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FEAST OF TABERNACLES - 2000
DAY 3
Fred Coulter - October 16, 2000
And greetings brethren. This is Day 3 of the Feast of Tabernacles,
2000. And for all you tie watchers, I’ve got a different tie again
today. [Laughter] So I have made up my mind, I’m going to wear a
different tie every day so I won’t be accused of just wearing the same old
tie every time I do a video. So anyway, thanks for reminding me that I
shouldn’t just wear the same tie.
I think it’s very interesting that when we’re going through all of the
things concerning the Kingdom of God and the millennium, how many of those
scriptures we find in the Old Testament. As a matter of fact, we find
nearly all of them in the Old Testament. And that tells us what is
going to be, but then the New Testament now, it tells us a little bit about
it but not very much. Because the New Testament focuses in on the
character qualifications in order to be in the Kingdom of God. So it’s
quite an interesting way that that is lined up. I know when I was
preparing for this sermon for the third day here, I noticed, “Boy look at
all of these scriptures out of the Old Testament.” And so, that’s
where we’re going to be. We’ll be there most of the time. But
let’s first of all understand something that’s very important concerning how
we understand prophecy. And especially when we get to certain things
like the millennium and the 100 year period, there are certain things that
are not clear.
Now let’s go to 1 Corinthians 13 and let’s understand that the apostle Paul
wrote an instructed us that it would be that way. That we only see
things partially, and we’re really looking through a glass darkly. Now
let’s pick it up here in verse 8. Now “[Love] Charity never faileth…”
And of course as I mentioned yesterday, that’s the thing we’re really going
to teach all of the people in the millennium, the Kingdom of God, the love
of God, how to love God. And of course, we have to learn that now in
order to qualify so that we can teach them. “…Never faileth: but
whether there be
prophecies, they shall fail…” Now let me just clear up one thing here.
This does not mean the prophecies of God. Because Jesus said, “Heaven
and earth will pass away, but My word shall not pass away.” So
therefore this cannot mean the prophecies of God because all the prophecies
of God are going to take place and happen at the right time, according to
the set time as God has determined for each one.
“…Whether there be
tongues, they shall cease…”, because who knows the language we will have when
we’re resurrected. We don’t know the exact language that God has
and I’m convinced it’s not Hebrew. We don’t know what Adam and Eve
spoke. And besides Hebrews is a polluted language as any other
language. It’s got all of the false gods and false things in there
that other religions have that are in their religions, it’s all in Hebrew
too. So you see all those sacred-namer’s who say that Hebrew is a pure
language just don’t understand what Hebrew is all about at all. But
anyway, let’s go on. They’ll all cease because we’ll have a new one.
“…Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (1 Cor. 13:8).
Well let’s understand something concerning knowledge and of the knowledge of
the Lord the increase of His government there will be no end. But what
he’s talking about, this knowledge is human knowledge. This human
knowledge is going to vanish away. And he points this out as we get a
little further along here.
“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away [or cease]”
(vs. 9-10). It will be replaced really. The perfect will replace
the imperfect. And this is what we are looking to. So what God
is doing now, He is perfecting His people. He is perfecting those who
are going to be the kings, and the priests, and the teachers right now in
this life so we will be prepared to teach all of those people in the
millennium in their lives.
Now notice verse 11. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child…” And of course this has to do
with those of us now. We are to grow up into Christ. That’s how
we’re going to qualify. The fullness of the stature and the measure of
Jesus Christ. And that perfection will not come until the
resurrection. But let’s understand something here. Many of the
problems and difficulties that we have had brethren, through all the years
that we’ve gone through, and all the trials, and all the difficulties, and
all the ups and downs is really because too many people continued to act as
children rather than spiritually mature. They talked as a child, they
understood as a child, they thought as a child. Now then, Paul says,
“…but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” And now is the
time for us to grow up in knowledge and understanding to grow in grace and
knowledge and the love of God that we can be to the full stature as much as
possible, because that’s the whole purpose of what God wants us to be doing.
