All Prophecy Not Set

Ron Weinland

January 16, 2016

Last Sabbath it was mentioned how that not all prophecy is set. As we continue our preparation through sermons leading up to the time when chapter 6 comes out, some of these sermons are going to help you be better prepared for what is coming, just to be able to better understand what is being said. Because there's a lot there. And just having a few of these things "under your belt," so to speak, it'll help you to be able to understand what is being said in a better way. You'll be better prepared for what's coming, in that respect, being able to better understand it. So that's why we're going through some of these sermons, and we'll continue to do so for a little while here probably.

This sermon today, which is entitled, All Prophecy Not Set, is one that should truly work to help sharpen our vision, as we have talked about, with a far greater ability to grasp how God establishes and then works to fulfill them according to His overall purpose and design and that which He is, obviously, working out with mankind to bring His family, Elohim, into reality. So there is much to learn about this and God just continues to reveal more and more about how He does things, what He does, the process, so that we can begin to understand in a deeper way things that He gives. And it's a building process. We can't see it all at once. It just takes time to build. And to me it's exciting; there's never an end to learning. There's always this process of continuing on and continuing to be given more and more as God gives us greater and greater understanding.

So as we begin today it'd be good to first recognize, again, that not all prophecy is fully set from the beginning when it's given. From the very beginning we've talked about this, prophecy, so much truth that God gives, everything that He gives (in that respect) is progressive. He started with a basic outline from the very beginning, things He gave to Adam and Eve from the very beginning. When you go back there and read some of those things, there are those things which are basically an outline of things He would fulfill later on in a greater way, even talking about "a seed," because of His son that was going to be able to come to this earth at a later time. God knew from the very beginning. God had it planned, knew that what mankind was going to do, knew that mankind was going to sin, knew that mankind would have to have a Passover, and so all these things before mankind was ever created. God doesn't do things at the spur of the moment without thought, without planning, without preparation. And yet, even in our history in times past (because we hadn't known, we didn't know) there were ideas out there that all of a sudden Adam and Eve sinned and it's like God slapped Himself on the forehead and, "What am I going to do now?!" Well, it was all planned out. There was a purpose in what God was doing. And even in that it wasn't going to be for another 4,000 years after Adam and Eve before He would have His own son be born of a woman and be able to mature and grow and then have his ministry and then die for mankind as a Passover. It's an awesome process of what God takes us to.

I think it'd be good to go back there at the very beginning. Let's notice part of that (Genesis 12), and just be reminded of some of this. Because all the way from Genesis to Revelation God just continues to reveal more and more. And in the timing that we're in, and have been in for some time now in the end-times since the Apostasy, God has done the same thing. He just continues to reveal more and more and give us greater and greater understanding. So the same thing is true in scripture all the way from the beginning to the end.

Genesis 12:1—Now the Eternal said unto Abraham (or Abram, at this point), Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, unto a land that I am going to show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless you, and curse those that curse you. And in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Just a basic outline here. Just very basic in the sense of what He's going to build.

If we can think about construction. If we can think about ideas and plans of building things, whether it be a home or a large complex, or whatever it might be, you get different ideas, you have different things in your mind of what you're going to do. And this is no different. There is this basic outline, but not everything is decided, not everything is determined yet, not everything is set yet in the sense of all that's going to be filled in and how specific things are going to be done. Some of those things can come along later. And even in that there can be more purpose and plan, especially with God, but how He does it and even when He does it at times can have variance depending on situations. And a lot of those situations really have to do with human beings, has to do with us. Because we have a power, the power of choice, the power of independence, in that respect, as individual human beings, separate, free moral agents, to make choices. And our history is not good, in the sense of responding well to God.

And so there's a lot of room there then with God and working with mankind because of some of that. Because there is no guarantee when God begins a work in someone what they're going to be toward the end. Look at all the people who have come and gone. Look at all the people who have received God's holy spirit. Look at all the people, especially if you were one of those who happened to be in a congregation. I think of the Feast of Tabernacles – 14-15,000 people in one location – and all the people, the adults who had God's spirit dwelling in them at that time. Of all those people, what happened? Because there was no guarantee from the beginning to the end, the choices they would make under certain conditions in their life. And God allowed much of this to happen, and purposed much of it to happen, especially because of the things that would follow Philadelphia – Laodicea – and why God gave the things He did in restoring the kind of truth, and all the things that were written, all the things that were given to Mr. Armstrong and then what the Church did with that, what the ministry primarily did with that. That's why there's a greater condemnation to the ministry and what took place then, especially after he died, let alone all the problems and battles he had while he was alive.

I can't help but think about some of these things as I'm going along and I regress a little bit here. But I think, sometimes, just throwing these things in its good. It wasn't until much later that I began to learn, in retrospect, of things that Mr. Armstrong taught and said, especially when we had the… What where those called when we'd go out there to headquarters? Two weeks generally? The refreshing program, the ministerial refreshing program. And I remember Mr.  Armstrong getting up on one occasion and talking and – quite strong as his way was – and I didn't realize until much later on that most of what he had to say was directed towards the ministry and not about the Church. The problems were in the ministry at that time. He was battling things within the ministry. And there is so much to learn from that because the larger we grew the less control or ability to help or the ability to serve or the ability to oversee things that existed. Because you can have things divided up amongst different ones, regional pastors, as an example, or evangelists or whatever departments might have been there, but even there, because of those individuals, depending on their faithfulness or lack thereof, many things can begin to happen. And how can you know except for what they tell you? And he was, basically, only able to deal with what he was told. And a lot of times just good reports would come in of what they thought he wanted to hear and they would do their own thing. And they did their own thing and they fought against him, and they plotted against him, and they planned things against him, and they rebelled against him. Many evangelists did that through time, and many department heads did that through time. And he had his hands full!

And so I look back at those things and I marvel what God let us go through, but for a reason. To learn that you can have something as awesome as it was – the Worldwide Church of God – and we weren't there yet. We weren't even close! Because until you are spirit there are no guarantees for human beings and the choices they may make or the things they may do, depending on the circumstances. And so we learned a great and mighty lesson there.

And, anyway, we learned a great and a mighty lesson there. And we can learn from that. And that is the understanding of God's family, Elohim. There, only when we are a part of the God Family, are we set, are we a complete work, does God then know, obviously, that we are what we are, Elohim, and we have the same spirit, His spirit living in us for all time. Not just at times in our life, not just at different strength, as we do at times as human beings, but all the time with power and strength. That's awesome, what God intends, to dwell in us always without ever having any moment of interruption like we do as human beings. Because, see, when we sin or when we make wrong decisions or poor choices or we let down spiritually, we become lukewarm, we become… We have less of God dwelling in us. That's just the way it is. And the less of God that's in us the more of self that's there and the more problems that are going to arise. And that's exactly what happened in Worldwide. And then finally, in Laodicea, we finally came to the Apostasy. So there are no guarantees.

So things can have a variance so often because of, and God has allowed for that, because generally we tend to think everything is set, nothing can change. See, "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever." That's true. But we sometimes try to put too much in there. God is still the same and how He deals with us is still the same. He still has the same purpose and focus and same vision and same desire for us and same plan for us, but how He accomplishes it has incredible leeway, if you will, flexibility, power that God can use. And that's what a lot of this sermon is about, and that's a lot of what this matter of being able to discuss prophecy is all about.

So, again, from the very beginning He was telling Abram, "Get out of your country. Go to a place that I'm going to show you. And I'm going to make you a great nation and you're going to be very blessed and you're going to be a blessing to all the earth, to all nations of the earth. And ever who blesses you will be blessed. And those who curse you will be cursed." Very far reaching because it's still to be accomplished. The things that are talked about here are still to be accomplished. So this is just a small portion of a purpose and a plan, because God didn't give it to everybody all at once, nor to the Church all at once. Even when the Church began, the Church still didn't have it all in the very beginning. He just continues to give more and more.

