The Magnificent Seven

Well, good morning! Good morning! I'm going to try to project. My wife says it's usually not a problem. I says it's never a problem when you're right in front of me. But it is good to be back here and see all of you. I bring greetings from Fort Lauderdale Congregation and also from the Caribbean, as we had three very successful Feast of Tabernacles this year. And I would like you to consider coming to one of those next year, if you will, as I'm finishing up details this weekend on the Jamaica Feast site, as we will have probably the largest Feast site in the history of the United Church of God in Jamaica because of the incredible deal that was made to us. Hello, Ed! Good to see you! I came all the way from Alaska to hear me. Yes, sir. I heard you were going to be here, so... You just flew on down. Well, I can't even get some of my local congregation drive 20 miles.

I will use you as an example. Good to see you. Good to see you. And so I... details will be coming out next month with a special announcement about the Feast site in Jamaica, so hopefully you will consider that. But, since I was here last time, times are changing, aren't they?

I think of the example. As I was two weeks ago, today I was in Montego Bay, Jamaica, giving a message, and so I spent the night... Friday night I got in, and there was a woman in front of me that stayed at the same place. She checked in before me. And so we actually happened to be eating right beside each other for a meal Friday evening.

The TV right there. And the conversation started between the two of us. And she is about 30, 34 years old from Oklahoma City. And she has a... she's a professional woman. Has an interesting perspective on life. She asked quite a few questions as things were coming up across the television.

And some of those I was able to answer for her. But then, of course, the election came up. So she turned to me and she said, Who did you vote for? I said, I did not vote for either man. For either person.

She said, real?

She said, well, I voted for Bernie Sanders.

I said, okay, but he wasn't running. Thought he got beat out. She said, that's right. So I had to vote for his replacement. I said, okay. And she said, so you didn't vote? I said, no. And she said, okay, if you had to vote, and so I made you vote, of all the people who were involved, who would you vote for? I said, if I had to, with all of those, that's a tough decision. But I would probably vote for Dr. Ben Carson. If I had to vote. She looked at me. She said, you've got to be crazy.

I said, why? She said, because he's an idiot. Really? He's a neurosurgeon.

I've seen a movie about his life. I've actually read a book my wife got a few years ago. And he's an idiot. She said, yes. So why is he an idiot? She said, he's an idiot because he does not believe in evolution. Can you believe there are people today that do not believe in evolution? Yeah.

She said, you believe. You answered these questions for me about Hamas and the various sects that were over in the Middle East and you know this and you know that. You seem like an intelligent man. And you do not believe in evolution? He said, absolutely. Why? And I said, well, my family did not walk out as slime out of that ocean you see out there. And I do not believe my family came from apes, monkeys. She said, but everybody believes this. And I said one question before I leave. It's time for me to leave. If I came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys? I said, you have a good night. The world is changing. I bring that up because we must turn around and we must know what is fact. We must know that there are facts. Whether people believe they are facts or not, there are facts. Today's sermon is about facts. The title of today's sermon is The Magnificent Seven. Perhaps a month ago you saw the new movie starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt. It came out in theaters called The Magnificent Seven, which is a remake of a remake of a remake. And it's the story of seven individuals who saved a village or a town from destruction from evil. It's a classic story of good versus evil. I remember growing up in the 1960s that they made a movie called The Magnificent Seven with Yule Brenner. Do any of you remember that one? You probably do. All right, most of you who have at least a little hair on your chin remember. The Magnificent Seven, Yule Brenner, Steve McQueen, James Colbert, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughan. Remember watching this movie and hearing that theme to The Magnificent Seven. I love seeing that story of good triumphing over evil.

The small, the underdog, fighting with such tenacity, and they actually overcome the odds. And it was not until years later that I realized that that movie that I saw in the 1960s was actually a remake of one of the classic movies considered one of the 50 best movies ever made. The 1954 Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa, as he wrote and directed it. Same story, different country, different language. They told the same story. What has that got to do with what I'm talking about today? Well, I'm not talking about either three of those movies, but I'm talking about the original. Truly Magnificent Number Seven. Yes, Number Seven. We all experienced, over a month ago, the end of God's plan of salvation is laid out by God's seven holy days. And these holy days are laid out in Scripture. And they go all the way back to creation. These seven holy days that we all observed. Like you go back with me, if you will, Genesis 1. Genesis 1, verse 14. So many of you know these Scriptures. Know where I'm going. I won't be there long. Genesis 1, verse 14, then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament, or the expanse of the heavens, to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and seasons, for the days and for the years. Seasons, Hebrew word, mohadim, from the root word moed, M-O-E-D. And a Hebrew word means religious appointments. So he's laying out here that these are not just seven days of the year, but God designed, God designated, appointments to come before God, His people, and worship. Not five, not four, not six, but seven. Seven annual holy days, designated before calendars were even invented. No calendars, no problems. We have the seasons, and we have the moon, a divine clock, you might say. Seasons, he said, mohadim, religious appointments. But he also says signs, which is a Hebrew word, oath, O-W-T-H. And it actually means a mark or a signal, which means here we have those religious appointments, we need to mark. They should be a signal to us, as God's people, to worship the one true God.

