The Case For The 8th Day

When I stood up here seven days ago, boy, how fast those seven days have gone, we've now had seven wonderful days of Feast of Tiring Ackles. We've had beautiful weather, gorgeous weather, with food, fellowship, and family. In my case, it's our first full family feast in four years. All of our children, grandchildren, daughters-in-law, we're all together. It's the first feast in three years that we've seen our Aussie son, Lauren, and his wife from down under. They were able to join us here in 2019 and then again this year, so it's been an extra special feast in that regard. And I do know that my wife, Angela, her energies have been a little bit higher due to just the adrenaline of being with all the kids, the grandkids, but at the same time, I have seen God give her extra energy for this feast because she has done much better here than she does back home. So we're very thankful for that. But it's been a beautiful week of weather, food, fellowship, and family all underpinned with spiritual purpose and nourishment. We have been spiritually fed at this feast. We certainly have. But that feast we just finished is finished. It concluded at sunset last night, and now we're in a new feast, the last feast or the last holy day in God's plan of salvation. And this is the grand finale. In the 1950s with early TV, there was a police show that ran eight seasons from 1951 to 1959. Very popular show. Some of you may know already exactly what you are talking about. In 1967, it was brought back for four more seasons, 1967 through 1970. And in 1987, a movie of the same name was made with Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, and Harry Morgan. The show in the 50s and 60s featured the police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, played by Jack Webb, and his partner, Officer Bill Gannon, played by Harry Morgan. The name of the show was, yes, I've heard some of you whispering it already, dragnet, dragnet. And Sergeant Joe Friday was always on the case. Now, he didn't beat around the bush. He got straight to the point. His signature phrase, especially when interviewing a woman, was, just the facts, ma'am, just the facts. He didn't want any opinion. He didn't want any embellishment, just the facts. You know, in investigating a case, in building a case, he went right to the heart of the matter. Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts, sir. Okay, folks, we have a case to build. We have a case to build. It's the case for the eighth day. So, if you'd like a title, title and subject is one and the same. The case for the eighth day.

Because, is there a case? Is it just a fable? Is it just a fantasy of wishful thinking? Because we want to see our loved ones and our friends and our family, and so we somehow, in fantasy land, concoct that there's another holy day and that the meaning of it has tremendous impact for us in that regard. Well, obviously, and we're not going to go there right now, but obviously, a place you could start, but I'm not going to start there, is Leviticus 23, because you do have an eighth day mentioned. And that's interesting. There is an eighth day mentioned. And what is it all about?

Our doctrine of the eighth day, where do we get it? Now, you're already sold on it, and I'm sold on it, and we know why. But there are those who don't understand, obviously. There are those whose hope is the eighth day, and they don't even know that that is their hope. But we know. Well, let's build the case for it. Our doctrine of the eighth day, where do we get it? Is it a sound doctrine based on solid scriptural ground, based on facts or scriptural facts? Is the general resurrection, the second resurrection, is it really going to happen? Where do you get that? I remember one particular eighth day, last great day, a number of years ago, where a young man who had grown up in the church hit me right between the eyes on that day and said, where in the world do we get that? Where do we get that? That people are going to be resurrected and have an opportunity, and he started rattling off certain people that are very unsavory. And we heard about that the other day, as far as understanding God's love and mercy by any subscriber. Where did they get that?

Where do we get it? Again, where do we get it? We're going to investigate that doctrine, and we're going to build the case, and we're going to build it on facts. Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts, sir. Let's talk about facts just for a moment. When we talk about just the facts, isn't that how we operate as a church, as a part of the body of Christ? Isn't that our M.O., our modus operandi, with the truth? Isn't that how we function? We are a facts-based church, a facts-based work. Now, the Doctrine Committee of the Council of Elders has two subcommittees.