Genesis 18:17—And the Eternal said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? Now, in a physical part, in a physical sense we can grasp and understand some of the physical blessings that God was going to give beginning with the nation of Israel, a great and a mighty nation at that time, and the things that God did through them and the different kings, depending on their faithfulness, and what God performed then in their lives, especially with David. And then going on past that through time and all the scattering that took place, and then finally toward the end of an age and what God has done through one of the primary tribes, when you talk about actually being split up then, but two brothers there, Ephraim and Manasseh, if you will, and how that Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations became great and then finally they weren't as great and God allowed one great nation. That's not what this is all about. That's only a physical "type" of a fulfillment of something that God is working at. What God is talking about is Israel, indeed, but far greater. It's not a physical Israel, it's a spiritual one. And that's what this is all about because much of what He talked to Abraham about and how he would be blessed, and how the greatest of the blessing was that which would come through Christ. And then why Israel, a spiritual Israel would exist. Frankly, Elohim, and how it would come into being.

And so this is what God's focus is. Because the physical part is only that which can be used to teach us and guide us and direct us and help us to understand things and glean and grasp things in a better way, but what it's all working toward is something far, far greater, and that's awesome. That's exciting to understand. And so, again here, a basic framework and basic things that God was telling, even about Abraham and what God was going to do with him.

And so again, from the very beginning, Adam and Eve and then Abraham, and on and on we go. Very few things were really revealed about God's plan and God's purpose. Very broad sweeping statements here, prophetic statements of things that God would do. And candidly, the vast majority of that we have only grasped in the last many decades here, beginning with Mr. Armstrong in a far greater way, in what God's great plan was – is.

Let's turn over to Deuteronomy. Moving ahead a little bit here.

You know, it's amazing when you start thinking about some of this and you think about God's purpose and God's plan that there would be twelve, He would work with twelve, and the things He would accomplish through them. And yet even with Abraham, after Sarah's death, he had many more sons, many more children. But there was one with Sarah and it was through that line that God worked to fulfill things on a physical plane that would lead to that which would be fulfilled and accomplished on a spiritual plane (speaking of eventually the birth of Christ), and all the things that would transpire as far as nations that would be raised up towards the end of the age and things that God would accomplish and fulfill through them.

So in Deuteronomy here, breaking on the scene, chapter 9:9 it says…. Moses is going through this story here of what had taken place concerning the tables of stone, the Commandments that God gave to him. He said, [Deuteronomy 9:9] When I had gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Eternal made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights. I did not eat bread nor drink water. So he was fasting that entire period. Now, you can't do this physically. You will die long before that unless God sustains you. God had a purpose in this. And it's an incredible thing, a feat, an accomplishment of something God had to accomplish and do, besides what He gave to him, the fact that He sustained his life and he didn't have to have anything.

Verse 10—And the Eternal delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words which the Eternal spoke with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Eternal gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant. And the Eternal said to me, Arise, get you down quickly from here, for your people which you have brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. Now, I think of a minister a long, long time ago, when I first came into the Church, that talked about how there's sometimes even a bit of humor in some of these kinds of things, "Get your people." You know, they were God's people, but laying this back on Moses in that respect and Moses having to deal with them, the pressure and the like that was there. But anyway, certainly God knew their spirit and their mind and their potential. And they certainly gave into that.

So He says, "Get down quickly from here, for your people which you have brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves," because at other times God says about, "My people," but this time, "they're your people, Moses."

…they have quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them. They have made unto them a molten image. This is just, almost, it's hard to conceive in one respect, and yet on the other it's not. Totally carnal. Totally carnal; they didn't have God's spirit. Even though they saw awesome things. You would think by going through the Red Sea and seeing some of the miracles they did and being sustained as they were and all the things that they were going through that they would be afraid to do anything other than what God had given through Moses. But they just didn't have that kind of fear, a healthy fear to disobey God.

And I think of the world today. It really isn't different today. Mankind and the way he is and the way he wants to look at God and make God after his own image, his own… after his own thoughts. Because to see God and deal with God the way He really is, people don't want that. They do not want that in their life because that means change, that means repentance, that means acknowledging things that people really don't want to deal with. And so again, He told him to get up to go down there, "they've turned aside from the way which I commanded them and have made a molten image."

Verse 13—Furthermore the Eternal spoke unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it's a stiff-necked people. Rebellious, stiff-necked, doing their own will, going to do their own thing, hard to communicate to, hard to work with.

Verse 14—Let me alone, that I may destroy them – Powerful! – and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make you a nation mightier and greater than they. That's an incredible thing. I think of what's coming and things that are going to happen prophetically. I think of things that have happened in times past. But even here, God is telling him that, going to wipe out this whole nation but it can continue on through Moses. Can God do that? Could God change things having to do with His plan and His purpose and work it through Moses now? Is that possible? Could God have just been throwing this out there or did He mean what He said? God can. It's God's work. It's God's plan and God can continue on with the things He told to Adam and Eve, to the things He told to Abraham, and fulfill His will and fulfill His plan and purpose. But this would have changed things dramatically, obviously, if it had been like what happened with Noah. God started all over with Noah and his family. And Moses was of a specific lineage here but he was of Abraham, and God could have fulfilled His plan accordingly. Don't know how exactly, but know enough that God could do whatever God chooses and desires to do and be according to His word. And this, because of choices that people made, things can change drastically, things can change mightily, and God can redo, rework, and still fulfill things He said earlier in a different manner, in a different way, but God can still fulfill things according to His purpose and His plan. He is God Almighty, and no man can stand up to God and say, "But that doesn't fit what you said earlier!" That's Satan's attitude and Satan's mind. Because Satan from the very beginning with Adam and Eve and on has always twisted and distorted things that God has said. And we have made mistakes like that as God's people in times past, and we'll probably make more as we go forward, individually or whatever, within the body. That's just human nature.

So He says, basically, "I'm going to destroy them, blot out their name from under heaven and will make you a nation mightier and greater than they." So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands. And I looked, and, behold, you had sinned against the Eternal your God, and had made you a molten calf. You had turned aside quickly out of the way which the Eternal had commanded you. "It didn't take you long. You did it quickly! After all that God has done with you, look what you've done! I'm up in the mountain forty days and forty nights…" Like, "Where is Moses? Who's going to lead us now? Is he coming back? What's happened to him?" Nobody else is going to go up there because they were a little afraid of that, obviously. They weren't going to go up there, but not afraid enough to not make a molten calf and declare that that's their God. I took the two tables, and cast them out of my hands, and broke them before your eyes.

Continuing on in verse 18—And I fell down before the Eternal, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat, nor drink water, because of all your sins which you sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Eternal, to provoke Him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Eternal was angry with you to destroy you. But the Eternal hearkened unto me at that time also. So basically saying that he interceded, that he sought God's help in this, that he sought reasoning with God and talking to God and praying to God about this. And the Eternal was very angry with Aaron, to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.

I remember someone that I interceded to God for three different times and asked that God not let them, as what happened to Judas, that God would not allow Satan to have them. And God intervened, interceded. But in the end, still went away. It wasn't in the individual’s heart. So even though God intervenes and does things at times in people's lives and hears petitions like that, it still comes down to the choice of the individual and their commitment to what they're going to do, because they are individually responsible. And none of us can be responsible, in that regard, to the choices and decisions of other individuals. We can try to work with them. We can try to influence them. We can try to encourage them, guide, direct, whatever, but ultimately each individual is responsible themselves.

Still, still for us, we've come a long way, but we're not through this yet. You know what? You're not in God's Family until you're in God's Family. And that's something you must always keep in the forefront of your focus, your vision, your sight, of where you're going and what you're doing. And especially now not to let up. Now is the time to continue pressing forward as never before. That's a part of our being. This is our life. Look at all we've gone through. I think, what a horrible thing if anyone after going all this journey, this far – and I hope and pray it doesn't happen anymore – but we're human beings and I just really hope and pray after the cleansing of the temple that no one will go that far anymore. It would be an awesome thing if by next Feast, we go through periods of time, because I have a horrible gut feeling every Feast to Feast, and it's always been that way, that someone always leaves between the Feasts. It's within that year, in other words. And I really hope and pray as we go along that this ceases to continue on, but with human nature that's a toughie. That's a toughie. But everyone has to make their own choices. And yet God offers us this – to the end He will be with us.

Verse 21—And I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

Verse 24—You have been rebellious against the Eternal from the day that I knew you. Thus I fell down before the Eternal forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the Eternal had said He would destroy you. I prayed, therefore, unto the Eternal, and said, O Eternal God, destroy not Your people and Your inheritance, which You have redeemed through Your greatness, which You have brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Well, He still would have, but it wouldn't have been what it could have been if He had destroyed them and had to start again with Moses. And a lot of this was for Moses. But nevertheless, it's something that God could have done. That's why He said it. Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin. Lest the land from where You have brought us out should say, Because the Eternal was not able to bring them into the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to slay them in the wilderness. So, again here, it's, "Look at what other nations are going to say. Look at what they're going to do." And so God listened to Moses, because it was about a relationship between Him and Moses, in large part, and what Moses was growing in and developing here. Because he was being molded and fashioned in a very special way for a very special purpose into the future. Into the future. Okay? Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, which You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your stretched out arm.

