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The Biblical Overview of The Plan of God, Part 7B

Tabernacles:  “The Kingdoms of This World Are Become The Kingdoms of Our Lord and His Christ”

This is how we ended our last study:

Here is the holy spirit itself giving us the correct order of events as they are preordained to take place after “the marriage supper of the Lamb” which takes place at the beginning of the thousand-year reign (Rev 19:7):

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 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.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead [who were not reigning with Christ for a thousand years] lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [reigning with Christ for a thousand years] is the first resurrection.
Rev 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 a thousand years.
Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  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. [“A great multitude which no man could number”, (Rev 7:9)]

We will resume with our study of the spiritual significance of the sixth festival which reveals the sixth step we must take in our study of The Overview of the Plan of God-The Feast of Tabernacles-7B

It is of utmost importance that we remember that  Christ and His Word are not just “is and was”. He and His Word are also that “which is to come”:

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

Rev 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him [future tense], and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail [future tense] because of him. Even so, Amen.
Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Rev 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Christ Himself emphasized this characteristic of His Word which words are the words of the holy spirit:

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [Things which “Ye cannot bear… now”]

When we internalize and spiritualize every word of God we are denying the expedient and integral part which the physical realm plays in the plan of God. If we internalize and spiritualize our promised reward of ruling with our Lord over the nations of this world for a thousand years we are essentially saying this present age will never end and death will never be destroyed.

It is common for many to say, “The Word of God is not just ink on paper. It is spirit and it is life.” That certainly is true, but that is not the sum of the Lord’s words concerning the nature of His Word. This part of His Word is also true:

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other. (ACV)

‘Ink on paper’… “that which is written” has its place because it keeps us from leaning to our own understanding as the holy spirit gives us the discernment to rightly divide the sum of ‘that which is written’:

The thousand-year reign will be done through reigning “kings and priests”, and the purpose for that period of rulership “with a rod of iron” is to lead all of mankind into the “short season” of Satan’s deception of the nations, in which “short season” He will persuade them to rebel against Christ and His Christ. This rebellion following a thousand years of being ruled by the Lord’s elect will demonstrate all that is in the hearts of all men and it will give God the occasion He is seeking to destroy death via the annihilation of all flesh, signified by “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” (Rev 20:9). Death simply cannot be eliminated from this earth while physical flesh exists and continues to multiply.

Rev 20:8  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.
Rev 20:9  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. [“The nations which are in the four quarters of the earth”]

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

This “occasion” God is seeking to destroy (death) is symbolized by the feast of tabernacles and the last great day. It is the events that take place in these last two steps in the overview of God’s work with mankind in vessels of clay which provide God with that ‘occasion’. He is seeking to harvest all the rest of mankind who were not part of the first two firstfruit harvest offerings, Christ, the first of the firstfruits, as signified by the Passover, and His Christ, the firstfruits of the summer wheat harvest, as signified by Pentecost and the two leavened loaves. It is an unbreakable Biblical principle that God always gives Himself “an occasion” to do what He has already “determined before to be done.” Here is are just a few examples of God doing just that:

Gen 15:16  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines [signifying the flesh of all men] had dominion over Israel. [“The sins of  the (Philistines) was not yet full”]

Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.  [Christ and “His Christ”]
Act 4:27  For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28  For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel  determined before to be done. 

God already knows what He is in the process of doing, and it is simply a matter of waiting on him to do what He wills to do:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

Isa 48:14  All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

Isa 46:10  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Tabernacles is in the seventh month and is at the time of the third and final harvest “at the year’s end”:

Exo 34:18  The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib [The spring barley harvest]: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

Exo 34:22  And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks [Pentecost, seven weeks after the first spring harvest] and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

Tabernacles is called “the feast of ingathering at the year’s end” because Tabernacles signifies the time the Lord takes to lead mankind to rebel against the reign of Christ and His Christ, and to “compass the camp of saints about [at which point] fire will come down from God out of heaven and it will devour the nations in the four quarters of the earth.”

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  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.
Rev 20:9  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 [“The nations in the four quarters of the earth”].
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

In the third and last harvest “in the year’s end”, it is in God’s counsel and His “foreknowledge” (Act 2:23) to begin harvesting “all in Adam.” It is the feast of tabernacles with its attendant last great day in which His soul desires to start that final harvest process through which He has declared that He will “destroy death” (1Co 15:26).

