[Music] 

[00:00:35] 

[Rick Shabi] Welcome. Welcome to the Feast of Tabernacles 2024 wherever you may be keeping the feast, everyone around the world. Thank you. Thank you for being here this evening and for the planning and preparation that you did in order to be here in God's presence at this service as this feast begins. The feast is a time of rejoicing, and I hope we have all come to the feast with a song in our hearts in anticipation of what this feast pictures. The time of Christ's return, the establishment of His kingdom on earth. A time when the past world that brings about pain, suffering, division, hate, and misery has been done away with, and now, under Christ's rulership all the earth will be unified under Him, learning and living His way, and experiencing the peace, harmony, joy, and yes, the blessings God gives them when people embrace and live His way. 

You know, God and all the hosts of heaven anticipate the time that this feast pictures. It's a time that all creation has been waiting for. We see that in the Bible. In anticipation of the return of Christ, we read of a new song that is sung in heaven praising Christ and anticipating this time when Christ returns and His saints, the firstfruits redeemed from this earth are with Him. Feel the excitement and anticipation when we read of that time and that song in Revelation 5. "And they," that's the 4 living creatures and 24 elders, "sang a new song, saying, 'You, Jesus Christ, are worthy to take the scroll to open its seals, for you were slain, and you have redeemed us,'" that's you and me, the firstfruits, "'to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And you have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth.' 

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.' And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, all that are in them, I heard saying, 'Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.'" 

Do you feel their excitement and their anticipation? As we come to this feast, do we feel that anticipation of Christ's return and the establishment of His kingdom on earth? Did we come to this feast with a song in our hearts? Do we remember God's blessings as we come here and what He has done for us? He called us out of this world, He's given us His Holy Spirit, and He teaches us how to live our lives now as citizens of the kingdom of God yielding to Him and His Spirit. If we do that and live His way with our hearts, we will be there too. We will have a song in our hearts, and we will be there, then born, into the kingdom, and we will sing a new song as well. 

Note what we're told in Revelation 14:3, "They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the 4 living creatures, and the elders and no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth." Isn't that beautiful? Don't you want to learn that song and be part of God's kingdom? And there's another song that those who will be there will sing as well in glory to God and Christ. We find it one chapter over in Revelation 15:3, "They," that's those who have the victory over the beast and over his mark and the number of his name, "they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and marvelous are your works Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the Saints. Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy, for all nations shall come and worship before you, for your judgments have been manifested.'" 

The Feast of Tabernacles, the millennial reign of Christ will be a magnificent time that we can only imagine now. As through His Spirit, God gives us that vision, but it will be reality then. We pray for that day to come, and we live our lives as God directs us so that we will be there. There, where there will be no more hunger and no more thirst. Christ will be the great shepherd leading us to living fountains of waters, and God, we are told, will wipe away every tear from every eye. You read that in Revelation 7. You know, in ancient times the nation of Israel expended great effort to get to the feast. They had gathered in their crops, they took their festival tithe, and they traveled by foot to Jerusalem. As they went, they sang, anticipating the opportunity to be before God. Dwelling in temporary dwellings, looking forward to being in God's presence and with His people every day. 

They didn't have luxurious hotels, five-star restaurants, and a myriad of entertainment options each afternoon. The joy and anticipation they found was in the feast and being there where God placed His name. They were in the presence of God and with the people of like mind. That's where you find great joy. Where you find the great rejoicing that God wants us to experience. It comes when we remember God and His plan and His purpose for this feast. That's when we can sing heartfelt praises to Him like the angels and like the 144,000. Some of the praises ancient Israel sang are preserved for us as part of the Psalms of Ascent that we find in the last chapters of the Book of Psalms. Let's note a few of those. 

In Psalm 149 we read this, "Praise the Lord. Sing to Him a new song and praise in the assembly of saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name with the dance. Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp, for the Lord takes pleasure in His people. He will beautify the humble with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory. Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth." Here's another one. This one from Psalm 145, "I will extol you my God, O King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day, I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of your majesty and on your wondrous works." 

Do we pause and reflect on the blessings God has given us as we use the second tithe to come to this feast provided by the blessings that He gives us during the year? Do we take the time to meditate on His great works and mercy, on His kindness and love for us and all of mankind? Ancient Israel did. King David, a man after God's own heart, did. When ancient Israel came together at the feast, they had gathered in the fall harvest. They saw God's greatness and His mercy and blessing in the bounty He provided. It was hard work for them, and they recognized their blessings came from God, and they rejoiced. Many areas of the world and many of our brethren who are at this feast live in those times where food is not as plentiful as it is here in the United States. They work hard, and they appreciate the blessings of God that come from the field. They come to the feast very thankful for what God has given. 

