Rachel's Hope

Thank you for that beautiful music. Very, very inspiring. And good morning, brethren, on this very special eighth day, holy day of God. My entire family is here. This is my first time to be in Steamboat Springs, my wife and myself. But anyhow, my entire family is here—my daughter, my two sons, their wives, and my grandchild. It's our first family feast since 2013, so it's a very special for us. This is my 57th and one-half feast. I know I need to explain that. My wife was sitting here in services on the first holy day, and we had to leave before services were over to make an appointment that had just been set here in Steamboat to see what was going on with her eye.

And due to all of that, we were not able to be back in services until Saturday, the Sabbath. Anyhow, it's I think a good time to give you just a brief update on what was going on. I know there was a prayer request that was made, and we very much appreciate that. But she had a detaching retina. We got up Monday morning, and in one eye, half of the eye—the light through that eye was green. She was seeing green. And it was because the retina was detaching.

Anyhow, we had to go to Denver for surgery, and then, of course, there's recovery. Then there's going back for follow-up to make sure everything is going okay. And at this point, everything is looking good. She has blurry vision. That's to be expected. We were able to return and keep the rest of the feast here. And we will do a follow-up in Georgia back in Rome, Georgia, when we get back there. And when it's all said and done in about three to six months, when it's all said and done, and with all of the follow-up with the right lens in front of that eye, she should be able to have good, clear vision.

So on behalf of myself, my wife, my family, I want to say thank you to each and every one of you for your concern and your prayers.

God has been most merciful. I will add this. My wife and daughter are sitting right out there. So if you see this beautiful Georgia peach with her head down while I'm speaking, I'm not putting her to sleep, I hope. That's part of the recovery process. She has to put her head down ever so often for a little bit. It has to do with what they had to do with the eye with oil insertion and all.

But anyhow, again, thank you, folks, for all of your prayers and concern. There's nothing sweeter and more precious than the brand new little bundle of your own flesh and blood. A mother never forgets the feeling of that precious little life that has come from her body lying at her breast nursing. The sweetness, the innocence, the joy of their brand new little life, little being. So much hope, so much promise, so much life tied up in that precious little bundle. And so helpless, so fragile, so dependent. You never forget the touch of a baby's hand, his tiny little fingers wrapped around your finger.

It stays with you a lifetime. That's how a good friend of mine who lost a child very young expressed it. And you never get used to laying them in the grave. Here lies the infant sign of... Here lies the infant. Here lies the... Here lies the... Here lies... Here lies... Here lies... Here lies... Seven in a row. There's a cemetery back home. I have a lot of family buried in it. I can go in that cemetery. And there's seven little graves, seven little tombstones, all in a row like marching soldiers of a great aunt, my great-aunt Minnie, great-great-aunt Minnie, who seven times had to go through laying a little one in the grave.

She had to experience it. And near a little town called Red Bay, Alabama, I've stood in the cemetery and looked at ten little tombstones in a row of a mother who had ten little ones that had to be laid in the grave.

In 1915, in the United States of America, the death rate of children under one year of age, of children who never saw their first birthday, in 1915, the death rate of children under one year of age was 100 out of every thousand pregnancies' births. Out of births, 100 out of every thousand. I have a daughter-in-law, Bridget, and my only grandchild, Josiah.

If this were 1915, that child would be one of those casualties, and she would be a young mother buried in a cemetery. She could not have given birth to my grandchild. In 1943, it had dropped to 40 out of every thousand. Some cemeteries have almost as many small graves as big ones. I've actually been in some cemeteries where I almost did account or tried to do account because there were, it seemed, as many small graves as there were large ones. A mother's arms never quit aching for the little ones she lost. God made her that way. She was physically attached.

To the life that grew inside her. God's design of motherhood gave her that attachment. And she nursed the little one in hope. Held that little precious bundle and nursed him in hope. Hope of life, hope of growth, hope of the future. A young Jewish virgin gave birth to a special Jewish baby and nursed him at her breast. He was full of life and hope. Not for himself.

He had come from the fullness of life at the right hand of God, but full of life and hope for all of mankind. He was the promised Messiah, promised to be born through a Jewish virgin, virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit. In His name, and in His name only, none other, Krishna, Buddha, whoever, Muhammad, nobody, only Him, only through Him and His name, would salvation be able to be offered to any and to everybody. Acts 4.12. You know, there are certain scriptures of the Bible that I really, really love. There are certain bullet point scriptures that you can't dodge the bullet.