So again here, the point being is that we read things sometimes, we look at things, and we have to understand and grasp that God can change whatever God wants to change if God has a purpose in it. And so often you're going to see, as we continue on, that so often those decisions and choices come about as a result of what people do. It's about their choices and how they respond to Him or fail to respond to Him when they're given those opportunities – even with physical nations like this, physical people, if you will.

Let's turn over to Psalms 132. Again, even with this sermon, in the beginning of this sermon it's just a basic outline, as this is a basic outline of different things that would be expanded in time in a prophetic manner. Because these are still very small in the sense of what is being worked toward in time.

Psalms 132:11—The Eternal has sworn in truth unto David, and He will not turn from it: Of the fruit of your body will I set upon your throne. If your children will keep My covenant and My testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon the throne forevermore. I couldn't help but thinking as I was going through some of this, thinking that even some of these things we haven't fully interpreted or understood as well as we need to, to grasp what was being said here. Because God gave a particular promise here that there would be that throne that would continue on and that the Messiah would come back and that would be His throne in time. And we look at, you know, Great Britain and a throne that goes way back. And I think of that one throne with the stone underneath it, that isn't there anymore, but I even have a picture of it in my Bible I carry with me, but you think, what an awesome thing here. So many leaders, so many rulers of that line, of the line of David and a throne (not specifically that particular chair), but that which is a matter of rulership and that came down through David that has to do with the Messiah and the promise that God gave. It's inspiring. It's exciting to see the things that God does like this. And so here is this promise, that which would continue on. And yet, even here, it wasn't something that had to exist continually, because there were interruptions. The descendants were there, the people were there, but there wasn't always a throne that always existed.

And yet in our minds I feel that in talking to people in times past and hearing things that people have said, or things that have been written about it, it's as though there was always this ruling lineage that was existing at a particular time. That's not the case. There were times it was interrupted. But it was because of the people and because of their sins and things that they did. And I think of the particular time when some had to flee down into – where'd they go? To Egypt? And then all the way to Ireland the story is in time and the things that went on there. And there was a great interruption for a time and there was no one ruling at that particular time in that sense, in the sense of ruling over a nation. There was an interruption in those things that took place, but that lineage, if you will, and the throne, if you will, continued on. It continued to exist. And that's exactly what God said here. He said they will continue to sit upon that throne, as long as, in essence, they're obedient. But if they're not obedient they won't be sitting on that throne. That's what He's telling them. They're not obedient, they're not going to sit on that throne, but that throne is going to exist and that lineage is going to continue to exist. God was going to guarantee that. Awesome to understand what God promises and gives.

And sometimes we cause our own problems by reading too much or reading something that isn't there into a particular thing that God is doing.

For the Eternal has chosen Zion. And so, again here, it jumps ahead to the future. It's not all about the physical things that are being accomplished. There are "types" and things that are done there to help us to learn, to grasp something far greater, because if we don't understand the physical part, we sure can't understand and grasp the spiritual. We have to see things that God has done and set-up and established on a physical plane to grasp the spiritual. It's like, well, similar to things of grasping things about a Passover. Think of all the people that don't grasp the Passover, that don't grasp something that had to be fulfilled spiritually, because they don't get the physical part of it. They don't grasp the importance of the lamb and what took place there. And so there are people who still eat a lamb and they go through all that and they have no concept of what that was all about. They don't grasp what God was doing, even on a physical plane, because they can't.

And so this is that promise, For the Eternal has chosen Zion. He has desired it for His habitation, where He's going to dwell, which I mentioned earlier. God's going to dwell in us for all eternity. Never an interruption in our lives, always at-one with God, always of the same mind, the same spirit, having His spirit never interrupted, not because of selfish or weak human responses to God, becoming lethargic or sinning or anything of that nature. Those things won't exist once we're in His Family. This is My rest forever. Here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

So again here, still small portions of things that God gave. And He's talking about Zion. And we know about the seed and things that God promised to David, and on and on it goes. And so God just continues to reveal more and more and He began to reveal more through David here, things that were written about, things that the apostles, the early apostles, frankly, Peter on Pentecost, on Pentecost starting talking about it and quoting some of these very things and talking about the promises that were given to David and of a seed and the like. So, again, far more revealed then at that particular point in time because then he was telling everyone what those things were back in the Psalms, what was being stated back there that the Jews didn't understand at that time and the disciples hadn't understood before that. But it was given to them "now," at that moment in time, to really grasp and see something on a far greater scale of what God was doing and His plan and purpose that was being fulfilled. Exciting!

Now you can go to Daniel 2. So even with that last example, an overall prophecy. But there have been times in our past where we have been – How can I state this? – we have felt that certain things are so set even in the lineage there that there was never an interruption as far as when children, when some of the lineage, the children of, in this case, Judah, sat on the throne. And not the case. The lineage continued on, but there were times because of disobedience that God didn't allow them to continue to sit on that throne. And that's exactly what God was telling them before this.

Daniel 2:36—This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation, thereof, before the king. So, again here, here's Babylon. Here we've already gone through a period of time, Egypt, a great kingdom, but this is after that. The kingdom that existed there with the Pharaoh's and the like, and all the things that took place, well, that's in times past. Now we're getting up to a future time. Here is Daniel and this is Daniel's period of time, speaking of Babylon, the great kingdom that existed then, and now God is going to show these great kingdoms that are going to rule the earth to the return of the Messiah, to the coming of the Kingdom of God to this earth.

And speaking of this particular dream…. Verse 37—You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven has He given into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all. You are this head of gold. So, again, a lot of wisdom here and a lot of things that were taking place that helped Daniel and helped his friends because of a particular favor here, of a way that he could present this to a great king. And human nature tends to love this kind of thing, especially if, "This is coming from the Great God and God is saying this to you, O king: You are a great king." So, you know, it goes to the head. Anyway, it didn't hurt the relationship there with Daniel.

And after you shall arise, another kingdom inferior to you, so "This is going to be after you. It's not going to be during your time." So, again, all these things awesomely put here. …another kingdom inferior to you. Not going to be nearly like yours. So again, over and over again here, you know, this is great. Then it goes on to say …another kingdom inferior to you, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: for as much as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things: and as iron that breaks all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. So again here, now God is giving this overview of things that are going to take place all the way to the coming of His Kingdom to this earth. And this is the story, an awesome story. And it's just a basic outline of history. But there is so much leeway in all this period of time to accomplish these things ever how God desired and through whomever He desired at specific times to fulfill it then. It's like any kind of a building. There are certain things you just don't work on and don't work to accomplish until you're there, until that generation arises, and then you begin to work with different ones to fulfill and accomplish your purpose. But again, it's God that does it and He has the leeway to build it any way He desires. We tend to get in the way sometimes and try to make God fulfill things or do things our way in our thinking. Just like after what happened, I guess, going all the way back here to what Moses was telling them, about this golden calf and what I mentioned about religion, people wanting to make God after their own image, after something that satisfies their own thinking and how they want to view God, not the way God really is. They don't want to see God.

Verse 41—And whereas you saw the feet and the toes, part of potter's clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of iron, forasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. I marvel at this as you watch the news. You see Europe and you see what's happening there and you realize that's exactly what…. What an awesome description of what has happened and what is taking place over there! There is strength there, but there is incredible weakness, because they are no more together than a man in the moon, as far as thinking is concerned and purpose is concerned at this point. But one day they will have a common purpose. They'll be pressured into it. But they'll still not be united. Incredible description here – clay and iron. It doesn't mix!

Verse 42—And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas you saw iron mixed with miry clay, goes on to say here, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men. But they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed. So taking it all the way to the end, but all these things just an outline and much to be filled in later on. So this is like looking at a basic blueprint, the very beginning of a blueprint, and nothing on the inside yet, nothing that's been filled in, no detail yet at all. And much of that detail has not come until our time! Much of the detail of these things hasn't come until, candidly, till the last decade here. God's filling in more detail as far as what He's giving to us to grasp and to comprehend in what He's doing, in what He's fulfilling.

