Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

New Video Programs

A new StandingWatch program was posted on YouTube and on our Website www.standingwatch.org. It is titled, “Warnings of a Great Crash in 2012.” In spite of optimistic viewpoints, some experts warn that a recession or a depression may be inevitable and could strike as early as by late summer of 2012. US government debt is worse than Greece, while Europeans pour bailout money into a bottomless barrel. Many Americans live far beyond their means and become vulnerable to financial catastrophe. Gas prices and water bills are on the rise, and a more than likely attack on Iran will make a bad economic situation more painful. The British Government has run out of money. Is there any hope for us in light of these grim realities?

You might also want to view our StandingWatch program on the same topic, titled, “New Great Depression in 2012?”, which was recorded and posted on YouTube in June of 2011, warning of these frightening developments.

A new German sermon was posted on YouTube, titled, “Warum das Opfergesetz?” (“Why the Law of Sacrifices?”)

New Radio Programs

Two new radio programs (Numbers 18 and 19) were recorded this week, titled, “The Next Great Crash” and “Is a Mahdi Coming?” They will be broadcast, respectively, beginning Sunday, April 29 and May 6, 2012. Our radio broadcasts are being posted on our Website, www.standingwatch.org.

What exactly did Christ do for us, and what can and should we do in return?

As we approach the Passover season, it might be a good time to analyze exactly what Christ did for mankind, and how we can reciprocate, and what we ought to do for God.

We need to understand that God is a Family. God consists of two Beings–the Father and the Son—and has always consisted as such. At some time in the past, prior to the physical creation, God and Christ devised a plan to enlarge the Family of God through man.  We are not told when exactly the plan was developed. What we do know is that the plan existed before time began, and we also know that Satan rebelled against God and tried to implement a plan which he felt was better than God’s. However, his coup failed. We are not told to what extent he was to participate and to further God’s plan to enlarge His Family through man.

After the creation of Adam and Eve and their subsequent sin under the influence of Satan, God revealed to man His way to redeem him from the penalty of sin which is death.

Romans 6:23 tells us: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Death is the penalty for sin and since all men have sinned, a human being could die only for his own sins. Unfortunately, such a death does not redeem mankind.  There had to be a greater sacrifice for all the sins of mankind. That ultimate sacrifice was the Sacrifice of Christ.  God the Father created EVERYTHING through Jesus Christ. As the Creator of mankind and of all spiritual and physical beings and things, His Life was greater than the sum of all of the creation.

What Christ was willing to do for sinful man was to give up His divinity as the Son of God—as an eternal God being–and become flesh, as it were, to die for the sins of mankind. But He could not stay dead. We are saved by His LIFE. God the Father had to resurrect Christ to become our living Mediator and High Priest, so that we could inherit salvation and eternal life.

Acts 2:22-24 quotes Peter as follows: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

That was quite a sacrifice to give to man.  As a God being, Christ had never experienced physical pain, the limitations of the human body and the temptations we have to endure from Satan the devil, society and self–our own human nature. But when Christ became a Man, He was tempted in all things, but He never sinned.
Hebrews 2:18 states:  “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

Hebrews 4:15  adds: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Although He was tempted in all things, He remained sinless. He experienced human suffering that He had never experienced before. Although He never lost a spouse or His mother, He did lose His stepfather Joseph at some point. Although He never lost a limb or had any bones broken or suffered from horrible diseases, He did suffer tremendously throughout His life and prior to His death. He had to experience the consequences of sin. He did not sin, but He became sin for us. The sins of mankind, and the consequences of those sins, were placed on His shoulders. These sins were mind-blowing.

In fact, as the God of the Old Testament, He was surprised at how corrupt and degenerate mankind had become.       
                                                                                                                    
Jeremiah 7:31 quotes Christ’s words as follows: “And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.”

Notice, it did not even enter into God’s heart (mind) to do such abominations as sacrificing one’s own children to the terrible idol Baal. There is no evil thought in God’s mind.

James 1:13 explains: “ Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

Christ gave up His divinity for a season, to walk among His creation and to suffer and be killed through the shedding of His blood to atone for the sins of man. God the Father resurrected Him as a God being—the same God being that He had been prior to His human life on earth — so that we could also be resurrected to eternal life in the future. Christ was willing to put His eternity on the line for His creation to redeem them from eternal death and to give them eternal life in the very Family of God. And God the Father was willing to GIVE His Son so that the world could be saved.

