This is the 8th day; The Last Great Day takes place at the conclusion of the millennium. Judgment is now on us – the house of God. During the millennium – all who have ever lived will be judged as we are now being judged.
John 7:
37 In the Last Day, that Great Day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
The Last Great Day is the Last Judgment. It will be the Great White Throne Judgment period. Judgment is NOT now on the World. – Just Us! It will be a day of closure, A day of completion of the Plan of God.
Few understand why we are here. Today is a Solemn Assembly.
Leviticus 23:
36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you.
Revelation 20:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Then we come to the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
Today is not the day of salvation for the world – they will be judged in the Last Great Day period of time.
Salvation does not come simply with hearing the Truth – and not living it. We must DO what God says.
John 5:
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believeth on Him [God the Father] that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming [speaking of the Last Great Day], and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
It is coming – it is a given!
John 5:
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming [again, the Last Great Day], in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
This will be the time of the resolution of everyone’s status.
John 5:
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
We come to the point where it is “God’s Way or not.” The choice is clear – there will be no more fun and games. The time for man to decide is coming to a close.
We come to Isaiah who is writing in a retrograde fashion – the last first, then second to last – and so forth… backwards in chronology.
Isaiah 65:
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
That is because the sinners knew what was expected – and refused to DO it.
Next, we see that the face of the earth has been prepared during the millennium for those who will come up in the Last Great Day resurrection.
Isaiah 65:
21 And they shall build houses [billions of them], and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. [Peace in the Millennium]
22 They shall not build [all those homes], and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [hundreds of years] are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain [their labor is for those coming up on the Last Great Day], nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
Offspring shows that this work is generational in nature. They lead into the Great White Throne Judgment.
Isaiah 65:
24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [Kingdom of God], saith the LORD.
God has given us a vision of what will be going on in the future. The Holy Days show us the Plan of God. The Last Great Day is a Feast for all who have ever lived – not having been called by God.
God has given us a vision of where current events are leading, and what will soon happen to the nations of Israel, the people of Israel, that have been scattered around the world.
The fulfillment of this Great White Throne Judgment Feast is for ALL who have ever lived.
The resurrection of all mankind will be orderly and complete.
In past sermons we have seen how each generation will be resurrected in a methodical way. It will not be an uncontrolled mass resurrection in confusion and chaos.
We are not going to encounter twenty billion naked crazed victims of Satan’s rage – without directors or instructors.
There is a Biblical principle that demonstrates that it is the father of a family who bears the primary responsibility to raise up his offspring in the way that he should go.
In the Last Great Day God will bestow a special grace with His Spirit being poured out – not only in the millennium but these verses apply equally in the era of the Great White Throne Judgment. And the hopeless offspring’s heart will be predisposed to hear the words of their parents.
Joel 2:
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Ezekiel 37:
14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 59:
20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and forever.
See how the verse spans from generation to generation.
Brethren, I do not subscribe to a resurrection of 20 to 30 billion hopeless people – all instantaneously – at one time. The Bible does not reveal the order – as far as I have found.
I do speculate on a definite trend that I do find in the Scriptures.
Jesus Christ instructed Adam Face to Face – they are old friends. I believe that Adam will be resurrected first – along with Eve. Remember that righteous Abel will have been alive for 1000 years – all through the millennium.
Adam will be shamed faced for his sin and what it did to the world. Adam will repent and be converted; then Eve, and next Cain. Generation after generation will follow every three or 3½ years. (Look at the length of Jesus’ ministry, how long He taught the apostles and later Paul – that is time enough for conversion.)
Converted people will instruct and work directly with their own children – and we will also be there saying, “This is the way – walk ye in it.”
We will see that God’s plans to bring about the Great White Throne resurrection will be a magnificent operation of logistics and planning. God is not just going to “Poof!” billions and billions of people into life without adequate food, clothes, housing (as we saw in Isaiah 65:21) and the necessities of life – including transportation, communication and most importantly – family ties.
There is the millennium:
Revelation 20:
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him [Jesus Christ] a thousand years.
And then follows the Last Great Day and the Great White Throne Judgment period:
Revelation 20:
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [were cast], and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 And I saw a Great White Throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
There is a Godly order to the resurrections:
1 Corinthians 15:
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Revelation 20:
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 5:
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth... [not only in the millennium – but in the Last Great Day/Great White Throne Judgment period as well.]
We, as spiritual beings, will be the ones who will say to the physical citizens of the world tomorrow, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”
Isaiah 30:
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
The resurrected saints will be monitoring the events of the millennium – the entire time.
Isaiah 30:
20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: [We will walk among them and interact with them.]
(Title from this verse:)
Isaiah 30:
21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. [We have seen when this monitoring process begins.]
