Are You Prepared to Worship and Celebrate the King?

So, I'm going to begin with a question. Are you getting ready to celebrate and worship the king? I don't mean just any king, but the king of kings and the Lord of lords. The coming week, this coming week, we're going to begin to rejoice in the knowledge of the return of Jesus Christ, beginning with the festival of trumpets.

And during these fall holy days together, we're going to review the return of Jesus Christ, the imprisonment of Satan, the establishment of the 1,000-year millennium of Jesus Christ, in a great white throne judgment, when billions upon billions of people will be resurrected again to life. How many people on earth understand the good news and what God has planned for this world?

You do. So again, are you getting ready to celebrate and worship the king? That's what I'd like to talk about today. Let's begin by going to Zechariah chapter 14. If you'll turn there with me, Zechariah chapter 14. And we'll just read a couple of verses here, beginning in verse 16. In context, this is after Jesus Christ has returned and destroyed all the nations that opposed his rule.

Zechariah 14.16, And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the king. Brethren, we don't have to wait for the return of Jesus Christ. Beginning this Tuesday, and through a series of God's Holy Day plan, each one of us have the opportunity to worship the king, the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the feast to tabernacles. When we attend Sabbath or Holy Day services, we leave our life behind, our home, our work, our hobbies, our activities, our interest to submit to God and to honor Almighty God. And that's what these fall Holy Days are all about.

These Holy Days are set aside as a time to honor and worship God's awesome splendor. Are you getting ready to celebrate and worship the king? The upcoming Holy Days picture a time when everyone from all nations of the earth will stop what they're doing, and during God's appointed times will come and worship Him and pay respect and reverence to the Almighty God, who someday will bring peace and prosperity to everyone living in every nation on earth, a loving God who will end hunger, violence, poverty, disease, depression, addictions, and thankfully, dysfunctional human governments and politics.

I know the last few weeks have been very difficult for some of us, and it's been very difficult for the nation. But I'd like to step back in time a little bit. Before we order an adult pacifier from Amazon, before we start petting our emotional support animals, I'd like to talk to you about a time period in which I lived. The beautiful thing about almost being as old as Mark Graham is that you have become a living fossil, and through the experience of your time, you can now process new events through the experience of your past life, through all that you've seen in your lifetime.

So before we get a little overwhelmed with the tragedy, absolute tragedy that's happened in this nation the last few weeks, I'd like to talk to you just quickly, recap some events of an 11-year period of my life in which most of you were not yet born. From my age of around 10 to age 21. This was the time when I was growing up, obviously my teenage years. Near the latter part of that, I came into the church.

I met my beautiful wife, and we were married. This is about the years of 1963 to 1974, and again, I'd like to just quickly mention this to put this in context to what we've been experiencing the last few weeks. So President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. That's where I will begin. The pictures were graphic. Still photos were available that shows his brain matter on his wife's dress and on the car. Very graphic. Two days later, while I'm sitting cross-legged in front of my black and white TV on Sunday morning, a gangster known as Jack Ruby shows up and shot the assassination on live television, shot the man who assassinated President Kennedy.

He was a two-bit gangster. That was pretty graphic to sit there and watch on live TV, a man being shot in the gut, and he tore all of his major organs, and he hemorrhaged, and he bled out, and he died one o'clock that afternoon. Around this time, the Vietnam War was escalating in the early 1960s.

We had American troops peaking at 500,000 soldiers in 1968, and the war was tragic. And eventually, most Americans turned against the war. What a tremendous waste of human life, not with our soldiers, but the poor folks that lived in Vietnam as well.

This was leading to campus riots that experienced widespread protests between the mid-1960s and the early 1970s. And these protests weren't like the kids today who were protesting looking at their tablets and trimming their toenails. These were real protests. They weren't just taking over a building. They took over entire college campuses. Every building on those college campuses, they kidnapped administrators in those college campuses and held them hostage.

The man who replaced President Kennedy was President Johnson, and his popularity turned so bad that he declined another term in office, and he announced that on March 31st, 1968. Just a few days later, Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. That was a tragic and terrible event for the nation. This caused riots that spread to more than 100 cities across the United States. Not a few lunatics in Washington State. Across the entire United States, these riots occurred. There were over 40 deaths, 3,500 injuries, and 27,000 arrests due to the riots with the assassination of Dr. King. Then, a few months later, Robert Kennedy was assassinated on June 5th, 1968, shortly after winning the California primary election. All polls showed that he would be the next president. And that was pretty graphic. I've seen the videos of him being shot.

