21. Class 21 – Visions of the Kingdom Age by James Dillingham, 2014.

21. Class 21 – Visions of the Kingdom Age by James Dillingham, 2014.

This is the 21st class in the series visions of the kingdom age presented for the adult Sunday school class in Cranston, Rhode Island.

The Sabbath nature of the Milenial kingdom

We’ve been addressing the Sabbath nature of the Millennial Kingdom. The restoration of the kingdom of God is scheduled for the 7th divine day, the 7th millennium since creation, projected by that 7th day of rest during the creation week that was the initial basis for the Sabbath Law rituals imposed at Sinai when the first kingdom of God was formed.

We’ve noted this will be when the Creator will take his rest in the Saints that have understood, chosen at all costs, his righteousness. Those whose obedience to the terms of his eternal rightness is based on the greatest of all loves. That divine rest will be sought in those who have trembled at his word, who have harnessed the dual avenues of divine testimony of our creator’s righteousness by listening to both the written and spoken words of Yahweh, the Bible and the terms, features and natural orders, of creation which has been the result of the spoken word of the creator, those verbal commands summoning the features of our environment into existence and into place.

Sabbath Shadows

We are now considering various Sabbath shadows that offer perfectly harmonious testimony to the Sabbath nature of this restored Kingdom. We have considered the laws of the doubled burnt offering for both kingdoms. We’ve considered the testimony of the two Sabbath categories, the 7th-day Sabbath and the High Sabbaths, that didn’t have to be on Saturday.

Not to kindle a fire

We considered the Sabbath restriction of not kindling a fire on a Sabbath day, and we considered the powerful Sabbath component in Jubilee law with its 8 Sabbath years within each set of 50 years. Now we will consider the 2 great ritual signs confirming the two great covenants of Abraham and Moses and how these rituals present a very dangerous observation challenge.

One may even ask why this issue should be a valid consideration for ourselves. We are not required to observe sabbath law or circumcision law during the ecclesial age therefore, why should we be concerned with these two covenant- binding rituals? The answer would be that the consideration of the terms of these two rituals will reveal a great deal about our creator’s value ladder, showing us how to balance issues correctly, as well as witnessing the prophetic nature of each of these rituals.

There is a wealth of hidden testimony in the shadows of these two divinely appointed rituals, that will, again, both be required to be observed in the restored kingdom of God, in the Sabbath kingdom of the 7th millennium in which we hope to be appointed to serve as immortal priests teaching and policing these very issues.

When we truly and correctly understand our Heavenly Father’s intentionally complex communications,we will be able to validate that eternal rightness in endless ways due to the 3-dimensional nature of his right-ness, his righteousness through all of his communications, when we have it right. Everything will fit together perfectly from every direction revealing a depth and beauty and glory that is exclusively reserved for those among the enlightened community possessing seeing eyes and hearing ears. Those who tremble at the words of God. Our creator’s focus in developing a people for his name has never been quantity, that focus has always been quality. So let’s pursue the substance being cast by these circumcision and Sabbath shadows.

Circumcision was the token ritual of the Abrahamic Covenant

Circumcision was the token ritual of the Abrahamic covenant of faith. Identified by the 8th day.

Sabbath observance was the token ritual of the Mosaic Covenant of works

Sabbath observance was the token ritual of the Mosaic Covenant of works identified by the 7th day. Ignoring the requirements of either ritual resulted in either a permanent irreconcilable expulsion from the enlightened community or execution. Therefore those two rituals could present a very dangerous situation when they contradicted each other. What was supposed to be done when a boy had to be circumcised on a Sabbath day when no work was to be done?

It wasn’t as if God ever offered a release from guilt for circumcising on a Sabbath day. That exception is never accommodated in the divine laws. So which ritual had to be degraded to observe the other? Was Sabbath law broken in order to observe circumcision law? or was the boy supposed to be circumcised on either the 7th or the 9th day to avoid breaking Sabbath law?

