Trumpets Pictures a Time of Great Hope!

As we well know, ancient Israel often blew the shofar as a warning signal. This, of course, reflects one of the essential missions of the United Church of God, to provide a clear warning to the world of the dire consequences of disobeying and rejecting the authority of God Himself. The billion people presently trapped in a homeless refugee status reflect those consequences.

When the supernatural blast circled the globe on the future day of trumpets, the day symbolizing when Jesus returns at His Second Coming, these sounding trumpets will herald the ultimate regime change of all time. In ancient Judah, the reign of kings was reckoned from the Feast of Trumpets the first day of the civil calendar. The Feast of Trumpets also figuratively heralds the inauguration of Jesus Christ as King of Kings. As we celebrate the day of trumpets, a billion people will be tramping through foodless deserts, dangerous urban backways, pockmarked war zones. Can we truly appreciate the marvelous gift that God has given to each and every one of us?

So, on the Feast of Trumpets, let us confidently and gratefully celebrate hope, even in a world that appears to have no hope.

I don't know about you, brethren, but as I read those words last Sabbath morning, you know, I was preparing my sermon getting ready for services in Chicago, but as I was reading those words, I just couldn't help but think about how blessed you and I are to be in a country like this. Those of you who've traveled abroad, depending upon where you've gone abroad, now if you've gone to other Israel-ish nations, as we call them, you continue to see the heritage that God has given to Abraham. But if you've gone to other parts of the world, then you see where the birthright heritage has come to an end, and you see what the rest of the world has to experience at all times. So, with that in mind, I want to discuss with you the Feast of Trumpets. And if you'd like to take notes, here's my theme statement. The Feast of Trumpets pictures a time of great hope. The Feast of Trumpets pictures a time of great hope. For six thousand years, man has reaped the consequences of his sinful lifestyle. Let's take a look at Matthew chapter 24 as we start our discussion. Matthew 24, the Olivet Prophecy.

Matthew 24 verses 21 and 22. For then there will be great tribulation, such as not been seen since the beginning of the world until this time, nor nor ever shall be. And, brethren, we know that great tribulation, that fifth seal, is talking about a tribulation for the people of God. Specifically, the nations that descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We as a nation will have a bullseye on us. We will not escape because of our sins. But secondly, we're talking not only about the physical people of God, but also the spiritual people of God. Satan knows he's got a short time.

Satan is angry with every human being, but more so with us because we are resisting him.

He doesn't like that. He likes us in his back pocket. And so he'll try even more so to make life miserable for you. And as it says there in verse 21, tribulation like the world has never seen. And the world has seen the share of tribulation. Verse 22, unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened.

Because of God's great love for you, his sons and daughters, God's going to say, you know, we can't allow the whole of the human race to be wiped off the face of the earth by the rage of Satan.

Now let's go over to Jeremiah. And here's where, again, I thank Mr. Morrison for his comments, because I believe God was inspiring him and I to go through the same idea of hope.

He quoted this verse. I'm going to quote it as well. Jeremiah chapter 29. It's such a beautiful verse. The concept here is so wonderful. And it embodies so much as Mr. Morrison correctly pointed. We can talk, and I have talked, I've gone through the chart last time I was with you on trumpets, and we went through all the seals, all the trumpets, all the plagues. We beat them, bust them, and all that sort of thing. But there's another side to the day of trumpets. And that is the side where Jesus Christ comes to establish his government, to give you the saints your reward. And we're going to talk more about that on the weekly Sabbath in a couple of days. But here in Jeremiah chapter 29, let's reread again, verse 11.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, God says. God wants to share with us his thinking about you. Make it personal. You have a personal relationship with God. You have personally accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. And so you put your name in the blank there. For I know the thoughts I think toward... Then you put your name in the blank. Thoughts of peace and not of evil. To give you a future and a hope. To give you a future and a hope. What a wonderful blessing it is to have hope. To have hope. To have hope in the future.

Mark chapter 1.

We went through this in our in-home Bible studies. We're now in the book of Acts.

Mark chapter 1.

Mark chapter 2.

Verse 14. Now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the Good News.

