The Holy Days of the 7th Month

Brethren, as we can see, these storms, these hurricanes, earthquakes, they don't stop. Particularly, these storms are getting worse and worse. And they come in one after another. There was Harvey, then there's now Erman, and then Josiah follows and Khatia follows. And then there are fires in the west coast, affecting maybe even some of the east sides, like some people are saying could be affecting Montana. And then there was this earthquake in Mexico, where this report of some 80 people already died. So the devastation, in whatever way, whether it's through weather or whatever it is, is really bad. And for instance, when we look at some of this devastation, it's interesting sometimes to see that in some areas everything is destroyed. But then there's a lone house here and a lone house there that stays up. And you kind of wonder why. Quite often it's because they were built with, they were better built, they maybe have better foundations, the construction is better. Because sometimes you look at these houses, they all look beautiful, or some look more beautiful than others, but they all look, you can't see the difference. But only when the storm happens, then you afterwards see that this house withheld the storm and the other one didn't. And that reminds us of a parable or a principle that Christ mentioned. And if you want to turn with me to Luke chapter 6, and we'll start reading in verse 46, Luke chapter 6 verse 46.

And it says, But why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say? It's Christ asking. And then now it says, Whoever comes to me, in verse 47, and hears my sayings and does them, I'll show you whom he is like. So these storms have a spiritual principle that Christ related them to. Look at how he relates them. He says, He says, That person that does what I tell him to do. Verse 48, That person is like a man, building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation on the rock. Now it does not say a rock, it says the rock. Now it's very interesting brethren, that says the rock, because the rock is Christ. So Yah is the spiritual principle. They're building on the rock. But it goes on. And when the flatter rose, and the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. Now I know some Bible versions say was well built. But the Greek says was founded on the rock. So you know, you can see, I have an example, where people say, Oh well, let me translate, let me be a little bit loose or free in the translation, to say, well, it means it's well built. And I can't criticize the good intent.

But in that good intent, they lost the meaning, because the meaning is founded on the rock, which is Christ. So that is interesting. And then he continues, Christ says on verse 49, But he heard and did nothing. So he that hears God's words, Christ's instructions, and does nothing, is like a man who built a house on earth, without a foundation.

Against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. And indeed, we can see great devastation. We hear today, people say, well, the storms never happened before. It never happened before. The storms are brewing worse and worse. But brethren, these storms, and now I put the word storms between the inverted commas, are not just weather type storms that I'm referring to. Because these storms you can look at it as the geopolitical situation that is happening. You know, you look at North Korea, you look at situations that are happening with ISIS, and you could call them storms under inverted commas. But it's just these things are brewing worse and worse now at the time of the end. Could be demonstrations, could be riots. And I mean, you watch the news maybe on TV, and you see this attitude is brewing, and it's just becoming more and more flashy. You know, more and more people are just clashing with whatever flags, with whatever excuse, whatever reason. But you can see the spirit is brewing, and things are getting worse. Brethren, you and I know, you and I know that we are coming to a third world war.

And this will lead to what mankind thinks, the end of the world. But it won't be the end of the world, because there is a God, and you intervene, and it will not be the end of the world. But it will lead to, it will push so far that if God, through Christ, would not intervene, it would be the end of the world. And so, as I was referring to earlier on, this letter of the chairman that we received this past week, about how things are getting worse and worse, you know, these storms. And I'm referring to the word storms genetically, as I said, that it's all the stuff that's brewing. It's not just weather-related, but I'm referring to all these things that, you know, in a sense, are like storms. All these things are brewing, and our only hope is to look to the hope that God gives us of the wonderful world tomorrow and His plan of salvation for mankind. That is our only hope, because if we don't have that, we just, we just lost. Really, there's no hope. As we heard in the sermonette, we've got to be focused on God. That He is our only hope. And so today, brethren, I want to look at God's holy days, how they describe God's plan of salvation, just as an overview, to help us prepare for the holy days as they are approaching. But particularly, I want to focus on the last four.

In other words, the holy days of the seventh month that God describes to occur on the seventh month. As we, again, as we heard in the sermonette, and was referred to as, we've got to be prepared. We've got to be focused on God. We've got to be prepared. We've got to be ready. And in the sermonette, the example that was given was going to the ten virgins, and five were prepared and five were not. And the message and the warning there is that nobody knows when that day will come.

