The Last Great Day and Beyond

Well, we're here on the last day, the last service of the last day, as I mentioned, of this Holy Day year. In the Bible, this is the seventh Holy Day. If you go to Leviticus 23, you see there are seven appointed times that God had given mankind to gather before Him, appointed times for which He set the moon in the sky so that those appointed times could be kept down through history.

This is the seventh and final of those holy days of the year. In Leviticus 23, when God commands us to be together here after the Feast of Tabernacles, He calls it twice the eighth day. Seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles and then the eighth day. Seven, of course, is the number of completion. As we're here observing this last great day, or the eighth day, as God calls it, it represents the final stage, the completion of God's plan for mankind. The reason that He created the earth that we read about back in Genesis 1, verse 1, when He recreated the earth and then put man on it as a mortal being, and put Him here to be on this earth for the length of time that He had established, and then set in order His plan for mankind, because He had a very real purpose in mind for mankind, made a mortal and a physical earth that would serve the plan as well.

This day pictures the completion of that plan. It's all done as of this day. The history of mankind is complete for what God's purpose in us being here as physical beings, the world, physical earth being here. It all concludes today in all the answers to eternity, not all the answers to eternity, but all the answers to what we would have today on why we're here, what we're doing, and what God's plan is, come together on this day.

It's the seventh day of the day of completion, but God calls this festival that we're observing here today the eighth day. And the eighth day signifies in the Bible a new beginning, the beginning of a new week. And so both of those meanings, the day of completion of God's plan and the eighth day, have significance in this day as we are here today to observe it.

You heard in the opening prayer, Mr. Dowd recounted for you this morning some of God's plan. In the spring holy days, we have the first fruits that God is working with. You know, before the foundation of the earth, Jesus Christ was ordained to come to the earth to pay for our sins because mankind, the first man and woman, chose to follow Satan rather than God.

And they subjected man and the world that we live in to sin. We have all sinned. We all need Jesus Christ's sacrifice. He came to earth to die not just for the first fruits, but to die for every man, woman and child who has ever lived, that they might all have an opportunity to eternal life. That's why God created man.

He's got a purpose greater than any of us can imagine that he has in mind to create and allow the billions and billions of people who have lived on this earth to be here. Jesus Christ came and he died for all of mankind. And then the spring holy days, he's working with the first fruits, those of us who he has called. And I'll say, have had the privilege and the great honor to be called to know God's truth, to know the reason that we're here, to know the reason that mankind exists, to know what God is doing.

And to have the purpose in our life and the meaning in our life that it gives to all of us and the peace that comes with knowing his plan as well. When we come to the whole holy days, Jesus Christ returns. The millennium is established. His way of life on earth for a thousand years, as we've talked about. And then we come to the time after the millennium. We will turn with me to Revelation 20.

And the 7,000 years of mankind are done, and there's a finishing touch that needs to be placed on God's plan for mankind. The reason that we are here, the reason that mankind was created in the first place, all these billions of people have lived. By the time this last day, or the eighth day, comes around after the thousand years, the first fruits have already been resurrected. They've already been resurrected to eternal life. But there's this other group of billions and billions, only God knows how many, that have lived, that have died, that have many of which have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ. Know nothing, not even the basics of who God is, or what his law is. All these billions that have lived in the course of 6,000, 7,000 years, they're referenced here in Revelation 20 in verse 5. It says, the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. They are resurrected at the end of the millennium. After what's pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles, they're all resurrected. We could all just imagine what it would be like to have the untold number of people who will be resurrected, not to eternal life at that time, but to physical life. Because, as you heard this morning, they will have to make a choice, whether they will follow God, or whether they will follow themselves, follow Satan, allow themselves to be deceived.

Just like you and I have to make a choice, so they have to make a choice as well. There are certain scriptures that I feel should be read on every holy day. One of them is back in Ezekiel 37, as we're here on the last great day. I remember as a child, growing up in the church, we had always turned to Ezekiel 37, and it just had kind of a ring to it.

It was just a magnificent set of verses that shows, even in the Old Testament, the prophecy of the dead coming back to life again. The world just doesn't have that truth. It's been obscured by Satan as he's mixed it in with heaven and hell, and going to heaven and hell after your death.