The Good News. The news that has hope. The Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Not the Kingdom of America. Not the Kingdom of the Europeans or the Kingdom of the Asians. No, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. And saying, the time is fulfilled And the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.

Gospel is Strong's number 2098. 2098. It means good news or news that makes one happy.

This is from the low-anided Greek-English lexicon or dictionary. The word gospel means good news, news that makes one happy. Information or information that causes joy.

Some translations translate gospel as words that bring smiles. Words that bring smiles.

Or other translations, a message that causes the heart to be made sweet.

And I thought it was interesting, looking at the exegetical dictionary of the New Testament, in secular Greek writing. We're not talking about the Bible. We're talking about how do the Greeks use the word gospel, apart from the Bible. Apart from the Bible, the Greeks in Greek literature used the word gospel to mean news of victory. I think that's pretty good. Now, that's not the way the Bible defines it, but that's the way the word could be used and was used in everyday Greek language back in the day. News of victory. So all of this, when you put this all together, believe in the good news. Believe in the hope. You know, God wants us to understand and appreciate that He has a plan and a purpose that He's working out. Things aren't just chaos, and God is out of, you know, He can't quite handle it all. You know, God is handling everything just fine.

There's a purpose behind everything that's taking place. There's a purpose behind everything that happens in your life. I'm not a believer that for Christians there's such a thing as time and circumstance. I think God is planning your life, planning my life. Not that we don't have a say, we do have a say. But as we say our say, as we make our decisions, then there's either going to be certain fruits, there are going to be certain consequences, either good consequences or bad consequences. And then God works on those. Well, can I teach my son or daughter based upon a decision they just made? As we make good decisions, we have better and better opportunities. As we make worse decisions, bad decisions, then we start going down a road where it seems every decision we make tends to be worse, and we go down into a spiral. So anyway, God has a tremendous future for us. Now here we are, Feast of Trumpets, the first of the Holy Days in the end of the Holy Day picture plan of God. The first batch of Holy Days, Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost, they pictured something very special, the way God works with us as individuals. Passover represents a new life given to us as Christians made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

New life made possible by Christ's sacrifice. The days of Unleavened Bread, picture how we are to live that new life in Christ. How we are to live that new life in Christ. Pentecost talks about the power with which we as Christians are to live that new life in Christ.

But now, beginning with Trumpets, God begins to deal with the rest of the world, the world who've not been called yet to a large degree. To a large degree, He's dealing with them. We go through it as well. The Feast of Trumpets is a pivotal Holy Day in God's plan of salvation, pivotal because Christ's Second Coming bridges the gap between our world and the world to come.

So I said the Feast of Trumpets pictures a time of great hope.

Let's set the stage as to why we have this hope. Let's turn to Isaiah 24.

Isaiah 24. You know, we hope for many different types of things.

This is a digression. I forgot to make mention in the announcements. We are very close to signing a venue for the Feast of Tabernacles in our region. It will not be in Wisconsin Dells. It will not be in Wisconsin Dells for a number of years. It appears. There's a venue about a half-hour drive west of Milwaukee on Interstate 94. Very high-quality location. They've got, as Mr. Nolair and I toured this facility back in August, the people there, you know, as we tour different facilities, you can tell the interest they have by how they greet you. The one place we went to visit, which actually happened to be in southern Illinois, or Central Illinois, I should say, south of where I live, one guy met us and was kind of a, you know, let's take you through a quick tour and off you go. But this particular place, there were four people that met us. The manager of sales, the person who was actually running the facility on a day-to-day basis, and two other people. I forget their titles. Gave us a wonderful tour. They've got the one room that will seat 750. No need for breakout rooms. Beautiful ambassador-quality setting. The one room is brightly lit. It's flat. It seats 750. Right next to its room, same thing, only a little smaller. It seats 500.

So I didn't find this out and neither did Charles until just, I think, last week. Everybody's got a boss. The person we've been dealing with is the sales manager for that facility, but everyone's got a boss. She has a boss. As it turns out, you know, we've been asking you to be praying that God would open the door. Well, as it turns out, the sales manager's boss, the director of marketing for the whole concern, kept the Feast of Tabernacles all her young life.

