Greetings Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ throughout the world,
including in Madrid, Spain; Nairobi, Kenya; and Houma, Louisiana, USA! Here we
are again, in the glorious season of the Day of Atonement that begins the evening of
the 1st of October until the evening of the 2nd. And again, splinter groups, or even
wannabe splinter groups of the defunct Worldwide Church of God, continue to
perpetuate that the Azazel goat ── and they just go over and over every year – “The
Azazel goat! The Azazel goat!” has something to do with Satan the Devil! Now, it is
a popular yarn they spin, but how does it help us? But when you get into James
chapter 4, and 1st Peter chapter 5, and you begin to dig out these messages and
thinking about them, all of a sudden, THAT’S THE TRUE MEANING OF THE
DAY OF ATONEMENT!
Our beloved Apostle Peter was inspired by God’s Spirit to write –
“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s
work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in FEAR [reverent
fear and RESPECT], 18) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible
things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received BY TRADITION
FROM YOUR FATHERS.
Verse 19 – “but WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot. 20) He indeed WAS FOREORDAINED before the
foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21) who through
Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your
faith and hope are in God” – 1 Peter 1:17-21.
Sadly, the Jews believe God not! Yet, they SHOULD!
The Azazel Goat
Turning into the Book of Leviticus, chapter 16, we see the goat slain at the Atonement
ceremony. Now, one doesn’t have to fully understand Leviticus 16 to have the love of our Savior
Jesus Christ to be poured out upon them, or His grace, His Spirit, His glorious
promise of eternal life. Yet, a great many churches that are still deeply trenched in
the Old Covenant make you think that this is the ultimate crux of the gospel of
Christ. It is not!
“’ Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its
blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and
sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat. 16) So he shall make
at◦one◦ment for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel,
and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the
tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17) There shall be no man in the tabernacles of meeting when he goes in to make
at◦one◦ment in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make at◦one◦ment
for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18) And he shall go
out to the altar that is before the LORD, and make at◦one◦ment for it, and shall take
some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the
horns of the altar all around. 19) Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with
his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the
children of Israel” – Leviticus 16:15-19.
To this very day, some people have had their religious upbringing in churches
which are steeped heavily in the Old Covenant – just what the Apostle Peter stated,
“BY TRADITION FROM YOUR FATHERS”! – who continue to try and convey
that this slain goat represents Christ Jesus!
Verse 21 – “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live GOAT, confess
over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions,
concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of THE GOAT, and shall send it
away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.”
Here speaking about a live GOAT, the “scapegoat,” the Azazel goat. Now, a great
many ministers continue to believe that this goat represents Satan, the Devil. But, we don’t really know – to be truthful about it! Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. But, in
truth, it doesn’t really matter.
Let’s move on down in chapter 16 to verse 29 –
“’ This shall be a statute FOREVER for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day
of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native
of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you” – vs. 29.
As we’ve pointed out so many times, this is a very poor translation of this verse. The
Hebrew phrase – the root of this phrase, which I have underlined above, the meaning
of it is “you shall HUMBLE yourself before the LORD your God.” Notice the New
American Standard Bible version in the Key Word Hebrew-Greek Study Bible –
“’ And this shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth
day of the month, you shall HUMBLE your souls, 5315 and not do any work, whether
the native, or the alien 1616 who sojourns 1481among you” – Leviticus 16:29, NASB.
Does this mean that we must fast? A great many people say, “Yes!”
Did you catch just what our beloved Apostle Peter – under the divine inspiration of
God’s Spirit – writes? Again –
“ … you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your
aimless conduct received BY TRADITION FROM YOUR FATHERS.”
He is speaking of Jewish tradition. Because, if you’re going to be JEWISH, then
Jewish tradition says that you must fast. If you’re going to be Jewish, or a Jewish
follower, then on the Day of Atonement, you must fast. But you had better also not
wear shoes made out of leather, not bathe, don’t wear any cologne or perfume, no
lotion, and no sex for you! There is a whole list of things which you cannot do – if
you want to be Jewish or a Jewish follower!
In essence, this verse (Leviticus 16:29) highlights for us the significance of REPENTANCE and RECONCILIATION (Atonement) with Father God, encouraging us to reflect on our transgressions and to seek God's forgiveness in all HUMILITY.
Christ ── Our Atonement
Our Lord Jesus Christ would indeed be our Atonement – it was prophesied –
we often read this during the Passover – or the Lord’s Supper – because it’s such a
description of what Jesus endured.
“Who has believed our report? And
to whom has the arm of the LORD
been revealed? 2) For He shall
grow up before Him as a tender
plant, And as a root out of dry
ground. He has no form or
comeliness; And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should
desire Him. 3) He is despised and
rejected by men, A Man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not
esteem Him” – Isaiah 53:1-3.
Verse 10 – “Yet it pleased the
LORD to bruise Him; …”
Now, in the Dead Sea Scrolls, when
they discovered the Book of Isaiah, they were marveled that they
found this scroll that they thought
was a much later date. In those
scrolls, this verse is listed. And, a
translation by Professor Peter Flint
reads, “Yet the LORD was willing to
crush him, and he made him …” 1
Verse 11 – “He shall see the labor of
His soul, and be satisfied. By His
knowledge My righteous Servant
shall justify many. For He shall
bear their iniquities.”
And down in verse 12 – “ … He was
numbered with the transgressors,
…”
So, here we see a little of God’s plan
being unveiled to us through this
prophet, who wrote 735 years
before the event ever happened. It
came to pass!
Our Lord Jesus Christ was the
atonement for our sins –
“In this is love, not that we loved
God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation
[atonement] for our sins” – 1 John 4:10.
Let us also notice –
“For when we were still without
strength, in due time Christ died
for the ungodly. 7) For scarcely for
a righteous man will one die; yet
perhaps for a good man someone
would even dare to die. 8) But God
demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. 9) Much
more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through Him. 10)
For if when we were enemies we
were reconciled to God through the
death of His Son, much more,
having been reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life. 11) And not only
that, but we also rejoice in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now
received the reconciliation” –
Romans 5:6-11.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was the
‘atonement’ for us in the
reconciliation to Father God.
Now, if you would turn to 1st Peter,
chapter 5. This is a Scripture that had a
huge and profound influence on
my life. And understanding these
concepts has truly helped me to
mature in my thinking and to gain
much understanding.
Verse 5 – “Likewise you younger
people, submit yourselves to your
elders. Yes, all of you be submissive
to one another, and be clothed with
HUMILITY, for ‘God resists the
proud, But gives grace to the
humble.’” – The Apostle Peter is
saying, ‘all of you be submissive to
one another.’ It’s a cooperative
enterprise. Everyone should be
able to sit down at a table and – if
their hearts and spirits are right –
be able to offer information or
suggest a change.
That’s the meaning of the Day of
Atonement - internally speaking!
To “be clothed with humility, for
God resists the proud, …”
Verse 6 – “Therefore HUMBLE
yourselves under the mighty hand
of God, …”– Humility.
What does that mean? Does it
mean joining a monastery and
taking a vow of silence, walking
around in a robe, and looking all
pious? Is this what God is talking
about?
No, humility is not what people can
see – humility is what God sees.
Going without food and water for 24 hours and letting everyone know that you are fasting ── is not the humility that the LORD God desires. Again, humility is what God sees. It's becoming submissive to God, His will, and the will of Jesus
Christ. FASTING FOR GOD SHOULD BE PRIVATE!
“ … that He may exalt you in due
time.” – at the blowing of the
SEVENTH TRUMP – at the
resurrection of the saints! That’s
when you will receive your glory.
Verse 7 – “casting all your care
upon Him, for He cares for you.” –
This verse is so very important to all
of us.
Verse 8 – “Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil
walks about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour.” –
Satan, the Devil, is real; his demons
are real. And, if you let down your
guard, and the Spirit of God within
you begins to drain – and you
do not have that protective
covering – Satan and his demons
will find ways to mess up your life.
And if they can, they will totally
take you off the path of salvation.
And, it’s happened to people that I
know – tragically. And there’s
nothing I can do about it, but ask
God to have mercy on them.
Verse 9 – “Resist him, steadfast in
the faith, knowing that the same
sufferings are experienced [or have
happened] by your brotherhood
[your church members] in the
world. 10) But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal
glory by Christ Jesus, after you
have suffered a while …” – after you
have gone through this human life
with its ups and downs and
sufferings – He will make you “ … perfect,
establish, strengthen, and settle
you.”
Verse 11 – “To Him [Jesus Christ]
be the glory and the dominion
forever and ever. Amen.”
