It is only when the 1000 years are over is Satan permitted to start deceiving
the nations again. Or as the Bible puts it- And when the thousand years are
expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. Rev. 20:7. Then and only then;
Rev.20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four
quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to
battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Gog and Magog now fill the whole earth. Get it??? The Russian
people have now got their wish, they now occupy all the earth. This is not
communism, it is the kingdom of God on earth. Unfortunately they are still flesh
and blood and capable of being deceived.
Part of this last deception that will be given out by Satan
is the idea that it was Satan and mankind by themselves that made the
desert bloom as a rose. And this is why Christ then has to refer to the 144,000
and the rests of the twelve tribes (all now spirit born beings) and say unto
them,
I the Eternal have produced all this prosperity for 1000 years.
Is. 43:1, But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O
Jacob and he that formed the, O Israel. Fear not : for I have redeemed thee I
have called thee by thy name; thou art mine,verse 10. Ye are my
Is.44:8 Fear ye not neither be afraid; have I not told thee from that time,
and have declared it: ye are even my witnesses, Is there a god
beside me Yea, there is no God; I know not any.
WE the witnesses; will answer that yes it was God the Eternal
that made the desert bloom as a rose and no one else.
Satan will not accept this and once again go all out to
destroy the unwalled villages, around Jerusalem as he did in days of old.
Ezek 38:After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years
thou shalt come into the land this is brought back from
the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the
mountains of Israel, which have been always wastes: but it is brought forth out
of the nations, an they shall swell safely all of them 8, And thou shalt say, I
will go up to the land of unwalled village; I will go to them that are at rest,
that swell safely, all of them dwelling without walls , and having neither bars
nor gates.11 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the
desolate places that are NOW inhabited, and upon the people that are
gathered out of the nation, which have gotten cattle and foods, that dwell in
the midst of the land.12 Therefore son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, thus
saith the lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt
thou not know it?
Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time
shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil
thought, verse 10
Ezek. 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and
I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with
him, an over flowing rain, and great hailstones fire, and brimstone. Thus will I
magnify myself and sanctify myself; and I WILL BE KNOWN IN THE EYES OF
MANY NATIONS AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.
Rev. 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the
camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from
God out of heaven and devoured them.
Satan has at this time been given three chances to change. Once in the
pre-adamic period, second in our time and then after the thousand years were
over. And God says after the second admonition reject.
Satan has had 7 thousand years to produce results and failed.
Rev.20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were finished. This is the first resurrection.
REv.20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them:
It is possible that we are going to have at this point in time a period which
is known as the "great white throne judgment" which will last about 100 years.
This is because that it will take about 100 years for the newly resurrected to
get used to a different system and then be judged as to see, if they wish to
live in this new system or not. Rev. 20:11
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire." Rev 20:15.
Now it is only speculation on our part but we believe that
the earth will then be burned on the surface physically to destroy any
uncleanliness that might remain after Satan's affair and then the surface
rearranged. This is because it says:
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. Rev
21:1.
New Moon
"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another and from one
Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord."
Is. 66:23
For, behold , I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not
be remembered, nor come into mind. Is.65:17.
Many people have been worried about the loss of plant species, animal species
or that species that have gone out of existence. These will be brought back plus
new ones added. Orphans will be reunited with parents they never knew. Now that
the sea is no more the land mass will be able to accommodate these so people
will now have a feeling of being fulfilled and know where they belong and fit
into the scheme of things -because it says:
On the FIRST of these days is a HOLY CONVOCATION-A commanded assembly. No
work is to be done. ". . . and ye shall REJOICE before the Eternal your God
seven days ... It shall be a statute FOREVER in your generations: ye shall
celebrate it in the seventh month" (Lev. 23:40-41).
Notice that it is commanded FOREVER.
Here are pictured those FINAL culminating events in God's great PLAN: AFTER
Christ has died for our sins to redeem mankind- AFTER He has sent us the Holy
Spirit and picked out a people for His Name to become kings and priests through
the thousand years-AFTER His glorious second coming AFTER He has finally
restored the redeemed by placing all the sins upon the head of Satan, their real
author, and separating both him and the sins from the presence of God and His
people, thus finally perfecting the AT-ONE-MENT, making us finally joined in
one- then we are ready for that final series of events, the commencement of the
"MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB,"[6] the final actual MAKING of the NEW
COVENANT, the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth and the reaping of
the great harvest of souls for a thousand years.
