Times of Refreshing

Well, good morning, brethren. One lady told me before services, I'm so glad to be here. I don't know what to do. I think we all feel that way. It is exciting and welcome to the services on this second day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Hope your feast is off to a wonderful start. It is an honor to be here keeping the feast together, and it certainly is a privilege to be able to speak with you this morning. The weather is beautiful. Jekyll Island is beautiful. There's a great location to keep the feast as we appear before God in His presence to worship the great God and get a foretaste of a wonderful new golden age that lies just ahead. Anybody here ever read the comics like me? How about Dennis the Menace? I want to read a comic that came out a few years ago. Dennis says in the first shot here, I'm going to my house to watch a terrific television movie. And Margaret, you know the big neighborhood gal, says, how do you know it's going to be terrific? Dennis says, because I've seen it eleven-teen times.

And Dennis and Joy, now in the next shot, Dennis says, did you see that super show on TV last night? And Joy said, no, I had to go to bed. And Margaret says, what was it about? And Dennis says, first, a bunch of people were carrying signs and shouting. Then the police came and surrounded the house, and there was a big fire. And the woman was rescued from the flood. Then the soldiers landed on the beach, and the rocket ship blasted off. And the Skyjackers came out with their hands up. And Margaret says, did you see that on Channel 4? And Dennis says, how did you know? And Margaret says, that, silly, was the six o'clock news. And Joy says, I wish I hadn't gone to bed so early. And Joy also says, do you think they'll run it again? And Dennis says, sure, it's going to be on every night.

You know, brethren, just in the last year, it's amazing, the six o'clock news, the six-thirty news. So many disasters have occurred in the last year. The tsunami in Southeast Asia. Our hearts go out to all of those who have suffered in the last year. Hunger and famine and starvation in parts of Africa. Genocide in the Sudan and other parts of the world. Deadly bombings. The war in Iraq, very bloody, continues. And deadly hurricanes have struck. And now a massive, powerful earthquake. Doesn't your heart go out to all of those who have suffered? And we've seen it portrayed on our TV screens. And it has created powerful images of suffering in our minds. Overwhelming images that do affect our happiness and joy in life. And now there's talk of disaster overload, disaster fatigue. And we know that the worst disaster fatigue lies ahead. And we must steady our mind and stay close to God. This morning I'd like to have us to lift up our eyes beyond all the bad news and the evils of today's world to a refreshing new era just ahead. And Dennis is wrong. It's not going to be on every night for very much longer. Today let's read the sure prophecies of a golden age that lies just ahead. A wonderful age. And let it lift up your spirit. Let it soothe your soul and fill you with hope. Let it rejuvenate you. And let it counteract the powerful mental images of disaster overload. Several years ago, my wife and I sat down in a lawyer's office. We sat there. After many years of marriage, it had come right down to this moment. We were there to sign papers for the sale of our home. Oh! You thought it was for something else. Before long, a lawyer came in with a thick stack of papers. And we signed paper after paper. And I made the remark, wouldn't it be nice if everyone were honest and all those papers weren't necessary? The sad part is they are necessary in the world today. In this one situation, the lawyer asked me to leave the room before my wife signed one of those papers so that she would not be acting under compulsion. But I stood outside the door, which had a window in it, and gave her a dirty look, and she signed anyway. But when I made the remark, wouldn't it be nice if everyone were honest and all those papers weren't necessary? The buyer quickly blurted out, that'll never be. And his wife added, but it makes a beautiful dream. And they both are wrong. It will be, and it won't be just a dream. Brethren, a new civilization is coming, and we're here to get a foretaste of it. Everyone will be truthful and honest in this wonderful new age. Can you imagine such a world? A number of years ago, we took a vacation on a beautiful beach vacation spot, and we walked along the waters and discovered a lot of cans and bottles and paper and plastic and dead fish. You know, brethren, a new civilization is coming, and the waters are going to be cleansed. And we're here to get a glimpse of that. Can we imagine a world without crime or sickness, not one killing or murder, a world without divorce, not even one, a world without war or weapons or armies, a world with sparkling, clean rivers and lakes and oceans and clean, unpolluted air to breathe, cities with clean air and water, with broad streets and beautifully renovated buildings, and rich, fertile countryside farms producing fruits and vegetables without chemical poisons? Is such a world even possible? It is not only possible, it is coming soon, and the world needs it. We're here to get a glimpse and foretaste of it. Please turn over to the book of Acts, chapter 3, verse 19. Acts, chapter 3, verse 19.

