JESUS THE REIGNING KING OF ALL KINGS
Jesus was crucified, then raised from that tomb of death to fulfill the scriptures the Jews are blinded to. He has been in heaven for almost 2000 years in an immortal body, and what the Jews do not even suspect is that their Messiah, when He reigns in the seat of David, will not be subject to being shot down by an enemy, as their kings of other ages were. When He does come to be their Messiah, He is coming, being the immortal seed of David. No longer will a mortal seed of the house of David be subject to being replaced by another. They will not need to elect Him, and then pray that God will anoint Him. He is coming from heaven, already anointed to be the King of kings and Lord of lords. Therefore, this cloak is significant of what He has the right to do on this planet earth. “And His name is called The Word of God.” That takes us back to St. John, chapter 1, verse 1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” His flesh was not the word of God. You could properly say, The WORD, which was God, made a vessel of flesh to later dwell in. This goes to show in that, was the word for salvation, or of redemption, but this is a furtherance of the redemptive work of God. This is to renew on earth a social order that will be free from the curse of sin. At the same time, it is God’s way of redeeming His planet earth. Just as He redeems His fallen children by His redemptive process, He is going to redeem His earth by a redemptive process, so that when the Millennium is over, in the eternal age, redemption is complete and God has done it all by His own word, through His only begotten Son Jesus the Christ. It is His thoughts executed and fulfilled through the person of His Son, who did not come to carry out a plan of His own, but only to carry out the plan of the Father. I tell you, it is a beautiful picture if we can just see it right and realize what it all adds up to. Not everyone who claims to be in the truth does see it properly, but I appreciate those who do have the Spirit of revelation in them. I had a telephone call from some people who used to live in this area years ago when Bro. William Branham was alive. They live in Texas now. The wife was the one that called me this time. She was disturbed. She said, Bro. Jackson, we want you to know we appreciate you and the church there for The Contender you send us. It has been a great help to us through the years to find our way through the confusion and everything that we are confronted with. She said this happened a few nights back. Some people they had known for years, went to church with, and fellowshipped with, those people she was speaking of, are the type that take everything Bro. William Branham ever said in sermons and put it together to bring out a picture of their own liking. Within that realm a person said, and I presume they were speaking to her husband which is the pastor of that little group, “It is about time you threw the Bible away, and take just what the books say.” I said to her, Yes, those people do not realize they are throwing away eternal life just as sure as two and two are four. As she went ahead describing that contact she said, Here is what was thrown at us. (I believe it came through a telephone conversation, or maybe from house to house, I have forgotten which it was.) The one party said, You know Bro. William Branham said in a certain sermon, that the Lord was coming in 36 years. The question was asked, Well where would you find that? In a certain sermon Bro. William Branham preached in the month of November 1963, that was after the seals were preached. I myself remember, it was in the fall of the year. As he came down to the end of his sermon, he was praying and said, “Father, we know according to our calendar (in his mind, he was thinking of 1963, and looking ahead to the year 2000, with the thought that every 2000 years the Lord does something) we believe that you will come in 36 years, because our calendar says so. And Lord, even those, the scientists, are in doubt as to how our calendar adds up. Therefore Lord, we could be closer, we could be fifteen or twenty years closer than that.” She said, That is not the Spirit of God. I said to her, Yes I remember when he prayed like that, but I did not get that kind of picture. I said to her, Being human, just like the rest of us, He had every right to express his human feelings. In 1963, 36 years off in the future seemed like a long time. At that time, the gay rights movement had not yet gained major recognition in the world moral picture. However, just look at it now. The general trend of morality has deteriorated continually since 1963, and time marches on. I said, Sister, this is just like that 1977 date and a lot of other things this kind of people have held on to. They are people looking for something to hold to, but they cannot take what he said and see anything in the Bible to give them a revelation. They are just jumping from statement to statement, and they are no further up the road (as far as spiritual progress) than they were in 1963. Just pay no attention to them. It will be that way until the very end when the Lord comes and takes His true people out of here. That element will still be sitting around searching through Bro. William Branham‘s sermons trying to find out, where, when, how, and so forth.
A GREAT ARMY COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN
As we read verse 14, in this 19th chapter of Revelation, we see that the Lord is definitely coming back to earth with His Church. I pray to God that we will all see the true picture portrayed here. When we look at ourselves, Do we think we are any better than anyone else in this world? Not one bit. What is there in us that makes us look at things like we do? It is because God has done something inside of us that a lot of these quoters know nothing at all about. He has done it, not because we were worthy, but because He loves us, and He is a merciful God and Father that wants to share something with us. There is definitely going to be a great body of people seen in this event that unfolds from heaven. It is going to be just as real in that hour for you to be a participant of that scene as it is in this hour to sit here enjoying a revelation of truth from the word of God. We have been made a partaker of His grace through the gospel and we are a part of the body of Christ in its earthly journey. If we can be partakers of that now, then I know we can be partakers of that other scene when it is fulfilled. “And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” This is not a denominational clothing shown here. This is none other than the best spiritual material God has in His wardrobe. He has purchased it and made it available for the Bride of Jesus Christ, which is the highest calling of God in Christ that any mortal creature can be called unto. What an honor! What an opportunity we have to be a people privileged to make up part of this scene, and to be with Him when He comes back to execute this part of the Creator’s purpose. When you go back and read the words spoken to the seven churches, in the admonition to one of them, the Lord in His priestly work spoke to John and said, “To him that overcometh will I give power over the nations that he should rule them with a rod of iron.” If He is coming to rule the nations with a rod of iron as it says here, then it means the overcomers that are going to be participants in this scene are not on horses, they are on thrones; but they are coming from heaven on horses. A rod of authority is going to be invested in the Church of the living God, which is the Bride of Jesus Christ. “And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations.” The smiting of the nations will first be those forces gathered together for the battle of Armageddon. Then in the final analysis of that, as we read further in the 19th chapter, it speaks of how the beast and the false prophet are gathered together to make war against Him that sitteth on the throne. When we think how man in this age has designed and built all his technological military weapons, the fast, supersonic jets, with air to air missiles, radar guided and all of that, some of this Bible terminology sounds a little strange; but by the Spirit of God we are given an understanding of the application. Just think of what man is able to do with all this explosive, destructive means that are available today. Think of the world beast system gathered there in the land of Israel, somehow or other, hoping they can hold off this event that is taking place. You can read there in the final verses of the 19th chapter, what it says about how they are gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse and against His army. They may have some ideas of how they can stop that great army from reaching earth, but their ideas are worthless against the KING of kings, which is the LORD of glory. Brothers and Sisters, When you consider your own life, how the devil has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at you, and how at times you feel so discouraged and pressed down, and feel like you do not amount to very much, just remember this, we need to continue on, even if we have to crawl. Many times it is not the man standing upright on the battlefield that inflicts the most damage upon the enemy. Sometimes it is that wounded soldier lying there with what seems to be the last breath ready to leave him, that gets his hands on a grenade, or a gun, and is determined to fight until the last breath does go out of him, that gets the opportunity to turn the tide of battle. I just use that to illustrate to you the importance of pressing the battle no matter how grim the picture looks. We have a promise in the word of God that He will not suffer (or allow) us to be tested beyond what we are able to bear, but with that trial or test God will always make a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. I am fully aware of how almost every saint of God in this hour is having something thrown at them, but it is not because God is trying to get rid of us and it is not because He is going to allow the devil to get rid of us. It is to make us realize that the darkest hour is just before the sun rises, never to set any more. Hallelujah! My point is, Regardless of what the devil may throw at you, just hold on a little longer for we are close to the end, and the whole picture is going to change. Let me read this again, for if we are among those who overcome, we will be a part of what we are reading about here. “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.” Picture Jesus, (as He stated in Matthew 19:28) sitting in the throne of His glory. We know how kings have been shown holding a scepter. It is just a decorated stick. It is not a walking cane. It is a stick that indicates authority. Jesus therefore will rule the nations with a rod. In other words, this is not some little flimsy stick. It is referred to as a rod of iron, which means He is going to have the authority in a disciplinary way, to rule the nations that survive that terrible era of His wrath and judgment. People are going to be brought under subjection to that rod of authority. That is why one of the Old Testament prophets spoke of this. He shall come and take His rightful throne, which is the seat of David. “And the law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, in those days.” In return, all nations will flow unto Jerusalem. Why? Because Jerusalem will be the world capital. As Jerusalem becomes the world capital, this makes it necessary that there come something from Zion and Jerusalem to inform the people of the earth. As we look at mankind today in his modern role, young people, children being born into this world in the future will grow up in life never knowing a thing about God. All they will know is what pertains to this natural life. God only knows the filth, the evil, the perversion and the absence of anything that causes a mortal creature to acknowledge and appreciate God the Creator. Therefore, there is definitely going to be a time as that one thousand year age starts, that it will be necessary for instructions to come forth from Jerusalem, and be applied in the knowledge realm, that the mortal subjects of the world may know how to please