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13 in the appendix.
Hasty on from grace to glory, armed by faith and winged by prayer.
Heavens, eternal days before thee. God's right hand shall guide thee there.
13 in the appendix.
Filed of God by Christian.
Everything's going to do.
Joy of God without reason.
Read a few verses before praying in Hebrews Chapter 11.
Hebrews Chapter 11 and verse 13.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country, and truly if they've been mindful of that country from whence they came out.
They might have had an opportunity to have returned, but now they desire a better country that isn't heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.
Ray.
Our God and Father, we again thank you that we can be over the Word of God.
Think of how these verses speak of ones in the Old Testament who didn't have the word of God. They didn't have the indwelling of the Spirit. Still, they were able to, by faith, see something beyond this earth and.
Live looking for that?
And now, Lord Jesus, we do have the word of God in the Spirit of God, and we know much of what lies before us, and we know the future of this earth. And as we go over these things a little bit, we're willing that our hearts would.
Not be touched that we would more be found on the right side of the battlefield, contending with the father for the honor of the Son, and not on the wrong side, caught up in this world.
And we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
Would verse 11 be about right, Bob, or were we further than that?
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I was thinking of reading from verse 10 just to get the connection. Sure.
Second Peter chapter 3 and verse 10.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, The earth also in the works that are therein, shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought he to be? An all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, or in the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved in the elements shall melt with fervent heat.
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent, that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless. An account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto Him, hath written unto you, as also in all His epistles, speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood.
Which they that are unlearned and unstable, rest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing that, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being LED away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.
I just suggest as a brief outline of what we have left in this chapter, and I admit that it's a personal.
Exercise and enjoyment I've had the last little while. We happen to have had this same book before us in the conference in Egypt back a couple of months ago, and we enjoyed this over there.
In verse 10, we have the day of the Lord, the Millennial Day.
And then an exhortation in verse 11 which is related to it.
Then in verses 12 and 13 we have the day of God, the eternal state.
And we have an exhortation which I believe is connected with that in verse 14.
And then we have.
Peter speaking about.
His beloved brother Paul and what Paul had written. And then we have in verse 17 an exhortation related to that.
And then finally, most precious of all, perhaps the last verse, which kind of wraps everything up.
The beautiful thought of growing in grace. Is that a fairway of looking at it, Brother Bob?
Very good. Thank you.
I would like as we start the meditation on the.
Day of God to read it in the new translation because it gives a little different focus and.
I would like help on it myself, so let me just read verse 11 and 12 together.
All these things being to be dissolved.
What ought to be? What ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness?
Here's the point waiting for and.
Hastening the coming of the Day of God.
By reason of which the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved in the elements, burning with each shall melt.
That expression waiting for and hastening.
The coming of the day of God.
Don't stop there, brother, Tell us what it means.
I said I needed some help.
It's so wonderful, the day of God and.
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I think there are three places in the New Testament that deal with eternity, maybe four if you count the end of Ephesians 3.
But why is it that we have so little said about the day of God?
You ever thought on that, Brother Steve?
And my only thought is that it passes out of the sphere of being, the Spirit of God being able to communicate it to us and the language that we presently possess in our capacity that we presently possess to understand.
Hmm, it's really we might read those 3 passages brother, or or the four. In First Corinthians 15 it says verse 28, When all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him. That's put all things under him, that God may be All in all, and so he'll be a blessed man for all eternity, and as a man subject to God.
So this is in the eternal state, and he's just.
Bringing in the change, the glorious change that will take place, the redemption of our bodies, and much more that he gives in this chapter, the 15th chapter. And then we've read of the eternal state here in second Peter chapter 3. And then we have in Revelation.
I think it's is it chapter 2020 or 2121?
Yes, 21 and it's really, I think the 1St 8 verses that speak of it. I saw a new heaven and a new earth. That's Revelation 21 verse one for the 1St heaven. The first earth passed away and there was no more seed. And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold.
The Tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them. They shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them.
And be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, right, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that his thirst, fountain of water, of life freely he that overcometh.
Should inherit all things, and I will be his God and He shall be my son. But the fearful, unbelieving, the abominable, and murderers and ************ sorcerers, idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake of Fire Lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. So, as Brother Steve mentioned, is he gives us language in these passages of Scripture that we can relate to, that we can understand. We are in wealth with the Spirit of God, so we can take in, We have the capacity to take in these words and to understand in some measure.