Here we read, Repent you therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Times of refreshing are coming. Disaster fatigue will be a thing of the past. Times of refreshing. And we need those times of refreshing today. And we're going to need them a lot more in the years ahead, because things are going to get worse before they get better. Times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord. One of my early memories growing up on a farm in eastern North Carolina was, as a little boy growing up in the 1940s, was to take ice water to my father. He was plowing with a mule. My mother would give me a quart jar with ice water, and I'd take it out to him a couple of times. Once in the morning, about mid-morning, and once in the afternoon. He would see me coming and stop that mule and lean up against the plow. And when I brought that quart of ice water up to him, he would open it and treat his dry, thirsty, parched lips. And slowly drink that water. Times of refreshing. It's coming to the whole world. Moving on, we see how it's going to come in verses 20 and 21. He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached to you. Our Father is going to send Jesus Christ at just the right time. Verse 21, "...whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." Times of restitution, times of refreshing are coming. And they've been spoken by the mouth of all of the holy prophets since the world began. We're going to go back today and read some of these prophecies of restoration and refreshing. It's going to certainly soothe our minds and it's going to be very encouraging to us. It will counteract all the disaster fatigue that has been coming at us. Today, let's move the clock ahead and be projected into this happy, joyful age that lies not too many years in the future. Let's read what the prophets wrote down about this time of refreshing. And then let's close our eyes and get a taste of the wonderful world tomorrow. You know, it seems that man wants to destroy two of the most wonderful and beautiful things in the Old Testament. And Jesus said he came not to destroy the law. The law of God is wonderful and beautiful. And don't we wish everyone were observing it? We'd have the world tomorrow today if they did. We'd have a different world now. God's law. Jesus did not come to destroy the law or the prophets. And so we're going to read prophecies that Jesus said he came not to destroy. Prophecies about a wonderful golden age that lies just ahead of us. Actually, we find the very best descriptions in all of the Bible about these times of refreshing. In the Old Testament, not the New Testament. The New Testament does refer to these times, but the Old Testament has the most picturesque descriptions of this golden new refreshing age and time of restoration. We're going to go back and read some of them in just a moment. Let's read these prophecies that have been given by our God and inspired for... to inspire us in this age in which we are living.

One of the very first things that will have to be restored and refreshed will be this planet. This planet will be on the verge of being destroyed by man. Of course, we see a lot of destruction, a lot of pollution that is being done today. And it's going to be a lot worse in an age of nuclear exchange. And there will be a lot of restoration that will be required. God will begin to even change, as we heard in the special music, even the very terrain and topography of the earth. And he is well able to do that. Let's turn over to Isaiah chapter 40 and read those verses. Maybe add one to it. Isaiah chapter 40 and verses 3 and 4.

Isaiah chapter 40 and verses 3 and 4. The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, And every mountain and hill shall be made low, And the crooked shall be made straight, And the rough places plain. Here we read verses in the book of Revelation that mountains and valleys are, That mountains are going to be, are going to flee away. The high mountain ranges that we have, like the Himalayas, like the Rocky Mountains, Do cause deserts, And they do prevent moisture from being able to rise over. Many people think of Oregon as being very green. To note, about two-thirds of the state of Oregon is very dry. You cross over the Cascade Mountains, And the further you get coming down, up toward the top and on down, the drier it gets. And by the time you get to Bend, Oregon, and eastward, you're in what is virtually a desert. Most of Oregon is desert, not that green, beautiful state that we many times picture in the western one-third of the state. Very beautiful out there. But God is going to change the very topography of the earth. Think about it. Bering, windswept mountains actually lowered and cut down. Formidable and inaccessible mountain ranges reduced to valleys and plains and hill country. Furthermore, vast jungles and swamps suddenly lifted up, elevated. Can you imagine that? Geography books will need to be rewritten.

New areas will suddenly come into existence. And we'll have new names, like the Himalaya Hills and Valley region, the Amazon Plateau, the Congo Hill Country, the Rocky Lowlands, the Andes Plains, the Bangladesh Highlands. And along with the changes in the terrain will come the changes in weather.

Such that desolate wastelands and deserts become verdant green farmlands. Let's read about it in Isaiah 35. Isn't this wonderful to realize our great God is going to change the very terrain and the topography of the earth? It's going to...and even ocean currents will be changed so that storms like hurricanes will not be able to breed and come across and cause such destruction. He will change all of that.