I mean, it's straight on. It leaves no wiggle room. It doesn't leave any and, ifs, or buts.

Acts 4.12 is one of those because, speaking of Christ in Acts 4 verse 12, it says, neither is there salvation in any other period. For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Without Him, there could be no salvation. Only through belief in and obedience to Him could anyone be saved. Only through knowing Him as a personal Savior and a personal relationship could there be salvation and eternal life. And as the scripture says, the fullness of God dwells in Him. This in Colossians 1.19, the fullness of God. Now, this was fantastic news. The Jewish Virgin giving birth to the Messiah. This was the hope of the world. But this precious bundle, the most precious bundle of all, of life and hope, was problematic.

Problematic for some. Let's read in Matthew 2 verses 1 through 18. We'll kind of read it in a cursory way pretty rapidly. But Matthew 2 verses 1 through 18.

Matthew 2.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east of Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews?

For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him. Verse 3. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah. For out of you shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. Verse 7. Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

Talk about a hypocrite. When they had heard the king, they departed, lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them. Till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented him with gifts, gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, and myrrh which is part of burial. And being warned of God, it was prophetic even in the gifts. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed to their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the young child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and you be there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, verse 14, and departed into Egypt. And he was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken to the Lord by the prophet, saying, out of Egypt, have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked, it wasn't the kind of man you mocked. If anybody knows anything about Herod, ever read about what an absolutely wicked, corrupt, vicious individual he was. When he saw that he was mocked to the wise men, as the King James understates it, he was exceedingly wroth. He was on a rage, a killing rage. And he sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts or borders there about from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Think about that. And then you read verse 17, then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, verse 18, in Rhema was there a voice heard, lamentation, weeping, great morning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted because they are not. Rachel weeping for her children.

That area was the area of Benjamin. Benjamin's mother was Rachel.

And if you look at maps, they will show the divisions of where the tribes went in the land. This was the land of Benjamin, Rachel's children. And of course, when the kingdom split, ten tribes forming the house of Israel in the days of Rehoboam, Judah was the tribe that stayed with Judah. And of course, Levi was part of that particular kingdom, too. Think about it.

Two years old and younger, do you remember your toddlers at age two?

Do you remember how cute and cuddly and precious and all the adorable little things they did?

And what they said. See, some mothers lost one child, some mothers lost two or three.

Sometimes it was a two-year-old and an infant they lost, male infant. Sometimes it was twins.

Could have been triplets in some cases. Could have been twins and an infant.

Some of them didn't just lose one child. Some lost two. I guess you could say in that sense, it was a double loss. It was a double tragedy. But you know, it would seem that there was an even bigger double tragedy or loss and kind of a supreme cosmic irony at that because even as the Savior was born, even as the hope of mankind had arrived by what was triggered in the carnal minds of carnal men by His birth, their sons, Rachel's children, their sons were taken from them and killed. Think of this. Their sons were not only taken from life, their sons were also taken away from having a chance to know the Savior. Think about that for a moment. Taken from life, but also taken away from having a chance to know the Savior. So it would seem that the reality was a double loss.

We could ask ourselves, was it? Well, according to traditional Christianity, according to traditional Christianity, their doctrine that this is the only day of salvation in the light of Acts 4-12, which is a bullet point that can't be dodged, there's only salvation in Christ, and according to the traditional belief of traditional Christianity of this being the only day of salvation, that leaves no place for those babies and those children except one location, because they have two places. You go to heaven or you go to hell. If you're saved in Christ, you go to heaven.

If you're not saved in Christ, you go to hell. There is no third option. There's no third slide.

But is that the reality? It is a reality that their first hope of life was lost, taken from them. But is it a reality regarding eternal life, of the hope of eternal life?

You know, Matthew 2, where we're reading here, verses 17 and 18, mentions the children's dying as the fulfillment of a prophecy. See, God knew ahead, because He knows human beings, God knew ahead what would be triggered in the carnal minds of the rulers when that time came.