And especially now in this time when we have peace, when we have
convenience, when we can get together. When we have the word of God,
when we can study it and apply it to our lives.
And yet we’re also experiencing something that I’ll talk about tomorrow,
which has to do with how are people going to react to us during the
millennium. And what are going to be the obstacles to overcome then
because they will still have to overcome, but the whole physical environment
around them will be completely changed and they won’t be taught any of the
things of the devil because he will be in the abyss. So we’ll learn
that tomorrow. So we need to put away all these childish things.
And you stop and think about all these silly little doctrines that happen.
As I mentioned, I think it was yesterday, someone called and said, “Boy, you
know, I’m just getting tired of all of these arguments.” [Laughter]
If you can’t bring up an argument any better than 2000 years old, well then,
you know… If you have something that’s true and right and has some
substance to it well that’s ok. We’ll go into it. There’s no
problem with it. But you see now we have it, when there are questions
that come up we’ll have tapes and we’ll have booklets and it comes up and
we’ll have a reservoir to be able to send it out and to send it on it’s way.
Now verse 12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly…” It’s not clear, but
we still see. “…But then [that is at the resurrection] face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known [that is,
am known of God]. And now abideth faith, hope, [love] charity, these
three; but the greatest of these is
[love] charity.” And that’s the whole thing we need to understand.
And the greatest of the love is the love of God.
Now let’s come back here to chapter 2, and let’s see how we can elaborate
on this a little bit more. And of course God has promised that we will
understand these things, especially in the end times. That means we
will be able while we’re still looking through a glass darkly, to see and
understand even more of these things, which we will do today.
Now let’s pick it up here 1 Corinthians 2:9. “But as it is written,
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” Now I
want you to really think on that. I want you to really understand that
God has called you and you are where you are because God loves you, and God
has a plan, which we already have covered. And you are part of that.
And God has eternal life to give you, and a reward to give you, and a
responsibility to give you. And so we better be about doing our
Father’s business as Jesus told Joseph and Mary when they came to look for
Him when He stayed back during the days of Unleavened Bread.
Now notice, “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit…”
So that’s how we’re able to understand. By His Spirit. We have
nothing we didn’t receive. We have no understanding that didn’t come
from God. But we try and grow in grace and knowledge and when we’re
thinking about some things and trying to get a clearer picture of it,
sometimes we get out own ideas in it and in that way then we need to back
off and we need to ask God to help us, give us more understanding so we
won’t generate any doctrines out from our own carnal self, because that will
lead to nowhere. “…For the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God” (vs. 10). Now the deep things of God that we’ll
understand are just really kind of shallow when you…even the greatest depths
we can go to. When you compare, especially when we get to the Last Great
Day, when New Jerusalem comes down to the earth, and what God is going to do
at that time, He’s going to unveil His plan for all eternity. And that
is going to be something, brethren. I mean what God has in store for
us is so great and so marvelous, and so fantastic that it is just absolutely
mind-boggling. And the only way we can comprehend even the little bit
we do is with the Spirit of God.
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is
in him?” Now one person asked the question, “Well, you know the
Gnostics talked about the light of spirit within man and so therefore could
it be that the doctrine of the spirit in man really is from the Gnostics and
we need to understand this a little differently?” No, let’s understand
something concerning that. The Gnostic understanding of it is “the
light of the spirit” has to do with their version of the immortal soul.
Man does have a spirit. God gave it to him, and it gives us
intelligence. And so this is not a doctrine of the Gnostics. The
Gnostics perverted all of this when they proclaimed themselves to be wise.
Now we’ll see that here in just a minute. We’ll add that scripture in,
but let’s just go on with this. “…Even so the things of God…” Now
we’re going to study some of the things of God for this third day of the
Feast of Tabernacles. “…Even so the things of God knoweth no man…”,
that is of himself. God will reveal a certain point about Himself and
about His creation, as we will see. But man has to respond to God once
He’s done that. Cause it doesn’t come from within. And most of
these teachers today, with the New Age religion: you are god within and all
you have to do is be in touch with yourself, which is a Satanic teaching.