Because I'll tell you what, because of extra time and because of things that have happened there's been quite a bit that's changed, but, the basic overall framework. But God is working differently with these nations now than He was before. Vastly different! And that's exciting! It's inspiring when you come to that point and you grasp why and what God is accomplishing and what God is fulfilling. It truly is.

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom…okay, I think I read all that. I'll read it again, verse 44, if I didn't—And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. So, again, all the ways of man. It's the downfall of man's system, Babylon, and God's going to establish His, the Kingdom, His Kingdom to govern this earth.

For as much as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. So again, a very basic framework to work within, of kingdoms that would arise, what God would accomplish in them, each not being of the magnitude and of the kind of glory that Babylon evidently had. History is so marred it's hard to know all the things that took place. But again, these things continued to take place, and yet, all the way up to the end talking about a very powerful kingdom that's going to arise. And yet it's not going to be bound together, when you talk about the feet and the clay that's mixed there with the iron. All these things that lead up to the very end of the age before it's all crushed. In other words, the entire statue, everything is brought down.

Before we go into the book of Revelation here there are so many things we could go into today. I think of things that Christ went through. You know, when you think about things that were going to be fulfilled in Christ there's something unique that takes place, and that is prophecy there was set, powerfully so. And it didn't waver. There weren't things that changed in the sense of choices that people made, because we're talking about Christ. We're talking about Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, and his mind that was unique – not like other human beings. So the things that took place there and the things that were fulfilled, they fit perfectly into place one after the other. Wham! Wham! Wham! Things that were accomplished and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Unlike other things that have happened prophetically. So when you read about some of those things and you go back and look at certain things that are quoted as you read through the story of Christ and the things that have taken place, it's an awesome thing to see some of the things that are fulfilled there. They're set. They are prophecies that were set and they weren't going to be altered in any fashion or form. Not at all.

Let's turn over to the story of Hezekiah. There's something I want to interject here before we continue on. It has some of the same kind of an example to it as far as some of the things that are discovered or discussed here. But let's turn over to 2 Chronicles 32. I thought about spending some time, of going through some of these examples of Christ and what he fulfilled and what he did and how the prophecies are spelled out in the Old Testament, different things that he did and accomplished, and there was no movement in those things. They were fulfilled right down the line. Wham! Wham! Wham! Everything perfectly so, awesomely so, because he was the Christ, the Word of God made flesh. We, as human beings, there are things that often times change because of choices and decisions we make and that can alter some of it.

I think of a… I want to mention here, because by the time you get to chapter 6, and there's one example I'm not going to use today because it's one that should, hopefully, come to mind anyway, but it's written about in the book. But it's about Nineveh and it's about Jonah. And obviously there are things that were altered there and changed because of things that Jonah said and a change that took place and God didn't destroy a nation. I think of a time when there was an evangelist – he used to be an evangelist a long time ago and then he broke away from Garner Ted and went in his own direction – and how a sermon came out one time where he used the example of prophecy changing, and so forth, and talked about Jonah and Nineveh. And I know that will probably be in a few people's minds because I made reference to that at one time.

I can't help but think of so many things that we have gone through, whether it be ideas that people have had about going to heaven or that example there and some of the other things that at times we've gone into because of things some people have said. Satan is a very cunning being and there are many things he understands or is given understanding of to a point, but he doesn't grasp them. I should say he's given knowledge of. There are things that Satan has knowledge of but he doesn't grasp them. And not only that but there is so much that's written he throws so many things out there that every once in a while he smacks on something that has some truth in it, but he always twists it – because he doesn't know the end of it anyway – but he always twists and distorts it.

And I think of that one evangelist, because every time he spoke there would be people who were be drawn to some of the things he said, because a lot of what he said in the very beginning was very true. But at the end – it's like a fish hook – he has you and then he takes you off in a different direction. That's exactly what Satan did from the very beginning with Adam and Eve. It's an incredible thing. So I think of that particular sermon he gave one time because it goes in a completely different direction of the conclusions that are made there, but still, there are things in it that have to do with human nature that are true.

Anyway, this story here in 2 Chronicles, it's about Hezekiah and it's… I'm just going to mention it because it is about a prophecy, per se, because here's something that changes quite quickly. But there are some lessons in this that are pertinent to us today as well, that I think more than ever before.

2 Chronicles 32. I am as anxious to have you get to chapter 6 as you are, but I think you're going to find as we continue on, that with being able to eat just a little bit at a time, being able to savor a little bit at a time, that by the time you get there it's going to be much clearer and much easier to grasp and comprehend what God is showing us and what God is giving to us and why there are things that have changed, candidly, so vastly, where others have not, because the overall framework doesn't change. There are things in prophecy that we've just gone through as far as nations, that primary framework God was going to work with, the primary design God has worked with without wavering in any fashion or form. Just like when we read through the story there of God saying, "I will build of you, Moses, a great nation." There is still that framework and God would have fulfilled and accomplished everything according, in the same manner, but with a different people. Nothing would have changed as far as the framework was concerned and what God was going to accomplish and what God would have fulfilled in time.

But the details. I think of that sermon that Jeremy gave. And I've gotten more out of that over that period of time and things that God is revealing because there is so much in the details that are worked out later on, that you continue to work at. And God continues to work with the details in our lives. There is an overall framework as far as the Body and the things that God is accomplishing in a remnant Church, but I'll tell you, when you see the details of things that God has done from the beginning to the end, and especially when you grasp and understand even more fully why things have changed and what God did in us as a Church during that period of time in mid-2008 that we talked about, and the trials we went through and what He made of us, it is awesome. It is truly awesome! We're talking about the details, because the framework was still there but God altered various aspects of the details. But the framework is still there and God is still going to accomplish the same thing, but in different manner now. He's offering mercy to the world and to a Church that was scattered, that before that was not going to be given it. And God can determine when He shows mercy and when He does not, because there are times that, just like in the days of Noah, they couldn't be given mercy. Which I have already written about, which was discussed in talking about the mind being set and God's desire that no more, that mankind not go any farther, that it must stop there and He would start with a new people through Noah and his family and not continue on with the rest.

So in 2 Chronicles 32, talking about Hezekiah, verse 20, it's going through a story here, of how Hezekiah, first of all, he cleansed the temple, he prepared it, made it ready for being able to restore worship in it again. They began to worship with it. They had a great Passover that's recorded here above and beyond many kings that had gone before, things that he did. He did an awesome thing as far as his service toward God and the things that he went through. Then it comes down to a story here about Sennacherib, King of Assyria, who came up against Judah and against Jerusalem, and the story of how Sennacherib was having these… crying out to the people on the wall, trying to discourage them from fighting and war, and to give in and surrender and so forth. And he began to tear down things about God and talk against God. And really, it was a matter of a game of psychology, if you will, and trying to discourage a people mightily and cause them to have a defeatist attitude, if you will, and to give in, to give up. Anyway, that's what the story is about up to this point in time.

And coming on the scene here then in 2 Chronicles 32:20—and it says, And for this cause, then, Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. So because of this attack that was taking place, a verbal attack and tearing down the attitude and spirit of the people, if you will, they prayed about this because it was having an effect. It was taking its toll on the people. And the Eternal sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valor, and all the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So God intervened and this is what took place. And says, So he returned with shame of face to his own land. So Sennacherib, because of what God did by sending an angelic battle against them and destroying much there, it talks about Sennacherib went back and it says, And when he had come into the house of his god, that they came forth of his own bowels, in other words, his own family, his own children, and they killed him with a sword. So they took care of him because of his defeat and what had taken place there.

And it goes on to say, Thus the Eternal saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all the others, and guided them on every side. And it goes on to talk about how, many brought gifts unto the Eternal to Jerusalem, and presents, gifts (if you will) to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all the nations from thenceforth. So incredible thing that took place here because it was an overwhelming army that had come up against them, and yet it had to head back to Nineveh. Sennacherib went back to Nineveh, the Assyrians went back home, if you will, and there he lost his life as well.

Verse  24, continuing on… In those days Hezekiah was sick to death, and he prayed unto the Eternal. So it was after this period of time. And it brings out this story here that came up. He was ready to die. And it says, that He spoke unto him, and He gave him a sign. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up. So it's telling a story here, which we're going to read more of in a moment, but here is a bit of the entirety of just summarizing everything in general. And it talks about here he became sick, God actually gave him a sign that He would intervene for him and what He was going to do. But even after God did this and prolonged his life he didn't "render according to benefit," as it talks about. I like another place where it talks about and it says, "He did not repay according to the favor that was shown to him."

