives thought when they went in and said, “Look here I am, I’m alive.” “But we buried you,” you know, however long ago. This shows that if they die once they can be resurrected to a second physical life. Now these people are actually going to die a natural second death because as Jesus said they were sleeping. So they’re going to die.

Now a very interesting thing. You know the whole account about Lazarus so we won’t go through that. But why did Christ resurrect Lazarus? And why did these people become resurrected here? The answer is simple. The Holy Spirit was not yet given and they had not had a complete opportunity for salvation before they died. So they were resurrected back to a physical life so they could have an opportunity for salvation.

Now, just as a side note. Very interesting, they have discovered a graveyard on the mount of Olives, and that’s where they found the bones of Peter. But they also found…they didn’t find the bones of Peter rather but the ossuary which supposedly had the bones of Peter in it. And it’s probably true. And they also found three others, among many. And on these ossuaries were the names: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. So Lazarus was resurrected so then he could receive the begettal of the Holy Spirit for eternal life when God gave the Spirit on Pentecost. Now maybe Lazarus was also one of the one hundred twenty, as we read about the one hundred twenty in Acts 1. Now this tells us what God is going to do with those who have died. And He’s going to give them an opportunity for salvation.

Now let’s come back to the book of Revelation 20 again and let’s see what this time is called. And let’s see what is going to happen, and let’s look at the other prophecies in the Bible to understand exactly how God is going to work all of this out. And it’s going to be a fantastic thing. And that’s why this is called the Last Great Day. It is great, because we are going to see that God is going to undo all evil, all wrong, all murders, all accidental deaths, all sickness, all disease, every fruit that has come upon mankind from living his own way cut off from God, living under the sway of Satan the devil. That’s why the last thing that takes place at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, or at the end of the millennium, is that Satan is judged and cast into the lake of fire, because the people who are going to be resurrected now at the end of the thousand years will have already lived one life under Satan the devil. And so they’re not going to live another life under Satan the devil. This is down to the final judgment, you see. This is down to an opportunity for salvation. They’ve been blinded and deceived once so God is not going to put them through it. And also these are those who have been cut off, who have not understood God’s way though many of them may have been good and sincere people, though many of them may have been evil and wretched and rotten and the worst kind of person that possibly could be. Now if they have not committed the unpardonable sin, as we will see, then they will be resurrected in this resurrection.

Now let’s pick it up here, Revelation 20:11. “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead [that is, all the rest of the dead], small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Rev. 21:11-12). Well now, we need to talk about this for just a minute. If God blinded them and gave them over to sin, if they are judged by the works that they had in their first physical life they would not be having an opportunity for salvation because the wages of sin is death. So how is this going to work? How do we understand this? How is God going to accomplish it? Ok, let’s look at some other scriptures and let’s see about this. Let’s see how it’s going to happen, what God is going to do.

Part 2

Now let’s see that Jesus Himself spoke of this. And we’ll talk about the other part of the second resurrection a little bit later. Let’s come to John 5 and let’s see that Jesus spoke of this. And let’s look at it according as Jesus said here and then put it together with the other scriptures. John 5:25, “[Truly, truly] Verily, verily I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God:…” Now we saw back there the rest of the dead shall live. “For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and [He has] hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice [that means anyone who has died regardless of the circumstances under which they have died], and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;…” Now that’s to the resurrection of eternal life. That’s what the first resurrection is. “…And [to those] they that have done evil, unto the [a] resurrection of [judgment, or] damnation” (John 5:25-29).

Now then let’s look at another scripture and let’s see that the resurrection of life, as we have seen, has two parts. One to spiritual life, and the other to physical life. One at the return of Jesus Christ, the other at the end of the millennium. Now let’s see how Paul explains it here. Let’s come to Romans 2, let’s pick it up in verse 14. Because you see, if there’s a book of life of the Lamb – those are the ones for salvation now. There also has to be an accounting for all human beings, doesn’t there? Because God says that He knows even the number of hairs on our head. God accounts for every single human being whether good, whether evil.

Now there are those in the world that God has not dealt with, societies, and nations, and empires. And God is not going to exclude those people either. They were blinded, they went on their own way. But here’s what Paul says about that which he speaks of the Gentiles. Romans 2:14, “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law [this would include anybody who did not have the law of God], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:…” In other words God is going to use this as the basis of judgment to resurrect them, won’t He? See, because one way or the other the judgment of God is on everybody at all times whether they realize it or not. It is upon us for eternal life. It’s upon the world whether those out there are going to be in the second resurrection for an opportunity to salvation, or in the second part of the second resurrection for the being cast into the lake of fire for having committed the unpardonable sin. Either way we are under judgment now for eternal life or eternal death. The world is not under that judgment right now. And that’s why it said that the first resurrection is the better resurrection.