He knew what would be set in motion just by knowing human nature and carnality and the lust of power, for power and all of that. But here's what's interesting. Not all of the prophecy from Jeremiah is quoted here. There's more to the story. Not all of that prophecy that's quoted is listed here, and not all of that prophecy has been fulfilled. There is a part of it, an extremely important part of it, yet to be fulfilled. So let's go to Jeremiah 31, because that's where this quote comes from. Jeremiah 31, verses 15 through 17. Jeremiah 31, beginning in verse 15. Thus says the Lord, A voice was heard in Ramon, Lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted. How do you comfort the mothers who have their little ones taken from them and dashed and killed? Refused to be comforted for her children because they were not. Thus says the Lord. Let's get into the rest of the prophecy. Verse 16. Thus says the Lord, Refrain your voice from weeping. You can quit your weeping and your eyes from tears. Your weeping can stop.

Your tears can quit flowing because your work, the labor of love, of pregnancy, of producing children, the labor, the work, the sweat of giving birth, of starting to raise them, shall be rewarded, says the Lord. And they, those children, they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

They shall come again. And there is hope in your end. And the final analysis. In the ultimate, there is hope, says the Lord, that your children shall come again to their own border.

You will have them back at a future time, a prophecy. How so? How is it possible?

Only if God has anticipated such need ahead of time and prepared for it. And if so, since He is God, and He is almighty, He can carry it out. He can bring it to pass. You know, we talk about God has a plan of salvation for all mankind. And if it's for all mankind, then for it to be complete and to be fair, it has to be comprehensive. It has to be all encompassing. It has to allow for this provision. It has to allow for and have a time in place for Rachel's children. And for all those billions and billions, maybe a hundred billion or more, besides. If you'd like a title for the sermon, two words. Rachel's Hope. Rachel's Hope, because Rachel's Hope also encompasses the hope of mankind, because her hope that will be fulfilled is the same hope that billions have, even if they don't know it. Rachel's Hope and the hope of untold mothers is found in Isaiah 65 and verse 20. Let's go there. Isaiah 65 and verse 20. This verse here speaks of that time, the last great day, the eighth day, and there shall be no more thins and infant of days. I mean, the cemeteries are full of such right now, but there will come a time when there'll be no such thing anymore, an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old, but the center being a hundred years old shall be accursed. And this is where we get the hundred year period of it, the hundred year measure of it. You take a baby, you resurrect it. How's it going to be a hundred years old ever? It's got to have a hundred years to live. It's a hundred year period. This speaks of the time and place when she will have her babies back, when the aching arms of the bereaved will be filled and comforted. This speaks of the time when the rest of the prophecy of Jeremiah 31 there can be finished. You know, God's plan of salvation for mankind is laid out, as we all know, in a series of holy days. And starting back in the springtime, we have been going through this annual cycle and we're now down to the very last holy day. These holy days spell out a chronology in steps and stages. And it's comprehensive. It's all encompassing. And through it, no one will be left out. No one will be left with that opportunity. We do not believe in teach universal salvation, but we do believe in teach universal opportunity. There is a difference. We are free moral agents, but we do preach and teach. There is universal opportunity in God's plan by the time all the steps and stages of it are left out. And I think you do too, don't we believe that when it's all said and done, that the vast overwhelming majority are going to choose life and be in the family of God? That's certainly what we're working for. Yet most of mankind, the overwhelming majority, have lived and died without ever knowing about Jesus Christ, let alone what He taught.

And if they're to have an opportunity, there has to be a time and place for them, and there is. Let's go back to Leviticus 23. This was mentioned earlier in the first message. Leviticus 23.

Let's read verse 34 first. Leviticus 23 and verse 34. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles. Now, how long is the feast of tabernacles? We've got it right there in the verse.

We can all read it with our own eyes, and we can all count. We don't have to count.

It tells us seven days. Yesterday was the seventh day of the feast of tabernacles. Yesterday finished the feast of tabernacles. The feast of tabernacles pictures the millennial rule of Christ. We finished the picturing of it in terms of the holy days exercising ourselves in them and worshiping God. Yesterday. Okay. The feast of tabernacles is seven days long.