She was a member of International Church of God. Now, she no longer attends services, but her parents do. So when word came to her about this group wanting to meet on these days, and she looked at the days, and she met Charles, it all clicks, oh, you guys are wanting to keep the Feast of Tabernacles!

I said, yeah. I mean, Charles said, yeah. So that gives us hope, right? We've got something to look forward to along even the Feast of Tabernacles. Another thing of a piece of hope is that for those of us who do love the Dells, ever since I've been running the Dells, and I'm not doing it anymore, but in the years I was running the Dells, it was always up for sale. It looks like it's now finally going to be sold, and that sale should take place in the spring. Now, because of that, we're not able to do anything for the year 2020, and we'll be at this other place for 2020 and 2021. Now, if everyone loves that place, then fine, we'll stay there. But we may be able to renegotiate with the crystal grand, which everyone seems to like after 2021. So keep your prayers going for all of that. You pray to God we open a door, and here we're presented with somebody who kept the Feast of Tabernacles all through her teen years. And so God answers those prayers.

Getting back to our subject here, the Feast of Trumpets, Pitchery of Time of Great Hope. Let's look at Isaiah 24. Here's the world as Jesus Christ is about to return. Isaiah 24 verse 1, Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, distorts its service, and scatters abroad its inhabitants.

You know, we're talking about the worst time the world has ever seen. We're probably talking about nuclear war. We're probably talking about chemical warfare, biological warfare. We're talking about deforestation, all sorts of plagues that have come and gone. If we understand prophecy, one person out of nine people out of every 10 will die during this period of time. 90% of the world's population. Very difficult times. Verse 2, And it shall be with the people, so with the priests. As with the servant, so with the master. As with the maid, so with the mistress. As with the buyer, so with the seller. As with the lender, so with the borrower. As with the creditor, so with the debtor. What's verse 2 talking about? Verse 2 is talking about all the people on planet earth. No one is accepted. God is no respecter of persons. Dropping down to verse 5. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants because they have transgressed the laws. What laws? The laws of God. They've changed the ordinance. They live by their own set. They've said, this is what we can do. And here's how we're going to worship God. They've broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, the curses devoured the earth, and those who dwell on it are desolate. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men are left. Again, perhaps that refers to nuclear war. We read last, I think we read last week, last time I was with you in Isaiah chapter 9, about how all this would take place in one day.

Of course, in the Bible, a day for a year. Verse 7, the new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh, the mirth of the tambourine ceases, the noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the harp ceases. So again, very desperate times. Verse 11, there is a cry for wine in the streets. All joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. So from a human perspective, there is no hope.

But we know better than that. Verse 17, fear and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. And I shall be that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who comes up from the midst of the pit shall be caught up in the snare.

For the windows from on high are opened. So in other words, we're going from one tragedy to another, from one tragedy to a worse tragedy on planet earth, just prior to the return of Christ. Then it says here at the end of verse 18, for the windows of on high are open. So we're talking about perhaps hurricanes, we're probably talking about tornadoes, tremendous wind damage, the foundations of the earth are shaken, probably talking about volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, the earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly, the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard. We've often wondered, as a result of nuclear war, will the earth be knocked off its axis to a little degree, or to some degree?

With just the earthquake that took place in Japan a number of years ago, the earth was was moved, was, I think it was six inches or eight inches, moved because of the force of that one particular earthquake. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut, its grand treasure shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall and not rise again. So tremendous natural disasters taking place on planet earth. That's the setting. That's all we're, hopefully, that's all we're going to discuss in terms of bad news. Let's look at the hope.

Let's look at, again, God's perspective. Let's go to the book of Job.

The book of Job, chapter 14, we think that the book of Job, most scholars would think that the book of Job is the oldest book put to writing, put to writing. Job asks a question here, and when I do funeral sermons, I quote this all the time.

