God's Plan of Salvation Revealed in the Holy Days

In our first session today, we saw very clearly that God has indeed made certain days holy, that He sanctified them and set them apart for our purpose or for our use. We also saw each of God's holy days in our Bibles, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. We saw clear commands from God in regard to observing these days, and we saw that Jesus Christ also kept these days, setting an example for us. We also saw that Christ's disciples and the Apostle Paul kept these days long after Christ's death and resurrection, again setting an example for us to follow today. We also saw that the Apostle Paul taught the Gentiles to observe God's holy days. Also, we even saw that the Feast of Tabernacles and God's weekly Sabbath would clearly be observed after Christ's Second Coming during the Millennial 1000 year reign of Christ here on the earth. But why did God establish these days? Clearly, they've been established, but why?

What was His underlying hidden purpose for establishing these days? What do these holy days picture? What do they mean? How do we observe these holy days today? What is God's plan of salvation revealed in His holy days? We clearly find the origins of these days in the Bible. We saw that very clearly. The Bible and the revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit also gives us clear reasons for why we keep these holy days today. As I mentioned, the biblical holy days or festivals fall during three seasons of the year. Of course, Israel was basically an agrarian society. They lived off the crops that they grew for the most part. So there was an early spring harvest, a late spring harvest, and an early autumn harvest in the land of Israel. Now these harvest themes portray and reflect God's spiritual harvest of mankind to eternal life spoken of by Jesus Christ. By actually observing these days, we come to understand God's plan of salvation for mankind. Not only for the firstfruits, but for the entire harvest, all of God's people. Ultimately, Christ died for everyone. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. For God so loved the world, not just the firstfruits, but He loved the entire world. Let's go to John chapter 4, where we see that the fields are indeed white for the harvest. And this is primarily speaking of the early harvest, at this time the harvest of the firstfruits.

But eventually, all of mankind will one day come to a spiritual harvest. John chapter 4, verse 34. John chapter 4 and verse 34. Now, this was after Christ met a Samaritan woman at the well, and she came to see who He truly was. And in verse 34, as He was speaking to her, and the disciples had come in and they marveled that He was speaking to this woman. Jesus said to them in verse 34, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say there are still four months, and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life. And both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true, one sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labors. Now, notice what it says here in verse 39. And many of the Samaritans of the city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified. Now, these were Gentiles. He told me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them. And He stayed there two days, and many more believed because of His own word. Now, when they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him. And we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. So God was calling a few out of the Gentile world. He was calling a few out of the Jewish world, those who were Israelites. But we'll see throughout this session that this is just God's early harvest right now. But God will be harvesting the entire earth in due time. Now, by observing God's holy days, we see His plan for mankind. How that mortal man may one day attain immortality and live forever. Now, Christ preached the coming of the kingdom of God. He preached the good news, the gospel of the kingdom of God. God's holy days reveal the good news of God's kingdom to come. In Matthew chapter 25, it says that we are to inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for us. Let's go to Matthew chapter 25. Jesus Christ says these words in Matthew 25 verse 31.

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, speaking of His Second Coming, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats, and He will set the sheep on the right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. So God has been planning for a long time now to give us His kingdom. In fact, the Bible clearly says that it is God's good pleasure to give us His kingdom. God clearly has a plan of salvation for all of mankind so that all people who are willing will enter God's kingdom. In the first session, we talked about God's weekly Sabbath day. Why would God set aside one day out of the week, every week, throughout the year? What is the purpose behind that for you and me? I believe it's to keep us ever mindful of who the God of creation really is and to keep us ever mindful of, again, who we are. We talked about that some in the first session. We are God's children. We are His called out ones. We are called out of the world to be different. God's Sabbath is given for man. The Sabbath was made for man, and Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath. He was given to us to help us stay on the right track spiritually. I must say that observing the Sabbath now for 40 years has helped me stay on the right track. I shudder to think where I might have ended up had I not gotten on this path a long time ago. So every week, it is a reminder of who I am and who God is. And I remember that God is my creator. I look to Him. It's a sign between God and me that I am His child. That's how we should look at the Sabbath, each Sabbath, each week. It's a special day. It's to be held in high esteem. In fact, in Isaiah 58, it tells us how we ought to observe this day, this holy day. Let's go to Isaiah 58, verses 13 and 14. This day is a day of spiritual rest. It's also a day of physical rest. I don't get a lot of physical rest on this day, frankly, because I'm very busy on the Sabbath day. But before I came into the ministry, I did really enjoy the rest of the Sabbath. I mean, I got more sleep. I went to bed early. I crashed Friday night. I still try to go to bed early on Friday night to get a good night's sleep on the Sabbath. God's been very gracious to me and has blessed me greatly and gives me energy on the Sabbath. I considered a great blessing.

