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FEAST OF TABERNACLES - DAY 7
Fred Coulter - October 17, 2003
And greetings, brethren. This is day number 7 of the Feast of Tabernacles,
so as we began we’re going to end. The Feast of Tabernacles ends today, and
at sundown we begin the last finale of the Last Great Day. And with the
whole Feast of Tabernacles there’s a tremendous amount of meaning, and
there’s great lessons and teaching us what God is going to do. And so we’ll
begin at the beginning again, review the beginning, and then we’ll go to the
end and what significance the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles have
that is any greater than any of the other days. Well, there’s a great
importance to it because it ends the millennium. It’s like the millennium
began, as was pictured by the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The
millennium ends with the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. So let’s
just review here in Revelation 20. And as I mentioned last time, by time we
go through all the holy days of God, beginning with the Passover in the
spring, and we come to the Last Great Day, we go through systematically
almost all of the book of Revelation. So the key to understanding the book
of Revelation is the holy days. Because you cannot understand the sequence
of events with any degree of approximation of how they fit together unless
you understand the holy days and the feasts of God, unless you realize what
each one of them means and how it fulfills part of the plan of God.
So let’s come to Revelation 20 and let’s again look at the beginning of the
millennium. Verse 4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had
not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his
mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned
with Christ a thousand years.” Now then here’s this statement, which we’ll
cover tomorrow, but it says, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until
the thousand years [are ended] were finished.” And we’ll explain that
tomorrow. “This is
the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [are they] is he that hath
part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power [or
as the Greek is, authority], but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Now then there is an enigma that
is very hard for people to grasp and understand, which is the next verse,
verse 7. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out
of his prison,…” (Rev. 20:4-7). Now why would God do this? Let’s go back
here. Let’s go up here to verse 1, verses 1-3, and let’s see what happens to
Satan, and then we will begin to understand why he is loosed. There’s a
reason.
Now verse 1, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of
the [abyss] bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold
on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound
him [for] a thousand years, and cast him into the [abyss] bottomless pit,
and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations
no more, till the thousand years [were] should be fulfilled: and after that
he must be loosed a little season” (Rev. 20:1-3). So this is a unique event.
But why does he have to be loosed for a little season?
Now in order to understand why he has to be loosed for a little season at
the end of the millennium, we need to understand what is going to go on for
a thousand years. When Christ returns there’s still going to be a lot of
human beings left. A lot in number, but there are going to also be a lot
that were killed because of all the devastation and wars, and the
earthquakes, and the plagues, and everything that took place. Those who
survive through it and live on into the millennium will begin their living
under the kingdom of God. And we are going to teach them, as we have seen,
and we are going to show them, and we’re going to accomplish the things that
God wants us to accomplish. And there will be millions, and millions, if not
billions added to the kingdom of God.
Now let’s come to the book of Jeremiah and let’s see some things. As I
mentioned, at the beginning of the millennium God is going to make a new
covenant with Israel and with Judah, and then of course what happens to
Israel and Judah He also does to the other nations. Just like the principle
in the New Testament that tells us to the Jew first and then to the Greek,
or to the Gentile. And as we have seen that the Gentile is brought in to the
fullness of living under the kingdom of God, living under the rule and reign
of the saints of God. And so let’s just review this covenant that God is
going to make with Israel and Judah, and of course the whole world.
Jeremiah 31:31, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that
I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My
covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their [minds]
inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they
shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour,
and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know
Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I
will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer.
31:31-34).
And so this covenant then starts out everything for the millennium. And we
need to understand when something starts and begins then everyone is all
enthused, and everything is going forward. They’re going to rejoice, they’re
going to be happy, they’re going to just really feel great and marvelous at
what God is doing, they’re going to be relived that all the wars are over.
They’re going to be relieved that everything is going to be peaceful because
Christ and the saints are reigning. So the first thing that God is going to
do in this covenant with Israel, let’s go to Ezekiel 36, and let’s see what
He’s going to do. There is going to be a change in human nature. And that
change in human nature is going to restore the children of Israel and the
world almost to the point of what it was with Adam and Eve when they were
first created. However we’re going to see that there still is going to
remain sin and that that has to be dealt with, and these things have to be
taken care of.
Now let’s begin here in 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 [that is adding God’s Holy Spirit to them]: and
I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an
heart of flesh [instead of the stony heart taken out of their flesh and give
them a 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, and do them.
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be
My people, and I will be your God” (Ezek. 36:25-28). And so then when this
begins then they are going to dwell in their permanent places.
And He says, “And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;
and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from
all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it,
and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and
the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine
among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your
doings that
were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your
iniquities and for your abominations” (vs. 28-31). So there’s going to be
great repentance that starts out. Very enthusiastic repentance. And so the
millennium’s going to begin with a great surge of repentance and conversion
and so forth.
“Not for your sakes do I [do] this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known
unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all
your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the
wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it
lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This
land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden;…” So the whole
world’s going to be like a Garden of Eden just like Peter said, the
restitution of all things. “…And the waste and desolate and ruined cities
are become
fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about
you shall know that [I am the LORD] I the LORD build the ruined places,
and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and
I will do it” (vs. 32-36). And of course we are going to be there to
make sure that it’s done. We’re going to be there to teach the people, to
train the people, to oversee that all of this is done.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired of by the
house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men
like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn
feasts;…” So isn’t it interesting that the solemn feasts are mentioned here,
and of course that shows the fulfilling of God’s plan. “…So shall the waste
cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am
the LORD” (vs. 37-38). So that’s a tremendous thing that’s going to take
place, and that’s going to be all the way down through the millennium. Now
we’re going to see that they are going to suffer from second, and third, and
fourth, and fifth generationitis, in a little bit. Because in the beginning
with all the desolation, with all the ruins, with all the rebuilding, with
all the things that they have to do there is going to be a great enthusiasm
as we’ve seen here, great repentance. And let’s see what is offered to them.