In Isaiah 35, verse 1, The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God. And we didn't read that other verse I was going to read back in Isaiah 40, verse 12, but it says, God is able to measure things out. He measured out the universe. He can certainly measure out things on this earth and make it into just an ideal home for man during the wonderful world tomorrow. In verses 6 and 7 in this chapter, chapter 35, Then shall the lame man, leaf as an heart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert, And the parched ground shall become a pool and thirsty land springs of water. We will have the Sahara Farm District, the Gobi Mongolian wilderness, the Sierra Nevada gardens. One of the very first desert I ever saw was on my way to Ambassador College in 1958. And the further I got west of Dallas, the drier it got. And on into West Texas, and then New Mexico, and Arizona, and Southern California. Just a lot of desert. Now there's beauty in deserts, and I don't know that... Maybe God will allow a little bit of deserts here and there. I don't know, but we don't need so much desert like we have today, for sure. Maybe all of it will be changed into farmland, and land that is usable. Land that people can live on and be able to grow crops and will be productive, useful to mankind. But the Sierra Nevada gardens, the Saudi Arabian fruited plains... We know the Middle East, if you've ever been to the Middle East, it is certainly very dry. A lot of desert all around Saudi Arabia and Jordan and Egypt and Northern Africa.

Today, probably less than 10% of the earth is tillable. 90% desert unusable mountains and jungle or barren wastelands. Imagine brand new farms, brand new rivers and lakes and streams, deserts that become wildernesses of trees. Let's go to Isaiah 41, verse 18. I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and dry land, springs of water. In verse 19, I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the sheeda tree, the myrtle, the oil tree. I will set in the desert the fir tree and the pine and the box tree together.

There will be a lot of reforestation projects going on in the early years and on into the millennium, planting trees and plants and having areas that will be used for farms and areas that were deserts before and unusable land. In verse 20, that they may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord has done this and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

God is going to make this planet a beautiful home for man. In chapter 43 of Isaiah, verse 18, Isaiah 43 and verse 18, Remember, you not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. We'll have to come up with some new names for things that God will make, the names of rivers and the desert.

The beast of the field shall honor me, the dragons and the owls, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people, my chosen. What a wonderful world is being described here. We can read other descriptions in this same book in chapter 51 and verse 3. Isaiah chapter 51 and verse 3, It's going to change people's outlook. It's going to be a wonderful positive time. Instead of being under some type of disaster overload or fatigue or struggling under stress and problems like we have today, people will find it much easier. It will be a happy, wonderful time. In chapter 52 and verse 9, we're just going to read a good number of these prophecies now and let them soothe your mind. Let them just give you a vision, as we heard in the sermonette, of this wonderful time that is coming. Isaiah 52 and verse 9, Just read verse after verse after verse in the book of Isaiah. God will give rain in due season. Let's read about that in Isaiah chapter 30. Rain in due season, probably soft, general rain that will come and absorb right into the soil to produce abundant super crops for mankind. Isaiah chapter 30 and verse 23, Then shall he give the rain of your seed, that you may sow the ground and the bread of the increase of the earth. And it shall be fat and plenteous in that day shall your cattle feed in large pastures. The oxen likewise and the young asses that ere the ground shall eat clean provender, which have been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. And there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall. And of course, that is at the end of this age. And Jesus Christ comes and begins to create a beauty in the wilderness and rivers and streams for mankind to use all during the millennium. The ideal climate will be producing abundant, huge crops. Let's turn out of the book of Isaiah now to Amos chapter 9 and verse 13. We read about those superabundant crops. Here in the book of Amos chapter 9 and verse 13. We know today many times farmers plant their crops and they don't know if they will make anything or not. Not true in the wonderful world tomorrow. Here we have a graphic description of the superabundance in agriculture. In Amos chapter 9 and verse 13, the days come says the Lord that the plow man shall overtake the reaper. How graphic! The plow man, he's ready to plow the ground for it, putting in another crop. And the reaper is not even done yet with the previous one. And the treader of grapes him that sows seed, and the mountains shall drop, sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them. And they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof, and they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them. It'd be a wonderful time. No more harsh, arctic, cold fronts coming through in the winter. No more hot, dry summers. No more drenching monsoons. No more sweltering, steaming jungles.

No more deadly hurricanes and tornadoes and tsunamis. And at that time, no more hunger. Let's read about that back in the book of Isaiah, Chapter 49.

Isaiah, Chapter 49 and Verse 8.

No more hunger. No one will go to bed hungry at night.

Brother, doesn't it tug at you to hear that people have been starving in parts of Africa? I heard on the news a couple of weeks ago that an interview with someone in southern Africa where they're having drought, the crops did not make, and the lady was saying that they ate one meal a day. They used up all the food they grew on their farm, and they had food only because the husband was able to work in town, and he was able to buy some food and bring back home. She wasn't sure how long there would be food to buy, but they had one meal a day.