Indeed, in the Old Covenant, on the
Day of Atonement, the high priest
would go into the temple and
sprinkle blood for the sins of the
people. And, he was the only one
who was allowed to go into the
Holy of Holies – the inner
sanctuary of the temple. Now, if
you want to continue living under
that system with its symbolism,
you, the individual, will never have
access to God Almighty or Jesus
Christ! However, in the New
Covenant, ANYONE ANYTIME
ANYWHERE has access to Jesus
Christ if they will only humble
themselves before the mighty
throne of God Most High! And seek to change their lives and submit
to God!
A Prophetic Meaning
There are some magnificent
prophetic meanings of the Day of
Atonement that many church leaders have never considered. And
I’d be willing to say that probably
most do not have a clear
understanding
of, prophetically, what the Day of
Atonement – the DAY TO
HUMBLE
YOURSELF
BEFORE GOD – symbolizes. On
a personal level, it truly means
getting
ever-closer
to
God,
repenting, and humbling yourself
before God – but on a prophetic
level, it is directly linked to the end-time tribulation that will occur! What our Lord Jesus
calls
the
end-time
‘great
tribulation.’ – Matthew 24:21-22.
And certainly, the Day of
Atonement is a somber day.
But the Day of Atonement is a
somber day because it looks
forward to a time when on this
earth hundreds of millions of
people are going to die by the hand
of the returning Jesus Christ! It
looks forward to a time when we’re
told that the blood in and around
the streets of Jerusalem will be up
to a horse’s bridle – allegorically
speaking.
It’s also a day that looks forward to
a time where all of the individuals
throughout history who had been
called by God the Father and Jesus
Christ, and had come to a level of
knowledge and repentance and had
their names written in the Book of Life – at some point their life
turned sour, turned bitter, they
turned their backs on God – and
thereby they have had their names
removed from the Book of Life.
And sometime in the not-so
distant future, on the return of
Jesus Christ, those people will be brought back to life again, and then
executed in the lake of fire. That’s
why it’s a somber day.
Therefore, let
us
always
HUMBLE
OURSELVES before the LORD our
God! □
Given to us, by the example of our Lord Jesus and the apostles, the use and the
pronunciation of the Hebrew name YHWH is not only unimportant, but is also unnecessary.
I see it frequently in many of the posts on Facebook. Yahweh ── sometimes spelled
Yahvah ── claiming in no uncertain terms that this is the official and principal name
of God. Now, certainly, God is jealous over His glorious name (especially the great
and awesome significance of His names and titles), one could wonder if this
“jealousy” also extends to the use or the pronunciation of YHWH.
Surely, all of us brethren who want to live as begotten children of our heavenly
Father, we have a divine and official Arbitrator who can settle any dispute or
question for us ── our Lord, Savior, and Atonement, Jesus Christ. So, if we can see
within God’s living word that He used the name YHWH, then that certainly puts to
rest any misgivings or second-guessing.
Now, what if our Lord Jesus NEVER used or pronounced the name YHWH? What
if He avoided using it altogether? Then what?
It can be proved absolutely that our Lord Jesus NEVER used the name YHWH, or Yahweh, or Yahvah, or even Jehovah, even when He spoke the languages of Hebrew or Aramaic.
No One Was Permitted to Pronounce or Utter the Divine Name of God in First
Century Jerusalem
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, taught and preached to the Jews throughout
Galilee and Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. And, He taught publicly
for 3½ years. Certainly, thousands of Jewish people heard Him teach and preach in
the name of God. So, if He had used the divine name YHWH in the midst of that
Jewish society, He would have been accused of blasphemy, and not one Jewish
person would have even stood around long enough to listen. Why? Because it was
forbidden to speak or pronounce the divine name during the time of our Lord. And that
can be proved beyond any shadow of doubt.
Even today, most Jews write out God’s name as G_d.
Why was there ── and still is even to this day ── a fear of saying or pronouncing
the name YHWH among the Jews? Because there is ── according to Jewish
interpretation ── a clear and direct command from God that forbids them to say,
pronounce, or express the divine name of God.
Why Jews Avoid YHWH
There are two verses in the Old Testament that they interpret as a prohibition
against phonetically expressing the name YHWH. Notice ──
“The son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name and blasphemed ── … 16)
and one who pronounces blasphemously the Name of HASHEM shall be put to
death, …” – Leviticus 24:11, 16, The Torah, the Stone Edition.
“And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD [YHWH], and
cursed. … 16) And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD [YHWH], he shall
surely be put to death, …” – Leviticus 24:11, 16, King James Version.
I have boldened the words “blasphemed” and “blasphemeth” because in Hebrew
these two words come from “nāqab.” The word has different meanings.
“בַקָנ (nāqab) pierce, bore; blaspheme; appoint.
The basic physical sense of the verb nāqab is demonstrated in the context of
Joash’s temple repair project. The priest Jehoida bored a hole in the lid of a
chest for contributions. Elsewhere, Haggai (1:6) speaks figuratively of the
futility of work which fails to honor the Lord, …” 1
As my Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament shows us, the verb nāqab can
signify “bore” or “appoint.”
The King James Version translates the verb nāqab as “bored” in 2 Kings 12:9, and
“pierce” in 2 Kings 18:21. And “strike” in Habakkuk 3:14. So, by extension, this
word can mean “to pierce” as in speech, or to give a “piercing remark.” Truly, this
is tantamount to cursing or blaspheming.
“ … The ingenuity of modern lexicographers is indeed taxed. … But this verb
also translates curse, blaspheme. Is this so because one is thereby
distinguishing another as bad (so Koehler), or is there not a closer tie with
piercing, striking through? Some lexicographers (BDB) consider this last
sense of nāqab to be a different root naqab II, a by-form of the root nābab
“curse,” found only in Num 22and 23, but the reverse relationship could as
likely be the case.” 2
So, it becomes clearer that the word nāqab can mean either “to blaspheme” or “to
pierce through.”
Even in the time of the Prophet Nehemiah, the Jews were wondering just how the
verb nāqab in Leviticus 24:11 and 16 was to be interpreted. The traditional way
(and certainly the correct way) was that it was to say that it meant “to blaspheme.”
Taking all this into consideration, the correct rendering of nāqab, Leviticus 24, would
read, “And the son of the woman of Israel blasphemed the name of the LORD, and
cursed. … 16) And he that blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to
death. …” – Leviticus 24:11, 16, NET.
“Scholars have arrived at a number of interpretations for Deuteronomy 6:4,
and there has been much debate over the meaning of the text. Because there
is no other verse in the Old Testament that resembles this passage, scholars
are unable to verify that any interpretation of this verse is completely accurate.
In An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, Bruce K. Waltke explains the
complex grammatical factors involved in translating a verbless clause (the
term YHWH or Yhwh is the same as Jehovah).” 3
The Jews soon decided that they would be safer not to even say or pronounce the
divine name YHWH. And, soon after the Prophet Nehemiah, they began to play it
safe in regards to the name of YHWH. They came to interpret that Leviticus 24:11,
16 commanded them NOT to even pronounce the name because it was so holy ──
which is the same reasoning behind why most Jews won’t even write out the name
God ── instead it’s G_d. Yet, they are sorely mistaken.
From the time of the Prophet Moses to the period of Jeremiah, the name YHWH
was used without any fear of repercussions. The Lachish Letters ── a series of
letters written in carbon ink containing ancient Israelite inscriptions in Ancient
Hebrew on clay ostraca, that was discovered by British archaeologist James Leslie
Starkey in January–February 1935, written around the time of Jeremiah, use the
name Hoshacyahu (Jehovah). Showing us that it was commonly used even in their
everyday speech. However, around the time of the Prophet Nehemiah, this changed.
“ b) Pronunciation and usage. The pronunciation of the divine name as
‘Yahweh’ rests upon Samaritan tradition given by Theodoret (Iaβέ with β
vocalized softly; cf. Δaβίδ), also upon evidence given by Clement of
Alexandria (Ιaovέ), by the Elephantine papyri which have yhw and yhh, by
ancient inscriptions which render the name Achaz with Yauhazi, the
abbreviated form of the divine name Yah, lastly names like Abiyahu.
Alongside the name Yahweh which was used not only in literature but also in
common ordinary life, as is proven by the Lachish ostraca from the time of
Jeremias, Yahu is found as a name in its own right. Most often however, this
form appears in nominal compounds. The form Iaω, found in later writers,
shows that it was also vocalized Yaho. From Yahweh too was derived Ya-u
which the Masoretes pointed as Yo. In postexilic times the use of the divine
name Yahweh became less frequent. This may be seen by comparing
Chronicles with Samuel and Kings. Nehemias almost wholly shuns its use.” 4
So, about the time of the Prophet Nehemiah, there was a movement to be careful in the
use of the divine name YHWH. The Jewish people were told to not even utter the
name. As time went on, the use of the name became even more prohibited. And its
use was finally confined to only the high priest and only on the holy day of the Day
of Atonement. Note ──
“JEHOVAH, an erroneous pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton of the
four-lettered name of God, made up of the Hebrew letters Yod He Vav He (הוהי).
