FEAST OF TABERNACLES - 2000

DAY 2

Fred Coulter - October 15, 2000

This is Day 2 of the Feast of Tabernacles - 2000.  Now for all of you tie buffs, I hope you’ll notice that I’ve been wearing a different tie every time.  That came about when I was up on a trip up to Seattle, and a man came up to me and said, “Fred, don’t you have any other tie than the one you wear?”  Well, I said, “It’s getting a little threadbare, isn’t it?”  So I was in the gift shop at that time at the Holiday Inn and I turned around and there was a tie rack so I went ahead and bought a tie.  And then another man went ahead and bought another tie, so that gave me two new ties.  And so for all you tie buffs who have been watching my ties through the years I’m going to kind of keep you on the alert and try and wear a different tie every day of the Feast.  [Laughter]

Ok, well here we are the second day of the Feast of Tabernacles and I hope that everything really went well with you yesterday on the holy day.  And right now we’re looking at quite a Presidential campaign that’s going on.  And what it really is, you’re seeing how men are plying and working so that they can bring the best for mankind.  As they say, you know, who’s going to be the best educational reform?  Who’s going to take care of the senior citizens?  Who’s going to take care of the workplace?  How’s the banking system going to work?  How can we handle the enemies overseas?  And how can we negotiate all of these things?  And the right calls the left no good.  And the left calls the right no good.  And all of these things are out there and you know what we need to understand is something very, very important, which is this: Jesus said, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”  Now what is the leaven of Herod?  The leaven of Herod is getting involved in political moves to try and accomplish righteousness within the society. 

Now I just read an article where the churches are facing the Gay issue.  And what it is saying is that the churches are conforming their views to the world.  In other words, letting the society set the standards as to what righteousness is.  Whereas the churches are supposed to teach the righteousness.  They are supposed to bring the morality to the society.  And so we have it now that churches are being invaded and conquered by Satan the devil, and certainly all the politics are controlled by him.  Now it doesn’t matter how nice it looks on the surface and how good that some people think that they’re political champions are.  They are all counterfeits of Jesus Christ.  And what’s going to happen is this:  is that God is going to let it build up, and build up, and build up, and build up until man has developed the greatest, the most awesome society he has ever made and then it’s going to collapse.  It will break apart. 

Now when the kingdom of God is instituted and we are part of that and we are the ones doing the teaching and the leading, what we are looking at brethren, is that we have the greatest calling that you could possibly imagine. 

Now let’s begin by going to Isaiah 11.  Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday.  Isaiah 11, where it talks about during the time of the kingdom of God that the knowledge of the Lord is going to cover the earth as the seas cover earth.  Now that is so incredible, and that is so absolutely amazing that we really cannot comprehend how that is really going to be in all of it’s ways if it’s going to be for us. 

Now here in Isaiah 11:9, the last part of the verse says, “…for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”  And that’s what we are going to bring in and usher in brethren.  That’s why right now we are training.  That’s why we need to know the word of God, to learn the word of God, to understand the word of God.  Now only just for the sake of being able to know what true doctrine is and what the true teachings of the Bible really are, but for us to be able to then be in training because we are in training to be kings and priests, and to be teachers.  Now let’s remember that God is going to save Israel first and then the rest of the nations.

Now let’s continue on right here in Isaiah 11.  And this will back us up just a little bit because I want to continue with this that Israel first, then the rest of the nations.  Verse 10, “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse [and that’s Christ], which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious.”  Now the whole millennial reign of Jesus Christ is called “the rest” of God, because God is going to be in charge.  There’s going to be no more Satan, he’s going to be removed.  And it’s going to be an awesome time for teaching and helping the people and showing them the way of God.  And I’m sure that when we are resurrected as spirit beings there’s going to be so much that we’re going to be able to learn and to know, and who knows what books has God has already written for us.  Instruction books for us because the teachers not only have to be taught now through the process of learning and overcoming, but first we have to be converted before we can be resurrected.  So we need to be converted and we need to be taught.  And then God is going to teach us even more things.

Now let’s notice verse 11.  Here again is Israel shall be saved first.  “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.”  Because when the tribulation begins Israel is going into captivity.  And when I say Israel we need to understand this very clearly: I do not mean those that are traditionally known today as Israelis who claim Palestine as Israel.  I’m talking about all 12 tribes of the children of Israel, which includes the United States and Canada, and Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa.  Those are all the tribes of Israel.  And those are the nations that have been a blessing to the whole world.