One subcommittee is a doctrinal advisory committee, and the other one is a prophecy advisory committee. And sometimes they share work. They work on behalf of the Doctrineal Committee of the Council of Elders. And what is received many times are, well, we need to change this doctrine, or we need to change that, or we're wrong on this, or we're wrong on that. And so we have to go through and look at that very carefully based on Scripture. What is in the speculation area and cannot be dogmatically proved from the Bible, we leave it in the speculation area. There's some things you can wonder about, you can think about, you can have conjecture or opinion, but you can't make it dogma. You can't make it doctrine. Only those things that are defensible by the Scripture, not by personal opinion, but by the Scripture. Again, we are a facts-based church and work. We allow the facts to guide us. We submit to the facts. We follow the facts. And as the people of God, we are a facts-based people. Our way of life is based on and supported by the Word of God, the facts of God's Word. So just the facts that moves it out of the realm of conjecture, opinion, speculation. No frills, no fancy stuff, just straight-on facts. And what happens with just the facts is it generates doctrinal conviction. You won't die for something that you're not convicted of. You won't sacrifice for something that you're not convicted of. You won't live something that you're not convicted of. But it generates doctrinal conviction. And the facts establish a solid case that is accurate and defensible. So we'll do some fact gathering. We'll investigate the Scripture. We'll apply a scriptural dragnet. We'll cast a scriptural net. And we'll drag in the facts. Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts, sir. Now, here's the first set of facts that we want to lay down. One important set of facts establishes the current condition. October 17, 2022, which will be the same tomorrow, October the 18th, 2022, a set of facts that establishes the current condition of our world, your world and my world. And this set of facts will not change yet for a time. It will change in time, but not yet.

Genesis 3, verse 24. Genesis 3, verse 24.

This current world is a world that is cut off from the tree of life.

And so he drove out the man, of course, obviously Eve, with him, with Adam. And he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, Karabim, and a flaming sword which turned every way. Now, I don't know how long after this that people could go up to a certain, let's say, a certain distance from it and look at it and see it and see this flaming sword turning every which way around the tree of life, kind of like the lasers in Star Wars or whatever. I don't know, but this flaming sword. And you couldn't get to the tree of life. No way. You would be sliced, vaporized, whatever, but you would be dead. But anyway, a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life. That hasn't changed. You can't go any place and see. Now you can't go to that area and see the tree of life anymore. But what that represented hasn't changed. It is a world cut off from the tree of life. Okay, another very familiar scripture that defines the world we currently live in is 2 Corinthians 4-4. And it amazes me how there are, quote, Christian people who don't really understand that this means what it says it means. Just the facts. Just the facts, ma'am. 2 Corinthians 4-4. In whom the God of this world, and it speaks to his activity, has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. God cut mankind off from the tree of life.

Satan simply steps in and does everything he can to put blindness there and to blind mankind. A third scripture along that order is Revelation 12-9. And again, these are facts. These aren't your opinion or my opinion. These are simply facts. In Revelation 12 in verse 9, and the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world. Now, that's in present tense. It's not past tense. It's present tense. He's still around. What is pictured in part by atonement has not yet occurred.

Deceives the whole world. It is a world that lies in deception. It is a world that lives behind a veil. A veil that will not be removed until Christ returns and sets up his kingdom. I'm going to go back to Isaiah for the fourth scripture of this first set of facts. Isaiah 25 verses 6 and 7. Isaiah 25 verses 6 and 7. We just pictured the feast of the we just kept the feast of tabernacles, picturing the events that are spoken of right here in Isaiah 26 verses 6 and 7. 25 verses 6 and 7. Okay, verse 6, and in this mountain or kingdom, the kingdom of God, shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the leaves, a fat things full of marrow, reading it from the King James of wines and of the leaves well refined. But you know, prosperity and all. We've just pictured all of that with these past seven days. God's kingdom set up here. Okay, what's going to occur in that kingdom? Well, verse 7, He will destroy or remove in this mountain, His kingdom, the face of the covering cast over notice all people, all people, not just Gentiles or Jews, who to this day, you know, don't even accept Christ as the Messiah, at least at this point in time. He will destroy in this mountain, the face of the covering cast over all people and the veil, the veil that is spread over all nations. These are current facts establishing the current condition of this world. These are facts you can stake your life on. They're facts. This is the age of blindness. This is the age of affliction. This is the age of man. This is the age of Satan and the fruits reflect that. These are simply facts of the current condition of the world. Again, just the facts, man. Just the facts, sir. Traditional Christianity does not understand.

They do not understand the current condition of our world. They believe and they teach that this is the only day of salvation. That is common traditional teaching. And that God is trying to save the world at this time, this very time. It's like, this is the only day of salvation, brother.