According to Bible scholars, the proper pronunciation of this name was
Jahveh. As early as Bible times, however, in obedience to the provision of the
Third Commandment that forbids taking the name of God in vain, this name
was never pronounced except once a year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement in the Temple at Jerusalem. The people, however, never spoke the
name at any time; …” 5
Even more historical facts are expressed in the Jewish Encyclopedia ──
“After the death of the high priest, Simon the Righteous, forty years prior to
the destruction of the Temple, the priests ceased to pronounce the Name
(Yoma). From that time the pronunciation of the Name was prohibited.
‘Whoever pronounces the Name forfeits his portion in the future world’ (Sanh,
XI. 1). … It appears that a majority of the priests in the last days of the Temple
[the Second Temple; during the time of our Lord Jesus and the apostles] were
unworthy to pronounce the Name.” 6
So there we have it ── from the death of Simeon the Righteous or Simeon the Just,
a Jewish High Priest during the Second Temple period. Around 300–273 B.C., the
overall majority of the priests in the Temple were not permitted to even pronounce
the name of YHWH.
What Are We To Make Of It All… Then?
A lot.
Had our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, used the sacred Name in public ── even
once ── He would have been reviled by everyone in the whole of the Jewish
community. The Jewish people would have NEVER given Him a hearing. They
would have considered Him utterly blasphemous. Neither the Scribes, Pharisees, nor
Sadducees considered Him or His followers in disobedience or in violation of the
Jewish law of the biblical prohibition of uttering or pronouncing the name YHWH
in the first century. There is no hint of this within God’s living word.
There is no proof that our Lord Jesus ever used the name YHWH.
What our righteous Savior obviously did, as did the others, was to substitute the
word Adonai (which is “Lord” ── Kurios in Greek) when He spoke of the Eternal
God of the Old Testament, or He used the term “Father” when referring to the other member of the divine family of God. This was a common term that even the Jews
utilized as a substitute for YHWH.
It's important to note that our Lord Jesus told us how to pray. He tells us to pray, “’
Our Father in heaven, …’” Whenever He prayed, He used the term “Father”
throughout. So, even though He certainly didn’t approve of the self-righteous
scruples of the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, concerning the prohibition of the
pronunciation of the name YHWH, nevertheless, He was prudent in not offending
them too much. He worshiped God our Father in spirit and in truth ── not in
pronunciations or Tetragrammaton’s!
“’ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’” –
John 4:24.
Is “Yahweh” or “Jehovah” even the Correct pronunciation?
Certainly, a question can be asked ── Is Yahweh (Yah: Pronounced like “Ya” in
“Yamaha” and weh: Pronounced like “way” in “wayward”) or Jehovah (a
Latinization of the Hebrew הָוֹהְי Yəhōwā) truly the right pronunciation?
Well… in truth, the Jews, after the time of Simon the Righteous (around 273 B.C), lost the understanding of just how to pronounce the vowels that were to be used.
And, they even admitted that they didn’t really know. So then, where did
scholars and the ingenuity of modern lexicographers for YHWH get their modern
interpretation? Surely, if all these sincere people who absolutely insist that we must
use and pronounce God’s Name YaHWeH, or JeHoVaH, from whence did it come?
Here is information that I have found. Those pronunciations themselves come from
the Samaritans. The Samaritans never had the prohibitions as the Jews did over such
matters. They continued using the Name Jabai (IaBar) in their own dialect. Indeed!
Even the modern pronunciations, which scholars believe may closely resemble the
ancient pronunciation, came from the Samaritans and by “accident” ── not the Jews!
“Biblical Hebrew, often referred to as Classical Hebrew, is the ancient language in
which much of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) was originally written … Biblical Hebrew evolved from the Paleo-Hebrew script, an early writing system
closely related to Phoenician. Over time, this script gave way to the “square”
Aramaic script, which remains the basis for modern Hebrew writing.” 7
“It was certain Christian groups who began pronouncing the name as “Jehovah.” In
his commentary on Genesis, R.R. Reno says this happened because in the Middle
Ages, Jewish scholars inserted indications of vowel sounds — the “points” … —
into the Hebrew Bible, indicating the Tetragrammaton should be pronounced
“Adonai.” By then, the Jewish practice was never to pronounce the name of Yahweh,
substituting “Adonai” or another word in its place. However, non-Jews then
mistakenly combined the vowels of “Adonai” with the consonants of the
Tetragrammaton, accidentally inventing the name “Jehovah.” 8
So, since the Jews “officially” decided to forego their guessed pronunciation of
YHWH after the death of Simon the Righteous, it is in the direction of the Samaritans
for the supposed pronunciation.
However, the truth of the matter is thus ── the pronunciation of YHWH should be
of little consequence to us. It is abundantly evident that our Lord Jesus Christ (along
with the apostles) never uttered it. Instead, He told us to use the Name “Father” for
YHWH.
In this glorious present age, we now have access to the great Ancient of Days ──
YHWH or God the Father ── the God Most High (Genesis 14:18; Luke 1:32, 35;
8:28). It is God our Father’s holy Name, but what is more important is it is He who
is now “Father” to all who have become His begotten children, and that we NEVERblaspheme His holy and rightoue name! □
Bibliography:
1) Harris L. R., Archer, L. Gleason, Jr., and Waltke K. Bruce. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1980,
#1409, pg. 595.
4) Heinisch, P., Theology of the Old Testament, The Liturgical Press, 1950, pg. 51.
5) The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, KTAV Publishing House, Inc., New York, 1969, pgs. 54, 55.
6) Umair Mirza, The Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol IX, Funk and Wagnalls Co., New York and London, pages 162,
163.
7) Biblical History.org, History of Classical Hebrew, 19 Jan. 2025.
8) Schachterle, J., Ph.D., Bart Ehrman, YHWH: Meaning and Etymology of the Tetragrammaton, 27th July
2024.
Cathrin Schaer of Deutsche Welle just posted the following concerning a future
Islamic “NATO” ──
Is the Middle East about to get an ‘Islamic NATO’?
25 September 2025
There was very little the Gulf state of Qatar could have done against the ballistic
missiles Israel fired at it around two weeks ago. …
“The Israeli strike … shakes Gulf assumptions about their ties to the US and will
bring them closer together,” Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab
Gulf States Institute in Washington, wrote shortly after the attack. “These oil
monarchies are too much alike … such a direct strike on their sovereignty and
perceived safety is anathema to them all.”
As a result, “Gulf rulers are pressing ahead with the pursuit of greater strategic
autonomy and are increasingly determined to hedge against the risks of depending
on the US,” Sanam Vakil, director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North
Africa program, confirmed in an op-ed in UK newspaper, The Guardian, this
month.
All of this is why, over the past week or so, there’s been growing talk of the
formation of an “Islamic NATO,” a defense alliance of Islamic and Arab states that
could work similarly to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO.
At an emergency summit organized by the Arab League and the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation last week, Egyptian officials suggested a NATO-style, joint
task force for Arab nations. In a speech at the summit, Iraqi Prime Minister
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also called for a collective approach to regional
security. And the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC —
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — said
they would activate a provision in a joint defense agreement, first signed in 2000,
that said an attack on one member state was an attack on all.
The phrasing is similar to that used in Article 5 of the NATO pact. …
Saudi Arabia announced it was entering into a “strategic mutual defense
agreement” with Pakistan. The two countries declared, “any aggression against
either country shall be considered an aggression against both.” …
What the world may see instead of an “Islamic NATO” is the so-called “6+2
format,” explains Cinzia Bianco, an expert on the Gulf states at the European
Council on Foreign Relations, or ECFR. The phrase “6+2” refers to the six GCC
states and Turkey and Egypt.
The idea of an Islamic military alliance is nothing new. In the past, both the
Democratic and Republican administrations have supported such an idea. And, yes,
according to God’s living word ── the Holy Bible ── an Islamic military alliance,
which will include Egypt, will occur. See: Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-8. The
leader of this final alliance is called the ‘king of the South’ in God’s living word.
We do believe that it will involve some type of Arab/Islamic confederation, that is
consistent with Ezekiel 30:2-8, a two-fold prophecy ──
“’ Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Wail, ‘Woe to the
day!’ 3) For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of
clouds, the time of the Gentiles.
4) The sword shall come upon Egypt, And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia, When
the slain fall in Egypt, And they take away her wealth, And her foundations are
broken down.
5) ‘Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands
who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.’ 6) ‘Thus says the LORD: ‘Those
who uphold Egypt shall fall, And the pride of her power shall come down. From
Migdol to Syene Those within her shall fall by the sword,’ Says the Lord GOD.
7) ‘They shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries, And her cities
shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste. 8) Then they will know that I
am the LORD, When I have set a fire in Egypt And all he helpers are destroyed.’”
