Gerald E. Weston

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

A Year of Bad News and a Future in Doubt?

A friend sent me a funny cartoon as Daylight Savings Time was coming to an end, when we turn our clocks back an hour. The cartoon is a picture of a frog laying on its back in a position of defeat, with the caption: “I’m not turning my clock back on Sunday. The last thing we need is an extra hour of 2020!” Yes, 2020 has been an amazingly challenging year and most of us are happy it is, as the saying goes, “In the books.” It’s over and it’s now history.

But have the problems of 2020 gone away? Is COVID-19 over? What about the economic upsets? Are the protests, riots, and political divisions within countries something that ends at midnight December 31? Or will these continue into a new year?

What’s ahead for 2021 and beyond? Can we know? Stay with me if you want to know what your future is as contained in this book.

2019 and 2020 Predictions Came True

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where I’m going to give you predictions for this new year and those to follow. Predicting the future is a sticky business. Every year experts, futurists, secular philosophers, and religious prophets tell us what to expect in the year ahead. More often than not, these predictions are in error. The only thing that saves the reputation of these self-proclaimed prophets is the short memories of those who listened to them.

So why is it that we here at Tomorrow’s World think that we are any better at predicting the future when we give you predictions for the year to come? What is the source of our understanding? And most importantly, are our predictions accurate? Let’s address that question by reviewing the last two years.

Many evangelical preachers tell their audiences that the rapture and the return of Christ can happen at any time, maybe even tonight; but in my program, “2019 in Bible Prophecy,” I showed why this is a perversion of scripture by boldly stating:

[My] Prediction #1: Jesus Christ will NOT return in 2019

Nor in 2020, 21, or 22.

And the second prediction was:

There will be no rapture in 2019

Because, notwithstanding popular opinion, the doctrine of the rapture is not scriptural. We have resources on our website, TomorrowsWorld.org, that will explain this in greater detail. My third prediction was:

Prediction #3: Real peace will come, but not in 2019

Or 20, 21, or 22. Those first two predictions have proven to be true—there was no rapture and Christ did not return. The doctrine of imminence, that Christ can return at just anytime, is not found in scripture. People often look at Jesus’ statement that no man knows the day or the hour and they jump to the wild conclusion that this means that He can come at just anytime. It’s true that no one knows the hour. No one knows the exact time of His return, but they fail to recognize that Jesus also made statements about certain things that had to happen first. Notice what He said in Luke chapter 21, and verse 9:

But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately (Luke 21:9).

The Bible nowhere says that Jesus can return at just anytime. It says He will come at a time when people do not expect, but Scripture also tells us that if we are watching we will not be caught off guard. Notice this in Thessalonians:

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1–3).

Then the Scripture tells us that those who are true children of God and are watching will not be caught off guard.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:4–6).

So when someone focuses only on Jesus’ statement that no one knows the day or the hour and jumps to the wild and unfounded conclusion that He meant that He could come at just any time, it shows a total lack of understanding of the scriptures. In “2019 in Bible Prophecy” I read from the Bible some of the things this book says must happen first. And just as the first two points have proven true, so will:

Prediction # 3: Real peace will come, but not in 2019

Fellow Tomorrow’s World presenter Wallace Smith gave trends to watch in 2020 and all six were right on target.

Further Predictions and Trends to Watch Out For

Mr. Smith explained that while we don’t know exact dates, we can know where our world is headed. His first point was to:

#1: Keep an eye on Europe’s accelerating identity crisis

It will be wise to remember how that continent drew the whole world into two conflicts in the last century, taking the lives of tens of millions of people. And according to the Bible, it will happen again. January 31, 2020 saw the United Kingdom formally withdraw from the European Union and with it, a stabilizing and balancing power. Europe is still seeking direction and the withdrawal of Britain and the COVID-19 crisis only accelerated the problem. We advise you to continue watching events in Europe that will soon shake the whole world.

Mr. Smith also counseled us to:

#2: Watch the changing power dynamic among Arabic nations

Did our colleague call it correctly? 2020 saw three Islamic nations make peace with Israel—something that almost no one saw coming, and as of this recording we still have several weeks left in the year. In the next few years you should expect a greater realignment of nations in the Middle East, but this will not bring lasting peace. Notice what the Bible tells us:

For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

That’s from 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

Mr. Smith’s admonition to watch that part of the world is good advice. He also instructed us to watch for:

#3: The continuing decline of the United States and the British-descended nations of the world.