Shall live very little bit that he can tell us that we can't understand. So in God, in his wisdom tells us these things, but he tells us for a purpose. It's to have an effect upon us, isn't it? It's not just so that we would know. The future man in this world wants to know the future. He wants to know what's happening so that he can buy the right stocks and he can enrich himself and so on. But God has told us these things and it should stir our hearts.
As we wait scripture when it tells us to wait.
Or to watch there is, if every passage that I believe that's given to us in this way is to stir our hearts affections and to stir us in some way. And so here it is really where to watch. We're to be watching, waiting, hasting unto the coming of the day of God, where in the heavens, being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with urban heat. He's going to fulfill his promise.
And everything will be new. Sin will no longer be a problem for us, and God will have His way.
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Can you re ask that repose that question again? What what you have said? Would you re ask that question?
I don't know what question you're talking about, the one you asked, but what it means looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.
You raised a question about that. Yeah. It's as if that we in the measure that we are exercised to live properly as Christians, we hasten the coming of the day of God.
The day of God, I take it, is where everything is of God, nothing remaining of man's sin, or his what he has sinned.
Well, it says here, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be? When I was visiting Brother Vandenberg they told me the story in 2019, how their house burned down, and that year was a terrible year in a lot of ways, medically and otherwise. And I was sitting there what sorrow difficulty went through, and his wife was describing to me.
The house is burning down. They wake up in the middle of the night. What's important, Get the family out. They're out in the van. They have flip flops on and they're wearing their pajamas. But.
There's Brother Vandenberg in his underwear up on the roof in the cold, trying to put the fire out. His wife. What's important to her. You need to get down from there. Let the fire trucks take care of it. Get one more thing. He knew the fire was at the end of the house. He goes into the other end.
The family's dog is trapped in a room. He rescues and comes out. That's what I think of when we're being reminded here that everything we've got is going to burn, everything is going to go. Then my attitude might be changed if I really believe that, if I really believe that that was. We were rushing towards that end because I think there's a sense in which this whole world, the rapidity of everything that's going on, what we see in prophecy and all that, it's just rushing towards this destruction.
And it's not far down the road. We've been reminded of that, that all of these things aren't that far down the road for any of us. And that that thought that if we really got a hold of that, there would be other things that don't matter much. They didn't rescue anything out of there except the most important things out of that fire. And that's what came to mind as you we read this portion.
Materialism of our culture has done tremendous damage to the Christian testimony brethren, and I think it's important, and that's what we really have focused here.
Material things are just a means to an end. They are not an object.
For the believer, and oh, if we could get ahold of that. We live for an eternal day. We live for eternal glory. Why is it that when you're distracted?
I have to confess myself. I get distracted. But when we think of that eternal glory, I'd like to go back to Revelation 21 There a little bit and perhaps we can meditate a little bit on this. I.
Want to say that?
The eternity really starts in chapter 20 verse.
11 where you have the great white throne and it says.
In that set on it, which is the Lord Jesus.
And from whose face the earth and the heaven LED away, and there is found no place for them? That's the end of this present creation no more.
You know time is based on the movement of heavenly bodies, so when they're gone.
One more time. That's something that just blows my mind. I I don't know how much we can understand.
Our thinking is based on time. Even our hymns, we have that hymn.
The eternity with Raptor Dorian eyes looks onward and back to the Speaking of the cross of Christ. That's the way we think, brethren, and we talk about the past eternity and the future eternity. There's not really a past and eternity. Eternity is a vast place where God dwells. It's the habitation of God.
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And time is just like a little bubble in eternity.
But here we have eternity and we have the.
Judgment of the dead here and the end of chapter 20. And then we have in verse chapter 21 a new heaven and a new earth. The 1St heaven and the first earth are passed away and there is no more sea. And then John sees the holy city.
New Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Here's a bride that's 1000 years old and she's still a bride adorned for her husband in eternity. Nothing changes. It's all fixed. Everything connected with time changes. Everything connected with eternity is fixed.
And he says in verse three, I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold.
The Tabernacle of God.
Will remember we have this portion at a conference in Denver, Co if you remember years ago.
I'd rather London and brother Gordon Hayhoe were there and the Tabernacle of God, Gordon said, is Christ and his people joined together forever. But it says the Tabernacle of God is with men. So you have the heavenly and the earthly.