Now, the prophesied political deal that occurs in Psalm 83:3-8 occurs while the
final ‘king of the North’ is still on good speaking terms with the prophesied final
‘king of the South,’ although they both take crafty counsel against each other ──
“Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they speak lies at the same
table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.” –
Daniel 11:27.
Now, this two-fold political deal occurs before the fall of the United States of
America, which is prophesied to occur in Daniel 11:39, in which the final Catholic
led European civic and military leader acts against “the strongest fortresses with a
foreign god.” It seemingly occurs after the United States loses her sovereignty that
the final ‘king of the South’ is so emboldened to “attack him” ── meaning the
final Catholic-led European leader, which is spoken of in Daniel 11:40.
And, while there will be an alliance according to Psalm chapter 83, notice what our
Lord’s word says regarding its purpose ──
“They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the
name of Israel may be remembered no more.’
5) For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy
against You:
6) The tents of Edom [the progenitor of the Turkish people] and the Ishmaelites
[Saudi Arabia]; Moab [think Jordan] and the Hagrites [they anciently dwelt in the
land known as Syria today]; 7) Gebal [Lebanon], Ammon [modern Jordan], and
Amalek [Turks]; Philistia [modern Palestinians] with the inhabitants of Tyre
[Lebanon] 8) Assyria [whose descendants migrated to Germany] also has joined
with them; They have helped the children of Lot [Moab and Ammon in modern
Jordan]” – Psalm 83:4-8.
This passage is suggesting that the descendants of Israel (which not only includes
the modern state of Israel, but also much of the Western nations of today; the
United States of America, the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth Nations
that includes Australia, and New Zealand) will be eventually attacked by a
“confederation of Islamic” nations from the Middle East, who will also align for a
short time with a final Catholic-led European power.
Certainly, this political deal spoken of in Psalm chapter 83 will involve war and
terrorism—that will be against the modern Western nations, as well as JUDAH, the
modern nation of Israel. And while this biblical prophecy in Psalm chapter 83 has
not yet been fulfilled, we are now witnessing calls from Moslems that appear to
prelude this, as well as the rising of the final ‘king of the South’! □
Dearest Brethren, Co-Workers, and Friends in Christ:
Greetings from Spring Hill, Florida.
This last Sabbath, I visited the brethren there in Fayetteville, North Carolina,
along with my dear Sister. And for the Feast of Trumpets, we traveled to see
the brethren in High Point. What a wonderful gathering! Because of
this, I had suggested a sermon I gave just before leaving, “The Feast of Trumpets and the Church.”
The Fall Holy Days!
The fall Holy Day Season has begun! The glorious and significant
Memorial Feast of Trumpets began the evening of the 22nd to the evening of
the 23rd.
The following Holy Day after the Feast of Trumpets is
the Day of Atonement, or the Day to humble yourself.
It runs from the evening of October 1st through to the
evening of October 2nd.
And then the Feast of Tabernacles begins the evening
of the 6th of October and runs through to the Last Great
Day at sunset on October 14th.
The Feast of Trumpets: Ear-splitting trumpets and the glorious
and powerful return of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Sadly, the majority of nominal Christians are ignorant of the Lord’s annual
Holy Days that are to be kept and observed in the fall season. Yet, each of
these Holy Days is Christ-Centered, and portrays pivotal events in the LORD
God’s Master Plan… From the Beginning!
The Feast of Trumpets not only pictures for us a memorial of the blowing of
warning trumpets, but also it pictures the glorious and powerful coming of
Jesus Christ with His host of angels and the resurrected saints of God ── the
Firstfruits. The ear-splitting trumpet blasts that warn us of the terrible
devastation that is coming upon an unrepentant world and then to the
glorious establishment of the very government of God upon Earth ── the
kingdom of God!
Let me take you through some of the warning Scriptures and how this
wonderful memorial feast fits into the LORD God’s Master Plan.
Notice, Leviticus chapter 23 ──
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24) ‘Speak to the children of Israel,
saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a
sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25) You
shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire
to the LORD.’” – verses 23-25.
In the Old Covenant ── they blew a shofar on this holy day ── well, in fact,
on the first day of every month.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that the trumpet blasts were also a warning for
impending war ── “Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when
they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8) For if the trumpet makes an uncertain
sound, who will prepare for battle?” – 1 Corinthians 14:7-8.
The Apostle Paul ── under absolute divine inspiration ── pleads with us,
brethren, to speak the same thing!
“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
you all SPEAK THE SAME THING, and that there be no divisions among
you, …” – 1 Corinthians 1:10.
Speaking the same thing is very important.
As servants of Christ, we are to cry out unto the world and warn of this soon
coming devastation that has not been since the world began! ──
“’ Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their
transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.’” – Isaiah 58:1.
In my Holy Bible, I have the following passages marked in pink ── which
indicate the blowing of the seven trumpet blasts and the coming of the Day
of the Lord! ──
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all
the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, For
it is at hand: 2) A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick
darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. …”
And, like a recent documentary I just watched on the Black Sunday severe
dust storm that occurred on April 14, 1935, a massive dust cloud completely blocked out the sun!
“ … A people come, great and strong [a massive military army], The like of
whom has never been [some two hundred million strong Islamic army]; Nor
will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations.
3) A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is
like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. 4) Their appearance is like the appearance
of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. 5) With a noise like chariots Over
mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the
stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.
6) Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. 7)
They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one
marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. 8) They do not push one
another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between
the weapons, They are not cut down.”
It reminds us of the American Civil War soldiers marching towards battle.
The march was Napoleonic in style. The use of line formations was deeply
rooted in European military tradition, with origins dating back to ancient
Greece and Rome. These formations were designed to overwhelm enemy
lines and provide a wall of protection for the soldiers. I am reminded of the
Second Battle of Fort Wagner, which took place July 18th, 1863 ── a battle
in which the first all-African American regiment. In all, about 1,515 Union
soldiers were killed, captured, or wounded.
9) They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the
houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. 10) The earth quakes before
them, the heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars
diminish their brightness.
11) The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For
strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great
and very terrible; Who can endure it?”
12) ‘Now, therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, With
fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’
13) So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your
God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. 14) Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave a blessing behind Him ── A grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?” – Joel 2:1-14.
Our Lord Jesus Christ says that this time of tribulation will be worse than it's
ever been since mankind has been on the earth ── “’ For then there will be
great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until
this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22) And unless those days were shortened,
no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake[speaking of His saints]those
days will be shortened.’” – Matthew 24:21-22.
And, having watched the special memorial held for Charlie Kirk. The
thousands upon thousands of God-fearing nominal Christians that gloriously
and boldly speak of our Lord Jesus Christ ── a great many that may not
know the gospel of Jesus Christ, or of God’s Master Plan… From the
Beginning ── but certainly wouldn’t take much for them to be called by
Father God and come to the knowledge of the truth. A passage that I have
recently seen in the light of the Spirit of God ── Joel 2:30-32, and especially
verse 32.
“’ And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and
pillars of smoke. 31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon
into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
32) And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Shall be saved [saved from the occurring devastation!]. For in Mount Zion
and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among
the remnant whom the LORD calls.”
Many will be converted in that day.
Revelation 8:1-6, 7-13; 9:1-20, 21 speaks of the sounding of the trumpets!
“The first angel sounded …” Hail and fire mingled with blood. The third of
the trees were burned up, and all the grass was burned up.
“The second angel sounded …” A great mountain burning was thrown into
the sea, and a third of the oceans became blood. A third of the sea creatures
died, and a third of the ships upon the seas were destroyed.
“The third angel sounded …” A great “asteroid” fell to the earth, named
Wormwood. It fell upon a third of the rivers and on the springs, and a third
of the waters became bitter, and many men died.
“The fourth angel sounded …” A third of the sun was struck. A third of the
moon, and a third of the stars. Meaning, a good third of the day it was dark.
A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.
“The fifth angel sounded …” Satan, the Devil, is confined to the earth and is no
longer allowed to have access to the atmosphere. He is given the key to the
bottomless pit. He is about to release His two million-strong Islamic army.
“The sixth angel sounded …” The release of the two million-strong Islamic
army, along with the four “demons” that had been bound at the great river
Euphrates. They were released to kill a third of all mankind!
And then … even after all this death and destruction on a global scale,
mankind as a whole refuses to repent unto the LORD God! ──
“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, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor
walk. 21) And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their
sexual immorality or their thefts.” – Revelation 9:20-21.
Now… the glorious Feast of Trumpets doesn’t just focus on the bad news ──
it also focuses on the good!
The Good News of Christ! Notice ──
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. …”
Brethren, Co-Workers, and Friends ── we all have that secret place where
we abide under the shadow of the Almighty God Most High!
“ … 2) I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in
Him I will trust.’” – Psalm 91:1-2; read also verses 3 – 16.
The sounding of the seventh trumpet ── “but in the days of the sounding of
the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would
be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” – Revelation 10:7.