I want to now turn, you to turn with me, please, to Mark chapter 13. Mark chapter 13. And we'll start in verse 32. Mark 13 verse 32. But of that day and hour, no one knows it. Now, this just reminds me, I received some email from somebody saying, do you people in the church of God want to preach the truth? Well, if you want to preach the truth, I've received the revelation that I know when the time of the end is. Therefore, if you want to preach the truth, listen to me. Well, it's interesting. Maybe we should tell that person to go and tell Christ, because it says, yeah, no man knows, not even angels, even, nor does that old man. So maybe that person should go and tell Christ, I'm saying it significantly. So, but it's just amazing the sort of people that come in and write questions and things like that. But anyway, I'm diverting, so I apologize for that. But it says, of that day and hour, no man knows, not even angels, in heaven, nor the sun, but only the Father. Take heed and watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is. In other words, be ready. It's like there's these storms, and now people say, now you go to the shops and the shelves are empty and you don't have gas. Maybe we should be a little ready. Maybe we should have certain things already. Ready. He says, it is a man going to a far country who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to each his work and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming. In the evening, or at midnight, or early in the morning at the crown of the rooster, or later in the morning, lest coming suddenly he finds you sleeping. And I'll say to you, I'll say to all, watch. So we're going to be watching, because the thief comes when we don't expect. The thief comes when we don't expect. I remember when we lived in South Africa, we had a number of times, thieves trying to get into our house. And you know what? We don't. We didn't know the night that we're going to come. We did not know. So we had to put alongs and things like that. And they somehow found weaknesses in that. And then we had to improve that. But we have to do our part. We really have to do our part. We've got to be prepared, because it comes when we don't expect. And likewise, all these things are brewing. And it's easy to say, like I saw somebody wrote something on Facebook.

Yeah, the shelves were empty. And I said, well, who wants bread? I'm looking for beer. So... So, I think we all can say things in jest. So that's okay. But the problem in the world is, people are calloused, and people are not repenting. This nation is not repenting. It's just getting worse and worse. And God is removing the blessings. God is removing the blessings. But we do know that God is going to intervene for the nation. Because in the end, we are in slavery. Yes, some of us, and I don't mean as literally, but some of us in society, in the world, are not watching. But think about, the majority of the Israelites in Egypt, were saying, well, when are we going to get out of this? But when the time came to say, do what Moses said, they really didn't want to do what Moses said. What Moses said, obviously, what God said through Moses. And that is implied, of course. So, they didn't want to do what Moses said. But think about how it happened. As you know, there were ten plagues. You know, the first few plagues, it affected both the Israelites and Egyptians. But then, after a certain time, the Israelites were protected. And then came the last plague, the tenth, which was, you know, the Passover. Right? And after the Passover, the door was open to actually leave Egypt. See, you had to have the Passover first. And after the Passover, then they could leave Egypt. And likewise, with God's early days, after the Passover, because the Passover is not a holy day. It's the 14th. It's not a holy day. After the Passover, the holy days start, the 15th, onwards. And that shows God's plan of salvation. So, the eyes of spiritual principle, just like the Israelites leaving Egypt, we, as society, and we individually, have to leave Egypt, symbolically, meaning the swole of sin. Society has to. But, society doesn't want to leave. You know, the Israelites, they say, no, I want to go back! They don't want to leave. Society doesn't want to leave. And so, yeah, we can see. There are two levels of leaving Egypt. And I don't mean about the Israelites leaving Egypt, I mean about us leaving Egypt. There are two levels. One is the individual level that you and I have to leave Egypt. And two is the collective level that the whole nation, the whole society, the whole world needs to leave this prison, this slavery of Egypt, and the sway of Satan. So, we've got two levels, or two stages. Individual and the whole world as a whole. And so, let's look at God's holy days. And we're going to look at first, by looking at them in the Old Testament, by basically concentrating on Leviticus 23, that's where they are. And then we're going to look at the expanded or the expounded meaning of those holy days. And as I said, particularly focusing on the last four, as it's shown to us in the New Testament through Christ's teachings, or the Christ's revelation that he gave to us in the book of Revelation. And so, basically as they expounded in the New Testament. So, let's look at Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23.

And we'll start in verse 2, which is God speaking to Moses and saying, speak to the children of Israel and say to them, the feasts of the eternal.