To me it is very interesting that in all gods the purpose is a blessing. There's a heavenly sphere, there's an earthly sphere, and God promised it to blessing. To Abraham. It was as the stars of heaven and as the sand by the seashore, the two spheres. So here in eternity there's the two spheres. The only difference is there's no distance. The Tabernacle of God is with men, since there's no sin.
There's no distance to me that is wonderful to think. The Tabernacle of God is with men. I take it on the earth. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with him and be their God. And then he tells about all the things that won't be there. But I wanted to get down to verse six. Guys, there's a something there that puzzled me for the longest time.
Says I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
First in eternity thirst. What is this?
This is the way it came to me, brethren.
Even in that eternal day, we're not sufficient in ourselves. We will always need God to satisfy our souls. Isn't that wonderful? And it's a fountain that can never be exhausted.
Hmm, There's something very precious to in this account in Revelation 21, and that is that when it comes to the heavenly Jerusalem that begins in verse 9, the description of the heavenly Jerusalem, we find that the bride is portrayed as a city.
And that's necessary because as we had before us yesterday, the millennial day, the millennial Kingdom is necessary for the public vindication of God's holy character. And so the city is connected with administration in this world.
That's why the foundations are the apostles of the Lamb. But the gates are named after the tribes of Israel administration. 12 of each. But when it comes to the eternal state.
The city is portrayed as a bride. You mentioned about beautiful. The city is portrayed as a bride. Why is the city still there? Yes, but the emphasis is not on administration, it's on relationship and something else that I have enjoyed. I know our early, I see our late brother. I better be careful because you have to be pretty near as old as I am to remember Harry Hajo. But.
He used to tell us that the millennial day, the Millennium, is really only the front porch to the eternal state. And that's I believe why it says in our chapter in second Peter 3, hastening the coming of the day of God.
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Technically and completely, the Millennium is not God's full rest.
It's the Sabbath of rest, and it's the reality of rest for this world. And in that sense it'll be a wonderful time. But sin will still be here. It'll rear its ugly head as we had yesterday. Yes, it will be instantly dealt with every time, but it will still be there. And that awful rebellion at the end will show, as we had yesterday, that man's natural heart has not changed under absolutely perfect conditions.
Man still does not want God's beloved Son.
But after it's all over and as you just pointed out, Bob, the great white throne, then God brings in the eternal state. And I would suggest that we haste. Well, let's turn back to second Peter 3 for a moment. Verse 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that he looked for such things, be diligent that he may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless.
That is characteristic of the Kingdom of God.
We're living today in the days of the Kingdom of Heaven, when the Lord Jesus spoke to his disciples concerning the Kingdom of God and Luke's gospel.
He could say don't say low here or low there. And our King James is a little defective in the translation. It should read for the Kingdom of God is among you. Meaning that in the person of God's beloved Son, they could see the full display of the Kingdom of God. What's going to happen in the eternal state? That Kingdom will become an eternal Kingdom, water. It'll be a vast, everlasting Kingdom with Christ at the head.
And I like your thought, brother.
Steve about the.
Reason why we don't hear much about the eternal state in Scripture. Wouldn't we like to hear more our natural, if I can say it, our natural curiosity would love to have more, but God says it'll it's too much for you right now, imagine you. We can't think outside of time in our relationship. That's why we talk about a past eternity and a coming eternity.
But there isn't really any such thing. There's a little blip of time in the middle.
And one eternity is the same as the next, But we can't, we can't get our minds around that. And that day we will. But that vast moral Kingdom of God will finally have its full display. And in one sense, in John's ministry, the two are brought together, whether in the Millennium or in the eternal state. John often brings them together so that they aren't differentiated as much as they are in Paul's ministry. But I just mentioned that.
That that will be the full display of that glorious Kingdom. What does God want to see more of that Kingdom displayed in you and me. Now that's the way I believe we haste the coming of the day of God by displaying more and more of God's Kingdom in our walk and ways in this world.
Is that I don't know. Does that commend itself?
I was thinking that.
We look in Hebrews chapter.
Well, when the apostle is describing the particular blessings that we have in Christianity, verse 22.
Unto your come, unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, into an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly and Church of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all. Is that not a?
A millennial scene there because the first boring.
Are really the Church of God?
The Bride of Christ.
Who will?
We will reign with the Lord during the millennial period.
But.
That position as the bride of Christ will go on into the eternal state. So my question was, what is the difference between?
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The the heavenly Jerusalem mentioned here and the.