What can we do, in return, for the Father and for Christ?

The most basic and fundamental thing we can do, if we have been called to salvation in this life, is to remain true to our calling.  We know that salvation is not being offered to the world in this day and age.  God has preordained to call a few now to rule and serve with Christ in the Millennium and during the Great White Throne Judgment, to help others to obtain salvation as well.

There can be no greater joy for Christ and God the Father than for us to remain faithful to the end, as Matthew 24:13  says: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” The “end” refers to the time of our death or the return of Christ, if we are still alive by then.

Furthermore, the most important words for a true Christian to hear from Christ would be something to this effect: “Well done, My true and faithful servant, enter into the Kingdom and the joy of your Father” (compare Matthew 25:21).

In order to remain faithful and endure to the end, we have to be engaged in the responsibility of the commission given to God’s Church of preaching and publishing the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness or testimony.  For those not in direct line of that responsibility (which is predominately given to the ministry), they are to support that effort through prayers, tithes and offerings and through whatever practical assistance they could provide to the Church so that this most important Work is carried out. It is also important that their example reflect their calling to show true Christianity in a positive light and to encourage others to want to know more about God’s Way of Life.

Individually, we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in order to reach the goal of our salvation, and this can only be accomplished with the tools of prayer, Bible study, meditation and occasional fasting.  There are no shortcuts. To the degree that our hearts are in the Work of God, we will grow spiritually. If we get weary of actively participating in the Work, we will soon experience that we are becoming spiritually lazy and lukewarm. We might want to justify our lack of participation or even withdrawal from assembling with one another with all kinds of reasons, and we might even deceive others or ourselves for a while, but God knows our heart, and we can never deceive Him.

We know the time is shorter than it was a year ago. There is still a job to do, and we have to be engaged in that job. That is what we can do to please God and Christ and to ensure safe entrance into the future Kingdom.

As we have seen, God the Father was willing to give His Son for the world, and Christ was willing to give up His divinity for a while to die for sinful man and redeem us with His precious blood. His Sacrifice was greater than the sum of creation, since He was the Creator. He was resurrected by God the Father, giving us an opportunity to be resurrected in the future at the return of Christ.

What a tremendous act of selflessness that was! We should be eternally grateful for what God the Father and Jesus Christ did for us.

What we can do for God which would also be pleasing to Him is to remain engaged in the process of the responsibility of bringing  the gospel of the coming Kingdom to the world, and to individually grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ, by using the tools God has given us. If we do these things, we will never fail, and we will be able to receive eternal life and also our reward of rulership as kings and priests, which Christ is anxiously and patiently awaiting to give to His faithful servants at His return.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier

God Provides

On March 10, 2012, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “God Provides.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

New Video Programs

A new StandingWatch program was posted on YouTube and on our Website www.standingwatch.org. It is titled, “Religious and Scientific Deceptions.” In a recent public debate on the origin of life between the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and the most famous atheist, Richard Dawkins, both gentlemen presented utterly false ideas. The wrong concept that man has evolved from non-humans, whether by accident or with godly involvement, rejects God’s Word and has contributed to a world without true moral and ethical standards.

A new German sermon was posted on YouTube, titled, “Weinen Hat Seine Zeit!” (“A Time to Weep”).

New Radio Programs

Three new radio programs (Numbers 15, 16 and 17) were recorded this week, titled, “Why Did the Father Forsake Christ?”, “Was Christ a Hippie?” and “Why No Moral Standards?”
They will be broadcast, respectively, beginning Sunday, April 8, 15 and 22, 2012. Our radio broadcasts are being posted on our Website, www.standingwatch.org.

Does Ezekiel 38 describe events before, during or after the Millennium?

The events described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will occur after Christ’s return, at the very beginning of His rule over mankind—not 1,000 years later. In a previous Q&A, we discussed the fact that Jesus Christ will have to complete 3 ½ years of His public ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, before His rule over all nations in the Millennium can really begin to flourish. We saw that Christ will free the modern descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah from captivity and bring them into the Promised Land. They will build the waste cities and inhabit them, live in peace and safety, and God will forgive all their iniquities and enter with them into the conditions of the new covenant.

