Pentecost, the Tree of Life and the Book of Life

Pentecost and the Tree of Life and the Book of Life is the title. Pentecost, the Tree of Life, and the Book of Life. Today is one of the most important events in the course of human history, and for that matter, the entire universe. It is the day that God through Christ poured out the Holy Spirit, making available to those God, to those whom God was calling into his marvelous light to become first fruits. The New Covenant observance of Passover began 1989 years ago.

So this day has been observed for 1989 years, and this day marks the day that the Holy Spirit was made available to those whom God is calling out to be first fruits. This day was prophesied by the prophet Joel and referred to by the apostle Peter in his inspired sermon on the day of Pentecost. So I want us to go now to Joel chapter 2. Hosea Joel in the minor prophets. Joel right after Daniel. Hosea Joel chapter 2.

In Joel chapter 2, verse 28, remember now Peter quotes this in his inspired sermon on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out, it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

So now we go to the day in Acts chapter 2 in which the Holy Spirit was sent to the New Covenant Church. The day the New Covenant Church began, I guess you could call it the birthday of the New Covenant Church, in Acts chapter 2, Peter begins his inspired sermon in verse 15. Before that, it was a sudden sound of a mighty rushing wind and cloven tongues of fire upon the heads of the apostles, and each person heard the apostles speak in their own language. And of course, they're all kind of commotion that took place, and some saying, oh, they're just drunk, and so on.

And so Peter gets up and begins to speak in Acts 2 and verse 15. For these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it as but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.

And we just read those two verses from Joel 2, 28, 29. And it shall come to pass in the last day, said God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Of course, that day is coming in which, as we shall read from the book of Revelation, where it says that, whom several will let him come and partake and drink in the waters of life, right now it is limited to those to whom God is calling out to be first fruits. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams, and on my servants and on my handmaids I will pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy.

And then, in verse 19, it jumps all the way to the end of the age and the heavenly signs that introduce the day of the Lord. Now we want to continue here in Acts. And we'll start again here in verse 28. But you have made known me the ways of life. You shall make me full of joy and with your countenance, men and brethren, let me speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with and oath to him that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ and sit on his throne. Who sits on David's throne? Well, I'm reading the book. According to the flesh, he would raise up Christ and sit on his throne.

He thus, seeing this before, spoke at the resurrection of Christ that his soul, his suque, his life essence potential was not left in Hades, the grave, and his flesh did not see corruption. Of course, we see here clearly that Jesus did not depart, and he was buried in the grave, and there's no consciousness in the grave.

And then, 32, this Jesus has God raised up wherewith we're all witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has shed forth this which you now see and hear. So Jesus Christ plays a role in the ascending of the Holy Spirit which proceeds from the Father, for David is not ascended into the heavens, but he said himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit you on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.

Now, a very important verse that you could read right over, verse 36. Therefore, let the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made that same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord. Two things. Both Lord, the master of our lives.

Jesus Christ is the only person being that is greater than Christ, of course, is God the Father. Both Lord and Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one. And then, of course, they cried out, pricked in their hearts, men and brethren, what shall we do? And the word then was to repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost was planned and ordained before the foundation of the world.

Say that again. The day of Pentecost was planned and ordained before the foundation of the world. How do I know that? Let's go to Revelation 13. I'm just turning to these with my left hand, one hand tied behind my back. Revelation 13, verse 8.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of the life of the Lamb. And see, here we have reference to the book of life. Pentecost, the book of life, the tree of life and the book of life, written in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. So it was known way beforehand that Jesus Christ would die for the sins of the world, and it was necessary, as we shall read from Romans 5 in just a moment, that Jesus Christ paid the penalty so that we could be viewed as sinless and receive the Holy Spirit. In Revelation 17, verse 8, we have a similar kind of scripture as in Revelation 13.8.

So forward there to Revelation 17, verse 8.

The beast that you saw was and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. And some take here, there are two main doctrines that so many Protestants have. One is what they call the doctrine of election. That is, that God has already elected from the foundation of the world those who would be in the kingdom and those who wouldn't.

And then in addition to that, the eternal security of the believer.