So we cannot find God unless God reveals Himself to us. We cannot
understand God separate from His word. We cannot understand the
scriptures, even the scriptures that we are going to study here today,
without the Spirit of God to show us and teach us, and we have to do that
rightly also so that we can understand the best that we can. Now it
says here “…but the Spirit of God” (vs. 11). Only God’s Spirit can
make that possible.
Then he contrasts that to the spirit of this world, which now in this world
Satan the devil is the prince of the power of the air, and that is the
spirit of bondage. That is the spirit of fear. That is the
spirit that runs and controls and dominates this world. Now it says
here, verse 12, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
spirit which is of God [or from God]; that we might know the things that are
freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the
words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy [Spirit] Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (vs. 12-13). And
that’s what we’re going to do. That’s why the natural man can’t
understand it.
Let’s look here in Romans 1 and let’s see what happens when God reveals a
certain amount of His being, a certain amount of Himself to those who are
the great leaders, who became the Gnostics, who became the philosophers and
created the societies that we have. And we’re just ending up with the
same result as they had in those ancient societies, and that’s why the
Kingdom of God has to come. That’s why it is going to be the greatest
kingdom that has ever been. Because Christ is going to be the King.
We will be the kings and priests. Plus all the saints of God will have
some kind of responsibility in carrying out the government of God right on
down to the cities and the towns. And so we’re going to have a great
part in that.
But notice… let’s read it right here. Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” Now how do men do that?
By saying, “Well, we have a better idea.” They’re not like Paul in
admitting “Well, we see darkly so let’s put it together right so we can
understand.” No, they bring in their own ideas. Now I read part
of a book which I’m going to read even more of by Alan Dershowitz. You
know the lawyer who is one of Larry King’s favorite lawyers on Larry King
Live. And he was on there constantly when they had the O.J. Simpson
trial. And he wrote a book, The Genesis of Justice, and in
approaching that he says, “God is imperfect, God is incomplete, God doesn’t
follow through on the promise of His punishment. God says one thing
and does another thing. God was even upset that He even created man in
the first place. And so here’s a carnal approach to the word of God.
That’s an example of it being held in unrighteousness.
So when men do that here’s what happens, verse 19. “Because that
which may be known of God is manifest [to] in them [God manifest it to
them]; for God hath shewed it to them.” And here’s what God
showed. “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even His eternal power and God head; so that they are without excuse:”
And then they exchange the truth for a lie, etc, and all of those things
took place.
Now let’s come to Isaiah 28 and let’s see how we are to understand the
Bible. And we are entering into a time now, because there is so much
going on in the world, so many people having a religious bent, so many
different versions of the Bible that it’s awfully hard for people to really
grasp what’s going on. And then to say, “Take your Bible and study it
and it will teach you.” Well, when everyone had the King James Version
we could do that, but no longer. We have to say, “Make sure you have
the right Bible. Make sure it’s from the proper Hebrew text and Greek
text.” Now here in Isaiah 28, God has a very interesting thing that He
does and shows how He fulfills what He does there in Romans 1.
Now let’s come here to Isaiah 28:5, “In that day shall the LORD of hosts be
for a crown of glory…” Now this is talking about coming into the time of the
millennium. And what we need to understand concerning the Old
Testament is: there’s a little bit here and there’s a little bit there, and
there’s a little bit in another place, as we understood concerning the
prophecies of Jesus first coming, so we have to put them all rightly
together. So we’re going to see verses 5 and 6 have to do with the
millennium. Verse 7 has to do with the events going clear back to that
time when Isaiah was prophesying. And later that is a prophecy coming
out to our day today. So God’s word is really something. With
His word He does two things with it. It will mean something for those
that God has called, and the truth and understanding of His word. It
will mean exactly the opposite to those who don’t love God and hate Him, and
have the spirit of this world.