This is the eighth day. It cannot be the same feast. And as we know, it is not the same feast. Now, let's read verse 36. Seven days shall you offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. That's the feast of tabernacles. On the eighth day, which is beyond the feast of tabernacles, beyond what pictures the millennial rule, it's not that Christ isn't still ruling. He's going to rule. We know that. But it is a separate feast with a separate purpose. I mean, the bottom line purpose is salvation. But it's another stage or step in the plan of salvation. And it's the final one. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly, and you shall do no servile work therein. And then verse 39, and also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a feast unto the Lord. Seven days, on the first there shall be a Sabbath, and then you're past that feast. On the eighth day, which has to be a separate feast, shall be a Sabbath. Obviously, it's a separate feast with a separate meaning. And again, since all the holy days have to do with salvation, this one has to also... This comes after the feast of tabernacles. It's the caboose of the holy days. It's the end of the line. It's the completion.

This completes the plan of salvation for mankind. This is the grand finale. Millennium is simply a Latin word that means a thousand years, like century means a hundred, decade means ten.

When that period is over, and we will... You and I, as resurrected saints, sitting with Christ, ruling with Christ, we will eventually get to the end of the thousand years.

The time will come. Right now, you know, we're not there yet. We're just picturing it. But someday, we will be at the end of the millennium, and we will have accomplished what's supposed to be accomplished during that thousand years. But when that period is over, what yet at that time remains to be done? What at that time is left undone? What at that time yet needs to be completed? What is still unfinished, salvation-wise, at that time, and must yet be processed? Well, Rachel's children. And untold billions, also, of human beings. They haven't had an opportunity. They've not had a true opportunity. Again, traditional Christianity says that this is the only day of salvation, and their fundamental Scripture for creating that doctrine, accepting that doctrine, is 2 Corinthians 6, 2. Let's go there.

2 Corinthians 6 and verse 2. This is their bedrock Scripture that underpins that doctrine for them. 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 2. It is always important to keep context in mind. It is always important to consider who the audience is. This letter of the Apostle Paul is to the church.

It's to the ecclesia and Corinth. It's to the mighty of Christ. It's to the firstfruits.

It's to those who are called at this time.

And I will point out something. I'm reading from the King James. Keep in mind that the Protestants had the King James Bible for hundreds of years before there were other translations. Many of the doctrines were founded long ago, and they became the mainstay of their belief system. In the King James, it reads like this. I'll read verses 1 and 2.

Now, I do change some of the King James words to modern English when I read.

We then, as workers together with him, again talking to the ecclesia, the church, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain. For he says, verse 2, I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I suckered you or nurtured you. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

Now, those of you who have a new King James Bible, as well as some of the other translations, will probably give it a little bit more accurately. When I read, I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I suckered you. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. In the New King James, it will say a day of salvation, which is more accurate because where he's quoting from, and we're going to turn back there and read where he's quoting from, is Isaiah 49 verse 8. Isaiah 49 verse 8. Let's read that.

So Paul is quoting to the ecclesia in Corinth, in his letter from here, Isaiah 49 verse 8. Thus says the Lord, in an acceptable time, which automatically infers that there's more than one, have I heard you. And in a day of salvation, inferring that this is not the only one, have I helped you. What Paul did is he took from that, which says in an accepted time, in a accepted time of salvation, and he's telling the Corinthians, this is your time of salvation.

He's not saying it's the only day of salvation. What he is impressing upon them is, this is your day of salvation. God talks about days of salvation, brethren, you Corinthians, you know, my brothers, my brothers and sisters, this is your day of salvation. This is my day. This is the time of the firstfruits. And firstfruits only come from this age and this time. As I stand before you, I know for an absolute fact, this is my day of salvation. It's not the millennium. You know, there's the firstfruits and what I call the middlefruits, the millennial folks, and the lastfruits, lastfruits or latterfruits, the last great day. But this is my day of salvation. And I know that.

It's not like, well, if I just give up with what I know and having God's Spirit and all of that, I can look forward to another day of salvation. No, this is it. And Paul is emphasizing that to them. Let's notice Revelation 20 and verse 5. I think what I will do as we turn to Revelation 20 and verse 5, I'm going to also look at 1 Corinthians 15, 23.

Kind of put them together.

So if you want to go to both places and keep your finger in one, etc.

1 Corinthians 15 and verse 23 says this, again, talking about the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15 and verse 23, but every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, because he's the very first of the first, obviously. But notice what it says.