So this, you could read it from that point of view, but we will say more about this in just a moment. So the so-called doctrine of election is largely taken from this phrase here that is the names were written, I'm sorry, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was, is not, and yet is. We know very clearly from Romans 2 and verse 11 that God is not a respecter of persons. God is not a respecter of persons.

And 2 Peter 3 and verse 9 says, not willing that any should perish, but that all men should come to repentance. So God not being a respecter of persons and not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance shows that salvation is for everyone. Time after time, the Bible challenges us to choose who we will follow. Joshua said, if God be God, then serve him. If not, serve the gods on the other side of the river.

Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19. Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19.

We often quote this scripture, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life that you may live, that your seed may live. Choose life. It's not that it's already predetermined, then a certain number of people have been quote, elected to be in the kingdom of the God, and the rest are eternally damned because they were not elected before the foundation of the world.

That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey his voice, that you may cleave unto him, for he is your life, and the length of days that you may dwell in the land, which the Lord swore unto your fathers to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

If God and Christ had already determined who would be saved and who would face eternal destruction, the talk about repentance, faith, overcoming, all of those things having to do with the plan of salvation and what we have to do to qualify to be in the kingdom of God, even though eternal life is a gift, at the same time there are qualifications that you must meet in order to inherit eternal life.

And if it's already determined, why pray for anything? Why do I mean it just doesn't make sense, but some people will go to their grave claiming that there are certain sects of the Presbyterians that hold that doctrine very firmly, and other sects as well.

God and Christ already knew that humankind would sin. The fact that humans would sin, we read Revelation 13.8 that Jesus Christ was slain from the foundation of the world.

The fact that humans would sin introduces a need for a Redeemer, and redemption introduces the need for one to pave the penalty for sin, since the wages of sin is death. Romans 6.23 says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So in God's great plan of salvation, as we have read from Revelation 13.8, Christ was slain from the foundation of the world before anything was created. In order for God to beget a person with his spirit, that person must repent, be viewed as sinless. Yes, you can be viewed as sinless. You have to be in order for God to give you his spirit. That person must repent, be viewed as sinless, exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ, be baptized, and receive the laying on of hands. Now we go to Romans 5 and begin in verse 6, and we'll see what we just read that, similar to the song, the hymn we just sang, Be You Ambassadors for Jesus Christ and the reconciliation that we've been given, the ministry of reconciliation, in Romans 5 and 6.

The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ dwells in us. Some talk about Galatians 2.20, that I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Jesus Christ would love me, gave himself for me. But that does not mean that the Father is not living in us as well, because John 14.23 says that we will both come and make our abode in him. But as we read from Acts 2 in verse 36, that Jesus Christ is both Lord and Christ. He is both Lord Messiah, the anointed one. He is our Lord and our Master. He bought us. He paid the price. Therefore, God has given him a name and above all names that are on the face of the earth. Notice that we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, saved by his life, and when we were enemies of God. But through that reconciliation process, we can be viewed as sinless and receive the Holy Spirit. Now look at John 14 and verse 6. Here we'll do a little bit of didactic teaching with regard to you. You can't have one without the other. It's sort of in syllogistic form. In John 14, verse 6, Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me.

Then we read John 644 back on page 2 or 3. John 644, which clearly says the following, John 644, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me, draw him, and I will raise him up the last day. No man can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ. No man can come to Jesus Christ unless the Father draw him. Jesus, the Son, reveals the Father. Let's look at Luke 10, verse 22, back a few pages there to Luke 10. In verse 22, we see this reciprocal relationship between Jesus Christ and the Father. It's like the old song, Love and Marriage, go together like a horse and carriage. You can't have one without the other. Father and Son working harmoniously. In Luke chapter 11, well, I said 11, maybe it's 10. We'll see in just a moment. It's 10, I can't think.

In Luke chapter 10 and verse 22, all things are delivered to me of my Father, and no man knows who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal him.

And he turned him unto his disciples and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things that you see. And as you said here today, many prophets and many kings, many religious people all over the world, all over the nation, many Protestant churches observed, quote, the day of Pentecost, not in the way that we do, but they observed Pentecost in some form. They don't really understand the whole process of salvation and the fact that Pentecost was ordained even before there was a physical creation. Many kings and prophets have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them, and to hear these things which you hear and not seen them.