Then, there were students who were continuing to protest, and students were killed at Kent State University on May 4th, 1970, here in our beloved Ohio. Four students were killed and nine others wounded in a 13-second shooting that involved about 67 rounds fired by the guard, the National Ohio National Guard. Then, the Vice President of the United States, his name was Spiro Agnew, resigned from office on October 10th, 1973, because he had accepted bribes and he was convicted of tax evasion. Only the second Vice President in our history to ever resign. That rocked the nation. Then, Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency on August 9th, 1974, becoming the only U.S. President to ever resign from office. Pretty sad series of events, don't you think? Now, granted, we didn't have social media amplifying everything 24-7 back then, but these rocked the nation. And yet, in spite of these startling events, humanity stumbled on as it does today. So, are you ready for a new kingdom yet? Are you ready for a new world order? Let's read about it a little bit here. Psalm, Chapter 98, if you'll turn there with me. Psalm, Chapter 98, prophecy about the world tomorrow, after the return of Jesus Christ. Psalm, Chapter 98. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song, not the same old human song of dysfunction, disease, death, violence, tragedy, depression, discouragement. No, not that song, a new song. For he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his only arm have gained him the victory. The Lord has made known his salvation. What you and I have available to us now, everyone will have available to them. And his righteousness has revealed in the sight of the nations. All the nations on earth will have access to God. He has remembered his mercy and his faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Unlike so many areas of the world today where people just barely hang on. Starvation, deprivation, war, that will no longer exist in this world. Verse 4, Shout joyfully to the Lord. All the earth has a reason to be joyful. Not just rich nations, not just lucky nations that happen to be on a lot of natural wealth, or happen to have a certain human culture that helps them to be productive and have plenty. No, all the nations here. Break forth in song, praise, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp, and with the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn. An illusion here, obviously, to the feast of trumpets that we'll be celebrating in just a few days. Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar and all the fullness in the world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, even the rivers are happy. And the hills be joyful together before the Lord. For He is coming to earth, He's coming to judge the earth with righteousness. He shall judge the world and the peoples with equity. I'm going to read verse 9 from the translation, God's word for today. He will judge the world with justice and its people with fairness. For the first time ever, there will be fairness. I hear people say to me, I'll tell you, it's just not fair.

I'm sorry. Whoever told you that life is fair, they lied. They have made me meant well. Maybe they were being optimistic. Maybe they wanted you to believe the best. There's nothing fair in this physical life.

From today we take our first breath. Some have more than others. Either in their genetic capacities, or as time goes on, the quality of parents they have, or their education, or the nation they're born into, whether it provides them opportunity or not. Nothing today is fair. But there will come a time when God will bring fairness to this world. Chapter 99, verse 1, the Lord reigns. Let the peoples tremble. He dwells between the carobim. Let the earth be moved. And the Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name. He is holy.

After the time of defective human rule on earth, God will intervene before we destroy ourselves and restore to earth the garden that He originally intended in the book of Genesis that He had created, so that Adam and Eve could live in a world of peace and harmony. And all of those things He originally intended for humankind, for Adam and Eve, and all their descendants before they sinned.

And at that time, God said, all right, I'll let you learn. You don't want to listen to me. You don't want to respect your father. You want to be rebellious. You want to assure me that you can do everything on your own. Great. Go ahead. I'll give you some time to learn that lesson. And humanity has been painfully learning it ever since. Are you getting ready to celebrate and worship the King this year? Let's allow the Apostle Paul to tell us who this King is.

Let's go to Acts 28 and verse 17. Acts 28 and verse 17. This is near the end of the book of Acts, actually the final scriptures in this book. And to give us some context, Paul is under house arrest in Rome. He was allowed to stay by himself, but he had a guard with him.

We call that house arrest. Verse 17. It came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to the men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people for the customs of our fathers, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. He tells the Jews there in Rome, who when they had examined me, wanted to let me go because there was no cause for putting me to death.

But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. Verse 20. For this reason, therefore, I have called you to see and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel, I am bound in this chain.