Afterward, they that are Christ, those who are in Christ, those who are the ecclesia, those who are his body, the bride of Christ. Afterward, they that are Christ at his coming, at his coming, the seventh trumpet. They are the ones that are resurrected. It says afterward, it says afterward, they that are Christ at his coming. Nobody else at that point.

Now look at Revelation 20. In verse 14 it talks about, I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them in judgment was given to them, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, for the word of God which did not worship the beast, neither his image, neither received his mark upon their forage or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. There's your millennium. But when you read verse 4, and you read what we just did in 1 Corinthians 15 and 23, the only ones resurrected when Christ returns are the firstfruits, the ecclesia, the church, his body. Here in Revelation 20 and verse 5 it says, but the rest of the dead, the rest of the dead, lived not again until, they're going to live again, but not until the thousand years were finished. And then that final sentence where it says this is the first resurrection is referring back to verse 4. The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years finished.

Who are the rest of the dead? Well, by the time Jesus Christ returns, billions more will have died and lie in the grave.

And at his return, only the dead in Christ will be brought forth from the grave through a resurrection to eternal life. The rest of the dead will be left there for the duration of the thousand-year millennium, after which they will then be brought forth. Think of this.

There are cemeteries all across this nation and world. In fact, there are cemeteries that people don't even know about anymore because they've been taken over by the grasses, the weeds, the trees, no even sign of where they are in some cases. Of course, God knows about all the cemeteries, but you can go here around Steamboat Springs and find however many number of cemeteries. Think of this. When Christ returns in a cemetery, there may only be one grave opened.

If a grave opens, it's because that's a first fruit there, and that person is resurrected to meet the return in Christ. There will be some cemeteries where no graves are opened at that time.

All through a thousand years, those cemeteries are going to be there. Grass are going to be mowed, they're going to be weed-eated, flowers probably planted, be visited to be kept up.

None of those graves, except the ones that are first fruits, will be opened.

All through the thousand years, we'll take care of those grounds. When the thousand years is finished and it's time, then all of those graves are going to be opened. That is the time, and if you're still here in Revelation 20, verse 11, that is the time of the great white throne judgment.

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it from whose face the earth, and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.

In the prophecies and statements that God gives, sometimes he will encapsulate a real long stretch of chronology of several events. And, of course, this is a verse that also covers a long stretch of ground. It includes the last great day. It includes the eighth day, but even stretches into what will be done even after that, but we won't get into that today. This is that eighth day.

And you know, brethren, this eighth day is the most obscure. It's the most not understood or misunderstood of all the holy days. How many people have ever heard of the last great day out there? How many people? I mean, there are people around, family, friends, others. I mean, people have heard the term Feast of Tabernacles. You know, Pentecost, Trumpets, and those others, and they know, of course, by the Jewish names. But how many people have even heard of, quote, last great day or the eighth day?

It's the most obscured. It's the least understood of all the holy days. And yet, without it, without it, the plan of salvation cannot be completed. Without it, there are questions that cannot be answered. Without it, there are issues that cannot be reconciled. Without it, you can't prove God's fairness. I would challenge anybody. You delete that from the picture. I will go up against any Catholic, any Protestant who wants to prove God's fairness without it, you can.

There's no way. No way. Without it, you can't prove the fullness of God's love, His mercy, and His power. Without it, you cannot prove God's faithfulness and integrity. But with it, you can. You can. The last great day speaks fully to God's love, His mercy, and His power.

It speaks fully to His fairness. The rest of the dead are from these 6,000 years of the age of man as magnified by Satan. You know, back there, and I'm going to go back to Jeremiah 31 and read verse 16 again. Jeremiah 31 and verse 16.

Thus says the Lord, refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears. For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

They are from the land of the enemy. Herod was Rachel's enemy, and he was ruler of the area.

Satan and his is the even bigger, overarching enemy. We know the Scriptures, 2 Corinthians 4, 4, God of this world, Ephesians 2, 2, Prince of the power of the air that now works in the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, who has deceived the whole world, Revelation 12, 9.

And let's read Isaiah 25 verse 7. Isaiah 25 verse 7.

We're talking about when God's kingdom is set up.