Now, this is important for us to understand. These are the feasts of God.

They are not of the Jews. They're not of any specific people. They're God's feasts, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations. In other words, to be meetings. That you are to gather together. And they are holy because they are instructed by God.

And so, wherever you can, and as far as you can, you should get together. And these are my feasts, says God. A little bit further, in verse 4, these are the feasts of the eternal holy convocations. In other words, holy meetings, which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. So, it was for the priesthood to proclaim, which is different than the Sabbath, because the Sabbath was proclaimed by God at creation, when there is every seventh day. But these feasts, the priesthoods, had a responsibility to proclaim when they were. And then, God says, okay, once you've proclaimed the calendar, let's call it this way, when the months are, then on the 14th day, the verse happens on the 15th, that happens, etc. So, let's continue, therefore, in verse 5. On the 14th day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover.

I think it's very clear that it says the Passover is on the 14th. It's not on the 15th.

And we know from the New Testament that the Passover points to Christ.

He is our Passover Lamb.

And you and I know that He kept the Passover. You can read that in Luke. He says He kept the Passover at the time and the hour. Then, He was betrayed and He suffered. And He was killed, all in the same day, within the same 24 hours of sunset to sunset of the 14th. So, the Passover points not only to Christ's death, but points also to Christ's suffering.

And you and I, it's important for us to understand this, because Christ's suffering represented or symbolized by the bread and Christ's death symbolized by the wine.

It's two different things. One is the suffering that He had that night, early in the morning, and all the way till about three o'clock on the stardust as it says in Greek, which could be a plank of wood or a cross. And then at three o'clock, as we know about that time, He then died, representing the blood which was the wine.

So, there's two important meanings on the Passover. It's not just the death, as many people point to, symbolized by the wine, but it's also the suffering which He began to go through that suffering at the night, early in the morning, and throughout the day. And it all happened on the 14th. So, it's the symbol of the Passover. And immediately after the Passover, immediately after the 14th, we have what? The 15th. Yeah, so the 15th is after the 14th, right? So, immediately after the 14th, we have verse 6 that says, and on the 15th day of the seventh month is the Feast of 11 Bread.

See, so the Passover is on the 14th, and then 11 bread starts on the 15th for seven days. And it was from the 15th through the 21st. And we read there that on the first day, it's it's a holy day, and on the last day. And symbolizing, as we know, taking sin of our lives for seven days, which represents completely. And so, we take this 11 out, which is like getting out of Egypt, getting out of sin.

And then we read a little bit further, starting in verse 11, that during the day after the Sabbath, during the days of 11 bread, they were to do a ceremony called the Wivesheth.

That was the day after the Sabbath, which in today's parlor, we call it Sunday. But anyway, it'll be the first day of the week. They were to do a wavesheth. Why on the first day of the week? Because there was work! They were supposed to go work to do the harvest, etc., and start the harvesting. So it was the beginning of work. That's why it was on the first day of the week, not on the Sabbath. So on that first day of the week, during 11 bread, they were to do that wavesheth. But the important thing to us, besides other important things about that day, but the important thing to us is that that day begins day one count 50 to Pentecost. And so you and I can see that the first month is important for the three first Holy Diaries and three first feasts of God's plan. The three first feasts, which is Passover, 11 bread, and Pentecost, they all counted from the first month. So the first month is important for that purpose.

On the 14th and 15th, 21st and 50 days from the first Sunday, during 11 bread.

Which brings us to, if we read a bit further, in verse 15. In verse 15 says, you shall count for yourselves. Now the way the Jews do is, they have a fixed date on the third month, Siva on the sixth, for Pentecost. Now if you do that, then you don't have to count.