This festival is the picture of the MILLENNIUM!
To portray His PLAN, God took the yearly material harvest seasons in
Palestine as the picture of the spiritual harvest of souls. In Palestine there
are two annual harvests. The first, produced by the early rain, is the spring
grain harvest. Second, produced by the "latter rain," comes the main harvest-the
much greater fall harvest.
Now notice when the festival of tabernacles is to be held: "at the year's
end" (Ex. 34:22). In this verse the festival of tabernacles or booths is
specifically called the "feast of ingathering." The harvest year ended at the
beginning of autumn. Just as Pentecost pictures the early harvest-this church
age, so the festival of in gatherings or tabernacles pictures the fall
harvest-the great harvest of souls in the millennium!
Today is not the ONLY day of salvation. Today is a day
of salvation. Isaiah said so: chapter 49, verse 8. In fact, the
original Greek words of Paul in 11 Cor. 6:2 should be translated "A day of
salvation," not "the day of salvation."
Turn for a few minutes to the book of Zechariah to understand this more
thoroughly. In the 12th and 13th chapters we have a picture of Christ returning
and the reconciliation of the world commencing. Here the meaning of the
festivals of trumpets and atonement is made plain.
Next, notice the 14th chapter. The time is the millennium. "The Eternal shall
be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Eternal, and His name
one ... there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely
inhabited" (verses 9-1 1). It is the time when "living waters"-salvation, the
Holy Spirit-"shall go out from Jerusalem" (verse 8). The "waters" are literal as
well as figurative. God often pictures His spiritual PLAN by material events.
In that day, when the earth is safely inhabited, when the Holy Spirit is
granted to all mortal flesh, what happens? "And it shall come to pass that
everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even
go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, AND TO KEEP THE
FEAST OF TABERNACLES."
Gentiles Forced To Keep
The Feast Of Tabernacles
Notice this 16th verse of Zechariah 14. After Christ returns, the
nations-mortal Gentiles who have not yet received salvation-will come to
Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles! How could they keep a festival that
was abolished at the cross? They could keep it only if it were commanded
FOREVER.
And what will happen if they refuse to obey God? "And it shall be, that whoso
will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the
King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them SHALL BE NO RAIN." Strong words these!
The nations will be FORCED to keep the FEAST OF TABERNACLES, from year to
year, when Christ is ruling with a rod of iron!
And if the nations still won't obey? "THERE SHALL BE THE PLAGUE, wherewith
the Lord will smite the heathen"- there are still heathen nations just beginning
to learn the way of salvation-"that come not up to keep the feast of
tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of all nations that come not up to
keep the feast of tabernacles" (verses 17-19).
To receive salvation even the Gentiles will have to keep this festival. Of
course, it is commanded FOREVER!
Now we customarily quote Isaiah 66:23, showing that the Sabbath will be kept
in the millennium, as PROOF we must keep it now. Will we, then, when we read
Zech. 14:16, showing that the Feast of Tabernacles will be kept in the
millennium, be consistent by keeping it today?
Can WE qualify as a Son of God- a king and priest-ruling with Christ on His
throne, assisting Christ at that time, if we NOW refuse to keep these festivals?
Notice that Christ kept the Feast of Tabernacles. The apostle John devoted an
entire chapter of his gospel-the seventh chapter-to describe what Jesus said and
did during the Feast of Tabernacles in the last year of His ministry.
During the millennium, the Kingdom of God into which we may be born will rule
the nations which are composed of mortal men begotten by the Spirit of God. The
billions of mortals alive during the millennium will still be heirs to the
Kingdom of God. They will not yet have inherited it as long as they remain
mortal flesh, for "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor.
15:50). "Ye must be born again"-"of the Spirit"- to inherit the Kingdom, said
Jesus.
Remember that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were merely heirs when they dwelled on
earth (Heb. 11:9). While heirs they dwelled in tabernacles or booths, sojourning
in the land of promise. Booths or temporary dwellings pictured that they were
not yet inheritors. Thus we read of the Feast of Tabernacles that "Ye shall
dwell in booths seven days . . . that your generations may know that I made the
children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of
Egypt" (Lev. 23:43).