Our Lord Jesus Christ asks us all if we truly believe this glorious mystery of
God! ──
“ … ‘ I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes[on]Me, though he
may die, he shall live. 26) And whoever lives and believes[on]Me shall never
die. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?’” – John 11:25-26.
“’ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes[on]Him
who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has
passed from death into life.’” – John 5:24.
So… IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TROUBLES OF THOSE DAYS … and
something that the Spirit spoke to me, the sky will open up! Notice ──
“’ Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall[or rather, disappear]from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
Think of a massive portal opening in the atmosphere and there…
suddenly… the Son of Man appears in heaven!
30) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven[the atmosphere],
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. 31) And He
will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather
together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’” – Matthew 24:29-31.
The glorious resurrection of His saints is recorded for us in 1st Corinthians
chapter 15 ──
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep [not all die], but we shall all be changed ──
52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the
trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed. 53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality.” – 1 Corinthians 15:50-53.
“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the FIRST RESURRECTION. Over
such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” – Revelation 20:6.
Suggested Sabbath Day Service
Here is our suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered brethren and
friends around the world:
TWO songs of praise. (Our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, is suggested;
there are some Instrumental accompaniments to the Bible Hymnal
available on our website.)
Opening prayer.
Announcements – from the deacon or pastor. An announcement that I
would like to give is a prayer request: Please keep Paul Platsky of High
Point in your prayers. Also, John & Charlotte Mitchell of the Rocklin
ICG, and David & Princess Johnson. Also, please continue to keep
Minister Robert Nunnery in your prayers.
Here in this letter, I will briefly go over some world news in relation to biblical
prophecy. In an upcoming article, I will cover this news more thoroughly.
In the United States of America ── the devastating and heinous
assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was a nominal Christian! and who
had good biblical morals and was a Sabbath-keeper, has dominated
the mainstream media. There are a few who are greatly concerned about a
civil war/unrest because of his murder. (See: AP - Political leaders confront security concerns — and fear — after Kirk’s assassination).
In many Western nations, the use of marijuana has become legal. Yet, studies
continue to show that smoking or consuming marijuana is harmful. Recent
research points to problems for unborn babies whose mothers used
marijuana while pregnant. Also, there appears to be some fertility issues
associated with it (See: Fox News – Cannabis use rises among pregnant women despite serious fetal risks).
Also in the news – US President Donald Trump addresses the UN. He
delivered a powerful rebuke to the destructive globalism that has fueled
endless conflict and chaos around the world. unapologetic in proclaiming
American strength as he unveiled a bold vision for sovereign nations to unite
against the true threats of terrorism, unchecked migration, biological
warfare, and loss of cultural identity. (See: the White House – At UN, President Trump Champions Sovereignty, Rejects Globalism).
Something that God’s Spirit ── God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ
── has taught me this past week. A fresh look at ‘He shall rule them with a
rod of iron.’
“’ And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will
give power over the nations ── 27)‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
…’” – Revelation 2:26, 27.
Many teach this as a rod of “anger” or “discipline.” As punishment. And that
certainly can be one aspect of a “rod of iron.” But let us think of a shepherd
and his flock. What does a shepherd use a rod for?
Protection: The Shepherd's rod is used as a defensive tool to fend off
predators and those who would attack His sheep.
Guidance: The Shepherd's rod can be used to guide His sheep and keep
them on the desired path.
Counting: The shepherd's rod can be used for counting His sheep. He
can hold up His rod and have each of His sheep pass under it, allowing
Him to keep track of the number of His true sheep that are in His loving
care.
Discipline: The Shepherd's rod of wood or iron can also certainly be
used for the discipline of an unruly sheep. If one of His sheep strays too far
or behaves inappropriately, the Shepherd may use the rod to gently
discipline, ensuring that His sheep stays with the flock.
Brethren, we are to co-rule in the glorious kingdom of God not only with
discipline and authority, but also with love, mercy, and protection.
Blessings from the LORD God to you all, Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in
Christ. Now, this article is going to be on the Feast of Trumpets, which will soon
be here for this year of 2025. And it may take me a couple of days to type this
article up ── and I’m sure that sometime down the road it will become notes for a
sermon. The Feast of Trumpets and the Church.
Greetings to all this beautiful, holy Sabbath. A day that is set aside for man to keep
holy and to remember always the fact that we do have a rest day today, and that we
are looking forward to a time when all the Earth has a beautiful rest day. Hello, here in Spring Hill, Florida. And, as I just posted on our Facebook page, I had a
great Labor Day weekend. My dear brothers and sister-in-law who live here in
Florida visited over Labor Day weekend, along with my dear Sister from North
Carolina, and we had a wonderful Sunday get together. A good meal and good
fellowship.
Well, I am so happy to be able to come to you from my desk here in our office,
publish this online, and it goes to all of you throughout the world! What a
wonderful century we do live in! I do all my work, typing, along with audio and
video recording, here in this office. As I was telling my Sister, I’ll soon begin
recording new sermons. And I hope and pray that the COJCOM can grow with
many new servants of God within this year.
Truly, the LORD God (the Elohim, the family of God – which at this time consists
of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) has opened a most wonderful door for
us, brethren ── and, I’m speaking for all of us brethren. The ability to see and hear
in this 21st century God’s living word. And, it’s not just hearing God’s truth from
just the COJCOM, but from the LORD God’s servants that are throughout the
United States and abroad. Because each of our members may be teaching in their
own style, but we are all of one body. Something that I thought about this last
Sabbath service that I had with my dear Sister from North Carolina. Watching and
studying Minister Stan Roberts ── Transcending the Ordinary. It was wonderful to
know that ICG is teaching the same as us in regards to Matthew 24:14. Speaking of
the end-time prophets – the Two Witnesses spoken of in Revelation chapter 11.
The Purpose of the Feasts of the LORD
Each year, God wants us to remind His people of His Holy Days and their purpose.
To remind us every year of the awesome meaning that these days picture.
Officially, here in Florida, fall began this last Labor Day, and we are officially in
the fall Holy Days season. The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall Holy
Days of 2025. In fact, the SEVENTH MONTH of the year begins this year on the
Feast of Trumpets! September 22nd in the evening till September 23rd in the evening. This holy feast has great meaning: the Feast of Trumpets. This
Holy Day should indeed remind us that the blowing of trumpets symbolizes
WARNINGS.
Sir Winston Churchill ── who was a great leader and stateman for Britain, during
World War II, once gave a statement as he spoke to the Senate, and of the House of
Representatives of the United States in 1941, “If you will allow me to use other
language, I will say that he must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that
some great purpose and design is being worked out here below of which we have
the honor to be the faithful servants.” Well… certainly God Almighty is working
out a purpose here below. Truly, whatever the LORD God does is dual-in-nature.
As an example, there was a first Adam who was physical, and there was a second
Adam who was a quickening spirit. Everything is done dually. Another
example, there was a first Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and there will be a second ──
a final Catholic-led European civic leader (Daniel 11:39-44).
God ── and by “God” I mean Elohim, the family of God ── are reproducing
themselves. Yet, there is another great purpose, both being dual in nature. One
physical and the other spiritual. They are reinstituting the government of God upon
the planet Earth. The government of God, at one time, was to have been
established upon Earth, but it was not. It is not established as yet upon the Earth,
but the Lord GOD is in the process of reinstituting it through His Church.
I gave a sermon four years go now, the title, “God’s Master Plan… From the
Beginning.” In that sermon, I take you through ── from the time when there was
only the LORD God (John 1:1), to the time when the “morning stars” sang together
at the creation of the Earth. Then to its ultimate destruction (Genesis 1:2), to
Earth’s renewal (Psalm 104:30) ── and these festivals of the Lord’s were brought about from the material harvests, the physical harvests in Palestine. And in God’s
view, Palestine will be the future Headquarters of the Earth when New Jerusalem,
the holy city, comes down out of low Earth orbit, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband (Revelation 21:1-2). Ancient Israel’s headquarters was there ── and
thanks be to President Donald Trump, as of December 6, 2017, the United States
officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel! And of course,
our Lord Jesus Christ was there in the holy city of Jerusalem when He started the
Church. So, in other words, the physical harvests are used to picture a future
spiritual harvest. The duality again. The physical and the spiritual.
My whole life, I have known of the Lord’s festival seasons that the LORD God has
that no other churches know anything about. And if they have heard of them, they
are to them but “Jewish feasts.” Yet we know that the LORD God clearly tells us,
“’ The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations,
these are My feasts.’” (Leviticus 23:2). They are not the ‘feasts of the Jews’! Of
course, Earth’s seasons begin in the spring. And so does the LORD God’s. It begins
in the spring with the LORD’s Passover. In the Old Testament, the LORD’s
Passover pictured the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt through the LORD God’s
intervention. Now prophetically this pictured, of course, looking towards the time
when Jesus the Christ - the MESSIAH - would come and be the Passover Lamb (1
Corinthians 5:7), sacrificed for all mankind for the sins of the world (John 1:29; cf.