Just because we personally may not see a simple answer does not allow us to simply dismiss the challenge as inconsequential. God doesn’t overlook anything. He can’t be taken by surprise. He isn’t like us we’re supposed to want to be like him. We have to remember the creator’s focus is quality which demands a far greater commitment from us than if his goal was the simplicity implied by the far lesser standard of quantity.

The signature rituals of the two great covenants – The Abrahamic and the Mosaic

Well first let’s build our foundation, recognizing how these two rituals were divinely assigned as the tokens, these signature rituals of the two great covenants, given through Abraham and Moses. The ritual of circumcision is defined as the token covenant between Yahweh and Abraham. We read in Genesis 17 starting in verse 11, And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a “token” of the Covenant betwixt me and you and he that is 8 days old shall be circumcised, every man child in your generations. The Hebrew word translated “taken” is “oath” which is also translated as “sign” “ensign’ and “mark.” Circumcision was appointed as the signature ritual representing the Abrahamic covenant.

In similar fashion and with the same expression Sabbath observance was the assigned token of the Mosaic Covenant. We read in Exodus 31 beginning in verse 12. Verily my Sabbath’s you shall keep for it is a “sign” between me and you throughout your generations. Everyone that defiles it shall surely be put to death for whoever does any work therein that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant. It is a “sign” between me and the children of Israel forever. Again the Hebrew word “oath” is used to determine Sabbath observance as “the sign,” the token, the signature, of the Covenant made through Moses to the children of Israel.

This word oath is also used to define the purpose of the rainbow in relation to the divine covenant made with Noah. We read this in Genesis 9 starting at verse 12 And God said, This is the token “oath” of the Covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations. I do set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token “oath” of the covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. And I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud. I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah This is the token “oath” of the Covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

Just as the rainbow was the divine signature for the covenant with Noah so circumcision acted as the divine signature ritual of the Abrahamic covenant and Sabbath observance served as the signature ritual of the Mosaic Covenant. Some Bible students have assumed that Sabbath observance was also practiced during the previous patriarchal age since creation, despite having no reference to this in Scripture. And therefore should not be particularly identified initially with that first kingdom age, that mosaic age, initiated at Mt Sinai. Well that would be completely inappropriate and disrespectful to the divine association between the Sabbath identification, that signature statute of the Sabbath ritual with both kingdom ages, the first kingdom age and the restored kingdom age, that we are appropriately anticipating within our generation as promised by the Son of God.

When the Ten Commandments are repeated on the last day of Moses’ life being presented in Deuteronomy 5 we read of the divine motivation for instituting Sabbath law,and beginning in verse 15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm. Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.

God saved Israel from Egypt giving them rest from their slave-labours therefore prompting the initiation of Sabbath law. Well it is certainly true Sabbath law finds its foundational precedent in that divine rest on the 7th day of the creation week. We read that it was because of the enlightened community’s rest from slave labors that prompted the assignment of Sabbath law at that particular time, in the Divine Plan. We also read the signature status of Sabbath law in Ezekiel chapter 20 starting in verse 12. Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them statutes and showed them my judgments which if a man do he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign “oath” between me and them that they might know that I am Yahweh that sanctified them.

Sabbath Laws will be restored in the Kingdom of God

Sabbath law was instituted with the other laws of the kingdom of God at Sinai through Moses. Sabbath law will be restored when that kingdom of God is restored at Jerusalem through that prophet, like unto Moses, our Messiah Jesus Christ.

In fact we considered in our previous class how the prince during the restored kingdom will have to offer 7 additional burnt offerings on every sabbath day in the restored Kingdom as prophesied in Ezekiel chapter 46. That Prince could be none other than Jesus Christ, that same prince that will be the only one who can enter the temple through the eastern gate as everyone else will be required to use either the the southern or northern entrance. The restoration of Sabbath law in the Sabbath kingdom of the 7th divine day certainly shouldn’t be a surprise. The Apostle Paul made it very clear that Sabbath observance although it was not required during the ecclesial age, its application was not extinguished, that it was a shadow of substance that still had to be revealed.