It’s intoxicating to hear patriotic songs such as “Rule Britannia!” or hear slogans such as “Make America great again.” But Britain is no longer great and no matter who the President may be, America can never be truly great for these reasons that Wallace Smith pointed out:

In our halls of government, on our movie screens, and in our classrooms, the growing moral rot of the United States and the United Kingdom, and other nations of the Anglosphere is on depressing display for all the world to see—all while the Ten Commandments can hardly be found.

And as a result, droughts, floods, fires, riots in our streets, and horrible division. “2020 in Bible Prophecy” again hit a bullseye. Point #4 was to watch for:

#4: Developments in the world of organized religion.

The world was shocked when it was revealed that the Bishop of Rome urged acceptance of same-sex unions. Note this October 21, 2020 USA Today quote:

“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said in one of his sit-down interviews for the film. “You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered” (“Pope Francis endorses same-sex civil unions: They ‘have the right to be in a family’” USA Today, October 21, 2020).

Although the Vatican has pushed back saying this was taken out of context, a massive shift is occurring within professing Christianity’s largest denomination. We will do well to continue to:

Watch developments in the world of organized religion.

The year 2020 also saw some of the greatest natural disasters in recorded history. After losing 600,000 cattle in 2019 to unprecedented floods, Australia experienced the hottest and driest summer on record, accompanied by massive brush fires that killed or displaced 3 billion animals. And, the west coast of the United States saw the worst fire season on record. It seems our 2020 predictions were again on target with the counsel to watch for:

#5: Growing vulnerability to natural disasters.

Included in his comments on this point were disease epidemics, yet COVID-19 was not on anyone’s radar when that program was recorded in September 2019. However, notice this clip from the program:

But prophecy is clear that—eventually—diseases, natural disasters, and famines will begin to get the better of us, and they will devastate life on earth in the last days….

So far our colleague is batting five for five, but his last trend to watch was one that even we did not see happening to the degree it did. He said we should watch for:

#6: [an] Expanding effort to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the world.

He was specifically referring to this Work. He was not talking about a message about the person of Christ, but about Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God, and he was basing this trend to watch on Matthew 24:14:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

When the coronavirus caused the world to shut down, we expected to see income drop, but God had something else in mind. Our members and co-workers came through this year and Tomorrow’s World increased dramatically. Television coverage expanded, our Internet and social media efforts took a leap forward. We added nearly 100,000 new subscribers to our magazine (a 33% increase over 2019) and beginning January 2021, Tomorrow’s World magazine will increase from six to ten issues per year. Literature is figuratively “flying off the shelves.” Not bad, Mr. Smith—six for six!

Keys to Prophecy: Who Are Jacob’s Descendants?

Tomorrow’s World’s predictions and trends to watch have been spot on. So what’s our secret? How do we know what will happen, as well as what will not happen? The answer is simple. There is a God in heaven who foretold thousands of years in advance what to expect at this time. The prophet Daniel accurately described the time of the end in the 12th chapter, and verse 4:

But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4).

What better way to describe modern transportation and our current knowledge explosion? There is no other time in history like this. Notice also that Jesus predicted this same time would bring mankind to the brink of self-imposed annihilation. That’s found in Matthew the 24th chapter:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21–22).

We here at Tomorrow’s World cannot predict the future, but God can, and does, tell us history in advance. Notice these words of God as recorded by the prophet Isaiah:

Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

There are many trends and sub-trends that I can pass along to you for 2021 and the years that immediately follow, but I’ll only add one to those already mentioned. This is the prediction:

There will be disaster upon disaster for America and the British descended peoples.

Few people understand the biblical identity of nations, but this knowledge, along with prophecies for these nations, puts today’s news into proper perspective. God has blessed the descendants of the Patriarch Joseph—the American and British peoples and this includes nations such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. But as we reject the One who blessed us, so He is rejecting us. No matter who the President or Prime Minister may be, neither Britain nor America, nor the other Anglosphere countries, will be great again. We can only look to disaster upon disaster, unless we repent of our national sins. Notice this from Isaiah 1, and verses 2 and 3:

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider” (Isaiah 1:2–3).

The immediate audience was the Jews and the city of Jerusalem, but when you read the whole book of Isaiah, it becomes clear that many of these prophecies are dual (a former fulfillment and a latter day fulfillment) and they apply to all the tribes of Israel. Yes, not only the Jews, but descendants of his brothers—and among them, the British descended and American peoples. And we have forgotten our Maker, the One who gave us unmatched natural resources: oil and natural gas to warm and cool our homes, to run our automobiles, and to power our industries. We are rich in iron and precious minerals. Arable land and moderate weather combine to produce incredible agricultural wealth.

