Shadows of Things to Come

It's only a little over two weeks, and then we'll start celebrating God's Fall Festivals. And what a year it has been! You think back things that have happened in this year. Just this last week, within 48 hours in the UK, they have both a new Prime Minister and a new King. A King sitting in the throne of David. You know, when you watch that ceremony, and probably a coronation will still come, you watch the pump of that royal family with its all-human problems. You can only look and imagine what it will be like, the pump and ceremony, when the children of God are revealed in the royal family of God. We, brethren, will be parched. We will be members, real members, born into that royal family of God. We will be part of God's family as children of God in His family for eternity.

You know, a new page has turned this week. It just shows us we are a little closer to Christ's return.

Why do I say that? Because, if you've been in the church for a while, you probably remember that you always felt that when Christ would come, there would be a king in the throne of David, and not a queen.

And so, another page has turned to bring us one step closer to that. We drew that conclusion. It's not a direct biblical statement, but it is an implied statement from Ezekiel chapter 21. Now, you and I know that Ezekiel was a prophet sent to the house of Israel, although Israel had already gone into captivity and being dispersed well over a hundred years. Before he went out preaching to Israel. But, in Ezekiel 21, starting in verse 25, it's got a very interesting prophecy in this specific case, referring to Zedekiah, but with a possible double meaning into our end time. In verse 25, it reads, Now to you, let's talk into Zedekiah, O profane, wicked prince of Israel.

Now, you know, he wasn't a prince, he was a king. So, in a sense, it's kind of downgrading or putting him down as a prince, not as a king. But, in addition, he was a king in Judah.

So, Yah is a double meaning.

And then he says, Whose day has come, Whose iniquity shall end?

Remove the turban and take off the crown.

Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble and humble the exalted.

That brethren is clearly exalt the humble and the humble.

And humble the exalted is clearly prophetic of the world tomorrow. It's not this world. It's not this world. And then look at verse 27. Overthrown, overthrown, I'll make it overthrown. And that comes from a Hebrew word, which could mean also destroyed, but overthrown. And you now know that the throne of David was overthrown from Judah to Ireland, the first overthrown. The second from Ireland to Scotland, and the third from Scotland to England. So that has happened. It shall be no longer overthrown.

Until he comes, Whose right it is, the right to sit in the throne of David is Christ's, until Christ comes, Whose right it is, and I will give it to him, to Christ.

So the implication, although not a direct biblical statement, is that there will be a king on the throne at the time of Christ's coming, on the throne of David. Brethren, you and I are on the verge of enormous changes. They're going to happen quick. Quick.

Don't be deceived. It's going to be like a whirlwind. And my intent today is not to focus on those negative things that will happen, but to focus on the hope. The storms will occur because we've sinned. You just have to go to Isaiah, and I'm not going to go through that section in great detail, but if you go into Isaiah, in chapter 1 says, why there will be trouble? Because the nations, the people, have rebelled against God. It says that in verse 2, Isaiah 1 verse 2. In verse 4 says, the people are laden with iniquity. Children are corruptors. The whole head, the leaders are sick. The whole head is sick. In other words, the leaders of this world are sick. If you listen to your news, they are sick. After a while, you don't want to watch the news anymore. You're just tired of listening to this junk. They don't talk sense. The most uncommon thing today is common sense because it's no more common. And then a little later in Isaiah 5 verse 20 says they call evil good and good evil. And then in verse 25 of Isaiah 5 says, therefore the anger of the Lord is aroused. Brethren, God's anger is soon coming upon us because we, as a nation, we have rebelled against God. Full stop. Full stop. As simple as that. And the time we are entering now is not a time that is going to be a pleasant time. No, but there is great hope.