One meal a day. Doesn't your heart go out? Well, that time will not be that way in the wonderful world tomorrow. No one will go to bed hungry at night. No one.

Isaiah, Chapter 49 and Verse 8.

Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you. I will preserve you and give you for a covenant of the people to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.

That you may say to the prisoners, Go forth to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves, They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. In Verse 10, They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat, nor the sun smite them.

For he that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

And there will be plenty for everyone.

Imagine a world where the climate is ideal, everyone feels invigorated and energetic and is well fed.

Imagine a world without pollution, no more acid rain, no more ozone depletion, no more greenhouse effect, no more polluted water or air.

One thing Christ will do is to heal the polluted waters. He will heal the results of nuclear warfare. Let's go to Ezekiel 47.

Yes, it will take some healing, some miracles will need to take place. We read about that in Ezekiel 47.

In beginning in verse 8. Ezekiel 47 and verse 8. Then said he to me, These waters issue out toward the east country and go down into the desert and go into the sea. Which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And verse 9. It shall come to pass that everything that lives, which moves, wherever the waters shall come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters come there. And they shall be healed, and everything shall live where the river comes. So out from the throne of Christ will flow this river of water and it will heal the polluted waters of the earth. We read about this also in the book of Zechariah 14. Zechariah 14 and verse 8. Zechariah 14 and verse 8. It shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea and half of them toward the hinders sea. In summer and in winter shall it be. So the seasons go on, but not the devastating heat of summer or the cold of winter. The Lord shall be king over all the earth, and that day shall there be one Lord in His name one. All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Remmon, south of Jerusalem that shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the corner gate and from the tower of Hana-Niel and the king's wine presses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. Today's waters then will require healing and will be healed. So as we're beginning to see, the prophets did speak about the times of refreshing and a time of restitution of all things. But God is going to allow man to participate also and have the joy and thrill of restoring and rebuilding. Turn over to Isaiah 58, verse 12.

Isaiah 58, verse 12. This man will have an opportunity to restore and to rebuild many of the structures that are very beautiful and yet which have been destroyed during the time of the end of this age. But many of them have architectural beauty and quality, and they can be restored to be very beautiful buildings to use. In Isaiah 58, verse 12, they that be of you shall build the old waste places. You shall raise up the foundations of many generations, and you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in. Let's read some more about this time of restoring and rebuilding. Isaiah 61, verse 1. Isaiah 61, verse 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news, good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the present to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn. And verse 3 is a beautiful verse. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness, that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. And verse 4. They shall build the old wastes, and they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. The man will be used, human beings will be used to restore some of the buildings that are very beautiful, but will fall into ruin at the end of this age. Desolate land and ruined cities will become like the Garden of Eden. Old run-down buildings will be restored. Let's go over to the book of Ezekiel. We read more about it in Ezekiel chapter 34. The prophets are just full of this time of refreshing, and very encouraging to read Ezekiel chapter 34 and beginning in verse 23. Ezekiel chapter 34 and verse 23. I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David. He shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David apprents among them. I the Lord have spoken it. David will be the king over Israel. The twelve apostles will be reigning each of them over one of the tribes under King David. In verse 25, I will make with them a covenant of peace, and I will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land. God will change the nature of animals where they are tamed.

And they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and notice sleep in the woods. It will be safe. Animals, no problem. Mosquitoes, no problem. Won't that be wonderful? We have a few of those around here, don't we? But people will be able to dwell safely, sleep in the woods. Little children could sleep in the woods and be safe all night.

And I will make them in the places around about my hill a blessing, and I will cause the shower to come down in his season. There shall be showers of blessing. It's going to be a wonderful, wonderful time. Verse 27, The tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those that serve themselves of them.

It's going to be a wonderful time. Wonderful times of refreshing are on the way. This counteracts all the bad news we are hearing today. Let this good news truly soothe your soul and encourage you and rejuvenate you and counteract all the disaster fatigue that is coming at us. Ezekiel 36 and verse 8. Ezekiel 36 and verse 8, But you mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people of Israel, for they are at hand to come.

For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and you shall be tilled and sown, and I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it. God will bring all the twelve tribes of Israel back to the land of Palestine at the start of the millennium.

And we feel that later that they may go back to some of those other areas that God has given to them at the end of this age. And then it goes on to say, The cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built, and I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and bring fruit, and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better to you than at your beginning, and you shall know that I am the Lord, and I will cause men to walk upon you and even my people Israel, and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall know more henceforth bereaved them of men.