Job, chapter 14, you're in a funeral home. You've got loved ones who are crying. They're mourning the loss of the person that is there in front of them. And we read, verse 14, Job 14. 14. If a man dies, shall he live again? If a man dies, shall he live again? Now, I guess it's an occupational thing for me. I've been to, I don't know how many funerals those I've conducted, those I've just been there to be a help to the family, to support the family in whatever way possibly could. But over the time, I've gone to so many funerals, and maybe it's true for you as well. You see people who grieve who don't have hope. I've seen people virtually try to get in the casket with the with the deceased because in their mind, this was it. They will never see that person again. But notice what God says, if a man dies, shall he or she live again? All the days of my hard service, I will wait till my change comes. This is what God wants. He wants for us to be resurrected. You shall call. God will call, and I will answer you. You shall desire the work of your hands. We could go today. I helped do a funeral for somebody who attended in the Chicago area for a number of years and moved away, came back to the area. Tremendous individual. Just a tremendous mind. I never met the man, Gene Josephson, but maybe some of you knew Gene, but we did his funeral last Monday. Just a tremendous man in terms of his intellect, his ability to do electronic work, the various things he did in his life for the government and for industry.

The fact that he was a man who served God's people. I believe he spoke in the Chicago church back in the day. All that he was and all the things his children said about him and various other people that we had at lunch and afterwards. When people like that die, when people that you know and you have loved, people in or out of the church, and they have died, and you know what kind of wonderful people they were, should they just end up in the ground forever, never to see life again?

Is that what God wants? For people to struggle and to grow and to overcome and to give and to serve?

No. As it says here, all the days of my hard service I will wait till my change comes.

You shall call while we are in the grave and God will answer that call. God desires the work of his hands. Now for the Christian, we are going to have the hope of the first resurrection.

And that's what we're talking about now. The first hope we have as Christians is the resurrection from the dead. That's our hope. Now those who've never had understanding of the truth, they will have a chance. They too will be re- everyone's going to be resurrected. We are- it's important to- unto all men wants to die. Everybody. Even those of us who are alive at the return of Jesus Christ, we will die momentarily as our body changes from physical to spirit.

There's the first resurrection for God's people, the saints. There's the second resurrection for those who never had an opportunity, which basically means most of the people you and I know.

Then there's the third resurrection that we want no part of.

That's for people who knew the truth of God and turned their back on it.

We don't want any part of that resurrection. There's no hope in that resurrection.

But here we see there's tremendous hope here. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 60.

Isaiah chapter 60. Here is an Old Testament discussion about your resurrection.

Isaiah chapter 60. Verse 1, Arise, come out of your grave, shine, for your light has come.

You're going to come out of that grave as a spirit being of power and of brilliance. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. It's a time for your reward. Notice verse 2 talks about the time frame, for behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people.

So we realize that the time when Jesus Christ returns is the time we saw in Isaiah 24. It is a time of darkness. It is a time of deep darkness for the people. They don't understand.

They don't have God's Holy Spirit. But even at that crucial hour, and people don't understand, is when Christ returns and we are resurrected.

When we arise, when we shine, when the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

End of verse 2. But the Lord will arise over you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

The Gentiles shall come to your light and the kings to the brightness of your rising.

So there we've got an Old Testament discussion about how you are going to be resurrected.

We've got that great hope. Now, let's go to chapter 61.

People often ask, well, how about our kids? We're resurrected. What about our kids? What happens to them? Isaiah chapter 61 verse 9.

Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All who see them will acknowledge them that they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.

So even if your children are not in the church now, if they don't come into the church by the time of Christ returns, if they survive all the Holocaust, who better to work with your kids than you as a spirit being?

Who better? God will give us that opportunity. That's something we can look forward to.

Psalm 16.

Psalm 16.

Psalm 16 here in verse 7.

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel. My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will rest in hope.

For you will not leave my soul in seal, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption.

Now, this is obviously a discussion not only about us, but Jesus Christ.