Isaiah 25 verse 7. And as a result of that kingdom being set up, here's one of the things that will occur as a result, a wonderful effect. And he will destroy in this mountain, in his kingdom, verse 7, the face of the covering cast over all people. All people! Not just the Gentiles, but the Gentiles, Israel, Judah, the Jews, the cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations, including Israel, including Judah. You know the Apostle Paul understood all of this. He made two very revealing statements of reality about Israel. Let's focus on Israel for a moment, because it obviously plays a role in what we're talking about today. 2 Corinthians 3.14. Now, we just read that there's a veil spread over all nations. 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 14. A veil spread over all nations. Nevertheless, verse 16, chapter 3, 2 Corinthians, nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

The veil is taken away with you. The veil is taken away with me. We've turned to the Lord. We're in Christ. And that veil doesn't cover us anymore. And that's the state of existence with the firstfruits, those given opportunity. But it's only when God gives that opportunity is the veil taken away or removed. And it's only removed for a few. That veil is still there. It's still there on Israel. They were blinded. They are blinded. Romans 11.25. Romans 11 and verse 25.

The Apostle Paul says, I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery.

I want you to understand something, lest you should be wise in your own conceits.

And just like I've said, and I remind myself and I remind those I've asked her, we are not better than others. We're more blessed because of God's calling.

Not better than, but we're more blessed. Tremendous blessings. Know the truth and have our opportunity now and to be trained so that we can sit with Christ and assist Him in the salvation of the world, which means the salvation of our friends and families and co-workers at a future time. But he says, lest you should be wise in your own conceits. That blindness, in part, is happened to Israel. And again, there's a veil. There's blindness. He notates it until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And that's not occurred yet.

But notice verse 26. And so, now he talks about a blindness. He talks about it's going to be there until the time of the fullness of the Gentiles, which that hasn't occurred. And he plainly and clearly says in verse 26, and so, notice, part of Israel shall be saved.

I like to misread Scripture sometimes just to say people are following along.

It says, all Israel shall be saved. Now, here's what's interesting. Even as Paul wrote that, he knew there were millions of Israelites who were lying in the grave from the ages previous.

And yet he says, all Israel shall be saved. You think he had some insight into God's plan?

Absolutely didn't he? He was a brilliant student of the Scriptures. He knew about the veil. You know, he'd read Isaiah so many times, and he knew it. I mean, he was literally, he's probably genius level as far as his maybe photographic memory, but his ability to see. And then when God's light was given to him, I mean, he was a brilliant student of the Scriptures. He knew Isaiah 25.7 we read, and he knew Ezekiel 37 and the rest of them. Let's go to Ezekiel 37.

I do not believe you can give a doctrinal sermon on this day and not go to Ezekiel 37.

In fact, I think we would be remiss if we didn't.

To me, I have always found it interesting because I've had to deal with a lot of people in personal visits, new people, curious people, interested people, people whom God was truly calling in some cases, obviously, and who responded, and other ministers and all, and how too many times when you use Scripture that has no wiggle room to it and are backed into a corner by Scripture, not that you go around trying to back people into a corner with Scripture. I don't mean it that way, but I just mean we're supposed to know how to answer to convict the gainsayer and all of that.

But I've always found it interesting that when you use certain Scripture that is dogmatic and literal, they write it off as Jewish poetry or Jewish dreams or something like that.

That's what they do with Ezekiel 37 because if you read it for what it says, you can't get around the fact. It is a resurrection back to flesh and blood, blood flowing, air breathing, food eating, water drinking, life. And they can't handle that because they have no place to fit it.

And it doesn't fit with their false understanding of salvation in our day and time. Anyway, Ezekiel 37, verse 1, The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord.

And he set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.

And he caused me to pass by them round about. He circled me around them. He carried me around them. And behold, there were very many in the open valley. And, lo, they were very dry because they were very dead. And he said to me, Son of man, you think about God asking him this, Son of man, Ezekiel, can these bones live? What would you answer?

Well, I think it was a pretty good answer that Ezekiel gave him. He said, Oh, Lord, you know, you know, if you want them to live, they'll live. You're God, you're almighty.

And so he said to me, prophesy upon these bones and say to them, Oh, you dry bones, you're the word of the Lord. This says the Lord God unto you. Verse 5 to these bones, behold, I will cause breath. Spirit beings don't need breath, but human beings do. I need it.

