[Rex Sexton] Some of you may wonder why my
name is on the sermon two days in a row. And there's a little story behind that. A number
of years ago, and going back through my notes, I didn't realize how long ago it was, but
it was in 2007. I was up here and I gave half of a sermon and walked off because my time
was up and I was really going a little faster than normal. The Spanish language interpreter
had passed out on the floor. The sign language person has simply dropped her arms and stared
at me with this horrible stare, and I still didn't get through it. And I promised everyone
I would try to finish that message at some point in the future. Well, the years went
on and we've transferred out. Some years and the years I was here assigned normally the
Last Great Day sermon, so that sort of put the kibosh on that. But people have good memories. And every year
somebody would ask me, "When are you going to finish that sermon?" I said, "Well, I don't
know." So when Jeff called this year, Mr. Richards, and we were able to talk, Mr. Richards,
and he said, "I'm probably going to have to give you two assignments because we are a
little bit short on pastors coming to Portland or to Bend, Redmond." I said, "Well, good.
Give me two in the middle of the Feast. I don't want the first day, I don't want the
last day. I want two in the middle and I will try to finish the sermon I started 10 years
ago." And if there are any of you here who can still remember that, then my hats off
to you. So I'm going to try to do that and it's a very important subject, is one I will
try to go through a little bit more carefully and ploddingly than the first attempt. It's an important subject that some of you
who went through the old 32-lesson correspondence course years and years ago will recognize
some of the verses. Some will remember a traveling evangelist named Gerald Waterhouse, remember
some of the same concepts. And there are also some new conclusions and I think, not interpretations,
but understandings of Scripture that we're going to try to look at because some subjects
in God's word, you have to sort of look at all the indications and the hints because
it doesn't say, "Thus sayeth the Lord," as clear or clearly as we would like. Although
I think you'll find there is a great deal that is clearly stated in the Scriptures that
perhaps we have passed over. Just reading and not really have it register to us. The title of my sermon is this, "How is God
Going to Bring People to Salvation During the Millennium?" There are no resurrections
during the Millennium. We have the resurrection at the appearing of Jesus Christ. The rest
of the dead don't live again until 1,000 years are finished. And then there is a resurrection
to judgment, some to life and some to death. And there is an indication of the resurrection
to death. Recall that the punishment for disobeying God is called "the second death." "Blessed
are those that are accounted to be in the first resurrection, on them the second death
has no power,” For there to be a second death, there has to be a second life. Everybody
has to come out of the grave and live a second time, otherwise, there would be no second
death. There would be no penalty. And people sometimes ask, you know, "Why is there a resurrection
to the lake of fire?" Well, the answer is the great Almighty God decreed there was going
to be a second death for those who would defy Him and that's why there has to be a resurrection
to life for them. I want to begin in 1 Corinthians 15. And in
this verse, we have something we need to look at and even look to get the concept of this
resurrections, each one in their own order. We are all very familiar with 1 Corinthians
15. It's read on the Day of Trumpets. It's read at most in memorial services. In 1 Corinthians
15:12, Paul says, "If Christ has preached that He has been raised from the dead, how
do some among you say there's no resurrection from the dead?" That heresy, apparently, went
around during the first century and, unfortunately, is still with us from time to time, although
not quite as often as it was perhaps back then. He says, "If there's no resurrection
of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching
is empty and your faith is also empty.” The risen Jesus Christ is the basis for our
faith and our preaching. “Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have
testified of God that He raised up Christ, and we did not raise up — if in fact the
dead don't rise.” If the dead don't rise, then we have no reason
to be here. If we have hope in this life only, we are of all men most miserable. And, in
fact, we are witnesses to a world that is miserable because they have hope in this life
only. Verse 18, "Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished." And
we know that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have not perished. God says He is
the God of the living, not the dead in speaking of Abraham and of David who are both dead
and in their graves. Then in verse 19, just mentioned the verse I just said, "If in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable. Now Christ is risen
from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." So he introduces
the concept of the firstfruits. Notice the firstfruits of "them who have fallen asleep,"
he uses it in a plural term. "Since by man” or by Adam “came death," meaning Adam are
man, "by Man also came the resurrection of the dead." The second Adam conquered death,
the first Adam sinned and brought death into the world. "For as an Adam all die, even so
in Christ shall all be made alive." Verse 23 is a very important verse to understand
the resurrections. "Each one in his own order:” this is greatly misinterpreted by modern day
Christianity. They believe it might mean something to do with the rapture or other issues, which
of course it doesn't. But there is an order of the resurrections: “Christ the firstfruits,
afterwards those who are at Christ's at His coming." Now the way this is said often is
Christ the firstfruits comma." And that is true, Christ was the firstfruit of those who
are going to be in God's Kingdom, firstborn of many brethren. It is also accurate though
in the Greek to say "Christ, then the firstfruits,” comma which would be those who would be resurrected
at His appearing and “afterwards those who are Christ's at His coming.” Now the word
"coming" there is a slight mistranslation into English because the Greek word is parousia
which means presence. It means the time when He is present. We understand that as being the time when
He is ruling here on the earth. That is not the same as the word "appearing." You can
hold your place. Let's go back to 2 Timothy 4:8. And there Paul talks about the reward
that He shall receive, the crown that He'll receive when Jesus Christ returns. Not only
Him but all those who also love His appearing. That’s 1… I’m sorry… 2 Timothy 4:8.
"Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also all who love His appearing."