the Creator. I have to say this, These environmentalists today are not advocating any of their environmental feelings because they have a love for God. It is not because they love God, nor the earth. They are just on a kick. However, we do know this, the whole world of mankind is reaching a catastrophic state. The waters, the air, nature, and everything, which tells us we have to do something unless God does something first. These liberal minded people do not even realize God foresaw this day before any of us were even born. That day when He burns this earth, as it says in Isaiah 24, and the earth shall be burned and few men left, is because man has defiled the whole earth with his selfish ways. Someone made the statement in a news program, It probably will not be long, until there will be an element of environmentalists rise up with a humane feeling, contesting the slaughter of animals for meat. I tell you, disaster is going to break out when that happens. Before the flood, it is not recorded that man ate meat. Yet there is no doubt that among the Cainite people, there may have been something like that going on. Nevertheless, when the flood was over, God made a covenant with man. Now he could eat meat. That meant the flesh of the animal kingdom. Therefore, from that time down through the ages, man has been eating meat. Does it not seem strange that right here at the end of time you have an element of environmentalists and humanitarians that want to get back to some kind of beginning, and none of it is inspired by God in any way. When God’s wrath hits this planet, some of those creatures they are trying to save as endangered species will be killed just like the rest. In other words, God is going to kill a lot of them, and yet He is going to save a sufficient amount of everything that they may be able to repopulate the earth once again. Furthermore He will use fowl of the heaven and beasts of the field, to come and eat the flesh of kings, of captains, of horses, the mighty, the slaves, and all such like. God has this whole thing in His hands. As I said, When God destroyed the old world, He destroyed the whole animal kingdom with it. He just saved what He had instructed Noah to take into the ark with him. God does not need but two, one male and one female of each species somewhere on this planet; but this time there will be more than that left of most everything. “And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations.” I read that again because I want to be sure you realize, the nations, are people that will still be living, existing in their mortal, physical makeup, just like they are right now. The reason I say this, After over 1900 years of the gospel being preached in this Gentile church world, the average professing “Christian” still does not know how these scriptures apply. They see the end of everything, believing that God will destroy everything except what He changes into immortality, and that those immortal ones will be forever in heaven in the presence of the Lord. They will all be in the presence of the Lord, so to speak, but it will not be off somewhere in the heavens. It will be right here on earth where God placed His human family in the beginning of their existence. All that are taken are coming back to rule with Him. Even among the followers of Bro. William Branham‘s message, there are scores of them that only envision Jesus and the Bride coming back to earth, and God destroying everything, and this is where the Bride is going to have a honeymoon, because that is what the prophet said. I remember when he preached that sermon. It was titled, “The Future Home of the Earthly Bride and the Heavenly Bridegroom.” It was just left hanging like that as though when He comes back to earth God is going to destroy everything and set up His kingdom here on earth, and it will be just Jesus and His Bride having a honeymoon. Well, I suppose you could look at it as a honeymoon in one sense of the word, but it is going to be a honeymoon that will last a long time, and it is going to accomplish something in the earth. What it will accomplish is all written right here in the scriptures, but an awful lot of so called Christian people reject the whole idea of mortals living on earth during the Millennial reign of Christ. That is why He will rule the same nations He will smite with the sword, with a rod of iron. Out of that time of Gods wrath being poured out upon earth, there will be a realm of mortals that will survive the wrath and He will rule them. “And He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” That takes you back to what we read in Revelation 14, how He brings the clusters of the earth and casts them into the winepress of God. “And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES WILL CLEAVE ASUNDER
I want us to go to Zechariah 14. Here is a scripture that portrays the coming of the Lord as we have just read in the 19th chapter of Revelation. He is coming from heaven and will be revealed from heaven as it is described in other scriptures, but we are going to read a prophecy that deals with when He has actually reached the earth. (14:4) “And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” This is a prophecy that tells us there is going to be an element of nature expressed once His feet has struck earth. Therefore, we can say there will definitely be an earthquake associated with His literal return to earth to fulfill these other scriptures. I was asked this several years ago when we had printed our article on the seventy weeks of Daniel, and had put in there about the temple being rebuilt in Jerusalem for the coming of the Lord because the Messiah will rule from it. This man said to me, Bro. Jackson, I cannot understand how the temple could be built then, when the scripture says there is going to be a terrible earthquake and that the Mount of Olives is going to cleave. I said, You surely have forgotten that God knew all about that from before the foundation of the world also. The western wall has been standing there for centuries. It was the only part of the temple retaining wall that was left by the Romans. It is believed that the western wall, when the Romans were tearing everything else down and came to it, was so constructed that it could not be torn down like the rest. When they came to this portion of it, which was the outer court wall, but was actually a retaining wall, because inside it was all filled up with dirt and rock to make the inside perfectly level where the temple was built. It was said that this wall was built by the poor people that came out of Babylonian captivity. They were not like the rich ones who could hire servants and laborers to do the work for them. This wall was put together by poor, hard working people. For some reason this was one part of the wall where God wanted to honor those ancient saints that built it, for their labors. This is legendary of course, but it is said that many times as the Roman soldiers drew their spears to gouge the mortar out or probe at the rocks, their weapons were rendered useless. It was just like beating on an unmovable object, so Titus gave the order-Let that part stand as a reminder to them of the great victory we have attained, seeing that everything else about it has fallen down. Since 69 A.D. I could not begin to tell you of all the earthquakes that have shaken Old Jerusalem, yet that wall stands right there. We just have to realize we are living in a day that God is going to cause His word to be fulfilled, and it will be just the way His prophets have foretold it to be. When Jesus was crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem and raised from the dead the third day, He afterward appeared to His disciples and spent time with them. Then on the day of His ascension, He led them across the valley of Kidron, which is the valley of Jehasophat, over to the Mount of Olives. From there, while talking with them, He ascended into heaven. Therefore, according to what we see in the scriptures, this same Jesus which they saw going away will come again in like manner. Not in the same image structure, because He is coming back clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. When He actually makes His literal appearance on the earth, that is exactly where He will come to. Not New York City or Washington D.C., but the mount of Olives in Jerusalem. He will come and touch the Mount of Olives and this scripture will be fulfilled. There will be a great valley open up. You can read about it. Then if you take that right on over to Ezekiel and read what follows after that, Ezekiel saw this personage coming. It was a vision, a prophecy how the Lord would come from the direction of the Mount of Olives and would come in and His glory fill that temple that will be built before then. It tells how the waters would go out from under the altar and everything and flow eastward and downward. I remember the last time we were in Israel, our guide told us, or he reminded us of this particular prophecy. He said there are things now that begin to indicate that somewhere under this mountain region, there is a vast flow of water. In one way he talked about maybe this could possibly be fulfilled by modern irrigation technology, if they could just find the exact source. Then he pointed us to how the rock terrain lays. I just thought, No, modern technology will not do it. It is going to come about by the hand of God using nature because when God bursts that subterranean rock or whatever it is, there is no doubt there will be a flow of water that will come to the surface. It has to flow somewhere. Jerusalem is 2700 feet above sea level. It will have to go somewhere. In just a few moments of time, God can set many pictures of prophecy in motion. Jesus returns to earth in bodily form under the application of the sixth seal of Revelation 6:12 which says, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.” This one and the following verses describe that time of the wrath of God being poured out upon wicked mankind and their response to it. The Lord’s bodily return also comes under the application of the sounding of the seventh trumpet angel, which you find in Revelation 11:15. “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.“ That does not mean He comes twice in bodily form. All of this takes place at the same time. There is yet another, for He also comes under the pouring out of the seventh vial. Notice Revelation 16:17-18, and take note of the earthquake and so forth. It is all speaking of the same period of time. These events are going to be stacked upon each other; but they had to be written one at a time; and that requires that we take note of the events and coordinate them. “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” Yes the Lord makes His appearance, visibly, through the outpouring of the seventh vial. Let me comment. First I will ask you, What does the seal of 6:12, signify? It pertains to the loosing of something. In the natural sense, we think of a seal as something that holds something. When we think of it as pertaining to a legal document, it is the seal that safeguards against something being secretly tampered with. We have the revelation of the sixth seal, so we know what it pertains to, but its application is still in the future. In application, the seventh seal is actually fulfilled ahead of the sixth because the seventh seal pertains to Jesus leaving the mercy seat, which He will have to do before He comes visibly to earth to fulfill the application of the sixth seal. I know most of you sitting here know that already, but some will read it in the Contender that have not heard it before. When the seal is opened, or broken, it is time for its application. The seal holds the time in place. Therefore, when the time does come, it is the seventh trumpet angel that announces the event. That is usually what a trumpet does. It announces an event. Well what about the vial? The vial angel is in charge of the anointing necessary for the application. That is why I have repeatedly proclaimed, that Jesus comes under the sixth seal, the seventh trumpet, and the seventh vial; but there is not three separate comings. I hope that is clear to all of you. It is just like one stacked on top of the other. The one sets the other in motion.
