|
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ]
[ Next ]
LAST GREAT DAY 2006
Feast of Tabernacles
Fred Coulter
10-14-06
And greetings brethren, welcome to the Last Great Day. The day after
the Feast of Tabernacles, and indeed we will see this is a great day and
it commemorates and prophesize the ending of the plan of God and the
beginning of eternity as we will see. And of course, we always begin
with the Holy Days in Leviticus 23, because that is where all the Holy
Days are listed in order. There are other scriptures which say we are to
keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year. And that is the
Feast of Tabernacles and of course the Last Great Day in the Old
Testament is very little known, it is hardly even mentioned at all and
it is more like that the eighth day is just a day of an extension of the
Feast of Tabernacles. But when we come to the meaning of it, in the New
Testament and especially, with the understanding of the book of
Revelation and Ezekiel 37, as we will see a little later, it expands
upon the meaning of it and the word is truly the Last Great Day.
Now, let’s pick it up here in Leviticus 23 and verse 33 and we will
just review about the Feast of Tabernacles. The Lord spoke unto Moses
saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel saying: ‘The fifteenth day of
this month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the
Lord.’ We have already done that. ‘The first day shall be a holy
convocation. You shall do no servile work therein. Seven days you shall
offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.’ Then it just shifts into
the eighth day. ‘On the eighth day, shall be a holy convocation.’ The
last holy day of the year, unto you. ‘And you shall offer an offering
made by fire unto the Lord. It is a solemn assembly, you shall do no
servile work therein. These are the feasts of the Lord.’ So he
summarizes the whole thing, which is all the holy days and everything in
the whole chapter here. ‘These are the feasts of the Lord which you
shall proclaim to be holy convocations to offer an offering made by fire
unto the Lord, a burnt offering, a meat offering, a sacrifice and a
drink offering, everything on His day.’ Then it says, ‘besides the
Sabbaths of the Lord, and besides your gifts, and your vows,’ so this,
then takes into account bringing the offerings, and it says, ‘besides
all your freewill offerings.’ Now this shows us that they should be
taken on every one of the Holy Days. ‘And then besides freewill
offerings during the year, which you give unto the Lord.’ And brethren,
you know that on all the Holy Days, we take up an offering, and the
offering needs to be according to the blessing that God has given you.
And that is something that you have to make, as a decision between you
and God. We don’t like to and we don’t want to, nor do we try to extract
any money from anyone. So your offering has to be from the heart. Your
offering has to be because you love God and so you want to do His way
and show your love and goodness for Him and other people. So let’s at
this time take a break and take up the offering.
Now, let’s come to John the 7th chapter, and let’s see how
the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles is connected with the Last
Great Day. And then we will find the meaning and interpretation of the
Last Great Day in the meaning as revealed in the New Testament and then
supplement it by the meaning of the Old Testament. Now, let’s come here
to John 7 and let’s pick it up here in verse 37. John 7 and verse 37,
‘In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out
saying; “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” Now, they had
a ceremony right at sunset, around the altar of burnt offerings, which
was called the ceremony of waters. Where they would pour out water
around the base of the burnt offering, and this was to signify the
blessing of God. Well, Jesus took upon that, that is why he said; “If
anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” Now He brings in the
spiritual meaning of beginning the Last Great Day. “The one who believes
in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water.” Now, we are going to see here, anyone that thirsts and we
are going to see that has a great and expanded meaning in the
fulfillment of the Last Great Day, in God’s plan. “And out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water.” ‘But this He spoke concerning the
Spirit, which those who believed in Him would soon receive.’ And they
received that on Pentecost, ‘for the Holy Spirit was not yet given
because Jesus was not yet glorified.’ So after He was glorified,
ascended to heaven, the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came. Now,
this signifies then, salvation. And as we saw when we went through the
Gospel of John, on day 2 and 3, we saw what it meant here for the
Millennium and the Last Great Day. We saw a foretaste of that and what
that meant.