So, brethren, how blessed are we to have the veil lifted. The tree of life in the Garden of Eden represented the Holy Spirit. The eternal, once again, we covered it in the last sermon I gave here about you don't have an immortal soul. The eternal, immortal essence, the Spirit of God, the same Spirit that is in God, is in Christ, is in us. That Spirit that's in them is eternal.

The flesh that's on our bones, not eternal, at a certain point in time in which it began to exist. But then, if we are begotten of God's Spirit, we have the earnest, the down payment. We have that eternal, immortal Spirit abiding within us. So, it allows humans to eventually be, that is, the Holy Spirit, this eternal Spirit, begotten and born of the eternal Spirit, thus become immortal beings of the God-kind, born immortal beings, not created mortal beings.

Resurrected saints are immortal in the sense that they will be of the same eternal Spirit as a father and the son when they are resurrected, born into the family of God. So, let's examine further the scriptures that speak of the Tree of Life. Let's go to Genesis 2 and verse 9. Now, Genesis 2, verse 9, where the Tree of Life is introduced. In verse 7, God breathed into the... God made Adam out of the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils a breath of life. He didn't give Adam the Holy Spirit. He was made of the dust of the ground. He gave them him the breath of life.

And then, in verse 9, and out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant in the sight and good for food, the Tree of Life also in the midst of the garden, in the Tree of Knowledge, the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Two opposing trees, the Tree of Life and the Knowledge, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. You know the story that Eve decided to take of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because Satan said, you shall not surely die. She brought the... she bought into the great lie of all the ages. In Genesis 3 and verse 22, after Adam and Eve sinned, we see that they were expelled from the garden, and humankind as a whole was cut off from the Tree of Life until the Redeemer came on the scene, the Redeemer being Jesus Christ. In Genesis 3.22, and the Lord God said, the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become as one of us to know good and evil. By that it means to take to himself the prerogative of deciding good and evil, and nevertheless he put forth his hand, and take also the Tree of Life, eat, and live forever. Therefore, you see there, in order to live forever, what do you have to do? You have to partake of the Tree of Life, unless he put forth his hand and eat of the Tree of Life and live forever. You can't have that because you're still in his sins, disobedience. Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. But in view of that, you look now at Genesis 3 and verse 15. God gave a great Messianic prophecy. It's the first Messianic prophecy.

So after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, the fulfillment of the day of Pentecost, as it were, was held in abeyance. A bay-ance, A-B-E-Y-A-N-C-E, something like that, was held in abeyance, put on hold until the Redeemer came on the scene, 31 A.D., and the Holy Spirit was poured out.

It is not to say that the Holy Spirit did not work with certain ones through the ages. Not saying that at all. The Holy Spirit guided, directed. David prayed, Take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Another thing that some people tend to forget is that you can be led, influenced by the Holy Spirit and not be begotten by the Holy Spirit. I hope to give a sermon one day on how God influenced the minds of Gentile rulers to do certain things through His Spirit. For example, Cyrus allowing the Jews to return to Judah and build the Restoration Temple.

So, a promise of a Redeemer here in Exodus 3.15, I will put, Emmettie between you and the woman, between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed, it shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel. Jesus Christ will bruise the head of Satan. In fact, that very phrase is used in Romans 16. You shall bruise Satan's head and you and Satan will bruise His heel. And Satan inspired the crucifixion of Christ. He inspired Herod to try to put all the infants, the young children, two years and younger, to death when he heard that a king had been born in Israel. The Messiah who sits on the throne of David now, He holds the keys to the kingdom. I just read from Acts that David prophesied that he would raise up one to sit on his throne. We could read it again. But let's look at this about the keys to the kingdom.

In Isaiah 22 and verse 20, here's a sort of an obscure prophecy. Some might say somewhat obscure. In Isaiah 22 and verse 20, it becomes quite clear. See, God has given, as we shall see, the keys to the kingdom to the church. God gave it to Christ. Christ gave it to the church. Isaiah 22 and it shall come to pass, and that day that I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your girdle, and I will commit your governance into the hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder, who holds the key of David? And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder, so he shall open and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne in his father's house. Turn now to Revelation 3 and verse 7. In the messages to the seven churches, in Revelation chapter 3 verse 6 begins the message to the Philadelphia church era, and I'm using era not in a dogmatic sense. I'm sorry, verse 7. Revelation 3 verse 7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia will write, these things says, He that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David.