Israel dwelled in booths in the wilderness BEFORE they entered the promised
land. Those booths pictured that they were only heirs. Even during the
millennium, when the Kingdom of God is ruling over mortal nations, the people
will be only heirs to the Kingdom. They must overcome their carnal nature and
grow in knowledge and wisdom to inherit the promises.
Yet Another Festival!
The Last Great Day
Did you notice that the Feast of Tabernacles is only the sixth festival?
There is yet another-the seventh!
The Feast of Tabernacles is, strictly speaking, seven days long-to picture
the entire millennium. Seven is God's number of completeness. Therefore, there
must also be seven festivals. Let us notice where it is mentioned: "On the
fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of tabernacles for seven days
unto the Lord ... On the EIGHTH day shall be a holy convocation unto you ... it
is a day of solemn assembly; ye shall do no manner of servile work" (Lev. 23:34,
36).
This eighth day, technically a separate feast, is called "the last day, that
GREAT DAY of the feast" (John 7:37).
What does this final Holy Day represent?
Notice what Jesus preached about on that day. "If any man thirst, let him
come unto me, and drink ... out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of
living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him
should receive ... )" (John 7:37-39).
This was Jesus' sermon giving the meaning of the LAST GREAT DAY!
Now turn to Revelation 20. AFTER the millennium, what happens? A
RESURRECTION! The DEAD stand before God. This couldn't include true Christians
today, as they will appear before the judgment seat when Christ returns. It
couldn't refer to those converted during the millennium. They have already
inherited the Kingdom during the millennium, after living out a normal life
span. Those in this resurrection must be those who died in ignorance in PAST
AGES! They are not brought to life until AFTER the millennium (Rev. 20:5).
This is that judgment day mentioned in Matt. 10:15. It is a time when
Gentiles who died in ignorance will be given an opportunity to receive
salvation. Ezekiel 16:53-55 makes this very plain. Even those in Israel who died
in their sins will be given their FIRST opportunity to understand the Truth of
God and His Way (Ezek. 37). The prophet wrote that God would pour out His Spirit
on those resurrected (verse 14). This is precisely the salvation that Jesus
mentioned in His sermon on that GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST in the autumn of 30 A.D.
This eighth day, which immediately follows the seven days of the Feast of
Tabernacles, pictures the completion of the PLAN OF REDEMPTION. That final day
of salvation, Isaiah tells us there will be a period where all people will live
to be 100 years old. (Isa. 65:20). It is just prior to the new heaven and the
new earth (Verse 17). There won't be little children born then. All-parents and
children young and old-will be resurrected. "They are the seed blessed of the
Eternal, AND THEIR OFF SPRING WITH THEM" (Verse 23).
Notice that the "book of life"-typifying salvation-is opened (Rev. 20:12).
Revelation presents the final view of the "judgment day"-the CONCLUSION of the
time when all will live to be 100-as the present material heaven and earth are
perishing-and the faithful are receiving their eternal reward at the throne of
Christ. The wicked-those who DISOBEY-are seen perishing in the Lake of Fire!
What a marvelous PLAN! All will have an equal opportunity.
And, finally, notice, in Lev. 23:37-38: After describing these annual
holydays, it says: "These are the feasts of THE LORD, which ye shall proclaim to
be HOLY CONVOCATIONS .... BESIDES THE SABBATHS OF THE LORD." We are, then, to
keep these BESIDE the Sabbath of the Lord.
SUNDAY is the weekly rest day of this modern churchianity, but the Sabbath is
the day of the LORD.
Christmas, New Year's, Easter, and a host of others are the holidays that
have come directly from Babylon, but these seven annual holydays are the HOLY
DAYS OF THE LORD! Let us forsake the Babylonish holidays of this world, and
observe the true holy days OF THE LORD!
Ed. Comments
The night before He was crucified [1], while eating the
Passover Lamb Christ made a great change in this ceremony.
Christ' last supper was at least 2 nights before he was crucified. This is
covered in cd 60 ".........Within an inch of his life" and its free.
wash the disciples feet, [2]
Again this was done incorrectly under HWA. He did it the Catholic way by
having the foot washing and "bread and wine" 24 hours before the Passover day.