Now, let’s look at another thing, where it says here, “If anyone
thirsts, let him come to Me.” Now, let’s look at some other Scriptures
here in the New Testament and let’s see what God desires of all men. God
doesn’t desire that any be lost. And so, we find, almost a contradiction
here, don’t we? Let’s come to 1 Timothy 2 and verse 4. And you look
around the world and you try and understand what this means. 1 Timothy 2
verse 4. For a lot of people, it is hard to understand this, if this is
the only day of salvation. Now let’s read it here, verse 4, speaking of
God, our Savior, verse 3, that’s Christ, ‘Who desires all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ Now, we are going to
see, how could that be in today’s world? Especially when you consider,
that satan, the devil, is deceiving the whole world. So, is this a
contradiction or does God have a way of fulfilling that? Now, let’s see
what Peter wrote, let’s come to 2 Peter the 3rd chapter,
here, and let’s see what Peter wrote concerning this. Quite an important
thing, and it says that God wants all to come to repentance. Well, then
we will look at some Scriptures which seem to contradict that directly.
And so then, how is God going to resolve it because there can’t be any
contradictions in the word of God. Now, let’s come here to 2 Peter 3,
and let’s pick it up here in verse 9, ‘The Lord is not delaying the
promise of His coming, as some, in their own minds, reckon delay. Rather
He is longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish.’ Now
that is God’s desire, but He has given free choice. And we must exercise
that free choice. Whether we will love God, whether we will serve Him,
whether we will keep His commandments, whether we will do the things
that are pleasing in His sight and so forth? ‘Not any perish but all
come to repentance.’
Now, let’s look at a contradiction here which really has been amazing
to a lot of people and it is hard for them to understand. Let’s come
here to Matthew the 13th chapter and let’s see what this is
all about. Matthew 13. And let’s look at another contradiction and then
we will see how God will solve this in the meaning of the Last Great
Day. Matthew 13. We are going to read some very important scriptures
which we have read before. But we need to read them so that we can
understand what God is doing. And God is working it out exactly in His
own plan, exactly in His own way. So let’s pick it up here in verse 10
of Matthew 13. And His is a mystery, this is a secret on how God is
carrying out His plan. And that He doesn’t reveal it to the world. We
are going to see that God has actually blinded the world and has used
satan, the devil to blind them. Who blinds the mind of those, so that
the light of the gospel will not shine unto them? Verse 10, after He was
speaking to them in parables, His disciples came to Him and asked, “Why
do you speak to them in parables?” And He answered and said to them,
‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of heaven.’ Now,
to know the mysteries, that is to know the secrets, the secrets of God,
which we have seen before, have been hidden from ages and have been
hidden from time and been hidden from generation but have been revealed
to His saints. Now, why would God want to hide it, if it is the greatest
thing that ever happened? Why would God want to hide it from them, if He
wants them to be saved and wants them all to come to repentance? Isn’t
that the knowledge which would bring them to repentance? See. And some
people have asked that question. And some people, not understanding it,
are just throwing their hands up in the air and just walked off and
given up on God. Well you need more patience; you need to put it
together in the right way. It hasn’t been given to them. Now verse 12 is
another important one. “For whosoever has understanding, shall be more
given and he shall have an abundance.” And that is where we are today,
brethren. With the whole word of God. With the knowledge and
understanding that He has given us. With the opening up of the
understanding of His Holy Days to us. Yes, we have a knowledge, not
full, but a sufficient knowledge. As Paul said looking through a glass
darkly. And I hope that we see a little more clearly today than back
when the apostle Paul wrote those words. Even though it is still
somewhat darkly. So it has been given to you to know the mysteries of
the kingdom of heaven but it hasn’t been given to them. “For whosoever
has understanding, more shall be given and he shall have an abundance,
whoever does not have understanding, even what he has shall be taken
away from him.” And so, we see that operating in the society today. More
and more because people don’t want God, more and more their
understanding has been taken from them. Now then He said, this is why in
verse 13, He speaks to them in parables. “Because seeing, they see not
and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.” Now how on
Earth is God going to save the world, He wants them to come to
repentance and salvation, if they can’t see and can’t hear and can’t
understand? Now, notice verse 14 is a key and this has been quoted in
Mark, in Luke, in Acts, several places in Acts. Acts 13. Acts 28. John
12. From Isaiah 6, Matthew 13, verse 14, “And in them is filled the
prophecy of Isaiah, which says: In hearing you shall hear and in no way
understand, in seeing you shall see and in no way perceive.” Because we
are dealing with choice. God is dealing with choice. People are dealing
with choice. Choice of loving God and serving Him or the choice of
serving satan the devil. The choice of knowing and understanding and the
choice of not knowing and understanding. So God operates on our choices,
now, notice how choice is involved. And how some people, in spite of
everything that is told them, in spite of everything that they hear,
they don’t understand. Verse 15, “For the heart of this people is grown
fat and their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes they have closed.”