To live God’s way of life is a learning process. For instance, we read in the book of Isaiah, that Gentile nations will hear about the law of God which will be taught by Christ in Jerusalem, and they will flock there to learn God’s laws as well (Isaiah 2:1-3). They will reach the point when they do not want to learn war anymore (verse 4). We also read that some nations will at first refuse to live by God’s law to observe His annual holy days (Zechariah 14:16-19). So Jesus will have to deal with all these problems.

We must view the events described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 in this light. We read that a great army from mostly Far Eastern countries will try to fight against the modern descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah who had returned to the Promised Land and who will be living peacefully. God will allow those Gentile nations to advance against Jerusalem for several reasons. He will show these nations that He is LORD and that war and rebellion will not be permitted under Christ’s rule—so He will deal with those hostile armies very quickly. Also note that these events will apparently take place during the remaining 3 ½ years of Christ’s public ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This ministry will include, first and foremost, the important teaching that man is not to fight in war—ever. Before Israel can become an example of peaceful coexistence with other nations, it has to learn and embrace this understanding itself. After all, Israel has been a war-waging nation throughout most of its existence, without ever really trusting in God that He would fight their battles for them. Christ told Peter to put his sword away (Matthew 26:52), and this is the same teaching which Christ will bring to all of the survivors of Israel and Judah, as well as to the rest of the world.

We published a Q&A on the timing of the events, as described in the 38th and 39th chapters of the book of Ezekiel. Let us quote here from this Q&A:

“Ezekiel 38:8, 16, tells us that the events will occur ‘in the latter years’ or in the ‘latter days.’ Verse 8 emphasizes that it will happen at the time when those living in the land have been ‘brought back from the sword and gathered from among many people.’ We are also told that ‘they were brought out of the nations’ and led to ‘the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate.’ It is emphasized that they are NOW dwelling ‘safely.’ Verse 12 also reiterates that these former ‘waste places’ are ‘again inhabited,’ and that the people of Israel, who were gathered from the nations, ‘have acquired livestock and goods.’ Since there will be no desolate mountains of Israel throughout the Millennium, and since the people of Israel have been living in safety during the Millennium, and since they were gathered out of the nations and brought to the Promised Land at the time of Christ’s return, it is clear that the events described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 do not occur 1,000 years AFTER Christ’s return.”

At the same time, it is evident that these events do NOT take place PRIOR to Christ’s return. Continuing with our Q&A on Ezekiel 38 and 39:

“We read in Ezekiel 38:11 that the people of Israel will live in ‘unwalled villages’; that they are a ‘peaceful people, who dwell safely,’ ‘without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.’ This shows that the events will not occur PRIOR to Christ’s return, as the modern descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah — mainly the USA, Great Britain, Canada and the state of Israel–do not live in peace today, and they will not live in peace, without walls, bars or gates, prior to Christ’s return (For proof, please read our free booklets, ‘The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,’ and ‘The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.’)… Also, Ezekiel 38:8 refers to the ‘mountains of Israel’ where the modern houses of Israel and Judah will live at that time–but the modern house of Israel does not presently reside there at all, nor will they live there prior to Christ’s return.”

To fully grasp the importance of the events, which are described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, we must realize that God will be intervening very mightily. He will show mankind that He does not need their help in fighting against His enemies, as Moses told the Israelites at the time of their Exodus from Egypt: “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:14).

We say in our Q&A on Ezekiel 38 and 39:

“Ezekiel 39 emphasizes in numerous places that God will destroy the invading army, and that because of God’s intervention, the nations, and especially the nation of Israel, will know that He is the Lord. Verse 22 states: ‘So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward.’ This is clearly a reference to the BEGINNING of the Millennium–not to the END when God has ruled over the world and Israel for 1,000 years. Verses 23-29 add that the Gentiles will know by then that ‘the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity’–a reference to the coming slavery of the modern house of Israel, prior to Christ’s return. Christ will free the modern nations of Israel and Judah out of their slavery when He returns–not 1,000 years later (compare verses 25, 27-28). It is THEN that God will begin to convert the survivors of the modern houses of Israel and Judah (verse 29)–not 1,000 years later.”

In our Q&A on the timing of the events in Ezekiel 38 and 39, we also identify the Gentile nations mentioned in these passages which will build a coalition against Israel and Judah. They include peoples from China, Russia, Iran, Libya, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, as well as peoples from the vast regions in northern Eurasia extending from the Baltic to the Pacific. As we put it in our Q&A, “But when they attack, GOD will do the fighting for His people… He would do the same for our peoples today, if we would only let Him do so, submit to HIM and be obedient to His commands.”