And I think of us. And I think about what we do, because of what God has given to us, extra time, and what we do with it now. And it's so important that we render according to the benefit. Because we have been given a great opportunity to do some incredible things in the near future and to be a part of something in a greater way than what we would have before. And we're going to go through a great deal, but God desires to be with us and to do great and mighty things, in that respect, of things that will be talked about throughout a period of 1,100 years. This period of time is going to be spoken of, as other periods of time throughout the Bible, but like with everything else it comes to a particular moment in time. This is an awesomely important moment in time. It truly is. In all of history, of 6,000 years, this is an awesome time to live in. Just like with that statue of what God gave and showed to Daniel and Daniel was showing what the dream was all about to the king and talking about these great nations, and then the Kingdom of God that would come and destroy this and set up His Kingdom that would last forever. And those things will obviously be spoken of, and what people go through and what they experience. And we have, really…. We can't even really begin to comprehend how awesome that will be and what will be spoken of later on. We read of things in here but we have no grasp of what's going to be spoken of, brethren. It's going to be an awesome thing, it truly is, what you're blessed to be a part of.

Just like I've had so many people write in and talk about how moved they were by, what is it, 1 in 14 million? What were the numbers? I don't even know what the number is. 1 in 14 million. And you think about that, how many people were moved by that, because when you see it in such terms, when you realize the small number of people that God is working with at the end of an age and you recognize that percentage, those numbers, that comparison, that ratio, it's something we really can't grasp. It's something we really can't imagine, and yet it's so awesome, so great, so mighty. That God would bless us and to be a part of something so great.

And so here is something that God was doing in a king’s life who had done so much as far as restoring the temple, as far as restoring worship in the temple, as far as getting rid of the false things that were in the nation there and hosting great Holy Days, and a massive Passover as you can read about in the story here, that he's written about, that is written about him and what he did.

And then he came down to this point of time where he was ready to die, his body had worn to a point in time where he was ready to die. Time and chance, which I'm going to come back to in a moment, that's been spoken of recently in a sermon. Because we get older. I've come to a point where I've knocked on the door twice. And thankfully there's no answer yet. And I'm able to go on. I'm able to continue on. I'm able to witness and observe and see things because God isn't finished with me. I have more to learn. You have more to learn. That's why you're here. We have more to do. And God's going to finish what He has started. And He has a purpose in what He's accomplishing. And it's exciting. It's awesome.

And so here he's ready to die and God lets him know that he is and to get his house in order. We'll read all this in greater detail in a moment. But it says some incredible things here about him. He didn't respond to God's favor, to God's blessing, to the benefit, to the favor that God gave to him. He did something else. He became lifted up with pride. After all he had done and after God showed him the sign that he did. It is incredible what He showed him and what He gave to him as a sign that He would give him extra live, and how much time He would give him. He gave him the sign up front. Powerful, if you know the story. And yet, what did he do? He got lifted up with pride. Horrible! A choice to do something like that after all that time. Why would you do that? Why would you change so completely in your focus, in your vision? And yet that could be said of a lot of people. That could be said of a lot of people since 2008. Why did you change from you focus and from your vision? You didn't like the direction that God took you? Oh, I know what a lot of the answers are to that. "Well, that wasn't God. That was you." I understand that. But that's the way mankind has always been, and they don't grasp the things that God does. When you don't have His spirit living and flowing through you, you will lose what you have been given.

So it says, Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him (verse 25), for his heart was lifted up. It's talking about pride. He did some things he should not have done. He took honor and glory to himself that he should not have done. Foolish! He began to think his understanding, his way of doing things…. He began to rely on himself and his power and his great strength that God had given to him. …therefore, there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. So Judah and Jerusalem suffered as a result as well, because of the choices, because of the decisions that he made. Sad. Human nature; it's a horrible thing sometimes. Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart. So by the time it was over, by the time you get toward the end here, he did humble himself. He humbled himself, finally, but he went through a lot to get to this point. Both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath (anger) of the Eternal did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. It came later. It came upon his lineage later on.

Let's notice this story in 2 Kings 20, because it breaks it down here a little bit more. This is more of an overview of it and what had taken place, but it's interesting to take a strong look, then, and some of the lesson contained in it. Because, you see, things that God is working out even prophetically in our lives as being a part of something can change individually and it can change for a body as well. There are certain things God's not going to allow, though, as far as the body, as far as a remnant's concerned.

But anyway, 2 Kings 20:1—In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus says the Eternal, Set your house in order, for you shall die, and you're not going to live. So, here a prophet came to him and did what? Basically carried out a prophecy from God, something that was going to take place. "You are going to die." See, it was said by a prophet. He sent a prophet to him to tell him something is going to happen to your life. "Now is your time. Get your house in order because it's coming to an end." So this is a short-range thing. It's for a short period of time, but again, it shows over and over again – this is a simple example – of something that happens and has happened on a greater scale in certain times like in Nineveh and with Jonah, and with things that are happening in the end-time especially.

I'll tell you what I am really dumbfounded by. So many things that have happened throughout history, they're repeating themselves at the end. So many things that God has done in different ways in different examples throughout time, because of a framework and because of something that God is designing, is for this time now. It's awesome when you… In time God is going to show us more of this. He's going to help us grasp more of it. But so many of the examples of things that have happened are things to bring us to this period of time, to bless us in being able to go through it in a very powerful way. Because it's all by design. There's an overall design and God is bringing it all together. And the details of it are being fulfilled in this period of time at the end, through the Church and in the world.

Verse 2—Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Eternal, saying, I beseech you, O Eternal, remember now how I have walked before You in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. So, he wasn't ready. And probably most people really aren't ready in life, if you think about it. If you had something like this happen to you, "Get your house in order. You're ready to die." Oh! Okay. Well, for us in the Church I think it's a lot different, or at least it should be, especially when you get down the road a little ways. If it happens and it's part of God's working with your life He knows. You know, you're in His hands, certain things are being molded and fashioned, certain things are happening.

And I'm going to get in that in a moment, because I want to go into some things. Matter of fact, this might be a good place to do it. Time and chance. I do want to address some of that because it kind of fits in and it's what we're talking about here and what happens in our lives.

And I want to go into this for another reason, because I want to be very specific about some things that were stated here, too, because there have been some comments come back where some haven't understood the thrust of what was being given here in the sense of the context. And I want to even add to some of that and give a better, if you will, overall framework of a part of this as well so we can understand it as far as we're concerned in God's Church. Because I don't want there to be any confusion in people's lives when it comes to this matter of time and chance. Because in one respect it does not happen, and in another it does. And we need to have a better balance in that since we've gone through that now and we've talked about some of that and we're talking about some of this with Hezekiah and what happened in his life and how God works with us.

Because this is going to become more important the farther we go into what we're going into in the next few years. Because it's not going to be pleasant and there's going to be death. Okay? There will be people who die. And that's just life. Well, it's not life if you're dead. But you understand what I'm talking about. It's a part of life. It's a part of existence. It's a part of the way we are as human beings. But our lives are in God's hands. No matter what our lives are in God's hands. And what He has planned for us and what He prepares for us, that's God's doings. Sometimes we get in the way of that and we have to be careful and we have to grasp with great thankfulness, with deep appreciation, no matter what God lets us taste of and receive and have in life, to be thankful for that and to have a confidence and a knowing that wherever He places us, in whatever time He places us we are immensely blessed, and to have a part in His Family as we follow through. Sometimes we want more.

Look at the early, some of the earliest disagreements or arguments that took place in some who were walking with Christ. "Who's going to be greatest in the Kingdom?" Well, the fact that you would be able to have opportunity to be in the Kingdom, but you want to be the greatest? Anyway. See, human nature sometimes just gets in the way and we tend to think physically, carnally, and… anyway.

I want to read this, what was given in that sermon here about time and chance, a part of what was mentioned in that. It's a quote out of Ecclesiastes.