Now then notice what he says here, verse 15. “…Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else [defending] excusing one another;)…” Now we can say this falls into the category of all the good sincere people in the world who have not committed the unpardonable sin, though God has not called them, though God did not open their eyes, though God did not sent His Word to them, and that’s all the result of what Adam and Eve have done.

Now notice, this becomes an important thing. Verse 16, “In the day which God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” So we’ve seen in which day this is going to happen as pictured by the Last Great Day. Number one, God has already made the judgment on the person by the time they die whether they qualify for the second resurrection for an opportunity for salvation, or whether they qualify for the resurrection to the lake of fire. Now that’s the two choices that come up out of this. And everyone is going to be judged. And every knee is going to bow. Now if they won’t bow willingly well then it’s the lake of fire. As someone said one time, maybe they’ll be broken. Well who knows what will happen. We’ll just have to wait and see how God is going to work that out.

So God is going to accomplish this. So therefore we need to look at the scriptures again. Let’s go back here and read Revelation 20 again and then we’ll go to some other scriptures and see how God is going to accomplish this. And you see, why should it be thought of as an incredible thing by anyone. As Paul said why should it be thought of as an incredible thing that God can raise the dead? After all He’s creator isn’t He? After all there’s nothing impossible for God, is there? So therefore He’s going to resurrect them.

Now then, let’s come back here and we’re going to see that this is called, verse 11 - we’ve already read it, a great white throne. That’s why this is called the Great White Throne Judgment. And God is the one Who is going to do the judging. And there are going to be billions, and billions, and billions, and billions of people who will be resurrected. That’s why it says there’s no place found for them. It’s going to be, at the resurrection there, it’s going to be crowded. It’s going to be a time when God is going to undo all the evils. And He’s going to offer salvation to people.

Now we’ve already seen, as we saw yesterday, that when they are resurrected to a second physical life they will live approximately one hundred years. And I believe that the resurrection of the wicked, those who have committed the unpardonable sin will take place at the end of the one hundred years, which will be the second phase of the second resurrection.

Now let’s come back to Ezekiel 37. Ezekiel 37 is really quite a fantastic and tremendous book because this answers the question, this tells us that God is going to do it. This tells us in spite of all of the gainsayers, that God is going to give them a second physical life for an opportunity for salvation. And we know the principle that we have in the New Testament – to the Jew, or Israel first, and then to the Gentile. So what happens to the house of Israel happens to all nations. And God is not going to forget them. God is going to account for every single human life. None is going to be lost. You know, and it is my own belief that God is also going to resurrect all of those unfortunate children that were aborted. All those that died still births and things like this. Because the only difference between them and us and conception is that we had an opportunity to grow and be born and they didn’t. And if God is going to undo every evil, surely He will undo that one.

Now let’s pick it up here Ezekiel 37:1. “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,…” Now we’re going to see that this is symbolic to show and teach a lesson that God wants Ezekiel to know. Now verse 2, “…and caused me to pass by them round about [in other words walk around and look at them, you know, inspect them]: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.” Showing they had been dead for a long time. “And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live?” Now that’s quite a question, isn’t it? Now what if you’re out in the desert as some of these geologists do, and they come across a skull, and you hold the skull in your hand and you say, “Well, can this thing live?” So you know, Ezekiel answered and said, “…O Lord God, Thou knowest” (Ezek. 37:1-3). In other words, “I don’t know. Look I’m just looking at all these bones out here, I don’t know. How do you expect me to know? You know.” So He was teaching him a lesson.

“Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD” (vs. 4-6). Now let’s just analyze these two verses here for just a minute and see what it’s telling us. Bones, flesh, sinew, skin, breath. Does that not tell us they’re resurrected to a physical life? Yes. A second life in the flesh? Yes. Why? Well, we’ll see in just a minute. So anyone who says, “Oh, God’s not fair if He gives someone a second chance.” Well what if they never had a first chance? You know, God doesn’t give second chances. He gives repentance. But in the sense that the Protestants think and accuse us of saying, “Well, that’s a second chance.” “Well, then Protestants, you should have done a better job of converting the world, because you sure let a lot die.” See, well the Protestants don’t have a clue anyway, and they’re losing whatever little they had, they are losing, they are being taken from them.

Let’s go on here. Then it says, “…and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” Which means that they didn’t know God, they didn’t know the Lord in their first life and they died. So verse 7, you know Ezekiel he did what he was told. I don’t know if at this point he necessarily really believed. But I’m sure he believed as he went through the prophecy.