We also briefly allude to another attack of hostile armies against the camp of the saints in Jerusalem at the very END of the Millennium, stating the following:

“A similar… attack on Jerusalem will occur about 1,000 years later, after Satan has been ‘released from his prison’… He will ‘go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea’ (Revelation 20:7-8). As they did 1,000 years earlier, they will try to conquer Jerusalem, but God will destroy them (verse 9). Again, no human being will fight against those warring and attacking nations–it will be GOD who will do the fighting for His people. This is the last time that we read that humans–deceived by Satan the devil–will fight. Satan will be removed forever, unable to deceive humans anymore to fight and kill in war. Ultimately, ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’ (Revelation 21:4).”

At the beginning of the Millennium, after Christ has returned and while He is fulfilling the remaining 3 ½ years of His public ministry, hostile nations will try to attack Israel and Judah because they still have Satanically-inspired feelings and habits to contend with. When moving ahead 1,000 years, the peoples in the Millennium did not know Satan and his demons who were imprisoned during that time. They were unaware of Satan and his evil devices. Once he is released from prison for a short while, he goes out to deceive the nations, as he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. And as Eve fell for Satan, so will those people, choosing to believe Satan rather than God. Having lived all this time in a peaceful “Garden of Eden,” they still want to believe Satan. This shows us how powerful Satan is, and we must never underestimate him. Today, he is still very much free, roaming around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). But God will make a quick end to Satan’s influence then, as He promised to do for us now, if we are submitting to God and let Him fight our battles (James 4:7; Romans 16:20).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

Feast of Tabernacles 2012 Reservation

The Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day will be kept in 2012 from the evening of Sunday, September 30, 2012, until and including Monday, October 8, 2012.

Individual reservations for the Feast 2012 with the Hilton Garden Inn in Pismo Beach, California, can commence on Friday, February 24, 2012. The hotel has been provided with a list of our members who are planning to attend. Those who have committed to attending with us have been individually contacted. However, everyone will still need to contact the hotel to make his or her individual reservation. When you call the hotel, please make sure that you mention that you are attending the Feast convention of the Church of the Eternal God.

Accommodation and services are at:

Hilton Garden Inn
601 James Way,
Pismo Beach, CA 93449

Tel: 1-800-773-6020

The hotel is offering us a reduced rate of $109.00 per night for a deluxe room. The reduced rate applies for the days of the Feast and also for up to four additional days just before and two days after the Feast. An additional 10% occupancy tax and 1% city tourism assessment applies to this rate. The rooms do not have kitchenettes, but they all have a microwave and a fridge, and a little counter area where one could fix a meal. The hotel is pet-free, but they would allow service/therapy dogs. They also have rooms for handicapped people.

The deluxe rooms are very spacious (approximately 300 square feet) and quite adequate for just a couple with one child. They have also a sleeper couch. Each deluxe room has a sink in the toilet area and another sink outside the toilet.

There is (wireless) Internet access throughout the hotel, including in the meeting hall (“the Mission Room”), which will hold up to 100 people. We will be having the meeting hall for the entire time, with a 24 hour-hold.

They are offering two free hot breakfasts each day per room (children under 12 eat free). The hotel is only five years old, and was extensively remodeled last year. The rooms are insulated to avoid any noise from the outside. They have a pool (heated throughout the year), a nice pool area, and an exercise room. The closest beach is 5 minutes away, and the area has many restaurants and shopping opportunities. Avila Beach with fire pits is about 10 or 15 minutes away.

Thank you very much for your prayers and continued cooperation–to assure that the Feast 2012 will be the best Feast ever (so far)…

For any other information, please contact Norbert or Johanna Link.

New Video Programs

A new StandingWatch program was posted on YouTube and on our Website www.standingwatch.org. It is titled, “The Truth About Marriage.” Can there be marriage between members of the same gender? Should people live together before they get married? Should one get married at all? If married, can they ever get a divorce? Did God establish marriage just for the purpose of procreation? Are contraceptives wrong? Did Mary remain a virgin until she died? Who told man that his natural state in marriage was sinful and dirty, and that Adam and Eve had to be ashamed of it?