You see, each message to the seven churches introduces characteristics of Christ.

Maybe a better word than introduces would be that he provides us with vital characteristics of Christ.

To the angel of the church, the Angelos in Philadelphia, these things says, that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts and shuts, and no man opens. You see, the the king, David, was over a kingdom. You have the keys of the kingdom, and the keys of the of the kingdom are given to Christ. And then Christ does what? In Revelation, I mean, Matthew 16.

Matthew 16 and verse 19, we see that the keys to the kingdom are given to the apostles and to the church. In Matthew 16 verse 18, And I say unto you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the grave shall not prevail against it.

And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Some use this scripture in a wrong way. It doesn't mean that you can bind error. All of God's works are done in truth. So the keys to the kingdom have been passed on to the church of God, and the church has been commissioned to take the gospel message to the world, to give the world access to the tree of life.

Now, we look at Revelation 2 and verse 7. In Genesis 2 and verse 9, I want you turning now to Revelation 2 and verse 7. Revelation 2 verse 7. Well, we're turning there to Revelation 2 and verse 7. Remember, I read from Genesis 2.9 that he also planted in the garden, in the midst of the garden, was the tree of life. Then I read Revelation, I don't know once, then I read Genesis 3.22-23, where man was cut off from the tree of life and driven from the garden of Eden, and it was even guarded by caribim. But now we're in Revelation 2 and the messages to the seven churches, and we look at verse 7. In Revelation 2 and verse 7, he that hath near let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches, to him that overcomes, to him that overcomes, not to somebody that I've already predetermined that's going to be in the kingdom of God, to him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. And this day that we're observing was the time in which the Holy Spirit was poured out so that the New Covenant Church, those of God, are calling out as first fruits, could be begotten and eventually born at the resurrection in the family of God. Revelation 22 now, we're going from chapter 2 to 22. In Revelation 22 too, in Revelation 22 too, we see that this tree of life is still around the New Jerusalem. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life which bear 12 manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. So the tree of life is around, it seems, in eternity.

One must partake, one must keep the commandments in order to partake of the tree of life.

You remember the story? Dr. Iweller read it yesterday, I believe, I'm pretty sure he did, with regard to the rich young ruler who came to Christ and asked Good Master, what must I do to be in the kingdom of God? And Christ said, if you would enter into life, do what? Keep the commandments.

And he told the rest of the story. So we see here in Revelation 22 verse 14, blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. It's the word of God, not my words. So the tree of life represents the eternal spirit of God. Remember, man is mortal, subject to sin and death, and unless he eats of the tree of life, he cannot live forever.

The whole salvation process revolves around begettle and birth.

There is a spiritual begettle, there is a spiritual birth. As human beings, or let's take a singular human being, and his, how he comes to be, it's very analogous to the human ovum, what we might call the egg, the ovum, that a woman produces, a man produces the sperm. It cannot reproduce unless it is, that is, the human ovum, unless it is begotten by the male sperm.

And in like manner with regard to spiritual begettle and spiritual birth, the same process that God ordained in the physical realm is also in the spiritual realm, and God does things in patterns and in like manner kind of thing. In 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 23, we see this, what we just talked about here, begettle and birth. Verse Peter 1.23, being born again, not of corruptible seed. Now, in this particular case, this word born is not ganau, though ganau does mean to bring forth. In this case, that is a-na-a-n-a-n-a-n-a-n-a-n-a-n-a-g-a-n-a-n-a-o. Very important. I mean, you just sit there, you say, oh, he said this, and he said that. What this word means is, again, begotten again. So we are begotten again. We were begotten one time, physically, by our physical father, and now begotten by the incorruptible seed. The seed of man is corruptible, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. And then we go to James chapter 1. In James chapter 1, as we're going to James chapter 1, repentant believers are begotten again by incorruptible seed of the father and born into the family of God at the resurrection of the just.

Now in James 1.17.18, we'll once again, we'll see the word beguette. The great word in this case is apaku'el. And it means to bring forth or give birth.

In James 1.17, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights with whom there is no verableness, neither shadow of turning. Who of his own will, and what is the word? Apaku'el. And what does it mean to bring forth or give birth?