Again we read that in Colossians 2 beginning in verse 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or of the new moon or of the sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. The Sabbath is a shadow of things yet to come. This declaration was our original springboard for understanding the prophetic application of that 7th day of rest during the creation week as considered in our 17th presentation of the Visions of the kingdom age.

A shadow of things yet to come

There is substance that still has to be revealed in the Sabbath ritual. It is a shadow of things yet to come. Just as there were two categories of Sabbath qualifications, the Sabbath of the 7th day and the High Sabbaths that had to be applied on specific days, whether they landed on a Saturday or not, so there will be 2 Sabbath kingdoms founded at Sinai through Moses and at Jerusalem through Jesus Christ. There is substance still yet to be revealed in the shadows of Sabbath law.

So we have these two signature rituals of Sabbath observance and circumcision performance. But what was supposed to be done when both rituals were required to be of exercised on the same day, when the 8th Day of a boy’s life was a Saturday, a Sabbath? Was the child to be circumcised on the 8th day, breaking Sabbath law, by working on a Sabbath day. Disrespecting Sabbath law was punishable by death. So is circumcision law supposed to be broken to honor Sabbath law by circumcising the boy on the 7th or perhaps the 9th day?

God warned Abraham not to break circumcision law, in verse 14 of Genesis 17. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of its foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall he cut off from his people, he hath broken my covenant. So permanent ostracism from the children of Abraham, was the judgment for disrespecting circumcisional law, divinely expressed as breaking the Abrahamic covenant. I mean, who would want to break the Abrahamic covenant of faith with all those wonderful promises from the creator of the universe?

As confusing as this challenge appears to be it appears the Jewish people did get the answer right. Jesus confirms that circumcision law was chosen at the expense of Sabbath law. He uses this in his defense for healing a man on a Sabbath day. We see this in John 7 beginning to read in verse 21, Jesus answering said unto them, I have done one work and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision. Not because it is of Moses but of the fathers. And you on the Sabbath day circumcised a man. If a man on the Sabbath day received circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment.

One ritual had to be preferred over the other

Jesus pointed out that it was the Jewish practice to circumcise on a 7th day, therefore elevating circumcision above Sabbath observance. At the conclusion of this, His reasoning, in response to the emphatic objections he faced by healing on the Sabbath, Jesus advises the enlightened community of his generation, therefore the Christadelphians of his generation, Don’t judge according to appearances but judge righteous judgments. Do not think instinctively with very little thought. Think about how all divine righteousness has to blend together perfectly without any contradictions. After all, the at all,but the divine expectation is quality not quantity. Both of these two rituals could be observed on the same day. In other words the 7th day could also be the 8th day. But that highlighted the fact that one of these covenant rituals had to be preferred over the other. Both were necessary, but one was greater than the other. Circumcision was actually greater than Sabbath observance.

The question is, Why?

The question is, Why? What feature or features of our creator’s right-ness is being shadowed in this observation? What does this shadow tell us about things yet to come, that Paul invites us to consider? One initial observation is that although both rituals defining two separate covenants, were both required, there was no equality. Circumcision was greater than Sabbath observance. Sabbath law was disrespected in order to respect circumcision law. Therefore we, correspondingly, are required to recognize that the Abrahamic covenant of faith is greater than the Mosaic Covenant of works, but that both are necessary.

There are two eternal divine principles promoted in this issue that are contradictory to the instinctive thinking pattern of a heart-generated thought process. Remember God tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. First is that both rituals and their respective covenants, were necessary, and both rituals will be again required in the restored Kingdom in that Sabbath millenium. Just as we read how Sabbath observance will be required in the restored kingdom of God so will circumcision. In the context of Ezekiel’s prophecies of the Millennial Kingdom and the 4th divine sanctuary, that fourth temple. We read this warning in Ezekiel 44 and verse 9. Thus saith the Lord God. No stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. Therefore circumcision will be mandatory in order to enter that 4th and final temple at Jerusalem.