Notice in Isaiah 58, because clearly God tells us how we ought to keep this day. Isaiah 58, verse 13. If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath. Now, what do you think that means? If you turn away your foot from it. Is it possible someone might be walking on the Sabbath day? Is it possible someone might be trampling on the Sabbath day? When we don't keep the Sabbath day, we are trampling on it. To me, this is what it clearly means. If you turn away your foot from trampling on the Sabbath. From doing your pleasure on my holy day. This is not a time to do my pleasure. I love to hunt. I love to fish. I'm not out hunting and fishing today. Because this is a different day for me. This is a day to honor God and to worship Him. It's not a day to seek my own pleasure. So I don't hunt and fish on this day and call the Sabbath a delight. The holy day of the Lord, honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways. I've got six other days to do my own ways. Not to do carnal ways, but to do things that are acceptable in God's sight. Like fishing and hunting. I believe that's acceptable, but not on the Sabbath.

To honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor even speaking your own words. So this is a day that I try hard not to get into some conversations that would be better left to other days. So what we say is even important on this day. Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord if you'll do these things. And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, the mouth of the Eternal has spoken. So this is how we are to keep this day. It's to be a time to honor God. It's a commanded assembly, so it's a time to assemble together. It's a time to fellowship with God's children, the ones that God is calling in this area. This is the day to fellowship and to worship, to draw close to each other as God's people, as the Church of God, and to also draw close to God in honoring Him and worshiping Him on this day. So the Sabbath day is very, very special. It's very important. It's a weekly reminder. You know, frankly, we need this day. We need to rest. We need to relax a little bit. We need to certainly worship God on this day. We need to call it a tremendous delight and a blessing. Now let's talk about the annual Holy Days. What do the annual Holy Days mean to us in terms of God's plan? In Exodus 12, we find the Passover instituted here. Now I have no doubt that, as I said before, Abraham kept these days. Noah most likely kept these days as well. Noah was a righteous man. Enoch walked with God. It's very likely that Enoch kept these days. But in Exodus chapter 12, the true meaning of the Passover comes out.

And let's notice in Exodus chapter 12 verse 26, and of course, this is after God had finally let His people go, or Pharaoh had let His people go. After plague upon plague upon plague, nine plagues upon the most powerful nation on earth, the Egyptians, God devastated their land with all these plagues. And then He sent a tenth plague, and the firstborn of Egypt died in that plant, in that plague, even the very firstborn of Pharaoh. Pharaoh's firstborn son died. However, God passed over the Israelites. Now why did He pass over the Israelites? Notice Exodus chapter 12 verse 26.

And it shall be when your children say to you, what do you mean by this service? And this is talking about the days of Unleavened Bread and the Passover service, why we keep these days. When your children come and ask you what about it, verse 27, that you shall say it is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.

How did He deliver the children of Israel? By seeing the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and on the lentils. That was what the Israelites were told to do. Sacrifice the lamb that was without blemish, without spot. A lamb that represented Christ our Passover. Christ died for you, He died for me, He shed His blood. Clearly the Passover pictures the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The blood of the lamb was on the doorposts and God passed over the children of Israel. The death angel did not kill anyone in the land of Israel.