We see ourselves as righteous nations, but that is not the way our Maker sees us.

Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward.

Is There Hope for the West?

Today we reviewed predictions and trends proclaimed by Tomorrow’s World the last two years. Then I said I would give you a single trend to watch in 2021 and the immediate years following. We cannot know the exact timing, but the trend is certain:

There will be disaster upon disaster for America and the British descended peoples.

Notice how the prophet Ezekiel describes what is ahead for the Anglosphere:

Destruction comes; they will seek peace, but there shall be none. Disaster will come upon disaster, and rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders. “The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the common people will tremble. I will do to them according to their way, and according to what they deserve I will judge them; then they shall know that I am the LORD!” (Ezekiel 7:25–27).

Hosea is another prophet who decries the sins, not of the Jews only, but of the whole house of Israel. Is this not a description of our peoples?

There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed (Hosea 4:1–2).

Hosea then describes natural disasters, such as Australia’s severe 2020 drought and the resulting brush fires that killed or displaced 3 billion wild animals. And if you wonder about the loss of fish stocks, talk to Newfoundland’s fishermen. Notice this in Hosea 4, verse 3:

Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away (Hosea 4:3).

Americans trust in their military, their mighty men and advanced weaponry. Yet Hosea has a warning for us. Trouble is going to arise from within. We had a taste of that in some of America’s major cities in 2020.

You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men. Therefore tumult shall arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be plundered… (Hosea 10:13–14).

There is good news, however, as shown by the prophet Jeremiah. Notice it at the end of this passage found in the 30th chapter of Jeremiah:

For thus says the LORD: “We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,[notice this] but he shall be saved out of it” (Jeremiah 30:5–7).

Yes, as with a rebellious child, we are in for a terrible spanking. I know that it’s hard to believe, and not something you want to hear, but the United States and the British descended peoples are in for disaster upon disaster until we finally are overthrown by our enemies. Being overthrown by our enemies won’t happen this coming year, but it will happen in the near future.

But afterward, after the tears and sorrow, God will bring our people back from captivity. God will then give Israel, and mankind in general, a new spirit, as we read in Ezekiel the 11th chapter:

Therefore say, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’” … Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God (Ezekiel 11:17, 19–20).

This last scripture is what Tomorrow’s World is all about. We look forward to the time when this world finally learns the lesson that it is God who knows best, and a world of true lasting peace will ensue. You can read how this is going to come about in our resource Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! There is a happy future ahead, but sadly, we have a few very bad years between now and then, unless we turn around, but that does not look likely.

Thank you for watching. Remember to click the subscribe button, and if you want a free copy of our resource Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!, click here. See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

A Year of Insanity—With More to Come?

What a year 2020 has been! And as of this recording, there are still four months to go. If the eight previous months are any indication, we had better hang onto our seats, because it may be a very bumpy ride. Do you sense that world order is breaking down? If so, you’re not alone. How often we hear people remark that they have never seen anything like this—floods, hurricanes, droughts, fires, locust plagues, the Coronavirus pandemic. We see unrest in cities around the world. Shockingly, the United States is under siege from within as anarchists burn, loot, and tear at the very fabric of civilized society, while mayors and governors sit on the sidelines allowing chaos to reign. We hear news commentators and citizens alike struggle to find words that are adequate to describe what they see, and the word we hear most often, is, insanity.

Perhaps you read my July/August Tomorrow’s World magazine article, “The Perfect Storm,” with the subtitle questions, “How did 2020 go wrong? And why?”

We might also ask, what will 2021 and beyond be like? Our world is coming to a crisis like nothing in the history of the world, but there is good news beyond. There is hope in tough times, so if you would like to know the future, stay tuned.

Is There Hope in All This Chaos?

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where I’m addressing what everyone can see, but few understand. I especially welcome those of you tuning in for the first time, as we have a number of new stations and new viewers. Today I’ll reveal to you what is certain for humanity’s near future, foretold some 3,500 years ago.

The July/August 2020 lead story in Tomorrow’s World magazine was “The Perfect Storm: How did 2020 go wrong? And why?” The article describes how events are converging in a way the world never saw coming, but viewers of this telecast and readers of Tomorrow’s World magazine should not be surprised.