Let’s begin here in Isaiah 54. Isaiah 54 shows that God is just going to
pour out His blessings of material blessings and goodness along with His
Spirit, and along with the way of salvation for everyone. Isaiah 54:11, “O
thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I
will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with
sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of
carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children
shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy
children” (Isaiah 54:11-13). So that’s really quite a blessing, isn’t it? No
more kidnapping, no more killing of little children, no more sex perverts
loose on the street. And of course there won’t be a Catholic priest around
anywhere. So that’s going to be good news for all the people then.
Now they’re also… Let’s come to Micah 4 and let’s see something that’s
important here. They’re also going to have their own land. And no one is
going to disturb them. Not only will they teach the children, but they’re
going to teach them the right ways. They’re going to teach them the right
things.
Now let’s begin here in Micah 4, and let’s pick it up here in verse 3. “And
he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war anymore.” So everything is going to be completely changed.
Everything about society that we know of today is going to be utterly
different. And the children are not going to have toy guns to play with.
They’re not going to learn war. There’s not going to be any cartoons like we
have today, which teach children war from the very time they’re able to look
at a TV and be able to see that it is an entertainment center. All of those
things are going to be changed. It’s going to be a different kind of life.
We’re not going to be like it is today going to and fro, going here, going
there, doing all of these things. It will be entirely different. We’re going
to have time to think. The people will have time to think, and time to work,
and time to play, and time to study, and time to pray, and all of these
things. It’s going to totally be different.
See, Satan has us all busied in the society where we’re busy doing this,
and busy doing that, and busy doing something else, you see. And that’s even
frustrating to us because we live in the world, though we’re not part of the
world, and so we likewise go through many of these same things today, but in
the millennium it’s going to be completely different. Look at this, “But
they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree;…” Going to
have some property, going to have his own garden, going to grow his own
food. Everything’s going to be entirely different. So we’re not going to
have cities that are going to be all jammed up with super skyscrapers. Yes,
there will be cities, but there’s going to be some space in between the
houses. There’s going to be some land in between the houses. There’s going
to be the land so you can have some animals so that the people can also be
able to grow the food, have the animals and things like this. Plus it will
give responsibility for the children as they’re growing up – take care of
the animals, feed the animals, and all this sort of thing. So that will be
great. For it says, “…For the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it”
(vs. 4). So it’s going to be.
Now then here’s another very interesting verse. Verse 5, “For all people
will walk every one in the name of his god,…” Now we’re going to be given a
new name. Obviously during the millennium there is not going to be any pagan
gods around, right? No, because they’re going to worship the true God. We’re
going to be part of the God family. Will they worship us directly? Some
people don’t think that they will, but if we’re part of the God family, and
if Jesus is worthy of worship so maybe a lower level kind of worship would
be applicable for those who are the sons of God. Now, you know, maybe I
should have had my cowbell out to ring it so some people won’t get upset.
But you have to stop and realize that we’re going to be as Jesus is. If
we’re going to reign as kings and priests obviously we’re going to point
them to Jesus Christ and God the Father, but then I don’t know how to
understand this verse otherwise because it is here. “Every one will walk in
the name of his god,…” Well, there aren’t going to be any pagan gods around.
“…And we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.” Now
does that apply to us, that we’re going to walk in the name of the Lord our
God for ever and ever, as differentiated from the other people? Don’t know.
“In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will
gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; and I will
make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong
nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth,
even for ever” (vs. 6-7). And so that’s what it’s going to be all during the
millennium.
Now let’s then see some of the other aspects of this. We know we’ve already
covered in Isaiah 11 it says that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the
earth as the seas cover the earth. Now that’s an awful lot of knowledge, and
that’s an awful lot of instruction. And those are some tremendous things
that are going to be. And it also shows that the children are going to be
playing with the animals, and the lions, and the asps. And the lion is going
to eat straw with the ox, and the bear and the wolf is going to lie down
with the kid and so forth, and all of those things. Peace among all the
animals, peace among the people, great blessings just pouring out as it says
in other places in the Bible, that it’s just going to flow down off the
mountains - all the riches, all the goodness, all of the things that God
will do and produce, you see. And the whole purpose of it is, is so that
they are going to be able to have an opportunity for salvation. But still
remember there’s always the element of human nature. So keep that in mind as
we’re going through so we can understand what’s going to happen at the end
of the millennium.
So let’s come now to Isaiah 55 and let’s see what’s going to take place.
And let’s see how this is going to be. And let’s see how they’re going to be
offered salvation. Now right at first with the repentance people are going
to understand the wickedness of human nature. People are going to understand
that they need to change. And so when this is offered they’re just going to
just come, as it were, wholesale.
Verse 1, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without
money and without price.” Those are the rich things of the understanding of
God’s Word and Truth and salvation. “Wherefore do ye spend money for that
which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth
not? hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and
let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto Me:
hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with
you,
even the sure mercies of David” (Isa. 55:1-3). And so there we have what
it’s going to be – salvation offered, all you have to do is come. It’s going
to be quite different than the Protestant version of “Come to the altar and
give your heart to the Lord.” It’s going to be the real thing, or as they
say, “The real deal.” This is going to be salvation.
Now let’s come here to Isaiah 60 and let’s see that not only is it going to
include Israel but it’s going to include all the Gentiles, because as we
read many nations are going to come to Jerusalem. They’re going to learn of
God’s ways and then they’re going to go back and teach the people, and we
will be there to teach them, to help them, to show them, to instruct them.