You will also show me the path of life in your presence, His fullness of joy at your right hand, our pleasures forevermore. So God's people have real hope. We've got the hope of the resurrection from the dead. That takes place on the Feast of Trumpets, our resurrection from the dead. So that's one type of hope that we have. Let's look at another hope that is pictured by the Feast of Trumpets, starts at the Feast of Trumpets. Again, we want a little bit of context. Let's go to Revelation chapter 9. Revelation chapter 9 verses 20 and 21. Now, at this point in human history, the history of the earth, the earth has gone through six of the trumpet plagues. They've gone through the seals, the seven seals, seven trumpets. They've now gone through six of the seven trumpets. The last trumpets not yet blown. But notice what is said here. Revelation 9 verse 20. But the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, and stone, wood which can either see nor hear nor walk, they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. What this talks about is how carnal people are. How much of a tough nut our human nature is, the resistance we people have to God and God's ways. After all these trials, people could have turned to God. God could have relented from the harm to them. But they just simply wouldn't do it. They were hard-hearted, stiff-necked. Revelation 16. We move forward in the story.

We're now at the time of the seven last plagues, part of the seventh trumpet. Revelation 16.

Verse 8. Then the fourth angel, and we're into the fourth part of these last plagues, then the fourth angel poured out his bull on the sun, and power is given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues. And they did not repent and give him glory. They didn't repent and give him glory.

Verse 21. Same chapter. Great hail from heaven fell upon men. Each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since the plague was exceedingly great. So these scriptures in Revelation, the reason I'm quoting these, it shows that God, that people simply will not yield to God. The kingdom of God, pictured by Christ coming on this day, is mankind's only hope for peace and for happiness. It won't come because of a United Nations. It won't come because mankind does something tremendous. Tremendous. Mankind simply will not yield to the truth and to the way of God. And we see that through all the various things we just read here in chapter 16 and chapter 9 of Revelation. But now we turn again to something positive. Zechariah chapter 8.

Zechariah chapter 8. On the weekly Sabbath, we'll be here quite a bit.

Just coming Sabbath. We're going to go through a lot of prophecies about the millennium on this weekly Sabbath. I think you're going to enjoy that, getting us ready for the feast. Zechariah chapter 8. So we saw the condition of mankind, how they simply wouldn't repent. Okay, Christ returns. Christ establishes his government on the earth. And notice what takes place. Now, this doesn't take a while for this to happen universally because the people who are alive on planet earth still have free moral agency. They still have the same kind of thinking we saw in Revelation 9 and 16. But eventually it's going to start sinking in. And notice what we have here in Zechariah chapter 8 starting here in verse 20. Thus, as the Lord of hosts, people shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities. So people are going to start coming around to God. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also. Yes, many people, not a trickle at this point, many people and strong nations, people who used to look at their military, used to think they can fight against the great Christ. No, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord, come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord.

Verse 23, Thus says the Lord of hosts, In those days ten men from every language of the nations, these are the nations that fought against Christ, didn't want him, didn't want the kingdom of God. Of course, they didn't really know what the kingdom of God was.

But men from every language shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

Isn't this interesting? People from various languages, various nations, the Feast Brethren, the ways of God are not just for the Jews. In the world tomorrow, every nation will want to be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles. It's not just for the Jews.

We'll cover that a little more specifically on the Sabbath. So people who think—and it's interesting, we'll go through on the Sabbath, some of the foremost Bible commentators, Bible Knowledge commentary that we use in our church literature, Expositor's Bible commentary, again, one of the best commentaries you can buy—those commentaries say, After the return of Christ, people will keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

Now, I never get there thinking, well, you keep the Feast in the Old Testament.

You keep the Feast during Christ's lifetime. Once he dies, well, we're going to stop keeping the Feast. But then when it comes to the Second Coming, we start keeping the Feast again.

Now, that doesn't make any logical sense. And you and I know that's not the case. We keep the Feast of Tabernacles at all times. It's a part of the plan of God that shows us so much.

But even the worldly scholars realize and talk about how the world will be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles. And that gives the people of the world hope. We talked about how Christians are going to have hope. But the second type of hope that the world has—those people who have not been called in this age—they will have hope. I think about my father. I think about my brother. I think about so many people. I had a little niece that was killed as in a car wreck when she was 20 years old. Between Mary and I, we've had four fatalities in car wrecks. Mary's father, her uncle, and her brother were killed in car wrecks. My niece. None of them—well, I shouldn't say none of them, but her brother Todd was a member of the church and spoke in Chicago. But so many people that you know and I know who love who've died, they will have hope. In a sense, they will be resurrected and what we refer to as a Great Wifed throne judgment period.