THE SEED OF DAVID THE STEM OF JESSE
Let me take you to Isaiah 11:1-9, where we will see Jesus upon His earthly throne. God is bringing His people Israel home today, and getting ready to reveal their Messiah to them. The ten northern tribes have been scattered to the four winds for 2700 years, but now they are returning to the land of their forefather’s which is the only place God will deal with them as a nation of people, like He did in former times. What is He bringing them home for? To set the fulfillment of these scriptures in motion that have been lying here for centuries, awaiting their time of fulfillment; and we are privileged to be living here at that time to watch them come about. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of His roots: (That is all pointing to the seed, the anointed one, which is the seed of David.) And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, (That is speaking of the anointing.) the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.“ This is characterizing a little more what we read about in the 19th chapter of Revelation where it says His name is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth He judge and make war. Verse 3, “And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: (Why? Because that omniscient Spirit in Him will know everything about everyone. He will not need to see with His physical eyes, nor be told anything about anyone.) But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth: with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.” All of this is elaborating in more detail about what that Spirit on Him, or in Him does. “And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins.” Notice in verse 6 what follows that application. Here is the picture. Man, for hundreds and thousands of years, has somehow or other in the back of his mind had a fantasy about how it would be if he could just somehow be able to tame the animals. That has always been in some people’s inner feelings, how they would like to be able to tame some of the wild animal kingdom and be able to pet them. I have seen some of these Nova pictures they showed some time ago, how a man trained a huge grizzly bear. He described a grizzly and his nature and characteristics. That great big grizzly weighed eight hundred and some pounds. He was a monster. Yet it showed how that man would take him out, feed him and play with him, and even wrestle with it. I thought to myself, That grizzly looked like he was having the time of his life. That man was actually sticking his hand in the bear’s mouth and all such as that. I could not help but think,Yes, that looks pretty good now, but there is a day coming when man will not have to train him to be like that. Animals are suddenly going to lose their instinct to be like they are today. A minor prophet said, In that day, (meaning the Millennium age) the Lord said He would take away from between man and the animals, the enmity that was put there when we were driven from paradise. God will take away the enmity so that there will be a compatible communication between man and the animal kingdom, from the largest to the smallest. Well what did Isaiah say about it? (11:6) “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, (What a picture!) and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; (A goat. That would be an impossibility now.) and the calf and the young lion (another impossibility at this present time, but in that day that is how it will be.) and the fatling together; (That is the fatted animal. In other words, whether it is the bear, whether it is the wolf or whether it is the lion, the fatter they are, the better they like them.) And the cow and the bear shall feed: (graze) their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. (God is going to change the cravings of that stomach.) And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, (That is something in the reptile family.) and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den.” Whatever we imagine now in the animal kingdom to be dangerous or harmful for a little child or baby to play with, a mother, in that hour, could send that child out, or leave it sit in the grass and not have to worry. I want to bring that into the message at this time, because years ago when I preached, I said, In that great Millennium age, there will be little children born. They will not come from the immortal saints, whether Old Testament saints, or the Bride saints. I said, All those people being immortal will have no such relationships. On the other hand, all those of the nations that are spared and left alive by God’s sovereign grace, once He has executed wrath and judgment on the earth, will be the ones He will be dealing with. Out of the nations, He will select a remnant from all nations that will still remain in their mortal realm. This is the realm of mankind God will use to fulfill the words that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 19:28, concerning His ruling in the time when He will sit upon the throne of His glory. “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” He was talking about mortal Israelis that will repopulate that race in the Millennium. It will again be the will of God for mortal mankind to fill the earth up with offspring. I said, In that day, little children will be born. They will not get sick. They will not die. In that day, it will be possible for a person to live a thousand years and so forth. I received a telephone call from the father of Perry Green. He said, Bro. Jackson, and then he introduced himself. He said, I understand that you believe there is going to be children born in the Millennium. I said, Yes. He said, You know, we should not say things the prophet has not said. I said, But the prophets of old said it, and if they said it, that makes it so. He said, Well I believe that scripture could come in like this, We know a lot of children die when they are young, so that will be the children and infants in that day. I said, Bro. William Branham‘s own dream tears that idea all to pieces. When his little baby died and was buried with her mother, you remember how he was so torn up with remorse. In the state he was in, one night in a dream, he saw himself in this heavenly scene. It was like he was out on the western range. He heard that old song, Wagon Wheels Keep on Turning. He saw the cabin in the distance. Then he saw his little daughter coming to him as a beautiful young girl. She introduced herself. Read it in the book, William Branham, a Prophet Sent From God. I believe that is the book, it is one of those about his early years. I said, Brother, God does not intend to leave babies that die in this age, always to be just little babies. Then I said, For how long would they remain little babies? Well, he let me know we should stay away from those things, because it takes a prophet to speak of such as that. That is how a lot of people look at these things. To them it matters little that a prophet of God has already spoken it. Anyhow, we see here in Isaiah’s writings what the animal kingdom is going to be like in that day. (Verse 9, The promise is this.) “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my (notice these words) holy mountain: (What does that mean? It is His holy kingdom. We will pick up another prophecy dealing with how the Lord speaks concerning how He will establish His house in the top of the mountains. Actually it is how He will establish His kingdom in the top of, and over all kingdoms. His kingdom will have preeminence.) for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.“ You can take that right over to one of the Psalms, and it says, And the glory and the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth. So that age called the thousand year age, or the age of regeneration, has a great picture that should cause saints this side of it, to want to be there for sure. I sure do not want to be left here. I want to be a partaker of that glorious period. I cannot help but feel at times, “Why, out of all the religious people upon the face of this earth, did God choose me to be a partaker of His mercy and grace in this way?” I ask myself many times, Why did God lay His hand on us? Are we worth anything? Are we something special? Do we have degrees? Do we have titles? Do we have money to make ourselves stand out in this world’s social realm as something important? No. We are about the most unworthy bunch of human beings that could possibly be found here. I do know one thing though, Inside of us, there is a picture of something beautiful and a deep yearning to be partakers of that something. Knowing that what we have now is just a little foretaste of that which is yet to be. I want to be there. I want to see all the precious people that love God there in that age. Hallelujah! I believe we can sing that old song, “Won’t It Be Wonderful There” and be thinking of the Millennium age, instead of just thinking about being off some place in the heavens with the Lord. Right here on this planet is where God wants to walk with His children. That is why He put the first one’s here in the first place.