And it states here: "We are God's people. God knows the hairs on our head." Now, isn't that incredible? God knows every… about every human being. Whether you're in the Church or not, it's immaterial. God knows everything. We can't grasp that kind of mind! We can't grasp that kind of power. It's like thinking about the universe and the fact that God not only created it, but we've talked about, I've talked about – I guess that's in the book – I think I've talked about it before anyway. Has that come out yet? Okay. Anyway. I don't know where we are in the book. We're getting ready for chapter 4. But anyway, when you think about the universe, to me that's an incredible thing to do when you go through that exercise and you think about the ability to rattle off so many thousands per second, or whatever it is, or even greater, of stars that are out there and how long that would take. And it just, you can't begin to comprehend. And God knows them all. He knows them all by name. He has them all named. Not only that, He designed them, created them, brought them into being. We can't grasp things like that. The longer you're in God's Church the more in awe you become of the power of God. And this matter of "eternity." We're always going to be learning. There's no end to it. And we can't grasp that with our puny little brains. We just can't grasp that. We can't grasp such a being and His greatness. But He lets us "see" more and more of it and it becomes more exciting the more we "see."

Anyway, it goes on to say here: "And the reality is that time and chance does not happen to those that God has a purpose for." Now, that's in a specific context, and that needs to be understood. Because some comments that have come back reflect the fact that that wasn't fully grasped. "Now, we can be involved in situations where," continuing on here what was said in that sermon, "Now, we can be involved in situations where they may be dangerous. Well, if it's God's will that our life be taken, well, that is God's will." Our lives are in God's hands indeed, brethren. "But it isn't time and chance, per se, it is actually God's will that is done. Because God loves us. God is caring for us. It's not just a matter of chance where we might be in the right place at the right time or in the wrong place at the wrong time; those things are actually for mankind." In other words, talking about there are things that happen all the time in the world that are strictly a matter of time and chance because God's not involved in that. He allows those things to take place.

And so it's talking about some of those things having to do with us. "But for God's people, He says He cares for us and He knows us. Therefore, if anything does happen to us it wasn't by chance." That's in the context, please understand, of death. Okay? Because life and chance does happen to us otherwise in life. It's just God works with that then. There are things that do happen that God allows to happen. God may intervene in some of those things. Just like with me – time and chance? Well, I feel that there was a matter of timing that God was very much involved in, but God allowed that to take place as far as the chance was concerned, when you think of time and chance. Because our bodies get older and they get weaker, and perhaps not the time, perhaps not the exact day… I don't know. God will show us later on. Depends on situations we have in our lives as to what degree He may or may not intervene. But He allows things to happen to us. He didn't stop me from having a heart attack. He didn't stop me from dying on the table and then having to be shocked in the chest to be brought back again. See? But it all worked for a purpose. Gave me time to write a book. I could not have written it if that hadn't happened. I wouldn't have been able to do that. I might be able to start writing it now, but I'd be behind things right now if that were the case, because this is a period of where it needs to be, as far as the writing of it and getting it ready; this year is about the book. The first year here, for sure, is about the book, getting it out there. It's a part of an end-time witness. It's a part of preparing those things for what is going to take place as a part of a job. The other parts that are mentioned in Revelation, they're not going to happen until toward the end. Okay? Until toward the end. That's just reality. And some of those things were shown in the first round of this, as to how God's going to accomplish and do certain things. He let us know by sermons and the like that He's given already, or inspired to be given.

So, again there, the context, again, is about a matter of death, as far as whether God allows certain things to take place in our life. He went on to say here: "Because God is involved in our life." So again here, I want to point out two specific things here and I want to expound on this a little bit more. First of all, in death specifically. Okay? In death specifically. Other matters? You know, because of choices we make we may get in a car, we may do something foolish, we may do something unwise, we may be pushing the limits on something and God might not necessarily intervene to prevent something from happening because of our stupidity, because of our foolishness, because of our, maybe, sin involved. There are things that God allows in our life and He doesn't prevent them from happening all the time, see? He may prevent how far something goes, but He does allow certain things of time and chance because we're human beings, as far as a physical plane is concerned. But not with matters of death if He's doing something specifically to be accomplished within us. See, there's a difference there and we have to be careful then how we interpret some of that.

Another purpose, another thing, not just a matter of death, but also in another condition that applies here, and that depends on one's calling. See, there's a difference between what God may be doing in some of the 144,000 and what God is doing with the rest, see, as far as His intervention and what He may prevent or what He may intervene to do even in matter of death, if you will, as far as these things taking place.

And so as with Hezekiah, he was old. He was getting to a point in time and his body was run down and God was letting him know, "You're at the point of death. You're going to die. Get your house in order." See, giving him opportunity to prepare his family, to give him that benefit and that blessing so that it doesn't catch them off guard, so that the kingdom can continue on and he can do the best he can to, as a human being in that respect, in his relationship with God then and trying to ensure that things can continue on. "To get things in order in your house." That's exactly what He told him. He was giving him a great blessing there. But he wanted, desired more. Which is a very human thing. You'd like to be around longer to see more things, or whatever.

I think of something Christ asked for toward the end. "If there is any other way." See, it's not wrong to desire something different. It's not wrong to desire something different that might be happening to you at a moment in time. It wasn't wrong for Hezekiah to desire this extra time in his life, to be able to continue on and to bring these things up before God and to remind Him of what he had done and so forth. And then, you know, God's going to determine whether or not He's going to answer that prayer.

And Christ is a perfect example of that. "Father, if there is any other way," because he knew what he was getting ready to go through. "If there is any other way that this prophecy can be worked out…" I've prayed about a lot of those things in prophecy. Some things have been answered and some things haven't, because it's a matter of God's will. And there are some things that God will hear and God will work with accordingly.

We're going to be dumbfounded before… I can't go there. This goes beyond the book, of some things that God is doing that has to do with what we're going through as a Body and where we're going and His listening and hearing us. Some of those things will come later on. But it's really incredible what God's doing right now, brethren. It's so awesome. So much more that we have to learn, so much we still have to grow in, even before all this comes to a head.

So, again here, depends on one's calling whether chosen for a specific thing or not. You see, and there's kind of a delicate thing too, because I only feel…. and I have feelings about what I think certain ones might be – I don't dwell on those things because it isn't healthy – of who might be a part of 144,000. That's not our place. Okay? That's not our place. Only two. And we know why. Because of what's spoken of in scripture. Certainly, we may have our hopes and desires in certain things, but if God has a purpose for something that we're being prepared for something on into the Kingdom and we'll yet die as a human being and then be resurrected in a thousand years, that's an awesome thing. That's awesome! That's wonderful. It's beautiful, inspiring, exciting. It will be exciting and inspiring to you as you yield to God's purpose. It always is. Whatever that purpose is that you're blessed to be a part of to fulfill in your life. Because there's nothing greater that you can have that kind of experience in except for what God gives to you. That's the height of it all. If you're on your own, you're not going to experience it. If you're doing it your own way you're not going to experience the same thing. You're not going to achieve the same thing. So how blessed are we for what we have?

And so we have to be careful there because things can change because of our response in a wrong way, if we make wrong choices and wrong decisions. And that's why the story of Hezekiah is so good here, because we want to make sure in the time that God has given us, additional above and beyond, that we use it so wisely. That we use it so wisely in seeking God and desiring to draw close to God and being able to serve God in a better way. Not less. Not to coast now. Not to let down. Because that's the human tendency. The human tendency is to begin coasting now to the end. You can't coast! If you coast it's not going to be good news for you. Okay? If you begin to let up it's not going to be good news. If you begin to become Laodicean in spirit, lukewarm in spirit, you're not going to do well, you're not going to fair well through all of this. Okay?

Now, if God has a specific purpose in some who are a part of 144,000, there are already things that are set in their life. They are already set as far as their minds are concerned and where they are going and what they're going to do. Nothing on earth can change that, brethren. Nothing can change that, okay? Nothing can alter that because there's a relationship already there. Okay? It's established. It's set. And it cannot change because God has the power to sustain it, because it's gotten to that point. "Now I know you." That's been established. That's already passed.

Now, all the rest? It's in our, and frankly, we should all look at it in that regard, to serve God with all of our might, with all of our being, to desire to become more zealous, to become more active, to drive ourselves, to desire to come out of sin even more so in our life, to desire to conquer and overcome even more so in our life, to become more at-one with God than ever before in our life, more zealous than ever before, to drive ourselves to seek God's help in being driven as well. This is not a time to let up. This is a time to press forward more earnestly, with greater desire. Your outcome of where you're going to be is contained in a very short span of time right now, a very short span of time. Use it wisely. Use it wisely. Because with the rest there isn't the guarantee, because you have the power of choice. That's why this matter of time and chance in that regard doesn't apply in the same way. It doesn't apply in the same way. Because we've seen that through time.