Let’s see it. “…And for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of His
people, and for a spirit of judgment to Him that sitteth in judgment…”,
which we will all be sitting in judgment because John wrote there in
Revelation 20 that the judgment was set and he saw thrones and they that sat
on them, that’s the judgment chair. “…And for strength to them that
turn the battle to the gate.” Now then it completely changes the
subject here in verse 7. “But they also have erred through wine…” You
can put in your notes there, Revelation 17:1-5, the wine of the wrath of the
fornication of the harlot who rides the beast. “…And through strong
drink are out of the way [they have left the way of God]; the priest and the
prophet have erred through strong drink…” And we can say what is the
strongest drink they’re going to take? The whole ecumenical movement.
That’s the strongest drink they are going to take. And so this is
right up to date here. “…They are swallowed up of wine, they are out
of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in
judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness,
so there is no place clean” (Isa. 28:5-8). So this is
describing the religion that is being built up right today.
Now notice, in this world and in this environment God asks the question,
“Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand
doctrine?” Good question. Especially with so many errors out
there going in how many different directions? “…them that are
weaned from the milk, and
drawn from the breasts” (vs. 9). Now that means coming straight from the
word of God. You have to have the milk of the word of God to grow, and
then you have to be able to have strong meat, as Paul says in Hebrews 5.
So when you’re drawn from the breast, that means that you have been weaned
and now you are eating food, or as Paul says, strong meat.
Verse 10, here’s how you do it. “For precept must be upon
precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a
little, and there a little:” So we have to properly put it together.
“For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people.”
So the world is not going to understand it. And if someone comes in to
the things that we have been teaching for a long time and they’re brand new,
they enter into a pretty heavy load. So they’ve got to take it step by
step. We’ve go to provide the milk for them so they can grow, so that
they can understand the word of God in the same way.
“To whom He said, This is
the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is
the refreshing: yet they would not hear” (vs. 12). Now what happens when
you won’t hear? And you can just put in your margin there Matthew 13,
the parable of the sower. Some hear the word immediately, receive it
with joy and then tribulation comes along and then they give up.
Others, because when they hear the word of God and then the cares and riches
of this world, like the weeds, grow up and choke it out. So what
happens in those cases? Verse 13, “But the word of the LORD was unto
them [who were disobedient] precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line
upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that
they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
Now the reason that I wanted to cover this brethren, is to show you what a
fantastic and marvelous thing that God has done that we can understand His
word. That we can understand His plan. That we realize that God
has brought us into the knowledge of His secret plan for all of mankind.
Now let’s go ahead here. Let’s come to Daniel 2 and let’s talk a
little bit more about the Kingdom of God because the Kingdom of God is what
this whole Feast of Tabernacles pictures - the Kingdom of God on the earth,
really here, fully in place.
Now Daniel 2:44, “And in the days of these kings…” Now these are the
last before Christ sets on the earth. “…shall the God of heaven set up
a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…” Now I want you to
understand something very important. What we are doing is forever.
Do you understand that? Do you grasp that? That’s why we’ve gone
through things like: Why God Hates Religion. That’s why we’ve gone
through: you need to quit playing church. That’s why we’ve gone
through things: how to love God. Matter of fact we have a whole series
on the love of God. That’s why we’ve gone through things concerning
Scripturalism vs. Judaism. Why we’ve gone through things: The Holy
Sabbath, Refuting Sunday-keeping, keeping the Holy Days, how to grow in
grace and knowledge, and all of these things, because what we are doing is
for all eternity. Like I said at the beginning, the prophecies are in
the Old Testament but the teaching the character for those who will qualify
to rule and reign with Christ, that’s in the New Testament. So what we
cover during the Feast of Tabernacles then, is those things that we will be
doing and what the people will be doing. But notice, He’s going to
“…set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall
not be left to other people [only those that God has chosen], but it
shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, an it shall stand for
ever.”