John 3:16-17).
It's quite a solemn festival; the fact that it pictures for us our Lord
Jesus Christ has paid our penalty in our stead should bring us great humility, hope,
and love ── and joy in knowing what He has done for us all.
Let us continue focusing on this article, the Feast of Trumpets.
The Feast of Trumpets certainly, along with warnings of trumpet blasts,
announces the powerful and glorious Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ
── along with our heavenly Father, all the righteous angels, and the saints. In fact, let’s go back to the Book of Leviticus, chapter 23, and read for ourselves concerning
the Feast of Trumpets ──
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24) ‘Speak to the children of Israel,
saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a
sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.’” – Leviticus
23:23-24.
They blew a shofar on this holy day ── well, in fact, on the first day of every
month, and I’m speaking of God’s sacred calendar, not the Gregorian calendar we
use, named after the Catholic Pope Gregory XIII. A sacred calendar that truly
begins in the spring, around March/April. It begins when life begins anew – and
new life is born. The beginning of a new life!
This sacred calendar begins when the LORD God created life to begin ── in the
spring. The fourth festival, which is the first day of the seventh month. It pictures
our Lord Jesus’ Second Coming.
The Trumpets Revealed by Jesus Christ
The Book of Revealing – the Book of Revelation – outlines the LORD God’s
future use of trumpets. And this dire warning Message is for the entire world, and
concerns tribulations which will occur just before the glorious and powerful return
of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
“When He [Jesus Christ] opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for
about half an hour” – Revelation 8:1.
Again, this Feast of Trumpets ── the first day of the SEVENTH MONTH.
Now, we believe that the first four of these trumpets are in conjunction with the
prophesied “end time prophets” which are spoken of in the Book of Revelation
chapter 11, which finalizes with the “Two Witnesses” – Revelation 8:7-12.
Then, there comes the FIFTH TRUMPET BLAST – Revelation 9:1-11.
That ‘fallen star’ being Satan the devil, and his demons being thrown into the
‘bottomless pit’ just before the glorious and powerful return of Jesus Christ, His
saints, and His angels! – cf. Revelation 20:1-2. Back in the 1st chapter of the Book of Revealing, our Lord Jesus Christ tells us that “stars” can represent angels –
Revelation 1:20.
Then comes the SIXTH TRUMPET BLAST – Revelation 9:13-19.
The SEVENTH TRUMPET BLAST – “but in the days of the sounding of the
seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished,
as He declared to His servants the prophets” – Revelation 10:7.
The LORD God is speaking about a time here when there is NO MORE DELAY.
SEVENTH ANGEL, SEVENTH TRUMP! THIS IS THE RESURRECTION
TRUMP! And you can turn to 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 and 1st Corinthians
chapter 15, and we can read about this very event! – “The mystery of God would be
finished.” In fact, this is the culmination of the event which is depicted by all of
God’s prophets down through history. Certainly, all of the prophecies we read
about that are yet to be fulfilled, such as in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 2, Micah
chapter 4, and even in the Book of Habakkuk, where it says, “For the earth will be
filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.”
All of God’s prophets have looked to this moment in time! And here it is about to
unfold!
“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven [the
atmosphere], saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of
our Lord [God the Father] and of His Christ [our Lord Jesus Christ], and He shall
reign forever and ever!” – Revelation 11:15.
The BLOWING OF THE SEVENTH TRUMP is that event where the saints of
God – living and dead – are resurrected and brought into full-time eternal
membership in the family of God!
Again, the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ ── along with our heavenly
Father, all the righteous angels, and the saints, the Church of God.
What is the Church of God?
So, the Firstfruits of God ── the Church ── is coming down from low Earth orbit
to the Earth along with Father God, our Lord Jesus, and all the holy angels. And
the Church is being prepared for the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus, when we
will co-rule with Him on Earth.
But why the Church? We certainly need to know. Because the LORD God is
coming with the Church, and we need to know just what the Church is, why the
Church is, and what its purpose is.
Multiple millions of people go to a church every Sunday, yet do not know what the
Church is, why, or for what purpose. WHY IS THERE A CHURCH? When my
wife and I took a trip to Bryson City, North Carolina ── an absolutely beautiful
small town ── but on nearly every street corner, a church building. You ask the
average churchgoer, “What is the Church?” Often, they will answer that the church
is a building with a steeple.
And, not to change the subject, but back in 1984, during Y.O.U. class, one of the
boys in class gave a report on why church buildings have steeples. Look it up sometime. It’s fascinating!
A steeple on top of buildings pointing to heaven, and then there’s a cross on its
façade. They claim that a church is a building where people of the same faith
gather together. “People go to church.”
Yet, that is not what we find in God’s living word. We find that the Church went to
a building ── usually someone’s home. They didn’t have a building at all when
the Church started out.
Ginormous Cathedrals sprang up from a false church ── the Mother of Harlots
and of the Abominations of the Earth. Our Lord Jesus’ original Church didn’t have
anything of the kind at all! They met wherever they could. Today, the LORD God’s
called and chosen begotten people follow this. We do not have a building; we hold
Church services in homes or rent accommodations ── such as hotel meeting
spaces.
The very word “Church” in God’s living word is- the word church is
mentioned in the 7th chapter of the Book of Acts. That word is ekklēsia, meaning
“congregation, assembly; a group of people gathered together.” Notice verse 38 –
“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness …” – referring to the
Prophet Moses. “ … with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, …” The
church in the wilderness that was back on Mount Sinai with the Prophet Moses. It
was a church, but usually it’s called “the congregation of Israel” and not the
“church of Israel.” Yet, the word church in Greek means the same as congregation.
They were a called-out group of people in the Old Testament. The church, or rather
the congregation of Israel. Understand, they didn’t have the glorious Holy Spirit
within them. The Church in this present age has God’s Spirit. We are called the
begotten of God – the children of God. They, however, were only the physical
children of Israel; we are the spiritual children of God. There is a great difference.
The Church Began A.D. 33 – the Day of Pentecost
The Church of God received the glorious Spirit of God on the Day of Pentecost,
A.D. 33. That is when the Church began. Our Lord Jesus Christ had prepared the
Church for 3 ½ years. He taught and trained His disciples to become apostles. He
trained them and taught them of the glorious gospel of the kingdom to’Go
therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever He
commanded.’
Again, what is the Church? Interestingly, what most of the people of these worldly
churches apparently don’t know is that, even if they read it, our Lord
Jesus was born to be a King. Even that small Sunday church that I had attended a
couple of times back in 2014 wasn’t teaching that our Lord Jesus Christ is coming
back to “execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly” (Jude 15). To be
a mighty and powerful King. O,’ they like to preach that He is King of kings and
Lord of lords ── I heard them announce that often. But do they truly know what
that means? They honestly don’t preach or teach that JESUS is coming as a King;
they simply say Jesus is a Savior. Or, they portray Him dead on a cross or a little
baby in a manger. They do not portray Him as He is ── having a garment down to
His feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair white
like wool, His eyes a flaming fire, His feet as fine brass, as if refined in a furnace,
His voice sounding like many waters, His countenance shining like the sun in its
full strength! A powerful and glorious Creator God!
You see… the way these worldly churches picture it ── and I saw this live and in
full vivid color ── when I had to watch the 2004 film, The Polar Express. This
life, they picture, is a one-time train ride, a once-in-a-lifetime. Here, The Polar
Express train magically appears in the middle of the night to whisk away children
for a ride to the “North Pole.” At each stop, the “conductor” is encouraging children
to make a decision to board or choose not to. A metaphor for you going to heaven or not. Because if the train stops and “the conductor” beckons you to come aboard,
you say, “Alright, I accept Christ,” then the train, where it would end up all along,
drops you off in heaven. But, if you choose not to board the train ── then you’ve
missed your once-in-a-lifetime ride to heaven.
Well… of course, this is not at all what God’s living word teaches us. But a lot of
people believe that, and they’ve been deceived. Satan, the Devil, is the great
deceiver who has deceived the whole world (2 Corinthians 4:4). Our Lord Jesus
was born to be a King. And He came to announce a soon-coming kingdom. A
government. The Church of God teaches of this soon-coming government! You
certainly don’t hear these worldly churches teach about the Church of God and the
glorious government of God. And, that our Lord Jesus Christ ── the soon-coming
King of kings and Lord of lords ── that we, brethren (God-willing), are going to
co-rule with Him in His kingdom. They actually don’t believe this at all. They
don’t say anything about this ── because they are, for the most part, ignorant of
this living truth. They pretty much teach and believe that all you have to do to be
saved is live your life “righteously” – under whatever definition they have as
righteous, just accept our Lord Jesus Christ, and then you will be saved and will
spend eternity with Christ in heaven.