Now we are dealing with choices. Aren’t we? Don’t people say; well we
don’t need the Old Testament, today? Is that not a choice? Did they not
close their eyes? Well we don’t believe in the resurrection, we are all
going to heaven, in spite of what the Bible says, I believe we are going
to heaven. Haven’t they chosen to close their eyes and accept something
different? Yes. So they won’t perceive. “Their eyes they have closed.”
God made the decision based upon their own choices. Now, we are going to
see, for a great purpose, later. So that He can fulfill the desire that
all come to the knowledge of salvation and that all repent. “Lest they
see with their eyes and hear with their ears, should understand with
their heart, should be converted and I should heal them.” So, at this
time, God doesn’t want all converted. Can you believe that? That is what
Jesus said. Now, why would He do that? That is the great mystery that
the people in the world don’t know. “But blessed are your eyes because
they see and your ears because they hear; for truly, I say to you that
many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, and
have not seen, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard.” And that
is why He told Daniel, it is closed and sealed until the time of the
end. And this has been a problem that people have groped around and just
not understood. They just don’t comprehend what it is that God wants. So
they look at the world and they don’t know how it is going to work out.
They don’t know how God can be a God of love. They look and see all the
problems and difficulties that happen and they can’t comprehend it
because their minds have been closed.
Now, let’s come here to Romans 9, let’s see what Paul is talking
about here and how he understands some of it, not all of it. And as a
matter of fact, today, we should have a better understanding of these
things than Paul. Because Paul did not have the book of Revelation, that
we now have, which gives us the understanding. Now, let’s pick this up
in Romans 9 and verse 27. Now, here is the answer that Isaiah gave after
those that were blinded, they wouldn’t see, they wouldn’t hear, they
closed their eyes, they closed their heart, as it were. Yet, verse 27,
Romans 9, ‘Isaiah cried out concerning Israel; “Although the number of
the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall
be saved.” So there is going to be a remnant. He shows the Gentiles are
brought into it along with the remnant of Israel being saved, and of the
Gentiles, there are very few that are saved as well. Now, notice, verse
28, ‘For He is accomplishing and limiting the matter in righteousness
because the Lord will limit the matter He is doing on the earth.
Accordingly Isaiah also before said: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left
us a seed, we would have become like Sodom and we would have become like
Gomorrah.” What shall we say then? What is God going to do? Now, come
over here to verse 14, where God said He loved the children of Israel
and He hated Esau. Does that make God unrighteous? Does it make God
unrighteous, because He blinds certain people, opens the eyes of certain
people, because He calls some people now and hasn’t called others? Now
verse 14, ‘What shall we say then, is there any unrighteousness with
God? May it never be.’ It isn’t going to. You see it is a matter then of
understanding the plan of God. ‘For He said to Moses, “I will show mercy
to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion.” So it is not the one who is going to have the will or
the effort or anything, it is the calling of God, it is the choosing of
God that becomes important.