They were all spared because of the blood of the lamb. God was delivering His chosen nation out of bondage and out of slavery. He was bringing them out of Egypt, He was bringing them out of sin, and so He institutes the days of Unleavened Bread right after the Passover. Now the Passover service is an important service that the Church of God observes every year on on the 14th in the evening at the appointed time because that's the time that God sanctified and made holy.

So we fellowship together that evening in a sober, somber celebration that Christ is indeed our Passover. We drink just a tiny bit of wine which symbolizes Christ's shed blood for us, and we also eat a little bit of Unleavened Bread which pictures the broken body of Christ.

His body was broken for us. It also pictures the Unleavened Bread that comes down from heaven. Christ is Unleavened. He's perfectly righteous. He is not leavened. He is not puffed up. He's not vain or proud. He's totally in unity with His Father, completely submissive, surrendered to His Father's will. He sets an example for all of us that we are to become like Him. So Christ is indeed our Passover Lamb.

He is our Unleavened Bread. He is the manna that came down from heaven. We are to eat of the manna. When we eat that Unleavened Bread, it symbolizes also allowing Christ to live in us, to change us, to make us different, to convert us into being like Him. So our goal is to become just like Christ.

We want to become Unleavened. So we put all leaven out of our homes during the Days of Unleavened Bread. That's why it's called the Days of Unleavened Bread. It's supposed to go out of all your quarters in your household, wherever you live. And if you work somewhere, if you can get the leaven out of your workspace, you're supposed to do that, too. So wherever you dwell in all of your quarters, you put the leaven out and then you eat Unleavened Bread during that week. You don't eat any leavened bread. You eat only Unleavened Bread.

Again, picturing Christ living in you. So it's a very deep meaning for those who observe it, and you don't really understand it unless you keep it. It sounds strange to a lot of people until you keep it, and that's the difference. That makes all the difference in the world. When you begin to observe it, then you see the beauty of it. You see the power behind it, and you see just how wonderful it really is.

So the Passover is the first step in God's plan of salvation. We need a Savior. We need the Lamb of God. We have the Lamb of God. He died for us. When you accept Him as your Savior, then you're on the road to salvation, to eternal life. Now, God used a very dramatic event to show His children what He was going to help them overcome sin in their lives.

It was the death of the Passover Lamb and also the death of the first born of Egypt that would serve to graphically reveal this first step toward eternal salvation, the first step in God's wonderful plan of salvation, ultimately for all of mankind. The Passover Lamb, again, was without spot or blemish. It was an innocent lamb, and it had to die. And Christ had to die for us.

There was no other way, and Christ was willing to do that. So in New Testament times, just before Christ died, again, He took wine. He gave it to His followers, to His disciples. He took the unleavened bread. He gave it to them. He also washed their feet that evening. So that is even a part of our Passover observance, is that we actually wash each other's feet, which again seems very strange to people today. It is somewhat humbling, but it's humbling for all of us.

Those who, when we wash someone's feet or when they wash our feet, it's a humbling experience, but it's a very powerful, meaningful spiritual experience. So it's different, but Christ said to follow His example. He said, do what I have done. So that's why we do it, because we believe we are to live by every word of God.

So the second step is the Days of Unleavened Bread. It pictures putting sin out of our lives. It pictures becoming unleavened. It pictures putting on the mind of Jesus Christ and becoming like Him. Lucifer became proud and vain and puffed up, and that's what sin does. It puffs us up. It makes us proud and vain, and it's something that we really need to root out of our lives.

It was sin that killed our Savior, Jesus Christ. We're all guilty of sin. Every one of us is a sinner. We're all guilty of Christ's shed blood. We all caused Him to die. He died for each and every one of us.