You see, that's where the Jews deviate from the structures. Because the structure says you shall count from that first month, from that first day of the week, during 11 bread, after the Sabbath, during 11 bread, you count 50. And it says, you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, you know it's from Sunday, from the day that you brought the sheaf, as we read in verse 11. Seven Sabbath shall be complete. We know it was seven weeks, seven Sabbath, so you count from that first day, you go a whole week, that is seven days, and then another week you count seven, although seven times seven is 49, plus one comes to the following Sunday, count 50. So it says, verse 16, count 50 days to the day after the seven Sabbath. I think it's so plain. I think it's so plain. I don't understand why we didn't understand it previously, but anyway, it's so plain. Then you shall offer it and sell that points to the feast of first fruits, which is the day of Pentecost. And you and I know, you and I know the meaning of these three festivals. Basically, we need the Passover Christ to open the doors as the Passover lamb. Then we have Unleavened Bread, which means we've got to make a commitment to obey God. But then we realize that we can't do it by ourselves. We need God's Holy Spirit, Pentecost, we need God's Holy Spirit, to help us with His power to overcome, as we heard last week by Mr. Walter Crane, he says we've got to overcome the flesh or last week or the week before, can't remember now, but we've got to overcome the flesh, the world, and Satan. And that's what we're going to do. And we need God's help, God's Spirit. Now, brethren, that is the first phase of God's plan. Now, why do I call it the first phase? Number one, because they're all tied to the first month.

They're all tied to the first month. Number two, they're all tied to Christ's first coming.

You see, Christ's first coming is the sacrificial lamb. Christ's first coming led them to count and wait for the Holy Spirit. So, all tied to Christ's first coming. In fact, think about it.

And some of you may have thought about this, some of you may have not. The word Jesus means Savior. The word Jesus ties to the first coming. The word Christ means Messiah. The anointed one that is going to rule over the world ties to his second coming. So, when the Jews were waiting for the Messiah, that second coming. That's why they were disappointed in the first coming, because, quote unquote, the work of the Messiah is the second coming work.

So, the first fights, the first three festivals, Passover, 11 Brea and Pentecost, in a sense, is our individual liberty from sin. We all, now or later, those called later, that's our individual responsibility.

Then, with the help of God's Spirit, we've got to remain persevering, faithful, until the end, which is Christ's second coming, which is represented by the four remaining festivals, which represent Christ's second coming, the word Christ represents Messiah, which are anniversaries. And you know what anniversary is? You have an anniversary. What's anniversary? Well, anniversary reminds me of, for instance, the day we got married.

That's normally how we look at anniversaries, right? It looks at events that have happened, and then we have an anniversary.

But these four holidays to come are anniversaries, but of things that haven't happened yet.

After they happen, yes, they will look back at things that did happen, but now are anniversaries of things to come. That's why it says in Colossians 2, 16, and 17, they are shadows of things to come. In other words, they are anniversaries of things that haven't happened yet. Once they happen, yes, there will be anniversaries of things that have happened in the past, but they haven't happened yet because Christ has not come yet. And they all happen on the seventh month.

All happen at that time of Christ's second coming. So, those four festivals remaining... So, let me be very clear. The first three were Passover and Leavenbury and Pentecost. The four remaining, that point to Christ is coming, is trumpets, points to Christ is coming, is atonement, points to Satan being put away. It's the feast of tabernacle, tabernacle, points to the millennium. And the fourth one is the last great day, or the eighth day, which points to the second resurrection.

The hope for the whole of mankind.

Those dead, they will have a chance that they never had, never had a chance.

They will have a chance, too. They will have a chance, too.

And Christianity, in general, and the Jews, do not understand it.

That is such a blessing of understanding and knowledge that God is even the church of God.

So, let's look at those last four holidays very briefly by looking at them in Leviticus 23. So, Leviticus 23, verse 23 to 25 talks about trumpets, says, particularly verse 24 says, speaking to the children of Israel, saying, the seventh month. Remember, now we're looking at the seventh month. The first three, they all were derived from the first month. These all are from the seventh month. Now, this is extremely important for us to keep in mind, because it's the first month and the seventh month that are critical to God's plan of salvation.

And that's a whole different subject that I'm touching, yeah, that if you're thinking about it, you know what I'm talking about, but I'm going to leave it alone. Those two months are important. But anyway, it says, yeah, on the seventh month, in the first day of the month, by the way, this is the only, the only holy day that is on the first day of the month.

And it says, you shall have a tap of rest. Do you know, have you noticed that the others meaning first day of the month of bread, seventh day of the month of bread, and that the cost did not use yah in the law, the term Sabbath rest.

It only uses that term for the holy days of the seventh month.