They don't understand that you sleep until the time of the resurrection. It says in John 5, 25, 28, and 29, there will come a time when Jesus Christ returns, and he says, come forth. Some to eternal life, some to condemnation. But in Ezekiel 37, God so dramatically portrays what that will be like. Let's read the first few verses here of Ezekiel 37. The hand of the eternal came upon me, and brought me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones.

Then he caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and indeed they were very dry. They'd been there a long, long time, and he said to me, Son of Man, can these bones live? So I answered, O Lord God, you know. Again he said to me, prophesy to these bones, say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the eternal. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you, and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live.

Then you will know that I am the eternal. So Ezekiel says, I prophesied as I was commanded, and as I prophesied there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling. And the bones came together bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them. The skin covered them over, but there was no breath. They were there, laying, lifeless. They needed breath in order to live. So he said to me, prophesy to the breath, prophesy, Son of Man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God, Come from the four winds, O breath, breathe on these slain, that they may live.

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and they stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. And he said to me, Son of Man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off. We had no idea when we died what came later. We had no idea what God's plan for us was when we lived and when we died. But now they live again in God's time. Therefore, prophesy, say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel.

And then you will know that I am the Eternal, when I have opened your graves and brought you up from your graves. And God says he will put his spirit in them. Of course, it's talking about the whole house of Israel here, but it's representative of everything that God will do when he resurrects all of mankind.

Who weren't part of the first fruits. Who weren't part of the first resurrection that received eternal life. Everyone else will be resurrected. All will live again. It's a tremendous truth of the Bible that most of the world has no idea. It is the time of the completion of God's plan, God's plan for mankind. Let's go back to Revelation 20.

Mr. Dowd referenced this morning the passage in Isaiah 65 that indicates that perhaps that time when the dead live, that there will be 100 years that they have to live their lives and demonstrate by their actions and their choices that they will completely submit to God. That they will yield to him, that they will show God that they really love him in his way by doing what he says and not just saying it, by following his way and doing his will rather than rewriting it in their own language and their own wills and then pretending and deceiving themselves into doing their God's will. In Revelation 20, I'm going to reread part of what Mr. Dowd wrote this morning, but let's begin in Revelation 20, verse 11.

As we came to understand the words of the Bible, he will open their minds to understand.

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. This is what the Bible says to do. Do it. Write it on your heart. Write it on your mind. Make it part of who you are, not just what you do, because you have to have a checklist that you check off. Do it because you love God and because it becomes your nature, as you're led by his Holy Spirit, and your mind becomes more and more the way his is. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, verse 13, and death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one according to his works. And then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. There's the great reckoning of all of mankind. They're all resurrected. They all have an opportunity. Your and my opportunity for salvation, we talked about this morning, is now. Judgment is now on the house of God, but for the rest of humanity, their time will come in this second resurrection and the time that God opens their minds at that time. They'll have the time, like you and me, to choose. If they choose to disobey God, if they choose to follow Satan their own ways, write their own script, if they allow themselves to be deceived, they'll be part of that second death, the finality of their life. Or they'll receive eternal life if indeed they yield to God, put away their pride and put away their ideas, and submit themselves wholly and totally to him. Verse 15, anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. A very final time. What is the purpose for mankind? It'll all be clear at that time. You know, at some time in the past, God created 24 elders who were in heaven. At some point in the past, he created four living creatures that are in heaven. At some time in the past, he created archangels and the seraphim and the caribim, and all the heavenly beings that we read about in the Bible as we get glimpses into the throne of God. They all have a purpose in God's plan. God has a purpose for mankind. He has a purpose for you and me that's different than all those others. His purpose for us is not that we become angels, archangels, 24 elders or living creatures. His purpose is for mankind. We have a glimpse of what that purpose is, but we don't know fully what it is yet. But as God's plan goes beyond this physical earth, as it goes into eternity, there's something He has in mind for you and me and mankind that He wants and that He's preparing us for, and that mankind will be a significant part of that plan going forward. When that plan is done, when all mankind who yields to God and receives eternal life, the first fruits and then all those in the second resurrection that yield to God, when that time is complete, it's done. It's the finality of the reason for physical man. It's done. There's no reason for a physical earth anymore. The physical earth was created for man to be here as a training ground, for us to prepare and allow God to train us for what we need to be, to battle the forces of ourselves, to battle the world, to battle Satan, to battle our minds, to battle the things that come in every day, and to continually yield to Him, led by His Holy Spirit. So the physical world is done. Seventh day, it's complete. Let's turn back to 2 Peter, just a few books back.