“So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said He unto me, Prophecy,… son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me,…” I get a kick out of that. It doesn’t sound like he was even yet to anxious here, but he said, “I prophesied as I was commanded.” “…And the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (vs. 7-10). Now this is not quite as great as we are talking about back there in Revelation 20.

Now let’s ask the question: who are they? Who are they? “Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel:…” So there’s the answer. The whole house of Israel. And that solves the problem that Paul talked about how that Israel was blinded in part, yet there’s still a remnant today, but then so all Israel shall be saved. And here we’re reading of it right here. Yes, they’re going to be saved. God is going to save them. God resurrects them. What does He give them? He gives them a second physical life for a first opportunity for salvation because under the covenant with Israel eternal life was never offered to the general tribes of Israel. To Moses, yes. To Aaron, yes. To the prophets, yes. To some of the righteous kings such as David, yes. But very few. All the rest of Israel were never offered eternal life or salvation. They were only to obey in the letter of the law and they never did. They always ended up sinning and going whoring after other gods and God sent them off into captivity. So that’s why they respond this way. “…Behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts” (vs. 11). In other words they died because of their sins, but they hadn’t committed the unpardonable sin.

“Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves,…” Guess where they were? In the graves. But in order to show the point and to teach Ezekiel, it had to be a valley of dry bones to show what God was going to do. But now He says in reality, in true reality – not in symbolism or in vision, they’re in their graves. “…Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.” Now, the land of Israel made great after a thousand years, and the whole world made great after a thousand years. And I’m sure that when they’re resurrected first thing they’re going to nave to do is be fed and clothed. And so there’s going to be a whole stockpile of all of that for them. Because the last generation in the millennium is going to be doing that. They’re going to be preparing. Now notice, “…bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves [I guess so], O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put My spirit in you…” (vs. 12-14). Now that’s quite profound, isn’t it? Puts His Spirit in them.

Now this is different… let’s come back over here to Ezekiel 36 for just a minute and let’s see something important in comparison. Ezekiel 36 is at the beginning of the millennium when the remnant of Israel that is still alive, coming through all the holocaust and wars and living on over into the beginning of the millennium, as we saw, he says here verse 25, Ezekiel 36, this is different, you see, then chapter 37.

Ok, Ezekiel 36:25, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments…” (Ezek. 36:25-27), and so forth. That’s at the beginning of the millennium.

Now here at the end of the millennium we have all of those of Israel down through history which never had an opportunity for salvation whether they kept the commandments of God or not, like the rich man who was good and sincere and upright but still was a sinner. So here we have the whole thing.

Now back to Ezekiel 37:14, “…And shall put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it,…” Now that means they’re going to be converted. That means this tells us right here, once dead – second physical life – opportunity for salvation – receiving the Spirit of God. Now, during the Great White Throne Judgment, which is as we know is about one hundred years in length, they are going to have one hundred years to live by God’s way. One hundred years to qualify for eternal life. One hundred years to unlearn everything that they learned in their first life and to learn God’s way. Now then at the end of the one hundred years, what’s going to happen? Well I think at the end of the one hundred years they’re all going to be changed from flesh to spirit. They won’t die. Now the ones who reject salvation during this time will die one hundred years old and be accursed.

Now let’s understand the difference of that between what happens during the millennium when they die at one hundred and are buried. At the end of the one hundred years those who do not accept salvation will die accursed. And that means in the lake of fire. They won’t be put back in the grave. They have some other partners in crime that need to be raised so that they will all be cast in the lake of fire at the same time.

Now let’s come back here to Revelation 20 and let’s see this. And again, just like everything else in God’s plan, the fulfillment of the Last Great Day has a beginning, and the fulfillment of the Last Great Day has an ending. When the end comes, the end of the Great White Throne period comes, all of those who qualify for salvation, love God, enter into the kingdom of God. All of those who reject salvation are going to be left standing, and then the second phase of the second resurrection will begin. And then what’s going to happen is this, we see it here in verse 13. “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” During the one hundred year period they’re all judged according to their works. If they qualify for salvation then they’ll go into the kingdom of God as spirit beings. If they don’t, they’re judged by their works and the next event takes place.

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Now for those who believe in universal salvation, what are you going to do with this? See, because the second death, there’s no resurrection. They are burned up. It is the lake of fire. And what God is going to do here with this, it’s going to accomplish another great purpose. So with the ending of this it will be the beginning of another phase of God’s plan, as we’ll see here in just a minute. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (vs. 14-15). Now it says over here Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful [now that means the cowardly, those who didn’t have the courage to stand for God and truth], and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Now if you die twice you’ve got to live twice. No doubt about it. So that’s exactly what’s going to happen here with these people.