God is going to inhabit the wasted area there in Palestine with the twelve tribes of Israel. Let's read about this refreshing even more in chapter 36 here, beginning in verse 33. Thus says the Lord God, In the day that I have cleansed you from all your iniquities, I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be built, and the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced and are inhabited. And then the heathen, the other nations are going to also follow the lead that Israel is given. They will follow behind in their time of refreshing and restoration. They'll see what is happening there and follow right behind very quickly. The heathen that are left around about you shall know that I, the Lord, build the ruined places and plant that which is desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.

Thus says the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by all the house of Israel to do it for them. I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men.

And they shall know that I am the Lord. It is possible, brethren, that you or I might be given one of those cities to rule over and to show people the way to go. One of those cities that God will restore is very possible that we may be given a responsibility to guide and direct and teach people God's ways.

And won't that be wonderful indeed? Well, can we imagine an earth such as the prophets wrote about? A totally different earth in many ways than what we have now. Millions and millions of acres of incredibly rich, productive farmland just waiting for a plow.

Thousands of brand new rivers and lakes and hills and low mountains waiting to be discovered, pioneered, and named. Rivers and streams never be for travel by man. And there will be a whole new age of exploration and discovery. Maps and geography books will need to be greatly revised. Vast forests ready to be judiciously cut into to provide lumber for needed houses and public buildings. A world that comes to be full of overabundant resources to provide a quality of life never before attained by humans.

Did we get just a little bit of future shock when we just think about this? It's going to happen. The great guide is going to see to it. And it's not really all that far away. Let's go back to the book of Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55, verse 12. God's going to take away any curse that may be still around today. There will be no curse on the ground or the climate or anything else.

Everything is going to have God's blessing upon it. Isaiah 55, verse 12. You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing. And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree. And instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree. And it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. People will know that the great God has made this quality, this way of life possible.

It's going to be wonderful indeed. In Zechariah chapter 8 and verse 1, we read more about the curse being taken away. The blessing of God upon the earth instead of the curse. And the curse of disobedience, of course, that man brings upon the earth. Zechariah chapter 8 and verse 1. Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts. I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.

Thus says the Lord, I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts, There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the straits of Jerusalem. And every man with a staff in his hand, for very age, And the streets of this city shall be full of boys and girls, playing in the streets thereof.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, Shall it also be marvelous in mine eyes, says the Lord. And verse 7, Thus says the Lord of hosts, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and in righteousness. Let's skip on down to verse 11. But now I will not be unto the residue of this people, as in the former days, says the Lord of hosts.

For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give her fruit, The ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew.

And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. The blessing of God is going to be upon the earth, instead of the curses and the bad weather and all the things that we see today. Man will not have to spend so much time making a living. Of course, it will be fun working. It will be fun making a living. But he will not have to spend so much time that he actually becomes a workaholic. He can balance it out with things like the arts, music, dancing, painting, sculpture, journalism, poetry, sports, crafts. All of these will reach heights never before attained. Jeremiah chapter 31 describes it. Let's go to Jeremiah 31.

It's going to be a wonderful time. The quality of life restored, happiness and joy. I think with all the disaster fatigue and other things happening, the bad news today that is taking away from our joy. We all suffer when we hear about fellow humans suffering. We feel for them and what is happening to them. And we long for this time when there will not be any more destruction. In Jeremiah 31 and verse 4, And we read about this further down in verse 13.

We are going to have a quality of life such as we have never had on this earth. Brethren, what a wonderful, refreshing, golden age it will be, for the quality of life is restored, for hopes and dreams become a reality. With new horizons and new frontiers providing exciting opportunities for everyone. That's what we're here to get a foretaste of. That's what the Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows.