This is covered in New Truth Established cd4. and its free.
And as leaven is also a type of sin [3]
To date this has never been proved. I.e. It is an HWA'ism.
At the sound of the TRUMP [4]
This has now been covered in Marriage of the Lamb spelling it out cd 83. and
its free.
Sabbath referred to? [5]
Many who keep a Sabbath day refer to it as starting at Friday
sunset. They are in fact referring to the SABBATH a 24 period
which starts at Friday sunset and finishes at Saturday sunset. This is covered
in cd55 Night precedes day, and its free.
MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB,"[6]
Yes HWA got over ambitious here as he couldn't really fit in when the
marriage of the lamb took place. When Christ comes back to earth the second time
so that his feet stand on the Mount of Olives he is in fact married to his bride
and has a vast army with him. This is where he pleads with the warring nations
in "Armageddon" to let his people (of Jacobs Trouble refer cd53.and its free.)
go or else!
Introduction: l had always been taught that Enoch and Elijah had gone to
heaven without dying. I was studying the 3rd chapter of John and in John 3:13,
Christ's own words were, No man except Himself had ascended into heaven. I
didn't understand, but in mid 1955 1 came across this booklet explaining it
thoroughly. I am reprinting it hoping it will help you also.
Tom Justus, Pastor
Church of God, Sabbath Day
Springdale, Arkansas
July, 1998
Presented By: Church of God UK
ENOCH was "translated." Where did he go? Was he immediately taken to heaven?
NO! Because Jesus Himself said: "No man bath ascended up to heaven, but he that
came down from heaven, even the Son of man" (John 3:13). Here are Jesus' own
words that no man, except Himself, had ascended into heaven!
And how did He know? Why, He came from there! Then where is Enoch?
Let's see what the Bible says.
At the age of 65 Enoch had a son named Methuselah. "And Enoch walked with God
after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters"
(Genesis 5:22).
Here was a man that PLEASED God, a man that WALKED WITH GOD.
Enoch had to have faith, for in Hebrews 11:6 the Apostle said, "But without
faith it is impossible to PLEASE Him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." So
Enoch walked with God. He obeyed God, and followed Him in His paths BY FAITH.
No one can walk with God unless he is in agreement with the will of God and
doing it. Amos the prophet said: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"
(Amos 3:3.) So in his generation Enoch was the only recorded person who followed
the ways of God- even though it possibly took him sixty-five years to learn to
walk with God!
But how long did Enoch walk with God? The Scripture says that he "walked with
God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years." So Enoch followed God's ways
for three hundred years. Notice that Moses did not record that Enoch is still
walking with God. The Scripture says that Enoch WALKED with God for three
hundred years and not one year more! Then Enoch is not still walking with God!
Why?
Because "all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years" (Gen.
5:23). All the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Not just
part of his days, but all his days! If Enoch did not die-if he was changed to
immortality-and thus continued to walk with God, then his days would have been
more than three hundred and sixty-five years. But the Bible plainly says that
ALL his days were just that many, and no more!
This expression "all his days" is used in the same fifth chapter of Genesis
about a dozen times and always it means that the person lived for that length of
time ONLY "and he died." So Enoch lived NO MORE than three hundred and
sixty-five years because "all his days were three hundred and sixty five years."
As he lived only for this length of time THEN HE MUST HAVE DIED!
But what about his translation? Does that mean he didn't die?
That's what most people carelessly assume without proof.
Remember, Moses didn't write that Enoch did not die. Rather Moses wrote that
"Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Gen. 5:24). Paul
records the same event by saying that he "was not found, because God had
translated him" (Heb. 11:5).
Thus the Scripture records that Enoch was not found because God took him, or
"translated" him. THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY THAT ENOCH WENT TO HEAVEN when he was
translated. Instead it says he was not found.
Certainly Enoch was "translated," but what does the word "translate" mean?
Strange as it may seem, nowhere in all the Bible does "translate" mean to
make immortal!
The original Greek word for "translate" is metatithemi. According to Strong's
Concordance it signifies: transfer, transport, exchange, change sides.
The same Greek word is rendered "carried over" in Acts 7:16. Here we read
that after Jacob DIED his body was "carried over"-transported, TRANSLATED-to
Sychem WHERE HE WAS BURIED! That's what your Bible says! Jacob was transported
or TRANSLATED to the place of burial!