And again, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but should be given eternal life. And God sent His Son not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. So Christ is indeed the Savior. That's what His name means. It means God saves. That brings us to the third step, the Day of Pentecost. Now, this is also called the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of First Fruits. Christ is the first-born among many brethren. He's the very first-born. He's the first fruits. But God is also calling some first fruits as well. He's calling some human beings to follow in the footsteps of His Son, Jesus Christ. And it's our responsibility to follow Christ's example. Now, Christ said He would send the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. After He died, the wave sheaf was offered. 50 days later, that's when the Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Peter preached a powerful sermon that day. Many repented of their sins. Many accepted Christ as their Savior. Many were baptized. In fact, up to 5,000 people were baptized that day. And they received God's Holy Spirit. The early harvest of God's people are the first fruits that God is calling today.

It says in the Bible that judgment has begun on the house of God. That's where the true judgment is taking place today. Now, God is judging the whole world in a sense. And that's why He's going to pour His wrath down upon this earth because of the sins of mankind. But in a very real sense, this is our day of salvation. Those of us God is calling right now. It's our day of salvation because we are the first fruits. We are actually to become the bride of Christ. We are to rule and reign with Christ as first fruits. He's the firstborn among many brethren.

And Peter said, repent and be baptized every one of you and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So God is calling out His church today. He has a New Testament church. It began on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. It is the early harvest of God's people, the first fruits, again, that God is calling. God called a few in the Old Testament. People like David and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Elijah and Elisha and some of the prophets and various ones. But He called relatively few. And in fact, He's continuing to call relatively few. Out of the billions of people on earth today, there are very, very few that truly follow God and keep His commandments. So it's only those who are called, chosen, and faithful who will be in the early harvest when Christ returns. The Bible says many are called, but few are chosen. Again, it's because they don't respond and they never receive God's Spirit. Because only when we humble ourselves and we become baptized, we have hands laid upon us by a true minister of God. That's when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That's what the Scripture tells us. It's upon the laying on of hands that the Spirit is given. So we have to be immersed in water and we have to be completely immersed and baptized. We have to accept Christ as our Savior, repent of our sins, have hands laid upon us for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then we are sanctified and set apart and sealed until Christ's return. So again, many are called, but few are chosen and even fewer are faithful to the very end. The Scripture says, he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved. So we have to endure to the end and there will be many tumultuous times to come upon this earth. And we will be tested in ways we have probably no idea. We just really can't conceive, perhaps, of how many of us will be tested before Christ returns.

It is important that we draw close to God now and that we begin to worship Him in spirit and in truth. So the day of Pentecost, again, it pictures God's church today, who God is calling out today. Judgment has begun upon all of us. He's calling us to repent and to follow Him fully and completely. Now, the next, that's the third step in God's Holy Day plan. So first, we have to have a Savior. Christ is our Passover. We have to put sin out of our lives. Days of Unleavened Bread, picture that, putting the sin out. The third step is receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. We keep the day of Pentecost and are always reminded that God gives us His Spirit. And that's what sanctifies us and makes us first fruits. And then, the next step is the Feast of Trumpets. Christ is going to return to this earth at the blowing of the seventh trumpet. The trumpet will sound and Christ will return. 1 Thessalonians 4. Let's read it together. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 13. Christ is going to return at the blowing of the seventh trumpet. 1 Thessalonians 4, starting in verse 13. And it has something to say, too, about what happens after a person dies. Many people don't even understand the simple truth of what happens after death. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 13.

God is going to quicken them or resurrect them at that time. 2 For this we say to you, by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep, those who have died. So He's talking about those who have died in Christ. 3 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. 4 And the dead in Christ will rise first. People don't go off into heaven or to hell. When they die, they go to the grave. That's where they are. They're in the grave. They're awaiting a resurrection to life. When Christ returns, the first resurrection will take place. Those who are dead in Christ will rise first.

Those who are alive in Christ will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, according to 1 Corinthians 15. They will be changed at that time.

It says in verse 17, 3 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. In other words, those who have died in Christ will rise first to meet Christ. Christ will be coming back. He's actually coming to the Mount of Olives. He's going to rule and reign on the earth. So the dead in Christ will rise to meet Christ in the air.

They will descend to the Mount of Olives and the firstfruits.