A number of years ago, many, many years ago, the church published, I think it came out with The Wonderful World Tomorrow, what it will be like when that was first produced, many, many years, decades even ago. And the newspaper came out, The New World News. And I'll read you a few of the headlines of this age, this wonderful golden age that lies ahead. At the very top of the page, millions hail King of Kings. It's the lead article on the right-hand side, subtitle, an awesome demonstration. Christ, praised by a million-voice choir of angels, kings of many nations in humble prayer. Another article on the left-hand side of the front page, Nobody beefs about India's record beef. Another one, total disarmament achieved. Only piles of scrap metals and non-combustible war relics remain as disarmament program reaches final climax. Another one, the weather and revolution dash for the better. Let's go to the inside. Second page, Agriculture News, farm labor surplus. India produces bumper wheat crop for the year. Another one, farmers incredulous at land's productivity in new age. Venured owners report unparalleled yields. Another one, Egypt recovers from drought. Learn obedience pays dividends. Another one, revolutionary zoo opens doors in East Africa. Not a cajun site. Animals walk with visitors. Different kind of zoo. On page 3, nearing completion, superhighway connects Jerusalem, Berlin, Cairo. Also on the third page, the Bible, basic textbook for all public schools. Jerusalem's gardens awe visitors to city. Museum of the past, 6,000 year history of man unscrambled at Mageto. Imagine there will be some museums of this 6,000 years for human beings of that age to learn vital lessons. Page 4 at the top, divorce totally eliminated. Another one, new pure language sweeps earth. All nations convert to new tongue. Pagan words eliminated. Renaming project surges ahead. Signs for certain areas, villages, and communities. Truthton, Merciville, Graceburg, in place of Paris, Roma. Jew-Arab animosity overcome, gather for feast of trumpets. New World Rehabilitation Summit Conference convenes. And other articles, migration to farms continues. When they give this one on the weather report, I thought I would read this one in its entirety. Weather report, locally, high, 85, low, 65. Rain in dew season. Cool breezes all day long. That's locally, sounds good. Worldwide, rain in the Sahara. Sun in Siberia. Cool breezes throughout the tropics. Brother, one day these are going to be the headlines instead of the ones that Dennis was watching at the 6 o'clock news. It's going to be a wonderful time. This wicked, weary world needs times of refreshing and restitution of all things like never before in its coming. It's going to be a wonderful, new civilization like we've never seen before. It's going to be like cool, refreshing breeze on a hot day. Like water to thirsty, parched lips and throat. Like food to a hungry, starving soul. Young people, I hope that God's kingdom and the world tomorrow will give you hope. I hope you'll choose God's kingdom in your youth. All ages, young, old, and in between. This wicked world, as it gets more wicked, let us pray harder and more fervently, thy kingdom come. Please come soon, our Lord Jesus, and bring us times of refreshing. Don't you wish that you could just taste it, close your eyes and visualize it? Let's give it a try. Let's move the calendar ahead, year after year, for 100 years to the year 2105. Let's try to imagine what it will be like, based on all these verses we have read this morning. 100 years from now, when we believe that God's kingdom will long have been reigning on this earth. Let's try to imagine what it will be like in 2105. Jesus Christ and His wife, the saints, all of us, if we overcome, will have been ruling on the earth for many years.

The earth will be a totally different place by then. We're well into the exciting 1,000 years. Let's say that you did make it into God's kingdom. You did grow. You did endure. And you did overcome. And you are now a spirit being. You've been a spirit being for many years, ever since the second coming of Christ, to set up the kingdom of God on the earth. Think to yourself how time passes, why 100 years ago would have been 2005. You look around, and your work is all caught up for the moment. You decide that now will be a good time for a leisurely sightseeing trip around the world to see what's going on. Your mind rushes back to how you would have taken a flying cruise 100 years ago when you were still human. Packing your luggage, fighting freeway traffic, getting on a slow-moving jet plane, finally, at long last, arriving at your destination. But no more! You remember the verse, They shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. It still seems a little strange. You haven't slept or gotten tired for many years. You just keep going, and you never get tired. As you mount up into the air, you recall the very first time it was the last trump many years ago. You dropped off to sleep that last night in the flesh, and suddenly you had been awakened by a great loud sound, a loud piercing, shrill blast, as if a million people were blowing on a trumpet at the same time. And instantaneously you had felt light, very light, weightless. And within, inside you felt the surge of power and energy as of a living dynamo. And you realized that your face was as brilliant as the sun. At the same instant you had found yourself ascending up into the air, and you still remember looking out and seeing thousands and thousands of other brilliant beings, all shining with the brightness of the sun, all moving toward that one on the cloud ahead. Well, that was many years ago now. And you're still amazed, however, at how light and easy and fast it is for a spirit being to zip around. You realize there's no pull of gravity on a spirit body, and you're no longer subject to the laws of physics and chemistry, while you're able to pass right through a solid wall and travel at the speed of thought.

And you've discovered that spirit beings do not age. You've been a spirit being for many years now, and you don't look a day older. Former women humans seem to have specially delight in this non-aging facet of spirit life. It seems everyone is 39 and holding in the spirit world. As you mount up into the air this late afternoon, you suddenly realize that you could not have picked a more beautiful day. The sky is so blue, as it often is. The bright sun is still several hours high. You think of the change in the weather. In fact, the climate's everywhere.

And you're thankful. Christ did more about the weather than just talk about it. He changed it. It seems the days are almost always clear, and soft, gentle rains come at just the right time. You remember the verse, Then will I give you rain and dew season, and the land shall yield her increase. Quite a contrast, you think, to the storms and hurricanes and tornadoes and monsoons of a hundred years ago. Your mind rushes on to why it is this way.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain shall be made low, and the rough places shall be made level. Why the whole topography of the earth was changed, and geography books are being rewritten. No more high mountains like the Himalayas and rock is causing huge deserts. No more jungles in the Amazon and Congo basins and huge portions of Southeast Asia. No more sweltering, steamy hot jungles to breed mosquitoes and insects and disease.

And you smile to think that no mosquitoes have bitten anyone for many, many years. And you feel thankful that people everywhere can enjoy ideal climates. Of course, there are winters and there are summers, but not severe and crippling. Always balmy, always invigorating. The new climate makes people feel good with lots of energy.

As you mount up this afternoon, you admire the beauty of your own city that God has given you to watch over. As a member of the bride, the wife of Jesus Christ, you are privileged to rule over one of the cities in Israel. Not too far from Jerusalem, over one of the cities of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

You feel very blessed to be able to work under the Apostle Peter, who is over that particular tribe, who works under King David. When you decide to go on down to Jerusalem is not very far, you can't help but marvel at the beauty of the city below, the capital city of the world. You're thankful to be in close contact with many leaders in the government of Christ. While you've sat down many times with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Enoch, Noah, David, Elijah, John the Baptist, Paul, and others.

Actually, Christ has meetings and get-togethers rather often so that you get to rub shoulders with all these firstfruits in God's family, those now serving as the wife of Jesus Christ. What a thrill, you think to yourself, to serve as the bride of Christ. You're awfully thankful that somehow you didn't give up when you were back in the flesh. Sure, it was not easy, but you had endured, you had overcome. Now you're passing over the temple and the mountain where Christ stays most of the time.

You just have to pause to observe the striking beauty, a huge amount of gold in the structure. The strains of water gushing out from beneath its foundations. The flowers in the gardens that thousands tour every day. You hear music, the most beautiful music you've ever heard coming out from the temple. And then you remember that Christ had called the leaders of all countries to come in for a special concert to illustrate further improvements in the music program in all the nations.

And a verse pops into your mind. The Lord shall comfort Zion, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving in the voice of melody. Now you cruise on past the temple mount and to the suburbs of this capital city. Houses and parks and small shops and businesses all spaced out separately. Plenty of room for water fountains, flowers, and rushing streams of water. What a contrast, you think, to cities of a hundred years ago. As you look around on the city below, you see no smokestacks belching up filthy black pollution. And you're glad that Christ stopped air pollution right away, as well as water pollution.

Now people everywhere breathe clean air, and they drank pure water, even out of the streams and lakes. You're fascinated by the broad, spacious streets in Jerusalem. You see a bunch of kids down there in the streets while they're playing basketball. You recall the verse, The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. When you laugh when you think about the streets of a hundred years ago, narrow, crowded, and full of cars racing up and down. What a contrast. Suddenly you get an idea. Why not go down and show those kids how to really do it? So instantly you're on the ground, the basketball game stops, and all the kids are looking at you. They're not frightened at your sudden appearance. They're totally used to spirit beings appearing and disappearing. It's a normal thing to them. Hi, kids, you say. Looks like you're having a great game. Just thought I'd drop in. Mind if I try a shot? To this, all the turned-on kids yell, Yay! Give him the ball! You get the ball, you jump ten feet high and stuff it through. Now, you want to see me make a long one? To this, all the kids holler again. So you go back, back, back, and back, and let it go. Up, up, up, and here it comes down, down, right through the middle of the basket. Nothing but net. All the kids holler and scream. You wave at them and you disappear. And you talk to yourself. It's fun being a spirit being. Spirit beings, not blondes, have more fun. Now you're getting into the lush green hillsides outside Jerusalem. With your spiritual eyes, you're able to take in all the land stretching from the Nile River to the Euphrates River. This is the very center of all the land masses of the earth. The chorused land full of rich, dark farmland, rushing streams, bubbling fountains and springs, an exciting land of opportunity. And much of this land is yet virgin, waiting for future generations to arrive to pioneer in Homestead. As you cruise on, you see lovely pasture lands with truly contented cows grazing. And then you exclaim, what's that? Why, it's a lion lying right beside a baby calf. As you continue looking, you see the lion reach over and lick the baby calf on the face. And the lion reaches down for a mouthful of straw. As you continue to watch, you see a little four or five-year-old boy working his way toward the lion and the baby calf. And you see the little boy grab the lion by the neck and start running his fingers through the lion's mane. Man and nature are at peace now. And you think of Isaiah 11. The whole earth is full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea. In a split second, you cruise on over toward the east, where it's twilight now. You notice suddenly a young couple, well, these are just teenagers. They cannot be married, sitting on a rock beside a sparkling stream. And you notice the boy reaching over with a puckered look on his face. And you think to yourself, those kids should know that necking is wrong. His lips are only inches away now, and you're about to do something when you realize it's already being taken care of. A spirit being suddenly appears to the complete surprise of these teenagers.

