THE LAST GREAT FEAST DAY
by
Keith Hunt
The Islamic religion is the fastest growing religious faith
in the world. It claims ONE BILLION members (about one in every
six persons on earth). In the Western world new Mosques are going
up every week, and more and more people in
nations like the USA are converting to the Islamic faith.
Children being born into families already Islamic are
brought up on the teachings of that faith. They are taught that
Christ did live and was "A" prophet of Allah, but they are taught
he certainly was NOT the SON of God, or God come in the flesh.
Most of those children will NEVER read the Bible. They will never
come to understand the God portrayed in the Bible and will know
very little about the Jesus of the New Testament.
There are the other large religions in the Easter part of
the world with MILLIONS of devoted followers. They also will live
and rear children who know little if anything about the Bible and
the God of the Bible and Jesus Christ, the ONE whom Christians
say is THE Savior of the world.
There are still groups of people - large or small - on this
earth that have NEVER read the Christian Bible, and/or know
nothing about God and Savior of that Bible.
Even in our Western nations there is a whole generation of
children and a generation of now grown up children, who have
never read the Bible, who know NOTHING about God or Jesus Christ.
I am reminded of the time back in the late 1980s that I worked
for a young man at the time, he was about 30 years of age. He
knew I was religious because when interviewed for the job I told
him I could not work Friday sunset to Saturday sunset in the
store, and I had to have certain days off during the year -
special Festival days (like what today is - the Last Great Feast
Day - as I write, a Thursday, October 4th 2007).
Now and again this man would ask me about my faith. Not very
often but now and again he would ask. I was replying to a
question he asked me one day, a question about my religion. In my
answer I related to the Bible. He looked at me and said, "Well
Keith, I have never read ONE verse of the Bible!"
I was shocked! Maybe I was a little out of touch with his
generation. But it then dawned on me that a whole generation
ALREADY had been raised not knowing anything about the Bible, and
his children and their generation ... they would be another large
population in our so-called "Christian nations" that would know
NOTHING about the Bible and Jesus Christ!
My parents sent me to a "Church of England School" - from
the age of 5. I had Bible reading for the first half hour each
day, Monday through Friday. The Bible had always been a part of
my life. And here was a man of about 30 years, telling me he had
never read one verse of the Bible. It was an eye opener to say
the least.
Those of us to do read our Bible, if we are reading it from
cover to cover, will see some pretty straight talk about
salvation, eternal life, and what Christians call "being saved."
Numbers 11 shows God giving 70 men His Spirit, so they could
help Moses in governing the children of Israel. Some people were
"jealous for Moses" sake. But Moses answered them, "Enviest you
for my sake? Would God that ALL the Lord's people were prophets,
and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!" (verse 29).
In Deuteronomy 5:29 God said, "O that there were such an
heart in them that they would fear Me, and keep My commandments
always."
The truth is most of the Israelites did not have an heart to
fear God. They lived where God was being taught, they had the
Tabernacle of God in their midst, they had the Priesthood and all
those animal sacrifices, they had prophets and teachers like
Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and others, BUT they really did not have
the heart to KNOW God and to SERVE Him. Much like this man I
worked for - he lived in a Christian country - but did not KNOW
God, had never read one verse of the Bible, and he did not have
the heart to DESIRE to read the Bible.
Then there is the somewhat shocking verse in Deuteronomy
29:4. "Yet the Lord has NOT given you an heart to PERCEIVE, and
eyes to SEE, and ear to HEAR, unto this day!"
MOST of the people were utterly SPIRITUALLY BLINDED!! They
could not understand God, and it was the Lord's doing. He had NOT
GIVEN them an heart to understand. They were spiritually in the
DARK!
Now remember, this was IN Israel, the people whom God was
using and moving and dwelling in. If it was so in Israel, then
what about those people in OTHER NATIONS around the world, whom
God was not working with?
Well the apostle Paul gives us the plain clear answer:
"Wherefore remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in
the flesh, who were called Uncircumcision by that which is
called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands. That AT
THAT TIME, you were WITHOUT CHRIST, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and STRANGERS from the covenant of
promise, having NO HOPE, and WITHOUT GOD in the world"
(Ephesians 2:11-12).
There it is in straight language. Whatever concerning Israel
and salvation, if you were NOT of Israel you were WITHOUT GOD AND
HAD NO HOPE of salvation!
Staying with the New Testament age, we find that MOST in
Israel were BLINDED to salvation, and STILL had a vail upon their
spiritual eyes and just could not see the things of God.
"But even UNTO THIS DAY, when Moses is read, the VAIL is
UPON their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the
Lord, the vail shall be TAKEN AWAY" (2 Corinthians 3:15,16).
Now, you may think, well all they have to do is turn to the
Lord. Sounds kinda simple right? Well it is not so simple really.