But the fascinating observation is that it is not just physical circumcision that will be required. Both physical and spiritual, circumcision will be demanded in order to enter the sanctuary of God,that architectural shadow of the promise and process of salvation. In the patriarchal, in the first Kingdom Ages, it was physical circumcision that was demanded. During the ecclesial age, physical circumcision is not required but spiritual circumcision is most definitely required.

In fact Paul parallels the covenant-binding ritual of circumcision with the covenant-binding ritual of baptism, back in Colossians chapter 2. We can begin reading in verse 11. In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Buried with him in Baptism wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

So in the patriarchal, that first kingdom age, physical circumcision was demanded but spiritual circumcision that circumcision of the heart, was simply an exhortation. In the ecclesial age, physical circumcision is not required, but spiritual circumcision demonstrated, in the Covenant ritual of baptism, is absolutely required. But in the restored Kingdom we do not see any prophecy of baptism being a required ritual. However we do see that both physical and spiritual circumcision will absolutely be required in order to enter the temple, which is a shadow of the hope of salvation. Entering, being within the divine sanctuary. So both rituals circumcision and Sabbath observance could be practiced on the same day.

This is a great lesson in understanding the terms of our creator’s eternal righteousness, what we appropriately call “the truth.” Both are necessary. One does not replace the other, in the same sense, the Abrahamic covenant of faith does not replace the Mosaic Covenant of works. They have to be understood together not separately. They are both legitimate and necessary. God’s righteous judgments for sin condemnation highlighted by Kingdom laws are not eliminated by the grace. Forgiveness and imputed righteousness being highlighted by ecclesial age laws and rituals. We currently serve in a temporary stage in the plan of God. The ecclesial age is just another maturing stage. If we presume everything is exclusively about forgiveness and not judgment we are denying the righteousness of God.

Now let us not presume that none of us in the Christadelphian community are not saying these things. There are a number of utterly prominent brethren teaching that the principle of atonement is exclusively about forgiveness. That atonement has no physical application. They deny the dual nature of atonement, of sin forgiveness and cleansing. They deny the dual nature of sin declaring that sin should exclusively be understood as transgression sin and that there is no such thing as sin-nature however sin nature for which no guilt is assigned nor repentance required, that degraded sin-nature of mortality was the right judgment of our creator for Adam and Eve corrupting all the previously very good creative order by introducing a contradiction to the creator’s righteousness.

The divine right-ness of the judgment of death due to sin was declared in the crucifixion of our Messiah. That lesson is silently shouted at every baptism into the truth and yet being denied by utterly respected brethren in our community in these very last days of the ecclesial age.

In considering the terms of our creator’s righteousness we have to think in terms of blending and harmony and not replacement or disposal or unity on the basis of toleration. Yahweh is always right. He is not learning as he goes along. That would be the enlightened community. We have to blend judgment and grace. We have to unite a man and a woman in order to create new life. It isn’t one or the other, if we’re going to produce new life. It isn’t two of the same gender that creates alone, that is impossible, it is both together. We need both the darkness of night and the light of day for an entire day. It was perfectly right to practice circumcision and Sabbath observance on the same day despite the complete absence of any divine instruction as to how to deal with that question, of which covenant ritual had to be disrespected in order to respect the other. The enlightened community was expected to figure it out.

Another issue in this righteousness lesson of harmonious blending as opposed to replacement and disposal, is that despite the blending of two seemingly opposing issues, there is a hierarchy. There is no equality. Equality is a heart-generated delusion, one of those three frog spirit-croakings prophesied in Revelation 16, that last vial being poured out before the kingdom is restored. In other words our days now, although beginning back in the days of the political dissention of the Ottoman Empire in that 19th century, expressed in the terms of the drying up of the Euphrates River.