This word is not parousia. It's not presence. This word is epiphaneia, which means His manifestation
or His brightness, the time of His coming. So we have the same writer using two different
words because I believe he's telling us about two different things that Jesus Christ is
the firstborn of many brethren, but there will be the resurrection of the firstfruits
that he mentions in 2 Timothy 4, at His appearing, but also those who are made alive during the
time of His presence or His rulership. And then as a correct way of understanding the
Greek and interpreting it, although obviously most of the commentators would ignore that
or pass over it. Let's go back to verse 24 now of 1 Corinthians
15, because here we have another word we need to look at. It says, "Then comes the end,”
you know, the Greek word for "end" really doesn't mean end. It's the Greek word telos
which means goal. Then comes the purpose of the resurrections is what he’s saying. He
doesn't say it then it’s the end of the resurrections per se. He says, "Then comes
the [purpose of the resurrections], which is when He delivers the kingdom to God the
Father,” and so at the end of the Millennium, if we understand Revelation correctly, that
the Kingdom will be given to God the Father. And at that point, God the Father will tabernacle
or dwell with men and those who were men, “when He puts an end to all rule and all
authority and power.” And Revelation 20 tells us how that will happen chronologically,
and that will be covered for us on the Eighth Day. So then comes the purpose. When we counsel
people for baptism, we tell them the purpose of all this isn't just to get baptized. Sometimes
people have the goal of being baptized. Not a wrong goal but truly their goal is to be
in God's Kingdom. Your goal ought to be in the Kingdom of God. And when I've counseled
young men who are being hired into the ministry, I tell them the same thing that… or are
ordained into the ministry. We ordained Mr. Rob Slocum very joyfully here on the Day of
Trumpets. And I sat with him as I've sat with others in the past and I tell them, "Look,
your purpose in life now is not only to attain God's Kingdom but to help as many other people
attain that Kingdom as you can. So it isn't just you attaining the Kingdom of God anymore,
your job is to help as many other people attain that Kingdom as you possibly can. And so we are helpers of their joy because
it is a joyous thing to seek the Kingdom of God and have the assurance that we are heading
that direction. But the purpose of everything we are doing isn't just to make it to the
Millennium or isn't just to make it to the first resurrection. Those are both blessed
things, but the goal, the telos of everything we are doing is the day when Jesus Christ
delivers up the Kingdom to the Father after He has put an end to all other rule and authority.
Meaning, the events at the end of Revelation 20 with the release of Satan, the devil, for
a short time and the rebellion of Gog and Magog, and, of course, all of those things
finished. The lake of fire burns up all those who were incorrigibly wicked and now the Kingdom
is completely pure and able to be given to God the Father. So the question is, how will the Messiah bring
people to salvation during the 1,000 years of His reign? Now for those who like to take
notes, this is really going to be a joyous next 45 minutes or whatever. And we'll simply
finish when the time is up and then we will pick up tomorrow as if nothing happened. So
those who come tomorrow are simply going to be coming into the middle of a movie. Let's
first go over to 1 Timothy 6:11. The truth of the matter is, people are going to be brought
to salvation in the same way God brings people to salvation today. But slightly different
because the Bible tells us of a process that we're going to talk about a great deal and
that process involves a city and a temple and a location that right now we go to spiritually. 1 Timothy 6. Let's look in verse 11. It says,
"You, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, and gentleness. Fight the good fight… lay hold on eternal life, to which you were
also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." So here
we have something called the good confession. And this good confession is a ticket, so to
speak, or a part of the process to make it to God's Kingdom. Let's continue on for a
few more verses. "I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before
Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,” Okay, now we're
getting a little more specific as to what the good confession is. It was given before
Pontius Pilate, "that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus
Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and
only Potentate” or Ruler, “the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality,
dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor
and everlasting power." So the good confession was given to Pontius Pilate and it has to
do with Jesus Christ being the only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Now if you hold your place there, let's go
back to John 18 and we'll read it because sometimes, especially if you have experienced
with the emerging church movement or some of the other kind of smaller Christian churches
out there, they have a very different interpretation of the good confession. They think the good
confession is simply, "I believe. I wave my hand in the air and I accept.” It's not
what it is. John 18:36, Jesus answered, “'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom
were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews;
but now My kingdom is not from hence… or here.’ Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are
you a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. And for this
cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness
to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’" So the good confession
is that we understand Jesus Christ was born to be a King. And for this cause, He came
into the world and we are witness of that truth, and we hear His voice, which also means
we partake of Him and that He is our bread of life. Let's drop back to verse 15 in 1 Timothy 6.
Interesting statement here, "In which He will manifest in His own time,” or in His times.
Verse 15, when Paul was talking about Jesus Christ being here on the earth and being manifest
during His times, it's actually in the plural of the Greek, it means during the times when
He is going to be the King when He is going to be ruling. He tells Timothy, "Keep this
commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,” His
epiphaneia, "in which He will manifest in His times." His times follow His appearing.
His times are when He is ruling the earth. "He is the blessed only Potentate, the King
of kings, the Lord of lords,” notice, “He alone has immortality,” and the meaning
is, He alone has immortality to give. There is no other source of eternal life. There
is no other way to attain eternal life than to receive it through Jesus Christ, the King
of kings and Lord of lords. And this is spoken of here in the context of when, in His times,
when He is ruling here on the earth. Notice, "He dwells in unapproachable light, which
no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen." So He has immortality
to give to men. And when Jesus Christ reigns on the earth, He will have immortality to
give. Now, let's go over to Matthew 16:5. I'm just
giving some background understanding here before we actually get into some of the prophecies
and indications about how God is going to do things during the Millennium. It's very
important because sometimes your children will ask, "Well, what if I am not old enough?
What if I'm not qualified? What if I live on into the Millennium, you know, how will
I be added to God's Kingdom?" That question has been added a great deal or talked about
a great deal. Matthew 16, beginning in verse 5, "When the disciples had come to the other
side, they have forgotten to take bread." You recall the account, they rent a boat,
got in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and went to the other side, and they forgot to
take their lunch bucket. “Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.’ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ’It
is because we have taken no bread.’” “We forgot to bring our bag of lunch or loaves
of bread, and so that's why Christ asked us this.” “But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them,
‘O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought
no bread? Do you not yet understand, [or remember] the five loaves of the five thousand and how
many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of four thousand and how many large baskets
you took up? Or how is it you do not understand that I do not speak to you concerning bread?