A new German AufPostenStehen program was posted on YouTube and our Website, www.aufpostenstehen.de , titled, “Die Wahrheit ueber die Ehe” (“The Truth about Marriage”).

A new German sermon was posted on YouTube, titled, “Satans Gericht” (“Satan’s Judgment”).

New Radio Programs

Two new radio programs (Numbers 13 and 14) were recorded this week, titled, “What God Says About Marriage” and “Will Russia Attack Israel?” They will be broadcast, respectively, beginning Sunday, March 25, 2012,  and April 1, 2012. Our radio broadcasts are being posted on our Website, www.standingwatch.org.

Day by Day

by Michael Link

After having been placed on a leave of absence from my job for three months, I returned to my work. However, my thought had been to start focusing on my music career by going into the studio with my band to record our first album, essentially being “hired” by the one who had discovered us. During that time it did not materialize, and I couldn’t understand what the reason was, but the time off proved to be of some value.

I was able to spend quality time with my son who is now a year old. My availability opened up to being able to help out more in other ways, whether it was for the church, for the family, and even for myself, by doing things I couldn’t otherwise have done as much. 

As I returned to work, I had to realize certain factors.  First of all, I still had a job and having been off work temporarily was a nice blessing as well. On the other hand, my benefits had run out during my time off, since the accumulation of funds into our health savings account had ceased and the money that was left in the account had been spent.

Right now, I am facing a day by day situation. In all honesty, that is really all I can say since my dream is very much alive, when it comes to the music, but the only unsure issue in my mind is the timing. I know that God is very much involved when it comes to that.  I may not know the actual reason behind the delay, but He does, and I have to continue to respect it, as I continue to pray His Will to be done.  Patience and faith is a continuous process that I can’t let go of and with certain matters in life that I don’t have answers for at this moment, this is exactly what I have to do – take it day by day.

What will Jesus do after Satan has been banished?

In a previous Q&A on Daniel 9, we explained that Jesus, the Messiah, would be cut off after His public ministry, but not for Himself (verse 26); and that He will confirm a covenant for a week; but that in the middle of the week, He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering (verse 27). We explained that Jesus Christ was killed quite literally in the middle of the week—on a Wednesday—in 31 A.D. In addition, we showed that He began His public ministry of one prophetic week [of seven prophetic days or seven literal years, applying the principle of “one day for one year” (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:3-6)], but that He was killed or cut off after 3 ½ years of His public ministry. He began preaching publically in the year of 27 A.D., and He died 3 ½ years later. When He died, He did away with the need for sacrifices and offerings, as they are no longer required today. Also, He confirmed the New Covenant through His death, after having preached about it for 3 ½ years. He will continue the missing 3 ½ years of His public ministry after His return.

To quote from our above-mentioned Q&A, which in turn quoted from literature by the Worldwide Church of God under its late leader, Herbert W. Armstrong (who died in 1986):

“‘Jesus Christ is the minister of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6)… He was to CONFIRM the covenant for one “week” (Daniel 9:26-27)… His ministry was to be cut in HALF (verse 27); and… Christ will COMPLETE His work of confirming the New Covenant in the future (Same verse; also Hebrews 8:10 and Jeremiah 31:31-34)…  A “day” in the prophecy of Daniel 9:27 represents a year in fulfillment (Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:3-6). Christ ministered three-and-a-half years — ONE HALF of this prophetical “week.” For three-and-one-half years He CONFIRMED — spelled out the TERMS of — THE NEW COVENANT with His disciples who recorded them for us today. By dying for our sins in the MIDST OF the “week,” He put the final STAMP on the covenant and made it binding with His blood. Through Him, ALL PEOPLE can now enter into the New Covenant and become HEIRS “according to the promise” which God made to Abraham (Gal. 3:29). But Daniel 9:26-27 reveals that there yet REMAINS three-and-one-half years of Christ’s ministry to be FULFILLED! Let’s understand. When Jesus returns to this earth He will FULFILL the covenant He made with Abraham. Abraham and his SPIRITUAL seed through Christ will then inherit the world and eternal life.’”

What will Jesus Christ do during those 3 ½ years of His ministry, which need to complete the seven years of His public ministry?