SEPARATING SHEEP FROM GOATS
Let us go into Matthew 25, where we will see one of the first things that takes place after the descent of Jesus and His Bride from heaven. There will be that interval of chaotic, catastrophic judgments, and the wrath of God being executed throughout the earth, which will fulfill all these various scriptures we have been looking at. There are many other scriptures in the Old Testament that we could have brought in, but I do not feel that it is necessary to use all of them in order to present this message in an acceptable way. It tells in one how the earth will reel to and fro as a drunk man. What a terrible day that will be, to live on this planet, and suddenly feel the planet being moved in an out of control way. Do you think people could dance and carry on in a worldly fashion with that going on? I have my doubts. No wonder the scripture speaks of how the rich men, the mighty men, the bond and free will flee to the mountains, and cry for the mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. We can say, The interval of His wrath, His descent to the earth, and all of that has passed when the events of the scripture we are now going to look at are taking place. We are going to see what that throne He mentioned in Matthew 19 is going to be like. Let us go to verse 31. Jesus has been speaking to His disciples in various illustrated parables. He would say, Again the kingdom of heaven is like to such and such, and so on. Then He comes to the point where He is going to describe that age of His kingdom, so He said, “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, (well that is when He comes to rule and reign) and all the holy angels with Him, (This lets us know, Not only is the Bride descending with Him, but all the holy angels of heaven are going to be in that great panoramic event, when it is set in motion.) then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.“ I want to verify the fact that the time of the throne of the Lord Jesus Christ upon earth is yet to be fulfilled. In Revelation 3, He tells there, speaking to the seventh Church, which had conditions in it that would parallel the last age of Christendom upon earth, and we know that to be the Laodicean age, the age you and I are now living in, “To him that overcometh, (That is for you and me in our generation) will I grant to sit with me, in my throne, (which is yet to be) even as I also overcame and am (present tense) sit down with my Father in His throne.” John was taken up in Revelation 4 and saw Him in that throne position. That throne position in heaven is not the throne of Jesus’ glory. That is the glory of the Father that is being displayed in that heavenly scene. However, this earthly setting we are looking at in these scriptures is actually what the Jews for centuries have been waiting for. As they read the Old Testament prophets, this is the hope they attain unto. They know that one, out of the seed of David, of the tribe of Judah, which is the Lion tribe, is the ONE that one day will come and take the throne of David. Then the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, but we as a Gentile Church can now see that this is going to be a fulfilled reality very soon; but Jesus, their Messiah, is going to be immortal. He will not sit there in mortal flesh. All the saints of God, both of the Old and New Testaments, are all going to be in that glorious kingdom hour. We need to understand this though, It is the Bride saints, that will hold the foremost and first position with Christ. As we read further, remember, this is a judgment. “And before Him shall be gathered all nations.” If He is going to gather all nations, then at this point in our message, let us take a look at the nations. What has just happened? We need to back up a few months and see the tribulation period here on earth, (which presently is just ahead somewhere in time.) Humanity will have passed through that terrible hour and the judgment of God that follows it. Matthew 25 is dealing with those that will somehow survive that terrible hour of time. Never will humanity suffer and go through the ordeals any other time that they will at that time. We need to understand, when that terrible dark hour, which the Bible says will be the darkest hour of human history, a time of trouble such as never was before, and never shall be again, comes to an end, it will come to an end by the coming of Jesus Christ with His armies from heaven, first to pour out His judgment and wrath upon the wicked that are still left at that time. In Matthew 25:31, that is all over with and He is on His throne, the throne of His glory, and it is time to separate, or judge those of all nations that are left alive to live in the time of the Millennium. What, or who are these nations? This lets us know, not only has He destroyed millions by His wrath in that fashion, but there is yet multitudes of them still alive. Out of the chaotic upheaval of everything that has transpired prior to that time, there still remains a remnant of people of all the nations of the earth that is going to be brought before Him for a further judgment. The first thing is done, and here is where He will slay many with the breath of His lips. Here is His judgment. “And He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” You will notice in this setting there are no books opened, so do not relate this to the great white throne judgment. That judgment comes much later. This is not a heavenly judgment here in Matthew, it is an earthly judgment. Who is being judged? Not the immortal saints. It is mortal, earthly people, that have for some reason escaped the terrible period of His wrath and destruction that was unleashed against mortal mankind. Of this remnant of the nations, the first thing we can see is that He is going to bring them into His presence. What is He doing this for? He is going to judge them on the basis of what? This is what confuses church going Gentiles. They think everything there has been this side of the law age, has to be judged on the basis that he or she has met or failed to meet certain church stipulations. Well, when we have lived, (the Church) through two thousand years of grace, wherein we were subject to the gospel call and its message, if we are going to share with Him in immortality, and if we expect to have a body like His, there are certain things our lives, or our very individual selves must measure up to. That is according to the gospel that is applicable to this era of grace. However, as we look at this event, that gospel period has passed. He is not saving people any more to put them in an earthly church fellowship. He is introducing, or initiating a new era of time, or a new dispensation in which righteousness shall reign. Just as there was a dispensation before the Law, and just as there was the dispensation of the Law. We have been living in the dispensation of Grace, and we know there is another dispensation coming up. That is what we call the thousand year reign of Christ, or the Millennium age. In the light of a thousand years being as one day with the Lord, and one day as a thousand years, then we can say that somewhere, as the proximity of six thousand years runs its course, the next era is to be the Millennium, the seventh day, and it is God’s Sabbath to the earth, when mankind will rest from His terrible earthly struggles. Well, as the Lord takes that throne position, here is something else we have to understand also. His throne is foremost for it sets in Jerusalem. There is where the earth will be ruled from. However, it says over in Rev. 20:4, “And I saw thrones, plural, and they, plural, sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.” Now who is this “them?” That is none other than the immortal Bride of Jesus Christ. This is the same army that we read about earlier, seen coming with Him, riding white horses. They are pictured clothed in fine linen and so forth, which is the righteousness of saints. We can see also, once that era or event of His wrath is over, they (the bride saints) are going to help execute this whole thing, and as He takes His throne position, so will His Bride take her throne positions in the earthly domain. Then this judgment is going to be set. As this judgment sits, here is what comes out of it. He separates the sheep from the goats. What kind of people is this going to be? We are going to find out this is mortal people that for reasons, as we see it in the earth now, have had no dealings with God in the sense of salvation. Yet as they go through the tribulation and as the 144,000 preach the everlasting gospel, that is why they must preach that kind of message. This helps put in the minds of surviving people something that causes their attention to be drawn toward God. It informs those people and helps them to know how to conduct themselves through that period of tribulation. Therefore, in that period of tribulation, people will be faced with conditions and forced by those conditions and circumstances to conduct themselves in certain ways. It will be how they behave themselves and portray themselves in moral and social behavior. That is going to determine how and where they will live once the Lord has set up His kingdom. It is not a judgment of, What church do you belong to? Have you been baptized? It is not that kind of judgment at all. Therefore, when He separates them, He separates the sheeplike from the goatlike ones. It is people that through that interval of time wherein the whole mortal human element has been tested by dire situations and circumstances, and the way they will have done things and conducted themselves is what will prove and necessitate that the Lord look upon them as He does. The fact that some will be looked upon as sheep, is based upon their works, their conduct, their general behavior during that time of great tribulation. He will set the goats on His left hand, and then He will say to the sheep, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” He is not talking to the Bride. Here is where the Bride is sitting. (Bro. Jackson is pointing to the thrones pictured on the chart.) That is why Jesus said to Peter in the 19th chapter of Matthew, “Ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” If those Jewish disciples are going to judge Jewish people for that Millennium hour, where do you think the Gentile saints are going to sit? Jew will not judge Gentile. Gentile will not judge Jew. Gentile will judge Gentile. German over German. French over French. English over English. That is the way God will do it. They will all have the same mind in doing the judging though. There will not be different interpretations of what is right, nor favored groups that get concessions, like it is in the world today. That is the point. As He says to the sheep, enter thou into the kingdom prepared for thee from the foundation of the world, that means enter into this glorious era of time which was planned, ordained and provided for you from before the beginning of time. That goes to show, in the sovereign mind of Jehovah, He knew all of it before it started. That is all in His calendar of predestination. God knew there would be those individual mortal subjects there. He allocated an interval of time wherein they would enter and would be looked upon in this fashion. Now as He says to them on His right, (the sheep) and you will notice that the King is doing the talking, and that He is not talking on the basis of having books opened. He said, (Mat.25:35) “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: (36) Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” How would He know that? We read it in Isaiah 11, He will not judge after the sight of His eyes, nor the hearing of His ears, but the intents of His own heart. He will discern they are the individuals that have conducted themselves in a proper social, moral manner in that short interval of time that has tried the human race. Therefore, they merit this wonderful period of time. No, they are not changed from mortality into immortality. They remain mortal. They are still in mortal flesh. We can say this, This particular judgment goes on until He has separated and selected all the sheep like people out of every nation and race of the remnant of nations that are saved alive at that time; and according to Zechariah, then these are the people that will remain alive. They enter into an era of time when they do not have an immortal body. They still have a mortal, fleshly body, but here is the thing to understand. We know in Revelation 20:1, the first thing that period starts with after the wrath of God is executed, Satan, (that evil spirit) is bound and cast into the bottomless pit. A chain is set upon him. He is locked up, that his spirit cannot be loosed for a thousand years. This means no temptation, no perversion, no usurping things that are contrary to what God is going to do. Naturally with that in effect there is no physical death running rampant. There will be no such thing as tuberculosis. There will be no more AIDS and no more heart trouble. When we look at this in this fashion, we can ask, What is the Millennium period going to bring about? Those mortal people that will be allowed to enter into that era of time will be given the privilege under the grace and sovereignty of His rule, of having longevity of life. It will be possible for a person to live, if they were a young person starting in the Millennium, throughout the duration of the Millennium; because we are on the returning end of time where that must be restored. We are returning to the original picture, not moving away from the original picture. If you understand what I am saying. From Eden, mankind has been constantly declining in his life potential, but in the Millennium, he is going back toward what it was in the beginning before there was any such thing as death. Let us finish this up. After Jesus has separated the sheep from the goats and pronounced their blessing, He then turns to the goat like people on His left and announces their reward based upon their deeds during that same period of time. They are judged on the basis of how they morally, socially and principally conducted themselves during that terrible hour of human history. The goats on the left, I believe we could say, are the selfish, greedy, wicked, drunken, perverted, hardhearted, self willed type of persons. They have no heart for anything. All they care about is themselves, never taking heed, or taking thought for anything like, that there might be a pay day somewhere at the end of the