— but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees’" He said, there is something
to understand in the message of how many baskets of fragments were taken up. That's kind of
a strange analogy. I mean, baskets of fragments. You've got these fragments of bread and dried
fish, and just kind of like these takeout box as I guess at a restaurant. Well, back
then they had big baskets of it. But He told the disciples, "Don't you understand the meaning
of those baskets of fragments?" Well, let's try to understand them. And let's go back first to Mark 8, beginning
in verse 1. Mark 8, this is the account of the seven loaves and seven baskets left over.
"In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His
disciples to Him and said to them, 'I have compassion on the multitude, because they
have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.'" So they had run out
of the food they had brought and the multitude that was following Jesus Christ was hungry.
"I have compassion on them," verse 3, “'And if I send them away hungry to their own houses,
they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from very far.’ Then His disciples
answered and said, ‘Well, how can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?’
He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ And they said, ‘Seven.’” "So He commanded the multitudes to sit down
on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to the
disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. And they had a
few small fish; and having blessed them, He set them aside before them. And they ate and
were filled,” all the thousands of people, “and they took up seven large baskets of
left over fragments." And He mentioned that there were about 4,000 that had eaten and
He sent them away. So we have seven baskets left over. Now, what is the meaning of a basket
of scrap food or leftover food, what's called leftovers? It's called something that will
be eaten later or something that will be used later. And so what we have are these seven
loaves that, you know, in the Pentecost offering was the offering that typifies the Church,
the firstfruits of God. And those loaves are leaven, just like these
loaves were. And those loves that were given to God as an offering on Pentecost are used
to represent converted people, people who are going to be in God's Kingdom but still
have, you know, some of our own human nature and sin with us. Although we've been forgiven,
we are considered as leavened in this life. So they took up the seven loaves and they
went to, I guess, back home somewhere else. But this was in an area of Israel, of Judea.
This was not in an area where they had a Gentile area. So in the time when He fed these thousands,
there were seven baskets taken up in the land of Judah, and the baskets came from food that
the disciples had. The best conclusion I think we can make is these baskets represent the
seven church areas. The seven church areas that would come in succession as time went
by the next 2000 years. And they came from the teaching of these disciples. Let's go now to, well, here Mark 8. Let's
drop down a little bit farther. I want to look at a couple verses here. In verse 14,
"The disciples had forgotten to take bread, they did not have any more than one loaf with
them in the boat. And He charged them, saying, ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘It
is because we have no bread.’ Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, ‘Why do you reason
because you have no bread? Do you not perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?
Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?
When I broke the five loaves of the five thousand, how many baskets you took up?’ And they
said, ‘Twelve.’ ‘When I broke the seven and the four thousand, how many large baskets
of fragments you take up?’ And they said, ‘Seven.’ And he said, "How is it you do
not understand?’" So there's something here to understand, essentially
it's this, that the 7 church areas came from baskets of fragments given in Judah and the
12 happens to be in a Gentile area, but that occurrence took place over across the area.
Let's all go over to John 6. They actually crossed over to an area of the Gentiles and
that occurrence of 12 baskets may have been Jesus Christ's way of telling them something
about the Millennium or the future, that the tribes of Israel or the times when Israel
would be bringing the gospel to all the world, when the tribes of Israel would be an example
for all the earth may have been the example He was trying to talk about. John 6:1, we
understand this as being the bread of life chapter. "After these things Jesus went over
the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias." So He went to the East. He crossed over into
an area that was not part of Israel, not part of Judah. "He went up on the mountain, and there He
sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, feast of the Jews, was near. He lifted up
His eyes, seeing a great multitude coming towards Him, He said to Philip, 'Where shall
we buy bread, that we may eat?’… He said to Him, ‘Well, we don't know. Two hundred
denarii worth of bread is not sufficient to feed these people.’" Verse 8, "One of His
disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, 'There's a lad here who has five
barley loaves and two small fish, what are they among so many?’" This fish came and
these barley loaves came from this lad, not from the disciples. “So Jesus said, ‘Make
the people sit down.’… He took the loaves when He had given thanks He distributed to
the disciples, and those sitting down; and when they were finished," verse 13, "They
gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves
which were left over from those who had eaten." So the 12 loaves came from a Gentile area
and the significance that Christ said we ought to understand, the difference between the
seven loaves or the seven baskets that were taken up in the land of Judah and the 12 baskets
of fragments taken up in the land of the Gennesaret or over across the area of the Samaritans,
there's a lesson there perhaps telling us that there would be a larger harvest for all
the Gentiles, that the final harvest in the future, the leftovers that would take place
in the future teaching, the future harvest of people, would be larger because it would
involve the Gentiles, not just Israel. Drop down to verse 24. "When the people therefore
saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they got into boats and came to Capernaum,
seeking Him. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, 'Rabbi,
when did You come here?' And He said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me
not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and are filled with bread.’" And He begins to talk to them about the importance
of laboring for spiritual food, not physical. And it's true we are here enjoying physical
food, but let's focus on the spiritual food more and more as the time goes on. We can
gorge ourselves on physical food, make ourselves feel miserable the rest of the Feast, but
we can't gorge ourselves, I don't think, too much on spiritual food if we do it, of course,
in the right way. Verse 27, "Don't labor for the food which perishes, but for the food
which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the
Father has set His seal on Him." And He's really talking about Gentiles, that God is
someday going to give them or offer them everlasting life because God the Father has set His seal
on Jesus Christ and that was part of the commission. “And they said to Him, ‘What shall we
do, that we may work the works of God?’" So what's the formula? How can we do this?