This is another important point, because there's a differentiation, because the Sabbath rest, remember in Hebrews, it talks about there remains a Sabbath, which points a rest, which is the world peace that will come with God's government to be on earth, and that will be a sabbatical rest at the seventh millennium of mankind. So there's a whole lot of meaning here. Now, not saying the other days are not holy days, but there is a special focus here by identifying them as Sabbath rest, those of the seventh month. A memorial of blowing trumpets, a holy convocation. So that's the day of trumpets, which you and I know, it's the beginning of this new age. Interesting enough, it's the beginning of a civil year, as did you see it, which is interesting enough. But anyway, let's move on to the next one, and that is in verse 27. Also the tenth day of the seventh month. So again, it's the seventh month. It's the tenth day, shall be a day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation. So again, a special gathering, meeting, which is holy. You shall afflict your souls. If you've been in the church for a while, you know what afflicting your souls is. No food and no water. That is afflicting your souls. So you know what that means. Right. Now obviously, there are some people that through health conditions, they should look at it in a wise manner. Not saying, don't be wise. But the majority of the people, the vast majority, the 90 plus, we all need to afflict our souls. And it says, you shall do no work on that same day for this day of atonement to have atonement for you before the Lord your God.

And we'll talk more about this later on about the day of atonement.

Look at verse 32. It says, it shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest. So again, it uses the word Sabbath rest for this holy day. But of solemn rest, you shall afflict your souls on the ninth day of the month that even you know what's from sunset at the end of the ninth day.

And this it shows God's days begin from sunset to sunset. So at the end of the ninth day, you start fasting until the end of the tenth day from sunset to sunset. You shall celebrate your Sabbath. Okay, then let's move on to the next one, which is the feast.

It says, verse 35. Okay, verse 34, beg your pardon. Speak to the children of Israel, saying, on the fifteenth day of verse seventh month, again it's the seventh month, it's the fifteenth day, shall be the feast of Tabernacles for seven days. On the first day shall be a holy provocation.

You shall do no customly work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. Obviously, we don't make offerings because there's no temple for one. But we do make our offering in a way because we do what our offerings you read in Romans. Our offerings are spiritual sacrifice, a living sacrifice. That's what our offering is, a living sacrifice. It's not in that physical way because obviously there's no temple. And that will happen in the world tomorrow because there will be a temple in the world tomorrow and there will be offerings. And if anybody's got questions why that, let me just very simply say it could be an education point of view, a point of education. But anyway, let's move on. And you shall offer our made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly. Now, interesting enough, this word sacred assembly, which is used, yah, for the eighth day. It's the only time of these seven holy days that is used the word sacred assembly. Now, this is also an important point.

The word in Hebrew is ez-se-rah.

And basically means a closing ceremony, a solemn closing ceremony of the feast. It's the conclusion of the feast, but it's the conclusion of God's annual holy days. And you have a closing ceremony.

By the way, the Jews were given no idea, zero, no idea, no idea, no idea. Why to keep the eighth day? You can go on Jewish literature. They don't get it. They did know that the eighth day was the last day.

Not the seventh. Some people try to convince you. They did know the eighth was the last day. Okay. How do I know that? From Nehemiah 8. Well, let's look at Nehemiah 8. Is there an EMI? Nehemiah 8.

Nehemiah 8. As you read Nehemiah 8, you see it's a time when they found the book of the law. They had come back from captivity. They found the book of the law.

And then they just start reading from the book of law and they start explaining what it is. You can see that in verse 8. Nehemiah 8 verse 8, it says, they read distinctly from the book of the law and they gave the sense, you know, what they explained like a sermon, explaining what it means and help them to understand what they were reading. So, and then they realized they have to keep the feast of Tabernacles.

And then you can see a little later on, they kept the feast of Tabernacles. And you read in verse 17 towards the end, it says, for since the days of Joshua, until that day, think about when was the days of Joshua? Joshua was the one spread off to Moses.

Since the days of Joshua, in other words, they went through King David, King Solomon, all of them. Since the days of Joshua, the son of man, until that day, the children of Israel had not done so.

Wow! Since the days of Joshua, in other words, immediately after Moses was Joshua, after that, through all the judges, through all the kings, through all of them, zero, as far as keeping the feast properly. And there was great gladness.

Verse 18. Also, day by day, from the first day until the last, he read from the book of the law. Can you see three things here? Day by day, from the first day, that's one thing, to the last day, second thing. Third thing, they read the book of the law.

I look at Jewish poetry, and they kept the feast seven days. Right? They kept the feast seven days, day by day, seven days. And on the eighth day, point number two, which is the last? Point number three.