This is it. You either get saved now or you're fried. You're toast. And you're going to be frying forever. And that's not embellishment either to the belief out there. This lack of understanding drives the false ideas like, for instance, that poor elderly Chinese man way back in that back village who died before the missionary could get there. Because the missionary had a flat tire, had a set of bad tires, one went flat, he couldn't get there in time. And so that poor elderly Chinese man who had never had the opportunity to even hear the name of Jesus died and is now consigned to have to burn in hell fire forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. That's enough evers. It keeps going. You know, eternity. You know, the responsibility of his salvation, resting on the back of a missionary and a set of bad tires, that cheapens God's salvation. That cheapens the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Resting one's salvation on time and chance cheapens God and his whole plan of salvation. You know, Jesus is the Savior. The Father calls us unto the Savior. Here's a fact. People's salvation, anyone's salvation, does not rest on human shoulders. I repeat that. Anyone's salvation does not rest on human shoulders. Now, that's not to say we don't have influence. We don't have effect. Positive, negative, good, bad. We can be an asset or we can be a liability, you know, in the process of one's salvation. We understand that. But no one's salvation rests upon the shoulders of another human being. The opportunity for salvation rests with the Father. And the timing of that opportunity rests with the Father. Again, a very familiar Scripture. John 644, no man can come to Christ except the Father draw him. Now, I'll just reference a couple of scriptures, like for instance, Psalm 3 and verse 8. Psalm 3 and verse 8, salvation belongs to the Lord. Jonah 2 verse 9. Salvation is of the Lord. And it's kind of like, as Paul said of his, the apostle Paul said of his countrymen, he said, they have a zeal of God. They were zealous, but not according to knowledge. They didn't have the facts. Traditional Christianity's belief that this is the only day of salvation is based primarily on 2 Corinthians 6.2. 2 Corinthians 6 verse 2. Let's read it.

Paul writes, for he says, and he's doing a quote from the Old Testament, for he says, I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation, have I suckered there, nourished you. Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation.

This is a quote from Isaiah 49 verse 8. So I'm going to go back there and read Isaiah 49 and verse 8. See, what Paul is doing in quoting that is he is making a very specific application to whom?

To the converted Corinthians, to the Church of God, the body of Christ, the firstfruits in Corinth. He's writing the letter to them. He's making a very specific application. Isaiah 49 and verse 8. Thus says the Lord, in an acceptable time, in a time that is acceptable, have I heard you, and in a day of salvation, have I helped you.

You think logically? You think in a day of salvation? Well, could there be more than one day of salvation then? It certainly infers that. It allows for that. In a day of salvation, have I helped you, and I will preserve you and give you for a covenant of the people to establish the earth that calls to inherit the desolate heritages. But in a day of salvation. See, what we're dealing with in 2 Corinthians 6, too, is a specific application to the firstfruits. And that's what it applies to, the firstfruits only. And that's what Paul is dealing with there. Traditional religion doesn't have the facts. The facts are foreign to them. And frankly, the facts are a problem. They're a problem to their established beliefs. Again, we live in an age of deception, an age of blindness. Folks, facts are not always welcome. You have found that out the hard way with many times loved ones, family, friends, loved ones, co-workers. Facts are not always welcome. They're often considered obstacles in the way, threats to their teachings. And here, as they said, reality too often with human beings. I have seen this over and over and over and over in my lifetime. When a person wants to believe something, they will not let facts get in the way. You ever notice that? When somebody wants to believe something, they will not let facts get in the way. In the early 1980s, I was pastoring Moultrie, Georgia, Tallahassee, Florida. It was a Sabbath afternoon. I had been in Moultrie that morning, and I was in Tallahassee that afternoon. And services were well underway, and I was up there at the lectern giving the sermon. And frankly, was speaking about some of these facts in that sermon. I was into the sermon pretty well, and with the audience in front of me and me standing up here, the entry door was right to the right on that wall. And all of a sudden, the door flew open, and a guy came rushing in in a blue plaid shirt and just grabbed a songbook by the door and plopped down on the front row and just hunkered down. And as he sat there, then he looked up and he looked at me, and I'd never seen him. I didn't know him from Adam. Never seen the guy. And then he realized he'd never seen me either. And then he kind of started trying to look around at the audience and see, and he realized, I don't recognize any of these people. What had been going on the previous week in that hall we were renting was there had been a revival of some sort.