Now, if you don’t believe that then ask the question the reverse way.  Which nations of the world have been a blessing to the world in the end-time according to the prophecies of God?  And you’re left with none other but than the ones that I’ve just mentioned.  So when I say Israel I mean all 12 tribes.  So He’s going to bring them again.

“And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah…” So there you have two - Israel the 10 tribes, Judah, the tribe of Judah and the Levites.  Notice, “…from the four corners of the earth.  The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.”  So that is going to come to an end.  “But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.  And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with His mighty wind shall He shake His hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.  And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria…”, because they’re going to come back.  And like I pointed out on the first day, God’s purpose is to destroy the Assyrian on the mountains of Israel and then bring the children of Israel back from modern day Assyria today, as well as from the four corners of the earth.  Continuing now, “…like as it was to Israel in the day that He came up out of the land of Egypt” (vs. 12-16).   So it’s going to be a great mass exodus.

Now let’s come to Zephaniah.  Now sometimes the Minor Prophets are overlooked, but there’s a tremendous story that we can get out of the Minor Prophets.  Now you have the book of Zephaniah, so if you know where the New Testament is you come back Malachi, Zechariah, Haggai, and then Zephaniah.  Ok, Zephaniah 3:14 and here’s what’s going to happen to Israel.  “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.  The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, He hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more” (Zeph. 3:14-15).  That’s because we’re going to rule and reign with Christ a thousand years as kings and priests.

“In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love…” And so one of the biggest things we are going to be teaching all the people in the Kingdom of God is how to love God, and how to know God, and what their lives are all about and God’s plan and purpose for them.  “…He will joy over thee with singing.”  God says, “I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.  Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.  At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, which I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD” (vs. 16-20).  So Israel is going to be saved first.

Now, let’s come to Isaiah 35:10 and let’s look at this a little bit more.  And I think that we will be learning how to teach in the way that we ought to teach beginning with Israel.  And then it will expand from there out to the whole world.  Now Isaiah 35:8, “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness…”  Now this has two meanings.  It will be a literal highway, which will be called “The way of holiness” leading up to Jerusalem.  It’s not the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven, but there will be a new Jerusalem because the one that now is is going to be destroyed.  And so there’s this highway of holiness called “The way of holiness”, Now let’s understand something spiritually- we will be teaching all the people the way of holiness, the way of God.  So it has a dual application here.  And that’s the way that they’re going to walk in it.  We’ll see that a little bit later on.

“…The unclean shall not pass over it…”  So they’re going to either have to be converted or they’re going to have to be the resurrected sons and daughters of God serving and ruling over the cities or wherever their responsibility is.  “…But it shall be for the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there” (vs. 8-9).  Now it has to be, those who are redeemed of physical Israel, they can walk there; those who have been redeemed by the power of the resurrection and are in spiritual Israel and who are serving as kings and priests. 

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (vs. 10).  Now Isaiah has as an awful lot concerning what the millennium’s going to be.  But I mean just stop and think how great this is going to be.  How marvelous this is going to be.  Mankind even at his best could never even come close to what God is going to do, and He’s going to do it there with Israel.

Now let’s come to Psalm 147, and these are some of the things that we are going to teach.  These are some of the principles in which we’ll base everything that we teach Israel, that we teach the nations, as we find here in Psalm 147.  “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.  The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.  He healeth the broken in heart…”  Now put in your margin there Luke 4:18 because that talks about the prophecy of Jesus Christ who when He stood up on the Day of Pentecost there in the synagogue in Luke 4 and He read from Isaiah 61 that He will heal the broken heart.  Now there’re going to be of broken hearts from all the things that people have endured and suffered, and the death and everything that they have seen around them being in the slave camps and so forth.  He will “…bindeth up their wounds” (Psa. 147:1-3).

“He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names” (vs. 4).  So in other words showing how great God is even though He knows all the stars, even though He calls them all by name, He’s going to reach down and heal the broken hearted.  Now that needs to be for you today too, because you need to understand if you have difficulties and problems because you have been oppressed because of living in sin in the past, because you are down and discouraged because of a trial, God is going to lift you up.  And God also says, remember this, that He even counts all the hairs on your head.  And so God loves you, and God cares for you, but what He is preparing for us is so great that we need the trials, and we need the training, and we need all the understanding that we can get from it.  So if you have a trial or difficulty that you’re going through now look at it from a different perspective.  Look at it from the point of view of what you can learn out of it and what God is teaching you through it.  And even though the trial may be long and sore God will deliver you, He has promised.  And you can go right here and claim that promise.