Now this lake of fire is going to be an all consuming lake of fire. It’s going to prepare the earth for the next phase of God’s plan. Let’s come back here to 2 Peter 3 and let’s read it here and see what’s going to happen. It is going to be an awesome sight indeed because now all the physical things for human life are going to come to an end. Because all of those who qualified for salvation will be spirit beings and they will be in the kingdom of God. All of those human beings who rejected salvation will be burned up in the lake of fire. And here’s what’s going to happen with it. They’ll be cast into the lake of fire and then the lake of fire is going to start consuming the whole surface of the earth.

Let’s read it here right in the middle of verse 10, 2 Peter 3. See, Peter didn’t have the knowledge and understanding that we have here, because he says “…the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night;…” True, that’s His first coming. But then he talks about the doing away with the heaven and earth that we know of now, and that doesn’t take place until after the millennium, until after the Great White Throne period. You see, so God blessed John with greater understanding and so we have that understanding today. Peter didn’t know this. Peter died a good thirty years before John did. So he jumps right ahead to the end. “…In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Going to consume the whole earth. And for what purpose? It is to end everything that had to do with God’s creation through human beings.

Now His purpose with that is accomplished, and they are in the kingdom of God. All those who reject salvation are burned up, nevermore to live, nevermore to have consciousness of anything. So then he says here verse 11, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (vs. 11-12).

Now let’s come back to Revelation 21 and let’s see that the earth has to be prepared this way for what is coming. Because now it’s going to be a new heaven and a new earth, which is actually a recreation of the heaven and earth that was dissolved. Now let’s see it here. Revelation 21:1, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Do you know what’s going to happen? It’s going to evaporate the ocean. Now that’s going to be a fantastic event, isn’t it? There’s no more sea. Now you see this tells us that no human flesh could live there. Because without the oceans human life cannot exist. It’s preparing it for new Jerusalem. So here we have an ending and we have a beginning. So here’s the beginning of the rest of eternity. And if God’s plan is fantastic now, just think what it’s going to be for all eternity.

Now let’s understand something, God did not create the universe in vain. He created it for a great fulfillment of purpose that He has yet to reveal to us. And just remember, there are billions and billions, and billions of galaxies out there in the heavens. So great and marvelous is the creation of God. And He’s been building that and making that and creating that for this very purpose that we are coming to here in Revelation 21.

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (vs. 2). It doesn’t mean that the bride is new Jerusalem. Obviously Christ is not going to marry a city. It’s just showing that it’s adorned as a bride. And of course that’s where the bride is going to live. That’s where those in the first resurrection are going to live. They’re going to live in new Jerusalem. All the other nations that are saved, that we’re going to see, will live outside of Jerusalem but they will be coming into new Jerusalem.

I’m getting a little ahead of myself but let’s go on here, verse 3. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.” So God’s plan that He intended at the beginning is now completed in spite of everything that Satan has done. In spite of everything that men have done, God is doing this. And so here it comes down out of heaven.

Now notice the promise. Life is going to be different. Living as a spirit being is going to be a totally different existence. Now verse 4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be an more pain: for the former things are passed away.” They’re all gone. They’ve all been burned up. “And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” So here’s a new beginning. A beginning and an ending, and an ending and a beginning. “And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful” (vs. 4-5). Brethren, we can know it is going to happen by the very fact that we have consciousness and understanding and God’s Spirit, and God’s Word, and that Christ is true and faithful, and these things are going to happen. We have no doubt this is going to happen. You see, and that’s why it’s so great that God has called us that we can have a part in it at the beginning of the millennium, you see. And help build everything, and help more people be able to come into the kingdom of God all through the millennium, and then be there for this spectacular event. And this is the city that Abraham was looking for, that Isaac was looking for, that Jacob was looking for, that Moses was looking for, and going clear on back to Abel that Abel was righteous for. That’s going to be something.

You know it’s going to be quite a thing – sit down and talk with Abel, and Noah, and all the patriarchs. We’ll have all eternity to do it. So here everything is new. And these things are going to take place. “And He said unto me, It is done.” So here’s an ending and a beginning. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh [this is to give us inspiration, brethren] shall inherit all things; and I will be His God, and he shall be My son” (vs. 6-7). That’s something. That’s going to be a tremendous and marvelous event – to live with God forever, and ever, and ever in new Jerusalem.