Australia’s perfect storm saw a seven-year devastating drought broken by catastrophic floods that killed some 600,000 cattle. But that was only the beginning. This was followed by the hottest and driest summer on record, resulting in nasty bush fires. CNN Australia reported on the aftermath:

“Nearly three billion animals were killed or displaced by Australia’s devastating bushfires—almost triple the figure estimated in January—according to a report released Tuesday….

‘The interim findings are shocking. It’s hard to think of another event anywhere in the world in living memory that has killed or displaced that many animals,’ said WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman. ‘This ranks as one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history’” (“Nearly three billion animals killed or displaced by Australia’s fires,” CNN, July 28, 2020).

This was the perfect storm that Australians had never seen to the same degree, but then came the “black swan” event of COVID-19. For those unfamiliar with this term, here is how it’s explained in Investopedia.com:

“A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight” (“Black Swan,” Investopedia, August 17, 2020).

The economic impact to Australia is yet to be fully comprehended, but it isn’t Australia alone. Similar 2020 perfect storms along with the black swan of COVID-19 are being experienced in other parts of the world.

East Africa saw the worst desert locust plague in more than half a century. This was followed by massive flooding described as “of biblical proportions,” with Lake Victoria, the third largest lake in the world, rising more than two metersthat’s more than six feet. Then throw in COVID-19 to hamper rescue and aid efforts for flood victims. Our Tomorrow’s World representative in Kenya reported on these developments:

“Countries in East Africa are suffering a ‘triple blow’ of locusts, COVID-19, and flooding. There are nearly 300,000,000 people being affected by these events.”

No matter where you look in the world, it’s disaster upon disaster, and nowhere more pronounced than in the United States. At the beginning of 2020, the economy was humming along better than anytime in fifty years, but that ended with the coronavirus—businesses closed, millions thrown out of work, and trillion dollar bailouts were instituted, to say nothing of the large death toll. Then came the George Floyd incident. Peaceful protests turned violent, with riots and anarchy in the streets of major cities. And all of this in the context of what is considered by many to be the most significant election in American history.

And friends, I’m only scratching the surface here. Many South American and African countries are struggling economically as unrest grows over government corruption. And let’s not forget Brexit!

Surely things cannot get any worse! Sadly, they can, and they will! But there is also good news. In the remainder of today’s program we will look at four commanded celebrations given some 3,500 years ago that explain in surprising detail what is ahead for your near future. Few people realize that the God of the Bible gave annual festivals to reveal His master plan for humanity. Many professing Christians tragically reject them and have instead followed counterfeit traditions mixed with pagan ideas. That leaves them in the dark regarding their future.

God’s True Holy Days Show the Way Ahead

But what do religious Holy Days have to do with the real world in which we live?

Actually, they have everything to do with current and future events! They’re relevant to your personal life, and the life of everyone who has ever lived. Now, if I can prove that, wouldn’t you want to know more about these special days?

Our booklet The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan explains all seven Holy Days and Festivals. The first three have already been fulfilled in part or in whole. The remaining four are entirely for the days ahead and that is why the remainder of this program will focus on the events portrayed by:

Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Feast of Tabernacles

Last Great Day

The Feast of Trumpets was anciently celebrated by the blowing of trumpets, but as our resource on the Holy Days points out, the New Testament reveals meaning far greater than any ancient festival. Each holy day or festival foretells something to occur in the future. As an example, Israel was protected in Egypt from death by the blood of a lamb. This was called Passover, but it pointed to a far greater salvation. It pointed to the Son of God, that Lamb of God who shed His blood to pay the penalty for our sins—that is why Jesus died on the day of the Passover. As we are told in 1 Corinthians 5:7:

“For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Another obvious example is the Feast of Pentecost. The law was given in codified form on the first Pentecost, but on the first Pentecost following the resurrection, God poured out His spirit to write that law, not on stone, but in our minds and on our hearts. The first three festivals have been fulfilled in part or in whole, but not so the last four.

So let’s look for the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets. Throughout the New Testament there is a single emphasis on the blowing of trumpets. It involves the one year day of the Lord, which culminates with the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints. Notice some examples. The first is found in Matthew 24, beginning in verse 29:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29–31).

The second example is found in 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 16:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Again, we see Christ returning at the sound of a trumpet and the dead in Christ resurrected. But 1 Corinthians adds a very important detail. Notice it in chapter 15, verses 51 and 52:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

The Greatest Mystery Revealed!