So he's going to tell them the gospel. He's going to preach the gospel. And I want you to notice something about the gospel. Paul understands the complete gospel, and that means you don't only talk about the kingdom, you also talk about the king of that kingdom. Because the truth is, the king makes that kingdom possible. Verse 21. Then they said to him, We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have the brethren who have come reported or spoken any evil of you, but we desire to hear from you what you think.

For concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere. So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at lodging, his lodging, where he was under house arrest, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God. That's the good news. But wait, there's more. Persuading them concerning Jesus.

It's not just about a kingdom anymore. It's now about also the king of that kingdom, from both the law of Moses and the prophets from morning till evening, and some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, some disbelieved. So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul said one word, The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, Go to this people and say, hearing you will hear, and shall not understand, and see you will see and not perceive.

For the hearts of this people have grown dull, speaking of the Jewish individuals. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes are closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them. Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, the switches thrown.

This is now an emphasis of the New Covenant, not just simply calling those of Hebrew descent, which is wonderful, the descendants of Abraham, but opening up the truth and the opportunities that God gives now to all humanity. The plan of salvation, the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they shall hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had a great dispute among themselves.

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence. So he's not simply talking about a kingdom. He's talking about a kingdom and its king, because that king makes the kingdom possible. He's teaching about the king and savior who will rule over that kingdom. So what should we call his name? I received an email recently for someone who attended ABC, actually, and has started their own church. And the person informed me that Jesus should be called Yeshua, not Jesus.

Really? Let's go to Revelation 22 and verse 16. Revelation 22 and verse 16. Closing few verses of Revelation. Somehow, I don't know why I'm lucky, but throughout my lifetime I have been sent information from used church salesmen, who are always starting their own church and using 99% of Church of God material, but one special twist to see if you'll buy it onto the bait, if you'll just nibble on that twisted sense of logic to believe what they want you to believe.

Revelation chapter 22 and verse 16. It says, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. Now the word that you see there, Jesus, comes from the Greek New Testament. Obviously, the New Testament was worded and inspired to be written down in Greek. And actually, the name given there, the term, is Iesus.

Spelled I-E-S-O-U-S. Iesus. So, if calling Jesus Yeshua is so important, why does Iesus appear 923 times in the New Testament? The Bible nowhere claims that Hebrew or Aramaic are sacred languages. They are evolved human languages developed among humankind. For example, some Jewish months are now named after pagan gods like Tammuz, which they acquired when they were in Babylonian captivity and brought out with them. God inspired the Old Testament to be written in Hebrew because he was working with the people who spoke the Hebrew language so they could understand him.

If he had called people of a different language, he would have written and inspired words in their own language so they could relate their covenant with him. This does not make the Hebrew language sacred or holy. All human languages are flawed and contain unrighteous words and thoughts and phrases.

So we need to understand that and not allow ourselves to be hoodwinked or suckered into some twisted doctrine that people have that they come up with. Again, 923 times in the Greek New Testament, Jesus is written as the name of the Messiah. Why? For a number of reasons, and I'll take a few minutes to explain that. But before I explain that, I want you to understand there's a reason that prophet Zephaniah states that in the millennium, this is Zephaniah chapter 3 and verse 9, and he says, For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call in the name of the Lord's to serve him with one accord.

So in the world tomorrow, in the millennium, everyone is going to learn a new, pure language, and everyone on earth will eventually, in one accord, use that one language to worship God. But we don't live in that kind of world yet. So how did English speakers get to pronounce the name of the Lord as Jesus? Well, centuries before the birth of Christ, the original Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, before Jesus is even born, just the Old Testament, and it's called the Septuagint.

So it's a Hebrew translation in the Greek. And Yeshua from Hebrew was already referred to Jesus when that Bible was translated for a number of reasons. The Greek lacked some Hebrew sounds and some Hebrew endings. Translators adopted the name of using available Greek alphabet and phonetics that were there and available at the time. Changing the SH sound to an S. And replacing the final A in Hebrew to the typical Greek masculine ending, S, since Jesus was a male.

And so, his name is referred to as Jesus. When the New Testament Scriptures, Greek Scriptures, were translated into Latin, here's another step, Latin was the language of Rome, of the Roman Church. The name Jesus became Isus, spelled I-E-S-U-S. As a matter of fact, the original King James Bible in the year 1611 used the name Isus instead of Jesus.