And every night, they they had services. And of course, the revival was finished, but I guess he didn't realize that. So he thought he's coming back to the same group. So he just barreled in, sat down, and then he realized, uh-oh. Anyway, I watched him. You know, body language gives a lot away. He sat there, and as I went into the facts, and all of a sudden he started stiffening up, and stiffening, and stiffening, and kind of rising up in his seat, and all of a sudden he just stood up, and he went stomping out, muttering under his breath, muttering under his breath. And after services, one of the members that he had gone by told me what he was saying under his breath as he went out. Ain't no second chance. Ain't no second chance. Ain't no second chance.

You would think that the whole Christian world would be happy that billions are going to have an opportunity, but it messes with their beliefs. It messes with their preconceived ideas. It messes with their missionary work. Where is true love? Where is true love? One thing is clear. God is love. That's clear. And if he's not, we're all sunk. God is love. And we have to become like God, you know, we have to become like God if we're to see the kingdom of God.

You know, when I said the other day, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, that's not semantics. You have to be resurrected into that kingdom. That kingdom is Jesus Christ, and the resurrected saints under the authority of the Father governing over. See, the kingdom of God is the family of God, the family of God, administering the government of God. It will be set on this earth. It will be ruling over the human beings, flesh and blood. It will be producing a world that's wonderful to live in. The human beings will be under the auspices and the blessings of the kingdom of God will be ruled by it. And in due time, through resurrection, through change, they'll be able to be added to that kingdom. And we have to become like God who is love if we are to see or be in or inherit the kingdom of God. Where is the love when someone is mad that people aren't going to fry? Think about that a moment. I'm mad because those beings aren't going to fry. Facts are stubborn things. You can't wish them away. They're hard to ignore. They get in the way.

And the facts in the face of traditional teachings, you know what they do? They generate cognitive dissonance. That's confusion in the mind. See, that means things don't add up. They don't fit. They contradict. See, here's another set of facts.

John 3 16 and one of the speakers mentioned about how that everybody knows what John 3 16 says, because all you got to do is go to football games to know what that means. I've seen it on old tires, hung on fence posts, seen it on all kinds of walls and places. There's probably no scripture that's better known than John 3 verses 16 and 17. And though you have it memorized, I shall read it again anyway. It's a wonderful scripture. For God so loved the world. Interesting. It didn't say, God so loved the Jews. God so loved Israel. Well, see, the Jews are part of the world. Israel's part of the world, yes, but so are all the Gentiles. For God so loved the world. And again, not the society, not the culture, not the corruptions, none of that, but the people.

That he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. And of course, again, you either cut your spiritual eye teeth on this next scripture or you don't. Acts 4.12. It's an issue of conviction, or it's not.

Acts 4.12. Neither is their salvation in any other period. There is no other way whatsoever.

Neither is their salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts. And it is God's desire that all men be saved. You know, again, this is another set of facts that we're laying down. 1 Timothy 2.4, 1 Timothy 2, and verse 4. I'll read verse 3 first. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men. Well, that's stretching it. He means a goodly number. No, again, just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts. Who will have all men to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth. Now, before I make further comments, I'll read 2 Peter 3.9. These are in the words of Paul here to Timothy. 2 Peter 3.9. 2 Peter 3 and verse 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering toward us. Why? Even with you and I who are called in this age, this applies, but this is more than just specific to us in this age.

It's a statement about God, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come, that all should come to repentance. Both Paul and Peter speak to God's motivation and desire. That's motivation. That's desire of God on God's part. And so did John when he wrote John 3.16 under inspiration there. And yet, in the current world, that's not getting done.

It's sad. It's sad that that's what God wants, but he can't get it done. I mean, that's how you have to reason.

If you're caught up in traditional beliefs and don't have the facts, because it's not getting done in the current world, see, out of a world population, in 2021, they counted the world population at 7.87 billion. You know, it's just a little bit under 8 billion.

And those who claim to be Christian, the Christian world, all Protestants, Catholics, all together, the Christian world, is only 2.4 billion. Think about that. We're right at 8 billion people, and we could round it up and say only 2.5 billion, or even Christian by name or claim. That's about 32.8 percent. You can round it off to 33 percent. Total. That's a third at best.

