May, 2002

May 22, 2002

Dear Brethren,

We hope that you had a great Pentecost. We had a very inspiring feast at the Hilton Hotel, in Concord, California. Every year as we keep God’s holy days, we gain more and more understanding of God’s Plan. What a tremendous blessing it is to realize that we are destined to be a part of the firstfruits and will be in the first resurrection, if we are faithful to the end. Pentecost is a day of hope and promise. As you know, the first day of the count toward Pentecost is the wave sheaf offering day—the day that Christ ascended to the God the Father to be accepted as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. He was also accepted as the first of the firstfruits, symbolized by the premier sheaf of the first fruits that the high priest at the temple waved before the Lord. This day begins the count of 50 days to Pentecost. God commanded that until the high priest waved the sheaf of the wave offering, no new grain or parched ears of the new harvest was to be eaten.

The last day of the count, the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, day fifty, finishes the harvest of the firstfruits. This feast of God always falls on the first day of the week, because it is the day after seven complete weeks all from day one through seven for the seven weeks or forty-nine days. Then, the day after the seventh Sabbath, the fiftieth day—a first day of the week is the day of Pentecost that marks the end of the barley and wheat harvest. Pentecost pictures the harvest of the first resurrection of the saints to eternal life (Jas. 1:18).

Jesus explained that the harvest of the firstfruits was compared to a crop of grain that was sown in the earth. He also showed the various problems faced by all those who are called. Notice: “Therefore, hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches away that which was sown in his heart. This is the one who was sown by the way. Now the one who was sown upon the rocky places is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; but because he has no root in himself, he does not endure; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, he is quickly offended. And the one who was sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the one who was sown on good ground, this is the one who hears the word and understands, who indeed brings forth fruit and produces—one a hundredfold, another sixtyfold and another thirtyfold” (Matt. 13:18-23).

In another parable about the sower of grain and the harvest of the crop, Jesus identifies Himself as the sower, the enemy as Satan the devil. The good seed are the children of the kingdom and the tares are the children of the devil: “And after dismissing the multitude, Jesus went into the house. Then His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.’ And He answered and said to them, ‘The one Who sows the good seed is the Son of man; and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one. Now the enemy who sowed them is the devil; and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore, as the tares are gathered and consumed in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this age. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all the offenders and those who are practicing lawlessness; and they shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear” (verses 36-43).

From these parables, we can understand why Pentecost is the harvest fesat, the fiftieth day, and pictures the first resurrection. The apostle Paul makes this clear: “But Christ has now been raised from the dead; He became the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruit; then, at His coming those who are Christ’s” (I Cor. 15:20-23). Jesus Christ was the first one to be resurrected from the dead to eternal life. Since the creation of the world, no one else has been resurrected to eternal life, nor will anyone be resurrected to eternal life until Christ returns. Only Jesus Christ has gone to heaven—no one else, not even the virgin Mary.

In the same way that there are seven weeks to completion of the harvest. The harvest of the church is symbolized by the prophecies to Seven Churches in Revelation Two and Three. While the literal time in years may not be symbolized by an exact count of seven prophetic days for each church, nevertheless the Seven Churches represent the Church harvest and is equal to the forty-nine days in the count toward Pentecost.

But there is final harvest of firstfruits by God, which is represented by the fiftieth day. The fiftieth day harvest is Jesus Christ’s special final harvest of the first fruits. This is the harvest of 140,000 of the children of Israel—12,000 from each tribe—and the great innumerable multitude of Revelation Seven. They repent and are saved out the Great Tribulation.