The Bride of Christ.
Which is referred to here as the first born.
Well, I believe, Brother John, that they are essentially the same and the church is portrayed as the city, as I say, in the millennial day. And so I believe, as you say, this is really referring to the Millennium here in Hebrews that you mentioned. But as we said earlier, the in the eternal state, the city is more in the background, although it's there, it's definitely there. But what is brought out more in the in the eternal state is.
Her relationship as a bride. And so we get the heavenly city described in Revelation 21 from verse 9 onward. And it's beautiful to see her display there. And as Bob has mentioned, there will be communication between heaven and earth and, and so it's nice, it's nice to see that. And God uses the description of the heavenly city to indicate the vastness of the glory.
That will be displayed in that day.
But when it's a matter of the bride, it's a matter of relationship and the warmth and loving kindness of God in bringing us into that relationship. Would you say, brother Bill, that the Old Testament Saints who are, we know, friends of the bridegroom, they are not part of the bride. They will be part of the heavenly city.
They'll definitely be part of the heavenly company, not just your. When you talk about the city, like Bill says, you're talking about administration and that is what we have in chapter 21 of Revelation from verse 9, like you said, down to verse five of chapter 22 is a description of the heavenly city in the millennial day.
And so you have their walls, you have gates. Gates were for administration, judging. And so there will be that in the millennial day, there won't be an eternal state in need of that because sin will no longer exist. Hard for us to imagine a world without sin. But during the millennial day there will be. And so it talks about nations too.
Eternal state that doesn't mention anything about nations, only the Tabernacle of God with men. That's all it says. Interesting.
It's helpful to read in that verse nine in Revelation chapter 21. It's very clear.
That it is millennial. It says, It came unto me, one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hit her, I will show thee the bride.
Unless the church in her millennial glory, that lamb's wife, that's her position of responsibility, you might say, in assisting him in the rain. And then he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me, it should say, that holy city.
The holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God. So we have the millennial scene told to us in that we have much more of a description of the millennial scene than we do of the eternal state. And so we can be thankful for what is revealed to us and we don't need to chase about what is not given to us. And I think it was again, Brother Harry, Hugh, I never mentioned. I never met him. But you had this little expression. Never let the things that you don't understand.
Spoil the enjoyment of the things that you do understand. Enjoy the things that you do and understand, and the Lord will bless them. The Old Testament Saints will have part in the in the Millennium, won't they? In reigning with Christ. Is that right, Robert? Yes, but from heaven.
I'd like to come back for a moment to Revelation 20, verse 11.
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The creation that we know now.
Did start by God's powerful word He spoke, and it became something visible out of nothing.
When the end is reached, there is no more any vert. When this creation will disappear, nobody is talking. It is only your face on the great white throne.
This face is so bright.
It is so holy. It is so perfect righteous.
That this earth just will disappear.
It's hard for us to imagine this.
Because we are so connected to material or two words, what is very interesting is the day of the Lord.
Ends with this action, with this face on the great white throne. And then first Peter 3 talks again. When it comes to the eternal days, the day of God, the earth does disappear.
That means the Day of God starts with the Great White Throne. Why? It is the absolute end of what we have all seen and known. What was not worthy for God?
And the last enemy is stun set aside. That's the beginning of this day. And what did really?
Capture me one day when I did read on the end of this scenery, that the Lord the King will come to God and will give back all his responsibilities he had taken on in the Millennium. And then the scripture says, and then everything is for, in and about God and nothing else anymore.
That's what we have in First Corinthians 15, and maybe we go there just a brief moment because I think that is good. It's a reference it First Corinthians 15 really touches.
The eternal day, but it really.
Don't know how to explain it but.
Here chapter 15 and verse 24.
Then cometh the end.
When he that's the Lord Jesus shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God.
Even the Father you have kingdoms. It's because there's still sin in existence.
And there needs to be control.
Delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.
When he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and all and power, for he must reign, reign in his. For when there is sin, he must reign until he had put all enemies under his feet. And the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. That's what we have in the end of chapter 20 of Revelation.
Death in Haiti's are cast into the Lake of Fire.
For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted the Lord Jesus as man, which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the sun also Himself be subject.
Unto him that put all things under him.
That God may be All in all, so the Lord Jesus as man.
Delivers up the Kingdom to God the Father. He has subdued all things for God's glory, the 1St man.