That is why Moses said that God TOOK Enoch. God removed-translated-him so
that he was not found. God took Enoch and buried him!
In Deuteronomy 34:6 we read also how God took Moses from the people after
which he died and was buried by God. "But no man knoweth his sepulcher unto this
day." God removed Moses-God translated him-and he was not found either!
So Enoch was not made immortal after all! He was taken away and was not
found. ALL his days were three hundred and sixty-five! That's as long as Enoch
lived.
Notice another proof that "translate" does not mean to make immortal. It is
found in Col. 1: 13: the Father "hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
and hath TRANSLATED us into the kingdom of His dear Son." Here the Bible says
that Christians are already translated-but Christians still die! We are not
immortal bodies, but mortal flesh and blood. Although we were once part of the
darkness of this world, now we are TRANSLATED, removed from darkness into the
light of the kingdom of God,
Enoch is included by Paul (in Hebrews I 1) among the fathers who obtained a
good report through faith; but "ALL these, having obtained a good report through
faith, received not the promise" (Heb. 11:39). What promise? The "hope of
eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began (Titus
1.2).
So Enoch therefore is one of "ALL THESE" who have not yet obtained the
promise of eternal life and inheritance. Enoch and all the worthies of old will
receive the promise of eternal life at the return of Christ, the same time
Christians obtain it (Heb. 1 1:40). That is yet future!
Since Enoch has not yet inherited eternal life he must be dead! This is
exactly what Paul writes in Heb. 11:13! Paul says Enoch DIED! Notice it! "These
ALL died in faith, not having received what was promised." Who were these "ALL"?
Paul tells us: Abel, ENOCH, Noah, and the patriarchs and their wives. Hebrews
11:1-12 lists those who had faith and Enoch is included among them. Then in
verse 13 Paul proved that they had not inherited the promises by saying: "These
ALL [including Enoch] died in faith."
But what about Paul's saying that Enoch "should not see death"?
Enoch lived only three hundred sixty-five years. Then what could Paul
possibly have meant by saying: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not
see death; and was not found because God had translated him?" This verse nowhere
says that Enoch did not die. Rather, it says that Enoch "should not see death."
But what does it mean?
Remember, there is more than one death mentioned in the Bible. There is a
first death, and there is a second death (Rev. 20:6). Which death did Paul mean?
The first death is appointed unto men (Heb. 9:27). That death cannot be
humanly evaded. It is inevitable. That death Enoch died, as we have already
proved.
But Paul was not writing about that death. The phrase "should not see" is in
the conditional tense of the verb, having reference to a future event. It is not
in the past tense, that he "did not see" death-but that he "should not see
death." So this death that Enoch escaped by being translated is one that he can
escape in the future ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS!
Did Jesus ever speak of a death that might be escaped? He certainly did! In
John 8:51 Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my sayings,
he shall never see death"-shall never see that is, suffer-the second death! And
again in John 11:26, "Whoso liveth and believeth in me shall never die"or "shall
not die forever."
This death is one that can be escaped on condition that men keep the sayings
of Jesus and believe Him. This death is not the first death, because Christians
who keep Jesus' sayings die this first death. Then the death which Enoch should
escape must be the second death which will NEVER TOUCH THOSE WHO ARE IN THE
FIRST RESURRECTION (Rev. 20:6). And Enoch will be in the first resurrection
because he met the conditions!
Enoch had faith. He believed God and walked with God, obeying Him. In keeping
the sayings of God, Enoch kept the sayings of Jesus too; because Jesus did not
speak of Himself, but spoke what the Father commanded Him (John 14: 1 0).
Thus Enoch met the conditions so that he should not see death. The second
death shall never touch Enoch, because of his faith and obedience. To be
continued.
, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have
chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he;
before me there was no god formed, neither shall there be after me, 12.
I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange
god among you; there? for yea are my witnesses, saith the Lord,
that I am god; 19. Behold I will do a new thing; now it shall
spring forth; shalt ye not know it: I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
Continued from cd87 page 10
Enoch was translated that he should not see death. Elijah went up by a
whirlwind into heaven. Yet the Bible reveals they are not in heaven today! WHERE
ARE THEY? Here's the astounding truth.