Come over here to Romans 11 and we are going to see that they have
been blinded, and they have been blinded for a purpose. And they have
been blinded so that they may be saved. It is a blinding that is
temporary. Now, let’s come to verse 25, Romans 11. ‘For I do not wish
you to be ignorant of this mystery, brethren, in order that you may not
be wise in your own conceit, a partial hardening of the heart has
happened to Israel until the fullness of the gentiles come in.’ So then
he says, ‘So all Israel shall be saved.’ Now, when will all Israel be
saved? And what about all the nations of the Gentiles? Because God
doesn’t want any lost, yet there is choice and we have seen how the
choice works. So there will be some who will choose not to do so. Now,
let’s continue here, verse 26, “Out of Zion shall come the Deliverer and
He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant which
I will make with them, when I take away their sins.” So, it is a day
that is coming. ‘On the one hand concerning the gospel, they are enemies
for your sakes, that is you Gentiles, on the other hand concerning the
election, because He chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they are beloved
for the Father’s sake. Because the gifts and calling of God are never
revoked. For just as you once did not believe God, but now have been
shown mercy through their unbelief. In the same way also, they have not
believed at this time.’ Important to understand, at this time. ‘In order
through the mercy shown to you, they may have mercy shown unto them. For
God has given them all over to unbelief, that He might show mercy to
all. And this is the great wisdom of God, the great mystery of God. He
blinds them for the purpose that they do not commit the unpardonable
sin. He blinds them at this time, so He can show His glorious work that
He is doing with the Church. But there is coming a time when they will
have their minds opened. When they will answer the call. Because Jesus
said, ‘that all who are in the grave will hear their voice and shall
come forth.’ Some to a resurrection of life, some to a resurrection of
judgment. Now we are going to see what that judgment is because that
judgment is talked about in Revelation 20. But before we go there, let’s
come here to Romans the 2nd chapter and we will see what Paul
wrote concerning the Gentiles and how looks upon things for those that
have not committed the sin unto death. Now, we have discussed that
earlier in other sermons. If you sin a sin unto death and we will see
what that is here in just a little bit because Jesus defines it. But
here in Romans 2 and verse 14, ‘For when the Gentiles.’ Now this is all
the other nations. We saw what God did to Israel in blinding them and so
forth. ‘For when the Gentiles, which do not have the law, practice by
nature the things contained in the law, these who do not have the law
are a law unto themselves.’ Now all the nations in the world fall under
this category. They have some things which are moral and right, they
have some things based on the commandments of God, they really don’t
understand the word of God, though now today we have the word of God in
so many languages and so forth. But what it is doing, God is looking
upon all people, from the point of view of judging them, just like He is
judging the Church now, for salvation, He is judging the rest of the
people in the world according to His plan of salvation. And we will see
what that is. Now notice here is how it works with them, ‘Who show the
works of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing
witness, and their reasonings also as they accuse or defend one another.
In a day,’ now there is coming a day, ‘when God shall judge the secrets
of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.’
And Jesus said they would come forth to judgment. What kind of
judgment are they going to come forth to? That is what we need to
understand. Now if God blinded them, and if God closed their eyes, they
closed theirs and then God followed up and blinded them. Just like with
Pharaoh, he hardened his heart, but God hardened his heart. See. Now if
God blinded them, cut them off, did not send them the knowledge of
salvation, and they die in sin, are they lost forever? Now that is the
question that is answered by this Last Great Day. And that is why it is
called the Last Great Day, because as the answer we will see will be no.
Now let’s come here to Matthew the 12th chapter and let’s see
the category of sin spoken of by Jesus, Himself. And we will also see
that in Matthew the 12th
chapter that it talks about a resurrection that is yet to take place.
Not concerning the resurrection at the return of Jesus Christ but a
future resurrection to judgment as will see. Now let’s come here to
Matthew 12 and let’s pick it up here in verse 30, ‘The one who is not
with Me is against Me, the one who does gather with Me, scatters,
because of this I say,’ Now, here is Jesus’ own words, ‘every sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven to men except the blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit.’ Now in the new book, ‘Occult Holidays or God’s Holy Days,
Which’ we have there about the unpardonable sin and what that means and
also in the series on the book of Hebrews. To commit the unpardonable
sin, is to reject the Holy Spirit of God, to reject the ruler ship of
Christ, to accept Satan the devil, to blaspheme God the Father, see.
That is what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is. Blaspheming God the
Father. He says, ‘that shall not be forgiven to men.’ See, every sin and
blasphemy, for He says here verse 32 continuing, ‘But who so speaks a
word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him, but who so speaks
against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this
age (that is at this time) nor in the coming age.’ So there is a coming
age of forgiveness. So God, we are going to see, in the resurrection of
judgment, is going to give them an opportunity for salvation, because
they did not commit the unpardonable sin. And so they will be eligible
for forgiveness but at the time that God determines.
Now let’s come back here to Revelation 20 and let’s see this take
place. And without Revelation 20 we would not be able to understand what
on earth is going on here. Now, we will come back to Matthew 12 here in
just a minute, but let’s come to Revelation 20. Just like without
Revelation 20, we could not understand the Day of Atonement, because
that gives the meaning of the Day of Atonement completely. Doesn’t it?