Jesus said, "NO PERSON, can come to Me, except the Father who has
sent Me, DRAW him ... Therefore said I unto you, that no man can
come to Me, except it were given unto him of My Father" (John
6:44,65).
There are many verses in the Bible that are plain and simple
to read. No fancy interpretations needed, no degree in theology
required. Those verses say what they mean and they mean what they
say.
What about people who say that anyone can have eternal life
if they live a "good" life according to their faith, be it
Judaism, Islamic, Christian, etc. and etc. The Bible and the New
Testament teaches NO SUCH IDEA! Maybe shocking to some of you who
are relatively new to reading the Bible. But as you read it, you
will find clear simple verses that really do mean what they say.
Concerning SALVATION and gaining eternal life, the apostle Peter
was inspired to give us a straight from the hip answer:
"Neither is there SALVATION in ANY OTHER: for there is NONE
OTHER name UNDER HEAVEN given among men WHEREBY we must be
SAVED" (Acts 4:12).
The CONTEXT of that verse is talking about CHRIST JESUS!!
There is no other way to eternal life but through Jesus the
Christ. It makes no difference how you live according to your
ideas, or religious faith, IF you DO NOT HAVE Jesus in your life,
and if you do not have Jesus as your personal Savior, you CANNOT
BE SAVED - you cannot have eternal life! It is JUST THAT SIMPLE!
Anyone who is reading the Four Gospels is going to see that
Jesus claimed HE was the ONLY way into the sheep fold, HE was the
door of the sheep fold, that it was ONLY through Him that eternal
life could be attained. He said that HE was the RESURRECTION AND
LIFE!!
Some years back there was this world "religious" conference
in which all the major religions of the world had
representatives. It was reported on the TV news, that a
representative of the "Jewish" faith addressed the assembly and
said, they, the Jews were just as much children of God as the
Christians, they were children of God even without having Jesus
Christ, and they would have eternal life as much as any Christian
would.
Well, nice for them to think so I guess. But the FACT of
Scripture, the fact of the New Testament, is that such a theology
is COMPLETELY INCORRECT! The fact of the Gospels and all the rest
of the New Testament is that UNLESS you have Jesus in your life
and mind and heart, you CANNOT have SALVATION and eternal life.
The religious Jews (and of course the none religious Jews)
of today and yesterday, are FULLY BLINDED, the vail has NOT been
lifted off their eyes, they CANNOT see spiritual truths. This is
what Paul, a one time Jewish Pharisee, was inspired to teach and
preach. It is all contained in the book of ROMANS, the 9,10,11,
chapters. Especially note chapter 11: 1-8, and verses 7-8 say:
"What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks for;
but the ELECTION have obtained it, and the REST WERE
BLINDED! According AS IT IS WRITTEN (this is not new
teaching) God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes
that they should not see, and ears that they should not
hear; UNTO THIS DAY!"
There it is - clear and plain - it was GOD that has done it
- God has BLINDED THEM!
Paul was remembering Scriptures like Deut.29:4; Isa. 29:10
and others in the Old Testament. If you have a margin reference
Bible you will find them listed there.
But is it then all over for such spiritually blinded person?
Do they not have a chance of salvation? Are they "predestined" to
be lost? Some would teach you so! That is NOT what the Bible,
Jesus, or the apostles of the New Testament taught. If you read
on in Romans 11 you will see where Paul gives the good news - the
day is coming when relatively speaking - generally speaking - ALL
Israel will be saved!
Jesus said He was the resurrection and life, and that one
day ALL that were in the graves would be RESURRECTED - John
5:24-29.
Jesus meant ALL when He said ALL will come out of the
graves. Those that have been called and chosen, who remained
faithful to the end, will come forth to eternal life. I have
covered all this in some detail in many other studies on this
Website. The rest of the dead will come forth to "judgment" not
damnation as the KJV gives.
I have gone into detail on being CALLED and being BLINDED in
my study called "The Great White Throne Judgment" or the study on
the "Last Great Feast day." Just to skim over it. All humans are
spiritually blinded and must have that blindness removed, they
must be called by God's Spirit to spiritually see, first the
BASIC truths of God on salvation, which of course will include
the truth of Jesus the Christ, and His sacrifice for sins and our
acceptance of Him as our PERSONAL SAVIOR. If God never uses His
Spirit to call someone to salvation then they REMAIN BLINDED, no
matter what is said around them. They may hear the name of God
being used, they may work with or meet people who proclaim Jesus
as their personal Savior, but UNTIL their spiritual blindness is
removed, until the vail is taken away from their mind, by the
Spirit of God, they are STILL BLINDED, they are NOT LOST and
neither are they SAVED!
I ask the reader to study my studies called "Called and
Chosen - When?" and all my studies on "Saved by Grace" and
studies on Repentance, Saving Faith, Baptism. These are all the
fist basic studies of HOW God is removing spiritual blindness and
calling people to His salvation and Kingdom.
I sit here today, at my Computer, typing out this message,
on the "Last Great Feast Day" of the Festival year of the Lord.