There was a second assembly. What? On the eighth day, there was an extra, a second assembly, and that was the last day, the closing ceremony. According to this prescribed manner, it was according to the law. So you can see, in verse 18 says, day by day, that's from the first, the second, day by day, until the last. They did it according to the law. And then it repeats itself. It says, for seven days until the last, which was the eighth day, which was the eighth day, the last. There was a second assembly on eighth day at Serac, closing ceremony of the feast, according to the law. So the Jews knew very well that the eighth day was the last.

But in Old Testament, the explanation is very limited about the meaning and significance of these holy days. You and I have to go to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the book of Revelation, which is the revelation that God, through Christ, He says the revelation of Jesus Christ right at the heading of Jesus Christ gave it to us through His apostles to us. We receive it now. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ and therefore the teaching of the New Testament.

We have to go to the New Testament teaching to get the full understanding of God's holy days. Look at Matthew chapter 5 verse 17. We often read this. Matthew chapter 5 verse 17.

Do not think that I've come to destroy the law or the prophets. I do not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Can you get it? Can you understand it in the context of what I just said?

The law was not understood fully until Christ came and gave us, forfold, fold to the top, the meaning, the understanding of the law and the prophets. They didn't understand there would be a first coming, a second coming. They didn't understand these things. Christ had to come to fold to fold to the top, the law. It was the understanding of the of the holy days and the meaning of God's plan.

And so we need to look at Christ's teaching. And when you and I go to Matthew 24, Matthew 24, the disciples got together and they said, wow, look at how the temple we're rebuilding. It looks so beautiful. Oh, fantastic stuff. We're doing yah. Wow.

And Jesus said in Matthew 24 verse 2, I say to you for sure, in the latter part of verse 22, not one stone shall be left yah upon another that shall not be thrown down. Oh, look at this beautiful thing. And it says all this will be erased, zapped out. And indeed, it was zapped about 40 years later, on the year 17.

So we need to get the teaching of Christ about these days. And because I said I want to focus particularly on the last four, let's look at a little bit further what Christ says yah, starting in verse 29. In verse 29, immediately after the tribulation, and you and I know that's the tribulation, the great tribulation of those days, the sun will be darker. So brethren, it means that these heavenly signs will only happen after the tribulation. Therefore, whatever moon eclipse, or the solar eclipse, as you see, the tribulation hasn't happened yet. So these heavenly signs will only be after the tribulation. And then he says, in verse 30, and then Christ will come. And look at verse 31. It says, with the sound of a trumpet.

And so that ties in to the meaning of the day of trumpets, which is Christ's coming, symbolizes by Christ's coming. And you can study more about that in sections like 1 Corinthians 15, run about verse 30 to 34. You can read more about 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, 13 through 18. And it talks more about the lost trumpet at Christ's coming. But you can see that the understanding of God's early days is expounded. It's fulfilled. In other words, it's filled to the top by Christ's teaching. And so when Christ comes at that trumpet, what is going to happen?

The resurrection of the first fruits, the first resurrection. For the first time ever, human beings, besides obviously Jesus Christ, will become spirit beings.

For the first time ever, the dead will become alive and will be able to be seen by physical, flesh and blood human beings on earth. Now when that happens, this is for full. Look with me at Revelation 10 verse 7. Revelation 10 verse 7.

Revelation 10 verse 7.

But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, that is the seventh trumpet, when he's about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as he declared to his servants the prophets. The mystery of God. And the mystery of God is that he's making sons and daughters of God. And that will be revealed because mankind, flesh and blood, will then see those human beings, which were human beings. Some have died, some who still be alive, will be changed to spirit beings. And therefore, the mystery of God is now revealed.

And you can see a little bit later in chapter 11 verse 15. Then the seventh angel found it. That's the seventh trumpet. And there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms our Lord and of his Christ, and it shall reign forever. And as you can read in that section, it says, the dead will be judged, and the signs will be rewarded, and those that destroy the earth will be destroyed.

You can read that in verse 18. You see, that shows that resurrection and what will follow after those events. And we learn all these things by studying the book of Revelation. And we'll hear more of this during the day of trumpets. We'll hear this in more detail. But the understanding of these four holy days at the end is only enhanced, is only fulfilled, is only filled to the top with Christ's teachings. And the book of Revelation, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ. So continuing then, a little bit later, after that, we can read in Revelation chapter 20.