Now, my friends, did you notice it? I’ll read that passage again:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

Now, did you catch it this time? “The last trumpet.” This Feast is about more than one event. It is the Feast of Trumpets, plural. Paul tells us the return of Christ and the resurrection occur at “the last trumpet.” So how many are there and what happens when each is blown? The answer is found in the book of Revelation, which describes the blowing of seven trumpets, and as we’ve seen so far, a dramatic event occurs at the sounding of the last one. Let’s read it in Revelation 11:15 and 18:

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’ … And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:15, 18).

So what happens when the first six trumpets are blown? Revelation chapters 8 and 9 give details of traumatic occurrences that will shake mankind to our core, and our booklet, The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan is a ready study guide to help you understand these six trumpets that lead up to the seventh. The last three of the seven Holy Days are:

The Day of Atonement

The Feast of Tabernacles

The Last Great Day

It is difficult for me to express how wonderful the news is, that these days describe, but let’s try. As we saw, the Feast of Trumpets pictures the sounding of seven trumpets at the end of the age. The first six symbolize terrifying events, with our world becoming more dangerous, requiring that the seventh trumpet be blown. As it tells us in Matthew 24:21–22:

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21–22).

So as a result of our unrestrained sins, the return of Christ to stop our insanity is good news—it’s wonderful news! But why is it that mankind cannot solve our problems? To a great degree it is because there is a real spirit being that influences us in ways we do not realize. He works through moods and attitudes, stirring up strife, confusion, conflict, and rebellion against our Creator. Notice Ephesians 2, verses 1 and 2:

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1–2).

While we might individually be at one with God through Christ’s sacrifice, the world is hardly at one with God and cannot be as long as the prince of the power of the air continues to work in the sons of disobedience. The Day of Atonement pictures the joyous event, when this worker of rebellion is removed. We can read of it in Revelation 20:

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:1–3).

What a wonderful event shown by the Day of Atonement! Imagine when the one who directs the course of this present evil world, with all its hatred, cruel violence, and immorality, will be removed.

The Feast of Tabernacles and Mankind’s Greatest Hope

The biblical Holy Days show God’s master plan for humanity. So far we’ve very briefly touched on the following Holy Days:

The Feast of Trumpets—Christ’s intervention and return

And, The Day of Atonement—Satan removed from influencing mankind

Now let’s look at how God’s plan progresses with

The Feast of Tabernacles

The prophet Zechariah describes the day of the Lord, the time of the Messiah’s direct and open intervention in mankind’s affairs. Notice how Christ will intervene for Jerusalem and how His feet will once again stand on the Mount of Olives.

“Behold, the day of the Lord is coming…. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem…. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives…. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:1–4, 9).

We find near the end of this chapter, after describing the defeat of His enemies, that all nations will be commanded to come up to keep the next Feast in God’s master plan for humanity. This passage is of no small importance. Notice verses 16–19:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16–19).

This Feast pictures the time described in these verses, the time, when Christ rules on the earth to bring peace to our troubled world. Following the verses that describe Satan being removed, we next read in Revelation 20, about this time of rule by Christ and His servants on the earth.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

But God’s wonderful plan for mankind does not end with the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles. There is an eighth day attached to it. John 7 describes how Jesus went up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, but then we read beginning in verse 37:

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37–39).

Most people reading this have no idea what this is about. This is “The Last Great Day,” a separate Feast with a different meaning. Nor do they understand the time setting—a time of judgment for all those individuals who lived and died, not receiving an understanding of God’s plan for them. These are people who never heard of the name of Jesus Christ, or if they did, their minds were blinded. Notice how Jesus spoke of a future time of judgment for the self-righteous city of Capernaum and the sinful city of Sodom in Matthew 11:23–24.

“And you, Capernaum… if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:23–24).

There are many references to this time of judgment, but how does it fit in with the timeline of events? The book of Revelation answers that question. Remember that chapter 20 and verse 4 described the resurrection of the saints to rule with Christ for a thousand years. Now let’s pick it up with verse 5:

“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5).

These are not Christ’s servants, or they would have been resurrected upon His return. Now, here’s what we read about that resurrection beginning in verse 11:

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it…. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened [the books of the Bible that were previously closed to their understanding]. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. [Notice this book is open for these people to have their names recorded in it, it’s not a closed book] And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:11–12).

The world is filled with bad news, and my friends, there is so much more to these prophetic Holy Days, so if you want to read about some really good news for the future, order your free copy of The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan. Do it now before you forget. You need this resource.

And join us here at Tomorrow’s World next week, when Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I will again share with you the clear teachings of God’s word, what prophecy declares is coming in the days ahead of us, and Jesus Christ’s Gospel of His coming Kingdom.