As an example, since 2008. How many have you seen, because of the wrong choices that they've made? And look where they are. Okay? And they are not coming back. They are not coming back, those who have betrayed God and betrayed Jesus Christ with their vengeance that they've used and exercised. God's not going to grant that. Just as there are 7,000 who are not going to be granted an opportunity, of which they are a part of. They're not going to be granted the opportunity to live on into the Millennium. And candidly, even before, if you go back to 2008, mid-2008, that wasn't going to be granted to thousands anyway. They would have to have waited a thousand years to a Hundred-year period. But now many are going to be given that opportunity. That's something that changed. Didn't even know it. Started preaching about it long time ago. Didn't even know it, that something had changed so powerfully so. Awesome!

So again, some of these things sometimes then depend on choices we make and whether there's a specific purpose. You know, I'm excited because I know that there are those with whom God is working in a very special way, and candidly, with the vast majority, if we will yield ourselves to the process, of an opportunity that we have, that you have of being molded and fashioned into something in the future, into the thousand years, at the beginning of the Millennium. And so God does have a purpose. But that doesn't mean that you have the same guarantee in the sense of something that is already locked or set in as 144,000. So don't… it's not even a good exercise to put one's self there. But to see things in a vision of your moving on into the Millennium and you want to fight for it. You want to strive for it. You want to seek it with all of your being, because this is not a time to let down in any fashion or form in anything, but to press forward, as I was mentioning.

So again, those things can change and God can allow, then, in those particular instances, certain things of time and chance to happen to us because of our wrong decisions, wrong choices, or because of sin in our life. Those things always interrupt a normal flow of God's intervention in our life. But during the next period of time that we're… or next period of time all the way up to the time of Christ's coming, candidly, that desire of drawing closer to God, of seeking to be closer to God, obviously, has to be there, needs to be there. And a desire to have God's intervention in our life and to pray to Him in that regard, that He will intervene in those things that might come up in our life, to intervene to prevent certain things. You want to live on, you have to ask for it. You want to come through this and be there toward the end or to be resurrected, or whatever else God can do by His power? Then pray about those things. How much do you desire to be there when this is all said and done? Then cry out to God and let Him know your heart's desire. It's not something you want to hold inside and keep secret to yourself. God wants to know! God wants you to share that with Him. He wants you to state it to Him. What is it you want? What is it you desire? What is in your heart? What is in your being? Then cry out for it, for God's intervention. And then there should also be the response in our life, obviously, that will follow that kind of desire, and that is more zeal, that is more of an attitude and mind of pressing forward as never before, realizing it's the last part of the race and that's where you really have to put it together. That's where you really have to fight against everything in your being, because this is the part that counts now to make it to the end. This is the part that counts. You've made it this far – you can do the rest! God's made the way for us! It's there! We just have to keep at it and throw ourselves into it even more so up here in the mind, in the being, in the being of our mind.

So, anyway, going back to the story here of Hezekiah. 2 Kings 20:4—And it came to pass, before Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, and the word of the Eternal came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain over your people, Thus says the Eternal, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you, and on the third day you shall go up into the house of the Eternal. So here's the beginning of some of this. God's telling him the third day here now you're going to be able to get up, you're going to go up and… Anyway, there's some things here specifically. Something happened right away. God heard the prayer and it all changed and God sent the prophet back again and told him, “Tell him, now, the rest of the story here. I have heard and this is the response.”

And I will add unto your days fifteen years; and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for My servant David's sake. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took it and laid it upon him, the boil, and it said, he recovered. And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Eternal will heal me? Well, he's already been given enough, if you understand it. "In three days you'll be able to go up…" It's really already there, but "What is the sign? I want something bigger that I'm going to have this full fifteen years. This still doesn't happen and I just…" Anyway. …and that I shall go up into the house of the Eternal the third day? And Isaiah said, The sign shall you have of the Eternal, that the Eternal will do the thing that He has spoken: Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go backward? In other words, the sun. He's looking at the shadow and like a sundial here and saying, "Do you want the shadow to go forward or backward by ten degrees?" That's the sign God's going to give to you. Phew! That's a biggie. For something like that to happen things have to be moved in a big way! And Hezekiah answered, It's a small thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; in other words, the sun just, it keeps going forward and it goes right away by ten degrees, but have it go backward. Phew! That's a biggie. "That's what I want. That's what I want to see." …but let it return backward ten degrees. And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Eternal, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. So, again here, He performed this. He did this before him to show him. Incredible, here, the story that continues on.

And I'm not even going to try to pronounce a couple of these names here. So they talked about here they were sent, letters and a present unto Hezekiah: and he'd heard Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah hearkened to them, and showed them all the house. So these individuals came up, another land, from Babylon here, the king of Babylon, and said that Hezekiah listened to what they had to say. He showed them the precious things, the silver, the gold, and the things of the armory. In other words, showed them their power that they had. He just opened up everything to a foreign power, to foreign people, to show them everything that they had. Their wealth. Their power. Their might. And he did this for a reason, and it has to do with an attitude of mind, a spirit being, a spirit of mind, I should say, which was a matter of pride, haughtiness. He became lifted up. He was… it was more about him and his greatness. It wasn't about God. And he did something very foolish, something that was really very wrong here to have done.

Verse 14—Then Isaiah the prophet said unto king Hezekiah, What about these men here? Where did they come from. And so, Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon. He said, What have they seen in your house? He already knew, but he wanted him to say. "What have you done?" It's for a desire, "Do you see yourself? Do you see what you did? Do you know what you did?" That's what it's really getting down to here. And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in my house have they seen. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them. My. My. My. My treasures. My house. My power.

And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Eternal. Behold, the days come, that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Eternal. Wow! "Because you've been lifted up with pride…" Sometimes you read through a story like this quickly and we really don't understand what took place in the sense of the kind of pride and the kind of haughtiness and what he was actually doing at this point in time and what happened in his spirit. But he got lifted up, powerfully so. It wasn't about God anymore. It wasn't about looking to God. It wasn't a matter of recognition and giving honor to God, glory to God. It was a matter of being kind of stupid, too, by showing other nations everything that they had, including his power. So they'd know exactly what kind of power to come in and take his treasure. Not too bright in this particular case. And so God told him what was going to come upon him, "Because of what you've done now, because you've become lifted up with pride. After everything you've gone through and the benefit you've been given, the opportunity you've been given, and you do something like this?"

And what about us? What about any of us? If we were to let up now, if we were to begin relying on ourselves, if we begin drifting away, if we begin letting down in any fashion or form, how should God look upon that? I can tell you how God's going to look upon it. And we should know, too, with great confidence. This isn't the time for that kind of thing. This is a time to be of a humble spirit and to be ever so thankful for everything that God has given to us, and to press forward as never before. Press forward as never before.

And of your sons that shall issue from you, which you shall beget, shall they take away, it's talking about other nations, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the Eternal which you have spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days? Or asking. A question mark here.

Verse 20—And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all the might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, and, it says here, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So, again, all the things that he had done and the like, and again, some of this attitude and spirit. And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

So, again, this attitude of mind here. I think I had more back here in 2 Chronicles that I missed here, that I wanted to see if I read that. But it's an incredible story here of things that took place in his life and some of the choices he made that weren't too good, obviously.

Let me see if I can see this quickly. There is a part where I wanted to read here. And I thought it was in this chapter here; just a moment. Hang on. No, I don't see it. It's not jumping out at me. But anyway, not good choices here in things that happened and his attitude of mind. But he came back with a response at some point here, and you can read through this on your own, but he came back with an attitude toward God that, basically, he was thankful that these things were going to happen in his children's lives and not in his own. You think, what kind of an attitude is that? That God's going to carry these things out, so it was good "It's good that it's not going to happen in my lifetime, but it's going to happen in…" You think, what's wrong with your thinking there? And so there are things that Hezekiah, and it goes through the story here, then, finally he was able to come face to face with some of this and he did repent from his haughtiness and attitude of mind. God helped him to see what he was doing and the attitude that he was in and he did repent. But again here, incredible changes that sometimes of things that are altered.