How can we please God? How can we obtain eternal life? “Jesus answered and said, ‘This
is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Believe in the King that's
going to rule. The Millennium time will be here at His presence. "Therefore they said to Him, 'What sign will
You perform to them, that we may see it and believe? What work will You do? Our fathers
ate manna in the desert; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’
And Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread
from heaven, but My Father gives you true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is
He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'" So these baskets of fragments
represented true bread that was going to someday give life to the world. And then in the next
section, He says the phrase "Comes to Me" three times. Three is a message of finality.
Jesus Christ was tempted three times by Satan. There are three temptations of a number of
people in God's Word. And the Song of Solomon, the woman who's betrothed to her beloved is
tempted three times by Solomon, three different ways. She turns him down so she succeeds in
the marriage to her betrothed at the end. Paul said three times he besought God for
an answer, or at least the healing from his affliction of his eyes. So three is kind of a statement of finality.
Three times Jesus Christ told Peter, "Feed my sheep." Here He says three times, "He that
comes to Me… I am the bread of life, he who comes to Me shall never hunger, he who
believes on Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not
believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me, I
will in by no means cast out." So coming to Jesus Christ means God the Father is causing
that to happen. "All the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I
will no means cast out." So He says, "I have not come down from heaven to do my own will,
but the will of the Father who sent Me." Verse 39, I think, is important too. "This is the
will of the Father who sent Me, all He has given Me, I should lose nothing, but I should
raise it up the last day." So this bread of life symbolizes real life
being given to people. I do want to finish over in Matthew 19 with this section. Did
the disciples understand the connection with the 12 baskets left over? There's a little
indication, perhaps they did also, perhaps that they did not. But He does tell them this
here, not long after that event. In verse 28, "Jesus says to them," in Matthew 19, "Assuredly
I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory,
you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of Israel." Now when He preached to the Gentiles there were 12 baskets of fragments left over,
food to be given later. So perhaps there is a connection between them ruling these disciples
who will someday rule the repatriated or reestablished tribes of Israel in that land and they will
then be used as an example for all the earth, a way for people to come to God and to learn
His way of life because the waters cover the seabeds now like the earth is someday going
to be covered with God's truth. Now I want to go over to Acts 1. God does
things the same way in the same order oftentimes. In the way that the gospel was preached to
the world after Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, that same pattern is going to be followed
again. Now when Jesus Christ returns, He will start not only in the same city but in the
same location on top of the same hill to preach the gospel to the world again and it will
go forth as it did the first time. In Acts 1:8 says, "You shall receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me" and notice this, "in Jerusalem,
in Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth." We have the accounts of how
that happened as this book of Acts continues, that the Holy Spirit was given on the day
of Pentecost in 31 A.D. with the sound of that rushing mighty wind, and little tongues
of fire, part of the Shekhina, glory of God actually sitting on the heads of those men. And they preached in that temple there, the
temple that had been kind of a replica of Solomon's temple but had been built by Herod
after being somewhat rebuilt during Ezra and Nehemiah's time. But we have the Church beginning
and the gospel going forth beginning in Jerusalem. Then it spread out to Judea and Samaria. It
was spread out partially because of persecution, partly simply because of the travels of the
disciples of Jesus Christ. And, finally, they were scattered to all the earth. Again, partly
because of persecution and partly because of their travels. But when Jesus Christ returns,
He is going to teach the world the truth in the same way. It is going to begin in Jerusalem,
the very temple mount where it began many years ago. And then it will expand out to
Judea and Samaria and then to all the earth. I want to look at what the Bible says about
these three things, these three locations, and the prophecies about them and perhaps
we'll have time to get through that today and then we'll pick up tomorrow where we left
off. To begin with Jerusalem. First, let's go to 2 Chronicles 33, 2 Chronicles
33. It's important to understand God makes choices. If you were to make a list of things
in the Bible that God says He chose, what would the list be? Well, I think you could
say God said He chose Abraham, then God chose Isaac and rejected his brother for the blessing.
Jacob was chosen. Esau was rejected. God chose David. But God also chose Jerusalem. Very
specifically He says He chose Jerusalem. Later, God chose Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said,
"You didn't choose Me, I chose you… you should bring forth fruit." So the last thing
God chose was us. He began by choosing Abraham. Before that, perhaps even the lineage of Noah.
He doesn't say He chose Noah, He does say very clearly, "I chose Abraham." But when
the Millennium begins, it begins with the establishing of a city of righteousness. 2
Chronicles 33:7, breaking into the thought here about Solomon, "He set a carved image
up, the idol of which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David
and to Solomon his son, 'In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all
the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;’" So God chose Israel and he chose the descendants
of Abraham. He chose the descendants of Jacob, but He
only chose one tribe to house the headquarters building or the temple, and that was Judah.
And He chose one family to rule and sit on that throne of Israel, which was David. But
of all the cities in the world, He says, "I have chosen Jerusalem and there “I will
[appoint or] put My name forever." So we have Him choosing Jerusalem. And the question is
why? Let's go to Psalm 132. Psalm 132:13, now if we've been to Jerusalem, many of us
have traveled over there, some several times, I kind of wonder why are they fighting over
this bunch of rock? It certainly is not as attractive as it used to be or as glorious
and attractive as it is going to be. I spent the summer of 1974 there on the dig. And that
was only about eight months after the Yom Kippur War of the fall of 1973. And things
were very different than they are today. And we went back a few years ago, my wife and
I on a tour, and just the amount of people that have moved in, and the feeling of just
being under siege the whole time you were there was much different. I would say it has
not gotten better. It's gotten much worse in many ways. And, of course, there's the tension, the political
tension, the barbed wire, the walls, the armed soldiers, and all of those, you know, various
groups going around that we know hate each other and would like to kill each other off.
