Our Hidden Garden

Feast of Tabernacles 2020

(Sermon Notes) By Warren Zehrung 10/2/2020

The Theme of this year’s Feast is: A quiet and peaceable life.

Good evening Brethren – the Feast of Tabernacles has begun.  So we say, Welcome!  Feast of Tabernacles greetings to all our beloved brethren, here and across these fruited plains of America… and around the world.  This Feast of Tabernacles is given to us for the express purpose that we might be able to see the coming Kingdom of God on earth… As much glory as our human eyes can grasp.

The soon coming Kingdom of God will be a time when everything we see and know of today – will be vastly different.  This is the Opening Night of the Feast 2020.

Brethren, how many more Feasts will we have before Jesus returns?  The answer would probable surprise us greatly.  Many of us believe time is very short.  Because of the COVID-19 virus making travel difficult for the brethren, the Feast this year is greatly different than our first Feast back in the 1970s.

We first went to Big Sandy, Texas.  There were thousands and thousands of brethren in attendance.  Before we were called into God’s Church, we had been trying for years to create our own little peaceful heaven on earth.  We had heard Herbert W. Armstrong on the radio say that unless you had the mark of the Beast – you would not be able to buy or sell.  We certainly wanted no part of that.  So we decided to become self-sufficient with wind power and a huge vegetable garden with chickens and goats, a secluded hidden garden with every variety of fruit tree, ornamental tree that blooms in each month of the year.

Our hidden garden – surrounded by a high impenetrable hedge – with trails of stepping stones and lawn furniture to rest upon, was to afford a sanctuary for peace, quiet, prayer and meditation.  Being called into God’s Church and learning about the Sabbath precluded our ever finishing that ambitious project.

Amos 9:13  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

Amos 9:14  And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

Amos 9:15  And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

The Kingdom of God will be a time when everything we see and know of today – will be very different.  Tonight, we will look to the word of God – and allow it to be our guide.  We will be – of course – mainly talking about the meaning of these Feast Days.

The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the great spiritual harvest that will take place during the Millennium as multiple billions of converted church people come to know God’s truth and receive His gift of eternal life!  In God’s Church, we were inspired to know, and become all we could be because we had found our great sense of purpose in life–we had become God’s people.

Just a few years later the Ambassador College grounds presented much more than we could have ever realized in our little hidden garden.  The Pasadena grounds were beautiful and millennial to see and experience – a garden fit for kings and queens – a pristine and immaculate landscape with the trees, structures, bubbling brooks running across the campus, with brilliant tropical fish and regal swans…  There was a sense of Shalom there – a feeling of peace.  We belonged to something momentous.

That is the Theme of this year’s Feast is: A quiet and peaceable life.

Brethren, that little garden that we envisioned was never completed.  I imagine a few of the trees and shrubs are still there.  But, what we are doing at this Feast of Tabernacles causes our little hidden garden to pale into insignificance.

**The Feast of Tabernacles demonstrates that we are now preparing and planning our Spiritual Millennial Garden.  It will not be hidden like our Hidden Garden; it will be for all the world will see.

Matthew 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hidden.

We are picturing what it will be like to be in the Kingdom of God on earth.  At our first Feast of Tabernacles – many years ago – everything was new to us; we were excited – we did not know what to expect.  We had come out of the world – entirely – for over a week – and we were among God’s people.  We missed the opening night – no one had mentioned that there was an opening night service.

We were filled with expectation.  We knew very little about what the Feast meant – and little or nothing about the Plan of God.  Even the Scriptures the ministry turned to were new to us.  We were surprised to see so many of the sermons begin with, “Brethren, please turn to Leviticus 23…”

We began to learn many new things at the Feast, like for instance, God commands us to eat and drink to the full, while reminding us that these accommodations are temporary dwellings; looking forward to the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ – establishing His Father’s Kingdom in Jerusalem – over all the earth.