And the fall holy days picture this great hope at the time of the end. You know, we've got a booklet. God's Holy Days plan, the promise of hope for all mankind. Maybe it's time for you to review and restudy the Bible according or using this Bible study guide as a guide. And why did I mention about the throne of David? Because you and I need to understand the prophetic position of the nations of Britain and the United States. And you need to probably go back and review this study guide and study the scriptures with it. Oh, I've read the old booklet that used to be around 20 years ago. I don't need to read this. You know what? This one's got so much more, so much more additional facts that you need to be aware of. So, God's Holy Days brethren are very significant. And what's going to happen to us as a nation is very significant because we are part of Israel. And as we read a little while ago in Ezekiel 21, the message was to Israel. In fact, Ezekiel the message is to Israel. But Israel had already gone into slavery. Therefore, and they were dispersed. The message is for us to die. But on the hopeful side, we have God's Holy Days. And God's Holy Days are a shadow of things to come. Now, Colossians 2, verse 17. God's Holy Days are a shadow of things to come. And God's Holy Days, or put it this way, God's festivals and these Holy Days are around two main thrusts. Have you considered that? That God's Holy Days are around two main thrusts. Let's put it simply. Let me put it very simply. One thrust is around repentance, commitment to change, and the need to prove by overcoming till the end. That thrust is based on Christ's first coming, the meaning of Christ's first coming. And the three spring holidays, the early spring and the latter spring, the three spring festivals, namely Passover and Lev and Bred and Pentecost tie to Christ's first coming. In fact, you know they all are based from the first month. You see, Pentecost is based 50 days after the life shift during the first month. So those three are based on Christ's first coming.

And Christ's first coming was Him coming as a suffering servant, Him being the first fruit or the first fruits, He being the first one to resurrect. And therefore, He is the one that is our Savior. Therefore, the name Jesus, which means Savior, is directly related with the first coming and directly related with the first three festivals. Christ dying for us as making a commitment to obey God's laws, days of Lev and Bred, and receiving God's Holy Spirit, Pentecost, which is that we therefore become the first receivers of that Holy Spirit to help us overcome. Then you and I have to persevere till the end. And when is the end? When Christ comes, second time, second coming. So, second coming, the second main thrust of God's Holy Days, let me call it this way, is the harvest of human beings into the kingdom of God.

The second thrust of God's Holy Days is the harvest of human beings into the kingdom of God. You read that, for instance, in Revelation 14, when it says, you know, the earth is ready, take up the and start harvesting because the earth is ready.

That is all related to Christ's second coming. And those Holy Days are all based on the seventh month. The first, the tenth, the fifteenth through to twenty-first, and the twenty-second, which is the last great day or the eighth day. They're all on the seventh month. They're all clustered together till the time of the end. You and I have to persevere till the end. So today, brethren, I want to talk to you about these four Holy Days of the seventh month. The basic general meaning as a way of us getting our minds ready to prepare ourselves for these Holy Days, which is the harvest of mankind, which represents or highlighted by these four Holy Days. Now, you and I need to understand that the Old Testament is limited about the meaning or the understanding or the significance of these days.

You and I, to fully understand the meaning of these Holy Days, you have to go to the teaching of Jesus Christ and His revelation, either through His apostles or through the Book of Revelation, which is expounded or magnified in the New Testament. And so what do we have? It's the Old Testament, and then on top of it, you've got the additional magnified explanation through Christ to have a deeper understanding of these Holy Days. And so if we look at them, first it starts with trumpets. And you know in Leviticus 23, verse 23 through 25, it talks about the seventh month on the first day, which is the day of trumpets. So let's turn there. Leviticus 23, and I would suggest you put a marker on Leviticus 23, because we're going to come back in and out of it a few times. So turn with me to Leviticus 23, and we're going to read verse 23 through 25.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, and that is, shall I have a Sabbath rest? So that's the day of trumpets coming, a memorial of blowing of trumpets. So that is the day of trumpets. Brethren, the day of trumpets symbolizes the various trumpets that are described in the book of Revelation. Oh, yes! I know that on other holy days trumpets were also blown.

But the meaning of the day of trumpets is focusing to the trumpets of Revelation, which are expounded and explained in the book of Revelation. We even know there are trumpets blown, for instance, on the day of Atonement.

But Yah is focusing to the seven trumpets on the day of trumpets, which are represented by the seven trumpets of the book of Revelation. A holy convocation, in other words, is a day that God tells us to get together. Convocation, in other words, it's an assembling of ourselves together, commanded by God, it's holy. You shall do no customary work on it. What does it mean? You don't hold a job on that day. In other words, you don't hold a job to receive your income. That job to receive your income is done during other days, but not on God's Sabbath or God's annual holy days, which is an annual Sabbath. And you shall offer an offering made by fire. Oh, we know we don't offer made by fire. Well, we don't because there's no temple there.

But you know, if you look at Romans 12 verse 1, there is an offering that is acceptable by God that you and I need to do, which is a living sacrifice. You and I have to give our bodies, and basically, our bodies have to be a living sacrifice. And that is the sacrifice which is pleasing to God. So yes, you and I have to offer our lives, our bodies, to God.