But Jerusalem is going to be transformed. In Psalm 132:13, it says, "The Lord has chosen
Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever;’”
it's going to be where God lives forever. It is the house of God for all times. “There
I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy
her port with bread. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout
aloud for joy." One of many indications in the Psalms, perhaps the greatest book of prophecy
in the Bible, and we tend to think of Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel as being great books
of prophecy. But Psalms, I think, has perhaps some of the most incisive and specific prophecies
of all. For proof of that, read the first two chapters of Hebrews where Paul writes
or sites eight different Psalms to tell you all about Jesus Christ, who He was and how
it relates to God the Father and what His purpose is. And those are all prophecies from
the Psalms. Psalms say here very clearly that the priests
in Jerusalem will be clothed with salvation. Her saints there shall shout aloud for joy.
So there'll be saints in Jerusalem shouting aloud for joy. And what causes people to shout
aloud for joy? Well, it's because they receive salvation. They are now going to be part of
God's family forever. We'll continue in that theme off and on as you will see. Psalm 50.
Let's go over to Psalm 50. Back at the number of Psalms. We're going to be going through
a lot of the Psalms during the study because so many of them do talk about the Millennium
and they are written in advance about conditions in the Millennium. Many of them, 10 of the
Psalms are simply conversations about between God the Father and Jesus Christ and the Word,
the one that became Jesus Christ. And they tell us quite a bit about the Millennium,
the Lord eternal reigns and many, many others that we sing about. Psalm 50:1, "The Mighty
One, God the Lord, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to going
down. Out of Zion,” so He calls out of Zion, the Psalm is set in the future when God is
calling out of Zion. He says, "God will shine forth." So God will be in Zion shining forth. "Our
God shall come, and shall not keep silent;” this Psalm is about the advent, the return
of Jesus Christ, the parousia, His presence. “A fire shall devour before Him." You've
probably read some of these verses like them on the Day of Trumpets, "it shall be very
tempestuous all about Him," so the return of Christ is going to be a battle, the third
woe that is going to be tremendous destruction around Jerusalem and then that city can be
rebuilt in the way God wants it to be done. "He shall call to the heavens from above,
and to the earth, that He may judge His people." So here we have a prophecy that Jerusalem
is going to be a place of judgment. And part of that judgment takes place when Christ returns.
Verse 5, "Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by
sacrifice." Well, we've all done that, the sacrifice is the Passover. And every year
when you keep the Passover and partake of those emblems of bread and wine, you are doing
this. You are commemorating the day when the saints are going to be gathered together because
we have made a covenant with Jesus Christ, with God the Father, by sacrifice, by His
sacrifice, and by us in return becoming a living sacrifice. "Let the heavens declare
His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge." So this verse tells us that God is in Jerusalem,
that He's judging, that when He returns His saints are going to be gathered together with
Him there. And then He says in verse 7, "Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, I
will testify against you; for I am God, your God! I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me." So He's mentioning here that they
are going to have to learn a different way of worshiping God. And in Jerusalem He's going
to have a different system setup than the one they had been practicing before they became
corrupt. Let's drop down to verse 22, "Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I
tear you in pieces, and there'll be none to deliver." It'll be nice if that verse were
broadcast over the T.V. and radio and before every movie that was played. I don't think
that's going to happen because we have the entertainment industry that's rejected and
forgotten God and the society that has certainly followed in that pathway far too long. He
says, "Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; to him who orders his conduct aright I will
show the salvation of God." So the Psalm begins with God being in Jerusalem,
the saints gathering together, then a lecture to the physical tribes of Israel about how
they were worshiping God the wrong way. Then God's telling the wicked, "You have no right
to declare My statutes." But then at the end, He says, "To him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God." Now show the salvation doesn't just mean you hold up
a picture, "This is what salvation look like." No, it means He will offer or give the salvation
of God to them. So in this context of this God ruling in Jerusalem, there will be salvation
offered to people who order their conduct right. I want to go to Revelation 14. Revelation
14, we'll be beginning in verse 1. Again, we're still talking about Jerusalem and we're
still talking about Jerusalem as the beginning location of how the message of God, the message
of salvation, will be brought to all the world during the time of Christ's perousia or His
presence. Revelation 14, "I looked, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with
Him, one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their
foreheads." So John envision, sees these 144,000 beings
standing with the lamb, the one he knows was the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, return on Mount
Zion in Jerusalem. "I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters,” so a very
loud, thunderous voice, "and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of
harpists playing their harps. And they sang as it were a new song before the throne,”
so there is a throne in Jerusalem, and there is singing before the throne, "before the
four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one
hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed of the earth." Maybe an indication of the
song of Moses, just that it's prophesied to be sung later, but it does mention here in
verse 4, "These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins."
He's talking, spiritually speaking, in false doctrines or false churches as typified by
women. "These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed
from among men, being firstfruits to God and the Lamb. In their mouth was found no deceit,
for they are without fault” meaning they are forgiven, "before the throne of God." And so Jerusalem starts with the core of believers,
a core of those who become part of the family of God when Jesus Christ returns. And we could
talk a long time about the 144,000. Is that an all-inclusive number? There are indications
that it's not, but certainly, that's what is recorded for us here in Revelation 14.
So we have this great city that is going to be the beginning of the great change. And
the great change will go out to all the earth just like a large rock thrown in the pond
with the ripples going out to the ends of the pond. Let's go back to Matthew 5:35, Jesus
Christ called Jerusalem “the city of the great king." He said that city, essentially
what His implication is, is that city is the place where the great King will rule all the
earth. Matthew 5:35. Right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, He says, “[Don't
swear] by the earth, for it is God's footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the
great King." Now at that point, there was a descendant
of Herod who was a quasi-king of Judea, but it wasn't Herod the Great Herod the Great
died after Jesus Christ was born. And, of course, his kingdom was divided up in about
four or five different pieces. Jerusalem was not the seat of the great or the omnipotent
King at that time. It was the seat of vassal kings and Roman governors like Pilate. It
was not the city of the great King, but Christ spoke of it as if it was. He said, "It is
the city of the great King so don't swear by Jerusalem." He's really talking about a
time in the future when this will be fulfilled when Jerusalem will fulfill its purpose that
God chose it for which is to be the city of the great King, the King that will be ruling
the earth. Now let's go back to Psalm 48. We've established that Jerusalem is going
to be the center of the earth. And that is where the beginning of the salvation truth
of God will be caught and then scatter out, spread out throughout all the earth. It's
the beginning in Psalm 48:1 says, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the
city of our God, in His holy mountain." So Jesus Christ, the one ruling the earth in
the city of our God. We just read that Jerusalem is the city of the great King and that God
chose Jerusalem. "In His holy mountain," the mountain called Mount Moriah or Mount Zion,
“Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth,” now that is going to be a
huge change. Today it is a heavy burden for all the earth. I don't know how many of you saw the speeches
at the United Nations recently by President Trump and then Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Netanyahu
spoke first, and when he walked into that auditorium in New York, bought and paid for
by American tax dollars, over half of the audience left, all the delegates from all
the various Middle Eastern countries and other places that are, I suppose, of like mind.