Turning the channels on the truck radio before, while traveling through
Mississippi, I literally heard a radio preacher announce in a southern accent, “The
Bible says… when y’all get to heaven!” Yet, nowhere in all of God’s living words
is there one mention of “man going to heaven.” And neither will y’all. God’s living
word says ── in fact, our Lord Jesus Himself, “’ No one has ascended to heaven
but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man …’” – John 3:13.
The Coming of the Second Adam
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, was the second Adam. The LORD God, from the
beginning, had a Plan in mind. And they created first the physical man ── “He
created them MALE AND FEMALE, and blessed them and called them Adam
(Mankind).” – Genesis 5:2. The first man was called Adam. But then, the spiritual phase of the LORD God’s Plan begins with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as
the second Adam. It’s the spiritual phase.
So, why did our Lord Jesus come to Earth? Ultimately, for a dual purpose. First, He
came to qualify to be a King. We find this in the 9th chapter of the Book of Isaiah
── “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And THE
GOVERNMENT will be upon His shoulder. …” So, He came to be our Savior. His
name being called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace, and Emmanuel ── which means “God with us.” He is truly the One
Seed in whom all families, nations, provinces, and countries on Earth are going to
be blessed, as their Savior. So, yes, He came to save us and to gift us eternal life,
but He also came to begin the establishment of the government of God upon the
Earth!
The government of God has not been established, yet, upon the Earth. The first
Adam had that opportunity to do so ── but he chose not to. And as I was saying,
the spiritual phase of the LORD God’s Master Plan began with the second Adam, who was our Lord Jesus Christ.
There were these two symbolic trees in the garden of Eden. One tree represented
mankind’s ability to learn on their own the knowledge of good and evil, and the
other tree represented the receiving of the glorious Holy Spirit of God. The
knowledge of good and evil ── meaning the taking to oneself the knowledge of
what is good and what is evil. And that’s certainly why, throughout this present evil
age, you see people have different definitions of what is good and what is evil.
A book in my library, “This Fabulous Century” under the title “A Meddle of
Matrons” has a photo of club members of the Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase,
Maryland in the 1940s. The opening of the text reading, “A ubiquitous and
powerful figure on the American scene in the ‘40s was the clubwoman, devouring
culture and cake, fighting Communism and overweight, preserving historical
monuments, sponsoring child welfare and playing a great deal of bridge.” 1 And, I
might add ── advocating for women's suffrage. But, “advocating for women’s
suffrage” began from the very beginning ── with Eve. Because Adam ── played,
just went along with his wife. And in this sense, Adam was not deceived. Yet,
Adam made the decision for the whole world.
The LORD God made that decision binding on the whole world, until the
government of God is to be established upon the Earth. Which means it is binding
for 6,000 years. And it has been binding, except that God the Father would call out
of this world a few to come to Him. Otherwise, the people of the world are cut off
from Almighty God. And we read of this in the last verse of the 3rd chapter of the
Book of Genesis ── “So He [the LORD God] drove out the man; and He placed
cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned
every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” – vs. 24. This, of course, represents
the fact that the LORD God did not want mankind, after having sinned and not
repenting of their sins, to then take of the tree of life and gain eternal life and live
forever ── in sin.
The LORD God desires that mankind should NOT have eternal life and live
forever in sin. Because sin is the breaking of God’s immutable Law (1 John 3:4),
and when you break God’s Law, it will bring upon you pain, suffering, and negative
consequences. God’s living word says that there are repercussions for neglecting
divine statutes, ordinances, and judgments. The LORD God says there will be
either blessings for obedience or curses for disobedience. And, because we were
created with Free Moral Agency, you have the right to live your life with curses for
disobedience unto the LORD God. The LORD God desires us to live forever in
love, joy, peace, longsuffering (which means, patience), kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).
Are you aware that back in the time of the great Flood ── which was a worldwide
flood-- there are many non-biblical and even pseudepigraphic writings that do point
to a worldwide global flood. Also, oceanic fossils are found on mountain tops
around the world. Cultures in all parts of the world have some form of flood
legend. The LORD God destroyed the people of the earth at that time, except for
the Patriarch Noah and his family. He saved them from the rapidly growing
wickedness, evil, and violence that was filling the whole world. A time when “the
sons of God” ── descendants of Seth, a son of Adam ── were intermingling with
the bloodline of Cain ── “the daughters of men.”
And God our Father has called certain men and women. As an example, He called
Abel out of the world, our Lord Jesus called him, “’ righteous Abel.’” Also, there
was Enoch, who had walked with God (Genesis 5:24), and Noah, who also walked with God and was a just man, perfect in his generations. Then there was Abram, in
whom God made all of the promises that we all have to rely upon to Abraham.
Then, the descendants of Abraham became slaves to Egypt, four hundred and thirty
years, and then God called them out and made the children of Israel His chosen
nation.
And of course, they were but one nation in the world. He gave them His Law ──
summed up in the Ten Commandments. And, they also had His civil laws for the
regulation of their nation and neighbors. Also, they had religious laws that were
temporary until the arrival of our Messiah. But the LORD God did not gift them
the glorious Holy Spirit. They were still cut off from God’s Spirit, but His holy
prophets were blessed with the Spirit of God. His prophets were kind of, founders
of the New Testament Church of God.
As God’s living word tells us, the “saints and members of the household of God,
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
Himself being the chief cornerstone.” – Ephesians 2:19, 20. The Apostle Paul here
is not speaking of New Testament prophets. In fact, there were really only FOUR
PROPHETS spoken of in the New Testament, beginning with Simeon ── a just
and devout man, who waited for the Consolation of Israel, and having the Holy
Spirit upon him, having come into the temple by the Spirit. And when Joseph and
Mary brought in the Child Jesus, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God, and
spoke a prophecy, declaring that Jesus was the Son of God. Also, there was the
Prophetess Anna, who was of great age and served God with fastings and prayers, night and day, gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked
for redemption in Jerusalem (Luke 2:25-38).
“’ The time is fulfilled’”
So, the LORD God (the Elohim, the family of God) is reproducing themselves ──
which is a large part of God’s Master Plan… From the Beginning. And, the LORD
God must save all of humanity from the grave rebellion that Satan the Devil has
led humanity into ── and onto ultimate Death. And so it required a blood sacrifice
── it required a Savior to pay our penalty so that we won’t eternally die.
Again, except for a very few that were called by Father God, all of mankind was cut off from access to God’s Spirit ── the Holy Spirit ── until the second Adam.
Until ‘the time was fulfilled.’ Our Lord Jesus Himself plainly said, “’ No one
can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; …’” – John 6:44. So,
these worldly evangelists that preach up a storm, “whosoever may come!”
WHERE IS THAT IN GOD’S LIVING WORD? There is, in the last chapter of
God’s living words, in which “the Spirit and the bride [the Church of God; the
saints of God] say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who
thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” – Revelation
22:17. But this is not speaking of this dispensation. This is after the glorious
Millennial Reign of our Lord Jesus, after the “Great White Throne Judgment.” This
is not during this present evil age. Indeed, at this moment, “whosoever may come”
CANNOT come.
Why is the Church of God?
What is the Church’s purpose? Its purpose is that we are spiritually being trained to
be leaders in the government of God. And it is a matter of ‘government’ and nearly
none of this world’s evangelists understand this ── they don’t realize that it is all about
the government of God. We are to be spiritually trained to be leaders in the
kingdom of God, and to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ
── to co-rule with our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not to die and “go to heaven, and
have perfect communion with the Holy Trinity, i.e., the ‘beatific vision’” 2
Think upon this, brethren… when our Master, Elder Brother, Savior, our God
returns, He will not rule alone. Regarding the prophesied 144,000, they will be sort of like what we would call “the Cabinet” – advisors to the president. And I
think these one hundred and forty-four thousand have a similar role, but there are many more of them. They are with Jesus Christ; they go wherever He goes! When
you think about the president, when he takes a trip, he’s got all these people that
are on the trip with him. Some people protect him, some people advise him, some
people are his spokespeople. And, I just get the feeling that this hundred and forty-four thousand has the same type of role. That they are indeed pillars in the
Kingdom of God! They go wherever Jesus goes! Now, think about that.
We are to co-rule with our Lord Jesus. In the 3rd chapter of the Book of Revelation,
we see the Apostle John ── under divine inspiration ── that this co-rulership applies to the Church of God. Our Lord Jesus said, “’ To him[speaking of the
members of the Church of God]who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My
throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’” And, in
the 2nd chapter of the Book of Revelation, He says, “’ And he who overcomes, and
keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations ── ‘He
shall rule them with a rod of iron; …’” We are going to co-rule the nations of the
world. We’re going to sit with our Lord Jesus on His throne.
So, again, we are being trained to CO-RULE with our Lord Jesus when He returns!