But over time, the letter J was the last letter added to the modern English alphabet. From the mid-1500s to the 1600s, it slowly evolved into English. And the pronunciation of Isus from Latin shifted. The I became the consonant J, which developed a harsher J sound in English. So the Greek Jesus evolved into the Latin Isus, and that name evolved into the English name Jesus. The name of the Messiah varies widely in pronunciation across all the human languages on Earth. Just a quick example. In Irish, it's Isa. In Italian, it's Jezu. In Romanian, it's Isus. In Persian, it's Essi. In Arabic, it's Isa.

And no matter what we call the King of Kings, Joshua, Yeshua, Isus, Jesus, Isa, or any one of the dozens and dozens of spellings and pronunciations, this doesn't change his essence. In all languages, his name means Lord of salvation. The Lord is salvation. The message is one of hope and identity and the way that faith changes and endures, even when words change. The message always remains the same. So hopefully we have settled that, and hopefully there's a little inoculation for you.

So if you receive a happy email from the used church salesman who wants you to believe that the only correct pronunciation of the Messiah's name must be Yeshua, hopefully you have a little bit to go on. So now that we know his name, let's take a look at his personal example recorded for us. John 7, verse 2. John 7, verse 2. He says, Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.

His brothers therefore said to him, Depart from here and go to Judea, that your disciples may also see the works that you are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world so his brothers are pushing him, trying to force him to go publicly to the feast of tabernacles. But Jesus doesn't want to provoke a premature confrontation. He knows it's not yet his time.

He doesn't want to create a situation where there will be violence if he shows up at the feast of tabernacles publicly. People will immediately recognize him and see him. Jesus healed me. Jesus, tell us a message. Jesus, explain a parable. He doesn't want that kind of attention. He doesn't want a confrontation to erupt. Verse 5, When others had gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

So he just roamed around and he met people, but he worked very hard not to become the center of attention. We see, by example, that Jesus went to the feast of tabernacles, which pictures the kingdom of God. During the feast, Jesus teaches in the temple. He generates debate about his divinity. On the last day of the feast, he stands and declares that he is the source of living water, symbolized by the Holy Spirit. And his example strongly indicates that Jesus not only attended the feast, but he used that occasion to significantly reveal spiritual truths about the symbolism behind the feast of tabernacles.

Those are his examples. He went to the feast of tabernacles. Are you and I ready to celebrate and worship the king?

Our final scripture, Paul's example today, let's go to Acts chapter 18 and verse 21. Acts chapter 18, actually we'll go back and take a look at verse 19. This is approximately 52 AD after the ministerial conference of 49 AD, when some would have us believe that all the holy days were done away, along with circumcision and the Sabbaths and everything supposedly were done away. Here's Paul on his missionary journey. Acts chapter 18 and verse 19. And he, referring to Paul, came to Ephesus and left them there, but he himself entered a synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you, God willing. And he sailed from Ephesus. Now, scholars who study this, looking at the timeline and so on, believe that this was the fall holy day season. He wanted to be in Jerusalem for probably trumpets to feast the tabernacles the last great day, and that's what he wanted to do. But I want you to notice what this evangelist did. He probably stunned the Jews in Ephesus. Excuse me. Aren't you a missionary?

We want you to stay longer and tell us more. Isn't that your job? Sorry. I must by all means travel to Jerusalem to keep God's feast, and if it's God's will, I'll come back to you and talk to you later time. That's how important keeping the feast were to Paul. Again, his mention of the coming feasts in Jerusalem aligns with the Feast of Tabernacles, and he encouraged continued observance of God's festivals in the New Testament church. We know in 1 Corinthians 5, he told the Gentile Corinthians to keep the feast, pass over the days of unleavened bread. We know in the Book of Acts that another place he left observed the day of Pentecost, interrupted in his ministry, and went and observed the day of Pentecost. So this is something that we need to appreciate and understand, brethren. Do we have the same kind of determination to observe the Holy Days this fall, as Paul did here? Have you said to yourself, no matter what obstacles I face, jobs a hassle, maybe I'm a little short in finances, maybe I just lack motivation, that I must by all means keep the feasts this year? Why? To celebrate and worship the King. There is no greater honor and privilege in human existence than to celebrate and worship the King. So are we physically, emotionally, and spiritually ready to do that this year? We know who the King is. We have seen by example that Jesus observed these fall Holy Days. We've seen by example that Paul observed the Holy Days. What about us this year in the fall of 2025? Are you getting ready to celebrate and worship the King?