Now notice, let’s pick it up here in verse 9 since we already read verse 8. “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” He’s going to show him where the bride is going to live. Christ is not going to marry the city. “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city [see, the bride is in the city], the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious [then it lists all the stones], even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;…” (vs. 9-11). Then it describes the city. A great high wall with twelve gates. And this goes right back to the very beginning of the tabernacle plan that God had with Israel. Three tribes here, three tribes here, three tribes here on the north, west, south, and east. And then inside Moses and Aaron – in this case God the Father and Jesus Christ, and instead of the Levites – the bride of Christ. All in new Jerusalem.

And we’re going to have a place to live. Jesus promised that He was going to prepare a place for us. And He’s going to give it to us, and it’s going to have our name on it, you see. And also each one of the gates, you see, and the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Then it lists all of the gates. And all the gates had a gate – one pearl. And there was an angel by each one of the gates. And then he saw the foundations, and the foundations were twelve stones. And in it were the names of the Apostles written. You talk about a fantastic and tremendous city. It is going to be so huge. It’s going to be 1500 miles wide, 1500 miles deep, 1500 miles high. It’s going to be something. It’s going to be a cube. God doesn’t do things in pyramids, He does it in cubes.

And here we find that it says here, “…the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass” (vs. 18). And then it says, verse 21, “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” Now I don’t know exactly how that is going to look but I want to be there to see that.

Now here’s the key, so here’s what we covered on the fourth day. “And I saw no temple therein:…” See, there isn’t going to be a temple. No more of this religious bit. It’s going to be that “…the Lord God Almighty [Who is the Father] and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the [light of the] sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it:…” It doesn’t say it won’t be there but it says that they had no need of it. It’s going to have it’s own light in spite of the sun and the moon and the stars. “…For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved…” All of those who came through the millennium, all of those who came through the Great White Throne Judgment. All of “…the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:…” Constant spiritual light. Constant living for eternity. “…And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it” (vs. 22-26). So whatever we are going to be doing is going to be very productive because we’re going to bring glory and honour continuously to God.

“And there shall in no [way] wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (vs. 27). And it’s going to be a tremendous thing. And brethren, we are going to see God as He is. We are going to see God the Father as He is, and Jesus Christ as He is. We’re going to look them right face to face. We’ll see that here in just a minute. And that’s a tremendous thing we need to really just set our hope on. And let this Last Great Day inspire us and just realize how great God is, how fantastic His plan is. And what a great and marvelous privilege it is for us to even know and understand it. To be able to even read the words and comprehend them. To be able to realize that what God is doing is so absolutely marvelous, that’s why this is called the Last Great Day.

Now chapter 22. “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” And then it shows there’s going to be the tree of life. And verse 3, “…no more curse: [because], the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 22:1-5). So clear on into all eternity we are going to reign. Now that’s something brethren. What God has for us is absolutely marvelous and fantastic beyond our greatest and wildest dreams and hopes.

Remember Paul wrote, “The eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, or entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9, paraphrased). And then, you see, we will be in the holy city. We will be there with Christ. Let’s go to Ephesians 3 and let’s finish here, because this tells us what we need to be doing. And as John wrote, he said, “Come quickly Lord. Lord Jesus come quickly.” And yes, we’re living in that time at the end when it may be very quick. We don’t know how long quick is going to be. But I tell you what, it’s sure going to be a whole lot quicker than when John wrote those words.

Now let’s come to Ephesians 3:8. Paul was able to write these words. God revealed the secret of His will, and He has revealed it to us. And Paul wrote verse 8, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:…” And now we see the unfolding of this plan. “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places [yes, even the twenty-four elders and even the angels of God] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:…” And we’re seeing the fulfilling of that purpose. We’re seeing how God is doing that. “…In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him” (Eph. 3:8-12). And he says don’t faint because of my trials, they’re for you.

Verse 14, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,…” And that’s us. God’s family grown great now. “…That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;…” (vs. 14-16). That you take this next coming year and grow in grace, and grow in knowledge, and grow in character, and grow in love, see.

Verse 17, “…That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;…” That’s the whole purpose of why we are called. “…Being rooted and grounded in love,…” And that’s how we’re going to overcome, that’s how we’re going to be changed, that’s how we are going to make our lives profitable and worthwhile before God. And “…may be able to comprehend…” Remember Daniel said the wise would understand. And Paul’s prayer here, “…may be able to comprehend with all [the] saints…” is being fulfilled in us, that we may know “…what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height [that is, of God’s plan]; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge [passes all human knowledge], that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God” (vs. 17-19). Brethren, that’s what God wants for us. That’s why we are here. That’s why this day is great. That’s why God has His plan.

Now notice, let’s just finish with these two verses. “Now unto Him that is able [that means has the power] to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us [God is able to do that], unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (vs. 20-21).

And that is the meaning of the Last Great Day.