Okay, so that's the day of trumpets. But that's not the whole story, of course. We need to go to the New Testament to understand better what that means. So let's go to the New Testament, and I'll spend a bit of time talking about this one because it is very important for us to understand. In Matthew 24, you know the story of Matthew 24 when the disciples came to Christ, and they go, oh, look at the temple! This is the temple that was being rebuilt. And it says, oh, what a wonderful thing it is! And then Christ says, well, I'll tell you that not a stone will remain on top of one another. You read that in Matthew 24 verse 2. And then a little lighter to actually bring it in context to the trumpets. You read in verse 30. And it says, then the Son of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will stand these angels with a great sound of a trumpet. So he ties to the book of Revelation these trumpets, and will gather together his elect from the four winds. That's the time of the resurrection, symbolic, symbolized by the day of trumpets. Now, you and I have quite often read scriptures like 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. So let's go there as a brief reminder to put it into this context at this time. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. We're going to read, starting from verse 13, and it says, But I do not want you to be ignorant and prevalent, concerning those who have fallen asleep, those that are now dead. Yeah, they're sleeping, they're dead. Lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and we believe that, don't we? That Jesus died and rose again. Even so, God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. So when Christ comes, those who sleep in Jesus will resurrect. And then that's why it says, you'll bring them with him. For this reason, we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of Christ of the Lord will by now means proceed those who are asleep. So those that are asleep will resurrect first. And we, which are true Christians, which are then alive will then be changed or transformed for the Lord himself who descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of our archangel and with the trumpet of God, tying again to the seven trumpets of the book of Revelation. And the dead in Christ will rise first, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. In other words, will be changed and transformed with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we'll meet Christ in the air, and that's what it says. And thus, and in this way, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. So we know that. And again, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, starting in verse 50, then it highlights which of those seven trumpets is it. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 50.

And now, this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I'll tell you a mystery, that we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. 2 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 15. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the lost trumpet. You see, if you go back to Revelation, there are seven trumpets, and he's talking at the lost trumpet of those seven, at the lost trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound, the dead will raise incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality. So, brethren, what do we get from here? That Christ will come at this lost trumpet. We will either be changed or resurrected. Changed if we're still alive, resurrected if we sleep, but those that are asleep will rise up first. So, we can see that this is very clear. But, to re-emphasize this, let's go to Revelation chapter 10 verse 7. Revelation chapter 10 verse 7. Revelation chapter 10 verse 7. But in the days of the founding of the seventh angel, and that's the seventh trumpet, right? The seventh angel, when he's about to sound, then the mystery of God will be finished, as he declared to his servants the prophets. At that seventh trumpet, when it sounds, the mystery of God is finished. What do you mean by that? The mystery of God is that the sons of God have been changed to spirit beings. That's the mystery of God, that he is now starting to expand his family, of which there are only two members today, the father and the son, and then you and I will be resurrected or changed. The mystery of God is finished. Why is it finished? Because suddenly, now we see it.

And it says, it is the sounding of the seventh angel. That's the seventh trumpet, the last trump.

Now, look at Revelation chapter 11. It's probably... let's look now at Revelation chapter 11.

We finished reading Revelation 10 verse 7. Now we're going to read the next chapter, Revelation chapter 11 verse 15. Then the seventh angel sounded. So, in chapter 10, he's saying, well, when that is going to sound, the mystery will be finished. Now, in 11 verse 15, this is when the seventh angel sounds, the seventh trumpet. And it will allow 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. The nations of this world now at the seventh trumpet become the nations become part and ruled and governed by the kingdom of God. That's what it says, the kingdom of God and of his Christ, because God is executing that kingdom through his Son, Christ.

So, the seventh trumpet represents, symbolizes, the resurrection of the saints. The seventh trumpet symbolizes when Christ starts his rule. But when he starts his rule, people are not going to be happy. When he comes, the nations are not going to be happy. And so, read a little later in verse 18 of the same chapter, Revelation 11 verse 18.

The nations were angry. So, Christ is now ruling. He's come. He's come to rule.

But the nations says, no, I don't want that. They are resist. He says, the nations are angry. And your wrath, that's God's wrath, has come.

And now, look at three things that I mentioned here. And I want you to pay attention carefully.