Out temporary dwelling was a small 10X14 Sears camping tent that we shared with our four young children.  We were only 100 feet from the front door of the very large tabernacle building.  We were lucky to find such a good camping spot!  It was not till the next year that we found out that there were assigned camping spots for various congregations.

Just like tonight, the Texas Harvest Moon was bright and full on the first day of the Feast.  We took in the sights and sounds of the great conglomeration of brethren – who seemed to be going about knowing what they were doing, and where they were going next – while we didn’t know what to expect.

We found some other brethren from Louisiana who were recognized by their strong and distinctive French accent.  We learned a great deal in those eight days.  This year is a lot different.  Many if not most of the brethren are at home or close to home because of the COVID-19.

Most brethren do not ever expect to attend the Feast of Tabernacles with a group of many thousands again.  But the truth of the matter is that we are so much closer to the beginning of the Kingdom of God on earth.

There has been a great falling away as the Church brethren scattered in many different directions – while the majority returned to Sunday keeping and the world’s holidays and pagan belief systems – having turned their backs on the precious knowledge they had once embraced.

It is beyond our comprehension how God is sorting out all the various groups all around the world.  But we are assured that He is still right on His course of bringing many sons and daughters to glory.  There is going to be almost total destruction of everting we hold familiar in the Tribulation – and that will come first.  How close are we to the beginning of the Tribulation?

Just in this last year we have seen so much corruption of our culture and society.  Lawlessness and God-less–ness abound.  God is gracious to give us this wonderful time of the year to be removed from the ever godless world we live in.  And, not only that, but the Feast is the time we look into all the Scriptures that tell us all about the wonderful world tomorrow.

The Millennium will be the time that the Messiah rules the earth; The Israel of God will rule with Jesus Christ and physical Israel will be revived; We will see the restoration of all things (Acts 1:6; 3:21; Matt 2:6; 10:23; 19:28; John 1:41).

It will be the time of a new world – ruled by Jesus Himself.  There will be peace and harmony unimagined.  That is the Theme of this year’s Feast is: A quiet and peaceable life.

Zephaniah 3:9  For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

In Matthew 19 we will see that Jesus declared that ‘the regeneration’ would take place ‘when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory.

Matthew 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

What will be in it for us Lord – in your new kingdom?

Matthew 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration [Messianic restoration or spiritual rebirth] when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

There will be a return to the original state of the earth that existed when Eden was created [planted], which is recorded in Genesis.

Isaiah 51:3  For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Jesus will be ruling from Jerusalem – and we with Him.

Revelation 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelation 20:6  … priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Kings and priests means that we will have both, Civil and Religious duties – requiring a great deal of expertise and finesse.  Now is the time to learn.

Matthew 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Hosea 2:18  And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

In the Millennium, Jesus Christ with His Saints will be establishing His Father’s glorious Kingdom over all the earth for newly called Israelites.

The horrendous memories of their experiences in the Tribulation, coupled with their miraculous rescue and almost unbelievable regathering into the Promised Land will eclipse and replace the first Exodus story of history.

Jeremiah 23:7 Therefore, behold, the days come, says the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD lives, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; [‘Forget the first exodus’ (Isaiah 11; Jeremiah 16; Amos 9:13-14).]

During the captivity of the soon coming Tribulation, young Israelitish men and women will be scattered to every nook and cranny around the globe.

Amos 9:13  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

Amos 9:14  And I will bring again [those of] the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

Amos 9:15  And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

Tonight, we are looking into the word of God – and how we are to allow it to be our guide.

The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the great spiritual harvest that will take place during the Millennium as multiple billions of converted church people come to know God’s truth and receive His gift of eternal life!

The first citizens of the millennium are going to be the survivors of the Great Tribulation.  Through God’s direct intervention, there will be a great sense of camaraderie among all the survivors.  Strangers will naturally come to the aid of victims in need – even when it means placing themselves in peril.

People will indeed place their very lives in harm’s way to help those they don’t even know – to survive.  That brotherly love – even in a much greater way – will pervade and permeate the New Nation being formed by Jesus Christ in the Millennium.  All living survivors of the tribulation will know that they are brothers and sisters to one another in a way that is hard for us to imagine.