And of course we don’t know how many… You know today all we have is the
Bible here today, but I just wonder what it’s going to be like when
everything that is produced is going to be produced by the kings and priests
of the kingdom of God under the supervision of Jesus Christ. I just wonder
what it’s going to be with all the material that’s going to be there, it’s
going to have to be many, many books if the knowledge of the Lord is going
to cover the earth as the seas cover the earth. So it’s going to be
something.
Now here Isaiah 60:1. Now if you have the “Messiah” you can hear this sung,
and it’s really quite a rousing song here. It says, “Arise, shine; for thy
light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” This is the
message going out to all nations. “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the
earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee,
and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to Thy
light, and kings to the brightness of Thy rising.” Now this is going to be
an absolutely marvelous thing all during the millennium. And then we’re
going to see when we get to the end of the millennium something else
happens. “Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather
themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and
thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and
flow together, and thine heart shall fear [that is be awestruck], and be
enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the
forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee” (Isa. 60:1-5). It is going to
be… You talk about an economic boom, you talk about having everything that
everyone would ever want, only this time in the right proportion. Not all
the things and the gimmicks that we have today.
Now let’s come here to Isaiah 66, and we’re going to see that all during
the millennium, and yes, they’re going to worship God. And yes, at that time
it’s going to be a different setup than we have now. Now there is an
indication here that they will observe the new moon at that particular time.
But then it will be known exactly when it’s going to be, not like it is
today.
Now Isaiah 66:22, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will
make, shall remain before Me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your
name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to
another [new moon - and that could mean month in and month out as well], and
from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me,
saith the LORD [of hosts].” That means all nations, all people - they’re
going to come and worship God. Now it’s going to be a wonderful thing
indeed. No Protestants, no Catholics, no Muslims. So there’s not going to be
Muslim services on Friday, Jewish services and Church of God services on the
Sabbath, and Protestant and Catholic services on Sunday. There’s going to be
one way, one Lord, and one day during the week, which is the seventh day.
So, verse 24, “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the
men that have transgressed against Me:…” So all during the millennium, those
who transgress, it’s going to be a lesson. “…For their worm shall not die,
neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto
all flesh” (Isa. 66:22-24). So during the millennium when there’s sin it’s
going to be a great and an abhorring thing. Not like today, we see so much
sin and things on television that we just become blasé, don’t we? And of
course here living in the end of the age we live in a Laodicean age, where
in this world with the material things and the material goods that we have
where we have everything that we want, don’t we, supposedly? But we don’t
have truth, we don’t have peace, we don’t have lack of crime and all of
those things. Now here if someone sins grievously during the millennium then
here’s an indication that they’re going to be cast into the lake of fire.
And everyone’s going to hear and see and fear. It’s going to be a totally
different situation than what we understand now.
Now let’s see some more of how it is during the millennium, and how it
builds up. And we’re going to see how important this is to understand the
events at the end of the millennium and why Satan has to be loosed. Now
since we’re in Isaiah let’s go here to Isaiah 49:18. “Lift up thine eyes
round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and
come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe
thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a
bride
doeth. For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy
destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and
they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt
have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The
place
is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell” (Isa.
49:18-20). So it’s going to be a re-colonization of the whole world. That’s
what these verses are telling us. And so then they will go out and establish
the whole world under us in God’s way and in God’s kingdom.
Now let’s see the blessings that God is going to pour out. And God also
knows that’s why the provision for the end of the millennium is made in the
way that it is made. But I want you to think about this now. Let’s begin
Isaiah 60:16. I want you to think about how this is going to affect each
generation during the millennium. Verse 16, “Thou shalt also suck the milk
of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know
that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of
Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and
for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace,
and thine exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy
land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy
walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise” (Isa. 60:16-18). Now just think – all
of these blessings coming all automatic, what is going to happen to human
nature? How is this going to be? Well, are they going to have a giant huge
case of Laodiceanism?
Now you go back and you review the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3.
What happens? The church started out, the Ephesian church, and what was it?
Great miracles, great healings, great conversions, and tremendous things
took place. Well, just like with the beginning of the millennium, there are
going to be healings, there are going to be miracles, there are going to be
conversion, there’s going to be a pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit, and
there’s going to be peace – no more war, and all of these things. Well, come
along the second generation… Well the first generation is going to be there
to say, “Now I want you to understand this, and I want you to learn this,
and this is what we went through…”, and so forth. So the second generation
may learn quite a bit from it, I’m sure they will. And then the third
generation, and then the fourth generation, and then the fifth generation.
And you know, we can ask how long is a generation? Well perhaps it may even
be one hundred years.
Now if during the Great White Throne Judgment they live for one hundred
years, why would that not also apply to the time during the millennium? And
so we can say, that if based on that, there will be approximately ten
generations during the millennium. Well when the new children are born into
this society to where the saints of God are ruling as kings and priests, and
Christ is there, and they are born into a society that is fully developed,
that is filled with peace, that is filled with righteousness, that is filled
with all the economic power and wealth, and gold and silver, and a
tremendous industry that will be at that time – totally different from what
we have now. And what’s going to happen? It’s going to be thought of as
normal. And when anything is thought of as normal then people get
complacent, don’t they? And just like with the churches, sin begins to enter
in, doesn’t it? And at the end of the age, of this age, what do we have?
Laodiceanism everywhere. Not only in the church but also in the world. Now
just think what this is going to do to people in the millennium.
Now before we answer that question we’ve got to answer one more question.
Because we’ve already seen in Isaiah 66 where those who sin grievously are
going to be cast into a lake of fire. However if all are cast into a lake of
fire, who sinned grievously during the millennium, then why do we have this
event with Satan being loosed at the end of the millennium. Ok, we’ll answer
that in just a minute. But let’s take a principle here that’s very
important. We know from 1 Thessalonians 4 that Paul wrote… Let’s go ahead
and turn there.