In the Book of Amos, God tells us, "There is a time coming when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, him who sows seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it." And David spoke of the great blessing of abundant crops when he wrote this verse as part of the song of Psalm 65:13. "The valleys," he said, "the valleys are covered over with corn. They shout for joy," yay, "they sing." What a blessing to have the valleys filled with corn and a great harvest, no wonder they laugh and sing. It's a blessing from God. There is plenty for us to praise God for. 

In Isaiah 30:29 we're told this, "You shall have a song as in the night when the holy festival is kept and gladness of heart is when one goes with a flute to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel." We are here as the Feast of Tabernacles begins. Let's have a song of praise in our hearts this night as the feast begins and throughout this feast. Let's praise our God who is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and great in mercy. He is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works. "All your works shall praise you, O Lord, and your saints shall bless you. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem. Praise your God, O Zion," David said. Church of God, gathered together here tonight, let's praise our God. 

[00:11:18] 

[Choir] Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem 

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

  

For He hath made fast 

The bars of thy gates, 

And hath blessed 

Thy children within Thee, 

He hath made fast 

The bars of thy gates, 

And hath blessed 

Thy children within Thee, 

  

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

  

The Lord is gracious, 

And full of compassion, 

Slow to anger, 

And of great goodness 

The Lord is good, 

Is good to all 

And His tender mercies 

His tender mercies 

Are over all, are over all 

His works 

  

All thy works praise Thee, 

Praise Thee, O Lord 

All thy works praise Thee, 

Praise Thee, O Lord 

And thy saints give thanks, 

Give thanks unto Thee 

All thy works praise Thee, 

All thy works 

  

The valleys stand so thick with corn, 

That they laugh and sing 

The valleys stand so thick with corn, 

That they laugh and sing 

That they laugh and sing 

The valleys stand so thick with corn, 

That they laugh and sing 

The valleys stand so thick with corn, 

The valleys stand so thick with corn, 

The valleys stand so thick with corn, 

That they laugh and sing 

They laugh 

And sing 

They laugh 

And sing 

They sing 

  

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

Praise the Lord,  

Praise the Lord, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, 

Praise thy God, O Zion, 

Praise thy God, O Zion 

 

[00:15:47] 

We are here to picture and have a foretaste of the coming millennial reign of Christ on earth. A time of peace, joy, harmony, and abundance. It all happens because God's Word will be taught and lived everywhere. There are beautiful scriptures that speak of that time of unity when mankind, who lives over into the Millennium, receives the Spirit of God and is able to understand His Word and plan. They will embrace it, and it will motivate them. Just think, they will understand what you and I know now, and they will embrace it and live it as we should be living it now. Then the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Then many people shall come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." 

I hope that's the main reason we came to the feast. To learn more of God's way, to let God sharpen our vision of His kingdom, and that zeal may be regenerated as we are with Him and each other away from the world. I hope we came to feel the warmth and energy and love that comes from being here, doing His will in His presence and with each other. Today, the world doesn't want to hear the Word of God, and we see anti-Semitism and anti-God attitudes increasing around the world. But then in those days, 10 men from every language of the nation shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man saying, "Let us go with you for we have heard that God is with you." Can you imagine how different it will be then? People will seek God and His truth, and they will look to you and me as teachers because we've lived that way of life now and can teach it from our hearts. 

Now is our time to let God prepare us to be teachers, and now is a good time, this week at this feast, to prepare your heart to turn to God more fully, to embrace His way more fully. Learning to deny self and disciplining ourselves with the power of His Spirit to always choose right and to choose God first. We will face choices this week. Choices between entertainment, taking it easy, staying at home from services or coming before God. Choose God. Choose to be here every day at every service and Bible study. Be here to seek God and learn all you can. Tug on the sleeves of each other and be excited to be here. There will be time for other activities because God does want us to enjoy the physical, but when there's a choice, let's put God first. 

You know, words can be meaningless. We need to show God our hearts by the actions and choices that we make. It shows Him what's really important to us. This feast pictures many things. One of them is the restoration of all things. We read about that in a verse we read every year at the feast in Acts 3:19-21. There it says, "Repent, therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." 