It is TRULY a MAGNIFICENT Feast Day in the salvation plan
that the Most High has for all humans ever conceived or born.
God is LOVE (1 John 4:8). Jesus manifested God, He was God
in the flesh, He lived the PERFECT life on earth, in word,
thought, mind, body. He was the manifestation of LOVE! He at
times CRIED over Jerusalem, not the stone buildings but the
people. He said He wanted to be like a mother hen, covering her
chicks with her warm feathery wings. He said many were called but
few were chosen. He knew some were called and would reject that
calling, some were very close to rejecting it. And some, really
MANY in the vast nations of the year from the time of ADAM, were
NEVER CALLED or CHOSEN. Millions down through time, had never
known God, His Word, or His Son, Christ Jesus. They were BLINDED
to spiritual truth and the way to salvation and eternal life.
God is love as I've said, and He tells us that in His love
He WISHES that ALL would come to REPENTANCE, AND THAT ALL WOULD
BE SAVED.
"The Lord is NOT SLACK (He has a plan - He is patient)
concerning His promise, as some men count slackness (they tell
you that if your relatives and friends haven't accepted Jesus in
this life, they will fry in pain, in burning hellfire for all
eternity); BUT He is LONGSUFFERING to-us-ward, NOT WILLING that
ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE" (2
Peter 3:9).
The Almighty God WANTS, DESIRES, that ALL people should come
to spiritual awakening, and REPENTANCE. He would like to see ALL
people in His Kingdom. He does NOT want any to have to PERISH!
The Father in heaven is on a TIME PLAN, He is in no hurry,
He is very longsuffering. Overall, not many today are being
called (1 Cor.1:26,27), and as Jesus said, of those being
called, few are being chosen.
BLINDNESS in the most part is upon Israel and upon all
nations of this earth, past, present, and future. But that
blindness will one day be REMOVED, and all will see spiritually
clear with 20/20 vision.
The Most High is calling and choosing SOME today, to walk
His way, to proclaim His truths and His Salvation and His Kingdom
to come to earth. Those called and chosen from the time of Adam
to the time of Jesus' return to earth in power and glory, will be
in what the Bible calls the FIRST RESURRECTION (Revelation
20:1-4). Jesus will come to earth with the saints that have met
Him in the clouds, in the air, that same day they will come to
the Mount of Olives (Zech.14). From that time forth the earth
will be RENEWED, the great and wonderful promises of the prophets
of old will begin to be fulfilled. The earth and the nations upon
it will experience a salvation and peace and joy, that defies the
human mind at this present time. The prophecies of the AGE TO
COME will become a reality. An age of 1,000 years of the
knowledge of the Lord covering the earth as the waters cover the
sea, will be brought forth. I have given you a number of studies
on this Website that expound all those truths of the promises of
God.
But, we still have MILLIONS upon millions, who have lived
and died on this earth, NEVER HAVING BLINDNESS removed, never
KNOWING the God of the Bible, never knowing Jesus the Christ, the
Messiah, the Savior of all mankind.
THEY ARE NOT LOST MY FRIENDS! THEY WERE JUST NEVER CALLED
AND CHOSEN in their life-time.
The Almighty is the RESURRECTION, He has all power, even to
make ALIVE once more those who died spiritually blinded, or died
not even hearing His name or the name of His Son Jesus Christ.
There is wonderful hope for some that you have known who
just could not understand the true faith of God. They had upon
their mind the vail that covered, so they could not understand,
sometimes even hating you for your religious beliefs.
God has not cast them off, like He has not cast off Israel.
The Lord tells us there will come a HUGE GENERAL RESURRECTION at
the end of the 1,000 years. It will be a "white throne judgment"
resurrection. All peoples of all nations will come up, be made
alive once more. They will come up with the same mind as they
fell asleep in death with. But now the BOOKS - the books of the
Bible, will be opened to them. Now the Spirit of the Lord will
shine in their minds, the vail will be removed. They will be
CALLED to salvation. They will be judged for their reward
according to the books of the Bible. Judged and rewarded just as
we are, just as those called today will be judged (please study
the study called "The Truth about Judgment Day). Revelation
20:11-15
God is LOVE, and He has a lovely plan of salvation, a plan
that will give every person a clear opportunity to repent and to
accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and so inherit eternal life and
the very Kingdom or Family of God.
This is what all this LAST GREAT FEAST DAY is all about!
What a wonderful God we have. Give Him praise, and give Him your
life, you will find peace and comfort and joy evermore in His
Kingdom. The day is surely coming when the Scripture is
fulfilled:
"Behold the tabernacle of God is with mankind, and He will DWELL
with THEM, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be
with them, and be their God. And He shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne
said: Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, write:
for these words are TRUE and FAITHFUL" (Revelation 21:3-5).
.......................
Written October 4th - on the LAST GREAT FEAST DAY 2007
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