Now when the kingdom of God is ruling on the earth it is going to be not a
kingdom of death, but a kingdom of life. And it’s going to be that those who
then grow and overcome and qualify for salvation in the way that we
understand of qualifying for salvation, when they’ve lived their lives to
however it is, as long as it is, say being one hundred years, why not just
apply what we have here in the book of 1 Thessalonians 4. If a person has
been righteous what need is [there] for them to die? Ok, let’s look at it
here. Of course now we look forward to the resurrection.
1 Thessalonians 4:13, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep [that is those saints who are buried and in
the grave and waiting for the resurrection], that ye sorrow not, even as
others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we
say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord…” Now during the millennium the Lord has
already come. So if this is at the beginning of where the resurrection is,
then let’s see what we can apply here a little later. “…We which are alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not [precede, or that is, be
resurrected or changed, as it were, because we’re going to see it’s a change
in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye]… For the Lord Himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are
alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thes.
4:13-17).
Now then, there was no reason for these people to die. They were alive when
Christ returned so they will be changed just like Paul said in 1 Corinthians
15, “We shall all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.” And if
that’s the case what need would there be for someone who was righteous,
lived one hundred years, had grown and overcome, come to the time of the end
of their life, what would be the need for them to be where they would die
and be put in the grave? What necessary…why would that be necessary? There
would be no need of it. Now obviously we read where the wicked will be cast
into the lake of fire. And we read in Isaiah 65 that the sinner who lives
one hundred years is accursed. Now what does accursed mean? Accursed means
“cut off from God.” So the wicked are the ones who are going to die, not the
righteous. They shall be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.
And so here, let’s come to Philippians 3 and let’s see what is going to
happen. I think this is going to happen: when they come to the end of their
lives, instead of having a funeral like we do today and everybody is crying
and boo-hooing because so-and-so has died and passed on, you know. And we
hear the comforting words that they’re waiting the resurrection, which is
true. But during the millennium with the rule of the saints and Christ, why
should they have to be buried? Why should they have to suffer death and be
buried and put in the grave, only to be resurrected when? Now that wouldn’t
make any sense. So if the family of God is going to increase, and increase,
and increase, and to show every one the great benefit of God’s way, the
great benefit of living God’s way. And maybe this will be a thing which will
convince more people to really repent, even though down during the
millennium all of these things become so commonplace, yet this is going to
be a tremendous event if you have a going out party instead of a funeral.
All the friends gather and at whatever designated time during the ceremony,
or whatever is going to take place then something like this will happen –
verse 21 of Philippians 3. “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He
is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.”
So that would be a tremendous thing, wouldn’t it? Now can you imagine all
the family gathered around? I don’t know, would this take place at a local
church services, because there are going to be churches on almost every
corner. We’re not going to have to drive one hundred fifty miles to go to
church. We’re not going to have to be sitting at home alone because there’s
no one around. We’re not going to have to be alone and scattered. No.
Everyone’s going to know about God. Everyone’s going to understand Who He
is. All the blessings will be poured out, and now here the purpose of human
life can be shown and displayed directly. So maybe it will be at church
services. Maybe it will be, their names are called and they come up front,
and whatever the ceremony would be. I don’t know exactly what it would be,
but I tell you what, everyone sitting back in the congregation would be just
awe struck when this took place, that they are changed just like that. No
need to die because this is a reign of life. And then the sinner is going to
be abhorred and cast into the lake of fire. And so it’s going to be a whole
totally different thing than we understand. So this is going to be quite an
operation indeed, isn’t it? So if we can picture this going down through ten
generations of the millennium, this is going to be a magnificent thing. And
the cities will be built up, and the countries will be built up, and
everything is going to be just overflowing with riches and everything – so
quite a thing that will take place.
Now we’ll go ahead and look at some thing to see if we can determine how
the attitudes will change. So as convincing as all of this is. Just for
example if you were going to church and every once in a while you would have
a going out party. Quite a ceremony, and the person would be changed right
before your eyes. That’s very convincing, isn’t it? Yes, indeed. But what
happens, what happens, what happens, what happens? People get complacent.
Now let’s see how complacency works out. Let’s come here to Deuteronomy 8
and let’s get a principle. Let’s understand this. And here’s a type of the
children of Israel being prepared to go into the Promised Land. Now let’s
look at the warning that is here and let’s see what God warned them about.
Now this can happen in degree, though obviously the only ones who are going
to be affected by things similar to wandering through the desert as the
children of Israel did, would be that first generation that came out of the
last generation of this world and lived on over into the first generation of
the millennium. So this would apply then. But then it goes on and it shows
what happens to peoples attitude.
Now Deuteronomy 8:1, “All the commandments which I command thee this day
shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and
possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.” So we can say
during the millennium all the commandments which God has commanded you, you
shall keep that you may continue to dwell in the land. “And thou shalt
remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in
the wilderness, to humble thee,…” So there’s going to be some way of
humbling people during the millennium. We don’t know exactly how that will
be but we’ll have to see that. “…To prove thee,…” There’s going to be some
way of testing and proving each one, won’t there? Yes, indeed. “…To know
what was in thine heart,…” (Deut 8:1-2). And that’s what’s going to
be known because God is a heart knowing God. And at that time we will be
heart knowing because we will be part of the God family. We’ll have the
power to.....
Part 2
…know and understand the heart. We’re going to have to make judgments and
assessments based on that, aren’t we?
Now of course with the children of
Israel, they were unconverted, and they were hard hearted so it will be
different during the millennium, but there are certain principles that we
can learn from this so we can understand and try and discern what’s going to
happen the best way that we can, putting the scriptures together. Now all of
this, please understand that some of this that we are talking about is not
necessarily absolute dogmatic that it’s going to happen precisely this way.