But everything made everything in disorder. Now here's the 2nd man, the last Adam, and he puts all things in order, and then he submits.
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He is. One of the things about humankind is that we are.
Dependent and submissive. Dependent because God has all power. Submissive because God has all authority.
And the Lord Jesus as man submits, and then God is All in all, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that's the beginning of the Day of God.
And that's ultimately beyond our understanding, isn't it?
Here is our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who remains a man for all eternity to enjoy your company and mine.
And he's, in that sense, subject for all eternity.
And yet who is All in all pointed out God in Trinity, and he's part of that beyond our understanding isn't.
The first creation began with a heavens and an earth, and it ended with a man.
The new creation begins with a man, and it ends in a new heaven and new earth.
For all eternity, the inverse order of things. I Just a question, brother Bill in connection with hastening that day would breathing from the new translation and John's the first Epistle, chapter 2 and verse eight, would this connect with it?
And again I've write a new commandment to you, which thing is true in him?
And in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light already shines, that that display of those characters is looking on to that day of God. So the true light, the darkness is passing, but already in the believer, because it's that thing which is true in him and in us, it already shines. It's a it's a glimpse of that coming day of God.
Absolutely.
The darkness is passing, as you say, and it's still passing. There will be a time when it will be passed completely beautiful.
It's another thought from Ephesians chapter 2.
We find that the Church is the habitation of God by the Spirit.
And so is the Millennium closes, and the Lord delivers up that perfect Kingdom, having fully discharged all that adamant failed in He.
That second man takes it up for God's glory. He delivers it up and the administrative features.
Of the church disappeared, just the bride character remains. But there's one other thing. The Tabernacle of God is with men forever. The church will be the habitation of God by the Spirit. And so when she comes down from heaven in that way, the Tabernacle of God is with men, but she is always pictured.
As coming down from God out of heaven, her true origin is gone. Her character for all eternity is heavenly, and though those two spheres, as it were, become so close that there's no distance, she is always from God and always out of heaven for eternity.
And it's the last time that the habitation of God is mentioned in the Word of God in that passage.
Maybe for some that are younger here in verse 12.
Where it's talking about Eastern, the coming of the day of God.
Spoiled growing up in the assembly and having the right. The word of truth rightly divided and presented to us. But you'll hear many people who truly love the Lord Jesus.
Hot quite a bit of those preparing for the Kingdom and that's a very common phrase that you will run into and it's a warning sign that they don't believe in the dispensational truth that we've been talking. They're feeling that in some way they thought to get ready because they're going to be part of the Kingdom and God has his own plan for getting ready for the Kingdom. It's a seven-year period that's going to fix things up.
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We're not pulled to be healthy, to prepare for the Kingdom. We're told to preach the gospel.
You know, well, sadly, and I think that's an important point, Robbie, that you bring out, sadly, Satan has done.
All too good a job in bringing Christianity down to the level of a worldly religion. And he knows, even if believers don't realize it, that when we lose, and if we lose the sense of our heavenly calling, humanly speaking, we've lost everything.
Because a believer who gets into the arena to try and straighten this world out.
Will find that he has to work with worldly people and then pretty soon you're down to the level of the world and there's no question no matter who you are or how much you try, it'll end up in compromise. And and so it's one of those it it may not seem that serious, but it's one of the worst errors that Satan has brought into the profession of Christianity to persuade believers today that they need to get involved in trying to straighten this world out.
And Scripture is very clear, isn't it, that the world will not be straightened out by the gospel, nor will it be straightened out by the efforts of believers. It says in Isaiah chapter 26, when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness, and that's the only way it will come.
Mike point out maybe in connection with.
Good understanding of prophetic and dispensational truth that the Old Testament speaks of a new heavens and new earth, but it's not the same thing that Peter is giving us in this chapter. Isaiah 65 and verse 17.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people. And the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in here, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more events and infant of days, or in other words, none will die in infancy.
Nor an old man that has not filled his days. Even with Ozila didn't fill his days. He didn't reach 1000.
For the child shall die 100 years old. There's death there, not an infancy, but comes a time of responsibility of their sin. It will be judged. But the Sinner being 100 years old, should be at first. This could hardly be the new heavens and new earth that Peter is Speaking of. They're still death. There's still sin that will be judged, though there'd be a great time of blessing.
And so this is not Peter picking up and telling us.