All of that begins. All that is initiated starting with trumpets. Now, we go through, you know, the binding of Satan, anatom, and we go through the millennium, then after the millennium, we get the last Great Day. But all of that starts with the return of Jesus Christ. It starts with the return of Jesus Christ. Things are set in motion. Let's go to the book of Micah. Micah chapter 4. Micah chapter 4. The reason why these people say, people from all the nations want to grab the sleeve of a Jewish man is found here. Micah chapter 4 verses 1 and 2. Micah chapter 4 verse 1. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow to it. Not trickle to it, but flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways. We shall walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. At the return of Jesus Christ, these things are initiated. So what we have here is a second great hope that is initiated and starts at Feast of Trumpets, is the fact that there's coming a time when all people will be called. A third hope, not just for people who are now being called, for people who will be called in the future. But there's hope, a third hope, for our dying planet. A hope for a dying planet. The establishment of God's kingdom on earth.

Let's take a look at Ezekiel 47.

Ezekiel 47.

Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east. For the front of the temple faced east, and the water is flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. So here we have, in the New World, a literal river, it appears, that stands and symbolizes for God's Holy Spirit.

And then you notice, I'm not going to turn there, but you notice you might be able to drop down John chapter 4 verses 10 through 14. John chapter 4 verses 10 through 14, and also John chapter 7 verse 38 and 39, that shows that waters symbolize God's Holy Spirit. So here you've got waters gushing forth, healing waters. Let's continue reading here in chapter 47 verse 2. He brought me out by the way of the north gate, led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces east, and there was water running on the right side. And when the man went out to the east in line with his hand, he measured 1,000 cubits. And he brought me through to the waters, and the water came up to my ankles. Verse 4, again, he measured 1,000 cubits. So he's measuring in terms of cubits here. Brought me through to the waters, the water came up to my knees. Again, he measured 1,000 cubits and brought me to the water through water, and the water came up to my waist. Now verse 5. Again, he measured 1,000 cubits. Now we've gone now 4,000 cubits.

This is roughly a mile and a half. He's gone a mile and a half from the temple.

There's water gushing out. Verse 5. And he measured 1,000 cubits, and there was a river which I could not cross, for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. Now we believe that's literal, but we also know that to be a type, God's spirit. God's spirit, going forth from Jerusalem, the teachings of God, going forth from Jerusalem, and how we, as we teach, as you teach, as a teacher in the world tomorrow, teaching the things you've learned, things you've experienced, how that you are going to be a teacher in these waters are going to be for healing. These waters are going to be for God's spirit to not only heal physically, but spiritually. Let's look at Isaiah 41.

Isaiah 41. So we have these beautiful pictures. Now the earth is being healed.

People are being healed. The earth itself is being healed. Isaiah 41, starting here in verse 18, measure in verse.

I will open rivers and desolate heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land sprees of water. Isaiah 41 here verse 19. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and Acacia Tree, the myrtle and the olive tree.

I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine tree, Consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord has done this. The Holy One of Israel has created it. So again, the earth itself is going to be healed.

The earth itself is going to be healed. This coming Sabbath will even read a scripture. I'm not going to take the time to do it now, but we'll read a scripture that's showing that God's even going to do away with weeds. Hallelujah! That's one of the things I've got to do tomorrow. I've got to weave my flower beds. I don't know about you, what you have here, but when we were in Michigan, I think we've seen it here, but when we were in Michigan, there was this insidious weed.

It was like a vine. It was about the width of a line of fishing line or something. It would grow under the surface of the ground, just barely under the surface. It would poke itself up at different spots and then wrap itself around a rose bush or flowers, or you name it, a little tiny flower. I think the only way you can get rid of that was by dynamite. Because we tried putting poison on the leaves whenever we had fine leaves, but then it would spring up over here and spring up over there.