Only one out of every three. And yet, we want to talk about this cognitive dissonance that takes place. I mean, we're very familiar, aren't we, with 1 John 4-4? It says this. 1 John 4 in verse 4, where John writing as a 90-something year old man in the 90s AD, the church has been going for 60-something years, and John says, you are of God, little children, and have overcome them because, and he makes this statement. Greater is he that is in you, that's God, through his Spirit, than he that is in the world. The one in the world is the deceiver and the blinder. God is greater than him, and yet he's beating God in the battle for souls, 2-1.

Come on, give me a break.

That doesn't stand up in the light of the current condition, based on traditional teachings, because Satan is beating God, hands down, in the battle for souls, 2-1. And what about all the billions who have lived and died before Jesus Christ, who never heard of him as well as the ones since? Again, in the face of traditional teaching, and in these particular scriptures, the second set of facts I just gave, how do you defend God as, number one, a God of love? How do you defend God, number two, as all-powerful? Abraham. Sarah's laughing in the tent there. Wallace, you're kind of thin, you know? I didn't laugh, oh yes, you did. Is anything too hard for God?

He wants all men to be saved, to come to repentance.

He's in his son tonight for the whole world, but he can't get the job done. 3-1. How do you defend God as all-powerful? And thirdly, how do you defend God as fair? How many times do you hear kids say, that's not fair? Adults sometimes say, that's not fair. And how many times do we, you know, we're very concerned about fairness? And I understand that. Well, you know what? It's very important to me that God is a fair God. I don't want to think of God as unfair. I want to think of God as love. I want to think of God as all-powerful, to carry his plans out. And I want to think of God as fair. And you do too. And God wants us to. He wants us to be able to carry a relationship with him that's based on the fact that he is love, he is all-powerful, and he's fair. In the face of traditional teaching, how do you defend God on those things? You don't. You can't. You can't. Even Dr. Graham couldn't and didn't really try. He just said, I don't know.

You generate cognitive dissonance. This is why in a national survey of all Christian denominations, this was done, oh, half a dozen years ago, they did a national survey. And we're talking about all Christian denominations. We're talking about Catholics, Protestants. We're talking about Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons, Church of Christ, Baptists, Church of God. I mean, just all of them.

Of those who responded to that survey, 66%, two-thirds of those who responded said there might be another way to salvation other than Jesus Christ. That is how they process the cognitive dissonance that goes on in their head trying to match the facts of the world, traditional teachings, and what they do see in the Bible about God's love, power, and fairness. They can't match it up. So, maybe there's another way to salvation other than Jesus Christ. Okay, throw your Bible out.

If Acts 4.12 is not true and not a fact, throw your Bible out. Again, we see what happens based on false teachings. Recently, in a recent survey, along that line, in a recent survey of senior pastors who've been pastoring, you know, quite some time, senior pastors, at least one-third, at least one-third said that one can earn a place in heaven by simply being a good person. Now, you want to talk about earning salvation by works, aside from a Savior. See? But again, this is what happens when you try to match God's love, power, and fairness with the current reality of the world and the light of traditional teachings. You get cognitive dissonance because there are gaps. There's contradictions, and there are unresolved unanswered questions. I have heard you in a day of salvation, and Paul made a specific application to the Corinthians. Isaiah 49.8, we've been there, I'm not going back there, but says a day of salvation because there are three different days or times or ages of salvation. That's what the facts show. And the first age of salvation is the age of firstfruits. It's this age. Go with me, please, to 1 Corinthians 15, 23. 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter, and verse 23, the age of firstfruits.

Okay, here in the resurrection chapter, verse 23, it says, but every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, Christ is the very first.

He's the wave-sheaf offering. He's the very first of the firstfruits, isn't he?

Christ is the firstfruits. Now notice this next line. Notice it factually.

Afterward, they that are Christs. That's the body of Christ. That's the younger brothers and sisters. That's the bride of Christ.

It's those that have God's Spirit. It's those who are called in this age who do respond and are brought along and truly come through that process of repentance and baptism and, you know, being cleansed in the blood of Christ, being given God's Spirit. Notice afterward, they that are Christs at his coming, they are the ones that are resurrected when Jesus Christ returns. Now we'll go to get over there. In fact, well, we'll get there in just a moment. The only ones, I want you to think of it, kind of put this graphic in your mind. On this planet, there's no way to know, only God knows, how many, not just thousands, but millions of graveyards there are, cemeteries. When the seventh trumpet sounds, as pictured by the day of trumpets, when that last trumpet sounds of those seven, and Christ is sent back, the resurrection takes place. In any cemetery, the only graves are graves that will open, and that cemetery at that time are those that contain firstfruits.