road. To the goats on His left hand He said, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (That is the reward of the wicked.) For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.” You will notice that both groups are to be judged by the same standard of judgment. That is of course how they conduct themselves during that dark tribulation hour of time. One group will say, When did we do those things? and He will say to them, (Mat.25:40) “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” When? During that same interval of time they too had just passed through. During that dark tribulation hour, we realize the Jewish saints and the foolish virgin saints will still be here, and as we read in Revelation, the devil, through his antichrist system, is going to try to liquidate every last one of them. He will try to rid the earth of every trace of holy, God fearing, believing people. Some are going to be locked up. Some are going to be starved to death and all such like. It is in that state of conditions that these other mortal people will have a chance to help fleeing Jews. Just think of the Jew, how he will be treated during that time. However, just like the Jew were treated in Europe during the WW2 period, when they were hid in attics, basements and such, by the underground forces of the natural European citizens, once again there will be that realm of mortal mankind that will show the same kindness to them during the antichrist reign. There will be that realm of mankind, who out of mere principle and respect for their fellow man, will conduct themselves in that same godly manner. It will not be because they are extremely religious, nor because they belong to a church that encourages such as that; it will just be because they have some principles in their makeup that will cause them to risk their own necks to preserve the lives of others. They will care for them in what ever way is necessary, just like Jesus said in Matthew 25. That is what God will be looking at. That is what the Lord is judging all of those sheep and goat people by. We need to understand that at that time He has not only destroyed multiplied millions by all the catastrophic elements of nature, as well as in Armageddon; but here, those that escaped that will encounter the final effect of His glorious coming to rule and reign. When it says that He shall slay the wicked by the breath of His lips, that is because He will say to the goats, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, and so forth; for I was such and such, and you did not come unto me. That judgment lets us see how it will be once Jesus is on His earthly throne, and the Bride people are on their thrones. When we look at it in this light we can say for sure, The throne Jesus is presently occupying is not the literal throne of His glory. It is the Father’s throne. He has sat down with the Father, in His throne; but you do not see two literal beings sitting there in the same chair. Neither will you see a great multitude of bride people sitting in the same chair with Jesus during the Millennium. That is just terminology used to describe authority. The bride people will judge with the same authority Jesus judges with because He will delegate to them that authority that they may be enabled to rule the nations. Therefore, when Jesus said, he that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, He is actually saying he will sit with me in the same position of authority to rule, to judge, and to reign. You can go right to Revelation 3:21, and find Jesus saying to the Laodicean saints, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.” Therefore, if He is going to rule all nations as the supreme King, so will the overcomers in this life rule within their respective nations, not over all nations. The individual will rule within the realm of nationality he came out of. We can say this, The husband (Jesus) is the Supreme head, and the sovereign King over it all. Therefore He will rule over all nations; but the Bride, the individuals of the bride will rule only within the nationality they came out of. We can still see how they will rule with a rod of iron though, for that is how Jesus will rule. As they take over the reins of earthly governments, and this judgment is over, and He slays the wicked. Sure they are going to be killed. The wicked are going to die right there. They will be slain by the words spoken by Jesus. Well Bro. Jackson, what are they going to do with those dead bodies? Do not worry about that. I grant you this much, Whatever the Lord chooses in cleaning up all this other mess of dead bodies, there will be enough animals around to help clean up that bunch too. I will just leave it like that for now because it plainly tells us in the last verses dealing with the battle of Armageddon and so forth, then when the whole earthly forces turn to make war against Him, then we see that angel crying to the fowls of heaven and the beasts of the field, come and eat flesh, and drink blood till you be filled, for this is the supper of the great God. This causes me to feel that all funeral parlors will more or less be out of business by then. There will not be enough alcohol to do the embalming. The animals, all those scavengers, like the buzzards are going to have a good long period of time to clean up the waste and refuse. Then I am sure the bones that are left to bleach in the sun when the Lord’s government is finally set up, there should still be a few bull dozers sitting around somewhere. It will be left up to the mortal nations of people to scrape out a few holes and push those bones with whatever is left into them, to get it out of the way and out of sight. Do not think the Lord is going to look upon this with a lot of sympathetic attention. The main thing is, get rid of that creature that has helped to defile this planet earth. When that judgment of Matthew 25, is over, and He has His mortal realm of people, the world enters into that thousand years of peace. They will not have an immortal bodies. They will still be in mortal flesh, but Satan will be bound and unable to instigate trouble, so those people will enter into an era of longevity of life. Saints, That is what is ahead for overcomers; not just an eternity of floating around on a cloud, nor of living in a beautiful mansion in heaven, so to speak, throughout eternity.
A LOOK AT WHAT THE PROPHETS SAW AND RECORDED
Let us just go back into the Old Testament and see what the prophets of old had to say in regards to the earth and these people, once this period of time starts. We will go to Ezekiel 34. Ezekiel was a prophet that saw this era of time, this great Millennium that is coming and the re-establishing of the house of Israel. In verses 20, 21, and 22, he is speaking of how He (God) will preserve and save that people of old. In the 23rd verse He says this, “And I will set up one shepherd over them, (Watch the language,) and He (that servant) shall feed them, even my servant David.“ We have to realize that the servant David spoken of here has to be pointing to Jesus who is the seed of David; because it was through David that God started this great Messianic kingdom and established that long line of royal lineage. God made a covenant with David that of his loins He would establish this covenant, and He would raise up one, one day, whose kingdom would be an everlasting kingdom. So here it is. “He shall feed them, and He shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David (which actually is Jesus) a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. (Now watch what God has promised toward the earth, the planet you and I live on.) And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: (Why? Because He is going to take away that enmity.) and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.“ You have all heard that old song, “There Shall Be Showers of Blessings.” Well that all stems from the prophecy of how God is going to relate His showers. There will be no more droughts then. Just watch what comes out of this. “And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase.” American farmers have for the past fifty or sixty years been studying all kinds of agricultural means to increase the output, the acreage yield of corn and beans and such like, but in that day the Lord will regulate all of that. We realize of course, that a lot of what mankind has accomplished has been brought about by modern technology in the usage of fertilizers. The earth is existing under a curse that God put in it when Adam was cursed and moving out of paradise. That is when God said, Cursed is the ground for thy sake, thorns and thistles shall it yield forth unto you. However, in the Millennium, this curse is going to start being withdrawn. The earth is going to start doing something it has not done before; yielding its full potential in output. “And they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.” Let us now look at another prophecy, found in the little book of Amos. It goes right with it what we have just read. We have read about the animal kingdom and what is going to happen. Therefore, we know the animal kingdom will be at peace with man in this age of time. As we read these prophecies that deal with how God is going to take the curse off of the ground some might ask, For what reason? There is a reason, because as the earth is introduced into an era of time consisting of a thousand years, when men and women will bring forth offspring to repopulate the whole earth, God has purposed to restore the cursed land back to its original state. There will be no more need for the curse. Yes saints, there will be little babies born, and they will not die of all these menacing problems we face today. As I said earlier, longevity of life will be restored. I hope all these know- it-all preachers who have rebuked me for saying things the prophet (Bro. Branham) did not say, will get an opportunity to read this. Who cares if they get angry and try to climb a wall. God’s prophets have already said it will be like this; so Bro. William Branham did not have to say it. I am looking forward to being right there by the grace of God, and I will no doubt be carrying some of those little fellows around. I love to pay attention to little children. One thing is sure, you will not have any child abusers in the Millennium. Here in Amos 9:13, we find these words, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.” What is that telling us? It is telling us something is going to happen that as the earth yields its abundance. The reapers are not even going to be able to get the fields cleared before here comes someone riding right behind them ready to plant a new crop. Is there going to be tractors, Bro. Jackson? Yes. There will be tractors there. Some reject the idea, but there will a lot of things we have not thought about being there. Two hundred years ago, no one even suspected there could be such roaring monsters in the fields like we have today. Two hundred years ago, all men had to work with were mules and oxen. That modern tractor did not come crawling out of a hole in the ground. It was invented and manufactured to be used like that. What am I saying? Simply this, whatever technology that is beneficial, good, and practical for earthly, mortal man to use in his earthly duties, when that Millennium age starts, he will continue right on with it. Why should he divert back to the ox? Why should he divert back to just riding the horse? I believe you understand what I am talking about. There will be no reason to do otherwise. I will tell you another thing for sure, There is not going to be any oil companies there, buying up all their inventions just so they can keep on selling their oil. Then, is when you will see things produced that will not pollute the environment. Whether it is steam engines, or whatever, it makes no difference. You will see things made and put in use that will be means of transportation as well as for tilling the fields. That is why the prophecy says, “The plowmen.” What do you think that plowman is coming with? I do not see him coming down through the field with a team of oxen. It may be like that in New Guinea until that time, but not in America. I am of the opinion that by the time this Millennium is well into its allotted period, there will not be any outdated means of cultivation left anywhere on the entire globe. Whatever modern means of cultivation and agricultural output there is available, it will be expressed throughout the entire earth. There is no doubt in my mind, that then is when you will see solar energy brought into use like you have never seen before. Why not? The sun can put off enough energy when it is stored properly to do everything that is needful to be done, and it will not pollute the air. Thanks be to God the Creator, everything will be exactly right in every way. Try to get the utility companies to start it now and see what kind of response you get. There is not enough money available to bring that about in this present society. They would loose their control over the population. Greedy man has literally exhausted the earth’s resources for his own selfish reasons; but thank God, they will not have that kind of control in the Millennium. No wonder it says in the Psalms, When the wicked rule, the land mourns and groans. But when the righteous rule, the land rejoices. Well the righteous are going to rule. They are going to be people that will know how to use the earth’s resources to glorify God. No more, will a few people possess the greater percentage of the world’s wealth. (9:14) “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.“ We realize by reading this, that we have read about a kingdom yet to be upon earth; and we know it is called the Millennium age. The planet earth is going to go through that thousand years; and that thousand years of time is a period of time in which the Lord slowly but progressively removes from the surface of it, the traces of everything man has defiled it with. This thousand years is gradually going to bring about a complete restoration of the entire planet. That is primarily what it is all about. That is why it is called “The age of regeneration.” He (God) is not only bringing into existence a new element of people who are mortal, but they that come forth to live in the eternal age will be those that have had as their objective, to please their Creator in all things. Just try to imagine if you can, a whole multitude of mortal people who have no desire to do anything other than what pleases their heavenly Father.