This issue of inclusion but with a defined hierarchy and no equality is the common but again, counterintuitive, feature of our creator’s righteousness, while harmony is the plan of God. Harmony is not dependent on equality. The family structure is a divinely designed shadow of the principle of God manifestation, that multitudinous singularity, many who are one family with one family name. But there’s no equality, that would be a disastrous family management policy. If every child had the same authority level as each parent even if the wife and mother in the family equally shared the same authority level as the husband father. This is not the Divine template and is a recipe for disaster,as is always the case for the path of heart-generated instinctive thinking.

This issue of hierarchy as opposed to equality is emphasized in two of the four divinely assigned rituals of the ecclesial age. Sisters head coverings during prayer and prophesying at least during the first two generations of the ecclesial age, when there were sisters who had the capacity to prophesy, miraculously prophesy, due to the Holy Spirit gifts those prayer head coverings and also the ritual of sister’s ecclesial silence. Each ritual is described in the context of recognizing the divine rightness of our creator’s expressed hierarchy of authority. If a sister ever chooses to pray to God without a covered head she is declaring God’s righteousness to be false and projecting the glory of man in the face of God to whom she prays, attempting to bypass that divinely appointed authority, by rejecting that authority divinely assigned above her head. If a sister refuses to obey the ecclesial silence command, she is declaring the order of creation to be wrong, and the creator’s gender judgments in Eden to be wrong, this issue has absolutely nothing to do with worthiness or inherent value, simply Authority.

It is never wise to contradict the right-ness of the creator of heaven and earth who defines himself as a consuming fire. The blending of these two covenant-defining rituals of circumcision law and Sabbath law is harmoniously perfect at every angle of examination.

So let’s address our question as to why circumcision was greater than Sabbath observance, since Sabbath law was appropriately, disrespected in order to exalt circumcision law, in much the same way the mosaic priest still worked at offering sacrifices and replenishing the tabernacle lamp fuel on the Sabbath. Jesus called this profaning the Sabbath in Matthew 12, Yet still being guiltless. Let’s address that “why?” question. Why is circumcision law greater than Sabbath law? What features of our creator’s righteousness are being shadowed in the hierarchy of these two Covenant rituals? What does this hierarchy shadow, testify about the future kingdom age?

Okay since circumcision, that signature ritual of the Abrahamic covenant of faith is greater than Sabbath observance signature ritual, the mosaic of works, then we are safe in our understanding that the covenant of faith, is greater than the Covenant of works. We know that works alone cannot save us. Mosaic law was only capable of condemning us, it could not save us.
That necessary condemnation of sin demonstrated in the Mosaic Covenant laws and rituals is absolutely divinely right but incomplete.

The law acted as a schoolmaster to deliver us to a hero capable of saving us, our Messiah, who condemned sin in his body at his crucifixion, personally declaring his father’s condemnation of of “death for sin” to be perfectly right, in his voluntary and violent death when he had no guilty sin whatsoever. But that step only reconciles us to God the death of Jesus alone cannot save us. Just as the righteous condemnation of sin alone cannot save us. We are saved on the basis of his resurrection to immortality.

Let us again reference that hopefully personally memorized expression in Paul’s letter to the Roman Christadelphians when he says, For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. We were, past tense, reconciled,on the basis of the death, the crucifixion of our Messiah. We hope to be saved,future tense, on the basis of the life of our Messiah, meaning his eternal life.

Sabbath law was the signature ritual of that Mosaic Covenant, the purpose of which was to identify and condemn sin, declaring that the righteousness of our Creator was legitimate in his condemnation of sin through death. Circumcision law was the signature ritual of the Abrahamic covenant, the purpose of which, was to highlight the divine grace offered on the basis of the power of faith, despite the legitimacy of our death for sin. This twofold declaration of our creator’s
righteousness and these two signature rituals, is exactly what is also projected in the ecclesial age covenant-validating ritual of baptism.

Sadly it appears some Christadelphians exclusively focus on the baptism side- benefit of sin forgiveness. Sadly diminishing the lesson of baptism to be all about us. Baptism like all divinely designed rituals is all about testifying to our creator’s righteousness. We’ve reviewed this baptism shadow before in these classes but it is a lesson that perfectly blends with the testimony presented when both circumcision and Sabbath law were observed on the same day.