I'd like you to meditate, to ruminate a little bit this morning, as God instructs us that every seven days we have an appointment, a religious appointment with Him. And seven times a year we have a religious appointment with Him.

Is there a pattern? Is there something magnificent about the number seven? Do the masters of the universe have an affinity for this incredible number? Does God play favorites with the days of the week? Can we see the actual God of heaven, omniscient, omnipotent Creator of the entire universe in the number seven? Is the number seven divinely attached to our Creator and His creation in ways you have never, ever considered before? And that hopefully after this message of fact, Biblical facts, you'll understand why we do what we do and why we do it when we do it.

It's kind of like buying a car, whether you buy a new car or an old car. Whenever you buy a car, all of a sudden you get in that car, it feels good, and you're looking around, and then all of a sudden you're driving around and you see all these cars that look just like your car. You never noticed that before. What's changed? Focus.

Focus. The focus that we have on something reminds me of this incredible man. You can look him up. You can even read a few of his books. I read six or seven pages of one of his books, and that was enough for me to realize he's way over my head. But his name was Dr. Ivan Panin. Dr. Ivan Panin. Dr. Ivan Panin was from Russia. He emigrated here because of a revolution in the late 1800s. He was already a doctor. He spoke four to five different languages. He was a mathematical genius, and he also happened to be a literary critic. Strange combination, maybe.

What was interesting, when Dr. Panin came here, he said to America, maybe I need to be schooled a little more with American education. So, this doctor entered Harvard. And he took quite a few classes and actually graduated from Harvard. But it was during this time at Harvard, because to him Harvard was not very difficult. And because he studied, someone brought something to him, a Bible, and he was an agnostic.

He'd never even looked at the Bible before, other than to look at it as another written book. So, Dr. Panin was asked to read a few verses and tell him what he thought. And if this really was a book written by the creator of the universe, he scoffed it.

But he also brought up a point that he said, I can usually read any book and see the signature of his writer in his words. So, I'll look at this. So, one of the first verses he came to was the very first book of the Bible. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Pretty simple. The King James has 10 words. But of course, he could read Hebrew. And when he read it in the Hebrew, he found out there were 7 words. And then, he was looking at it and examining it. He started to see something he found difficult to believe. There were 30 different combinations of 7 in those 7 words. And in Hebrew, the first 3 words had 14 letters. Then, you had 28 in the next ones.

And he started looking at this and looking at it. And he had 30 different combinations of 7 in 7 words. And as he read other parts of the Bible, he began to see a signature. And so then, he took to his professors at Harvard and said, I challenge you, because I know 400,000 words in all various languages. And I cannot find in any other language that I know or in the English language where you can put one sentence together with 7 words and have 30 combinations of 7.

Prove me wrong. He spent 3 years. Even with their classes, could not prove him wrong. Dr. Panin, before his death in 1942, he wrote a book called, The Inspiration of Scriptures Scientifically Demonstrated. And I challenge you to read 6 pages of his work. It completely changed his life. And he spent the rest of his life in intense study of the Word that he came to recognize and to say God's Word.

And it started with the combination of 7, because he said it's all over the Bible. It's God's number. It is undeniable. So let's look at some Bible facts. Let's, ladies, focus today on this magnificent number 7 that you know, you believe, but they changed this man's life. And it will change others.

We worship every 7 days, right? Find that out in the very first couple chapters of the Bible. There are 7 days of creation in Scripture, right? First and second chapter. 7 times a year a feast or holy day is kept. Jesus 1.14 that we looked at, Deuteronomy 16.16. Leviticus 23. But I'd like you to go with me. Leviticus 23. Let's read that. Leviticus 23 in verse 44. Leviticus 23 in verse 44. So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feast, Mohedim of the Lord. Doesn't say Jews. Doesn't say somebody in the Middle East. It's the feasts of the Lord.