Those who are alive in Christ, they will be changed into spirit as well. They will rise to meet Christ. They will all come down to this earth. They'll rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years. That's what your Bible says, but that's not what most churches teach. It's not what most ministers even understand.

But that is the clear words of the Bible.

It says, 4 Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Yes, we will be with the Lord when Christ returns. We'll rise to meet Him in the air. We will become like Him as well. We will be changed into spirit at His return. We will become like Christ, the Bible tells us. We will have a spiritual body. We will no longer be weighed down by the flesh.

We will be free at last in the truest sense.

We will be born into God's family. The kingdom of God will be established here on the earth. And we as the firstfruits will rule and reign with Christ. So that's what's going to happen at the blowing of the seventh trumpet. 1 Corinthians 15. We'll just take a brief moment to turn there. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 50.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Now some people will have you believe that the kingdom of God is already established. It's clearly not established. The flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery, a hidden truth. We shall not all sleep. Not everyone is going to die, but we shall all be changed. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible. And we, Paul thought he would be alive at the time.

I mean, that's what he thought. He was wrong. You know, that's 2000 years later, almost, and Christ still hasn't returned.

So man, even God's apostles, they're not always right. I mean, sometimes they have errors in judgment. They think they know, but they don't always know.

But he understood the concept. Those who are alive will be changed, and they will be changed in a moment, and then tweaked in an eye. The trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible. We shall be changed. For this corruptible, this flesh, must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. These are the true words of God's scriptures and holy word here.

You see, Christ is bringing salvation with him when he comes the second time. The first time he came to die for us, to lay his life down. The second time he's bringing salvation with him. That's what Hebrews 9 verse 28 says. He's bringing salvation for the first fruits at his return. That's the first resurrection. That's pictured, again, with the Feast of Trumpets. Christ will return, the trumpet will sound, and there will be a resurrection to life. Also, at that time, shortly after this resurrection takes place, Satan the devil is going to be bound. Now, the Day of Atonement pictures this time of Satan being bound. It also does picture the atoning sacrifice of the dead. It also pictures the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Leviticus chapter 16 goes into some detail, and we don't have time to go through it today, but it talks of two goats. One of those goats represents Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ died, and one of those goats is going to be sacrificed.

That goat represents Jesus Christ. The other goat is going to be taken into the wilderness, the Azazel goat, the enemy, the adversary. That goat represents Satan the devil.

And basically, that goat is going to be taken off into the wilderness, just like Satan the devil will eventually be cast into outer darkness, cast into the abyss.

Christ, again, is our atoning sacrifice. He is also the fifth man who will bind Satan for a thousand years, and again, later banish him to outer darkness for all eternity. Let's go to Revelation 20.

Revelation 20.

Verse 1, I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. Now, angel can also be, can mean messenger.

It's very likely that this is speaking of Christ himself, the fit man who will come and bind Satan the devil. I suppose it's possible it could be an archangel that we're talking about here. But nevertheless, Satan is going to be bound. He will lay hold of the dragon, that serpent of old who is the devil, and he will bind him and Satan, and he bound him for a thousand years, and he cast him into the bottomless pit.

He shut him up, and he set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a little while. So, here we see that Satan is going to be bound, and the day of atonement, the day of atonement pictures the binding of Satan.

He'll be bound for a thousand years at that time. That's one of the goats that is mentioned in Leviticus chapter 16, represents Satan and how he's going to be taken and bound for a thousand years, and then eventually for all eternity.

Now, the next step in God's plan is the Feast of Tabernacles.

After Satan is bound, then there's going to be a thousand years of God's kingdom here on the earth. One thousand years without Satan around to tempt and to destroy and to wreak havoc on the earth.

So, the Feast of Tabernacles pictures, again, the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. Christ will establish his kingdom at his second coming. It will last for a thousand years for a millennium. Now, if we go back to Revelation chapter 20, let's read in verse 4. And I saw thrones and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus, and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. So, there is a coming, a time of great testing upon God's people in the future.

And here it says, And they lived and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. It's talking about those who have their names written in the book of life. Those who are faithful, those who will not worship the beast.