Beginning after the tribulation, in the world tomorrow, there will be a small remnant of physical people who will multiply and fill the earth once again. They will have been slaves in captivity all around the earth. God will round them up and bring them home.
Jeremiah 30:
3 For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again [from] captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land []holy land of Jerusalem and Israel.] that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. [That is the land of Palestine.]
Ezekiel 37 is about this Feast Day we are celebrating today. All Israel and all nations will live again.
Ezekiel 37:
8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them [the bones], and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. [still dead]
9 Then said he unto [Ezekiel], Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as [God] commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, [that is the breath of life – but there is more]
11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
Ezekiel 37:
13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14 And I shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall Live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. [Just as in Joel 2:28]
There is a problem:
All mankind will have learned that life is a hopeless situation – you play the game of trying to get it all – and then you lose and you die – it is a hopeless situation.
That is what these 6000 years have been for – to teach the lesson that without God… it is hopeless!
Let’s go to the 2nd resurrection. The 1st resurrection was on the Resurrection Pentecost just before Jesus Christ returned to establish the Kingdom of God on earth 1000 years previously.
Last Great Day message: We saw this verse a moment ago:
Isaiah 30:
21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Peer pressure and culture are negative influences for most of the world – but in the World tomorrow there will be peer pressure to conform to the way of God – to be a part of the success story and happiness - This is the way, walk ye in it.
Having lived lives of spiritual battles against Satan and society, and having overcome those as well as bringing our own lives into submission to the will of God , our know-how will be used to advise, counsel and teach the new generations of God's family.
We will be reigning and ruling with Jesus Christ – at His direction. There will be order and peace and a growing willingness among mankind to make God’s way work – rather than the greed, lust, war, fighting and antagonism that is so pervasive in today’s world.
We will have spiritual gifts like “discernment” to know without a doubt – the right information and timing to bring about God’s Will in every situation. After all, we will be glorified sons and daughters of God with supernatural abilities. We will be teaching the residents of the World Tomorrow things like the Beatitudes and cause and effect.
We will teach by example:
Brethren – God has given this to us – He never gave it to Israel.
Deuteronomy 30:
1 return (from captivity) to God and obey – with all heart and mind. [circumcision of the heart] …you may live.
God will offer the New Covenant to ALL in the LGD – the eighth day.
God is only going to use a comparative few from this generation – we are Holy and set apart.
Jeremiah 3:
14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
We are a very select people that God has called at this time.
We will teach God’s Way in the Millennium and in the Last Great Day of the Great White Throne Judgment.
All these vast hoards of people have never been fed the Gospel. At the time of the Great White Throne Judgment God will give all people – Pastors, Teachers, Kings, Priests – all saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”
But think about this: These resurrected peoples will have learned the hard lesson of “hopelessness.” At their resurrection they will be predisposed to rebellion. They will be contentious and full of strife and fight.
They will have learned one thing for sure – “Don’t trust anyone.” They will have been abused by false teachings and Godless men. They will trust no Pastors, Teachers, Kings, or Priest.
2 John 1:
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.
Let’s talk about hats:
Mothers “wear many hats” – it is an idiomatic expression. She wears the hats of a mother, wife, cook, lover, homemaker, teacher and friend…
I make this point t demonstrate that Jesus wears many hats also:
Revelation 19:
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.
Jesus has a unnumbered amount of duties and responsibilities: Messiah, Lord of Lords, Wonderful, Counselor, King of Kings, Savior, Master, Lamb of God… the list goes on and on…
Ask yourself this question:
If Jesus were sent by God the Father to your congregation today – looking like an ordinary citizen – do you think that He would be recognized as a faithful minister of God? Or would He be considered to be another bad minister in the congregation’s eyes?
Here is why I ask this question:
We have seen that Jesus Christ is returning soon – as a Conquering Hero.
Everyone loves a Conquering Hero! Here’s why I ask this question. How many ministers today present themselves to their congregations in that role?
They seek loyalty to themselves.
They boast of their accomplishments – their great works.
They are “power” ministers – always in charge of everything.
They assert their own authority.
They become the “Alpha Male Peacock.”
They enter the room with their head held high, their chest thrust out and shoulders back. It reminds you of Napoleon except for the military uniform – like a Conquering Hero domineering. After all, isn’t that the way that Jesus will return?
Matthew 20:
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant.
By the time we come to the fulfillment of the Last Great Day in the Plan of God, Jesus will have come to the earth twice – in two roles. (hats)
The Door
John 10:
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Revelation 19:
14 And the armies [resurrected saints] which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
O yes, we will return with Jesus Christ on white horses as conquering heroes, if …we have first learned what it means to enter the door.