Yes. Well Revelation 20 gives us some more understanding about the dead
and what will happen to them. Now let’s pick it up here in verse 4. Now
again we see how this ties in with the Feast of Tabernacles and all that
is associated with that. Verse 4, ‘And I saw thrones, and they that sat
upon them, and judgment was given to them.’ So you see all during the
Millennium, judgment is upon all people for salvation at all times. Now,
God has to deal with those people then who were blinded before the
Millennium began and did not commit the unpardonable sin. Then He has to
deal with those who did commit the unpardonable sin. So we have those in
the first resurrection and it says here in the last sentence in verse 4.
‘And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the
rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were
completed.’ Now, we know that those in the first resurrection are those
who are Christ’s and are raised at His coming. And that is what verse 4
is talking about. But the rest of the dead do not live again until the
thousand years were completed. Now, let’s come over here to verse 12 and
let’s see when that is. That is at the end of the thousand years, and
after satan has had his final judgment. So when these people are raised
back to life, as we will see, and they will be raised back to a physical
life. They will not have to contend with satan, the devil. So at the end
of the Millennium we have this, the wicked who reject salvation are
exiled into Gog and Magog and are destroyed by fire from heaven and God
to bring them first death. Satan is then sentenced and removed forever.
Then, there is going to be the resurrection, the rest of the dead. Now,
this has to be for those who have not committed the unpardonable sin.
Now, let’s read it here, verse 12, ‘And I saw the dead, small and great,
standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was
opened.’ Now the books were opened, this was probably containing the
word of God, the Bible plus everything that was added to it by God all
during the Millennium, so that is open. ‘And another book was opened,
that is the Book of Life.’ So there names were not written in the Book
of Life, for salvation. But, since they didn’t commit the unpardonable
sin, they will be raised back to a second life in the flesh, as we will
see. And Jesus Himself verifies that. ‘And the dead were judged out of
the things written in the book, according to their works.’ Now, if they
were judged just on the works of their first life, then you would say,
how could they possibly be eligible for eternal life. So they have to
have a space of time as we have seen and as we know. Just like during
the Millennium, how all people come in into the kingdom of God, during
the Millennium, so there won’t be a repeat of all the rest of the dead
that never had a chance to do so. Here is what it is going to be, verse
13, ‘The sea gave up the dead that were in them, and Death and Hell gave
up the dead that were in them. And they were judged, individually,
according to their works.’
Now, let’s come back to Matthew the 12th
chapter and we will see how Jesus spoke of this. And He referred to it,
in the same chapter where He talked about, that every sin that anyone
speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven except the blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit. Now, let’s come over here to verse 39, they
wanted Him to show a sign and so forth, verse 38, and He answered and
said to them, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,
but no sign shall be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale, three days and three
nights, in like manner, the Son of Man shall be in the heart of the
earth three days and three nights. Notice verse 41, which is a key
verse. Now, He is talking about the people of Nineveh, and He is talking
about the time of Jonah. And what happened? When Jonah preached, they
repented and God spared the people living in Nineveh and the Assyrian
Empire from being destroyed, because God’s judgment was against them. So
they lived out their lives. And God’s judgment finally came 120 years
later. Now notice, ‘The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment,’
Now, we just talked about this, the dead shall be raised and the
judgment shall begin. And because there is a great white throne there as
we saw in Revelation 20, it is called the Great White Throne judgment.
Now, ‘the men of Nineveh shall stand up,’ that means arise and be
resurrected, in the judgment with this generation. Now these are
thousands of years removed. And this applies to any generation from the
time of Christ going forward, ‘with this generation, because it repented
at the proclamation of Jonah and behold a greater than Jonah is here.’
Now, what does this show? It shows people living at different ages in
the past will be raised or resurrected simultaneously. Now, let’s read
on, He gives another example. ‘And the queen of the South shall rise in
the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, because she came
from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold a
greater than Solomon is here.’
Now, let’s see how we understand this even more. Let’s come to
Ezekiel the 37th chapter, and let’s see what is called the
valley of the dry bones. Now, let’s come to Ezekiel 37, and let’s see
something that men have puzzled over for thousands of years. Ezekiel 37.