But surely God would want us to think about how things will be and think
about how they may come about so that it will give us greater understanding
of God’s way, but also give us greater understanding in how to properly put
the scriptures together. So some of the things that we may put together may
not be exactly correct but the principles will apply and we will see that in
a little bit concerning the lake of fire and the first death and the second
death. But let’s go on here in Deuteronomy 8.
Now notice, verse 3, “And He humbled thee, and [allowed] suffered thee to
hunger, and fed thee with manna,…” Of course instead of manna it’s going to
be all the blessings and goodness that comes from God. Everything. “…Which
thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know
that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” Now, when the New
Covenant with Christ began, that’s how He started, wasn’t it, in the trial
against Satan the devil? Man is going to live by every Word that proceeds
out of the mouth of God. That will also apply all during the millennium of
course, won’t it? Now, instead of having hard hearted people we will have
people who have a more pliable attitude, a more willing attitude, but
nevertheless there will still be human nature there, and since the whole
world is set up on God’s way, then it’s going to be most important to
understand, to know the heart because that’s where people are then going to
be thinking contrary things and so forth, though they may not necessarily
carry them out. Some of them will, of course, because they will have sinned.
Then He shows here that “your clothes didn’t grow old upon you, neither did
your shoes, and your feet didn’t swell these forty years” (vs. 4,
paraphrased). “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart,…” Now how is it
going to be during the millennium that we are going to teach people to
consider in their hearts? Well it’s going to have to be something like this.
“…Consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the
LORD thy God chasteneth thee” (vs. 4-5). Now what kind of discipline and
chastening will there be during the millennium? We don’t know. We’ll have to
see. But people are not going to be made into robots. They are going to be
able to choose. But the vast majority, instead of choosing to sin and follow
Satan because Satan won’t be around, they’re going to choose God’s way.
So He says here, verse 6, “Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of
the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him. For the LORD thy God
bringeth thee into a good land,…” Now this is going to apply to the whole
world. “…A land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out
of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines,…” Sounds
pretty much like what we read there in Micah 4, right, where everyone will
sit under his vine and under his fig tree. Ok, so we have vines and fig
trees here. “…And pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; a land
wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness,…” And of course all during
the millennium there will be no scarceness. There will be an abundance of
everything. It even says in the book of Amos that the plowman is going to
come right behind the reaper and say, “Beep-beep, get out of the way I’m
coming through.” So it’s going to be an abundance of food, an abundance of
everything, an abundance of wealth. So it’s going to be quite a thing. So
there’s a principle that we’re going to learn here that applies when you
have everything. And this is getting right to the heart and the core of the
Laodicean attitude today, and probably the great Laodicean attitude toward
the end of the millennium, or at least any time during the millennium too.
Let’s go on. “…Thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest
dig brass” (vs. 6-9). And as we saw gold and silver, and that means all the
other metals as well and precious jewels and so forth.
Now notice verse 10, here’s the key. “When thou hast eaten and art full,…”
That’s going to happen to everybody, right? Yes, indeed. “…Then thou shalt
bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee.” So
that’s the key. Right there’s the key to the heart and the attitude. Do you
always bless God and thank God for all the good things that He gives you?
Not everybody does, because some people today, you know you have the parable
of the pounds and the parable of the talents. You have the one servant who
griped and complained and accused God. Will there be people who will gripe
and complain during the millennium? Of course, there’s got to be some
otherwise there would be no free choice. Otherwise they would just become
robotic automatons.
So here’s the warning. If you’re not blessing God, here’s the warning:
“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God in [not] keeping His
commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this
day” (vs. 11). So there will be some people who will consider that the
things of God are too harsh. Those are going to be the ones who will sin.
And if they sin, if they commit murder, or something like that as we saw in
Isaiah 66, there’s going to be a lake of fire. So the question becomes:
during the millennium, if someone is cast into the lake of fire, is that the
second death or the first death? Well let’s think about it for a minute.
There can be the lake of fire and they are going to also be the graveyard of
sinners. Either one, maybe both.
Now then let’s ask a question concerning lake of fire: the beast and the
false prophet were cast into the lake of fire right when Christ and the
saints return to the earth. An angel is sent, casts them into a lake of
fire. Do these two have to die the second death for their incorrigible sin?
Yes, indeed. So the question is: can someone be resurrected who is consumed
in a lake of fire where it has not been determined that this is their second
death but only their first death? Well, the answer would have to be yes. You
can also have during the millennium those who fall into this sinful attitude
that do not do the sin of violence to someone, and they just come to the end
of their lives and they die. They’ll probably be buried, so there will
probably be the graveyard of the sinners. And of course that will be a place
where everyone will know that’s the graveyard of the sinners. So it’s very
possible we may have both things apply during the millennium.
Now let’s come back to Deuteronomy 8 and let’s read this a little bit more,
and let’s see what there is here for us and how it affects the attitude and
the things that take place. Now he says, “Beware lest you forget…” Verse 12
now it says, “…lest when thou hast eaten and art full,…” Now we
already read the scripture where there’s going to be no famine. There’s
going to be no starving. So everybody is going to eat and be full all during
the millennium, aren’t they? “…And hast built goodly houses,…”, which they
will. They’re going to rebuild the cities. Every man’s going to have his own
house, his own property. “…And dwelt therein;…” Yes, and no one is
going to chase them out, are they? “…And when thy herds and thy
flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that
thou [do] hast is multiplied;…” (vs. 12-13). Then they’re going to be
confronted with a problem, aren’t they? It’s like he says here. This is the
way that human beings think. Now if you don’t think that’s the way that
human beings think just remember this: do you not wait until it’s really
necessary to do something before you do it? Of course. I do, everybody else
does. But when this is applied spiritually then it becomes very dangerous,
doesn’t it? Because here’s what happened. Let’s see what happens.