So Mr. Netanyahu was speaking to a room that was two-thirds empty, and yet he gave a very
profound speech filled with truth. Mr. Trump came in an hour later, and if you see the
videos, there’s standing room only. You couldn't have gotten one more person on, I
believe, in that room. They all wanted to hear what he had to say. But I have to say
I was proud of him for at least complimenting Mr. Netanyahu and sort of reinforcing some
of what he had said. But the bottom line here is it does illustrate that Jerusalem is a
heavy burden today. Everybody would like to be rid of that city that three different groups
are fighting over, and certainly has been the focus of nations like Iran and Egypt and
certainly other Arab nations ever since 1948 and, in fact, going on earlier than that,
and the early Zionist movement in the 1880s. So Jerusalem is not the joy of the whole earth.
Jerusalem is like the cold sore of the whole earth, just keeps coming back causing problems.
It is going to be changed. When Jesus Christ returns, it's going to be transformed into
the real joy of the whole earth. And there's a reason for that. You don't just call it,
"joy of the earth." The reason is because of who's ruling there and what He is offering.
Notice, "Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." This is
what Christ quoted in the Sermon on the Mount. "God is in her palaces; He is known as her
refuge." He is known as the place people can go for refuge. "Behold, the kings assembled,
they pass by." So the kings of the earth pass by and pay homage and give honor to Jesus
Christ in Jerusalem. "They saw. and they marveled; they were troubled, and they hastened away.
Fear took hold of them, as pain as of a woman in birth pangs,” so if this is what's occurring
at the beginning of the Millennium, they come and see what is really going on in Jerusalem,
and they all said and get scared and say, "We better start behaving." And so they take
off towards home and perhaps are a little more teachable. "As when You break the ships
of Tarshish with an east wind. As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the
Lord of hosts, in the city of our God:” that's Jerusalem. "God will establish it forever.”
It will not be temporary. It will not be part. It will be established forever. And verse 9 tells us, "We have thought, O
God, on Your lovingkindness, in the midst of Your temple." So there is a lovingkindness
that emits from the temple of God where the God of all the earth is ruling and all the
earth eventually begins to understand it. Let's go over now to Psalm 52… I'm sorry,
Isaiah 52. I can't leave Isaiah out and we're talking about the Millennium. So Isaiah 52,
let's begin in verse 1. In this chapter, Isaiah tells us that all nations will come to see
that Jerusalem is the place of salvation. That there is a God ruling there that offers
not only physical blessings, protection, rain in due season, all sorts of other great blessings,
health, He also offers eternal life. Isaiah 52, beginning in verse 1, "Awake, awake! Put
on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For
the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you." Now it's very important that you write that
down or at least make a mental note because we'll refer to it several more times as we
get further into this discussion into the study. That Jerusalem will not be a place
of sinners, of spiritually uncircumcised or unclean. That to be allowed to come to Jerusalem
or come to the temple, a person will have to be wearing white linen garments, spiritually
speaking. And as we look at other verses about those who are called to come to Jerusalem
or as one of the psalmists says, I think it's Asaph, going up to Jerusalem, and we'll talk
about the steps of going up there tomorrow, they have this statement that "The uncircumcised
and the unclean shall no longer come to you." So during the Millennium Jerusalem is going
to be a city of righteousness and righteousness only. Shake yourself from the dust, arise.
Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter
of Zion!” Daughter of Zion often refers to the Church, those in the first resurrection.
I think that's pretty well understood by us. "For thus says the Lord: 'You have sold yourselves
for nothing, you shall be redeemed without money.' Thus says the Lord, 'My people went
down at first into Egypt to dwell down there;’" And He says, “…My people are taken away
for nothing?” We can kind of skip there part of verse 4, "'The Assyrian oppressed
them without cause. Now therefore, what have I here,’ says the Lord, 'My people are taken
away for nothing? Those who rule over them make them wail,' says the Lord." True today,
but certainly was true back when they were in captivity. "My name is lasting continually
every day. Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore they shall know in that
day that I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.’" So one of the first things that has to happen
is that the people of Israel, the physical people who are reestablished in the Middle
East, in their former estates, will have to learn that Jesus Christ, that their God is
ruling in Jerusalem and that they have to change. They're going to have to learn His
name. They're going to have to understand, “'Behold, it is I.’ How beautiful upon
the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings
glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation,” so there's going to be somebody
up on the mountains who proclaims good tidings, who proclaims peace, and proclaim salvation,
“who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’" This announcement might be made by an angel.
It might be made by resurrected spirit beings who are now part of the God family. Doesn't
say exactly who says this. Paul does eventually in the book of Romans,
quote this thought about, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel."