Now remember, Paul said, ‘So all Israel shall be saved.’ Now, how are
they going to be saved, if they have lived their lives and died? Well,
because God in their lives has judged them and judges every human being
this way: if He has called them, they are judged for eternal life, right
now in this life. If He hasn’t called them, they are judged in two ways;
did they live a life in deception but did not commit the unpardonable
sin and did they live their life and reject God, reject the Spirit of
God, reject the salvation of God and commit, with impunity the
unpardonable sin. Now, we will deal with the unpardonable sin here a
little bit later. But, let’s deal now with those who were deceived, who
were led away of idols, who had not committed the unpardonable sin,
though they sinned grievously. And you go back and you look at and
examine some of the examples of how God forgave the sins of the kings
who sinned grievously and even David and you will see that it can still
be grievous but not be blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. So, here we
find the answer in Ezekiel 37 and we are going to see as we examine this
verse by verse this is not a resurrection to eternal life. This is a
resurrection to a second physical life. Now when Jesus had His ministry,
were there those who died, that were resurrected to a second physical
life? Yes. You have the young man of the widow who died, he was raised,
right to life, as Jesus came, put His hand on the briar of the casket
they were taking to bury him in and he sat upright and was resurrected.
We have the example of Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, brother of Martha
and Mary, now he died and Jesus loved him. And all the saints knew of
Him. But if he died and remained buried before the coming of the Holy
Spirit, he wouldn’t have had an opportunity for salvation for the first
resurrection. So then Jesus raised him back to life. And then, of
course, on the Day of Pentecost, he received the Holy Spirit, was
converted and will undoubtedly be in the first resurrection with all the
saints. Likewise, when Jesus died and the earthquake took place and it
opened up many of the tombs, where those who were dead, after his
resurrection, came back to life and walked into the city and appeared to
many as a witness and they undoubtedly were there in the group of people
who received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. So, you have those
that died but did not have an opportunity for salvation. So we need to
look at it this way. Every human being is going to have an opportunity
for salvation, in the fleshly life that they live. Now, if they live and
die without being called, because God has to call them, and if they have
not committed the unpardonable sin, they die in the category so that
they will be raised in the category of the rest of the dead, for the
judgment that they did not commit the unpardonable sin. And now God is
going to give them an opportunity for salvation in a second life of
flesh, because they didn’t have the opportunity in their first life. So,
we can look at it this way, every human being, in this life, who has not
had an opportunity for salvation and has not committed the unpardonable
sin, will live again in the flesh. And have an opportunity for salvation
because only, living in the flesh, do people qualify for salvation. Now,
let see it all contained right here in Ezekiel 37 verse 1; ‘The hand of
the Lord was upon me and he carried me out, in the Spirit of the Lord,
and set me down in the midst of the valley, which was full of bones and
he caused me to pass by them round about and behold there were very many
in the open valley and lo they were very dry.’ Showing that they had
been dead for a long time. ‘And he said to me, “Son of man can these
bones live?” Are they going to come back to life? “I answered, oh, Lord
God, you know.” Of course, he didn’t know. So then he uses this as an
example, because he wanted Ezekiel to bring about this prophecy, and
again he said to me, ‘prophesy upon these bones, and say to them, O you
dry bones hear the word of the Lord. ‘Thus says the Lord God unto these
bones, behold I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live.’
Now, spirit beings do not need breath. But human beings do need breath.
So you have bones showing that they lived once. Now you have the promise
that they will live again. Now, notice what kind of life they will have.
Verse 6; ‘I will lay sinew upon you; I will bring flesh upon you.’
Second life in the flesh, right? ‘I will cover you with skin, I will put
breath in you and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the
Lord.’ Now, in their first life they didn’t know that He was the Lord,
even though they knew of the Lord. And there is a vast difference,
because knowing the Lord is a converted state, knowing of the Lord means
that you know there maybe a God. So Ezekiel did what he was told to do.
‘So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied there was a
noise, and behold a shaking and the bones came together, bone to his
bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinew and flesh came up on them and
skin covered them above but there was no breath in them. And then He
said to me, “Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to
the wind, ‘thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath,
and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” ‘And so I prophesied
as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and
they stood on their feet.’ Didn’t Jesus say, “They shall stand up?”
‘Stood on their feet an exceeding great army.’
Let’s fast forward this tape and turn it to the other side please.
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ]
[ Next ]
|