You recognize that spirit being is one of your fellow firstfruits. And you hear him telling them, now kids, well, you see that the situation is well in hand, especially when he says, this is the way, walk you in it. And you're happy that not only are God's laws now taught, they are enforced. Well, you move on over Gentile territory. There's Assyria now totally converted, a hardworking people, and now for the first time full of respect for the nations of Israel. With your spirit vision, you can see on all over Asia, vast stretches of productive lands to the east, to the north, former tundras and harsh, barren wastelands.

There will be plenty of pioneering for the Gentiles too. Even in a thousand years, there will always be new horizons and new challenges, always somewhere to go and things to do. It's dark over all those lands, and people are now enjoying festive evening meals. Many times you've just appeared to enjoy a meal with them.

But not today. You turn west and zip over Israel and on over northern Africa, over bubbling brooks and streams in the Sahara-fruited hills and plains. You pause a moment to admire the lush green farmlands in what would have been desert 100 years ago. Below are farms, pasture lands, streams, lakes and rivers.

And you'll see a family sitting together under a fig tree, reaching up for a luscious ripe fig, and a verse comes to mind. Every man shall sit under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid. You cruise on past lush green forest with trees pointing up at you like bayonets. What's this, you ask yourself, looking below? Well, it's a bunch of teenage boys and several adults on a canoe trip, camping out. And they seem to be having the time of their life.

You get a real bang when you see one of them jump on the back of a cheetah and take off at 65 miles an hour. And you think to yourself, is this any way to travel? And looking at the fun on the youngster's face, you quickly conclude. You bet it is. And then you think of teenagers. They're all happy everywhere. Not a dropout for years. All the peer pressure is toward God's kingdom, because everyone is in the zone.

They're too busy and having too much fun to drop out. And parents really love their children. There's a lot of family time. And parents want their children to learn skills and to become self-reliant through camping trips, mountain climbing, canoeing, and adventures. And you feel happy that teenagers have dropped back in and that family life is strong and happy. You remember that 100 years ago, there were more than a million divorces in the United States alone. And this year, 2105, there hasn't been one divorce all over the earth.

When you move on across the Atlantic, it's still dark near dawn on the eastern shores of the Western Hemisphere. This land has now been healed from nuclear war. And some Israelites have actually returned to these shores. But most of the land remains unsettled, covered with trees and streams, lakes, and rich farmlands, just waiting for discovery and exploration, just waiting for unborn future generations of pioneers to arrive and carve out a homestead. As you move inland, it's still dark, and it's a beautiful moonlit night. Down below, you see a bunch of tents. Oh, this is another group of pioneers who have come to carve out their homestead. They recently crossed the ocean and have now staked out an area for a new homestead.

And they haven't even had time to build a home yet, so they're living in tents. They've certainly chosen a gorgeous place, a lake, a rushing stream feeding into it, a lovely forested hillside nearby. Hey, what's that? About a mile up the hillside, you see several children sleeping in the woods on the forest floor. But they've been warm all night. Curled up right beside them are their pets, several furry mountain lions. They apparently didn't make it back from a hike the day before.

But nobody worried, because nobody worries about anything anymore, not in this new world of peace and safety. As you look at those little ones all curled up between those lions, cozy and warm and secure, a lump forms in your throat and a tear rolls down your cheek and you decide it's time to head back home. And the lump is barely out of your throat before you're back at your city near Jerusalem.

And you think, how thankful I am to be a part of God's kingdom. How thankful you are that man's home has been restored. A beautiful home to grow and develop godly character and prepare for a sonship in God's kingdom. How thankful you are to be serving mankind as a part of the very bride of Jesus Christ. Helping bring about these wonderful times of refreshing. And to think, it's only just begun. The best is yet to come.