When you forget God this is what happens, verse 14, “…Then thine heart be
lifted up, and thou forget the LORD…” Yes, you forget the LORD God. In this
case “…which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of
bondage;…” In the millennium you forget the Lord. Even though Christ is
available and all the saints are available as kings and priests, there will
be people who want to get it out of their minds. So they won’t be able to
forget, but they will want to forget, which is the first step in forgetting,
isn’t it? And that’s the same as sinning in your heart. “…And thou forget
the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out…”, or we could say in this
case, “which gives eternal life all during the millennium. And have you not
gone to church and seen the going out parties? Have you not seen them change
from flesh to spirit? Has that become so mundane for you that now it’s such
a common place that it means nothing to you?” So it’s very possible.
Notice what he says here in this particular case. “…Who led thee through
that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and
scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; Who brought thee
forth water out of the rock of flint;…” And during the millennium there’s
not going to be any drought. There’s not going to be any lack of water,
there’s not going to be any lack of the Holy Spirit available to people.
“…Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not,
that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at
thy latter end;…” Now when people have everything done good for them, are
they going to begin to forget? And if their hearts are lifted up what are
they going to say? Especially if they have healthy bodies, good minds, great
abilities, what are they going to think? Well, verse 17, “…And thou say in
thine heart, My power [not God’s] and the might of mine hand [not
God’s] hath gotten me this wealth” (vs. 15-17). So the Laodicean attitude
then is going to be, “Well, you know, we really have done a lot more of this
than God gives us credit for. Because after all we have all of this ability,
we have all of these things, and look what we’ve done, and look what we’ve
made, and look what we are.” Same thing.
He says, then you shall remember – all my power, and my might has gotten me
this wealth. You know, when that comes in – of course it’s a problem today
too, isn’t it? “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant
which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” And so then
there is going to be this warning during the millennium because people will
be subject to it, won’t they? “And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the
LORD thy God, and walk after other gods,…” (vs. 18-19). Now there won’t be
any other gods to walk after at that time, but it’s going to be that they
will want to walk in a different path than the Lord’s path. So that will be
the same principle which will be applied then. Then God says you’re surely
going to perish. So the sinner that dies one hundred years old during the
millennium, if they have done a grievous sin, will probably be cast into the
lake of fire. If they have just sinned where it is not a grievous sin, they
will probably die and be buried and put into the sinners graveyard.
Now then when we come down to the end of the millennium something else is
going to happen. Let’s come back here to Revelation 20 and let’s see it.
Something else is going to happen because as you get down toward the end of
the millennium you’re running out of time, aren’t you? Because it’s going to
come to an end. That’s why during this feast we started out – this is the
beginning of the feast, and when we come to day seven, this is the end of
the feast. So the beginning of the millennium starts out wonderful. The end
of the millennium does not end up quite as good because of all of the
super-complacent Laodiceanism, which how rampant it will be we don’t know.
So God is going to do a different thing.
Now, the people will come to God just like they have before. Just like when
the children of Israel heard the Ten Commandments from God, what happened?
They said, “Oh, Moses, you go speak to God, and you tell us and we’ll do
it.” So I think what’s going to happen at the end of the millennium is this
at the last generation. I don’t know if it’s going to be the last one
hundred years, or the last fifty years, or whatever, but a certain length of
time, that they’re going to come to God, and God already has it in His plan.
He’s going to work it out this way:
They’re going to say, “God, You’ve given us free moral agency, haven’t
you?” “Yes, indeed I have.”
“Now we feel as though that we want to have our own choices.”
“Oh, you do.”
“Yes, we do.”
“And since we are uncomfortable living here we would like You to find a
place for us to live so that we’re not going to be under this oppression all
the time.”
And God will say, “Well look, I’ve given you all this. Don’t you love Me?”
They say, “Well you know we just feel,…” (And of course that’s the way it
starts out, right?) “…that we have got to make our own decisions, and we
have got to be away from this.”
And so God, just like He did with the children of Israel, He said, “Ok,
Moses you speak to them.” So it’s going to be “Ok, if you don’t want to be
here then we’ll work something out.” So how is God going to work it out? And
why does He do it? Well number one, there’s not enough time for those who
sin to come to the end of their lives and die and be put into the sinners
graveyard. And apparently at this time, as we will see, God is going to save
up the lake of fire, in this case it’s going to be fire coming down from
heaven, to take care of the wicked. So God is going to accommodate them. Has
God accommodated sinners in the past? Yes. So what is He going to do? God is
dwelling here on the earth. The saints are ruling and reigning. There are
billions of people, whatever they are, and a good number of them – how many
we don’t know, are going to want to not be in the presence of God. They’re
going to want to live in their sin.
Let’s come back here to the book of Genesis and see what happens when
people sin beginning with Adam and Eve, when they’re dwelling with God. Does
God instantly kill them? No. Is the wages of sin still death? Yes. But what
does He do? What did He do with Adam and Eve? Well notice, He sent them into
exile. We’re going to see when we get to Revelation 20, that there is the
geographical area of Gog and Magog, which has probably been a wilderness,
that section of Gog and Magog, not the people but the geographical area. And
we’ll see this in just a minute. We’ll see something very important here
concerning that.
Ok, Genesis 3:23, “Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of
Eden,…” Now the Garden of Eden was a type of what the millennium will be
like. So here He’s going to send them out from the jurisdiction of God. And
so during the millennium they will go to a place of exile just like it is
here. “…To till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the
man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims [He drove out
the man and put the guards there], and a flaming sword which turned every
way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Gen. 3:23-24). Now then, what
happened when Cain sinned? Now his was a grievous sin, wasn’t it? It was
murder, wasn’t it? He murdered his own brother. Now let’s see what happened
here. There is a further exile. Now let’s notice. And here is the punishment
that came upon him.