What are some of the attributes of the door? We find them in:
Galatians 5:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance:
However, none of the resurrected saints will be desirous of vain glory.
Galatians 5:
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Many church leaders and ministers relate very well to the role of conquering hero – but do we relate to Jesus Christ who came as the Door – the Lamb of God?
Do we put on His compassion, patience, mercy, faithfulness, humbleness, forgiveness, - even meekness, kindness, giving generosity, helpfulness – being unassuming and not demanding? That is the Door.
Those are the traits reviled and deplored by the world today. Jesus was killed for portraying all of these attributes in His way of life – because He is the Door by which we must enter.
Frankly, I do not think that the modern era of the Church of God has concentrated sufficiently on these concepts and the characteristics of Christ – which we must put on.
Would Jesus stand a chance of being recognized today – in any of our political corporate organization congregations – whose leaders choose rather to emulate the Alpha Male Peacock Conquering Hero?
Do we understand the difference in the two roles? First, we must enter through the door – in this lifetime – if we are to return in power with Jesus in the resurrection and at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Like Jesus, we must be the sacrificial lamb – willing to daily lay down our life – just as Jesus did.
Jesus’ life was not taken from by force – He lay down His Life for us.
John 10:
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
When was the last time you put everything on the line for someone’s sake.
Brethren, that is exactly the qualifying role for us as well. In the Great White Throne Judgment period – when all men awaken to physical life – they will know – they will remember how they were taken advantage of and abused – molested – killed…
Their first impulse will be to want to strike back, get revenge, bash and thrash those who are nearest to them…
How will we be able to convince them of “God’s better way?”
How will we be able to say to them, “This is the Way – walk ye in it?”
God will be giving them His calling – melting their hearts – pouring our His Spirit in them.
We will not teach them to be Conquering Heroes – but how to enter the Door.
We will teach them to be sacrificial lambs.
We will teach them to be servant’s servants.
That is the only “door” by which they can enter into God’s Kingdom. Do not be deceived.
We will not be walking among those battered peoples of the Great White Throne Judgment period as Conquering Heroes. NO!
Nor will we establish a “pecking order” – and there-by teach them how inconsequential they are, and that they must look up to us.
We will truly be their servants. That is not an attractive scenario to some – those who can’t wait to be the big dog – the “top-dog.”
Are we wise enough to discern the difference? Yes, Jesus will see to it that our unrepentant and recalcitrant enemies come and recognize that we were indeed the Children of God.
Revelation 3:
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
In this live, brethren, we have got to learn how to enter that “door” and not be competitive and contentious – but “helpers of their joy” – even now – in order to qualify to be teachers in the Last Day.
2 Corinthians 1:
24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy:
God will have good Pastors – not evil taskmasters:
Jeremiah 3:
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
God always gives us what we need. He sent Judges to ancient Israel when they need that structure in their society. Even now God is providing our needs with some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28).
In the Great White Throne Judgment period they will recognize those God has sent to them.
Jeremiah 3:
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD [representing God’s throne]: neither shall it come to mind [because Jesus will be there – ruling from Jerusalem]: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
Will they obey God? Will they love His Law?
Will they go through the “Door?” – Having learned to do the principles of true Christianity?
With God’s Holy Spirit, they will repent – just like we were granted repentance. They too will worship God.
All will hear the Gospel – because all families are blessed in Abraham.
The Second Resurrection is to fleshly physical Life, for those people never before “called” by God.
John 11:
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
John 11:
24 Martha saith unto [Jesus], I know that [Lazarus] shall rise again in the Resurrection at the Last Day.
Jesus wanted Lazarus to be in the First Resurrection – isn’t that fantastic?
John 11:
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
John 11:
43 And when [Jesus] thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
And Jesus wanted this First Resurrection privilege to be extended to many others as well.
Matthew 27:
52-53 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection. [to physical life to be lived as Christians.]
Those people who were baptized and received God’s Holy Spirit, will not be in the second resurrection. If they were faithful, they will be in the first resurrection – if they were unfaithful, they will be in the third resurrection.
The purpose of the second resurrection is for all people to be able to know God, be converted and go on to salvation. All who have ever lived throughout history, not having been partakers of the Holy Spirit, or tasting the good word of God, will be resurrected back to their physical lives, as we saw in Ezekiel 37.
For most that have ever lived, this will be their opportunity for salvation:
Luke 3:
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Joel 2:
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.
John 3:
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus died for all men.
The Last Great Day is the Final phase of God’s Plan.
Today represents the fulfillment of the Plan of God for all mankind.
End: This is the Way – Walk Ye in It.
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"This is the Way – Walk Ye in It" |
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