2 Peter 3 And verse 10. Now let's pick it up in verse 9. 2 Peter 3 verse 9. The Lord isn't slack, concerning His promise of some kind of slackness, but He's long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 3 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Plan complete. All of mankind who receive eternal life, complete. The rest who did not yield to God, who did not follow His way, burned up as a memorial forever of the effects and of the results of not obeying God. The plan is complete. It's done. No more reason for a physical earth, or for a physical time, or for a physical man. The plan is done. The bride of Christ has been revealed. The first fruits have been revealed. Those who receive eternal life have been revealed. Mankind and the people and the beings that God is creating for their work for eternity have been identified. Then it's time to march forward. And so we have the eighth day, as this day is called. Eighth day takes us past the seven years, or the seven thousand years of mankind. It begins a new week, if you will.

Now, in Leviticus 23, it doesn't tell us what the eighth day exactly represents, but we do have the eighth day represented in the Bible in very many situations. We don't have to turn back to Genesis 17. You know well the old covenant sign of circumcision. As baby boys were born, they lived for seven days, and on the eighth day, they were circumcised. God could have said, just circumcise them when they're born, like so many doctors would want you to do today when your children are born. But God said, no, let them live a complete week. And then on the eighth day, they circumcised them. And for the rest of their lives, they have the mark of the covenant of God. They belong to God. Seven days complete, and then the rest of their lives, they have that covenant with God. We could turn back to Leviticus, where it talks about consecrating the priests. And as Aaron and his sons were being consecrated and purified for service in the priesthood, you read that God kept them inside the temple for seven days. There were sacrifices. There were Washingtons. There were all these things that go on and on. For seven days, they were there. And then he said, bring them out on the eighth day. Present them to Israel. Seven days, they're prepared. On the eighth day, for the rest of their lives, they serve as priests. They need the preparation time. And on the eighth day, they go forward for the rest of their lives.

Do turn with me back to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 43. Ezekiel has many prophecies, not only about the times yet ahead of us, but for the rest of mankind's time on earth. In Ezekiel 43, we see the Millennial Temple. The Millennial Temple is a fascinating study to think that God will have this temple there at the time that Jesus Christ is on earth, raining. And you can read through everything that will be going on. But even in this temple, there's this preparation time for seven days. I'm not going to read through much of it, but let's pick it up in verse 25 of Ezekiel 43. It says, every day for seven days you shall prepare a goat for a sin offering. They shall also prepare a young vole and a ram from the flock, both without blemish. Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it. And so consecrate it. When these days are over, it shall be on the eighth day and thereafter that the priest shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar. And I'll accept you, says the Lord God. Seven days of purification, seven days of preparedness, and then they're ready to serve. So we have seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. So we have seven holy days that we go through. So we go through our lives in preparation for what God has in mind for us for the rest of eternity. Certainly for the first fruits, what he has in mind for us in the millennium. But then beyond that as well, because as the eighth day begins, it begins a whole new period of time beyond those preparatory seven days.

You know, God has shown us many things. Through this Feast you've heard many things of what we need to be doing, but also references to the great universe that's out there. You know, we live in a time that it's magnificent to know, you know, as the scientists have developed the telescopes and the ability to look into the universe and see how many stars. They don't know how many stars there are, but the universe is so far greater than any of us can imagine. They know how many galaxies, innumerable galaxies out there. God created all those things. They just didn't happen by chance. God has some purpose in mind for those. We have no idea what it is. He has some purpose in man for mankind beyond the training and teaching that you and I will do in the millennium. If we remain true, if we endure to the end, if we learn what God wants us to learn in this day and age, in this lifetime, if we put our hearts, minds and souls into it, then we'll learn. Then we'll find out what it is, because there is a time when the earth is burned up. There is no more physical earth. That time is done. God didn't create us that the rest of eternity we're just going to be sitting and looking at each other. He is a working God. He is a vibrant God. He is an exciting God who is exciting to serve. That's what lies ahead of us. And all of mankind who yield to Him and who reject self and who reject this world that we live in.

