Now let’s come to Acts 3 and let’s see one of the very first things that was preached by the apostle Peter. And it had to do with the coming of the Kingdom of God. And that’s what the disciples were looking forward to. That is preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. As a matter of fact, when you get down to it, the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God not only has to do with the forgiveness of sin, which is pictured by the Passover. Not only has to do with getting sin out of our lives through Jesus Christ being justified in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us as pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And Pentecost, which pictures receiving the Holy Spirit and the resurrection. And the Feast of Trumpets, which pictures the return of Christ. And the Day of Atonement, which pictures getting rid of Satan the devil and the whole world being at-one with God. But it also preaches the Feast of Tabernacles. Now that’s a tremendous thing to understand brethren. Now you see in just trying to relate it, can you see how that every one of the holy days is connected one with the other in bringing about and fulfilling the plan of God. That’s why God has His timing. And it’s all related to us through the fulfillment of the holy days. Now we don’t know the exact day. We don’t know the exact hour. Of course a lot of people would like to know it, but so far all through history God has not let anyone know. Remember we’re about 26 years late on what we thought would be the beginning of the Kingdom of God, aren’t we, for those of you who have been in the Church of God a long time and remember 1975.

Ok, let’s come here to Acts 3:12. That’s after they healed the man who was there on the pallet by the Gate Beautiful. “And when Peter saw it…”, that is, everyone running to see it after the man went into the temple, jumping and leaping and praising God. And they all knew it was the one who was there who was the paraplegic lying there at the Gate Beautiful. “…He answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” Now notice what he says, verse 13. “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers…” Going right back to Abraham, right? Yes, indeed. “…The God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; Whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when He was determined to let Him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, Whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” (Acts 3:12-15). Now I tell you what, if you really want to have some power and conviction, which they did then, and they had it because they saw Christ. And they saw Him by many infallible proofs for 40 days. And there was no denying that. There was no taking that away.

Now then Peter continues, “…we are witnesses. And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, Whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” And then Peter said, “And now, brethren, I [know] wot that through ignorance ye did [this] it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.” Now notice the message. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things…” So what was one of the first things that they preached? The Feast of Tabernacles fulfillment. The restitution of all things, which is going to be done during the Feast of Tabernacles. Now notice, “…which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (vs. 16-21). Now isn’t that something? That is a profound thing. Concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, it’s all through the whole of the Bible.

Now isn’t it a ridiculous and foolish thing for people to think, “Well, we don’t need to keep the holy days. You know those things are all done away.” Not so, never will happen, never has been, never will be. And you see, only the ones who do keep them will be the ones who have the understanding. Now the proverb says. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all they that do His commandments.” Meaning that if you don’t have the fear of God, you don’t have wisdom, see. And if you don’t have wisdom you won’t keep His commandments. And if you don’t keep His commandments you won’t have any understanding. And yet there it is right there. Can you imagine all these religious people out there taking the Bible and having their own religion, and yet right in it contains everything which shows the unfolding of the holy days of God, and shows the fulfilling of the Feast of Tabernacles and the plan of God. Quite a fantastic thing.

Now let’s come to the book of Hebrews, and again we are going to see that Abraham is referred to again as the very anchor, the very, as it were, the very beginning of the spiritual sons of God. Hebrews 6:10. Now I hope you’re enjoying the series that we’re doing in Hebrews. It’s going to take us a little while to get through it. We’re not going to be in any rush. We’re going to go through verse by verse and we’re going to find out that this is one of the most fantastic books in all of the Bible. As a matter of fact there’s hardly a book in the Bible which you could not say is fantastic, because God inspired it with His Holy Spirit. But here there are many, many lessons for us. But for the Feast of Tabernacles and Abraham let’s go back and let’s look at this here again.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end” (Heb. 6:10-11). Now as we have learned, the book of Hebrews was written to those who were Christians for a long, long time. And as a matter of fact, when we understand it, this book is the solution for the Laodicean attitude. And it is the solution to stop heresy. And it is the solution to get your mind on Christ, and get your mind back on the basics.

Now let’s pick it up here in verse 12. “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham [now here we go - Abraham], because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee” (vs. 13-14). And as we saw earlier, “as the stars of heaven”, so that we will shine in the Kingdom of God as the stars of heaven like the sun forever and ever, and ever. See, so he’s reminding them here.