When Adam and Eve walked away from God, God said, you're going to have weeds. That curse is coming to an end. One of the things you'll discuss with people in the world tomorrow is how you used to have to weed. Very mundane. We'd rather be underneath doing something else than weeding. But that's going to come to an end. The earth will be healed. Amos 9 Amos, Hosea Joel Amos Amos 9 Verse 13 Behold, the days are coming to the Lord when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and a shredder rapes him who sows seed.

The mountains shall drip with sweet wine and the hills shall flow with it. So here we see where things are going so good people can't get the crops out of the field and they're starting to put more seed into the field. I'll bring back the captives of my people Israel. They shall build away cities and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them.

They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in the land and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, so the Lord your God. So the land will be a great land, a beautiful land, the whole world. Brethren, we've got one thousand years. God is giving us one thousand years. Of course, God has got to be the main mover of this.

God is going to help us teach, but then God is, during the course of that time, as we know, actually starts at the end of the history of our planet now. You see the various islands being moved out of their ways and mountains being leveled and that sort of thing. God is changing the topography of the world at the end of our age before the return of Christ. He's changing the way the world's topography is, so the weather patterns are changing. That way, when Christ returns, we can have these changes on the globe. Because in one thousand years, we're going to have billions upon billions of people resurrected, we believe, all at one time.

The earth better be a breadbasket. That better be a garden of Eden, all the way around, for when that last great day comes. And billions upon billions of people are resurrected to life. I don't know about you, but when I go someplace, they get someplace, there are things I want to do. One of the things I first want to do is eat. And it's going to be fun when the Vikings are resurrected, and they want to eat. They want to eat now. And where's my battle axe? I said I wanted to eat. We'll have to work with people like that. My wife's family. Then there's my family, the Italians. I'll make a deal with you. I can't eat.

One last item here. We've talked about the hope for God's people in this age. We've talked about the hope for people who will be resurrected in the last great day. We've talked about the hope for planet earth. But there's also hope for the universe. There's hope for the universe. And again, all of this begins as a kickoff point, the Feast of Trumpets with the Return of Jesus Christ, to set up the Kingdom of God. Let's go to Genesis 1.

Genesis 1.

Verse 1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And we know that whatever God creates, He creates perfectly, beautifully, and awesome wonder. But notice verse 2.

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. So the earth became toyou and boyou, as the Hebrew words were, meaning chaotic, empty, waste. So we believe, between verse 1 and verse 2, there was the war in heaven. And the destruction we see in the universe was the result of Satan warring against the great God, wanting to knock God off of His throne.

But, again, Christ returns on the Feast of Trumpets. He starts the Kingdom of God on its way. We go through the Millennium. We go through the Great White Throne Judgment Period. We go through the entire plan of God. And we come to Revelation, the other end of the Bible, Revelation 21.

Revelation 21.

Verse 1.

And be there God.

Now, in the Millennium, Christ will be with us.

After the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment Period, it says here, when all the plan of God is done, God Himself, the Father, comes to live with us.

Verse 4.

There comes a point in history, in the plan of God, when death itself passes away. We talk about people dying. We use the euphemism, they've passed away. Well, there's coming a time when death itself will pass away. Verse 5.

So, here we see the great designer, the creator, the sustainer of worlds, the sustainer of the universe, is going to bring life back to the universe. Why have a universe if you're not going to do something with it?

You know, if God just wanted to have one planet, planet Earth, He could have made just one planet, planet Earth, and plus the moon.

You know, for timing and things of that nature. But no, God created a universe. There's a reason behind Him creating a whole universe. Right now, it appears that the whole of the universe is in chaos. But God's going to solve that. God's going to take care of that. Final scripture for today, Daniel chapter 2.

Daniel chapter 2.

He's got the vision that Daniel saw, and he's interpreting the dream, going through the discussion. And here we see in chapter 2 of Daniel, verse 44.

So, brother, in this day, the Feast of Trumpets pictures a day of tremendous hope. Hope for those of us who are the call, the Christians of this age. Hope for those who will yet to be called in the future. Hope for a dying Earth that will come back to life. And hope for a universe that will become filled with life once again. So, let us appreciate the plan of God. Let us appreciate what we've learned today. And let us rejoice. Let us have hope.