You see, in the spiritual realm, God the Father is in the role of father and mother.

He's the one that created humankind. He's the one that begets us with His Spirit.

And He is the one that raises us from the dead. As time after time in the New Testament, it talks about the Father raising Jesus Christ from the dead. Of His own will, He brought us forth with the word of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.

The spiritual birth of the Son is prophesied in Psalm 2 and verse 7. I'd like for you to go to Psalm 2 and verse 7. Become acquainted with this and become acquainted with its fulfillment. And what it really means in the New Testament. In Psalm 2 and verse 7.

In Psalm 2 and verse 7, I would declare the decree, The Lord the Yahweh said unto me, You art my Son. This day have I, Yalad you.

Yalad is the Hebrew word that is parallel to Gennao. It means to beget or to bring forth.

In this case, it means to bring forth, to give birth. How do I know that?

Let's go to Acts chapter 13.

See, the Holy Spirit and what this day represents to a large degree revolves around begat and birth.

The preachers of the world will talk about, Are you born again, brother?

And their notion of being born again is just confess that Jesus is Lord and you believe on Jesus Christ and you're born again. Sort of a magical, mystical kind of thing.

Acts 13 is one of the great sermons that is recorded in the Bible. Of course, you got Acts 2 and Pentecost, you got Acts 7 and Stephen's sermon. Then Acts 13 will start in 29, breaking in on the thought. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulchre. Practice of the Jews was to bury the dead. But God raised him from the dead. Who raised him? The father. And he was seen many days of them, which came up from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us, their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again, as it is written also in the second psalm. We just read it.

As it is written in the second psalm, you art my son, this day have I, Gnao you, parallel to Yalod in Hebrew. I have brought you forth. I've raised you from the dead, the firstborn among many brethren. Revelation 1.5. And it's concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption. He said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. And as we've already noted, he gave to Christ the keys, the key of David, which is the key of the kingdom which was given to the church. Of course, one of the main purposes of the church is to take the gospel to the world. Now we will briefly address one of the budding heresies, and it's butted for quite a long time in the church. That is, the resurrection, the harvesting of firstfruits occurs on Pentecost. The United Church of God, as the official doctrine, teaches, does not teach that Christ returns on Pentecost, but what we teach is what the Bible says. Let's see what the Bible says. The first resurrection marks the time when the spiritual firstfruits are harvested. Now, some want to say well because Pentecost is the feast of firstfruits, therefore the resurrection takes place on Pentecost. But as we read the prophecies in Revelation, especially, we see quite a different picture. But one of the main things has to do with the pattern and the plan of salvation as revealed through the Holy Days.

Almost everyone in this audience, if I were to ask right up front, and you to respond orally, say, what is Pentecost's picture? Oh, it's giving the Holy Spirit. Why does Trumpet's picture? You say, oh, it's the coming of Jesus Christ. What is the tome and picture? You would say, oh, it's the binding of Satan. What is the Feast of Tabernacle? Oh, it's the Millennium Kingdom of God. What is the last great day? The eighth day picture? Oh, going on to perfection to everybody, and so on.

So, in the Holy Days and the fulfillment thereof, if we look at it from an historical and literal event and also a spiritual fulfillment, Passover 14th, Israel kept the Passover in Egypt, which freed them. They left Egypt on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which pictures their repentance and moving from sin and away from sin. On the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the literal event, they crossed the Red Sea, which was on the last holy day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They came to Mount Sinai, recorded in Exodus 19, in the third month and on the day of Pentecost, according to Jewish tradition and secular history and whatever biblical history is not per se, stated in the Bible, God gave them the law.

And then, on the day of Pentecost, 31 A, 31 A.D., God gave the Spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to be written on our inward parts. And so we're between, as far as a spiritual fulfillment of the Holy Days between Pentecost and Trumpets. The next big event, the Great Tribulation, Day of the Lord, the trumpet plagues, seven miles of wrath. And so we have heard that over and over again. So let's, once again, Israel kept the Passover in the fourth day of Nisan, left Egypt on the fifteenth day of Nisan, repentance going away from Egypt, baptized in the Red Sea. It says it very clearly in 1 Corinthians 10, 4, verses 1 through 4, baptized in Red Sea, last day of Peace of Unleavened Bread, received law in Pentecost, received the Holy Spirit, Day of Pentecost.