But someone will proclaim, now we have peace. Now we have good things. Now there is salvation
available and it says to Zion, “'Your God reigns!’ Your watchman shall lift up their
voices, with their voices, they shall sing together; for they shall see eye to eye when
the Lord brings back Zion.” When Zion is then restored. “Break forth into joy, sing
together, you waste places of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people. He has
redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has made bare His holy arm” He showed His strength to
defeat Satan the devil and all of Satan's minions when He returned. "The Lord has made
bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation
of God." What this is really saying is He's going to be in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is restored,
rebuilt, an example for all the earth to see. God's power will be demonstrated. And all
the ends of the earth are going to see that salvation is in Jerusalem, the salvation of
God, "Those who bring glad tidings and say to the city of Zion, 'Your God reigns!’" So we have here in Psalm… I'm sorry, Isaiah
52, that other nations are going to have to learn to look to Jerusalem. That Jerusalem
will be the place where the King reigns, where peace comes from, where truth comes from,
where the true members of the firstfruits of the God family come from, and teach and
they're going to have to learn that is the focus of where they can attain salvation.
Let's go over to Isaiah now, chapter 61. Isaiah 61 is a very interesting chapter. Kind of
describes how the Gentiles are going to begin to understand, sort of like plants springing
up in the springtime as the rains come and the weather begins to warm with the sun. That
nations are going to begin to understand God's plan. They're going to begin to understand
the evil of how they've been living. Nations that have lived in gross idolatry and complete
paganism are going to have to learn very gradually the truth about God and what God is teaching. But Isaiah 61 says, "The Spirit of the Lord
God is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; and has
sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,” We all understand
that in the Gospels, it's recorded. Jesus Christ quoted this in His home synagogue in
Capernaum, when he went there, Capernaum and Nazareth, which are very close to each other.
He walked into the synagogue and read this verse down to the point about the acceptable
year of the Lord, middle part of verse 2. He did not talk about the day of vengeance
because it was not the day of vengeance. It was not time to announce that in 27 A.D. But
“To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that
they may be called trees of righteousness,” so He's starting with restoring the people
of Zion, the people of Jerusalem. Verse 4 says, "They shall rebuild the old ruins, they
shall raise up the former desolations, they shall repair ruined cities,” so they can
begin to rebuild and repair beginning in Jerusalem, “the desolations of many generations. And
strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner shall be your
plowman and your vinedresser." It doesn't mean the people of Israel all of a sudden
have slaves. What it means is foreigners from other nations
are going to come and say, "Teach us how to obey God. Teach us God's laws. Teach us how
to live a life that is not based on idolatry or on Satan's ways." So strangers are going
to come and just observe. Israel will finally fulfill its purpose to be an example for all
other nations. Verse 6 says, "You shall be named the priests of the Lord, and they shall
call you the servants of our God.” So the Gentile nations surrounding not only Jerusalem
but then the places of Israel and all the areas around about the earth shall come to
understand and “they shall call” the people of Israel “the servants of our God.” Because
they are going to be servants of God. It says, "You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
in their glory, you shall boast.” Indicating that as they grow spiritually, those who are
preaching the good news and are teaching about God are going to be boasting about how good
it is that the world is changing, that they're learning to obey God instead of their former
idolatry. "Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,” you're talking about
Christians who were persecuted during the time of the beast’s domination of the earth.
You're talking about physical Jews who were persecuted, but they are now part of a physical
nation that's truly worshiping God the right way. Perhaps it means both. We'll have to
wait and see how that works out. It says, "Therefore in their land they shall
possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs." Fantastic prophecy about a land in a region
that is suffering and has suffered so much down through the centuries. Verse 8, "I, the
Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth,”
so instead of rejected offerings, selfishness, corrupted justice, God says, "I will direct
their work in truth, I will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants
shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among all the people. All who see
them shall acknowledge them, that they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed."
What a fabulous title. What a fabulous description of how the rest of the world will see these
physical people who've been brought back to Jerusalem, brought back to their old estates,
between the two rivers, the Nile and the Euphrates. And they were then going to be the prosperity
or the posterity whom God has blessed. They then rejoice, verse 10 down to verse 11, "I'll
greatly rejoice in my Lord, my soul shall be joyful in God; He has clothed me with the
garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness." So this chapter, Isaiah 61, talks about a
time when people will be clothed with righteousness and the garments of salvation. Doesn't just
mean clothes, it means they are turned to spirit being and they have eternal life. It
says, "As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and a bright adorns herself with
jewels. The earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown
in it to spring forth, the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before
all the nations." So during this thousand-year period, the ruling God will cause righteousness
to spring forth before all the nations or throughout all the nations. But there's a
process in a way and location that has indicated as to how this takes place. So we've covered
Jerusalem, not thoroughly. There are many other verses, many other prophecies. You can
spend time studying about the role of Jerusalem during the Millennium. It would be a very
beneficial and rewarding Bible study. But now the second step, recall Acts 1:8, the
disciples will begin in Jerusalem and then proceed to the area of Judea and Samaria,
the area that was physically Israel for all of those years. That area will become an example
for all the world to see how nations should operate, how people should treat each other,
how governments should be established, and what kind of religion, what kind of God should
be worshipped. Let's go to Isaiah 11, we'll begin in verse
11. We read so much about this verse and we read it often, this chapter, especially verse
9, "And they shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall
be full of the knowledge of Lord as the waters cover the sea." It then changes subject somewhat.
And Isaiah gives us a glimpse into the future of how these physical people who have been
dispersed all over the earth “sifted as in a sieve,” as one of the prophecies mentions,
and yet God is going to set His hand to bring them back. How much time this might take?