He put His name on them. And He also put His number. You go from Genesis to Revelation. It starts as He found out. If you believe what Dr. Panin said about the very first verse, and you go through the Scriptures, you find 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7. As a matter of fact, you look it up. The 7's and the derivative is of 7, 77. So boy, it's listed, well, you guessed it, over 700 times in the Bible. 3 is the only number even close, at about 400. 7. Is it your favorite number? I hope it is. But you go to the book of Revelation.

In the last book of the Bible, number 7 is used over 50 times. Right? You have 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 plagues, right? 7 churches, 7 spirits, 7 what? Angel, 7 lampstands. I could go on and on and on. It's in the first, it's in the last, and it's all through the entire Bible.

And it all relates through either God and or His plan and to His greatest creation. Man. Us. That's how it relates to us. You ever thought about it? It even talks about in Proverbs 6, verse 16 through 19, it says, First the writer says, well there's 6 things God hates. And then he corrects himself and doesn't know. 7. And if God had ever tried Brussels sprouts, there would have been 8.

I am thoroughly convinced. 7 things that are abomination to God that God hates. And then he does, okay, I want you to come and worship me every 7 days. And then 7 times a year, you're also going to come and worship before me and celebrate with me. And then, look, every 7th year after that, he calls it a sabbatical year.

And then you put 7 of those sabbatical years, 7 of 7s of those, and you come to the time of what he calls Jubilee year. Is that just, just happens that way? Is that just the way it happened? Mainly that water way I have to raise my voice. Just think about it.

You observe what? The very first piece of the year. Days by 11 bread. How many days? 7! Right? And then we had the piece of tabernacles. How many days did you keep the piece of tabernacles? 7. What happened after the 7th is the last great day, the 8th day, which is what? The 7th piece in the 7th barn. Just happened to be. Have you thought about Scriptures? What happened in the time of Joseph? We won't even go. What about there were 7 years of what? Plenty. And 7 years of what? Family.

Right? Then you come to the time of Joshua. I didn't even talk about the time of Moses. What happens on the day of Atonement? He comes in, how many times does he sprinkle? He's told by God to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat. 7. And told him just how to do it. And how many times? The holiest day of the year. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that magnificent? I think it is. Go with me to Joshua.

Go with me to Joshua, if you will. Joshua 6. I know the story about Jericho. I just want you to listen to one verse. In all of Joshua, Joshua 6 and verse 7. Joshua 6 and verse 4. Getting carried away with my sevens. Verse 4. And seven priests shall bear eighteen trumpets. It says that, doesn't it? Not six, not five, not four. It says, the seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city. What?

Seven days? God told them that. It's instructions. Did they obey? Did they obey? Yes. What happened? There was instructions to the city, just as He said. I think when God says something about this heaven, we'd better listen. And in the future, the world will. Or face destruction. Interesting Solomon's temple. He's building it for the house of God. It's a beautiful temple. How long did it take Solomon to build it?

Seven years. Not six and a half. Exactly seven years. Interesting. The seventh. Seventh day of the week is the only day of the week is actually given a name in the Bible. Most of you know that already, though. Right? There is something unique, special about it. Name it. What story of name in? Are you serious? General? He was commanded to go down to the Jordan River and dip himself how many times? Seven times. Right? He liked his city's servant. I had to look for rain. How many times? Seven times.

Psalm 119. 164. The writer says that seven times a day, I will praise you because of your righteous judgment. Could I go on? Absolute. Makes a good study sometime. Before the moment. Let's leave the Bible out of it. Let's observe, examine, and even scrutinize the in-depth evidence of God's fingerprints. You could say that.

His DNA, if you will, on this number seven on the world as we know it. Seven days in a week, where did that come from? Well, they were named after the seven visible planets at the time thousands of years ago. Somebody doesn't like the sermon. Wouldn't be the first one. Look around the world. Look around the world and see. What? Seven seas? Seven continents? Seven metals in the periodic table. Seven basic colors in the rainbow, and we won't even go where the rainbow came from. Seven pure notes in the diatonic scale of music. Seven wonders of the ancient world.