We're now in the dispensation, or the age, what's called the church age. Is that in the Bible? Yes.

Look at Ephesians chapter 2. I said we would go over some. I have some important things to relate to you here, and we have come thus far. I didn't know if I could get it done or not in the 45 minutes, 50 minutes, whatever it is, but you don't have anything else to do. In Acts, I almost lost my train of thought there with regard to this, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given. And so, we're between Pentecost and Trumpets as far as the literal fulfillment. So you have what's going to be coming, the next great event to occur, is the Jews building the temple and the abomination of desolation set out, then the great tribulation, the day of the Lord, the ceiling of the 144,000, the trumpet plagues, and we are not left to speculation as to when the resurrection takes place. Turn to Revelation 10, verse 7. See, the pattern that has been set, you had a physical, literal event, you have a spiritual fulfillment. Now, in the spiritual sense, those that are being called out now, we are living the resurrected life in the flesh now. The old man has been buried, and we have come up out of the watery grave to serve God in newness of life. In Revelation 10, in verse 7, But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he is declared to his servants the prophets.

So it's not a new thing. You can read from the book of Joel and from Zephaniah with regard to the day of the Lord being a time of trumpets. And, of course, the trumpets are outlined in the book of Revelation, beginning with the trumpets being poured out in chapter 8, four of them on the environment, then the first and second woe. Then we see here, when the seventh angel begins to sound, then the mystery of God should be finished. And now we pick it up in Revelation 11, verse 14. The second woe is passed, and behold, the third woe comes quickly, and the seventh angel sounded. And there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and it shall reign forever and ever. When, and the seventh angel sounded, there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and His Christ, and it shall reign forever and ever. What did verse 7 of chapter 10 say? When the seventh angel begins to sound, the mystery of God should be finished. What is that great mystery? How that flesh then can be transformed and born into the kingdom of God.

Verse 17, Revelation 11, say, 17, We give thanks to you, O Lord God Almighty, which art was, which is to come, because you have taken to you your great power and have reigned.

And so we see here what the Bible says with regard to when. Now, can the trumpet plagues be blown and all of that take place on the day of Pentecost? All of this cannot take place. All of the trumpets cannot take place in one day. Obviously, it takes time, four trumpets on the environment. The first woe with regard to the bottomless pit is opened and out comes this, the locust symbolizing this great army that terrorizes humankind. For five months they seek death, cannot find it. The picture of another great army. The second woe, the killing of the two witnesses, and they are resurrected and are caught up into the heavens and the world wonders after them after they are caught up. So all of this takes time. But the biblical pattern is established in the book of Revelation.

In addition to that, we have 1 Corinthians 15 verse 50. Let's go there. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 50.

We call 1 Corinthians 15 the resurrection chapter. 1 Corinthians 15 50. Now say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. When? At the last trump, where the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed, agreeing with Revelation 10, 7, Revelation 11, 15, and other passages. Now we go to 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. We read this at almost every funeral. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them that are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the shout with the voice of the archangel with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. So we see in the Bible that in order to take the tree of life you have to repent, exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ, be baptized, receive the laying on of hands, and you receive the Holy Spirit, the Begettle, to eternal life. And eventually you'll be born into the family of God. We see that the tree of life and the book of life continue in eternity. Turn now to Revelation 22. We've already been to Revelation 22 and verse 14, so we'll continue there in 15 to the end. Revelation 22.15 . . .

Left out or without are dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.

I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify you of these things in the churches.

I am the root and offspring of David and the bride and morning star, and the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that hears say, Come, and let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely. And, of course, the water of life oftentimes represents the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, Out of my body shall flow rivers of living water.

And so, brethren, here we are on the day of Pentecost, some 1989 years from the time it was poured out on humankind in the New Covenant Church. We must renew the inward man daily.

How do you do that? In prayer and obedience to God. The Bible is very clear on it. God gives his Spirit to those who obey him. So, brethren, we have had a brief look at the history of, I guess you would call it, the tree of life going all the way back to the foundation of the world in which it was determined from the foundation of the world that Jesus Christ would die so that we could have access to the tree of life, that we could be begotten and born into the family of God and live eternally.