Twelve thousand men and women from each of the tribes of Israel, – One-hundred and forty-four thousand (144,000) of the tribes of Israel – will survive and live over into the World Tomorrow.  They will all know that they are literally brothers and sisters to one another through the miraculous intervention of Jesus Christ.  That fact alone will give them a strong sense of purpose and belonging – and it will only grow stronger and stronger.

With Jesus ruling form Jerusalem in accordance with God’s perfect law – the human spirit in man, coupled with God’s Spirit will soar to the heights that God originally intended!  Everyone will respect one another.  Everyone will see Jesus Christ and God the Father in others.  They will see only the good in their brethren.  They will treat one another as we treat God Himself.  All men will depend on one another.  Every child will reach his full potential – all their talents will be fully developed.  The weak will be made strong and secure.  Every mind will be mature, and brilliance will be the norm.

Everyone will know and love everyone – even when they haven’t met – because everyone will have a sense of true brotherhood, belonging to one another.  That is because Jesus, Himself, will lead in the way to the Kingdom of God.  God reveals Himself and His wonderful Plan for mankind in the Bible:

Isaiah 9:7  Of the [Great] increase [geometric progression – with an exponential growth towards infinity] of His government [His empire, realm, domain of jurisdiction – the Plan of God] and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.   The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

There will be a great spreading of the Gospel of Peace and Truth that will go on and on…  The Theme of this year’s Feast is: A quiet and peaceable life.

We are shown in the Scriptures that a comparatively small physical remnant of Israel will survive the tribulation, and to live-over into the world tomorrow.  That is where God’s people in the millennium will come from:

Isaiah 11:11   And it shall come to pass in that Day [Day of the Lord], that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left [alive], from [all over the world] Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

We know that soon, modern Israel will be carried captive during the Tribulation into every foreign nation – and God will bring about their return to the new land of Israel.

Isaiah 11:12   And He shall set up an ensign, a sign, a banner for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth – to Zion.

Where and what is Zion?  Zion is the New Church of God in the Millennium, and forever more.  God will use an ensign to point the way for those people – His people – who belong to Him – to return.

Isaiah 11:12  “Assemble the outcasts of Israel” – look closely – that means that God is again assembling His people – His assembly – the people who will make up the beginning of His Millennial Church.

Please do not look to any man to get you to the Place of Safety and the New Promised Land.  The aftermath of the Tribulation will be like nothing we can imagine:

Matthew 24:22  Unless those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive]: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

So, there will be survivors!   But not a great number.  In the Millennium, there will be advanced physical technology that will make today’s technology look like the stone age.  But, God will be given full credit and glory, because all good things come from Him.  And spiritually, eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.

Even when we try, we cannot imagine the Peace, the purpose, the support, the belonging, the cooperation, the limitless riches, the brilliant and perfect understanding, the love, the oneness, the creativity that will blossom under the direction of Jesus Christ when He begins to rule on earth.

God’s Spirit coupled with man’s spirit will begin to soar to heights that God originally intended.  For an example of the creativity – picture Jesus creating the universe with color, music, mankind and animals, plants and jewels.

Have you ever heard spiritual music?  Have you ever seen or smelled a spiritual flower?  I suppose that in heaven their blooms and blossoms never fade or wilt.  That is what I wanted to reflect in my little Hidden Garden.

What is Spiritual Peace like?  On earth, the physically magnificent Garden of Eden aspects of plants, trees, flowers, terrain, climate, animals, and abundant life will be in harmony with the Plan of God…  so that we might begin to comprehend the inestimable, Divine spiritual gifts that will be bestowed on millennial mankind – grace upon ever increasing grace (John 1:16), gifts upon ever increasing gifts of God’s Spirit.

The magnificent difference of that future day compared to now – will be the difference between night and day!  That is only a reflection of how the hearts and minds of the people will be changed in the Millennium.