It's the time of the dead that they should be judged, number one. What do you mean, the time of the dead, they should be judged?

You see, everybody, until this moment, is dead. Dead. Now, some will be judged to be resurrected now, the first resurrection, and some will be judged to wait another thousand years. So, the dead are judged. Some are judged to be resurrected, and some are judged to remain sleeping for at least another thousand years. So, the first thing is that Christ's coming is coming to rule. And there are three events that are marked in clearly well-defined sequence. First, the dead are being judged. In other words, some of the dead will be in the first resurrection. The remaining of the dead got to remain sleeping. Secondly, now understand, that means when they received and they changed in the first resurrection, they receive eternal life. And that is a gift. Gift. Now, in addition to the gift, what they do, what they get, and that's the second thing.

And that you should reward your servants, whether they're prophets, whether they're the saints, or whether they're those that fear God, those that are great, or those are small, doesn't matter. It's the time to reward God's servants. And you know, says, well done. You will be near at 10 cities. Well done. You will be near at five cities. Or whatever. You will be rewarded according to your works. So, that's the second thing. The third thing, he says at the end of verse 18, and should destroy those who destroy the earth. So, Christ comes, the dead are judged, those that are resurrected and receive eternal life as a gift will be rewarded. And thirdly, what we have is those that are wanted to fight Christ. They'll be zapped, zapped, like this, really in one split second.

You see, when Christ comes, we are talking about Christ's coming, and that is described in Revelation 19. And I'm going to read, yeah, Revelation 19, starting from verse 11. And now I saw, even opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he makes, I beg your pardon, he judges and makes war. Christ is going to come to make war, war against who? Against those that are fighting against him, that don't want him to rule, and he will wipe them out in one single shot.

His eyes of this one sitting on a white horse were like a flame of fire. On his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe, dipped with blood, and his name is called the Word of God.

Who is sitting on this horse? Now this, by the way, brethren, is the fifth horseman of apocalypse. You see, there were four. This is the first horseman of Revelation. There were four before. This is the fifth. The fifth is the real Christ. The first one was the false Christ. Right? But this is the real Christ. Now he comes. And this is Christ.

I want to emphasize who comes is this one that his name is called the Word of God. Why do I want to emphasize that? Because just a few years ago there were some people that came out with the idea that who was coming was the Father, not Christ.

We must not be deceived. This is Christ is the Word of God that is coming down. And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. The armies in heaven, those that have been trained to fight, those armies are not you and I. You are the saints. You are not being trained to fight. Those armies are angelic beings that will come with him. Yes, we'll be resurrected at the same time and will come as well.

Oh, just because they dressed with fine linen, white and clean does not mean they are the saints. They are God's angels. And they are war machines, let's call it that. They are designed, planned for this very day to fight these evil spirits.

And he says, out of his mouth comes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations, a himself who ruled them of a royal revamp. He himself trades the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he, that's obviously Christ, as on his robe and on his thigh, a name written King of kings and Lord of lords.

And you see a little later that these nations that we gathered, as you see in verse 19, I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and the armies gathered together to make war. And you see in other scriptures before, where they gathered together, they gathered in Armageddon, and then they marched to Jerusalem to fight Christ. He says, it's not the battle of Armageddon, it's the battle of the great day and mighty day of the Lord. Armageddon is where they gather together, and then they march to Jerusalem. This is supported by Zechariah 14. Turn with me to Zechariah 14.

Zechariah 14. In the beginning of verse 1 says, Behold, the day of the Lord is coming. The Lord is in caps, right? Why HWH is coming? And your spoiler will be divided in your midst.

I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. It's not against the value of Megiddo, it's to battle against Jerusalem. And the city shall be taken, the house is rifled, and the woman ravishes, and then you look in verse 3. Then the Lord will go, the Lord is in caps.

Why HWH? That is Jesus Christ. You've just seen from Revelation that He is the Word of God. That is Christ. That is Yahweh or Jehovah or whatever way you want to say it. And He says the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights in the day of battle. And on that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. So brethren, look at the latter part of verse 5, still in Zechariah 14.

Thus the Lord, we know that's Christ. Why HWH? We saw that in Revelation that He is the Word of God coming on that white horse. Thus the Lord, my God! He is a God being. He is a God family. He is God. And I know there are some people out there that say, oh, you can't call Christ God. You can't because even the Father called Him God in Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 1. It says, God, my God in Hebrews chapter 1. You can read that. Thus the Lord, my God, will come and all the saints with you, with the Lord. Yes, the saints will come with Him.