They didn't have anything to do with God. Why were there seven? Why not six? Why not five hundred? There isn't. Look around the world. And the Catholics, they've never been a fan of seven, but they have seven deadly sins. Why? What is this? Why is it prevalent in this world today? Barry could tell us, or most of you could tell us, we would need a pharmacist to tell us the balance of acidic alkaline, right? The pH is what? Seven! Seven! Seven is what? Seven is perfect.

Seven is balanced. Why? What about Dyson? Any of you gamblers? Larry, you used to do a little bit of everything. Maybe you did a little. I know he's telling stories, and we won't go there. That's BC before conversion, but... What? If you go and you watch me dice, what's the number? Seven! Why? There's 24% chance this is going to land on seven. Who created that? Why? Almost all mammals have seven cervical vertebrae, and the seven major receptors in the human head, seven orphas in the human head, taking out all the five senses.

We were created in... whose image? Have a book. Have a book here. And it's actually known as the story of the seven phenomena in the world. It's actually by David Eastis. And of course, it has a very simple title. Seven! But he goes through the entire book and gives all the phenomena a seven. Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Even all those who have won major arteries.

Seven! He goes into all types of history. He goes into the Jewish history of seven. He goes into so much here, it's mind-boggling. On seven! Is he a religious man? No! He just saw this happen. He has famous athletes who will not do anything unless it involves seven. Because they're superstitious. Do you realize that Islam teaches that there are seven heavens and seven earths? The Qur'an says the sky is divided into seven layers. The sacred gold and silver vessels are purified seven times. And seven in Islam represent the seven planets, seven messengers, and seven is symbolic of eternity.

And Muhammad told his followers about the seventh heaven, which is a state of celestial bliss. In Buddhism and other religions, I could go on. It's everywhere. Everywhere. There is something magnificent about the number seven. In the Hebrew, the word number seven means complete wholeness. It actually means perfection.

Does that not describe our Creator? Complete wholeness perfection is what the number seven means in Hebrew. So when we're reading all this, we can understand. And just think about, it so describes God, but it also tells us a little something about what is he doing here? He is reproducing himself. Right? So I will make in his image. God is reproducing. Is that what Christ stood on the Sermon on the Mount? In Matthew 5, verse 48, and said, Become you perfect as your Father is perfect in heaven. We're becoming like our Father.

I think it's very important. Brethren, it's hard not to say God's number is seven. No other number points you to God and God to you more than seven. Go with me now. Go with me now to Exodus 31. Exodus 31. Exodus 31, verse 13, says, Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, Surely, my Mohedim, my Sabbath, you shall keep, for it is a sign.

When does that take place? Religious appointments. Every seven days, seven times a year, you're to keep them between me and you. For it is a sign throughout your generations that you may know that I am the Lord. God, who sanctifies you? Hmm. What does he say, though? By the mouth of two or three witnesses, is a matter settled, a matter solved?

Let's go with me to Ezekiel 20, please. Ezekiel 20. Ezekiel 20 in verse 20 says, Hallo, my Sabbath.

That means lift them up here. There's nothing common about the Sabbath day. Hallo, my Sabbath, and they will be a sign between me and you. That, why? That you may know that I am the Lord your God.

Pretty strong. Pretty strong.

Isn't this strange?

Coincidence?

How did it just so happen that your telephone number has seven digits?

Why? Did it work out that way?

Before they did all this, researchers found that this human mind has an incredible, magnificent ability to remember seven digits. Easier than six, easier than five.

And the reason the human mind does that, these researchers found out, was they're able to separate three from four.

Remember three holy days in spring, four later? Coincidence?

But they weren't going to do it if it didn't work.

And so, the largest cab company in America is Yellow Camp.

So what did they do? Well, let's take this baby one step farther. Do you know how to get all the yellow cabs?

777-777. That's their phone number.

They found it so easy for people to remember.

You may say, well, wait a minute. Now you're getting a little outside now.

You know, they're getting voodoo here.

You have enough facts, it begins to not be speculation, doesn't it?

You begin to see things.

The serendipity that the Savior of the world, these Savior in the world, His genealogy is listed in what? Luke 3.

And it says, and this son, and this son, and this son.

He said, well, wait a minute. Before you start getting into that, didn't man put the book together?

But somebody still, in my universe, somebody still controls everything. That the Savior of the world is the 77th son in the genealogy in Luke 3.

And it takes you from God to God in 77 generations.

Jesus Christ was asked by Peter, how many times do I have to forgive? Seven times? Seven times? What did He say? No.

Seven times seventy. What was He telling him?

Infinite amount. Keep doing it.