All the rest of them will stay closed for a thousand years until the millennium is over. They do not open, will not be opened, until the thousand years are finished. The only graves that will open are the graves of the firstfruits. Now, if I back up to verse 22 here, 1 Corinthians 15, we talk about the age of the firstfruits, that's us, and we talk about the millennial rule, when the remnants of the nations, and there have been some very fine messages regarding such, when the remnants of those nations, that brokenness, it's healed, and the younger ones among them repopulate this earth. The millennial age, those are middle fruits, that's what I call the middle fruits of the millennium. And then the eighth day, the day we're on today, and what it pictures, it pictures the final fruits, the last fruits. You've got three days, three ages of salvation. You've got the first fruits, the middle fruits, and the final, or the last fruits. See, in verse 22, for as in Adam all die, now notice, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Now that's an interesting statement. It's a fact that they're all going to be made alive. It doesn't tell you exactly when right there in that very verse of verse 22, it just says, in Christ shall all be made alive. Yet, in verse 23, it says afterward, they that are Christ, that are in Christ, at His coming. And again, it's so few that are in Christ in our day and age. But what I couple with verse 22, when it says, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And when He comes, it's just the first fruits. Revelation 20 verse 5 says this, Revelation 20 and verse 5 says, but the rest of the dead, those who were not in Christ due to not having had opportunity, etc., that when He comes, they're not resurrected. They stay in their graves. The rest of the dead live not again. They don't participate in the second resurrection, the general resurrection. They live not again until the thousand years were finished. They don't live again until the millennium is completed. That's quite plain, isn't it?

And that is speaking of the last great day of salvation. The last great day of salvation. Those of this age, those of this age, family members, friends, co-workers, ancestors, people we love, people we know, and some that, you know, we never had a chance to know. Those of this age not called now will remain dead until the thousand years is finished, and then they will be brought up. God's plan of salvation is a dragnet that will draw and pull everyone into opportunity, and in terms of opportunity for salvation, since God's in charge of that, no one will fall through the cracks.

We don't preach universal salvation. We do preach universal opportunity. There's a difference. Free moral agency will never be taken away from anyone, but we do preach universal opportunity, and in terms of opportunity for salvation, no one will fall through the cracks.

This is part of the beauty of God's plan. There are no cracks in it. There are no cracks in it. God's plan of salvation closes all cracks. No one will just automatically be in the kingdom, but everyone will be given a full and a fair and a loving opportunity to be able to be there. You know, the Holy Days picture of the plan of salvation for mankind? All mankind. We know that. Every holy day has to do with salvation, including the last one, the eighth day. So now let's go back to Leviticus 23. Leviticus chapter 23, and we'll read three verses back here, starting with verse 34. Leviticus 23.

Verse 34.

Speak to the children of Israel saying, The fifteenth day of the seventh month, which is right in the middle of God's lunar month, that's why we always have a full moon, the Feast of Tabernacles, shall be the Feast of Tabernacles. Notice again, just the facts, sir, just the facts. Seven days.

It's never eight. It's seven days. The Feast of Tabernacles, seven days to the Lord.

Verse 36. Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.

On the eighth day... Wait a minute. The Feast of Tabernacles is only seven days long. What are we doing with an eighth day here? On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation. Oh, we got another Sabbath. We got another Holy Day, another Feast Day. And you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly. And you shall do no serve our work therein. And then verse 39. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a feast to the Lord. Seven days on the first day shall be a Sabbath. Now notice, now you've gone outside the seven days once you go to the eighth day, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath. See, think about it. From the opening night of the Feast of Tabernacles to sunset today, we have a continual feasting, spiritual feasting, without break that runs for eight straight days. The very sunset last night that concluded the Feast of Tabernacles began this Holy Day, a feasting that runs for eight straight days. That's why today is called, it's not the only reason, there's other reasons too, but that's why it's called the eighth day. And yet again, the Feast of Tabernacles, picturing the millennium, is only seven days. The eighth is separated by the seventh, simply by meaning and purpose. By meaning and purpose. They are two separate feasts, involving two different groups of people being processed for salvation. There is a period of salvation opportunity after the millennium, and the eighth day completes the plan of salvation. It's the grand finale. It is major, major grand finale. You know, without the eighth day, it cannot, it would not be a perfect plan of salvation. Could not be. It would only be partial. A major portion of mankind would be left out. And yes, the plan of salvation is for all mankind. It's not just for a few of us, it's for all mankind. It's for all mankind to have a wonderful opportunity. That's why we can't say at sunset last night, okay, we've kept the feast, we've pictured the millennial rule, now we can go home. Hold on, partner. We're not through.