In Revelation chapter 20, we see that an angel, in verses 1 through 3, an angel comes from heaven, and it looks in verse 2. He laid hold on the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil, and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. So Satan is bound. That represents the day of atonement. So we've got Christ's coming, symbolized by trumpets and a resurrection. Then Satan is bound. And there's a whole meaning about that, about the two goats in Leviticus 16, which will be covered during the day of atonement. And then, after that, you can see in verse 4. And he says, I saw thrones, and they that sat on them, and judgment was commanded to them.

And then those people that had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, were not worshiped the beast nor his image. And he says, and they lived. In other words, they were resurrected, and now they're alive, have eternal life. They followed the first resurrection. And now they're living and reigning with Christ for a thousand years. The remaining of the dead have to wait another thousand years.

But those ones that are resurrected now, this is the first resurrection. The other ones that come a thousand years later, is the second resurrection. And so we have now a period of a thousand years, which is the Feast of Tabernacles, representing Christ and us, God willing, and the Christ ruling with him, make the sword a paradise for a thousand years. The liberty of the sword. You see, the first phase was our individual liberty.

But now the second phase, when Christ comes back, Satan is put away, and then the world can be liberated from Satan and freed. Like the Israelites left Egypt, were liberated from Egypt, from Satan, very very symbolically.

The world will be liberated, the whole world, representing the Feast of Tabernacles for a thousand years. And you'll hear more of that during the Feast of Tabernacles. And there are many scriptures that covers that, like Isaiah chapter 2, like Isaiah 11, like Isaiah 9, and look at one that I just want to show you, that maybe is not normally looked at. Those Isaiah 2, Isaiah 9, Isaiah 11, many others are commonly looked at. But I want you to look at one that maybe is not looked at all that frequently. And that's Zechariah chapter 8. So turn with me to Zechariah chapter 8. Beautiful scripture.

Zechariah chapter 8. We're starting in verse 1.

Again, the word of the Eternal, of the Lord of hosts, came saying, Thus is the law of hosts. I am zealous for Zion with great zeal. With great fervor, I am zealous for her.

Thus says the Eternal. Thus says the Lord. I will return to Zion. Who is returning? Christ. Who is speaking? The Lord.

Why HWH? I'll return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Christ is going to be in the middle of Jerusalem. And you and I are going to be there ruling with aim. And that, of course, the Supreme Rulership of the Father in heaven. Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth. The mountain of the Lord of hosts. Yeah, because the Lord of hosts will be there.

The holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts. Verse 4, All the men and all the women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. Brethren, today, people can sit around in Jerusalem peacefully and play around because Jerusalem is not a peaceful place today. Each one of his staff in his hand because of great acts. So they're really old people. They'll be living old people.

And he says the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing on its streets. Brethren, that's the wonderful world tomorrow. That is the millennium. That is the time represented by the Feast of Tabernacles. Look at verse 6. Thus says the Lord of hosts.

If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of these people in these days, if these people are going to say, wow, this is marvelous, and you and I can think about it, it says it will be marvelous when there will be worldwide peace on earth. Wow, it will be marvelous. Will it also be marvelous in my eyes? In other words, God is anxiously looking forward to that day. So it's just not you and I that are looking forward to that day. God is anxiously because he says, my eyes to my eyes, to God's eyes. It will be marvelous as well. That is the joy of the kingdom rolling on earth.

Says the Lord of hosts. Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will save my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be my people, and I will be my God. I beg your pardon, I will be their God in truth and righteousness. Brethren, we can just see this wonderful world tomorrow with Christ's ruling and people recognizing who he is. And obviously, he is, everything will be under him, and ultimately says he will hand it all to the Father because he's doing the Father's will. So brethren, we can see, yeah, so encouraging about the Feast of Tabernacles. But then, we get to the eighth day, to the last great day at the end of the Mediterranean. And look with me to John chapter 7 verse 37. Remember, the Jews knew very well when was the last day, and it was the eighth day. And John 7 verse 37 says, on the last day, they knew which one was the last day, it was the eighth day. And so now we are, the day begins at sunset, and the answer is the beginning of that day, at sunset, that high day of the Feast. That high day of the Feast. Why am I saying high day? Because the Greek word is megah, which is translated in John 1931 when they said, well, you're gonna break his legs. No, don't break his legs, because, you know, they're gonna do it, because the next day is a megah day, is a high day, or a great day. Don't break it, because it was a seventh, a high day. And so, the translators decided to translate here, great, decided to translate in John 19 the same word in the same book, by the same writer, high. So, it could have been written here that high day. In fact, in Spanish and in Portuguese, they used the same word, both in John 19 and in John 7. The high day, the great day. Megah, you've heard of megamillions and megamillions? No, megamillions, big, big, great day. That's what it is. There was a high day, it was a great day, a great day of the feast, a Sabbath. So, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, if anyone first let him come to me and rain.