And even in the Bible, God says, what is the age of man? Three score and ten, right?

What's that? Seventy?

How long were the Israelites, Judah, held captive and kept out of the land of Israel?

The captivity lasted seventy years?

God does control.

It's interesting, when God first codifies in His Bible the Ten Commandments for all of Mary and County.

Somebody told me the other day, why didn't He give seven commandments?

He said, yes.

But it's interesting that the first time they're codified, it's in the 70th chapter of the Bible.

Remember Exodus 20? There's 50 chapters in Genesis? 20?

My son, in whom I well pleased.

Serendipity at seven times in the Bible? When God remarks it?

Baptized seventy times? Passover seventy-seven times? Crucial?

With God's magnificent seven. I want to finish where I started. We have been divinely called to worship God Almighty through His Son, our Messiah Jesus Christ.

God is laid out for mankind a time and manner in which to worship Him.

And mankind, as a whole, has said, no, H-E-double-L, no.

We're not going to do it.

And He said patience, and more patience, and more mercy.

He has in my life than I've ever would have deserved. And He will give that to the world.

But there is a collision course coming because God's ways and His people will not be mocked.

God's seven annual holy days, days of unleavened bread and Pentecost. Picture the sanctification and the setting of part of God's people, the early harvest.

Then, towards the end of the year, we have four fall harvests, and the seventh month, which complete the plan of God.

Because the last four show the rescue and glorification of God and His people. God's holy days started out as a group of agricultural lessons to teach people about worshiping their Creator.

You know, God always used physical lessons to teach spiritual principles.

He continues to even today.

That's why Christ's parables are even so important to each and every one of us today.

The holy days were given to point them and us to the fulfillment of the spiritual edification of God and His magnificent seven holy days and His understanding of that magnificent number, seven.

It's almost as if it's a code that once you understand, it kind of opens up everything.

And it validates everything we say, everything we do, in such a way that I don't care what arguments are laid out. Because this is undeniable.

Now, some will say, well, Jesus Christ fulfilled all the holy days when He came 1960 years ago. Well, He did. He did. Partially fulfill the holy days when He came into flesh. He was our Passover Lamb.

He did give us a picture of an unleavened human being walking on planet earth, didn't He? And He said, let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ.

Paul actually said, follow me as I follow Christ.

And then He gifted His followers on Pentecost with the Holy Spirit, as He does even today. He gives us the greatest power the world has ever known.

But you see, there is still much to fulfill, pictured by the fall holy days that I'm sure all of you heard messages, studied, prayed about, and experienced the best that you could.

Imagine the blowing of the seventh trumpet as Christ meets His bride in the air.

Not happened yet! Be fulfilled.

Christ is a continual, perpetual, atoning sacrifice and high priest working for us now.

As we go to the mercy seat, we do not have a high priest that cannot sympathize with us. Been here, done that. Thankfully, we do.

Plus, the binding of Satan for a thousand years, pictured in Scripture.

The returning to earth and to destroy the armies of the world and save humanity. Yet to be fulfilled.

To set up the kingdom of God.

These are magnified in the number seven. They help us to see, they help us to know, they help us to be assured.

And it begins and ends with the number seven.

As I wrap up here today, like you go with me, to one final Scripture.

Read it before, but it is an amazing, better than any movie.

And hopefully, some way, shape or form, there will be a movie put together with this scene.

But Christ actually told in the Olivet prophecies in Matthew 24-22 that unless those days were shortened, no flesh will be left alive. So let's go. Go with me too. Revelation.

Let's move to Revelation 19. Revelation 19 in verse 11.

We see the marriage supper take place in the previous verses.

And we see the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints in verse 8, as the bride is a raid.

And then we see the rescue of humanity.

The rescue of this earth that takes place in verse 11.

You might want to read that one again.

He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God.

And the armies in heaven, who are they?

I think I'm looking at part of the army sitting after today. White robes. The bride of Christ.

And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, and with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself threads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and He cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather together for the supper of the great God. There's about to be a great slaughter.

That you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army those saints. Then the priest was captured, and with Him the false prophet who worked signs in the presence by which He deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped His image. These two were cast into the lake of fire by the brimstone, and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds, they were filled with their flesh. Brethren, we do not just rescue a town or a village of a few hundred people. We rescue humanity. We save. We're part of a team that saves the entire world. That classic scene where the human race is saved, that's a movie I want to see. That's part of a team of magnificent seven that I want to be a part of. How about you?

Thank you.