Verse 5, “Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite.”  So it’s going to be something.  We’re really going to be…  You know, you stop and think about it.  Now, what is it that we really know and understand?  Well, it’s kind of like a little thimbleful compared to what it’s going to be then.  And always remember this brethren, we have nothing we didn’t receive.  And that’s going to be one of the things we’re always going to be teaching the people during the millennium.  You have nothing you didn’t receive.  God created everything.  God created you.  God has called you.  God has given you His Spirit.  Christ is reigning in Jerusalem.  We are a nation of kings and priests and teachers and we are going to show you the way that God wants you to live.  And God is going to bless you tremendously.

Now let’s continue on.  “The LORD lifteth up the meek: He casteth the wicked down to the ground.  Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with cloud, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.  He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.  He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.”  All you football buffs, and all you basketball buffs, and track buffs, and so forth.  “The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear Him…” (vs. 6-11).  Now you see the great difference between the mind of God and the mind of human beings, see.  He takes pleasures in them that fear Him and those that hope for His mercy.

“Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.”  Now when it’s talking about Jerusalem, that’s the city.  Jerusalem is the mother of us all.  When it’s talking about Zion, that is the Church because we are come to Mt. Zion, which is in heaven (Hebrews 12), and that is the Church of the Firstborn.  So we can put this all together here.  “For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee.  He maketh peace in thy borders, and filled thee with the finest of the wheat” (vs. 12-14).  It is going to be something. 

Now look what man is doing in his greatest hour today.  What is he doing?  He has the genome supposedly listing all of the genes that human beings have.  And what are they going to do with it?  They’re going to pervert it and pollute it and change mankind.  They’re looking to ultimately create the “superman”, if you want to look at it that way.  And isn’t it interesting, and so just consider that I rang my cowbell, cause I don’t have it out.  Is it going to be that the one who becomes the beast will actually have cloned into him aspects and genes from beasts?  Now that’s just something to think on.  Now you may think I’m real erratic but you can go ahead and think that, but I just wonder if that is possible.  Now that is not a doctrine, and I’m not saying it’s absolute.  I’m just saying think upon it what man is going to do.  Now if you don’t believe that that might be possible they’ve already cloned animals.  And look what they’ve done to our whole food supply.  Look what they’ve done to the vegetables.  You can even buy potatoes that will not spoil because they have an anti-spoiling gene that they cloned in there from a moth.  The tomatoes, the wheat, the corn, the carrots, the lettuce.  Almost everything that you eat today in the way of vegetables, unless you have it proven absolutely organic, has been fiddled with genetically.  So now God is going to undo all of that and it’s going to be the best.  It’s going to be the finest.  He’s going to restore all of these things. 

“He sent forth His commandment upon earth…”, because it needs to be healed and He’s going to heal it and raise it back up.  “…His word runneth very swiftly.”  Yes it does.  All He has to do is speak it and it’s so.  “He giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.  He casteth forth His ice like morsels: who can stand before His cold?”  And that’s showing that we need the seasons.  “He sendeth out His word, and melteth them: He causeth His wind to blow, and  the waters flow.  He sheweth His word unto Jacob, His statures and His judgments unto Israel.”  And we’ll talk about that a little bit later on.  What are we going to teach the people?  “He hath not dwelt so with any nation…”  Now I want you to think about how absolutely true and fantastic that is.  Even the physical nations of Israel, He has not dealt with any other nation like them.  “…And as for His judgments, they have not know them.”  No, before God called them.  “Praise ye the LORD” (vs. 15-20).  So they’re going to learn that. 

Now, let’s look at another scripture here showing in the New Testament, now because Israel was long gone in captivity, Paul shows that it’s to the Jew first, then to the Gentile.  And we’re going to teach not only the Jews, not only Israel, but also the Gentile.  Now let’s pick it up here in Romans 1:16.  He says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…”  And brethren we ought not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ today.  Now in this world of ultra-liberalism, and get-along and go-along, and I’m ok and you’re ok, and now that the deviancy has been dumbed down so much that you can’t even speak against sin lest it become a hate crime.  That’s amazing, see.  If we begin to give in to the pressures from the world to change the gospel of Jesus Christ, what are we in effect saying?  We’re ashamed of the gospel of Christ.  Paul wasn’t.  Yes, it cost his life.  It may cost our lives but we should never be ashamed of the gospel of Christ “…for it is the power of God unto salvation…” And that’s what we’re going to be teaching because remember the first thing that Jesus said, “Repent and believe the gospel of the Kingdom of God.”  And that’s going to be the message that we’re going to teach.  “…To everyone that believeth; to the Jew first [so it is to the Jew, to Israel], and also to the Greek [to the Gentile or to the nations].”  And God literally carries that out with absolutely without a doubt.