It says, they will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years. Now, actually verse 5 should be in parentheses, because it's actually referring...

Well, here's what it says, But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. It's the next part that needs to be in parentheses. This is the first resurrection.

Okay, the first resurrection is actually referring back to the beginning of the millennium. When Christ returns, we already saw in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, that there would be a resurrection to life for the first fruits. That is the first resurrection.

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were up. So there's going to be a vast array of people who will be resurrected, not to spirit life like the first resurrection. The first resurrection is the better resurrection because it's to spirit life and it's to eternal life at the beginning of the millennium. The rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. Verse 6, it says, Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection, the first fruits. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they will rule with him a thousand years.

Now, when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.

They will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, together them together to battle whose number is the sand of the sea.

So Satan is going to rebel, and there will be quite a few actually who will follow Satan at that time. But God is going to intervene, and those who follow him will be cast into the lake of fire. And Satan is going to be cast into outer darkness, into the abyss.

In verse 11, it says, Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it. Okay, so now we're getting into the great white throne judgment period. Now, this is going to take place after the thousand years. So the Feast of Tabernacles pictures the thousand-year reign, of Jesus Christ.

When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they dwelled in tents. They dwelled in temporary dwellings. This is what we do. As I mentioned, we go to Branson. We live in condos and temporary motel rooms and things like that.

Because these physical bodies of ours are temporary dwellings.

But we want to live for eternity, and God is going to allow that to happen if we will surrender to him and become among the firstfruits.

So the firstfruits are going to be changed in the first resurrection to immortal and eternal spirit.

They will become like Christ.

So that brings us to the end of the thousand-year period. And actually, it does reflect back to the seven days of creation.

In 2 Peter 3, verse 8, it says, one day it says a thousand years. So the first six days are man's days to show that they really don't know what they're doing. And they really can't solve their problems.

So we've struggled for 6,000 years here on the earth, and we've made a mess of things. In fact, the Bible says that God's going to have to cut short the time, but we're going to kill ourselves off the face of the earth. So we made a real mess of things. That's the first 6,000 years. Christ is coming back for the seventh thousand years.

That's the millennial rest. That is the promised land. That's when we will enter into God's kingdom at that time. So it's important that we understand that God's holy days, again, they picture His plan of salvation. Step by step, we've shown what God is doing. And now we enter the eighth day and the last great day, the Great White Throne Judgment Period. And to me, this is one of the most exciting things of all, because it shows that billions and billions and billions of people who have lived are going to live again. Now, most ministers would say, well, they're all in hell or they're up in heaven. And most of them would have to be in hell, because there's only one name given under heaven whereby a person can be saved. And that is through the Savior Jesus Christ. And frankly, billions of people have died who have never even known the name of Jesus Christ. So if they're anywhere, heaven or hell, they're in hell, burning and writhing in hell forever. That's not what the Bible teaches. We have a booklet on that, the truth about heaven and hell. But that's another story, another sermon, another day.

The eighth day or the last great day, it pictures the Great White Throne Judgment Period. Revelation chapter 20 verse 11, Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them, and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God.

And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books.

Okay, the books, frankly, are God's holy word. It's the books of the Bible. And that's how people are going to be judged. But the truth is, many people have never known the truth of God. They've never known the true God. They've never even had the Bible read to them. They've never read the Bible. Billions of people have died without... I mean, we're the ones that have the Bible like this. Most people who have lived and died never had a Bible to read. You know, they had no clue, in many cases, what God was doing. So those billions of people will come to know the true God, and they will be judged out of the book. They're going to be taught the ways of God. And the kings and priests who rule with Christ will have an opportunity to do that. We're going to have a thousand years to prepare for billions of people to come out of their graves. Ezekiel 37 shows a resurrection to physical life. That's when the billions of people were... You know where it says the knee bone connected to the ankle bone? And you know how the song goes? Well, Ezekiel 37 talks about a physical resurrection to life. And at that time, they're going to be taught the ways of God. Isaiah shows that God's law will go forth throughout all the earth, and everyone will come to know the true God. So that's a part of God's plan of salvation. It's pictured in the last great day, or the eighth day, the great white throne judgment period.

