Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20120617.htm
THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION Numbers: Lessons From Spiritual Casualties And Conquerors Part XLIII: Hoping In God's Future Kingdom For Our Needy World (Numbers 29:12-40 et al.)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Problems in the world's nations can get even a believer in Christ tempted to be depressed over the future, a fact we can illustrate:

(1) The June 11, 2012 USA TODAY, p. 1A lead article, "Imported fake IDs fool best security," reported: "Forgers from as far away as China are shipping fake driver's licenses and other IDs to the United States that can bypass even the newest electronic digital security systems . . . (T)he security risks include immigration . . . and . . . aviation security, and the government can do little about it" according to "Andrew Meehan, a policy analyst for the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License."

(2) Then, the paper's lead editorial, "Like it or not, U. S. holds big stake in Europe's woes," p. 6A claimed: "Europe's inability to resolve its financial problems has become the single biggest factor influencing U. S. employment and stock markets."



(3) On Wednesday we heard Syria was in a full-scale civil war.

(4) Locally, conditions in the world are problematic, too:

(a) A big news item last Thursday morning was the story of how some Connecticut State employees who had been indicted on charges of fraud for using their positions to acquire State food stamps they did not need after last October's bad storm were acquitted and given their jobs back! A radio talk show host called this acquittal "laughable," that it reveals the great corruption afflicting our State.

(b) Last Tuesday, my wife heard a local radio talk show discussion on whether burying a Saint Joseph statue on one's property would better help him sell his house! A Catholic priest had called a talk show hostess at the station, chiding her for practicing this ritual, calling it "idolatry," but a second priest later claimed the former priest's view was "nonsense"!

A Catholic lady then called the show to say we must heed the Bible which does not condone the practice. However, the show host agreed with a still later Catholic man who called to react to her claim, asserting we must put the tradition of the Catholic Church above what the Bible says, and the show's host agreed! To hear that a public radio talk show host with a vast audience in Connecticut praised the denial of the Bible's ultimate authority tempted me to feel depressed!

So, we ask, "With the lack of blessing in the world's nations tempting one to feel depressed, how can I face the future?!"

Need: "How can I be cheered in view of the state of world nations?!"