This is the fulfillment of the prophecy that Isaiah gives and Isaiah 65. That is the millennial earth, the new heavens and new earth of the Old Testament prophecies. But it's not what we have in this chapter.
We read in the first chapter of Second Peter.
Verse 10 of the first chapter.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election.
Sure, Ricky, do these things. You shall never fall.
00:50:02
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Well.
The abundant entrance here is not referring to heaven. Every believer will have an abundant entrance into heaven, but this is in connection with the Kingdom. And so we've spoken of all the material things of this world being dissolved and disappearing, but not the way in which we have used what the Lord has entrusted to us.
Whether it be financial resources, whether it be time.
Or energy.
The those things are going to perish, but the way in which we have used.
The.
The things which the Lord has entrusted to us.
If we have used them for the glory and the furtherance of the eternal.
Interests of our Lord Jesus that will be rewarded in that coming day and our place in the coming Kingdom. That's mentioned here in the verses I read.
Our place will be according to our walk down here, and so we read in Luke 19 of some having ten cities and five cities and so on, the place of administration, which is our reward in the coming millennial day.
Will be according to our walk down here. So the judgment seat of Christ will reveal how we have used these material resources, possessions that the Lord has entrusted us with. They can be used for the glory of the Lord Jesus and for the furtherance of his interest down here. And that's an encouragement. I believe that the abundant entrance here the apostle is Speaking of is the portion.
That the believer will have in that coming millennial day. Is that right, Robert?
There's another thing that perhaps we could just mention in passing that when in the Synoptic Gospels, whenever lasting life is spoken of, it's really from a Jewish perspective and you might just turn to Mark chapter 10 to get the point. He says in Mark chapter 10 verse 17 that when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running and kneeling and kneeled to him and asked him, good Master, what shall I do to inherit that? I may inherit eternal life.
Well, he wasn't asking.
For eternal life in the sense, the Christian sense that wasn't revealed yet, but he wanted to live on the earth forever and as long as the earth existed, that the Jews, when they said eternal life, it was for as long as the earth would exist that they would live. And so he wanted to live on the earth.
For as long as the earth existed. And so it's called eternal life, and he mentions it in the 133rd Psalm.
And it's really in connection with the Millennium in verse three, I'll read it, 133rd Psalm, the dew of Herman, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore. So it was mentioned in the Old Testament. That's what they look for. And so is what Brother Steve was bringing out is the new heavens and new earth in connection with the Jewish perspective. That was really going to be a renewal.
A regeneration the Lord Jesus called that I believe in Matthew's Gospel chapter 28 is it and and so they looked at it from a Jewish perspective. Peter here is talking about the eternal state from a Christian perspective.
I have a a question.
On Friday or Saturday we talked about.
The how the believer often has the rapture before him only because that's what's going to affect us presently.
And our thoughts oftentimes don't go beyond to the appearing. And as we went through this chapter, we saw how they very much should go on to the appearing because that's when God is going to be vindicated.
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But it seems like we go down further in this chapter and now it's not so much that our thought should even be on the day of the Lord, but it needs to be on the day of God. And I'm struggling a little bit because.
I've always thought about it, God's eternal counsels from Ephesians chapter one, where his Son is going to be glorified in heaven and earth and the the place where his, his rightful place is finally going to be there. But then I'm coming to these verses and it's saying, well, we kind of want to get by that as quick as possible. We want to get beyond that. We want to get to the day of God. And so I'm just trying to reconcile that in my mind. I don't know if anybody can follow what I'm saying or to give a thought on that.
I found that comment that Bill made earlier helpful, although I don't know what scripture to give for it that.
The Millennial day is the anteroom into the Grand Palace, which is the day of God eternity. And so yes, we do desire the Day of the Lord.
In the sense that we're going to see the Lord Jesus vindicated in the world where he's so dishonored. But that's the introduction.
Into that day of God that we have so little said about it in the Scripture and and when you get into the anteroom and there's a lot about the millennial day. So be occupied with that and that's going to give you a sense of what you got.
This time is over after 7000 years.
There comes new day. It's the 8th day.
And this will not end. And everything is new. It's too difficult for us that that this eternal goal would have given us any physical description or whatsoever. It would be too much for us. We are too limited.
There remaineth therefore rest for the people of God, and we will enter into God's rest, His eternal rest.
He's been looking forward to that since the first creation began, and He will not be disappointed. And He's going to bring us into it with Him. And so in that sense, it is very much part of our bright hope as much as seeing the Lord vindicated. But when that all closes, the eternal day of rest begins, and we're going to enter into it and all of His joy for all eternity.