Exo 23:16  And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours [Pentecost], which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering [Tabernacles], which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

Tabernacles is at a time of harvest, and it is at the time of the final harvest.

It is Christ Himself who has revealed to us that “The field is the [whole] world”:

Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Christ’s crucifixion is signified by the first firstfruit barley harvest. Here are the other two harvests as they are presented to us in “the Revelation of Jesus Christ”:

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, [The gospel which has been preached since Christ]
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. [This is the judgment which “begins at us… at the house of God”, (1Pe 4:17)].
Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. [God’s elect come out of Babylon, (Rev 18:4)]
Rev 14:9  And the third angel [3^rd signifying the process of judgment] followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, [The previous chapter tells “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond… receive a mark in their right hands and in their foreheads”, (Rev 13:16)]
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: [God’s elect suffer the torment of the seven last plagues. That torment is signified by the same “fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” which those in the lake of fire endure. The difference between these two groups is a matter of timing and a matter of reward].
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. [What are these verses, 6-11 telling us? Here it is:]
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

This “wrath of God” mentioned in Revelation 14:10 which is poured out as “fire and brimstone” upon those who have “the patience of the saints… that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” is reiterated in the last verse of the very next chapter of Revelation:

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple [1Co 3:15-16] was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. [Aorist tense… ‘being fulfilled’]

Those who are fulfilling the seven plagues of the seven angels are the same “blessed and holy… few” who will “have part in the first resurrection”:

Rev 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 a thousand years.

In this same 14^th chapter we also have the final harvest “at the year’s end”. This is the harvest of those who are called “a great multitude which no man could number, those who had not yet “died in the Lord”, but who also  must “come up through great tribulation [in the lake of fire], and wash their robes… white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14). Here is the harvest of the feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, which is contrasted with the Pentecost harvest of verses 6-13.

Rev 14:14  And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man [Christ the first firstfruit], having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. [The Word of God, also called “fire from God out of heaven”, (Rev 20:9)].
Rev 14:15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 
Rev 14:16  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Rev 14:17  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:18  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. [Grapes are the third and last harvest “in the end of the year”].
Rev 14:19  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [“The lake of fire”]
Rev 14:20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. [“Fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them” (Rev 20)]

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Rev 19:21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Revelation 19:15 demonstrates that “the winepress” signifies “the wrath of Almighty God.” That wrath is on display for all men in both resurrections.

Does any of this sound anything remotely like a doctrine which teaches that “at the beginning of the millennium only believers will be alive… it will be a time of peace unparalleled in history… a time of “heaven on earth”??? Nothing is farther from the Truth. At the beginning of the thousand years the ten kings signified by ten horns on the beast will be at war with Christ and He will dash them to pieces as a potter’s vessel:

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

That is how the thousand year reign begins and the “rod of iron” continues its work throughout  the thousand years in the hands of the Lord’s elect.

That is not how many Christians think of the one-thousand-year reign of Christ. They can see the words “He shall rule them with a rod of iron”, but they cannot perceive nor understood nor teach in the churches of the great harlot that Christ and His Christ will rule the nations with a rod of iron throughout the thousand years. The ministers of Babylon are convinced of the false doctrine of a thousand years of great revival and of peace and prosperity. Many acknowledge the rebellion at the end of the thousand years, but they do not see that “the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth” are annihilated by the fire that comes down from God out of heaven:

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  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.
Rev 20:9  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. [“The nations in the four quarters of the earth”]

 Here is a typical example of what is generally taught in the churches of this world:

“At the beginning of the Millennium, only believers will be alive (Revelation 19:17-21), some who live through the Tribulation Period, and some who come back with the Lord at His second coming. It will be a time of peace unparalleled in history (Isaiah 2:4; Joel 3:10; Micah 4:3). Jesus will be ruling on the throne of David, imposing a benevolent theocracy on all of His creation. Jesus will ensure that everyone has every need fulfilled, while not tolerating the sin so prevalent in today’s society (Psalm 2:7-12; Revelation 2:26-29; 12:5; 19:11-16). We can only imagine such a time of “heaven on earth.”