Do we think of that? Do we see that? Do we understand what God has called us to? You know, when Paul says the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared to the calling that God has given us, there is so much meaning in that. There isn't anything in this world that can compare to what God has prepared. I remember 1 Corinthians 2.9. It says, eye hasn't seen, ear hasn't heard, it hasn't entered into the hearts of man the wonders that God has prepared for those who love Him. That's what awaits us if. That's what awaits the rest of mankind if they love God, if they serve Him. If we go forward a few chapters in Ezekiel, over to Ezekiel 47.

Again, talking of the temple, the Millennial Temple that's there, there's beautiful verses about the water that flows from that temple. That's there during that thousand-year period of Jesus Christ's reign. In it, He talks about healing of the nations, the purification that will go on. Let's read a few verses here. Chapter 47, verse 1. He brought me back to the door of the temple, and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east. The water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east. There was water running out on the right side. When the man went out to the east with his line in his hand, he measured 1,000 cubits, and he brought me through the waters. The water came up to my ankles, and then he successfully got deeper and deeper until the water was over his head. Dropping down to verse 6, He said to me, Son of Man, have you seen this? And he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. When I returned there along the bank of the river were very many trees on one side and the other. And he said to me, This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.

And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish because these waters go there. They will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. Life comes from God. Life comes from this river. It shall be the fishermen will stand by it, from Ngeni to an Iglium. There will be places for spreading their nets. Let's drop down to verse 12. Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food. Their leaves will not wither. Their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine. Wherever the waters go, life, healing, purification, well-being, peace, all the good things of life come from that temple, come from those waters, from where God is dwelling with man at that time. Let's go to Revelation 22, and we see a very similar picture painted for us. At the end of this end-time prophecy recorded for us in the book of Revelation, given by God to Jesus Christ, given by Jesus Christ to the angel, given to John, who recorded it for us today. Revelation 22 and verse 1. After all the events of Revelation, as mankind has been complete, as we've seen the resurrection in chapter 20, 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 its street and on either side of the river was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There will be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. And He said to me, these words are faithful and true. This will happen. Water. Pure water for the healing of the nations, for the healing of people, the water of life.

Jesus Christ spoke of the water of life. You may remember well in the book of John where He spoke of the river or the water that would produce everlasting life. Let's go back to John 4. John 4 and verse 14.

He encountered a woman by the well in Samaria. She had a very checkered background, if you will. When Christ approached her, there was no one that Christ would refuse to talk to. There was no one that is left out if they will listen. His message is for everyone if they will listen, if they will hear. John 4, verse 13, as he is having this discourse with the woman who is drawing physical water, He says, The woman is fascinated. Who wouldn't be? Really? There is water that will give me everlasting life? I won't thirst anymore? What a fantastic thing that is! And so she says, Give me this water that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. Water that provides everlasting life, healing, well-being, closeness to God, peace, calm, all those things that we talk about that mark God's way of life, that mark His kingdom, the things that you and I desire, the things that the world desires, but they have no idea, no idea how it will ever come about or if it can ever come about. But we know God's given us the knowledge of that truth, that water. In John 7, on what may have been this very same holy day that you and I are observing today, Jesus Christ referenced that same water. John 7 and verse 37, On the last day, that great day of the feast, we call this day the last great day, some might say, you know, it's really talking about the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles, others say, no, it's this day of the feast because it was an eight-day festival together. Makes no difference for what Jesus Christ said on that last day. That great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Do we want what God has to offer? Do we want to be there when, not only when Jesus Christ returns, but do we want to be there during the white throne judgment? Do we want to be there beyond that time? Do we want to be there to see what eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it even entered into the hearts of man what God has prepared for those that love him? Do we want to see that? Is it real to us? Is it something that we cling to that motivates us? How do we get it? How are we there if God wants us to be? That's the question. Jesus Christ answers it. He answers the question. He says, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He offered it. He gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. But we have to come to him. We have to do something. We have to come to him and drink.

He's done it all for us in one sense of the word, but in the other sense of the word, he hasn't done all for it. It has to be us. We have to do it. If we desire, if we're thirsty, we have to do something. We have to do what God says. We have to become the people he wants us to become. And if we refuse, then we're refusing eternal life. Then we're refusing to be there. We're saying we would rather have our own way. We'd rather have this world and the things in it rather than what God has prepared. That's simply what we are saying. Sometimes when we make our decisions and our choices, we have to sit back and think, What does God hearing me say by the choices I make? Is he hearing me say, I want your kingdom. I want to be like you. I'm ready to deny self and do your will. Or am I really just kind of really liking the world and the things in it? Kind of comfortable where I am right now and not really quite sure I want to do what you say and yield myself completely to you. In verse 38, he tells us what we need to do. It's a very simple thing. We've heard it all before. Verse 38 says, He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Now, my congregations know, because I often remind them, when you read the word believe in the New Testament, more times than not, it comes from the Greek word pistoio, P-I-S-T-E-U-O, or its verbal counterpart, or noun, whatever the one pistoio isn't. Pistoio is an interesting verb because we use the word believe all the time. And it comes from some kind of reasoning that we might have humanly to say, oh, I believe this is going to happen, or I believe that. But believe when Jesus Christ says believe, it has a different meaning in the Greek. Let me read to you from what Vines Expository Dictionary says this word pistoio means. It has three components to it that are educational to us. First one is, when we believe it's a firm, it's a firm conviction. Not just a ho, that's nice to know. It's enough that I know it. It's a firm conviction, meaning that it rocks us to our very being. The way they put it is that it's a firm conviction producing a full acknowledgement of God's revelation of truth. We know it. We can't deny it. No, we can't deny it. We'd be fools to deny it. But when we know it, we must do it. There is no other choice, really, when you look to it. There is a choice, but you know what I'm saying? There is no other choice. Do you want eternity, or do you want just what this world has to offer and the futility of it? It really is a no-brainer when you get down to it, but it takes effort. You can keep your finger there in John 7.38. Let's go forward to 2 Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 2.

And we'll begin in verse 9.

Here's talking about the end time, the end time that you and I live. We have no idea when Jesus Christ will return. We have no idea, we're saying more clearly, what the end game is here and how things will come about.

But it'll be in God's time. Our job is to be prepared and let God prepare us for that ultimate time that the Bible talks about. 2 Thessalonians 2.9 says, The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders. He comes with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, those who won't receive eternal life. He comes, and there are those who will perish because they believe Him rather than God.

With all unrighteous deception among those who perish, why? Because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. You know, that word, love, there is agape. We know that agape bears with it a choice. We have to choose to love. We have to make the sacrifices in our life go against our human nature to do what God says, to develop this love of the truth, to develop this love that is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, this love that binds us together. They perish because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason, because they played at the game, but they didn't give God all their heart, mind, and soul. They weren't really dedicated. They really weren't committed. They knew it was the truth, and they thought, all I have to do is show up once in a while. All I have to do is write a check once in a while. All I have to do is say the words, but I don't really need to just totally surrender to God, do I? Again, that's something you and I can ask. Do we do it with all our heart, minds, and soul? And for this reason, God will send them, these who would perish, He'll send them strong delusions so that they should believe the lie. I'll fall for anything. That's what I want. My actions you're showing, I really don't want you, God. I kind of want what you have to offer, but I don't want to give myself. I don't want to sacrifice myself to you. So He'll send them strong delusions that they should believe the lie. Whatever that lie is, and there's a whole bunch of things that can be a lie today, right? That they all may be condemned who didn't believe the truth. There's that Greek word, pestoio. That they may all be condemned who didn't believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. They didn't believe. They didn't fully acknowledge this was the truth of God. They didn't have a firm conviction to it. They weren't giving their lives to God and acting and trying and living, purposely living God's way. And doing the things that you've heard of all through this space that you hear so at the Sabbath services as well and when you read the Bible.