Jeremiah 24:7  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

In this opening sermon of the Feast of Tabernacles we’ve chosen the topic of, “A quiet and peaceable life,” speaking of the Kingdom of God on earth.

It is a God-given responsibility that we be there for one another.  It is God alone who has separated us from this evil world.

Colossians 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us meet [fitting and proper] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: [The saints, the Church brethren, the called-out ones, are one and the same!]

God the Father has placed us where we belong:

Colossians 1:13  Who has delivered us from the power of darkness [where we do not belong], and has conveyed us – moved us – transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son:

1John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is.

As we saw in Jeremiah 24:7  … I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

This Feast of Tabernacles is about living in anticipation of that realization – beginning with our resurrection.  The resurrection is as real as can be – in fact it has already begun in Jesus Christ who has already been raised from the dead.

God expects us to be a peaceable people – even in this time of riots, burning, destruction and mayhem.  We know pretty well what the world is like today.  We – the Church of God – do not fit in here.  It is becoming harder and harder to exist on this earth.  And that is because we do not belong with the people who reject God and His law.

Romans 8:9  … Now if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Everything is going awry in this world – Everything is going the wrong way – and we always find ourselves – the odd man out.

1Peter 3:11  Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

We are to seek peace in every interaction we have – and not drive wedges of animosity – that only brings division.

Isaiah 52:7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings [Good News – Gospel], that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, Thy God reigns!

The Holy Days explain God’s intervention in bringing many sons and daughters to glory.

We are the only ones who have a handle on the true nature of God and God’s Plan to share His glory with His children (Hebrews 2:10).

In closing, we wish to send Feast of Tabernacles greetings to all our beloved brethren, here and across these fruited plains of America… To our brothers and sisters around the world; to our loved ones in the UK – we long to be with you… Across Canada, from East to West; to those on Indian reservations and in prisons… To our scattered brethren in the Philippines and Australia who endure the persecutions… as near as our spiritual hearts unite us… To our widows and widowers… To our European and African brethren who dearly grasp the Truth… To all of God’s people, we say, “Happy Feast of Tabernacles.”

Fall is here; the sun has dipped into the Southern Hemisphere; the Harvest Moon is shining bright and full on the first day of the Feast.  God commands us to eat and drink to the full, while reminding us that these accommodations are temporary dwellings; looking forward to the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ – establishing His Father’s Kingdom in Jerusalem – over all the earth.

The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the great spiritual harvest.  It will take place during the Millennium as multiple billions of converted church people come to know God’s truth and receive His gift of eternal life!

With Jesus ruling form Jerusalem in accordance with God’s perfect law – the human spirit in man, coupled with God’s Spirit will soar to the heights that God originally intended!  Everyone will respect one another.

All will see Jesus Christ and God the Father in others.  They will see only the good in their brethren.  They will treat one another as we treat God Himself.

We are here to picture the Feast of Tabernacles.  We are in the Fall of the Year – picturing God’s harvest: The crops are in…  The milk has been turned to cheese…  The harvest has been reaped…  The flocks and herds have multiplied…  The vineyards have been gathered for vintage production.

Spiritually, the harvest of Saints is ready to begin anew… Brethren, we are being selected and trained NOW to teach God’s way.  Jesus Christ, ruling the converted people in the millennium, will usher in dramatic differences.

Jesus will bring with Him the blueprints for a brave new world.  Streets, villages, towns, cities and nations will be surveyed.  Where mountains need to be moved – they will be moved:

Isaiah 41:15  Behold, I will make thee new sharp heavy equipment  having tungsten carbide [my translation] teeth: thou shalt grind the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

Almost immediately many small locations will become beautiful garden paradises.  Not like my little hidden garden plot – but the entire world will become a paradise—Our Hidden Garden.

At the Feast each year people will trade their favorite ornamental flowers and fruit varieties – like at a State Fair.

And that is only a reflection of how – not only the land, but the hearts of the people will be changed.

Jeremiah 24:7  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

 

End:  Our Hidden Garden