And again, these people will be judged. And hopefully, the vast majority of them will accept Christ as their Savior. They will repent of their sins, and they will be allowed to enter God's kingdom. They will be converted. They will be changed into spirit. They will also live forever.

In Revelation 21, it's important to look at a few verses here before we wrap things up.

Revelation 21, verse 1, Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. So this is actually after the great white throne judgment period. This is after people have had an opportunity to choose whether or not they're going to obey and follow God, because God is not going to allow anything that offends in His kingdom. John 22, verse 1, He said, I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them, and He will be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, there will be no more pain. For the former things have passed away.

There's going to be a new age that's going to be ushered in at this time. The New Jerusalem will come down from heaven, and God's kingdom will last forever and ever. It will continue to expand throughout eternity.

Notice verse 7, He who overcomes shall inherit all things. I will be his God, and he shall be my Son, but the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars. And frankly, this is a short list. Anyone who sins against God and does not repent of their sins, they will not be allowed in. It says, they will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, and that is the second death. So clearly, it shows that all people who have ever lived and died once, they're going to have an opportunity to die again, or to live forever. It's pretty clear. The Bible clearly shows that there is a second death, so the billions of people who have lived and died will be resurrected. They will either choose God and live forever, or they will choose not to obey God, and they will be cast into the lake of fire where they will suffer the second death.

Now, that's the truth of your Bible, but you don't hear that. You know, very many places, because, frankly, Satan has deceived the whole world.

So in Revelation 22, to wrap it up here, and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of the street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life which bore fruit. Now, remember in Genesis, it talks about the tree of life. Remember, Adam and Eve were not allowed to eat of the tree of life.

I mean, they could have, but they didn't. I mean, they could eat of any tree in the garden except one. That was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But when they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were cast out of the garden lest they eat of the tree of life and live forever. That was not God's plan back then. It is going to be God's plan in the future. We will eat of the tree of life. We will live forever. Now we are being judged whether or not we truly want to live by every word of God and eat of the tree of life. So, in the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit. The leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations. It is symbolic of how God is going to heal all people, all lands, all nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there, they need no lamp nor light, of the sun, of the night, of the night, of the night, of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. They're going to reign forever and ever. Again, it shows that those who are unjust in verse 11, they will be cast into a lake of fire. They will suffer the second death. But everyone who chooses life will be given life. God's plan is wonderful. Billions of people are going to be resurrected. And finally have an opportunity to know the truth of God. Okay, that is God's plan of salvation revealed in his Holy Days. So step by step, God shows us, but you have to keep the Holy Days in order to really grasp the plan of salvation and how it's going to work for all people.

Indeed, we're going to be free at last, at that time, not free from God's Holy Law, as some people would tell you you need to be free of the law, but free from corruption, free from dishonor, free from weakness, free from Satan the devil, free from the oppressor, free from this corruptible flesh, and free once and for all from sin.

Observing God's Holy Days helps us to comprehend his master plan for us. Again, step by step, the Holy Days show us our destiny. It is your destiny to live forever in God's Kingdom. But you have to choose if you want it or not.

It is important to begin keeping these days now, if God is now bringing you into a knowledge of the truth. It's important that you observe them. It's not enough to be a hearer of the law.

The book of James says you must become a doer of the law. So you have to keep it, and this is a commanded assembly. It's commanded. It's not whether you want to or not. It's commanded. That's what Holy Convocation means. It happens here every Sabbath. We can be here every Sabbath at 1.30, and you're all welcome to come.

We'll be here every Sabbath. So God's weekly Sabbath and his annual Sabbath are a tremendous blessing. God's Holy Days, both the weekly Sabbath and the annual Sabbath, reveal to us more clearly God's wonderful plan of salvation for everyone. It is important that we observe these weekly and annual reminders of God's love. You know, that's what the plan of salvation is all about. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.