We got one to go. This is the retrieval holy day. This is the retrieval holy day. This is when we reach back. When at a future time, we reach back. For the uncalled billions of this age, the eighth day will complete the fullness of salvation opportunity. Again, what we read in Revelation 20 and verse 5, the rest of the dead, those from this age not called, those who remained dead at Christ's return, whose graves were not opened. I'm going to go to Revelation 20 again and read verses 12 through 15. Revelation 20.

Verses 12. Okay, well, you know, right there in verse 5 again, but the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished. And then that last sentence refers back to verse 4, those who are resurrected at Christ's return. Anyway, verse 12. And of course, this is the time of the great white throne judgment. Verse 12, and I saw the dead. Now, all these cemeteries, all these graves, they're opened. And I saw the dead. Can you imagine walking in the millennium, walking through cemeteries that are well kept, mowed, weeded, if there's weeds, but flowers, beautiful places. And you go there and you reminisce, you know, this was my great aunt, this was my aunt, this is my mother, this is my father lying here. And you can do that for a thousand years during the millennium, knowing that at the conclusion of the millennium, there will come a time when all of those graves are going to open.

And I saw the dead, verse 12, small and great, stand before God. And the books, Biblia. This I've got right here is Biblia. These are the books, the Bible. What do we do? We open this, we open the books daily, hopefully, so that we instruct ourselves from God through His word to what He expects of us and how we're to live. The books were open. And another book, because God for us in this age opened another book called the Book of Life and wrote our names in there. And it's going to be open for them because their names haven't been written in there yet, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, the Bible, according to their works. Have you repented, sir? Yes, I have. Do you know what your sins are? Yes, I... How do you do it? Because I know what God says in His word. I looked at His standards, I looked at what He requires, and I've transgressed, I've transgressed the law. Now, don't get me wrong, folks. I never ask anybody for what their personal sins are when I'm counseling with them. But I'm making the point that they repent based on the knowledge they have of what's written down in God's Word. Because God writes down His mind and His expectations and His ways and His laws in His word here. And this book we use, it's going to be used, it's going to be read during the millennium and beyond in that eighth day. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the grave, delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works. Now, obviously, ultimately, death and hell are cast in the lake of fire, verse 14. That's the second death. And obviously, whosoever was not found written in the book of life, at the end of that time, obviously, is cast in the lake of fire. But they will go through the same process that we have gone through. They're going to be given full and fair opportunity. Remember what Paul said of his countrymen of Israel? You would find it, and I'm not going to turn back fair, but you would find it in Romans 11 and verses 25 and 26.

In that section of Romans 11, verses 25 and 26, he speaks of blindness being upon Israel. And yet goes on to say, all Israel shall be saved. All Israel shall be saved.

But before I go to Ezekiel 37, I want to read Isaiah 65 and verse 20.

Isaiah 65 and verse 20, I have had the sad responsibility, the sad duty, too many times in my ministry to have to stand in front of a tiny casket with a tiny body in it that's going to be laid to rest in a lonely cemetery. Deaths of infants, sometimes little children, and to me, to think about the time coming, Isaiah 65 and verse 20, where it says, there shall be no more thence an infant of days. Never stand again in front of a tiny casket and preach a very sad funeral.

And knowing those times that I have, that those babies, those infants, those little children, are going to come up and be given a hundred year period to grow up, be adults, to know God, to have life, to have opportunity for salvation. There should be no more thence an infant of days nor an old man that has not filled his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old, but the sinner, being a hundred years old, shall be accursed. Well, again, to reference Paul, speaking of Israel's blindness, but at the same time saying that all Israel shall be saved, Paul, how's that going to get done? Well, Paul knew, and God has shared that with us also through the facts of his word. Ezekiel 37, and obviously this was referenced and touched upon in the sermonette, and I very much appreciate the the sermonette, the meat and all that was in it. Ezekiel 37, I'm just going to pick it up and start reading kind of rapidly here.

The hand of the Lord, verse one, 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 caused me to pass by them round about, circle around them, and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and lo, they were very dry, very dead, you know, long time dead.

And he said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? Is anything too hard for God? And I answered, O Lord God, you know. And again he said to me, prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, behold, I will cause breath, breath, air, oxygen to enter into you, and you shall live.

Flesh and blood beings need air, they need oxygen. And I will lay sinews upon you, and bring up flesh upon you. We're talking about flesh and blood resurrection, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know, you shall know, you're going to have an opportunity to know that I am the Lord. 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 sinews, the flesh came upon them, the skin covered them above, but there was no breath on them. Verse 9. Then he said to me, prophesy to the wind, prophesy, Son of Man, and say to the wind, Thus says the Lord God, come from the four winds, four directions, O breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and they stood up upon their feet, exceeding great army.

Then he said to me, remember Paul's words, All Israel shall be saved. Then he said to me, Son of Man, these bones are the whole halves of Israel, all through their generations. Behold, they say, our bones are dried, our hope is lost, we are cut off our parts. Therefore, prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, behold, O my people, I will open your graves. I will cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves.

And notice verse 14, and shall put my spirit, my spirit, my Holy Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. Then shall you know that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord, their opportunity like we have now with God's truth, with his spirit, and with relationship with God.

Physical, flesh, and blood, resurrection, for life, with God's Holy Spirit, which all translates to opportunity for salvation. I would reference this scripture, Romans 2, 11. Romans 2, 11. It says that God is no respecter of persons. There's no respect of persons with God. He doesn't care if you're black, white, brown, yellow, or red. He doesn't care if you're Jew, or Israelite, or Gentile. The opportunity for salvation is open to all according to God's timing.

And with the three ages of salvation, there will be no such thing when the entire plan of salvation is finished. There will be no such thing as a human who has lived, is living, or shall yet live, not having had opportunity for eternal life. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as John said, is for the whole world.

Now, as we begin to wrap this up, let's go to Matthew 10 and verse 15. Matthew 10 and verse 15. Christ said, verily, just means truly, verily or truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

You know, take Sodom and Gomorrah. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than that city, but he uses a reference point of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment. So, let me see. He's going to bring up Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, and it's going to be like, hey guys, I burned you up once before.

I'm just going to bring you back again so I can burn you up again because it felt so good to do it the first time. Is that why? Obviously not, but let's just proceed a little bit further. Matthew 11, verses 20 through 24. Matthew 11, beginning in verse 20, Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. Woe to you, Cho'raison! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done entire in Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell, or the grave. For if the mighty works which had been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and the day of judgment than for you. And let me read Matthew 12, verses 41 and 42. Matthew 12, verses 41 and 42. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south, the queen of Sheba, the queen of the south, shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it. For she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here. So now let's see. Is it, oh, now Sodom, Gomorrah, Sidon, Tyre, Nineveh, queen of the south? Now that you've had your opportunity to condemn Capernaum and Bethsaida and this generation, I'm going to let you watch them burn first, and then I'll fry you last.

I mean, think about it. There's a purpose more than that. That is not the purpose for bringing them up. No, it's going to be more like this. After a thousand years of Christ's rule, as again, has been so well pointed out, this feast, it's going to be a global paradise. Picture Christ approaching the resurrected thief who died with him on the stake and saying, well, didn't I tell you that you'd be in paradise with me?

And your buddy there, the other thief, see, he is too. The case for the eighth day.

We've examined the evidence, and not only do we have a case, we have an ironclad case. It is doctrinally sound and solid. The facts fully support it. It rests on a sure scriptural foundation. The caseload is complete and defensible. The eighth day honors God. It seals the case that God is all-powerful, all-loving, and totally fair. It puts God's love, power, and fairness beyond doubt. The eighth day confirms that God's plan of salvation is a dragnet that will draw all people into an opportunity for salvation. Just the facts, man. Just the facts.