Now have you ever thought about the fact that you are in on God’s plan,
which is the beginning of eternity for you and me, and all the other
brethren that God is dealing with, that God is going to call, all of the
saints that have died in the faith going clear on back to Able? Now
that’s something. This is not just a little pip-squeak thing that
we’re dealing with. This is first of all involving the whole world,
and next then the whole universe, as we will see. It will stand
forever. He’s not going to leave it to other people. “…The great God
hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream
is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (vs. 45). And so
it’s going to happen, without a doubt.
Now let’s come here to Daniel 7 and let’s see something else here.
Let’s pick it up in verse 26. And you will be amazed how Revelation
and Daniel tie together all the way through. Now if you don’t have our
series on Revelation, write for it. We probably now, by this time with
all the tapes we’ve done down through the years, probably have 25 tapes on
things concerning Revelation. So we’ve virtually gone through it verse
by verse. One of the things that we want to do is eventually get
through the whole New Testament verse by verse in a study like we have done
with the book of Romans. So that’s a long term goal that I have.
And as long as there is peace, and as long as we’re able to do so that’s one
of the things we need to really focus in on, and to really do, and to
concentrate on so that we know the word of God, and there be no doubt what
so ever.
Now, Daniel 7:26. Now notice how this ties in with Revelation, as I
just said. “But the judgment shall sit…” Now let’s just go back to
Revelation 20 and see that. And as you study the book of Revelation,
and if you have a marginal reference, look at how many of the references go
back to the book of Daniel. See the book of Daniel brought prophecies
up to a certain point. And they’re very difficult to understand if you
try and bring them all the way to the end-time, though it talks about the
end-time. And that’s why Daniel said, “O LORD, what shall the end of
these things be?” And he was told, “Seal up the book, close it up till
the time of the end.” So Daniel didn’t know.
Now here’s John, Revelation 20:4. (We’ll come back here to Daniel 7
in just a minute.) “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them…” Now it says here in Daniel 7:26, “And
the judgment shall sit…” That’s what we have here. And then it
talks about all of those who were in the first resurrection. Now back
to Daniel 7:26. Notice what we’re going to do. The judgment
shall sit, “…and they [that’s referring to the saints who are resurrected]
shall take away his dominion [from the beast], to consume and to destroy
it unto the end.” There will not be one potsherd, not one sliver,
not one piece of an idol, not one piece of any false god anywhere.
It’s going to be all destroyed. And everything having to do with false
religion, false education, false economics, false agriculture is all going
to come to an end. And God is going to institute all of the right
things and reinstitute everything, as it says there in Acts 3, the
restoration of all things.
Now notice verse 27. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness
of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the
saints of the most High…” That brethren is our inheritance. I want you
to understand that. That’s why He’s called us in the conditions that
we are. Now many of us are old. Many of us are weak. Many
of us have health problems. But He has called us that way to confound
the wise, to confound the powerful. To show that it’s not by might or
by power but it’s by God’s Spirit that these things are going to be
accomplished. And God is going to give you the Kingdom. What did
Jesus say? He says it’s God’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
So that’s why we keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Let’s finish this
here. Now notice, “…Whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” Now remember what it said
there in Philippians 2, that every knee is going to bow to Jesus Christ.
Every knee. So it really doesn’t matter what people think. It
really doesn’t matter what their ideas are, or what their traditions are,
whether they believe in Jesus Christ or not, every one is going to have to
face Jesus Christ. Period! That’s just the way the Bible says
it’s going to be.
Now, let’s look about the Church here. Let’s understand a little bit
more. And some of these things I know… Let’s come to Isaiah 54.
Now let’s understand a little bit about of these things from this point of
view. In a couple of them, here in Isaiah 54, we will see that the
apostle Paul made reference to this in Galatians 4. And we’ll look at
it there too. But what we need to understand is this: some of these
things, while it looks like they apply to physical Israel, do apply to
spiritual Israel. And as we found out during Pentecost there are some
things we need to understand even more about the Bride of Christ and the
guests who are going to be resurrected and be there for the marriage supper
of the Lamb, and how God is going to put all of that together. But
what really helped me understand was this: we are saved by faith. And
God is going to give us the reward as it pleases Him. God is going to
place us into whatever positions that we have in the Kingdom of God by His
choice and His direction. So that helps relieve all of the things that
we have had in the past in trying to figure it out for ourselves. God
will do a better job than what we’ve been able to do.