CONDITIONS NOW AND IN THE MILLENNIUM
For six thousand years, man born in sin, ruled by his flesh and held prisoner under the condemnation of such a condition, has constantly defiled the earth, wasted its resources, and used everything extravagantly, doing nothing to glorify and please God. That is why I said earlier, These environmentalists are not doing anything to please God. They are just on a kick believing they need to be doing something. You do not hear them say a thing about what might please God; mostly because they care so little about trying to please Him, even many of those who profess to be Christians. I thought as I heard on the T.V. News that Colorado residents in a certain town were casting a vote about whether they would be allowed to wear furs, or sell furs in that town, You poor, miserable, misguided people. You better not want to live in the Millennium. Why is that, Bro. Jackson? Because when I read in Ezekiel, that in the Millennium, when Jesus is sitting in the temple on the throne of His glory, there is going to be animal sacrifice offered every day on that Millennium altar. They will be sacrificing every day for a thousand years. Oh Bro. Jackson, the Law is over, Grace is over. Why would they do that? Simply because God is not over, and that is what He wants. That is why He inspired His prophet to write those words. That is how people are though; narrow minded about everything pertaining to God’s ultimate plan for mankind. I would be too if it were not for the grace of God that has opened my eyes. Apart from the grace God has bestowed upon me, I would be the most stupid creature you would find. Let me just illustrate my point. Do not forget, we have already said there would be children born in the Millennium, so they will not be left in ignorance concerning God’s dealings with mortal mankind. Remember to, that it also says in Zechariah 14:16, “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem (That of course pertains to the remnant that is judged and saved alive out of all those nations.) shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. (Notice how it even calls Egypt by name.) And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. (This is something God will require of everyone; and there will be no acceptable excuse. It is not like Gentile people deciding whether to go to church this Sunday, or go boating, like so many are guilty of doing today. They will do according to the requirement laid out by the Lord, or they will suffer immediate consequences.) This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.” If Egypt, or anyone else refuses to represent themselves according to this scripture, then there will be no rain for their crops. That is how we recognize that Jesus truly will rule with a rod of iron during that era of time. There will be no demonstrations by some who desire to rebel against established law. God hates that kind of thing. There will be no rebellion tolerated. He despises that. Saints, it is bad enough when people of the world rebel and demonstrate against things they disagree with, but when you see people who are supposed to be Christians out here demonstrating, that is even worse. Notice what Isaiah said about rebellion in chapter 15, verse 23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.“ We do not have to wonder how God feels about these sins. His word plainly tells us. Yes. Jesus is going to rule in righteousness and justice and with a rod of iron, so there will be no funny business going on. As for the little children born during that time, I want you to think about this: For a thousand years, little children will be born to grow up in an era when there will be no knowledge of sin and spiritual death. If there was never anything projected to them to make them aware of who this great King that they will come before is, nor why the animal sacrifice is offered upon the altar, it would seem very unfair to them. They would be worshiping in ignorance.
THE MILLENNIAL ALTAR
I will illustrate to you, what this animal sacrifice in the Millennium represents. We know this, in the Law, when God gave it in that dispensation to the house of Israel, the animal sacrifice was a type of the great sacrifice of Jesus that was to come later for the sins of all mankind. In other words, the worshipers who come to that altar as they would confess their sins to the priests, and as that animal was slain and the priest performed his duties in the event, their sins were pushed ahead for another year. This obedience on the part of all parties did not atone for, nor remove their sins. It pushed them ahead for another year, typed the sacrifice that would one day pay the sin debt in full. Therefore, in Israel the individual really was in spiritual ignorance as to what it actually pointed to, but they did know that by honoring that law with a pure motive and acknowledging their need to be included in the benefits attributed to that sacrifice that was made, their sins were somehow placed upon that animal and it freed them from sure consequences. They understood that somehow their sins were represented in that animal’s suffering and death; therefore, their accountability was pushed ahead another year in time. Just think about this now; and you will see why there will be an altar of animal sacrifice in the Millennium. If that is the way the believer, under the Law, was commanded by God, to push his guilt ahead, looking forward to the time when Jesus brought all of that to an end, do you not see how God would use the same setting to cause those Millennial subjects to look back to what happened at Calvary? Satan will not be on hand to tempt them, but those children born during that time will be born of parents that still have those fallen attributes in them. Anyhow, since Calvary, our sins have not been pushed ahead any longer. The blood of Jesus Christ paid our sin debt once and forever. That is why we read in Hebrews, for by one sacrifice has He perfected for ever them that are sanctified. It was through that precious blood of Jesus Christ His only begotten Son. The gospel we have does this for us when believed and accepted, but there will not be anyone preaching such a gospel in the Millennium; therefore, this observance will do for them what God requires be done; that they also may be partakers of this glorious benefit. I was not there to see Him crucified, but the gospel I heard has told me it was for me also. By faith I look back to that finished work at Calvary and reckon the benefits to myself according to the will of God. Though I did not see Him hanging there, yet by faith I see through spiritual vision a man hanging there in my place. How is that possible? God has ordained that we see such a picture through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the light of this fact, I will ask you, In the Millennium, what will those people see and hear that will cause them to understand who their great King is and what He has done for them? The fact that their progenitors were chosen out of the remnant of the nations to enter that era, and the fact that all the children born of these people are growing up in an interval of time when there will be no testing, no temptation, no evil, no criminals running up and down the road, makes it necessary that there be something to point them to the reality of God’s provision. Everything on the surface will look peaceful; but if there is not something going on in the earth that points every one of them, sometime in their life, to what it means when they go to Jerusalem to worship the one who is King of all the earth and is Lord of all lords, they will be short of a necessary element in their complete makeup. They will see one portrayed in His majesty. They will see Him as a King, but they will also see an animal dying on an altar. What will that tell those Millennium subjects? Very simply this, That animal you see dying there is to make you remember this, The ONE you worship now, took your place and paid your sin debt. You are here in this kingdom because of what He did at Calvary on your behalf. Praise God! I just have to rejoice, thinking about that. Anyone that cannot see that, there is something wrong with them. That is absolutely why there is a Millennium altar. That is why all nations must present themselves there. As this glorious Millennium period moves on, just think of it, no disease, no heart trouble, no cancer, no drunks wallowing in the gutters of back alleys, and no more homosexuals screaming for equal rights. Think also of little children being born, and parents not having to worry about birth defects and deformed bodies. Every one will be born with a perfect physical body. This is why I say this, and say it for the sake of the message. Somewhere in the near future of this generation you and I are now living in, God soon has to bring the whole thing to a halt. This cursed evil disease called AIDS and the effects of this drug curse that has stained and marred the youth of the world, if God does not cut it short, there would hardly be anyone left of child bearing age fit to pass into that future era of time. I do not see these drug addicted, demon possessed creatures with their brains half destroyed and their only thoughts continually on something of self satisfaction, passing into that age to repopulate the earth. They have willingly sold themselves to the devil, to be warped and twisted like they are. God will just simply send them to the place prepared for them, when He chooses His Millennial subjects. Somewhere in the very near future, God will cut this thing short, so there will be some decent folks left alive for that future era. In fact, He will cut it a lot shorter than a lot of people are ready for Him to. As we through spiritual vision, see the Millennium, and righteousness, with no dope, no AIDS, no divorce among those people that are left in mortal flesh, and little children being born to the glory of God, we cannot help but give thanks to our heavenly Father for imparting that revelation to us.