When Christ comes, He will usher in times of refreshing. Those times are spiritual as well as physical. This feast should be to us a time of refreshing. Use this time to be refreshed and re-energized spiritually. This would be a good time to build daily talk of God into our lives and families as God advises us in Deuteronomy 6. This is a great time for family activities. A great time, too, to make God a significant part of every day. Speaking of Him when you rise up, when you lie down, and throughout the day. Lead your families in building God into every day. In addition to refreshing, the feast pictures a time of restoration of all things. Think about, teach your children about, and contemplate on the kingdom and what it will be like. Amazing transformations will take place in the attitudes of man as he follows God. 

There will be peace instead of stress. There will be love instead of hate. There will be unity instead of division, and there will be truth that covers the earth rather than the lies that mark society and its way today. Those lies will increase between now and the time Christ returns. And it's time for us to refresh and restore our commitment to truth and the love of the truth. Amazing things will happen for those who suffer from maladies or disabilities. The Bible tells us that people who are lame will walk, the blind will see, and the deaf will hear. Sickness and debilitating disease will be healed. Health will be restored. That's something to look forward to. That's something to pray for. 

And there will be amazing transformation in our physical surroundings as well. Under Christ's guidance and direction, the world will become a place of beauty. We're told the desert will bloom and the parsed ground will be a pool. Beautiful flowers, plants, and landscapes will be everywhere as mankind lives by the laws of the land and agriculture that God gave us. Don't ever take what God says in Romans 8:19-21 lightly. Remember what it says there? He says, "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope, because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." The creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. It will be restored to the original beauty with which God created it. It's still a beautiful earth no matter where you're keeping the feast. So imagine what it will be like in the future. 

And of course, the animal kingdom will be transformed then too. What beautiful verses to contemplate that God has recorded for us in Isaiah 11:6-9. Isaiah 11:6-9. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb. The leopard shall lie down with the young goat. The calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze. Their young one shall lie down together. And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole. And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain," God says. Your children and all of us love going to the zoo and seeing the animals. We enjoy the little animals, the birds, the squirrels, the chipmunks, the deer, maybe even the turtles and lizards that are around your house, in the chair, or environment. They bring smiles to our faces. They warm our hearts. I hope we remember to thank God for taking the time to create them for our enjoyment and for the lessons that we learn from them. 

Isn't it a beautiful picture to know that even in the animal kingdom there will be no fear of hurt, just all creation living together in unity and peace as God intended and with Satan and his influence no longer in the picture? A restoration of the earth to the condition of unity and peace with which God created it. How easy it should be for us to pray thy kingdom come. But brethren, there are some hard times coming, maybe sooner than we want to think. We must focus on all the good God will bring to all of mankind as we are here at this feast. Our hope and future are in Him. Salvation physically and spiritually are only in Him. Take the time to build trust and to restore your faith and vision. Teach your children and let them know God will watch over them and teach them to anticipate the world to come. It will be a spectacular place. Their lives and ours will be so much better then. And know that God will deliver us to the hard times and protect us if we are living and trusting in Him. 

Keep Psalm 91 in mind and teach it to your children. There He says, "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in Him I will trust.' Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night nor of the arrow that flies by day." And in verse 9 and 10 He says, "Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling." God will not forsake us if we love, if we truly agape Him and trust in Him, living in His truth, focus on Him. During this feast, let's restore and refresh and increase our faith and trust and hope in God and cling to the truth. 

It won't be long now, brethren, that our children will be able to play in the streets without fear of being hurt or kidnapped. It won't be long now, that we will be able to live in a society without locked doors and security systems. It won't be long now, that teachers will be teaching righteous things to our children. It won't be long now, till there won't be any access to pornography where our teens and so many others can ruin their lives. Moms and dads will stay together in marriage as God intended. It won't be long now, till true peace will be on the earth and nothing will hurt or destroy in His kingdom. Truth will be restored. Pray for that day to come. Pray it for ourselves and for our children all over the world. 

[00:27:02] 

[Kids Virtual Choir] It Won’t Be Long Now 

1. It won't be long now till the world is at peace, 
Till troubles have ceased, it won't be long. 
It won't be long now till the beauty we see 
For the whole world will be, it won't be long. 

 
Chorus: 

The lamb will peacefully dwell with the lion, 
The leopard will lie down with the kid. 
The wolf and the bear will no longer be wild, 
Little child, it won't be long now. 

2. It won't be long now till the world is at peace, 
Till troubles have ceased, it won't be long. 
It won't be long now till the beauty we see 

For the whole world will be, it won't be long. 