I had mentioned that there are two exhortations. First exhortation related to what? Joseph asked.
What manner of persons ought to be in our manner of life to be associated with holiness and godliness? And there's an aspect to the millennial Kingdom in which we reign with Christ. And there's an aspect in terms of how we live our life today in which we are associated with Christ in his Kingdom. And I believe that that's part of what's put before us here. And then the second part that we've been talking about that eighth day.
We have the 2nd exhortation in connection with the new heavens and the new earth and we're challenged to be found without spot and blameless. That's exactly how we'll be when we enter into that 8th day. We have complete and perfect acceptance in our Lord Jesus Christ. He's our righteousness. That's true, but that we are exhorted many times and to keep ourselves unspotted, for example.
From the world, that's our future and we should live towards exemplifying that and living that.
Today, so I, I put that forward as something for our hearts that there is both in the millennial Kingdom, a portion that we are sharing with Christ and in the eighth day, that that our moral character needs to be conformed to that today. And that's I think part of what these exhortations are for. The exhortations are there, but what Bob had said at the beginning of this, he was talking about how he likes to think about these things and how wonderful it's been to think about these things as we've been discussing them.
And I'm.
I was thinking about from our side of things as we observe, we listened and we enter into this. We have different levels of understanding here and maybe some people are learning some things that are citing to them and new that are here. One of the Bible studies we have back home.
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Is attended by little old ladies and couple of little old men that are in their 70s and 80s and they know the Lord and the first thing they knew was that they're going to heaven when they die.
That's all in pretty much new. And then someone asks a question about what's this rapture thing and then they know about that and then a little further, well, what happens after that? And, and I heard all these terrible things go a little further and a little further. These folks know the Lord know hardly anything. And some are from different backgrounds like Methodist, Presbyterian, this and that and the other thing. And it's just to watch their faces.
As they learn just a little bit more and more and more and their bodies are breaking down and they've got disease and illness and sickness. And as they're entering in, you should see their faces. You should see they're they're soaking it up like you **** ground on, on pouring water on a parched ground. And I think there's a side of this as we learn and understand what's coming, what's coming, what's coming. And like Bob says, thinking about it, they love talking about this and what's down the road and not too far down the road.
That the Lord is coming from. And then I'm not just going to die and go to heaven. But you know what? They might actually be here.
When the Lord comes and then what? There's a millennial Kingdom and we're going to reign with Christ over it and all the things going on and the wonder of that. And then we've been talking about the end of all things. And where not only is the Lord Jesus vindicated in the Millennium, there's a sense in which all that have been faithful to him are vindicated with him then at the end of it.
Nothing corrupt, everything settled, all matters are done and gone has his desire from the beginning before anything was made. His family is around him, that great host. And we sometimes think about that and think, wow, what that'll be like every family that God has. And then this is right there. Everything is there. Well, we we enter, it's like we enjoy more and more and more as we think down. But in the Thessalonians, the first thing they do was they turn to God from idols to wait for the Son of God from heaven.
Well then, Paul, Paul told him more, more, more, and now we get a bigger picture.
Just like to encourage the younger brothers and sisters to get into the prophetic word. I was encouraged some years ago.
I happen to be reading an article in the National Geographic magazine and most often today many of the articles there are not that encouraging.
There was an article on a man had made a name for himself and public radio, a man by the name of Garrison Keeler. He had a program called the Prairie Home Companion and he was brought up in a brethren household but largely gave up most of what he was taught as young man, but the.
Author of this article had been informed that he was brought up in a Brethren household and wanted to know a little bit about the Brethren and inserted some material there concerning that. But there was a photo or picture that I was very encouraged to see that showed a group of young men at the table going over who's chart from eternity to eternity.
And what an odd thing to see in the National Geographic magazine. And it thrilled my heart that there were some young men that were anxious to learn God's purposes. And it thrilled my heart.
I'd like to read a verse in connection with what you say, Joe, and it's not exactly an answer, but something that I find interesting to think about and 1St Corinthians 13.
Verse 9.
Or we know in part.
And we prophecy in part, and that's what we have to say.
The more we learn, the more we realize how little we understand.
Him. But then notice that it goes on. When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
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Knowing, in part, is going to be done away.
And it gives a little.
Similarly here when I was a child, I speak as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child.