And I've noticed up here at this elevation of 6700 feet, I have to breathe a little bit more, a little bit harder to get the amount of oxygen I need. Cause breath to enter into you and you shall live. And I will lay sinews on you and will bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live. And then he makes a statement, which would be something new with them. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

He's talking about a relationship with them that wasn't there in their previous lifetime.

And then you come down to verse 9, then said it to me, prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, thus says the Lord God, come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came unto them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Now notice verse 11. Then he said to me, son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel, as Paul said, so all Israel shall be saved. Because when he wrote that, there were living Israelites, basically most of who were going to die over time, and the generations that come from them would die. There'd be very few of them that would be called in this age, but there were those who were living at the time he wrote, and there were Israelites who were above the grass, and there were Israelites who were under the grass, and they were all in due time going to have their opportunity. These bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, I mean, you know, it's like it's poetically speaking of, as though the bones are speaking, they're speaking, our bones are dried, our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts. Therefore, prophesy and say, verse 12, this says the Lord God, behold, O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves. I mean, this is plain language and bring you into the land of Israel. Notice, and you shall know that I am the Lord. And this will happen when the millennium is finished, the thousand years have been finished, and it's time that's when this will happen. And you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. Now notice, why do it? Why bring them back? Why bring them back? For the purpose of salvation, to give them the opportunity they did not previously have, verse 14, and shall put my spirit in you. Shall put my spirit in you, and you shall live. They're going to be converted. They're going to have the opportunity for conversion. They're going to have the opportunity for true knowing, understanding, relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

And I shall place you in your own land. Then shall you know that I, the Lord, have spoken and performed it, says the Lord. And here's the great beauty. What God will do for Israel, God will do for the whole world. What He will do for them, He will do for all nations. Let's go back to Romans 2 in verse 11.

Romans 2.

Now, again, this is a statement that's pretty straightforward. Romans 2, 11, For there is no respect of persons with God. Now, He is God, and He sets the timing. And it says, Right to set the timing. And He's working out, as Winston Churchill said, a great... Winston didn't understand it, but Winston knew there was a great plan being worked out. There's a great plan. God's working out. Some plan here below a great plan. He didn't grasp it. He'll get His answers someday.

For there's no respect of persons with God. Now, let's follow that up with two scriptures. 1 Timothy 2.4. 1 Timothy 2 and verse 4.

This is a scripture that speaks to God's desire. It speaks to His motivation. And wouldn't you think that if this is His motivation, He being God, wouldn't He have the power to carry it out in a way to produce His desire? It's an insight into God's heart and feelings. Who will have all men to be saved? That's His desire. All men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Another one that is akin to it is 2 Peter 3.9. 2 Peter 3 and verse 9.

2 Peter 3 verse 9. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but His long-suffering toward us. Why? Not willing that any should perish. He has no desire for somebody to perish. What He wants to see is that all should come to repentance. Well, He's got to provide an opportunity for that, doesn't He? The most often quoted, used scripture of the Bible. And you know what it is. Tim Timbeau, when he was playing for the Gators, Florida Gators, he stenciled it in the black that he would put under his eyes to cut down on the glare. He stenciled John 3.16 onto his cheeks there. I mean, John 3.16 is the most often used scripture. It is not a Protestant scripture, is it? The Protestants use it heavily, but it is God's scripture given through the beloved Apostle John. Let's go there, because there's something I want to point out about this. And again, we're talking about God's motivation, His desire, His fairness, His power, His might, His love. John 3, verses 16 and 17.

For God so loved the world... notice, Israel's part of the world, Judah's part of the world, but He doesn't limit it to Israel or Judah. For God so loved the world, red, black, yellow, white, brown. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. When we acknowledge the realities of this age, we realize that John 3, verses 16 and 17 can only be true and can only be carried out if there is a last great day. And God is ahead of us, as we well know. And that time will be a time of opportunity for each and all who truly want to take hold of it. It will be a time of repentance.

It'll be a time of growth. It will be a time of judgment. It'll be a time of assessing, analyzing, observing, evaluating. They will be under judgment. You folks, you brethren, my brethren, we, we are under judgment right now. We're being observed and analyzed and assessed. That's what Peter said in 1 Peter 4, 17 when he said that the church is under judgment now.

This is our time of judgment. And I was baptized, well, 1969, so next year in the spring I will complete 50 years of being truly under judgment. And I hope that judgment's going well.