The saints will just be in a resurrection, come with Him. But it's not the saints that have been trying to fight war. You and I have not been trying to fight war, much less a spiritual war. You're not trying for that. But angel, angelic beings are. So He'll come with the saints and with this angelic army and this angelic army will fight, not you. You and I will come to be lords under the Lord of lords and will be kings under the king of kings.

And then look a little later. Verse 9, and the Lord shall be king over all the earth. That's Christ. In that age shall be the Lord is one and His name one. And you can see how you'll fight the nations. You read that in verse 12, and this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. He will fight them, zap!

They don't even have time to fall. They don't have time to press any atomic button or anything like that against Christ. They will just be zapped. So brethren, trumpets symbolizes, amongst other things, Christ's return symbolizes the first resurrection and symbolizes Christ coming to rule on earth by destroying those who destroy the earth. And then we read in Leviticus 23 verse 26 through 32 that it says, then the Lord spoke also on the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be a day of atonement and it shall be a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls and you shall do no work to make an atonement for the Lord your God.

Verse is tied together with Revelation 20 where Satan is put away and put in jail. And that will be discussed and covered in much more detail on the day of atonement. Satan is put away. So what do we have, brethren? We have these nations fight against Christ. Christ destroys the nations. Those evil spirits and demons and Satan will be put in jail by angelic forces.

And you know that when you read Leviticus 23, I beg your pardon, Leviticus 25, verse 9 and 10. On that day of atonement, the trumpet of Jubilee will be blown. That's a different trumpet. That's the trumpet of Jubilee. And then it will be declared liberty in the land.

Liberty in the land. Indeed, liberty in the wall! Satan is put away! The day of Jubilee!

Well, no man knows the year of Jubilee, which is every 50 years, because the Jews never kept it. So nobody knows it. No man knows the day or the hour. So nobody knows. And then what do we have? Then we have the Feast of Tabernacles. And when you go to Leviticus 23, then you read about the Feast of Tabernacles, verse 34. Leviticus 23, verse 34. And on the fifteenth day of the seven months shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day shall be a convocation, shall do no customary work. And for seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire. And you know what? You'll be explained that in much more clear detail during the Feast of Tabernacles. There'll be many messages and many sermons explaining that. But as you know, it basically means Christ coming to rule and bringing peace on earth. Finally, peace on earth. Look at Zechariah chapter 8. Zechariah chapter 8. Now that we know that it's Christ that comes to rule, it's Christ that is the king of kings, in Zechariah chapter 8. A right at the beginning says God is jealous, and then he's talking about how he will come to rule. But look at verse 7 and 8. Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, I'll save my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. I'll bring them back and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and righteousness. And that's Christ. And that's talking about the second Exodus. Have you heard about the second Exodus? Well, that is at the beginning of the world tomorrow of the millennium. People come from all nations that have repented and will come to the nation that is being set up. And then what do we have? Then we have the last day, the last great day, the day of the white throne, that last day. And on that last day, again on the eighth day, the last day of the feast, you will understand and you'll be explained clearly how the whole mankind that never knew God's truth will be resurrected. And on that last great day, they will then learn the truth which they never knew. That is probably one of the most significant and exciting days of God's plan. When these beloved relatives of ours, they never knew the truth and they went astray without hope. They'll be resurrected. That ties in physical 37, the Valley of Dry Bones. And it is an exciting time, an exciting time. You see, brethren, these four festivals of God's early days, based on the seventh month, trumpets, atonement, the feast and the last great day, picture Christ's second coming. Picture is coming to rule on earth to bring salvation to mankind. Picture the resurrection of the saints and the change of mankind in the second resurrection and all that. Basically, brethren, picture the process of the harvest of mankind at the end time. That's why you and I have to persevere till the end. As you and I observe these holidays year by year, we comprehend them a little bit better. We understand them a little bit better year by year.

A new page has turned with the death of Queen Elizabeth. A new king has been proclaimed.

These last four holy days now are a step closer.

They are, yes, four holy days. There are four holy days which are closely knit because they represent the harvest of human beings. As we prepare ourselves spiritually for the four holy days, let's keep in mind this overall picture of the harvest of human beings so that you and I will all become true sons of God in the true royal family of God.