Now let’s pick it up here, Isaiah 54:1. “Sing, O barren, thou that
didst not bear…” This is a direct prophecy of the Church of God.
“…Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not
travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than
the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.” Now then, what does
this mean? This is talking about the difference between God being
married to physical Israel, and then spiritual Israel. And spiritual
Israel, at the time that Christ came was desolate. There are many more
offspring which came from the 12 tribes than ever have been concerning those
who are called. So that’s why it is the desolate. “Enlarge the place
of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations:
spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes…” (Isa. 54:1-2).
In other words God is setting up a big tabernacles here, that’s what He’s
doing. Oh, also let me just mention here very clearly that when Christ
died that ended the marriage covenant with physical Israel, because marriage
is until death. That’s why Christ came and died. You find that
in Romans 7. Now if you don’t have our series on Romans, well write
for it and when you get to Romans 7 then you’ll completely understand that.
Now let’s go on here, verse 3. “For thou shalt break forth on the
right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and
make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” Talking about what we’re
going to be doing and part of our job. “Fear not; for thou shalt not
be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame:
for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the
reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine
husband…” Now there are some things tied in with physical Israel there that
is true. “…The LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the
Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called” (vs.
3-5).
Now let’s go back to Galatians 4 and let’s see how the apostle Paul used
this. And he is talking about the Church. He is talking about
those who are called to salvation at this time as the children of the
forsaken one. Let’s pick it up here Galatians 4:22. “For it is
written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a
freewoman. But he who was
of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was
by promise.” Now this is comparing Ishmael and Isaac. “Which
things are an allegory [it’s just an analogy]; for these are the two
covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which
is [Hagar] Agar.” In other words showing that the covenant at Mt.
Sinai was not a covenant unto eternal life.
Now it’s the analogy here and it says, verse 25, “For this Agar is mount
Sinai in Arabia…” Well, and there’ve been some books out and some
things claiming that there is a certain mountain, a Jabal mountain in Saudi
Arabia that supposedly is Mt. Sinai. Well, I’ve looked into it and
studied into it. I’ve read everything that has been put out on it and I’ll
tell you two simple things. Number one, that could be, if the children
of Israel could have marched across the Gulf of Aqaba instead of the Red
Sea, could have walked 5 miles an hour for seven days, 14 hours a day.
And then where he said they crossed the Red Sea, being the Gulf of Aqaba in
stead of being the Red Sea on the other side of Sinai peninsula, that there
was a little narrow place which could be where it was not very deep and the
ground could be raised up and the children of Israel went across there.
Well do you know how long it takes a single file, or just several people in
a column going across a little narrow place like that. You see it
couldn’t have been done. Now it may be true that the current
understanding of Mt. Sinai might not be the correct one, but let’s
understand something here very important. Where it is is not
contingent upon your salvation. Your salvation doesn’t depend on that
knowledge. Your salvation depends on your faith, on your love, on your
relationship with God.
Now let’s continue on here. “…And answereth to Jerusalem which now
is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above
is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice,
thou barren that bearest not…” (vs. 25-27). Because as long as
physical Israel was there and the covenant was still there the Church was
not able to function. There were no children born of the Church until
after Christ died. None were begotten until they received the Holy
Spirit and none will be born into the Kingdom of God until the resurrection
comes. So this is what he’s talking about.
“…Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many
more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as
Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born
after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit
[begotten of the Spirit, as we could put there], even so it is now.
Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her
son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the
freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman,
but of the free” (vs. 27-31). And all of those who want to go back to
Judaism listen please, you are not saved by those physical things. You
have no part in that covenant which is over. We have part in the
eternal covenant with Christ.
Ok, now let’s understand some things here concerning the resurrection,
which we will cover here in just a minute.
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