WHAT ABOUT THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW
EARTH TO BE SEEN- AFTER THIS PRESENT AGE HAS PASSED?
Let us look in our Bible’s, and read another prophecy of Isaiah concerning this future era of time we have been speaking of. Naturally we are hoping that the viewer of the video tape, or the reader of this message in the Contender, will find in the contents sufficient scriptural vindication for the comments we have made concerning this glorious age to come; but we are well aware of the fact that time and space will not allow us to use every scripture available on this subject, so we are just trusting the Spirit of God to make it plain to every interested soul. I am sure that there are other prophecies that would fit right in with the one’s we are using if we just had the time and space; for they are scattered all through the Bible just like nuggets of gold in a gold mine. In Isaiah 65, we find the scriptures that the apostle Peter no doubt had in mind when he wrote chapter 3, of his 2nd Epistle, where he said these words, (2 Peter 3:9-14) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (Yes the invitation is to everyone; therefore, no one can blame God when they end up in hell.) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (God uses fire as a cleansing agent, not to completely destroy the present earth itself, but to destroy every offending thing therein.) Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (It sounds very bad; but here is the believer’s hope. It allows us to look beyond all of this.) Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (That is what we have been talking about, that era of time when righteousness will abound. Hallelujah!) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.“ Here is what the apostle Peter was looking at when he wrote those words. Look at verse 17, of Isaiah, chapter 65. As he was spiritually anointed to pick up those great binoculars and look through time to a future span of time, he saw this Millennium age. As the Millennium age eventually culminates, another era begins; which is what we read of in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22, which deals with the great eternal age that will follow this thousand year reign of righteousness. That is the age which we can refer to as worlds without end. Cycle upon cycle, it will be an endless era of time. Therefore Isaiah says this, (We will just begin reading verse 17, and finish out the rest of that chapter.) “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. (18) But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (19) And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. (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. (21) And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; (This should answer a lot of questions people ask all of the time. Just pay attention to what this prophecy says. This is the word of God.) and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. (22) They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. (23) They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. (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, saith the Lord.” As we have said before, The serpent is the only thing of all of God’s creation that will never have the curse lifted off of him, and you can see it right there in that last verse, “And dust shall be the serpent’s meat.” The serpent family will still be crawling in the dust of the earth when everything else is restored to its original beginning. When God said, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,” that tells us that the Millennium age of a thousand years is that seventh day, which is God’s Sabbath, a day of rest to the planet, wherein He will generate and activate a living realm of mankind on the planet, to live clean, and to repopulate the earth with humanity. Think of the animal kingdom also, how it will be in complete harmony with mankind. A lot of people will say, Bro. Jackson, If this earth is going to be lived on by mortal people, and they go for a thousand years and bear children, do you not think it will get over populated? Well there will not be as many graveyards added then as there are now; and a man, or a woman takes more space laying down than they do standing up. Will you agree with that? In my opinion, a lot of the graveyards we see out here now, might be turned upside down when He shakes this planet all to pieces. Furthermore, child bearing will be regulated by the Creator Himself and will not be as a result of human lust and sensual pleasure. However, the point is this, That Millennium age will be a time when God is redeeming the earth. He will be creating a new environment. He will be creating a kingdom wherein nothing but righteousness is known throughout the entire scope of the earth, just as we read from that prophecy. And the knowledge and the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as waters cover the sea. That will be during the thousand years. What is He doing? He is slowly regenerating the planet. It is a new earth, in that all traces of the result of man’s sin are removed. We can say this, The only thing that is in existence now that will not be removed from the earth is hell, which is in the heart of the earth. I hope you understand what I mean? It is hell, which is in the heart of the earth. God will still have need of that, for the great white throne judgment does not take place until after the Millennium. That is where the spirit of the wicked sinners go when they die. All the graves of the earth wherein there were righteous people, all the way from the garden of Eden to the coming of Jesus, will be empty when the Millennium age starts. All of those graves will have to give up the remains of the righteous ones they held. That is why I stopped reading in the middle of that fourth verse, of Revelation 20, when we were there. That is where John saw thrones and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, but we will pick it up when we bring that into another message of this series. We will deal with it as a message itself. Therefore the first resurrection, which is constituted when Jesus takes His throne, will take out of the ground to enter the Millennium also, all those other righteous saints that were not taken up in the rapture. That will take out of the ground all those martyred saints that will be slain in the great tribulation hour, and any other saint of any other era that will not be taken with the bride church. That is why it says, “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.” That lets us know that the second resurrection, the resurrection of the wicked of all ages for judgment, hath no power, no life. That means then, that as the Millennium goes forth, the only traces of the past things of man, is the graves of the wicked, and hell, where his spirit is reserved until final judgment time. Yes. The thousand years will remove every trace of the existence of evil minded mankind and his sinful evil ways of living. Once again I will remind you by asking this question, What is all of this for? God, through the kingly reign of Jesus and His immortal saints, is redeeming the planet; getting it ready for eternity. He is not going to wait until eternity starts, then make a new earth. No. The Millennium is for that sole purpose of getting it cleaned up and ready for that eternal era of the Creator dwelling once again among His creation.. A lot of people say also, Bro. Jackson, the Bible says the devil is going to be loosed for a little season. What is he going to do? Is he going to be allowed to build more liquor stores, gambling houses and dens of prostitution? No. All he is going to be allowed to do is deceive a host of mortal humanity; and those who will listen to him and rebel against the reign of their immortal King, will be destroyed by God’s intervention. That will be the devil’s last shot at God’s plan and purpose for His children. That is not building another liquor factory. That is not building another institution of sin or anything like that. It is just a matter of rebelling against their King. That is something Satan does inside the heart’s of individual people. Then when those same people have yielded their spirit to Satan, and they mass themselves against Jerusalem and set about to take control and bring about a rebellion, divine intervention from heaven comes down and engulfs them. That lets me know, once the Millennium starts, there will never be another land based war fought. What you see then, when that mass is deceived, they will not be coming with manufactured weapons. How many understand what I am saying? They will not be coming with manufactured weapons because there will not be any weapons made in the Millennium to fight a war with. Think of it. Man will not know what a sword is for even if there was one he could see, because there has been no need for it during the entire thousand years. Remember what Isaiah wrote, (GOD SPEAKING) “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” During all of that time, none of the former things will be remembered, nor in any way come into the mind’s of those who have been privileged to live in mortal flesh until that hour of time. This addresses the total picture, looking through the Millennium and projecting right on into the eternal age.