In the parable of the laborers, those who were the first ones called as the apostles and disciples during Jesus’s ministry, represent the ones who were hired at early morning and labored all day long—symbolizing their entire lives. On the other hand, those hired at the eleventh hour—symbolize those who are saved out of the Great Tribulation, only one year before the first resurrection. But they also receive the same wage as those who were hired at early morning. In both cases, the wage represents the treasure of eternal life. Jesus explains the meaning of this parable: “The kingdom of heaven shall be compared to a man, a master of a house, who went out early in the morning to hire workmen for his vineyard. And after agreeing with the workmen on a silver coin for the day’s wage, he sent them into his vineyard. And when he went out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘Go also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And they went. Again, after going out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did likewise. And about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all the day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘Go also into my vineyard, and whatever is right you shall receive.’ And when evening came, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the workmen and pay them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.’ And when those who were hired about the eleventh hour came, they each received a silver coin. But when the first ones came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a silver coin. And after receiving it, they complained against the master of the house, saying, ‘These who came lasthave worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have carried the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered and said to them, ‘Friend, I am not doing you wrong. Did you not agree with me on a silver coin for the day? Take what is yours and go, for I also desire to give to the last ones exactly as I gave to you. And is it not lawful for me to do what I will with that which is my own? Is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last shall be first, and the first shall be last; for many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 20:1-16).

The Fiftieth Day Harvest of the 140,000 from the children of Israel and the great innumerable multitude will be a tremendous event. It will probably occur on Pentecost one year before the first resurrection. God will directly intervene to save them right after the sixth seal is opened and the fearful and awesome heavenly signs: “And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as the hair of sackcloth, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the heaven departed, like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the powerful men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; because the great day of His wrath has come, and who has the power to stand?” (Rev. 6:12-17.)

At that time, the tribulation against the twelve tribes of Israel will end after the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven when the heavens are rolled back as a scroll. When it first appears, it probably will be like a great burst of light illuminating the heavens and the earth—an astonishing sign! It will become like another sun and will appear to be coming closer and closer to the earth. Because of the rotation of the earth, it will appear to shine as does the sun from the east to the west: “For as the light of day, which comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt. 24:27).

The whole world will think that it is being invaded from outer space—which will be true, because Christ will be coming as the conquering King. Christ described these coming days. “But immediately after the tribulation [against Israel] of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (verses 28-30). The people on earth will think that He is the enemy and will begin to marshal their armies to fight against Him. Finally, the great light signaling the return of Jesus Christ will settle in the clouds over Jerusalem. At that time, it will probably not be seen as another kind of sun by rising and setting as it was when it first appeared.

When the sign of the Son of man first appears in the heavens, an astonishing thing happens. Jesus Christ directly intervenes and sends a mighty angel to save the 144,000 of the children of Israel and the great innumerable multitude and to seal them in their foreheads with God’s Holy Spirit. To help this mighty angel, God sends four other angels to hold back the four winds until they are sealed in their foreheads by the first angel. Notice John wrote: “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that the wind might not blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to damage the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not damage the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one was able to number, out of every nation and tribe, and people, and language, was standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and holding palms in their hands; and they were calling out with a loud voice to Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, saying, ‘The salvation of our God has come.’ Then all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be to our God into the ages of eternity. Amen.’ And one of the elders answered and said to me, ‘These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?’ Then I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘They are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb’ ” (Rev. 7:1-14).

Next, the seven trumpet plagues are poured out on the earth. The first trumpet plague probably begins on the Feast of Trumpets the year before Christ and the saints return to the earth the next Feast of Trumpets. The first six trumpet plagues are poured out over the course of, perhaps, seven or eight months (Rev. 8 and 9). Some time after the sixth trumpet sounds the two witnesses will finish their work (Rev. 11). Then three an half days before Pentecost, when the seventh trump sounds—the last trump, the trumpet for the first resurrection—the two witnesses will be killed and their dead bodies will lay in the streets of Jerusalem for those three and one half days.

Since they are the last ones who are martyred for Christ, they will be the first ones to be resurrected. We find this account in Revelation 11: “And when they [the two witnesses] have completed their testimony, the beast who ascends out of the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them. And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those of the peoples and tribes and languages and nations shall see their bodies three and a half days, for they will not allow their bodies to be put into tombs. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, and will make merry, and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets had tormented those who dwell on the earth. Then I sawthe spirit of life from God enter into them after the three and a half days, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a great voice from heaven, say, ‘Come up here!’ And they ascended into heaven in a cloud; and their enemies saw them rise. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand men were killed in the earthquake. And the rest were filled with fear, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming immediately” (Rev. 11:7-14).

As the two witnesses are rising up into the heavens, the seventh trumpet sounds and the first resurrection begins to take place, which occurs on Pentecost one year after the 144,000 and great innumerable multitude are sealed: “Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet [the last trumpet]; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become our Lord’s and His Christ’s, and He shall reign into the ages of eternity.’ And the twenty-four elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, ‘We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, that You have taken to Yourself Your great power, and have reigned. For the nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to give the promised reward to Your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to all those who fear Your name, the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth.’ And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake and great hail” (Rev. 11:15-19).

The apostle Paul wrote that the first resurrection will occur at the last trumpet, which is seventh trumpet. The trumpet was always blown on the Feast of Pentecost at the tabernacle and later at the temple. The seventh trumpet of Revelation 11 is blown on Pentecost. The resurrection does not occur at the memorial of the blowing of many trumpets all day long on the Feast of Trumpets. It is a single trumpet, the seventh trumpet, or the last trump that the angel sounds, not many angels sounding many trumpets. Notice: “Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility, and this mortal must put on immortality. Now when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ” (I Cor. 15:51-54).

When the seventh trumpet sounds, the first resurrection of the saints will take place and Jesus will send the angels to gather His elect who have been raised from the dead. “And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt. 24:27-31).

Why are the ones in the first resurrection taken up in the air by the angels? Where will they be taken? When the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the first resurrection, he partially answered those questions. “But I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you be not grieved, even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in exactly the same way also, those who have fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede those who have fallen asleep; because the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds for the meeting with the Lord in the air; and so shall we always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (I Thes. 4:13-17).

Now, where will the meeting in the air take place? Why is it necessary? What will happen at that Great Meeting? In the book of Hebrews, Paul shows that we now come to Mount Sion when we pray to God the Father, but notice what else he tells us: “But you have come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to an innumerable company of angels, to the joyous festival gathering; and to the church of the firstborn, whose names have been registered in the Book of Life in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all; and to the spirits of just men and women who have been perfected; and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant; and to sprinkling of the blood of ratification, proclaiming superior things than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:22-24).

There will be “a joyous festival gathering” of the resurrected saints, who will be carried in the air to meet Christ. That joyous festival gathering could only be pictured by Pentecost, the completed harvest of the first fruits, the first resurrection. On the other hand, the Feast of Trumpets is not a feast of joy, but a feast of war. But, where will the resurrected saints meet Christ? Do the angels take the resurrected saint up in the air, meet Christ and immediately return to the earth? If the first resurrection were on the Feast of Trumpets, that is what would have to happen. However, as we will see that is not the case.

Revelation 14 also shows the harvest of the first fruits who are in the first resurrection: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven say to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from this time forward. Yes, says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their labors; and their works follow them.’ And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and one like the Son of man sitting on the cloud, having a golden crown on His head; and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him Who was sitting on the cloud, ‘Thrust in your sickle and reap, because the time has come for You to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe [the first resurrection,the harvest of the first fruits].’ And He Who was sitting on the cloud thrust forth His sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped” (Rev. 14:12-16).

Paul wrote that we shall meet Christ in the air. How can that be? Where will that be? As we will see, the angels will carry us up to the Sea of Glass, where Christ will be. The apostle John saw the vision and recorded it in Revelation 15: “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and awesome: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is filled up. And I saw a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over its image, and over its mark, and over the number of its name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God [symbolizing those in the first resurrection from Old Testament times], and the song of the Lamb [symbolizing those in the first resurrection from New Testament times], saying, “Great and awesome are Your works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the saints. Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You only are holy; and all the nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been revealed” (Rev. 15:1-4).

At this point the first resurrection is finished and all the saints will be in the air with Christ on the Sea of Glass which is in the clouds over Jerusalem. We will then be the “Great Congregation of God.” While we are on the Sea of Glass many things will happen before we return with Christ back to the earth, fight against the armies of the world and begin to rule and reign with Him for a thousand years:

1)     We will all meet Christ in person and all the brethren who have been resurrected

2)     He will proclaim us to the Father

3)     We will all receive our rewards and new names

4)     The marriage of the Lamb will take place

5)     The seven last plagues will be poured out

6)     We will receive our assignments

7)     We will be organized into Christ’s army

8)     Then we will return with Jesus Christ to the earth on the next Feast of Trumpets

There are many scriptures, which tell the complete story. However, there is not enough room in this letter to include all the references. As the Scriptures show, this is what we have to look forward to and why the day of Pentecost is such a tremendous feast. It is the joyous festival gathering of all the saints, who are resurrected at the first resurrection.

We Need to Keep Our Minds On the Spiritual Things 

As we look at the world, we can see the way it is going. While we should be aware of what is taking place, yet, at the same time we need to keep our focus on the spiritual things of God and the hope of the first resurrection, rather than the physical things. The apostle Paul shows us how to do this: “Therefore…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entraps us; and let us run the race set before us with endurance, having ourminds fixed on Jesus, the Beginner and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that lay ahead of Him endured the cross, although He despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now meditate deeply on Him Who has endured such great hostility of sinners against Himself, so that you do not become weary and discouraged. You have not yet resisted to the point of losing blood in your struggle against sin” (Heb. 12:1-4).

Not only does the apostle Paul admonish us to lay aside very weight and sin, but we are to follow his example. As he did, we need to consider that compared to eternal life, all the physical things in the world are nothing but a heap of dung. In the moment the physical things may seem pleasant or good, but they all perish with the using. Moreover, Jesus promised that if we seek the kingdom of God first, He will provide for us (Matt. 6:25-34).

When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he wanted to inspire them to always strive for the true righteousness of Jesus Christ and the power of the resurrection: “But then truly, I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as dung that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which isderived from law, but that righteousnesswhich is by the faith of Christ—the righteousness of God that is based on faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

“Not as though I have already received this, or have already been perfected; but I am striving, so that I may also lay hold on that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not count myself as having attained; but this one thing I do—forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth to the things that are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:8-14).

This is the attitude and dedication that Jesus Christ wants us to have, so that no matter what our circumstances are, we will be overcoming and pressing toward the goal—the first resurrection and eternal life. Paul shows that if we have this attitude and frame of mind we are being perfected in love, grace and knowledge. Notice: “So then, let as many as be perfect be of this mind. And if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, in regard to that which we have attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be imitators together of me, and bear in mind those who walk in this way, as you have us for an example” (verses 15-17). What a tremendous blessing it is to know that if we are any other minded, God will even reveal this to us so that we may repent and overcome. Remember, God the Father and Jesus Christ are for us. Therefore, no one nor any thing can be against us—not even all the accusations of Satan the devil.

However, just as it was in Paul’s day, so it is today. There were those who forsook the spiritual things and turned back to the physical things—counting them more important than eternal life. They became weary and allowed themselves to give up on God and eternal life. Some had even turned against Christ by following false doctrines and teachers. While others had marched right back into the world to serve self and Satan: “(For many walk contrary; I have often told you of them, and also I tell you with weeping, they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; for they mind earthly things.)” (verses 19-20.)

When we consider all the trials, troubles and tribulations that the apostle Paul endured, we know that he is an excellent example for us to follow. He always looked to Jesus Christ. He always kept the goal of the resurrection in the forefront of his mind. Here is his exhortation to us: “But for us, the commonwealth of God exists in the heavens, from where also we are waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will transform our vile bodies, that they may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the inner working of His own power whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself” (verses 20-21).

Not only are we to follow the example of the apostle Paul, but more importantly we are to be followers of God: “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved us, and gave Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor” (Eph. 5:1-2). This is how we can avoid being partakers of the sins of the world—Babylon the Great (Rev. 18:4).

If we continue in God’s way of life, we will be walking in love and obedience—having the faith of Jesus Christ and keeping the commandments of God. Furthermore, we will be building godly character. Yes, we are to avoid sinning. However, when we are doing the things that please God then we are living righteously and we automatically avoid sinning. Nevertheless, Paul warns: “But as for fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, do not permit it even to be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking nor jesting, which are not becoming; but instead thanksgiving. For this you know, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (verses 2-5).