Now verse 15. “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Now we have to patiently endure too. “For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise…”, beginning with Abraham and Isaac. Those were the first two that were the heirs of promise. “…The immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath…” Now let’s understand something here, how profound that is. That’s why we need to believe the word of God, live by the word of God, understand the word of God. We need to hear the voice of God as it’s spoken here in the scripture. We need to, as Abraham did, obey the voice of God, remember the words of Jesus, remember the teachings of the apostles, you see because He confirmed it by an oath. “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie…” (vs. 15-18). Now we need to understand that brethren.

And it’s just a mystery to me how many people listen to someone who lies and accept it as truth. Now let’s just stop here and I want to ask you a question. What is the greatest deception? And I remind you Satan right now is deceiving the whole world. What is the greatest deception? And, the most destroying thing that can be? The greatest deception is this: When those who are deceived do not believe they are deceived, and when they are told they are deceived they count the messenger as a liar. That’s exactly where the world is today. So brethren, why should we give up the greatness of the knowledge of God and His word, and His Spirit, and His truth? And why should we accept the premise of the religions of this world that God lied? Cause that’s what they’re telling you. “God lied when He said remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. God lied when He said that there’s going to be a resurrection. God lied when He said keep the holy days. God lied when He said keep My commandments.” It’s impossible for God to lie. So therefore we need to know and understand that.

That’s one of the deep profound things that we need to hold on to. And that we need to realize “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation…” We don’t have to worry about anyone in the world, anything in the world. Any movement, any organization, or any anything. See, because if God is for us nothing can be against us. No, not even death. “…We might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the vail…” (vs. 18-19). In other words, we have come right into the very presence of God through our prayers. We need to understand that. And you need to let that be a ringing thing in your ears so that you can develop the relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. So you can have that fellowship with Them because that’s a profound thing. And this is what we are going to teach all the people in the Kingdom of God. We’re going to teach them to have that relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ, and then also with us as their kings and priests and teachers.    

Now notice, “..within the vail; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (vs. 20). So then we have Abraham again. We also now have Melchisedec as our High Priest. And we’ll have much to say of that when we get a little further into the series in Hebrews.

Now let’s come to chapter 11 because chapter 11 also talks about the Feast of Tabernacles. And it talks about faith. See if it weren’t for the Feast of Tabernacles this wouldn’t be here. The whole thing of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob living in tents, tabernacling in a strange land, sojourning in that land, not having the inheritance was a forerunner and type of us, who spiritually, we are sojourners in the earth today. We do not have a kingdom which is ours yet on the earth. It’s coming. Our kingdom is the Kingdom of God, which is coming. So we see exactly what is brought out here in Hebrews 11.

Let’s begin in verse 8. “By faith…” Let me tell you something. It takes faith to keep the Sabbath. It takes faith to keep the holy days. It takes faith to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. By faith. It doesn’t take any faith to keep Sunday. You can just get up Sunday morning, run on down to any old church you want, and you can even have a drive-in where you can have a 12 minute sermon and go play your golf. Bingo. That doesn’t take any faith, does it? That doesn’t take any sacrifice does it? No. But to believe God when He says that the Sabbath is to be observed the seventh day beginning at sunset, from sunset to sunset shall you observe your Sabbaths, see. That takes faith. And God will bless you for it.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance…” Now, hold you place right here and let’s come to Romans 4 because we’re going to see that Abraham understood that the fullness of the promise that was given to him by God was not just to inherit the land of Canaan, but to inherit the whole world. Now let’s read it here, Romans 4:13. “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” And so that’s why it’s talking about faith back here. By faith, you see, he should afterward receive an inheritance. He obeyed. Now let’s come back to Hebrews 11:8. “…[He] obeyed and he went out, not knowing [where] whither he went.” That’s just like us, today we don’t know where we’re going, except we’re going to follow God. And I just imagine that there isn’t a single one of us here that are sitting where we are now today, that we could have looked back 30 years ago and said, “On this day 30 years from now I will be sitting right here doing this.” No, because you see, God is molding our character, God is giving us experience. God is teaching us through the things that we are living, through having the trials and difficulties to overcome and grow. Through all of this God is teaching us and so we need to let the faith be exercised in our lives. And regardless of what it is, believe God. Regardless of the circumstances, trust God. Regardless of how bad it may be, have the hope in God because God cannot lie.

So he went out not knowing where he was going. “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.” Now Abraham lived to see Isaac grow to be quite an old man. And he also lived to see the birth of Jacob by two years. Now that’s all the inheritance that he saw. But he believed, he trusted God, and the eventual promise was the whole world. Now notice, they were the “heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (vs. 9-10). This is actually the architect and builder. If God builds something will it endure forever? Yes, indeed. That’s what we need to look to, too you see.

“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful Who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable” (vs. 11-12). So there again we have going to right back to the promise given to Abraham right there in Genesis 22.

“These all died in faith [that is all those mentioned here in Hebrews 11], not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.” And that’s what we are doing, brethren. We are seeking the Kingdom of God. And we are in faith working for it, waiting for it, believing in it, trusting God that He will fulfill His promise. “And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned” (vs. 13-15). And isn’t that exactly what has happened today?

Too many people in the Church of God look at their present circumstances and say, “I remember when I was back in the world.” And voila, they go back into the world. Same attitude the children of Israel had when they got out in the desert, right? Yes, they said, “Boy, look, we’re out here in this hot miserable desert. And boy, we remember when we sat by the fleshpots. We had the onions, and the garlics, and leeks, and fish, and everything to the fill.” You see there are people in the Church of God today who said, “Boy, I really miss Christmas. It was such a fun time. And we can get the whole family together. Oh, the joy of the Christmas carols. What a marvelous thing.” And as soon as the false prophet came in and said, “Hey folks, it’s ok to keep Christmas.” “Oh, voilà, I’m so happy.” See, there’s pleasure in sin for a season. They saw an opportunity to go back, Satan the devil came along and said, “Hey, I’m the way back. I’ll make it easy for you. I’ll take away all your trials. It’s going to be s-m-o-o-t-h. You know, you ought to get out of that church that keeps the law of God. You ought to come into my church where we have lawless grace. We can do anything we desire.” And they left. They had opportunity to return and they took it.

“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly [one]: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God…”, because they believed God, that’s why. If you don’t believe God, is God ashamed to call you His people? Of course. That’s the whole story of the Laodiceans, right? Yes, indeed. “…Not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city” (vs. 16). New Jerusalem. Now we’ll see that on day seven and day eight. And that’s what we’re looking for brethren. See, we need to count everything in this life as if we have already died to it, and not set our hearts on it. Now let’s understand something very important. This is exactly what we’re going to have to teach all the people in the Kingdom of God during the Millennium when we’re teachers and kings and priests. Now it’s going to be a difficult thing for them, more so than us, because they will be living in all the physical blessings that God has given. And for them to say, “Now we cannot count any of these physical things worth anything.” That’s going to be hard. Living in a wicked world, if you are really convicted against it, it’s not quite as hard, but it’s still very difficult for a lot of people.

Now verse 17. We’ve already covered this. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (vs. 17-19). And so there we have the Kingdom of God again. Quite a thing, isn’t it? Quite a marvelous thing that we have there.

Now let’s understand something very important. Let’s come back to 1 Corinthians 15. We have to understand that this is a very profound thing. We cannot, brethren, enter into the Kingdom of God as physical beings. We have to be spirit beings. Jesus told Nicodemus when he came to Him at night. He says, “Verily, verily I say to you, except you be born of the Spirit, you shall not see the Kingdom of God.” And He said, “That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.” And those who are born of the Spirit, and that has not happened. There is no such thing as a born again Christian today, simply because the resurrection hasn’t taken place. Because you’re not born again until the resurrection. Christ was called the firstborn from the dead. So being born again to being a spirit being only takes place at the resurrection. And furthermore He said, “Everyone who is born of the Spirit is like the wind, and no one knows whence he’s coming or where he’s going.” Because as a spirit being you can be invisible and the human eye cannot see the invisible sons of God. So we’re going to learn a profound lesson here. It’s not going to be a physical kingdom. It is not going to be that ordinary human beings are going to inherit it. Yes, ordinary human beings will live in it, subject to the spirit beings, but they won’t inherit it. Now, we will inherit it. Meaning, we will own it.

Now let’s understand what the apostle Paul was writing here, and he shows that it has to be through the resurrection. Now this goes back and also connects with what we covered on Pentecost. But let’s just pick it up here in 1 Corinthians 15:47. “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy…”, which is our physical body right now, we carry that around. That is also as I’ve mentioned many times before in the past, you’re physical body is a walking, living, guarantee that if you are faithful unto the end, you will have a spiritual body. Now think on that because it says, “…as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” And the image of the heavenly, we saw, is Christ shining in His full glory. The image of the heavenly for the saints is to shine as the stars of heaven. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Cor. 15:47-50). You see, it cannot be unless you are a spirit being.

Let’s go back to Romans 8, and let’s see what the apostle Paul wrote back here. You see, that we are going to be co-heirs. We are going to be part owners of the earth with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the apostles, the patriarchs, and all the saints. Not only are we going to be citizens, but we’re going to be owners, because if you inherit something you own it. Now if someone puts your name in a will and he dies, and he says, “Upon my death this belongs to you”, do you own it? But of course. Yes, indeed.

Now notice, Romans 8:14, “For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” And that’s the key. “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of [sonship] adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” As we saw coming right in to the holy of holies through Christ into the vail, where God the Father is, and your very prayers can be heard directly by Him. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God…” Did not He promise Abraham that he would be heir of the world? Yes, He did. We are “…heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:14-17). Now if there’s any one thing that you need to hang onto in the depths of a trial, which is this: Focus your mind on what it’s going to be like to be a spirit being by remembering the glory of the stars. Never forget that. That every trial, every difficulty, every problem that comes along you will be able to endure, and go through, and grow in grace and knowledge, and have more character when you come out the other side of it. That’s what Paul is saying here.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” And when we have that glory, which is going to be great and marvelous and profound, brethren. “For the earnest expectation of the [creation] creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” You are going to liberate the world along with Christ and all the saints. “For the [creation] creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him Who hath subjected the same in hope, because the [creation] creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (vs. 18-21). Now I want you to think on that. This is the hope that God is laying out for you. This is why we keep the Feast of Tabernacles, to always have that before our minds and hearts and understand the hope and the blessing and the promise, and the understanding, and the greatness that God has for us as pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles.

Now let’s look at just a couple of other scriptures here. Let’s come to Psalm 15, and let’s understand that this gives us some of the qualifications for being in the Kingdom of God. Let’s read it right here. “LORD, who shall [dwell] abide in Thy tabernacle?” Do you want to be there in the tabernacle of God? Do you want to be there and live with God? God the Father and Jesus Christ? Do you want to be in New Jerusalem, the holy city? Do you want to be there where Christ is now preparing a place for you? “Who shall [dwell] abide in Thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD.” That’s why, brethren, during this Feast of Tabernacles we need to love one another, honor one another. We are all here because we love God and fear God and want to be in His Kingdom. That’s why we are here. Never forget that. “He that swearethto his own hurt, and changeth not [and that’s what you have done with baptism]. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved” (Psa. 15:1-5).

Now let’s come back to Revelation 21, and let’s see what the apostle John was able to write for us concerning the tabernacle of God and the fulfillment of all of these things. Now this is really something. This is going to be a magnificent thing to be a part of . You see, I know that right now because we’re scattered, and right now because of the things that the Church has gone through, because of the sins of the Church, because of the sins of the ministers and brethren, we all need to repent of this brethren, deeply. Sometimes we’re alone. Sometimes we’re just with a small group. Sometimes we don’t have a great number of people around us. Now maybe at the Feast of Tabernacles we’re around more people than ever before, which is wonderful. That’s fine. Enjoy the fellowship and the things with it, but keep this in mind. Here is your destiny. 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.” Because you’ll be a spirit being. You will not need the sea or the oceans to moderate the temperature. “And I John saw the holy city [that’s the one that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were looking for], new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men [that is men and women made perfect, now spiritual men, spiritual women], and He will dwell with them…” It’s going to be something dwelling with God, isn’t it? Yes indeed. “…And they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. 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 any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Just like there’s a beginning and an ending, when we have this beginning in the Kingdom of God, the other things pass away. “And He that sat upon the throne [which is God the Father] said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” And remember we saw how that God cannot lie. “And He said unto me, It is done. 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 shall inherit all things…” And that means part owner of the universe. Do you understand that.? That’s what it means. “…And I will be his God, and he shall be My son” (Rev. 21:1-7).

And so there we have in the New Testament the meaning and fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, and how much of the New Testament is based upon the Kingdom of God, which is pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the thousand-year rule and reign of Jesus Christ.