THE END RESULT OF GOD’S REDEMPTION PURPOSE ON EARTH
In spite of all that the world in general may say and do against Jerusalem, God will still make that little place the center of world attraction. Notice as we read these verses again. (Isa.65:18-19) “But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (19) And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” The inhabitants of Jerusalem have certainly had their share of weeping and anguish of soul, but their day to shine is just ahead. Once the Millennium starts, she will never be persecuted nor hated again. It will be the place of the Creator’s joy, according to the picture the Bible presents. (20) “There shall be no more thence (meaning from then onward) an infant of days, nor an old man that hath (past tense) not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; (The word hath, which is past tense, is not referring back into our era. It is just across the threshold into the eternal age, looking that way, yet knowing what era of time that realm of mankind has just passed through. From then on there will be no more thence an infant of days. In other words, In eternity there will be no more babies born. How many understand? In the eternal age, there will be no more children born. That is all back here in the Millennium. That is why there will be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days. That makes you look back to the Millennium. When it says, “For the child shall die an hundred years old,“ that is looking back to the Millennium, after time has passed over the threshold into eternity.) but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.“ When we see an old man die now, we certainly do not say, A little boy died yesterday. When you hear of an old man a hundred years old dying, you say, boy he lived to a ripe old age. Did he not? Just think though, in the Millennium, how we will relate to that. If there is longevity of life restored, then we can see if for some reason there is within that person a mortal trait of disobedience, then it means God will have allowed him to live a hundred years to have ample opportunity to change his mind to learn how to be submissive. But if for some reason the inherited trait of stubbornness is still there, it is not because Satan has cultivated it during the millennium. It is just because he is born with that kind of disposition. Therefore, in the Millennium when longevity of life is in effect to die at a hundred years of age, he would still be looked upon as a child. It is not in eternity that he will be accursed. It is in the Millennium that these things have to take place. That is why the Millennium is definitely God’s era of time for restoring the planet earth, dressing it up, removing all traces of past eras of sinful man, and what he has done to defile it. As the earth is projected out into that age, then we know this, between the interval of the closing of the Millennium, and the eternal age, is where the loosing of Satan takes place; and the great white throne judgment follows that. The great white throne judgment will accomplish this for the planet, the sea will give up the dead that are in it. Death and hell will give up the dead that are held there; and all of them will be judged and relegated to their final disposition. What has that accomplished? That has taken out of hell every spirit of wicked mankind. Then there is no more need for hell. There will be nothing left in it. It really means this, There will be no more traces of the wicked left anywhere upon the face of the earth. That is total redemption. That finishes removing the effects of sin and death of all other eras of time. Death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire for total destruction. Are you getting the picture? There will be no more death, no more hell, no more grave yards with tomb stones sticking up everywhere. Have you ever stopped to think how much space is taken up with memorials to the dead of times past? All of that will be done away with forever. What a beautiful place this earth will be! God can then look upon His planet that He created somewhere in the eons past and see it again as it was meant to be, without sin and rebellion. He will have a planet populated with people that has been redeemed from their fallen state through His precious Son’s own blood. Therefore, He has redeemed His earth; and as Paul said in 1st Cor. 15:24-28, “Then cometh the end, when He (Jesus) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He (Jesus) shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (That will be at the end of the Millennium, going into the eternal age, or into time without end.) For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (Death will still be in the picture to some degree until the last judgment.) For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith, all things are put under Him, it is manifest (known by all) that He (the Father and Creator) is excepted, which did put all things under Him.“ Every thing except the Father Himself has been subject to Jesus for the past almost two thousand years; and will be for the next thousand years. Then this next verse is fulfilled. (Verse 28) “And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, (Jesus) then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.“ Now (going into the eternal age) is when Jesus the Son, who hath been invested with all power and authority in heaven and earth as it says in Matthew 28:18, for redemption purposes, shall yield up and give back all that authority to the Father, that the Father may be all in all. He will then be looked upon as our elder Brother (according to the apostle Paul’s revelation). He will be King no longer. His ministry as PROPHET, PRIEST, AND KING will no longer be needed.
THE NEW JERUSALEM IS IN ETERNITY
This is where Revelation 21 and 22 comes into focus. Right there is where eternity begins. Now that God the great eternal Spirit takes His abode with, and in mankind, in the fullness of all that He is. God being the all in all, is what the whole picture portrays when it is complete. We cannot, with our natural mind, really picture what this earth it is going to be like once sin and death is out of the picture and mankind is restored back to the relationship Adam and Eve had with the Creator before they disobeyed Him. There will be no more huge bodies of water called oceans. That is why John wrote that there were, (or will be) no more seas, for the former things are passed away. The Millennium, which is just before us, will change all of that. There is no doubt in my mind that if all of this mass of water we have here on earth today, which covers two thirds of the earth’s surface, fell in Noah’s hour in forty days and nights, God can slowly return all of it to its original state during that thousand years of the Millennium. I am completely convinced that by the time we come to the close of the Millennium and eternity begins, this planet, the sun, and the other solar bodies will be right back on their proper axis, so that each year has a perfect 360 day cycle, like it was in the beginning. God will have reconciled everything back to its original relationship with Himself. It will be a wonderful thing to see all of God’s created creatures at peace with each other. Let me just read that one verse again before we close the message. (Isaiah 65:25) “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, (in the Millennium) and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: (Can you even imagine such a thing as that, when in this hour of time the lion must have meat to eat?) and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. (When everything else is restored, that old serpent’s family, because he yielded himself to the devil and caused God’s creation to have to go through six thousand years of estrangement from Him, will still have to crawl around on their belly’s, catching their food from the dust of the earth.) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.“ His holy mountain is His kingdom. Once He has His creation freed from the curse it has been under, nothing nor no one will ever be allowed to hurt or destroy anything anymore. Hallelujah! What a day that will be! When you think of how it will be in the age to come, you can really sing that old song, “What A Day That Will Be, When My Saviour I Shall See.” I just want to say this, The time is at hand, that every true child of God get serious about living according to His word. Do not even allow yourself to think you can just coast along in life, flowing with the stream of natural minded humanity and be ready to meet Jesus in the rapture when He comes for His bride Church. If you allow yourself to live like that and fail to dress up in a proper wedding garment, you will face the great tribulation sure as the world stands. Living for God is not just something we do on Sunday and Thursday; or whatever other days or nights you may have meetings together. It is a seven day a week, twenty four a day continual walk in righteousness and peace. How can a person profess to be redeemed from sin, when that person lives just like everyone else? It takes the new birth experience to truly redeem one from a life of sin and degradation. Once you have that experience, you are a new creature. Old things pass away, and all things become new. You do not desire the same old things in life that you enjoyed as a lost sinner. The grace and mercy of God lifts us up above that level of life and puts within our heart a desire to please our Creator.
WHERE REBELLION FIRST STARTED
We have to go to Isaiah 14:12-17 to get our first glimpse of why mankind has been faced with sin and death. This scripture allows us to see how Lucifer first rebelled against God, and why he became the enemy of the Creator that created him. The angel Lucifer, which is now known as the Devil, was once a beautiful angel of God’s angelic family, until his heart became lifted up with pride, and he began to think selfishly and exalt himself. God cast him down from his former estate, and he, like the old serpent he used in the garden of Eden to seduce Eve, will never be restored to his original estate. Here is what Isaiah wrote about him. (12) “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (15) Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (16) They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; (17) That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” God allowed Isaiah to write that, so that those who desire to know something about the devil’s origin, can get it from the scriptures. Ezekiel also wrote a few words about him, that helps put our revelation together. We can read that, in Ezekiel 28:12-19. Even though it mentions the king of Tyrus, if you will read it, you will recognize the fact that it is spoken to and about Lucifer, the same one Isaiah wrote about. We will close here and trust the Lord to reveal to every one whose desire is to follow God in truth, what this message is all about. God’s true children are meant to know some things others professing to be Christian’s will never know. Those who have no desire to know the truth will still be looking for a great revival after the little bride Church has already had hers and is ready for her flight to glory. May the Lord bless you. Amen.
HOW IT IS COMMONLY BELIEVED THE APOSTLES DIED
- JUDAS ISCARIOT, HUNG HIMSELF AFTER BETRAYING THE LORD.
- PETER, ACCORDING TO TRADITION, WAS CRUCIFIED, HEAD DOWNWARD DURING THE PERSECUTION BY NERO.
- ANDREW, DIED ON A CROSS AT PERRAE, IN ACHAIA, A GREEK COLONY.
- JAMES, WAS THROWN DOWN FROM A PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE
- AND THEN BEATEN TO DEATH WITH A CLUB.
- THOMAS, THE ONE WHO DOUBTED, WAS RUN THROUGH WITH A LANCE.
- JOHN, DIED OF EXTREME OLD AGE IN EPHESUS, THE ONLY APOSTLE THAT DIED A NON VIOLENT DEATH.
- BARTHOLOMEW, WAS FLAYED ALIVE IN ARMENIA.
- JAMES, THE SON OF ZEBEDEE, WAS BEHEADED IN JERUSALEM BY KING HEROD.
- PHILLIP, WAS HANGED AGAINST A PILLAR IN ASIA MINOR.
- MATTHEW, WAS SLAIN BY THE SWORD IN ETHIOPIA.
- THADDAEUS, WAS SHOT TO DEATH WITH ARROWS.
- SIMON, DIED ON A CROSS IN PERSIA (NOW IRAN).
- PAUL, THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES, WAS BEHEADED IN ROME.
THIS WAS COPIED FROM ANOTHER SOURCE