Now let’s pick it up here Genesis 4:11. He says, “And now art thou
cursed from the earth,…” So those that want to leave they’re going to be
cursed. Because there will still be blessings and cursings, correct? God is
never going to remove the blessings and cursings, otherwise how are you
going to be able to discern what is right and what is wrong? Just like if
you cut yourself on the hand, the curse is you cut yourself and then you
overcome that by putting a bandage on it or whatever, but still there is
that penalty that comes from cutting your finger, or burning your hand, or
falling down on your face. That’s not quite the kind of curse that happened
here. So he says, “…Thou [are] cursed from the earth, which hath opened her
mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; when thou tillest the
ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and
a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth” (Gen. 4:11-12). Nevertheless he had
it.
“And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can
bear. Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth;
and from Thy face shall I be hid:…” Now that’s going to be what happens to
those in the millennium that decide to come to God and say, “Look, we want
space. We want to get out of here.” And God’s going to say ok. “We want to
have our own choice. We want to exercise it. We want to do what we want to
do. We just feel too constrained in this.” God is going to say, “Ok, you’re
cursed, you’re driven out, you’re going to have a place to go to.” We’ll see
it here in just a minute. And he says, “...I shall be a fugitive and a
vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that
findeth me shall slay me” (vs. 13-14). Now that won’t apply to the those
people then, but this is just part of the account here.
“And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance
shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any
finding him should kill him.” Now we don’t know if when they are exiled from
the kingdom of God if they are going to have some sort of identification
upon them. I don’t think that will be necessary. Their attitudes will be
standing out and everyone will be able to know them. Now notice verse 16,
“And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of
Nod, on the east of Eden” (vs. 15-16). Now were there people living in Nod?
Don’t know. It doesn’t tell us. But the land of Nod is the land of exile. So
during the millennium Gog and Magog is going to be this wilderness, and
there’s also a possibility that during the millennium some people will be
exiled and live out their lives and die there in Gog and Magog. It’s
entirely possible. We don’t know. But nevertheless, whenever there is sin
and God decides not to execute the death penalty against them at that time,
He sends them out into exile. Now He did the same thing with the children of
Israel and the children of Judah when they sinned and disobeyed Him. He sent
the enemy against them and if they didn’t repent and turn to God then He
would exile them, send them off into captivity. And so this is a principle
that God uses.
Now let’s come back and see if we can understand herein Revelation 20 why
Satan is loosed at the end of the millennium. And I think it will become
clear as we go through this so we can understand it. Revelation 20:7.
There’s yet one more purpose for Satan the devil. That’s why he’s bound, and
he’s got to be loosed. He has one more mission, one more job. Verse 7, “And
when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison,…” Now it says for a little season up here in verse 4. Now a little
season, if you compare the different verses, is approximately three and a
half years. So Satan is released, and where does he go? “…And shall go out
to deceive the nations [or the Gentiles, or the nations, or the peoples]
which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog,…” (Rev. 20:7-8).
Now the reason they are there is because Gog and Magog, at the beginning of
the millennium, came and attacked against the children of Israel and God had
to display His glory and power and destroy all the armies of Gog and Magog.
Now that’s why this area then becomes a symbol of sin because of what they
did at the beginning of the millennium. So here again we have the beginning
and the ending.
Now here’s what his mission is going to be. When he gets there, you know as
I’ve said before and I think it’s going to be, he’s going to come out and
say, “Whew, boy I’m glad to get out of this prison. I’m happy to see that
you folks are over here. You have chosen your own free will and I’m here to
help you. And I’m here tell you that I’m really the true god. And these
people down here in Jerusalem, and these people who have been running this
for a thousand years and have kept me in prison, now we’ve got to go down
there and teach them a thing or two. So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re
all going to get organized.” And everyone’s going to say, “Yea, yea, yea.”
He’s going to say, “You don’t have to worry about keeping the commandments
of God. You just listen to me.” Just like he did with Adam and Eve – the
beginning and the ending, correct? Yes. And so he’s going to say, “Now we’ve
got to organize into an army. Now there’s one thing we need to understand –
these people down here have no weapons. Now I have been an expert in war and
so I know how it should be. So I’m going to tell you what we need to do. So
let’s all get organized and let’s get our armies together and we’ll go down
there and we’ll take over the world, and we will run it, and we will show
God what to do. And that’s been the whole thing that I’ve been trying to
tell God all this time and now that you are with me we can accomplish it.”
And so they’re going to be deceived. They’re going to say, “Yea, let’s go to
it.” So they build their weapons. They do what they’re going to do.
Now notice, “…to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea” (vs. 8). So how many is that? We don’t know. But we do
know that the children of Israel, as they came out of the land of Egypt when
God brought them out, had been referred to several times as the sand of the
sea. So this is an undeterminable number. Why is it an undeterminable
number? Because God gave free moral agency just like He gives to us. And
He’s going to give it to them. And it’s going to be something that they will
choose. It will be something that they will want. And God does not know who
it is that’s going to choose what because there is always the hope of
repentance if they don’t go too far. So here it is – number as the sand of
the sea.
So they come up, “…on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
the saints about, and the beloved city:…” Now the camp is always referring
to outside the city itself. So could it be that this camp is where then the
Feast of Tabernacles is going to be held, and the different ones come up
there during the Feast of Tabernacles? Very possible. I’ve often thought
that that’s the case because you have everyone together there don’t you?
What a perfect opportunity. When the enemy is assembled together – go get
them. See, just like they did in Iraq. They thought Saddam Hussein and his
sons were in this place and they unloaded five blockbuster bombs, and
unfortunately they didn’t get him. Well you know, God is going to have
better aim. He’s going to have better intelligence. He’s going to know
what’s going to happen.
Now notice… And I think this helps answer the question too, if someone is
cast into a lake of fire, or is burned up by fire, and that is their first
death such as it is here, then they’ll be resurrected to the second death.
Now you see, it’s necessary that all of these people die at once before we
get into the Great White Throne Judgment. God is not going to carry
incorrigible sinners over into the Great White Throne Judgment. They will
have had their opportunity, but they’ve got to die twice. And in this case
these people are going to die with fire twice. Once when fire comes down
from God out of heaven and destroys them, and then we will see tomorrow on
the Last Great Day when their second death comes, it’s going to be in the
lake of fire. Ok, so fire comes down out of heaven and destroys them. And
that brings us pretty well to the close of the millennium. But there’s one
thing yet that must take place. Because after these people have been
consumed with the fire that comes down out of heaven, who is left? Satan and
his demons because not only was Satan put into the abyss, but if you go back
to Revelation 9 you find that there are many demons in the abyss. So when
Satan is cast into the abyss, his demons are also cast in there. So at the
end of the millennium when they are loosed and let out, they’re also let out
with him. So now we come to a very important place with the millennium,
which is the judgment of Satan the devil. His fate is finally, and his final
judgment is brought upon him.
So let’s read it, verse 10. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [were
cast] are,…”, because they were before the millennium began. Now it’s
very interesting here in the Greek. In the Greek it means, “and they shall
be tormented day and night forever.” Not the beast and the false prophet,
but Satan and the demons. That’s why it’s “they” because human flesh cannot
be tormented day and night forever by fire. Human flesh burns up. So this
has to refer to the demons. So that is their judgment and that is their
punishment.
Now let’s see some other things that it says here concerning Satan the
devil and his demons. Let’s come back here to Isaiah 14. So again we go to
the beginning and we come to the ending. Isaiah 14, here’s the beginning.
And here’s what Satan has always wanted to do and now this is going to come
to an end. He will make his last attempt and last assault against God and
the saints, as we read in Revelation 20, but here is his first assault and
it blends into his second one here, his last one. Verse 12, “How art thou
fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut
down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God:…” And of course Revelation 12 says that when the great serpent
with seven heads and ten horns was cast down he drew a third part of the
stars of heaven with him. That is the angels who sinned and became demons.
So they were cast down to the ground with him. “…I will sit also upon the
mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:…” (Isa. 14:12-13). And
isn’t that what he said there in Revelation 20? He’s going to deceive the
people to come down and take over Jerusalem – where God lives, where the
saints dwell. Yes.
“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” The
lake of fire. And this is the judgment. The millennium cannot end until the
judgment of Satan the devil, and the one hundred year period cannot begin
until the judgment of Satan the devil and the demons, because the one
hundred year period during that time, Satan will not be around.
Now notice, “They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man [the one, rather] that
made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;…” (vs. 16), we’re going
to say of Satan. It’s going to be an amazing thing. This could also refer to
the time that he is in the abyss. And of course only the saints would be
able to see him. I’m sure that the people on earth won’t be able to see him.
Now let’s see what the ultimate punishment is going to be. Cast into the
lake of fire to be tormented for ever and ever, but what does this mean?
Let’s come to Jude. They are going to be cut off from God, Satan and the
demons, nevermore to rise to power, nevermore to deceive anyone again,
nevermore to go against God, nevermore to fight against God, nevermore to go
against anything that God has done. He will be gone – sayonara, toodle-loo,
bye-bye.
Now let’s see it here. Let’s pick it up here in Jude 11, because it’s going
to show the attitude of the people at the end. Because you see, these things
happen as a result of sin. Once you start down the path of sin, and once you
make the choice and determination that you’re going to go against the way of
God it’s going to result in these very things that we read right here in the
book of Jude. “Woe unto them!” That’s going to be what we’re going to tell
those that say, “We want to go over here and be away from you God.” We’re
going to say, “Ok, you go over there, but woe to you. It’s going to end up
being a curse.” “Oh no it won’t. I know how to do it. I know how to live.”
But you see, what is it going to end up? It’s going to end up woe. The fire
comes down out of heaven and burns them.
“Woe to them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after
the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”
That’s what they will be doing because when Satan is loosed then comes out
after them and raises them up, they are in the rebellion of Core, saying,
“We’re going to take over from God.”
“These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you,
feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water,
carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice
dead,…” So the people that go through these things and commit the
unpardonable sin will die twice, and we’ll see that tomorrow. “…Plucked up
by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame;
wandering stars, [the fallen angels - Satan the devil and his demons], to
whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 11-13).
And so the judgment of Satan the devil concludes the millennium. So we’ve
gone from the beginning to the ending. Now tomorrow is a new beginning.
Tabernacles – Day 7–October 17, 2003 |
Scriptural References |
| 1) |
Revelation 20:4-7, 1-3 |
11) |
Isaiah 60:16-18 |
| 2) |
Jeremiah 31:31-34 |
12) |
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 |
| 3) |
Ezekiel 36:25-38 |
13) |
Philippians 3:21 |
| 4) |
Isaiah 54:11-13 |
14) |
Deuteronomy 8:1-19 |
| 5) |
Micah 4:3-7 |
15) |
Genesis 3:23-24 |
| 6) |
Isaiah 11 |
16) |
Genesis 4:11-16 |
| 7) |
Isaiah 55:1-3 |
17) |
Revelation 20:7-10 |
| 8) |
Isaiah 60:1-5 |
18) |
Isaiah 14:12-16 |
| 9) |
Isaiah 66:22-24 |
19) |
Jude 11-13 |
| 10) |
Isaiah 49:18-20 |
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