Therefore, when we are actively living God’s way, day by day, we are spiritually armed and on guard, so that we will not be led astray. Today, we are confronted with so many preachers and teachers, who have a multitude of false doctrines and false prophecies. Moreover, they can sound very convincing and their words seem so right. Nevertheless, the end result is not righteousness or the love of God. Rather, the end result is confusion, deception and self-righteousness. Paul continued his warning, which fully applies to us today: “Do not let anyone deceive you with vain words; for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be joint-partakers with them. For you were once darkness; but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, (Because the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,) proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:6-11). Let us apply ourselves and live by these scriptures, keeping the hope of the resurrection and eternal life in the forefront of our minds.

Trip to Dayton, Ohio 

May 3, 4 and 5, I was in Dayton, Ohio, where we had a Friday night Bible Study, two services on the Sabbath and a Sunday morning Bible Study. God blessed us with a good turn out, with 58 for Friday night, nearly a 100 on the Sabbath and 60 for the Sunday morning Bible Study. Also, we had a baptism. Of the four studies that we did, the only one that we have sent out is, “Was Jesus God? # 1.” Later, we will announce some of the other recorded studies, which you can write for. If we sent out every sermon or Bible Study that I do when I am on these trips, we would have to send out two tapes nearly every week. That would be very difficult to do and you would be overwhelmed with tapes. However, it is wonderful to see that so many brethren make the effort to attend when I visit in the various areas.

New Testament Project 

We are making excellent progress in writing the commentaries, which will be combined with the coming New Testament translation into one book. We will have commentaries on the following: A history of the writing, canonization and preservation of the Old Testament. About the New Testament. Who wrote the New Testament. When was the New Testament written? In what language was it written? A chronology of New Testament times coordinated with the Roman historical dates and persons, the calculated Hebrew calendar and the book of Acts. When and by whom was the New Testament canonized? The history of the translations and preservation of the Old and New Testaments until the Reformation. Modern English translations. Which Greek text is the inspired text of the New Testament? The modern conspiracy to destroy the knowledge of Word of God. These are not the exact titles of the commentaries, but this will give you a preview of them. I am not the only one who is writing commentaries, but Gary Staszak and Carl Franklin are writing commentaries as well.

Because these commentaries are absolutely essential for the coming New Testament translation, we are taking the time to do them. The whole purpose of writing these commentaries is to make the knowledge of the Bible and New Testament complete, adding to the reader’s faith and understanding. We are working hard to finish them. But, when you have the New Testament in hand, we are sure that you will be pleased.

Carl and Jeanne Franklin are doing the final edits of the New Testament translation. John and Heidi Vogele are doing the compiling and formatting of the New Testament and commentaries. Jeanne’s sister, Rebecca Ritke, who is a professional editor, is editing the commentaries.

We are all taking this task very seriously, knowing that the Word of God is the truth. Therefore, we must rightly divide the Word of truth as well as translate it as accurately as possible. What we are doing is much like Jesus told the disciples: “Jesus said to them, ‘My meat is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do not say that there are yet four months, and then the harvest comes. I say to you, look around. Lift up your eyes and see the fields, for they are already white to harvest. And the one who reaps receives a reward, and gathers fruit unto eternal life; so that the one who is sowing and the one who is reaping may both rejoice together. For in this, the saying is true, that one sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that in which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor” (John 4:34-38).

Everything that we are doing is built upon the work and labor of countless others down through the centuries—from Christ’s time to ours. We give all the credit and glory to God the Father and Jesus Christ for what we are doing. We are relying on God’s inspiration through the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the task. It is not for ourselves, but for the brethren who are with us now and for those who are yet to be called. It is exactly as Jesus said: “ ‘Let your loins be girded about and your lamps burning, and you yourselves like men who are waiting for their lord, whenever he shall return from the wedding feast; so that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. Blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he comes, shall find watching. Truly I say to you, he shall gird himself, and shall make them sit down, and shall come and serve them.