Let's turn over to Revelation here. We'll go through these rather quickly here. So again here, small example, talking about Hezekiah, talking about something that changed. Very small thing. But there are small things and big things that happen throughout scripture like this where there's a basic framework of something that's been given, and it can change quickly. It can change rapidly depending on, sometimes, our petitions before God, sometimes as a matter of wrong choices we make.

Let's notice Revelation 6. And so as you get closer and closer and you come down to the book of Revelation, there is still so much that hasn't been filled in. And that's why even in this book, that things have changed mightily in some respects, in some of the details compared to what they were before, because God's working at something different here. Before it was a matter of judgment, something that was just going to happen as far as a punishment, as far as correction that was going to take place on the earth. The other is a matter of God working with, giving time to mankind, certain things to happen with mankind, certain nations, things that are going to take place that wouldn't have happened before because they would have just been, or they would have come to a point where they would have been corrected, punished, whatever.

This is a time that's different, where they have a chance to respond, because the same judgment is not being administered. God's allowing grace. God's revealing something about His being to mankind at the end of an age. Mercy that He's extending to them. Whether they will reach out for it and receive it, that's another matter. Nineveh did. Different ones have through time in scripture here. We have at different times in our lives. When God offers mercy, how awesome is that? So it's not just a matter of judgment, but it reveals something about the weightier matters of the law, got something that God desires, judgment, mercy, as it talks about. So we have that in our lives and God's allowing that to a certain extent to this world.

Revelation 6:1—And I saw when the, I think of this period of time here talking about the Seals. …and I heard, as it were a noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat upon him had a bow; and a crown was given to him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. We know this is about the Apostasy and what happened to us. So, again, even in Revelation here God didn't give us a lot. There are pieces in different places, like in 2 Thessalonians 2, Matthew 25, Matthew 24, in through there, things in Revelation here, but we didn't know how they fit together until a point later on. But there is this overall framework that God had of something that was going to take place and it was about the Church. But, again, we didn't know it until it came time for the Church, because God has to reveal those things. But it's an over…. The point being is in this is that there are details then that God had a great leeway, of how He was going to do this within the Church. He knew the spirit and the mind that would happen upon the Church because of Laodicea and He was going to work with that to allow us to do what we did, by human nature. When you don't have God's spirit working in you, you can bank on exactly what's going to take place.

Verse 3—And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast saying, Come. And another beast that was red, it had power that was given to him… So, again, we could go through all these, but we talk about "The Four horsemen of the Apocalypse," and little did we ever know that this was all about the Church. And so there's this basic framework that God had, and only in retrospect, looking back, and God revealing to us what the details were. We had no idea what they were. And the same thing is true about other prophecies in Revelation here. God has given a basic framework, but many of the details haven't been given because some had not been decided. Because God's working with people.

Can you grasp? Can we begin to try to grasp and imagine what it would be like to work with a nation of people? Several nations of people? All of Israel? Scattered nations of Israel? That you're going to do certain things on the earth in such a manner and over a certain period of time, this time (as opposed to the time before, of what would have happened), this time that is going to work to stir them? Or give the potential, at least, to stir them to have a different response to God? To begin listening to God, if they will. They have the choice. Whereas before judgment was there and they didn't have the choice to listen because they had already proven that they wouldn't.

For all the years of what Mr. Armstrong had done, it was already proven what mankind was like and what mankind would do, how Israel thought. Israel had already made it very clear. There was no honor ever given to Mr. Armstrong. He was never recognized as an apostle of God. He was never recognized in a large scale by the message that was there. See? Not at all the way it should have been. And that's just…. We understand that. And so they'd already proven so they were judged according to those things. And even the witness that went out later on had revealed that again, one last time. It was very clear what people were like.

But this time is different. And me, I'm moved by it. And I believe you will be too when you go through and read some of the things, of what God is doing and why He is doing it the way He is. I have a hard time not jumping ahead. I think of the Seven Last Plagues. I think you're going to be dumbfounded when you see the way God administers those this time around that He wasn't going to administer the first time around, that allows for nations – if they will – to repent, to listen to God. Whether they will or whether they won't, don't know. But I think of what God did with Nineveh. It's an awesome thing, because of the way God went about it, because of how God did it. Jonah, the fish, how they worshipped the fish, the things that were a part of their life, that they… It's not because of their great honor and respect toward God as times that Judah had. They didn't have that. But they had known many of the different kinds of stories, but because of some of their belief and things that they had, they were moved. They fasted. They repented. And God spared an entire nation. Awesome what took place! And I think of the potential, the potential. I think, "Oh, if one nation, if two nations, if large parts of certain nations would just repent. If they would just listen," because of the way God's going to administer certain things in the end-time here and the manner in which He administers them. "If they would choose to listen to Him, what an awesome thing." Because massive change can then take place prophetically as to what will happen to them. And I'm talking about some awesome powers and nations in the world that God is going to extend this to.

Some are already set. Some people are already set and they will not listen. Just like this country. I feel badly for this country. Because in large part it is so set it's horrible. And though they're going to be given some opportunities, the likelihood, knowing human nature, of repentance, is very minimal. But it will be an example, of what happens here, to the rest of the Israelite nations, and they will, because of that, have a greater potential to listen and repent. So many more can have the opportunity to prayerfully be saved through all this, in larger numbers than what they would have otherwise have been.

And that's what we're building up to, those kinds of changes, those kinds of things that are happening that are different prophetically than what were before, because of how God's administering it, because of what God's doing. That there are details within overall prophecies.

I'll just mention… Well, let's turn over there. Revelation 8. (We don't need to go through this one anymore.) Revelation 8. I think the point being, that we can understand, is that there is a general framework, but there is much within it as far as details are concerned that God has great ability to adjust, to change, to work with in order to accomplish a purpose, a greater purpose, and to accomplish His will in a very powerful way.

Revelation 8:7— The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth. And the third part of the trees were burnt up, and all the grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and it goes through this and it talks about these, the effects of the first four Trumpets. And we understand that so much of that is upon this country. It's upon this nation, and the things that are going to happen to this nation, and the downfall, and what takes place. It's not going to be a pleasant thing, of what people have to experience. And, candidly, the longer some of this can be held off, like for this year here, God hasn't shown that it's going to be within the first year. And it may not happen for a long period after that. So tighten your belt. The first run-through was for a purpose, of things it even taught us, brethren. There are things that God's going to work out and God's going to accomplish, but sometimes we can have expectations that aren't a matter of what God is doing. There's a purpose why God's going to work things out the way He does and the way things will come to pass.

But I was starting to mention here, and I'll conclude here, one of the most awesome (to me) changes in many ways is the Fifth Trumpet. The Fifth Trumpet. It's already had some changes in it we went through and didn't even know, that began to be applied to things about the Church, because it was already changing and we didn't know it. Because things started changing in 2008. But a lot of the sermons, I am dumbfounded at things that were given; God was showing us, we just didn't, couldn't piece it together yet. It wasn't time yet. And we are living in that time now. But concerning what's going to happen to ten nations in Europe, concerning what's going to happen to Assyria – again, opportunities that God's going to grant to Germany, to nine other nations that are aligned with her, the iron mingled with clay and what's going to happen to a great church over there because of what it says in Revelation – awesomely fluid prophecies. They can change drastically, mightily. Because there is much to be accomplished here that hasn't taken place. And it has to do with choices that people make and things that God allows and brings to pass. And it's all going to depend upon whether people respond and listen to what God is doing.

So, anyway, we'll stop there today. Just to basically talk about some of these things as far as a framework, to begin getting into our minds that there is this – no matter what part of prophecy you look at, starting back at the beginning of 6,000 years ago and the things that progressively became clearer and clearer through time, or the things that God is doing now to make them clearer and clearer. But the clearer they are, it's because of the details. And there's just a lot of details that can't be filled in until you're there. Because God's working with entire nations. Can you imagine working with people's thinking and minds and events in such a way to lead people to the potential of a certain end? They still have to make the choices, but things that are going on in Europe, things that are going on in the Middle East, there is an incredible work going on that God's doing. And so much of it is designed to influence people, nations, and how they might respond in a more positive way to Him when the time comes. Whether they will or whether they won't, like it says in Ezekiel. We, as a Church, can do our part to tell, to explain what's happening as it's taking place, but it's still going to be up to them to hear it.

We live in an awesome time and you're going to be dumbfounded by the things you see in the next very few years.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1