Now let’s come to Revelation 7.  While we’re turning there let’s just rehearse.  When they began to preach the gospel it was at Jerusalem and it was to the Jews first.  And it was not until we come to the historical account in Acts 10 that Peter was sent to Cornelius to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.  So it was to the Jew first.  Paul in all of his preachings went into the synagogue of the Jews first.  And if they rejected Christ, which most of them did, he went to the Gentiles afterwards.

Now here in Revelation 7 let’s see precisely the fulfillment of the word of God.  Revelation 7:4, “And I heard the number of them which were sealed…” Now this is back into the tribulation but I want to bring out a point and prove it here.  “…I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”  And the Jews today, so they can claim all the promises of Israel, say, Israel was absorbed into all the Gentile nations so they’re only Gentiles.  But God says in Amos 9 that He would filter Israel through different nations and not lose one grain.  So it is not true. 

But nevertheless, at that time, that blindness and deception and self-righteousness of Judaism will be taken away, and of those that are the physical descendants of the tribe of Judah, first.  Notice verse 5, “Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand.”  And then it lists all the rest of them.  So there you have it, to the Jew first.

Now let’s see this once again in Zechariah 12 where there is a prophecy of this that happened right there in Revelation 7.  Go back to Zechariah 12, and again it shows that He is going to save Judah first.  So it’s Judah and Israel.  But what’s going to happen, they will be saved first but then almost immediately after, the rest of the ten tribes will be will be saved.  So it’s going to be nearly simultaneous but the very first choice is with Judah. 

Now let’s pick it up here Zechariah 12:7. “The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David…”  Now let’s understand what the house of David is.  There are two factors concerning the house of David.  Number one is the king line which comes down from David, which then was transferred over between Zarah and Pharez.  The breach was healed by Jeremiah when he took the princess to marry into the line of Zarah after Pharez was rejected.  The house of David comes down to the kingship of what we call England today.  So there is the house of David there.  The other aspect of it is this: in Acts 15 James calls the Church the tabernacle of David.   So there is also an aspect of it to be spiritually applied. 

Now let’s continue on here.  “…And the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.  In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God…”  So there is an application, the house of David, the tabernacle of David being the Church of God, now being resurrected in spirit beings serving the world.  “…As the angel of the Lord before them” (Zech. 12:7-8).  So that’s quite a thing isn’t it? 

All right now, let’s continue on.  I don’t know about you but I’m getting excited about this.  I tell you the Feast of Tabernacles is one of the great things for understanding the plan of God.  And I’m so happy that we can get together and every year be together and fellowship and especially considering that we have been so scattered and we have been laboring under difficult situations for many, many years.  But God is going to change that.  But first we have to become converted.  First we’ve really got to learn and grow and know and understand God’s plan. 

Now let’s, since we’re in Zechariah, let’s come to chapter 8 and let’s begin in verse 3, and let’s see how things then will expand from there on into all the world.  “Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem…” So Christ will be here on the earth dwelling on the earth.  “…And Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.”  Now you tie that in with Isaiah 2 were it says that many nations shall go and say, “Come let us go up to the mountain of the house of the LORD and He will teach us of His ways, and He will show us the paths in which we are to walk.  For out of Jerusalem shall the law of the LORD go forth.”  (Isa. 2:3, paraphrased)  So we have it right here.  The “…city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.”  Now you compare that with the holy mountain, so called, in Tibet.  The holy mountain, so called, of Greece where they had their pagan worship.  With the so-called, holy city of Rome, built on seven hills, the counterfeit of God’s way.  See God is going to undo all of this.  This world is so twisted and turned upside down that it’s going to have to really learn.  And it’s going to be an educational process and we’re going to be the ones to show them.  Now think on that.

Now right now as you look at yourself and you look at your frailties and you look at your human nature and you look at your striving and overcoming that you’re having to do, and you’re thinking “Well how’s this going to be?”  Well, it’s going to be because you’ll be resurrected.   You’ll have a new body, you’ll have a new mind.  You’ll be given added spirit of the Holy Spirit of God because what we have now is only an earnest, a down payment until the redemption of the purchased possession, you see.  So it’s going to be something.  We’re going to have, oh it’s going to be really something that we’re going to be doing. 