So the first part of pestoio is there's a firm conviction that produces the full acknowledgment of God's revelation of truth. The second part, Vines says, of this word is it's a personal surrender to God. That if we believe there is a surrender to God.

Submit is a word so many people don't want to hear. Surrender might be even one that is beyond that, right? We have to submit to God, submit to one another. The Apostle Paul talks about that in Ephesians. A personal surrender to God. I will do it his way. I will offer, as Paul said, my body as a living sacrifice, as he said in Romans 12, 1 and 2. A personal surrender to God. I believe in him that much. I believe the truth. And it makes me choose to follow him. I use the Spirit of God in me, that water. I think we probably didn't go all the way through. We'll go back to John 7, 38 in a minute. But that water, that Spirit that God gives us, that produces life in us. That gives us the strength to overcome self, to make the choices that we wouldn't naturally make. But when we read it in the Bible, we do what he says. We don't yield to our own ideas, our own interpretations. God says it, and his word is crystal clear. It's crystal clear. He doesn't mince any words. And he tells us in Deuteronomy, he tells us in Revelation 2, don't add to it. Don't take away from it. So there's this personal conviction. I'll give you John 1, verses 11 and 12. You can look at that a little bit later. And the third component of it is that when we surrender to God, that surrender inspires our conduct. We have the attitude of surrender to God, and that inspires our conduct. From that time forward, we do things the way that God said. When Jesus Christ said, if you love me, keep my commandments, we keep his commandments.

So we have this word, pestoile, that Jesus Christ said, if you want eternal life, if you want the river of water of life, you've got to believe in me. And that word, believe, holds a lot of what you and I need to do. Let's go back to John 7. As you turn back there, you'll remember that in John 6, Jesus Christ was talking about the bread of life. He compared it to the manna that Israel ate in the wilderness, and he said in verses 43 down to 53 of John 6, I'm the bread of life. Whoever eats of this bread will have life. So in John 6, he said, eat the bread of life. In John 7, he said, whoever wants eternal life, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Verse 38, he who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart, will flow rivers of living water. When we live God's way, that will be what flows from us. Christ said, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Remember that? People will see who you really are. They'll know by what you say, what you do, how you conduct yourselves, whether your heart is with God or not, or whether you're just playing a game with him. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart, will flow rivers of living water. But this he spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in him would receive. That's you and me. If we've repented, been baptized, had hands laid on us, whom those believing in him would receive, for the Holy Spirit at that time had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Today it is. When we truly repent, when we truly believe, when we yield and voluntarily submit ourselves to put the body to death through the waters of baptism, a new creation that God will write his principles, his mind, his laws on our minds and hearts. If we do that, that's what he says he will do. It's nothing magical. God is pretty clear of what we need to do. It's easy to say. Not so easy to do. It's a daily chore, a daily decision. Back in Isaiah 55.

Back in Isaiah 55. God who inspired Isaiah to write this, who inspired Jesus Christ to say those words we just read in John 7, says this in verses 1-7 of Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55. Oh, verse 1, everyone who thirsts come to the waters. You who have no money come by and eat. Yes, come by wine and milk without money and without price. It's not something we're selling. There's no dollar amount you have to do, no check you have to write.

God says it's given freely to those who will believe, to those who will yield, to those who come to him, to those who respond to the call that he's given. Every single one of us live in this room today, and every single one of us that will hear this message, God is calling. God is opening your minds, or you wouldn't be listening to this. You who have no money come by and eat. Come by wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread?

Why do you spend your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen. You know, there's so many words in the Bible. Listen. Sometimes people would just listen to what God has to say. Listen carefully to me and eat what is good. Let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear and come. Come to me. Here, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. The sure mercies of David. Indeed, I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people. Surely, you shall call a nation you don't know, and nations who don't know you shall run to you.

Because of the Lord your God and the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Verse 6, seek the Lord while he may be found. He can still be found if we want what he has to offer, if we want the eternity, if we want to be living at the time of the completion of all the plan of God's mankind. If we want to be one of first fruit and to live beyond the time of this physical earth and into eternity with God as one of the beings and set of beings that he is creating and working and developing and now to work with he and Jesus Christ for eternity.

Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon one while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way. That's an action. If we look at ourselves, get away with ours, humble ourselves, come back to God, do what you don't want to do. Do it because God said to do it. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord and he'll have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.

Ezekiel speaks of this as well. Ezekiel 18. God puts it in very clear language. In Deuteronomy 30, he gives us a choice. He says, you know, I give you blessing and cursing, life or death. Therefore, simple choice, word-wise, choose life that you may live. Simple words. Everyone chooses life. It has to be what we do, though. Ezekiel 18 and verse 20 says, the soul that sins shall die.

Same thing it says in Romans 6, 23. The wages of sin is death. Jesus Christ came and paid that penalty for all of mankind. All of mankind, as we said, will have an opportunity. The soul that sins, it will die. Let's drop down to verse 26. When a righteous man, nope, I don't want to read just verse 26. You can read the intervening verses here. Verse 27. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive.

Well, it's God who gives life, the key to life, do things God's way. Use his Holy Spirit. Follow him. Do his will. As I often say, and as it often says in Deuteronomy, do his will diligently, carefully, earnestly, completely. When a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live.

He will not die. Turn to God. Yet the house of Israel says, the way of the Lord isn't fair. O house of Israel, isn't not my ways which are fair and your ways which are not fair? I'm the purveyor of eternal life, God says. I've already made it possible. You just have to do and be judged according to those works that we heard about this morning, that we read about this afternoon. The works, the words, doing what God says you will do if you love him. Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God.

Repent. Turn from all your transgressions so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. You know, maybe we may include a need to look. Where is our heart? Where is our spirit? Is it with God? Cast away all the wickedness. Cast away all the self-interests. Cast all the things that we rely on and trust in that aren't God. Cast away from you all the transgressions, the things that we do which we even deny or deceive ourselves into thinking they're okay.

Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why would you die, O house of Israel? Why would any of us choose death?

I have no pleasure, God says, in the death of one who dies. Therefore turn, therefore turn and live. So here we are on the last great day, the eighth day, the seventh holy day, that completes or pictures the completion of the plan of God. Where all mankind will know why God created a physical earth, where all mankind will know why he created a physical man, where all mankind will understand what the future that God had in mind for them is.

The first fruits, I hope and pray that all of us sitting here that we'll be committed to that have already been revealed. They have worked with God for a thousand years and through the white throne judgment. It's all done. And then eternity beyond that awaits. Do we want that? Do we have the vision of that? Is that something we desire? If it is, it's up to us. God has given us that opportunity, but we have to do it. And he's given us his Holy Spirit that will allow us to do that. That'll give us the strength. That'll give us the desire. If we use it, if we call on him, if we examine ourselves and if we truly believe, if we really are using this life that you and I live today to go on to perfection, because that's what God has called you and me for.

Not to become, not to be the same people that he called one year ago, five years ago, ten years ago, but that year by year we are growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ becoming more and more like him, going on to perfection.

That's the goal of this lifetime. That's what we need to do. We need to be feeding on the bread of life. We need to be drinking the waters of life. We need to be drinking that water of life that Jesus Christ makes possible to us freely. I can't think of any better way to conclude this last great day and this festival that we've been together for eight days, which has been a magnificent time. Thank you all for being here. Thank you all for committing to God, and thank you for honoring him by your presence here all eight days of this festival.

Let's conclude just by reading what God says here in Revelation 22. Begin in verse 12. He says, Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside, not part of that community, are dogs and sorcerers. Mark that word.

It's a 21st century word, and as time goes on, we'll understand more and more what that word, sorcerers, means in the communities or in the society that we live in. But outside, are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Only the people who yield to God and learn to do it his way, and that that's in their hearts, will be there. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root of the offspring of David, the bright and morning star. And the spirit and the bride say, come.

And let him who hears say, come. And let him who thirsts, come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life.

Do it exactly the way he said. Do it carefully, earnestly, diligently, led by his spirit. If anyone takes away from the words of this book, of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.