One clue is His statement to the original apostles and others that He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). When here on earth during the time of His first coming, He did not go to preach and confirm the New Covenant, including the physical and spiritual blessings contained therein, to any of the lost tribes of Israel, except for the Jews– those from the house of Judah (please recall that the 12 tribes of Israel or Jacob consisted and consist of many tribes which were and still are scattered in many areas in the world.) Later, Christ’s original apostles would go to preach to all of the lost tribes of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6; compare James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1), but Christ Himself did not do so during His public ministry. But He will do this after His return, during the 3 ½ years of His ministry which will have to be completed.

As we explained in a previous Q&A on the Great Tribulation, both the house of Judah (the Jews) and the house of Israel (consisting of the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other English-speaking nations) will have been defeated in a war with Europe and will be suffering under the yoke of captivity. Upon His return, Christ will begin to free those captives and bring them back to the Promised Land, to settle them there and to use them to build the ruins and restore the waste places. Please note how this Exodus from captivity is described, and how it is compared many times with the ancient Exodus from Egyptian slavery. Some who understand that Christ will free the slaves of Israel from captivity and bring them to the Promised Land might think that this will happen in an instant, supernaturally—that they may be somehow transported through the air from one place to another. But this is not how the Bible describes the coming Exodus.

Isaiah 27:13 tells us the following, using the phrase “in that day,” which always describes a time in the future, beginning with about one year prior to Christ’s return:

“So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria. And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”

Since Jesus will not free the captives of Israel and Judah until after His return, we know that the great trumpet referred to in this passage must be the seventh and last trumpet. There can only be ONE last trumpet. But how exactly will the former slaves of Israel and Judah reach the point when they will be willing to worship the true God?

Isaiah 11:11, 16 sheds more light on this question, stating: “It shall come to pass in that day That the LORD shall set His hand again the SECOND time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria (Germany) and Egypt, From Pathros (upper Egypt) and Cush (Ethiopia), From Elam (Persia or Iran) and Shinar (part of Babylon), From Hamath (descendants of Ham’s son Canaan) and the islands of the sea (including the British isles)… There will be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria. AS IT WAS FOR ISRAEL IN THE DAY THAT HE CAME UP FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT.”

Further facts are given to us in Isaiah 51:10-11: “Are You not the One who DRIED UP THE SEA, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a road for the redeemed to cross over, SO the ransomed of the LORD SHALL RETURN, and come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

From these passages, it appears that many of the freed captives will WALK to the Promised Land—but not directly and immediately, as will be explained below. In any event, this journey will undoubtedly take some time, and to some extent, the LORD—Jesus Christ—will have an active part in this.

Jeremiah continues comparing the ancient Exodus from Egypt with Israel’s and Judah’s future Exodus.

We read in Jeremiah 16:14-15: “‘Therefore behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that it shall no more be said, “The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but, “The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.’”

Jeremiah 23:7-8 makes clear that an end-time Exodus of the modern house of Israel is being referred to: “‘Therefore, behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that they shall no longer say, “as the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but, “As the LORD lives who brought up and LED the DESCENDANTS OF THE HOUSE of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them. And they shall dwell in their own land.’”

Even though one will emphasize the coming Exodus over the previous one, the parallels between both are obvious. Note Micah 7:14-15: “Shepherd Your people with Your staff, The flock of Your heritage… As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders.”

What wonders God will work at that time is not clearly revealed, except that He will apparently again create a way through the sea to enable the Israelites to cross it on their way to the Promised Land.

Notice, too, Jeremiah 46:27: “But do not fear, O My servant Jacob, And do not be dismayed, O Israel! For behold, I will save you from afar, And your offspring from the land of their captivity; Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease; No one shall make him afraid.”

BOTH houses of Israel and Judah will return TOGETHER to the Promised Land. Jeremiah 3:18 states: “In those days the house of Judah shall WALK WITH the house of Israel, and they shall come TOGETHER out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers.”

This is also confirmed in Jeremiah 30:3, 8-10: “‘For behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel AND Judah,’ says the LORD, ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’… ‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘That I will break his yoke from your neck, And will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them. But they shall serve the LORD their God, And David their king, Whom I will raise up for them. Therefore, do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the LORD, ‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, And your seed from the land of their captivity…’”

As David will be resurrected at the time of Christ’s Return, this is clearly a prophecy for the future. We seem to be reading more about the resurrected King David in Micah 2:12-13: “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall make a loud noise because of so many people. The one who breaks open will come up before them; they will break out, Pass through the gate, and go out by it; THEIR KING will pass before them, WITH THE LORD at their head.”