As we’ve noted in the past, it is the baptism of Jesus that truly defines the substance casting the baptism shadow testimony. Our Messiah is always our template for understanding divine acceptability. Those within our enlightened community who dramatically over emphasize the forgiveness of sins in baptism, truly do not understand why Jesus had to be baptized? After all, he add no guilty sins to be forgiven whatsoever.

The Anabaptist corruption of the late 19th century of the enlightened community did inappropriately suggest baptism supposedly had an application in resolving a presumed guilt resulting from a legal application of Adamic condemnation. That can be dis-proven a hundred different ways, all equally definitive. Jesus suffered absolutely no guilt that had to be absolved when he submitted to his Father’s requirement to be baptized, where his condemnation of in at his crucifixion would not have been legitimate, no different from our own deaths.

Jesus explains so simply and perfectly to his cousin John the purpose of his baptism. Jesus responds to John’s humble expression of unworthiness by saying. Let’s read from v 13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. But John said I have need to be baptized of thee and cometh thou unto me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now., for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness.

Jesus explains that baptism is a fulfillment, therefore a projection of all righteousness. Since Jesus endlessly emphasized how his entire life was a complete submission to his father, then we know this “all righteousness” demonstrated in baptism is about the righteousness of God. So how does baptism declare all the righteousness of the creator of the universe?

Well there are two stages in baptism actually projecting the same lessons as the two covenants, as well as both the reconciliation and salvation stages highlighted by Paul. The first baptism stage is the voluntary and complete burial into the water-grave to join our Messiah in his death. This is a declaration that Yahweh was perfectly right to demand death for sin in Eden. This is the very basis by which all our previous sins are forgiven at baptism because death is the divine answer for sin. By voluntarily participating in this ritual death, our previous sins are automatically eliminated because death is the divine answer for sin.

The forgiveness of our sins in baptism is a side benefit due to the principles of our creator’s righteousness that are being shadowed in this ritual. The primary issue is that our validating participation in the declaration that God was absolutely right to demand death for sin. The second baptismal stage is reemerging from our baptismal water, resurrection. There is more to exiting that watery grave than simply being able to breathe again. This second stage projects the Divine righteousness in extending a graceful offer of renewed life despite being right about demanding death for sin.

Baptism is a shadow portrait of both death and resurrection.

Baptism is a shadow portrait of both death and resurrection. Just like those two directional shadows that we experience every day in the natural order of creation, as we considered in our 19th class. The testimony of our creator’s righteousness being shadowed in Baptism is similarly shadowed in the two covenants of works and faith whose signature rituals were circumcision law and Sabbath law. Just as the faith covenant was greater than the works covenant so rising from the baptismal grave is greater than descending into that grave. And salvation is greater than reconciliation. And the number 8 defining circumcision and faith is greater than the number 7 defining the Sabbath rest of works.

Just as the eventual complete cutting away of sin and the flesh demonstrated in circumcision, is greater than a mere rest from sin, to be demonstrated during the kingdom. And just as the complete harmony to be experienced in the 8th day when all that is flesh is cut away is greater than the millennial kingdom, in that 7th day when all that is experienced is that limited rest from the effects of sin throughout creation, while the Sabbath Kingdom in the 7th millennium will be absolutely wonderful, it will still be incomplete.

The four sin icons of the serpent the dragon the devil and Satan are prophesied as being chained and deposited in a bottomless pit at the beginning of the Sabbath Kingdom and then temporarily released at the end of the 1000-year Kingdom,as described in Revelation 20. At the end of the chapter we read of the resulting rebellion, the final resurrection to judgment, and the conclusion of the creator’s plan.