I sometimes think when we look back from heaven's side, when we think of this meeting, we have this action.
How little we really understand. But we do understand something, brother. We can enjoy that.
When I became a man, I put away childish things for now we see through a glass.
Dimly or darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part.
That then shall I know, even as also I am.
Oh, what a day that's going to be. We get into the Lord's presence and the Lord is going to say that the judgment seat. Now I'm going to show you the whole picture and we're going to enter it.
It said fears that.
Peter.
Did have a problem understanding all the truth that Paul had unfolded as to the purposes and councils of the of the Lord in his epistles, because he says here in the 16th verse that some things hard to be understood. Of course, Peter was very much immersed in the whole Judaistic system prejudice. He had to have a special vision from the Lord before he would go.
And preach the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile, but he acknowledges that those.
Those writings of the apostle Paul were inspired, authenticated by the by the word of God. They he calls them Scriptures here.
And in Christendom to a large measure.
Paul's doctrine that we have been speaking about the heavenly calling of the church, our position as as separate from this whole world system.
Is generally not understood by Christendom. They have what is called covenant theology and what have you mixed in. They leave things in a state of confusion but.
They they rest the scriptures, they take them out of their true bearing. But Paul, Peter here.
Recognizes the the divine inspiration of the scriptures that that Paul had received.
And also, as we might mention, he didn't hold any resentment.
By the fact that Paul in Galatians had to rebuke Peter not behind his back face to face among all the other brethren and he refers here to our beloved brother Paul. He didn't hold any resentment for that correction which he needed because Paul was Peter was really throwing the church back under the.
Under the the Old Testament wall of partition, he was.
Going to erect it again. But Peter has no resentment. He received that rebuke from the Apostle Paul and he profited by it. I think it's, it's lovely to see that.
And that's so important because as we see here.
This tendency to, as it says in verse 17 or verse 16, rather to rest or that's where the word wrestling comes from, That is to take Scripture out of its proper context and make it say what it really doesn't say.
Is exactly what has happened and.
Judaizing principles were introduced, as we know, into the church very early in its history.
And eventually, of course, was the utter ruination of the Church.
Now you and I can be so thankful for the precious truth of God that He saw fit to restore to us almost 200 years ago now. But the devil is still attempting to do this. And so-called reconstructionism or covenant theology is part of that and we get a warning here about it. Way back in Peter's day. He knew what Paul taught. He knew it was the truth.
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And to understand prophecy, we must see the heavenly calling of the Church.
If we don't see the church's position as being a heavenly body.
Prophecy does not make any sense at all. But here Peter recognizes that's the way to see it, but he realizes that it's sometimes hard to be understood. And let's not point the finger at the Jews. The natural man does not like the heavenly calling of the church either. Remember well reading about how one of our older brethren, this is way back in the 1800s, and this was at a Bible reading, and they were talking about bringing out the precious truth.
Of the church and one brother said, well, what do you do if people don't want to listen to you?
And the brothers said they will probably listen to you until you try to take them to heaven.
Now that doesn't mean going to heaven at the end of the journey. He meant going to heaven in the sense that Ephesians gives us the heavenly calling of the church. But what is so precious here? And I just allow me to make this comment. I know our time is gone, but.
The last verse.
What's the real answer to it all?
All the glory of the millennial Kingdom.
All the glory of the eternal state, everything that will take place, then it's right for us to understand it and enjoy it in our hearts.
But Peter recognizes, as we've already expressed this afternoon, ultimately we can't understand it. And that's why God doesn't say much about the eternal state in Scripture. But one thing we can't understand growing grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Allow me to repeat some words. I think it was from Brother Vela, his ministry, he said. The glory will be wonderful.
But he said far more wonderful than the display of glory will be the celebration of the grace that has brought us there. Very true.
And I believe that's why Peter puts this verse in. He realizes that much of this is beyond our understanding. But in the coming day, what will be the greatest joy in heaven to celebrate the grace, the braces there?
17.
#17.
Holy Spirit.
Favor.
Rest up on us.
May we?
Have I didn't hear you?
And the Lord.
Also #48.
#48.
I.
01:15:09
AM.
Free and there are brave things. We will be rewarding the world.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Just do thank thee that we can anticipate by very soon.
Thank you.
These thoughts?
That brought to you and the encouragement and knowing that our one desire to bless.
Is thy desire to gather thy people around myself, and there will be none this God.