So we see that when Jesus Christ begins to gather the remnant of the captives of Israel and Judah to bring them back to the Promised Land, He will apparently be accompanied by the resurrected and immortal King David. Hosea 3:4-5 says that the modern houses of Israel and Judah had been without a king for “many days” or about at least 3 ½ years, during the time of the Great Tribulation, when they will be in captivity (recall that as of now, the tribe of Ephraim is being ruled by a monarch — Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain, but if she is not alive at that time, it would be a king (Charles is the heir apparent)):

“For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.”

Here we see that when the captives are freed, they will seek God and King David.

Jeremiah 50:4-8 confirms this: “‘In those days and in that time,’ says the LORD, ‘The children of Israel shall come, They and the children of Judah together; With continual weeping they shall come, And seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces toward it, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the LORD In a perpetual covenant That will not be forgotten.’”

When the freed captives of Israel and Judah are looking for God and King David, help will be given to them. Strangers will even participate in that process.

Isaiah 14:1-3 states:

“For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. Then people WILL TAKE THEM AND BRING THEM TO THEIR PLACE, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the LORD…”  (For an in-depth discussion of this Scripture and the question, whether or not there will be slavery in the Millennium, please read our Q&A on that topic.)

But before they are allowed to enter the Promised Land, Christ will have to fulfill an important part of His public ministry. Since they will all be held by their captors in different places around the world, it will be necessary that on their way to seek God and King David, they will first move or be led to a certain place to be gathered there. This will be a place in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 20:34-38, 42-44 states: “I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the WILDERNESS of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face, Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,’ says the LORD God. ‘I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me… they shall not enter the land of Israel… Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel,’ says the LORD God.”

So we see that Christ (and apparently King David at His side) will bring the people into the wilderness and meet them there to teach them and show them their iniquity and sin. The people will repent—as we will discuss below, they already commenced repenting, while still in captivity, but repentance is a process and requires time. While in the wilderness, notice what else is revealed in Hosea 12:9: “But I am the LORD your God, Ever since the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, As in the days of the appointed feast.”

Israel in particular will be taught that God’s annual festivals are still binding today, and they will be keeping them. But as mentioned, Israel will already begin to repent while still in captivity. Notice Deuteronomy 30:1-6, 8:

“Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He shall prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live… And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command you today…”

Once they show a willingness to obey God, He will bring them back into the Promised Land, and it is there that their conversion will continue until they are ultimately ready to be changed into immortal Spirit beings.

Ezekiel 36:24-28 describes their conversion and receipt of the Holy Spirit:

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh  and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”

Jeremiah 32:37-40 adds:

“Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.”  

What will they physically do after they have returned to the Promised Land? 

Amos 9:14 tells us: “‘I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,’ says the LORD your God.”

Jeremiah 33:7-8 confirms:

“And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.”

But before the Millennium of universal peace and happiness can really begin to flourish, another striking event will take place, showing that it is not that easy to unlearn old habits. This important, but often misunderstood event will be discussed, in context, in a subsequent Q&A.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A Time to Weep…

On February 25, 2012, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “A Time to Weep…”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

Individual reservations for the Feast 2012 with the Hilton Garden Inn in Pismo Beach, California, can commence on Friday, February 24, 2012. The hotel has been provided with a list of our members who are planning to attend. Further information will be forthcoming in the next Update, and those who have committed to attending with us will be individually contacted.

A new StandingWatch program was posted on YouTube and on our Website www.standingwatch.org. It is titled, “Foolish Science.” God created man to cultivate and take care of the environment. But man disobeyed and rejected God, while deciding on his own how to live. Today, God-defying scientists create genetically modified mosquitoes, which pose a real threat to humans, and carnal minds manufacture the most deadly form of the bird flu, which is now able to jump from birds to humans. Thankfully, this crazy, Satan-inspired world will soon come to an end, and when man undergoes a total change of his thinking, he will experience soundness and peace after 6,000 years of sickness, hatred and war.

Two new radio programs (Numbers 11 and 12) were recorded this week, titled, “Paradise—Lost and Found” and “Return to the Promised Land.” They will be broadcast, respectively, beginning Sunday, March 11 and March 18, 2012. Our radio broadcasts are being posted on our Website, www.standingwatch.org.

A new German sermon was posted on YouTube, titled, “Der Kampf um Jerusalem” (The Battle for Jerusalem”).

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