GOD THE FATHER AND OUR LORD JESUS ARE GOING TO ESTABLISH
THEIR GOVERNMENT ON EARTH WHEN THEY COME!
Spiritual Gifts
Turn with me if you will to 1st Corinthians chapter 12 ──
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, …” – speaking to His chosen and
begotten people. “ … I do not want you to be ignorant.”
Verse 4 – “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” There are a variety of
spiritual gifts, but they come from ONE SPIRIT.
Verse 5 – “There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.” So there are
ways in which the people or the ministries are dissimilar, yet are all led by the
same Master.
Verse 6 – “And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works
all in all.” So, there is a range of different things, but the same God is working in
all.
So, this false concept that the LORD God is only working in one man at a time is
not correct! The LORD God is working in many people all at the same time.
Verse 8 – “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the
word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to
another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to
another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of
[languages], to another the interpretation of [languages]. But ONE AND THE
SAME SPIRIT WORKS ALL THESE THINGS, distributing to each one
individual as it wills.”
We, brethren, do not all have the same abilities to do the living work of God. The
LORD God blesses certain individuals with the abilities to perform certain
operations within the Body of Christ. These different abilities are for the glorious
work of the Church of God. The same Spirit is working in each and every one of us.
He has blessed me to do one thing, and He has blessed you to do another, and so
forth and so on.
The Church of God Is ONE BODY
Verse 12 – “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of
that one body, being many, are ONE BODY, so also is Christ.”
So, it’s not many churches ── it’s ONE CHURCH, ONE BODY.
In other words, it’s not the Church of the East, Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern
Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism, or Restorationism. It’s not the Baptists,
Lutheranism, Methodism, Moravianism, Quakerism, Pentecostalism, etc. It’s not
the Latter Day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, La Luz del Mundo, and Iglesia ni
Cristo, etc. The Church of God is but ONE, as Christ is One. One body. “For as the
body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body, …” WE ARE ONE.
Verse 13 – “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into ONE BODY …”
How
many churches? ONE.
How many different bodies? ONE.
How many churches are
you baptized by the Holy Spirit into? ONE. ONE BODY.
Verse 18 – “But now God has set the members, EACH ONE OF THEM, in the
body just as He pleased.” So, the LORD God has set you in the Church of God.
We will never go out into our cities and towns, knock on your door, and ask if
“you’ve found God? Would you like to be converted?” God’s begotten children have
never done that! We simply preach and teach the gospel of the good news! We
announce the good news! But no one can come to Jesus unless the Father calls
them first. So says God’s living word!
Verse 20 – “But now indeed there are many members, yet ONE BODY.”
Again, not many churches. Only ONE!
Verse 22 – “No, much rather, those members of the body which to be weaker ARE
NECESSARY.”
We don’t all have the same spiritual strengths. Some may look at me and say, “You
should be doing more!” Well… It’s possible that God placed me in this position to
do less important things ── yet, it is important to the overall Plan of God. It could
be.
Verse 25 – “that there should be no schism in the body, …” – meaning, split or
division. And, you might have noticed that the Church of God is gravely divided
── due to apostasy and the introduction of false doctrines, and certain leaders
lusting for wealth and power. (See: THINK ABOUT THIS... The Nicolaitans). “
…but that the members should have the same care for one another.” Again, sadly,
we are not seeing this as we get closer to the end of this present evil age. (See:
“You're Not Welcome Here!”).
The Church of God is not to be divided. Because there are not two churches, or three
churches, or a whole plethora of churches of God. There is only ONE CHURCH.
Verse 26 – “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one
member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
In truth, spiritually speaking, if one member of God’s true Church suffers, all
members suffer. “ …’ you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love
one another.’” – John 13:34.
Verse 27 – “Now you are the BODY OF CHRIST, and members individually. And
God has appointed these IN THE CHURCH: first apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties
of [languages].”
Now… this is explained more explicitly in the Book of Ephesians chapter 4, where
the Apostle Paul says that our Lord Jesus Himself “gave some to be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” I speak of what an
“apostle” is in the article Personal From… Armstrong Religion. And, to say that
there are no “prophets” within the living Church of God in this dispensation would
be a mistake ── because we do know that toward the end of this present evil age, there will come on the scene, end-time prophets.
Some great revelations were given to Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. Almighty God
and our Lord Jesus Christ did use him mightily at various points in his life to restore and recapture certain major truths of God's Word; however, since 1980,
with the enormous growth of God’s grace and knowledge, we do indeed understand – as we get closer to the end-time, that we will begin to realize just how close we
are. We don’t know when Jesus Christ is going to return. The only advice we have
is ‘watch and pray.’ Keep an eye on world news, keep an eye on world events, keep
an eye on things that are happening.
Mr. Armstrong was not given the revelation that God is not and will not be relying
on the often half-hearted efforts of humans to fulfill the prophecy of Matthew
24:14. But that Almighty God and Jesus Christ will soon rise upon the scene
possibly twelve ‘end-time prophets’ – who will indeed proclaim the gospel
Message of the soon-coming Kingdom throughout the world as a WITNESS TO
ALL NATIONS – a final WARNING – and they will be ‘delivered before
synagogues and prisons, before kings and rulers for Christ’s namesake’ – (cf. Luke
21:12) – and shall be martyred!
But anyhow ── “He Himself gave some” within His Church … 12) for the
equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, …” – and that work as we saw
earlier is the preaching and teaching the gospel of the good news, along with the
LORD God blesses certain individuals with the abilities to perform certain
operations within the Body of Christ ── all for the edification of the body of
Christ. So that we continue to grow in God’s grace and in the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ to help co-rule the entire world when He returns.
Verse 13 – “till WE ALL COME to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ.”
That we be no more divided in faith, doctrines, or the preaching of the gospel ──
“children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.” WHEN WE ALL
COME, BRETHREN, TO THE UNITY OF FAITH, WE WILL ALL BE
SPEAKING THE SAME THING!
And, sadly, at this moment in time, we are gravely divided.
We Are ‘Children of God’
Turn with me a couple of pages to Ephesians chapter 2 ──
Notice verse 19 ── “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
Whether you have the outstanding blessing to have the ability to gather together
with brothers and sisters in a local congregation or you do not ── the
congregations are too far away, we are all in the household of God. We are all members in the family of God, as we also read in the Book of 1st John chapter 3 ──
“Beloved, now we are children of God; …” We are not yet born again, we are only
begotten. But, we are already children of God. “The Spirit itself bears witness with
our spirit that we are children of God.”
Verse 20 – “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”
And I speak of this glorious cornerstone in our article THE LIVING STONE. Our
Lord Jesus Himself is the whole foundation, because the apostles and prophets are
all built upon Him.
Verse 21 – “in whom the WHOLE BUILDING, being fitted together, grows into a
holy temple in the Lord.”
“God’s Word clearly states that a third temple will be built! One of the last
messages our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave in His human life, He talks about
the ‘abomination of desolation,’ or the ‘abomination that makes desolate,’ spoken
of in the Book of Daniel several times. And, Jesus said, “’ Therefore when you
see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, STANDING
IN THE HOLY PLACE’ … ” – talking about a temple – in Jerusalem.”
Now, of course, we understand that there is no temple in Jerusalem today. For over
forty-four years of my life, I have heard servants of God ask the question: Will
there ever be a third temple built in Jerusalem? Because this speaks of a time when
a final European ‘beast’ power and a final ‘false prophet’ stand in what has been called the holy place, where the Jews are and will be doing government-granted
animal sacrifices once again. They will come in and set up an abominable idol that
will be a complete desecration of this temple, just like Antiochus IV Epiphanes did
when he sacrificed swine in the temple of God.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is not coming with a physical temple. He is coming with His
holy saints ── for we are, brethren, His spiritual temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1
Peter 2:4-5). We are building His spiritual temple with God’s Spirit within us.
Again, our Lord Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone.
Notice here the 4th chapter of the Book of Ephesians ──
Beginning in verse 15 ── “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all
things in Him who is the head-- Christ ── 16) from whom the whole body,
joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, …” So, again, ONE
CHURCH. ONE BODY. Not many churches. But, rather we are joined by the Holy
Spirit and knitted together by the Holy Spirit, “ … according to the effective
working by which every part does its share, CAUSES GROWTH of the body for
the edifying of itself in love.” So, notice, the true Church of God ── many
members, one body ── are joined together by the Holy Spirit.
His wife has made herself ready.
Alright now, in closing, let’s turn to chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation.
Let’s begin with verse 6 ── “And I [the Apostle John, in vision, on the island that
is called Patmos] heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of
many waters as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord
God Omnipotent [which means, having unlimited power] reigns!”
Our Savior Jesus Christ is coming! That, brethren, is what we are truly celebrating
this holy Feast of Trumpets! And the bride must make herself ready!
Verse 7 – “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the
Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