1. Israel's Feast of Tabernacles typifies God's coming Messianic Kingdom of enormous blessing for the world's nations (as follows):
1. We before learned the Feast of Trumpets on Tishri 1 (Sept.-Oct.; Num. 29:1, 7; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Ex. 12:2) depicts Israel's regathering in the Holy Land after the Great Tribulation, and the Day of Atonement on Tishri 10 (Num. 29:7-11) predicts her forgiveness when she believes in Christ at His return to the earth.
2. Tishri 15 was a Sabbath that began the Feast of Tabernacles (Num. 29:7; Ibid., ftn. to Num. 29:12-38), a feast depicting Israel's kingdom of great blessing for the whole world, Num. 29:12-40; Lev. 23:33-44:
1. The feast's 8th day links the Feast of Tabernacles with the Feasts of Trumpets and Atonement, for, only on these days were 1 bull, 1 ram and 7 lambs offered while 2 bulls, 1 ram and 7 lambs were used at New Moon, Passover & Pentecost, B. K. C., O. T., p. 248.
2. To explain, Leviticus 4:3, 13-14 shows a bull was used for a leader OR a nation, so TWO bulls at New Moon, Passover and Pentecost represent Israel's sinful leadership AND nation BEFORE Christ RULES. However, at His return seen in the feasts of Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles, He as Israel's sinless Leader needs NO sacrifice, so only 1 bull is used, a bull for the nation Israel!
3. In the first 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles, a varying number of bull offerings occurred, defying typology except that they total 70! This fits the 70 leaders who sired the 70 nations of the Genesis 10 Table of Nations that rose from Noah's three sons, Ibid., p. 42.
4. These 70 bulls then depict the consecration of the world's nations to Christ after they believe in Him for salvation , cf. Isaiah 52:15a!
5. With these 70 bulls, 2 rams and 14 sheep were offered each day, double the usual rate (Ibid., B. K. C., O. T.), and Job 42:12 with Job 1:2-3 explains this: after his trial, Job received double his first blessings, so after the Great Tribulation, God will doubly bless the world's nations, Joel 2:28-29; Amos 9:13; Isa. 60:10.
6. As the Feast of Tabernacles typifies the Kingdom, in the Kingdom, the Gentiles must keep this feast to be blessed, Zech. 14:16-19!
7. During the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel lived in booths, recalling God's provisions in her wilderness travels, Lev. 23:42-43. This hints at God's supply in the Kingdom, for the wilderness Israel traversed is part of the land stretching from the Nile River to the Euphrates River that Israel inherits (Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Gen. 15:18-21), a wasteland that will bloom in the Kingdom, Isa. 35:1.
8. The Feast of Tabernacles 8th day has the same sacrifices as the feasts of Trumpets and Atonement, typifying Israel, so, in the Kingdom, the nations, seen in the Feast of Tabernacle's first 7 days, are blessed as Israel, seen in the feast's 8th day, has repented, fulfilling God's will to bless the world with Israel, Amos 9:11-15.
2. While attending this feast, Jesus richly anticipated the Kingdom:
1. The events of Christ's ministry in John 7:1-10:21 occurred in the city of Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, Ibid., Ryrie, p. 1507.
2. Thus, on the 7th, "great" day of the feast when the High Priest for the last day fetched water from the pool of Siloam to pour it out at the temple altar, Jesus stood and cried that if any man believed in Him, out of his innermost being would flow rivers of living water, alluding of the fulness of the Holy Spirit that will occur in the Kingdom, John 7:37-39; Joel 2:28; Alfred Edersheim, The Temple, 1975, p. 280-281.
3. At this feast when the temple courts at night were uniquely brightly lit with celebratory fires (Ibid., p. 282-283), Jesus made His great, "I am the light of the world" claim in John 8:12. (Isaiah 60:1-2)
4. At this feast in John 8:58, Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM," that He is the God of the Genesis 10 nations that rose before Abraham was born in Genesis 11, the nations depicted in the feast's 70 bulls!
5. Right after the Feast of Tabernacles on a Sabbath, Jesus applied a mud poultice to the eyes of a blind man and sent him from the temple to the pool of Siloam that the High Priest had just used in the feast so the man might wash his eyes and see, John 9:1-7. Messiah was to heal the blind (Isa. 35:4-5; Matt. 11:2-6), so Jesus thus revealed He was the Messiah in the context of the very feast that typified His Kingdom!
6. Later that same day, Jesus claimed He was the Son of God (John 9:35-37), the God Incarnate Messiah predicted in Isaiah 9:6-7.
7. Later that same day, Jesus claimed He was the "Good Shepherd," the Messiah predicted in Ezekiel 34:11-31 to rule Israel in the Kingdom!

Application: (1) May we trust in Jesus to become His subjects and receive eternal life, John 1:11-12. (2) Then, (a) armed with the hope of living in Christ's Kingdom, may we (b) serve Him with joy, discipling the lost (Matthew 28:19-20) and (c) awaiting the rapture that saves us from facing the Great Tribulation, 1 Thess. 3:13-4:11.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

In the sermon introduction, I told how discouraging it seemed to me to learn last Tuesday how a local public radio talk show host sided with a caller who held it was right to put the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church above the Bible. However, an event occurred last Sunday to prepare me beforehand to offset such discouragement.

After our last Sunday morning service, a lady who was visiting our Church spoke with me in our Fellowship Hall regarding her visit. She explained she had learned while studying her Bible that her former Church taught traditions that differed greatly with the Bible. Thus, she was looking for a new church home, and a big concern she had was whether we took a stand against the ecumenical movement.

I assured her we did, and, in a later discussion with my wife, she learned how we as a body have stoodd on this matter even to the point of paying a price for it, a fact she was very appreciative to learn.

The lady told me that in her search for a new home, she had visited one church where its doctrinal statement was good, but that she learned upon visitng the church that it was actually involved in an ecumenical gathering with a church from the denomination she had left. She was bothered by this, knowing from firsthand experience how Biblically wrong it was to be involved in such a gathering.

I found this conversation to be very encouraging! People like this lady need to find a church where God's Biblical truth is upheld regardless what it costs! When we do God's will in holding to the truth, we also serve the needs of others who want to follow the Lord.

So, offsetting my temptation on Tuesday to feel discouraged upon hearing a public local talk radio host extol holding to religious tradition over the Bible, I found that recalling my conversation with this lady spurring me to minister in continued allegiance to the Bible's truth in view of Christ's coming Kingdom. God wants us to function in ministry in righteousness in line with our accounting and blessing for doing so at Christ's return! (2 Timothy 4:1-2)



May we live and serve the Lord in light of the hope of the coming righteous Kingdom of Christ, daring to function uprightly in a world of great sin, darkness and lack of divine blessing!