“And if he comes in the second watch, or comes in the third watch, and finds them waiting, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Now you therefore, be ready; for the Son of man is coming in an hour that you do not think.’ Then Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You speaking this parable to us only, or also to all?’ And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the wise and faithful steward, whom the lord shall put in charge of his household, to give to each one the portion of food in season? Blessed is that servant whom the lord, when he comes, shall find so doing’ ” (Luke 12:36-43).

New Booklet by Carl D. Franklin

Carl has recently finished another booklet in his series on Debunking the Sacred Namer’s Myths. This booklet may be Part V, which covers myths numbers 7 to 10, which is enclosed in this mailing. Again this booklet is somewhat technical, but it is vital knowledge and information that we need to have at hand when we are confronted by the false doctrines of the Sacred Namers. We hope that you will gain a great deal of understanding from this series.

More on the Coming Mark of the Beast 

In the future the world around us will change dramatically. As we have seen, the beginning of the Mark of the Beast has arrived. We are enclosing a copy of a newspaper article from Boca Raton, Florida. It describes what it was like for the Jacob family to receive their “chip implants.” There are also two photos: One showing Mr. And Mrs. Jacobs watching their son Derek “getting chipped.” The other shows the implant devise itself. In order not to give the impression that the "Verichip" was the beginning of the Mark of the Beast of Revelation, the Jacobs family got their implants in their upper right arms. However, regardless of how small this beginning is, nevertheless it is the beginning of the Mark of the Beast. Granted it has a long way to go before it fulfills the prophecies of Revelation 13 and 14, but it is here now. It will not go away. It will only grow in use, convenience and popularity. We can be sure that they will “improve the chip technology” and be able to put greater and greater amounts of information in them. Finally it will become mandatory. Once that happens, then a person will be no better than a dog on a leach—no privacy, no freedom of choice, no true freewill worship of God the Father and Jesus Christ. A person will truly be controlled at all times by the beast power and worship Satan the devil and the beast instead of God (Rev. 13:4).

Now a Person Can Make Purchases With Only a Thumb Print

The Shape of the World Today

In Texas a chain of super markets is using another unique method for point of sales purchasing. This system uses a person’s thumb print for identification to purchase groceries and things at Kroger’s Super Markets. While this system is not directly the Mark of the Beast, as is the implanted chip, nevertheless, this system is paving the way for people to receive it. A thumb print, an eye scan or a face scan is not the Mark of the Beast, but it is the next thing to it. 

Here is a May 15, 2002 article from the Houston Chronicle, by David Kaplan, entitled: “It's Kinda Touch-and-go. New system lets Kroger shoppers pay with fingerprint:”

“At Kroger stores here customers are getting their groceries without cash, check or credit card. No, they're not using the five-finger discount. One finger will do. They rely on a new little machine called SecureTouch-n-Pay which enables a finger to bring home the bacon and give cash back. In the Bryan-College Station area, Kroger is trying out the new retail point-of-sale system in its three stores.

“Shoppers who enroll free of charge to use the finger image machine—officially known as a biometric electronic financial transaction processing system—simply walk up to a cashier, say, ‘I’m going to pay with my fingerprint and voila’ they can purchase what they want.’

“Many customers are initially leery. They associate fingerprinting with getting hauled to jail—not picking up milk. But once they get over their fears and try it, they like it, said Sam Powel, co-manager of one of the three Kroger stores in the Bryan-College Station area. At first, Powel said, ‘It was a Big Brother scenario. But that seems to have died down.’ Women in particular appreciate SecureTouch, he said, because they don’t have to bring in their purses.

“The pilot program began three months ago. The three Bryan-College Station locations are the only Kroger stores in the nation experimenting with SecureTouch. About 10 to 15 people per store sign up each week, a very small percentage of Kroger's customers. To enroll in the fingerprint identity verification system, customers show a Kroger representative their driver's license and a credit card, and have their fingerprints recorded. Typically their phone number becomes their PIN.