Who knows? Maybe months, maybe weeks, maybe a year. I don't think it's going to take a
year but certainly, it will take some time. In verse 10 of Isaiah 11, "In that day there
shall be a Descendant of Jesse,” of course, that's Jesus Christ. He was a descendant of
Jesse, who was the father of David, "Who shall stand as a banner to the people;” He shall
stand as like up on a mountain, a banner or a monument or something, for all the peoples
of the earth to focus on. No longer will they have false idols, or other banners, they will
have one true person or being to worship, a banner for all the people. "For the Gentiles
shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious." So the purpose of what he's writing about
here is to show how the Gentiles are going to be brought into a place of seeking this
banner, this God who will be in Jerusalem as the focus of all the earth. Verse 11, "And
it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand the second time to
recover the remnant of His people who are left,” the first time was when Ezra and
Nehemiah brought a small percentage. Of course, Joshua and Zerubbabel first and then later
the other two that we know more about, brought them back from the east, back from the area
of Babylon and Persia where they had been in prison. This is the second time that they're
going to be recovered, only this time it's a much, much larger number and from a very
wide area, much larger area, the entire earth. "People from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros,
and Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up
a banner for the nations,” in other words, an example for the nations "He will assemble
the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners
of the earth. Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall
be cut off;” s o Judah and Ephraim will be gathered together as one. It will be 12
tribes, one nation, not 2 tribes in 10 as two nations. It says Ephraim shall not envy Judah. They
shall be together when they are brought back. It will be a united Kingdom as it was the
first time under King David because King David will be king again. Verse 14, "And they shall
fly down the shoulder of the Philistines to the west; together, they shall plunder the
people of the East;” so when they come back, they're going to displace other people. And
those people will be given their own lands. They'll be given places where God wants them
to live. But the Israelites alone will inhabit the place, the land that God gave to the descendants
of Jacob. Verse 15, "The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt;”
so Egypt will no longer be as powerful and as you might say, as perhaps as irritating
as they've been over the years, but as much of an enemy. But it says, there will be a
“mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River," apparently the Nile, "and strike
it into seven streams, and make men cross over dryshod.” Indicating that these Israelites
are going to walk back all the way to Israel. “There will be a highway for the remnant
of His people that will be left from Assyria, as it was for Israel in the day when he came
up from the land of Egypt." Some have postulated that might mean, you
know, a highway that cuts the Mediterranean Sea in half so people could walk on land from
Europe all the way down to Jerusalem. We'll wait and see how God works that out. But it
does say that those who are scattered from Assyria and beyond will be brought back to
Israel in a very special way. So we have these nations are going to be seeing Israel brought
back. In fact, it's going to be very visible. Let's go over to Zechariah 10:6. Zechariah
10:6, one of a number of prophecies about this nation that is going to be the example
for all the earth and they will be the first ones to understand salvation. They'll be the
first ones to be offered this New Covenant from God to have that covering over their
eyes removed, so they can then be an example for how people on the earth are going to someday
become part of the family of God. Zechariah 10:6, "I will strengthen the house of Judah,
I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back,” very simple, very plain, very
straightforward. The people of Judah and the house of Joseph
are going to be brought back. We just read about the enmity between Ephraim and Judah
being removed, "because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them
aside;” very well reestablished, as if they had never left the Promised Land. "For I am
the Lord their God, I will hear them. Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and
their heart shall rejoice as if with wine." They'll be very glad, and very excited, very
thrilled. "And their children shall see it and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in
the Lord. I will whistle for them and gather them,” so He'll gather them as if He's blowing
the whistle and calling them to Him, "and they shall increase as they once increased.”
They shall have many children. They shall have many babies. They shall increase in that
land as they once increased. And looking at the numbers of the size of Israel's armies
and the populations in which they were numbered, it's amazing how that nation grew from one
family to be so large. In verse 9 He says, "I will sow them among the peoples, and they
shall remember Me in far countries;” so they'll be scattered. They'll be like seed
sowed out in the wind. "They shall live, together with their children,
and then they shall return. I will bring them back from the land of Egypt, and gather them
from Assyria.” Even as Isaiah 11 said. "I'll bring them into the land of Gilead and of
Lebanon, until no more room is found for them." So they will fill up the Promised Land as
they migrate back to their former possessions, but first, of course, they have to be told
who they are because most have lost the knowledge of that identity. "He shall pass through the
sea with affliction, and strike the waves of the sea: and the depths of the River shall
dry up. And the pride of Assyria will be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart."
And so these people that are brought across this land to reestablish the Land of Israel
are going to be an example for all the earth to see. The Egyptians will see them, the Assyrians
and others. It says in verse 12, “'I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall
walk up and down in His name,’ says The Lord.” They shall learn to live by the name
of the Lord and what God wants them to do. They'll begin to learn the way of life that
God had ordained for them and they had turned away from. Now let's go back to Amos 9. Amos 9 and beginning
in verse 8. Amos also talks about the reestablishing of Judah and Israel during that time. So we
may have to stop here. So I may have to see if I can have a third sermon on next Tuesday
because I'm just not going to cover all this at all. But we'll see if we can do it. You
know, there aren't any interpreters here, so I don't have to worry about anybody passing
out if we decided to go faster. I'm just kidding, I wouldn't do that. We want you to understand
that even if we have to leave a few things out. Amos 9 beginning in verse 8, "Behold,
the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, [He] will destroy it from the face
of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob.” During all the great
tribulation and the plagues that are coming, the house of Jacob will survive. A remnant
will survive. Much of the earth will die but there will be Israelites all over the earth.
"For surely I will command, and will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as
a grain is sifted in a sieve; yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground."
All 12 tribes will be well represented when these people return back to the Middle East.
"All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘The calamity shall
not overtake us.’" So those who were basically overconfident,
God says they are going to die. "But on that day, I will raise up the tabernacle of David,
which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I'll raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as
in the days of old;” so David's palace, the temple, are all going to be rebuilt as
in the days of old. “‘And they'll possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles
who are called by My name,’ says the Lord who does this thing." So God says, He is going
to allow the Gentiles then to learn to call Him by His name. And they have the Gentiles
call by His name because that word is going to go out from Jerusalem in Judea. So tomorrow
we will talk about all the earth, that third category, and then we're going to be talking
about what it means to be going up to Jerusalem and how that is described as a way of attaining
salvation in the Millennium.