Let us read in Revelation 20 starting at verse 7. And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations from the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the Saints around, and the beloved city, and there fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

All flesh is to be cut away

So we read that these events are at the end of the Sabbath kingdom. We then read of the judgment and the elimination of all that are not saved and even the elimination of death itself. Okay, beginning again we are going to read from verse 12 in Revelation 20. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God. And the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead and that which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man according to their works and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Death and the grave are cast into the lake of fire defined as the second death. The second death is the “forever death” as opposed to the first act of those who are accountable to the judgment seat of God, where the righteousness of God will be vindicated. Those accountable to divine judgment only died temporarily, that first time. When they are resurrected to mortality for judgment and then rejected they will die a second time, permanently.

It is at this time this 8th day just after the 7th day of the Millennial Kingdom, the Sabbath Kingdom, this 8th day when all flesh is cut away from creation in circumcision-like fashion. This is what is described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, when we read of the elimination of death when Jesus delivers the kingdom to his father.

We read this in 1 Corinthians 15 starting to read at verse 24. Then comes the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when it says “all things are put under him,” it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him. then shall the son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Death is the last enemy that will be eliminated this is the throwing of death and the grave into that lake of fire which is the second death. This is the end, when the Creator will be all in all. When all contradictions to our creator’s righteousness will have been eliminated and complete harmony, peace, will be the final condition in that 8th day.

Circumcision was divinely preferred above Sabbath observance

These perfectly blending observations are the reasons why circumcision was divinely preferred above Sabbath observance. And just as the complete cutting away of all flesh, everything that is mortal life-limited ,related to sin will be completely cut away in that 8th day, while the Sabbath Kingdom identified by it’s 7th day enjoys that lesser rest from sin and the effects of sin. The kingdom we hope to inherit, is a Sabbath Kingdom to begin on the 7th day, the seventh divine day of a thousand years, since the seven day creation week. That rest from sin promised in the Sabbath kingdom, will be realized in a number of ways. We read of dangerous carnivorous beasts becoming harmless herbivores. Venomous serpents and insects becoming completely harmless. All military education ending, and unneeded weapons being reforged into very necessary agricultural tools. There will be a rest from the oppressive curse on the ground resulting in agricultural bounty. Deserts becoming gardens and new plant species that will be valuable for both food and medicine.

Mortal life will be extended

Even mortal life will be extended as we read that people will mourn the death of a 100 year-old man as if you were only a child with most of his life having been before him. There will be a Sabbath rest from the physical effects of sin when the serpent, the dragon the devil and Satan, are chained in the bottomless pit. That rest will be wonderful. But the complete elimination of sin and its effects in that 8th day, that time after the Sabbath Kingdom has ended. is much greater which is why circumcision. the signature ritual of the Abrahamic covenant of faith, was appropriately preferred over Sabbath observance, the signature ritual of the Mosaic Covenant of works.

As a side note one has to wonder how anyone could claim to believe both the Bible testimony and very unscientific theory of evolution as we consider how sin and death and sin and suffering are so completely bound together from Genesis to Revelation.

Death was the righteous judgment for sin

Why is it that some Christadelphian brothers are being allowed to suggest that death was not the righteous judgment of God for sin but was actually supposed to be a component of the original creative order before sin was introduced. That the last enemy of God to be eliminated death was actually part of the original creative order that God declared to be very good. That highly inappropriate presumption that mortality preceded sin is incredibly insulting to our creator’s standards of righteousness. Contradictory to the beauty and glory of how all divine communications blend together perfectly at every point of consideration and every layer of consideration through both scriptural expressions and creational features.

The repeated emphasis of the number 7

Our next consideration about the Sabbath nature of the approaching restoration of the kingdom of God will address the repeated emphasis on the number 7 in a variety of divine applications as well as how that emphasis on seven blends with the emphasized number 8 forming an extensive pattern within a pattern that is undeniable, on the very basis of its extensive repetition, and its flawlessly consistent applications.

If we have time we’ll look at our 7th Sabbath Kingdom consideration of why the 7th rest was divinely extended to include animals as well as people.

Transcription by Fay Berry 2018.