Chorus: 

The lamb will peacefully dwell with the lion, 
The leopard will lie down with the kid. 
The wolf and the bear will no longer be wild, 
Little child, it won't be long now. 

3. It won't be long now till all people join hands 
From many a land, it won't be long. 
It won't be long now till the children will smile 
and will laugh all the while, it won't be long. 

Chorus: 

The lamb will peacefully dwell with the lion, 
The leopard will lie down with the kid. 
The wolf and the bear will no longer be wild, 
Little child, it won't be long now. 

4. It won't be long now till all people join hands 
From many a land, it won't be long. 
It won't be long now till the children will smile 
and will laugh all the while, it won't be long. 

Chorus: 

The lamb will peacefully dwell with the lion, 
The leopard will lie down with the kid. 
The wolf and the bear will no longer be wild, 
Little child, it won't be long now. 

REPEAT: 

Little child, it won't be long now. 

[00:30:52] 

Doesn't that make you want to pray thy kingdom come? When Christ is on earth Jerusalem will be the capital of the world, and we're told that there will be a temple there. In Isaiah 2, we read that people will flow to that temple. They will want to learn from God and then apply what they learn to their lives. That temple will be exemplary. 

God describes it in the last chapters of Ezekiel. Let's look at what He says in Ezekiel 47 about that temple. Chapter 47 shares a beautiful picture of one of the features of that temple and its effect on the world. Verse 1, "Then he brought me back to the door of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east. The water was flowing from under the right side of the temple south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east and there was water running out on the right side." Verse 3, "And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured 1,000 cubits, and he brought me through the waters. The water came up to my ankles." 

Dropping down to verse 5, "And it was a river that I could not cross for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, 'Son of man have you seen this?' Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river." Down in verse 7, "When I returned there along the bank of the river, there were many trees on one side and the other, and he said to me, 'This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed, and it shall be that every living thing that moves wherever the rivers go will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish because these waters go there for they will be healed and everything will live wherever the river goes. Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food and their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for medicine.'" 

Where God dwells, there is peace, restoration, and healing, and it is known the temple for something else as well. Isaiah 56 speaks of the time of the millennium and the temple that's there. Verse 6, "'Also, the sons of the foreigner who joined themselves to the Lord to serve Him and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath and holds fast my covenant, even them I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.'" In Old Testament times, the foreigner could not make offerings or sacrifices, but when Christ returns, all will be welcome in His house at His temple. Christ Himself spoke of that temple and its significance in Matthew 21:12-14. 

There it says, "Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves, and He said to them, 'It's written, my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.'" Then it goes on to say, "The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple and He healed them." Prayer and healing. How beautiful is that? In Acts 2:42, in the New Testament, God speaks of the church that pleases Him and what they do. Acts 2:42 says this, it says, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." 

We will do all those things this week at the feast. We will be talking about doctrine and truth. We will be here with each other as part of this fellowship that God has called us into with Him, Christ, and each other. We will break bread with each other at restaurants or in our temporary dwellings or around the campfires in Angola, Malawi, Zambia, and other places. And the most important thing for us not to neglect during this time is let's not forget to pray. There's plenty of time this week. There's no work. There's no school. Make it a point and a choice to pray to God even more than you do at home. This is His feast, where He has placed His name. Be where He wants you to be and include Him in your alone time with prayer. Healing and peace come from God. 

There's a beautiful verse back in 2 Chronicles 7 as Solomon was dedicating the temple to God at that time, and God made a remarkable and inspiring verse for all of us to remember. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land." Pray. Thank Him with all our hearts. Praise His name, and pray for His will to be done and His kingdom to come. Pray also for forgiveness and that we will all turn to God more fully and away from our ways. Brethren, have a wonderful and uplifting Feast of Tabernacles. May this feast energize you, renew you, and draw you closer to God. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. 

[Choir] If My People 

Which are called by my name 

Shall humble themselves, 

Shall humble themselves and pray 

  

If my people 

Which are called by my name 

Shall seek My face 

And turn from their wicked ways 

  

Then will I hear from heaven, 

Then will I hear from heaven, 

Then will I hear and will forgive, 

And will forgive their sin 

  

If my people 

Which are called by my name 

Shall humble themselves, 

Shall humble themselves and pray 

  

I will forgive their sin, 

I will forgive their sin, 

I will forgive their sin 

And heal their land 

  

If my people 

Which are called by my name 

Shall humble themselves, 

Shall humble themselves, 

Shall humble themselves, 

And pray