Here verse 4, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women [so they’re going to live a long life] dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.  And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof” (vs. 4-5).  And there will be no predators seeking to take them and abuse them and pedophile them, and all the evil things that we have today.  There will be no gangs.  There will be no block bullies.  There will be no Mafia.  There will be none of that, see.  It’s going to be something.  And they’re not going to play games, as we’ll see a little later on, of cowboys and Indians.  And they’re not going to play games of shoot-em-up.  They’re not going to play games of Star Wars.  They’re going to play decent and good and fulfilling games.

Verse 6, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it not also be marvellous in Mine eyes?”  God will take joy in that, won’t He?…”  Yes, you bet.  “…Saith the LORD of hosts.  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness” (vs. 6-8). 

Now let’s continue on right here in verse 9.  “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.”  Now He’s referring back to the building of the temple during the days of Haggai.  But what we need to understand here as brethren as we read this, since Christ has laid the foundation of the Church and He is the foundation and we build on that, what we need to do is be strong in the LORD.  Don’t deal with weak hands, don’t deal with feeble ways.  Be strong in the Lord.  Ask God to help you to grow in grace and knowledge.  Apply all of those things that we have learned with the “heart-mind connection”, and the heart of David and the mind of Christ, and really grow in the stature and measure and the fullness of Jesus Christ.  Now is the time to do that.

Let’s continue on here, verse 10.  “for before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I sent all men every one against his neighbour.   But Now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.  For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.  And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing…” (vs. 10-13).

Now let’s see how things are going to be.  Let’s come to the book of Micah since we’re dealing here in the Minor Prophets, let’s come to Micah.  Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, here we go, Micah.  Micah 4:1, this then brings us up to the time of the millennium, what is happening, and so forth.  “But in the last days it shall come to pass…”  Now this is almost identical with the prophecy given to Isaiah.  Now Isaiah and Micah didn’t copy each other but their ministry overlapped.  And so God gave it twice.  He wants us to really learn the message and understand it.  “…That the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.  And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  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: nations shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Micah 4:1-3). 

Now what is that going to be like?  Can you imagine a human society with no war, no criminals, no thievery, no cheating, no sorrow, no sickness, none of those things.  And look at how the politicians today strive to make us think we’re going to receive that from them.  When that happens and people look to it in the way that they do, then what they’re actually doing they are committing idolatry because they’re looking for men to provide it, which only God can provide.  And since men don’t want to, then God has a very unique way of handling things before He sends Christ to return in power in little eeny teeny viruses that men cannot figure out how to heal.  So you see, think of what this society is going to be like.  No more war, no more violence.  None of this at all what so ever. 

What’s going to happen, there’s going to be a land reform like you have never seen.  And it’s going to be a true land reform.  Notice verse 4.  “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree…” Meaning that he’s going to have his own house.  Meaning that he is going to produce his own food.  And one of the keys to a prosperous society is a cheap and plentiful food supply.  And there will be the abundance of it during the millennium.  So every one is going to have his vine and his fig tree.  “…And none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.”  Now that’s something to contemplate, isn’t it?

Verse 5, “For all people will walk every one in the name of his god…” Now that doesn’t mean that because Christ gives us a new name, and because we are the sons of God and we will be as He is, for when Christ returns we will see Him as He is.  This does not mean by any means that it’s going to usurp the worship of God the Father and Jesus Christ.  Though it just means they are going to know who the one that God is, that God has appointed to be the king or priest, and teacher in whatever place that they are.  They’re going to know that.  “…And we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.”  And so God is going to reign over them all.  It’s going to be quite a thing. 

Now let’s see something else here that’s going to happen.  Let’s go to Isaiah 4.  Now then, when there is war who are the conscripts in war?  Men.  Because of all the battles that take place, because of all the death and destruction that comes because of the war, because of the power of God intervening to destroy their armies what’s going to happen?  There are going to be a disproportionate number of women.  So in the beginning generation of the millennium God is going to solve that problem.  Now let’s see how He’s going to do it.  Now some people may not like this.  It is a little controversial but let’s just read it here in Isaiah 4 and read it for what it is. 

“In that day seven women shall take hold of one man…” Now is this in the word of God?  Yes.  They are going to need a husband.  They are going to need a man.  And God needs to rebalance the population between men and women.  And this is the only way that it can be done.  Now after that generation I’m sure that it will be one man-one woman in marriage, but in order to practically balance the population difficulty and to even out the number of men and women to develop the whole generation beginning with the millennium this is going to have to happen.