It is a day and time of judgment that Christ Himself referenced. Let's notice very quickly three scriptures write together. Matthew 10, 15 is the first one. They're here in Matthew, very close together. Matthew 10 verse 15. So Christ speaking here as He walked this earth and the dust of this earth as He tried those trails and roads and taught and set up the example He did. And He says, Matthew 10, 15, barely or truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. Now, He speaks of Sodom and Gomorrah who's going to be in the day of judgment. And that it'd be more tolerable. And I've always said, well, does that just mean that the reason to be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah is He'll resurrect them and just try them slower than He does others. You know, you think about it.

Because again, the more people know and don't do, the greater the accountability.

And you know, there are prices to pay. But again, that's another subject. They will come up. Notice Matthew 11, verse 20 through 24. Matthew 11, verses 20 through 24. Then began He to upbraid the cities, verse 20, wherein most of His mighty works were done because they repented not. And He says, Woe to you, Cho-raisin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it should be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, which are exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell, to the grave. For if the mighty works which had been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

Now let's put one more with it. Chapter 12, verses 41 and 42. Chapter 12, verses 41 and 42.

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation. Now pick up on something right away. The men of Nineveh that he's referencing had died long ago before the current time that Christ is walking at this point in time. And he's talking about how those Ninevites with this generation will come up together at the same time. And they shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And behold, a greater than Jonah is here. And the queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation. And she was even in another time frame than the Ninevites, for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, a greater than Solomon is here. All coming up at the same time. So with that in mind, we're going to conclude over in Revelation 20.

Understanding all that's gone before in what we've been looking at in reading. Revelation 20, let's go there now, verse 11, starting in verse 11.

We shall stand before God, and the books were opened. I'm holding right here the books, Biblia, books. We call it the book, the Bible, but it's also a compilation of books, God's books.

And oftentimes, I mean, the word Biblia has to do with books, plural, and it's a compilation. It's a reference to the Word of God, and the books were opened. I mean, you and I, whether we do it on a smartphone or with physical print, you know, ink, paper, whatever, we try to practice opening this book every day and learning from it and letting it judge us and looking at God's standards and values. So those books are going to be open. And when we say God's Word has been open to your understanding so you can read it and understand it, it's open to us. It's going to be open to them. It's not really open to them now in this age, but it's going to be open to them. And it says another book was open, which is the book of life. Why would God need to open the book of life? Do you think God is forgetful in memory and doesn't remember who he wrote into the book of life or not? My name was written in the book of life, March the 26th, 1969, when I was baptized into Christ. And the way I like to picture it, God dipped his quill in the bright red blood of Christ and wrote Rick theme in the book of life. Now I know by the message to Sardis that my name can be blotted out, you know, under certain circumstances. It's not blotted out. I don't want it blotted out. I'm going to do everything to see that it's not blotted out as far as my responsibility and the matter is concerned. But why open the book of life? God already knows who's currently at that time in it and who's not, and the ones who were in it at Christ's return were resurrected. It is the way of expressing that is opened up as opportunity for them to have their names written in that book. That's when it's open. It's expressing the opportunity. And it goes on to say, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. When the books are open and God's values and standards are laid out and their minds are open to really see and grasp all of that, their works will not stand up in the light of the Bible.

It will be obvious that they're under the death penalty. It will be obvious that they need a Savior. It will be obvious that they need to repent, and that opportunity will be extended to them to see what they will do with it. Verse 13.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works. And that judgment, just like my judgment, your judgment, however long you've been in the church, however long you've been in Christ, you've been under judgment. And I've been under judgment, as I said, come next year, springtime next year, I will have been under judgment for 50 years. They will be under judgment for 100 years. Just as Isaiah 65 and verse 20 says, under judgment for 100 years, that'll be their period. And for, hopefully, what will turn out to be a, hopefully, a small minority, the center, the incorrigible, at the end of that period, will be accursed. And that's what's spoken of here in chapter 20 verses 14 and 15. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. That's extinction. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast in the lake of fire at the end of that time. And again, hopefully, that will be very, very few.

Rachel will hold her children, and so will Aunt Minnie. And Aunt Minnie's got seven kids yet to raise. And at the end of that time, the family of God will hold billions more. That's why the eighth day is truly the last great day of salvation.