The Daily Word of Righteousness

From Imputed to Actual Righteousness, #17

Say to the Israelites: "On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts." (Leviticus 23:24—NIV)

The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. (Leviticus 23:27—NIV)

Say to the Israelites: "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days." (Leviticus 23:34—NIV)

After the Jewish feast of Pentecost comes the Blowing of Trumpets, the great and solemn Day of Atonement, and finally the feast of Tabernacles.

This tells us that after the experience of Pentecost we can look for three additional works of God in our life. The final three feasts mark the beginning of the entrance of the Kingdom of God into the earth. The Kingdom of God is announced by the Blowing of Trumpets.

The spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Pentecost has been observed throughout the twentieth century. Now we are on the border of the Blowing of Trumpets. We of today are in the beginning of the intervention of God that will put an end to sin—actually put an end to sin! If that doesn't make you shout for joy, nothing will!

What a day! What a day! What a day!

We always have known that "when we get to Heaven" there will be no more sin. We just didn't know how God was going to accomplish this.

The program of God consists of two parts, as we have mentioned. First, the godly, warlike remnant that God is speaking to today will follow the Holy Spirit in putting to death the sinful deeds of their flesh and soul.

When the remnant have overcome sin, the Lord will return, bringing the remnant with Him, and the Kingdom of God will be established on the present earth. This will mark the beginning of the thousand-year Kingdom Age.

At the time of the coming of the Lord the sinful nature will be removed from the remnant, who have, through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, lived in victory over the sin dwelling in their flesh. They also will receive a body like that of the Lord Jesus in which there is no sinful nature.

The Kingdom Age will be the rule of the rod of iron. The presence of the rod of iron means sin is to be smashed—driven from the nations of the earth. Satan already will have been bound and thrown into the bottomless pit, where he will remain throughout the Kingdom Age.

Now, what about the majority of God's elect, those who did not attain the first resurrection, who were not raised from the dead when the Lord appeared? This is a difficult question since we do not have, at least to my understanding, an abundance of scriptural passages, such as we have when supporting the doctrine of the temporary separation of the Church into the remnant and then the remainder of the family of God.

However, it is my belief that, in addition to governing the nations with the rod of iron of the Holy Spirit, the victorious saints will minister to those who did not attain the first resurrection.

One verse that may be pertinent is as follows:

To the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, (Hebrews 12:23—NIV)

"The spirits of righteous men." It does not state these spirits were made perfect on the earth, although this may be the meaning.

To be continued.