How often have you read John 6.44? And John 6.44 says, no one can come to me unless the father draws in. Once chapter later says, anyone can come. Why? Why the difference? Because on the last day, which represents the day of the second resurrection, represents the whole of mankind can come, because the whole of mankind is now called by God through the second resurrection. It's a hope that is so encouraging. With 99% or more of the people around you that you know will be resurrected and will have the chance that they never had. The chance that they never had. Well, beautiful, beautiful hope it is. And look at John 12. John 12. Verse 46. John 12. Verse 46.

Verses 46-48. And it says, I have come as a light into the wall, that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I do not come to judge the wall, but to describe the wall. And he who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him. The word that I've spoken will judge him. This is the word of God. God, the word became flesh. This is the word of God. The word, these 66 books, the word will judge him. The word that I've spoken will judge him in the last day. The eighth day. The last great day. The day of judgment. The day of judgment.

And that's why, in Revelation 20, in Revelation 20, verse 11 and 12, Revelation 20, verse 11 and 12 Then I saw a great white drum, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and it was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing. So that means they resurrected. They standing, they resurrected, right before God, and the books were open. Which books? Right here, the word.

The books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.

Obviously, if they resurrected, it's a sacred resurrection, and they're living.

But the Book of Life is open, and they'll be judged. It's a time of promotion, and according to their words, then they will, their names will be written in the Book of Life. In other words, they will be given eternal life. That's what it says. And in the Book of Life, and the dead will judge according to their words by the things which were written in the books.

Brethren, God has a great plan to save the whole of mankind. And it's explained particularly by the holy days of the seventh month. When Christ comes back, the saints are resurrected to reign with Him. Second is put away. The Millennium gets established on earth to create a paradise on earth to ready the earth for maybe a hundred billion people to be resurrected on the second resurrection.

And they will be judged according to their words and according to this book. And probably they live for enough time to see that they are overcoming and changing and repenting like you and I have to repent till the end. And then there's the new heaven and the new earth and all that goes off towards. So, brethren, when we read things like in Matthew chapter 7 verse 21, and turn with me to Matthew chapter 7 verse 21, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but He who does the will of my Father, the will of my Father, like Christ does the will of the Father.

That is the will of my Father. That is building on a rock. That is building on solid foundations. That is building our spiritual house well. And brethren, that is one of our parts of doing the work. You see, because it says, not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, because it says verse 22, many who come to me in that day, and Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? Lord, Lord, have we really gone to streets and preached Christ? Have we gone to streets and handed pamphlets and pamphlets and pamphlets and preached the Lord, come to the Lord? Yes, they have.

But all that is in vain, if we do not do the will of Christ's Father, our Father, in heaven.

And we've cast our demons in Your name, and we've done many wonders, miracles in Your name. Verse 23, And then I'll declare to them, I never near you, depart from me you who practice lawlessness. Brethren, one of our jobs in doing the work is doing the work of changing ourselves to become better Christians, so that we can be a light to the world. That's our job, to be a light, so that we are doing the will of the Father. That we are changing ourselves to the stature of Jesus Christ, and that's what Peter says, grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We're going to grow to become like Christ. That is part and most crucial part of doing the work. It's not just going out in streets and preach. We're going to modify ourselves and change ourselves with the help of God's Holy Spirit. That is our part of doing the work now. The hope for mankind is only Christ's coming, because whatever you and I can do to try and help, and I'm not saying don't try and help. Whenever there are storms, I'm not saying don't try and help, but whatever you can do to try and help, it's only a little bit of plaster, because these storms will continue, and the only one that's going to solve the problems is going to be Christ's coming, represented by the four holy days of His plan of salvation. We must build on that rock, the rock. Brethren, the storms are coming. Watch and be ready for the storm.