“SecureTouch software and hardware were developed by Austin-based Biometric Access Corp. Other companies have created similar fingerprint identity verification technology. Customer feedback has been ‘very positive,’ said Gary Huddleston, Kroger’s consumer affairs manager, who noted that the company is still evaluating the program. If it is deemed successful, he said, it may one day be implemented in Houston and other cities.

“Kroger customer Mary Smith, an employee relations representative at Texas A&M University, had mixed feelings about SecureTouch when she first heard about it. ‘I was maybe a little afraid of it, but I like new stuff,’ Smith said. ‘I just thought I’d try it. I think it's fine. It's quick. I don't have to write a check.’ Smith has exceptionally dry skin and has to rub her finger behind her ear or against the side of her nose before pressing it on the small SecureTouch window.

“The finger image-based verification system has two big benefits for Kroger, Huddleston said, one being ‘speed at the front end’ which ‘is a savings to us.’ The other benefit, for both Kroger and customers, is fewer forged checks. If a thief were to come in with a stolen check and stolen ID belonging to someone enrolled in SecureTouch, the cashier—after learning automatically from the computer that the check owner was enrolled in SecureTouch—would become suspicious that the thief had not opted to use the quicker fingerprinting method of check cashing.

“Kroger became interested in the finger image machine three years ago, when the state of Texas began its own pilot program with the intention of eliminating food stamp fraud. It came out with a finger image version of the ‘Lone Star Card’ used by food stamp recipients. The state approached Kroger and asked if it would participate in the pilot program. After a budget cut, the state abandoned the program, but Kroger—the largest supermarket chain in the U.S.—continued to explore the system.

“Holly Rios, marketing manager at Biometric Access, said that no other grocery chain is using her company’s SecureTouch for point-of-sale transactions. One of her company's competitors, Indivos, began trying out a similar system in one grocery store in Seattle about two weeks ago, Rios said.

“A finger image machine might one day be in a store near you. ‘It’s all about convenience for the shopper,’ said Lorrie Griffith, associate editor of the Shelby Report, a trade journal specializing in the supermarket industry. The self checkout machine is already fairly common, said Griffith, and other technologies are in the works—including Electronic Product Code, which will enable a cart full of groceries to be scanned and totaled quickly without having to take them out of the cart.

“Some customers will resist the fingerprint system because of privacy issues, said Griffith, who noted that there are grocery shoppers ‘who don’t even want loyalty cards, because they gather information about you.’ But they are a relatively small percentage of consumers, she said. ‘Most people are very interested in convenience,’ said Griffith.

“A few women in College Station belong to a gym near the Kroger, and after their workout they come to the store without a wallet or purse to buy Gatorade, Huddleston said.

“Rios maintained that SecureTouch is very secure and has safeguards against identity theft. The finger image payment process does not always work the first time. Sometimes a customer has to press his finger on the window more than once to activate the machine, because the finger is not positioned at the correct angle.

“Tas Ates, a Blinn Junior College student and a pizza delivery driver, said that SecureTouch made him nervous at first. He had a fantasy of his fingerprint being ‘captured and planted at a crime scene,’ but he’s gotten over that, he said with a smile.

“Kroger customer Mary Smith said she has a daughter in Katy who wants nothing to do with the finger image method of payment. She told her mother that it is ‘a way to get into your identity.’ It’s funny, Smith said, ‘You'd think it would be the old…[woman]…who’d be afraid.’ ”

As more and more people use these new methods of buying and selling, building the foundation is being laid for the final mandatory Mark of the Beast. That is why we should not get wrapped up in the cares of life and the world. Jesus warned us of this very thing: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away. Watch yourselves, lest your hearts be occupied with high living and drinking and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly. For it shall come like a snare upon all those who dwell on the face of the earth. Watch therefore, and pray at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:33-36).       

Brethren, it is quite a world that we are living in. As we see all these prophecies coming to pass, we need to heed the words of Jesus Christ and the warnings in the Bible. Once again thank you for your love, prayers and continued support. Thank you for continuing to reach out to other brethren to help them return to God the Father and Jesus Christ. May God’s love, grace and blessings be with you in everything.

With love in Christ Jesus,

Fred R. Coulter

FRC