“The believers who live through the Tribulation will be mortal. They will live and repopulate the earth during the Millennial Kingdom. Without the devastation of sin taking its toll, we can imagine the population increase during the Millennium will be enormous, almost incomprehensible. All those who are born during the Millennium will enjoy the benefits and blessings of Christ’s reign on the earth, but they will still be born with a sin nature, and they will still have to freely repent and believe the Gospel, personally choosing Christ as Savior and Lord.

“Yet, at the end of the Millennial Reign, Satan is loosed and is able to deceive a vast multitude to follow him in one final rebellion against the Lord of glory and His saints! It seems that the further humanity gets from the end of the Tribulation and the start of the Millennium, the more they will “take for granted” how good they have it, and some may even harbor doubts about the goodness of God. Even though the number who rebel with Satan are said to be “as the sand of the sea” (Revelation 20:7), they may still be a minority compared to the number who do not rebel. It will still be a large number of souls who join Satan. Undoubtedly, one of the primary reasons God gives us this picture of what will happen in time is to demonstrate the deep-seated sin nature inherent in all of humanity (Jeremiah 17:9).

“Additionally, God is trying to tell us something about His nature as displayed during the Millennium. His grace and goodness will be on display continually. But at the end of the 1000 years, He will have zero tolerance for rebellion. When it happens, He will show no mercy and offer no “second chances.” At that time He will be quick to judge, and the final rebellion of Satan and sinful man will be over in a flash of fire. After this, the final judgment of the dead takes place (the Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15). Eternity can thus begin with every aspect of sin gone for all time.

“Finally, God is trying to reinforce some very important lessons concerning Satan himself, especially for believers. First, that he has been and always will be the enemy of humanity. As God has fixed His love on us, Satan has for us a special hatred. Ever since Satan’s fall (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28), he has been the adversary of believers, and he is aptly described as the ultimate deceiver of mankind (John 8:44; 1 John 2:22). All he can give or promise man is death and destruction (John 10:10a). Satan is also shown here to be a truly defeated foe, and his ultimate doom is certain, along with the doom of all who follow him. God is trying to remind us that Satan is a created being who is powerless before Him (2 Corinthians 12:7). All this should encourage believers today to take God at His Word concerning our position in Christ with respect to the devil (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 4:1-7; James 4:6-8; 1 John 2:15-29; 1 John 4:1-3), especially as we remember this grand truth: “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).” [This excerpt is taken from this link: 

http://www.gotquestions.org/release-Satan.html#ixzz3Kr4TUNoo]

Here are the verses that were given to prove his statement that “At the beginning of the Millennium, only believers will be alive (Revelation 19:17-21), some who live through the Tribulation Period, and some who come back with the Lord at His second coming.”:

Rev 19:17  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Rev 19:19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 19:21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

You have to be spiritually blind if you fail to see that this is the last half of Revelation 19 which manifestly tells us it is speaking of the lake of fire which is first seen only after the thousand-year reign is finished.

This “supper of the great God” takes place after the thousand-year reign, and it is contrasted with “the marriage supper of the Lamb” in the first part of Revelation 19. ‘The marriage supper of the Lamb takes place at the first resurrection at the beginning of the thousand years.

Rev 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. [“For a thousand years]
Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

 “The supper of the great God” is referring to the destruction of “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” and the casting of the beast and the false prophet “into a lake of fire… when the thousand years are expired” as is demonstrated in the following 20^th chapter:

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  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.
Rev 20:9  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.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The entire thousand-year reign separates these two contrasting “suppers”, yet this commentator is telling us that “the supper of the great God” at the time of “the lake of fire” proves that “only believers will be alive at the beginning of the millennium”.

So there it is. We have seen what the Bible says about the last two steps of the plan of God for all men of all time, and we seen how the scriptures are contrasted with what the churches of this world tell us the Bible says.

We did not get to what the scriptures reveal about why the leaders of this world will be made to hand over their rulership to us, and we did not get to what leads up to the rebellion against our rulership at the end of the millennial rule signified by the diminishing number of bullocks being offered throughout the seven days of the feast of Tabernacles.

In our next study we will examine the spiritual significance of the fact that seventy bullocks are offered and the fact that the rams, lambs and a goat for a sin offering remain constant while the number of bullocks decline throughout the seven days of the feast of Tabernacles.

In everything God is doing we will find that He is doing it “through Christ… by the church”:

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: