1st Question: Would Jesus’ statement in John 7:37 not mean that there is salvation all throughout the 5-month period and even up to October 21st, and maybe, especially, October 21, “the last day, that great day of the feast”?
Chris: John 7:37-38 says:
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
The answer is no for a couple of reasons. One, the feast in view here, the last and great day, is the feast of tabernacles.
If we go to Deuteronomy 16, it says in Deuteronomy 16:13-14:
Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast…
This is after the corn and the wine have been gathered in. This is the harvest. This is when this feast is to be held.
This is a big misunderstanding, because just imagine this historically. There were Jews who were summoned to Jerusalem three times a year for three major feasts. They are supposedly called to go to Jerusalem to observe the feast of tabernacles during the time of harvest. They would have to be in Jerusalem, when they lived maybe fifty or one hundred miles away.
This means that they would need to harvest their crop but be in Jerusalem at the same time. But how could they do this? Would this not make things difficult for everyone?
Rather, they harvested their crops. They brought them in. They already have the fruits. They are to go to Jerusalem, but not empty handed. They do not go empty handed, because they now have something to offer. Now they can rejoice, because they had a good harvest.
So this idea of pointing to this historical feast and saying that the last day, “that great day of the feast,” is still a time when God is bringing in the spiritual harvest of all believers cannot be true if He is following the historical account and record, because the fruit is not being brought in during the feast. The fruit is brought in first and then the feast was held.
There are similar statements like this. In other words, this is not an isolated passage regarding the feast. For example, we read in Exodus 23:16:
And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered [past tense] in thy labours out of the field.
The labors are gathered. Then the feast is held. Historically, this is how this would work.
What is Jesus saying? How can we understand this? It cannot be that Jesus is encouraging people to come and drink of living water when everybody is already saved.
Look at the context of Revelation 21:1:
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away…
This means that there is no more world and that God’s salvation plan is obviously done.
We are familiar with these next statements that speak of the wonderful eternity to come for the people of God. There will be no more pain, death, sorrow, or tears. Then we read in Revelation 21:5-6:
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done…
Again, the old world is gone. God has created a new heaven and new earth. It continues:
…I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
This is a similar statement of John 7:37:
…come unto me, and drink.
This does not stop. When we enter into Heaven, we will go to Christ forevermore. We drink of the waters of the Gospel. We learn of God eternally forevermore. This is an ongoing thing into eternity future.
2nd Question: How are believers to be living now? Are there any verses that you can give us that might show us how we ought to be living until October 21?
Chris: Well, I think as far as how we are to be living, these verses are found in John 21. In relation to feeding the sheep, this is directed to each one of us. Each of us are commanded by God that this is what He would have us to do.
This is like the master with the servant who just came in from the field. This is what God’s people just did. We went out into the world with the Gospel. We came back in. We were under the wrong assumption that it was time for us to now dine, but then the Master said, “Hold it! You still have one more task to do. You have to feed and to serve Me drink. Afterward, you will eat and drink.”
So we are still working as servants to bring the Gospel to the world. But how can we do this when we do not go and hand out tracts?
We can do this in our personal lives by having a “good conversation,” doing everything that God would have us to do in our families, in our neighborhoods, at work, and in supporting Family Radio.
3rd Question: Could you look at Acts 16:27? When you were previously talking about Acts 16, were you saying that this prison keeper might have been one of the people who was loosed, because we go on to read that he was also saved?
Chris: Acts 16:27 says:
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
Yes; he is part of the picture. We read of a prison house and the foundation of that prison. In itself, this could typify all of God’s elect.
But, actually, as a result of the earthquake, this prison keeper, the guard, comes out and the first thing that he sees is that all of the prison doors are open. He thinks that everyone has escaped, and so he takes out his sword to kill himself. Then Paul yells out to him, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.”
What God is telling is that as a result of the great earthquake on May 21 for all of the spiritual prisons of His elect, each individually and personally, their prison doors have been opened and their bonds are off. As a result of this, over the course of these five months, the keeper of the prison is going to be like those who realize that something is going on. They will come to God “with fear and trembling.”
This is what we read in Acts 16:29:
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
This word “trembling” is the same word that we find in Philippians 2 that says we are to work out our own salvation “with fear and trembling.”
So this is all as a result of that earthquake. Actually, it is as the result of two things. One is that the earthquake loosed the prison gates, else this prison keeper and his household would have just continued on as they had before. This means that this earthquake was instrumental in his salvation. The second thing is that the prisoners did not go anywhere.
This is what we were thinking. There would be this great earthquake, the prison doors would be open, and we would all go. We would leave. But if those prisoners had left the prison, this prison keeper would have killed himself.
God is telling us that this man was one of His elect, and so the prisoners needed to stay put. In staying put, they did ministry. They did service to this man and, eventually, he comes broken.
4th Question: Will October 21 have to do with a physical earthquake, as far as God bringing destruction?
Chris: Why not leave this with God. I will say this. On October 21, we will have similar difficulties, as far as the whole world being on the same day. How God is going to work this out is up to Him. There is no need for us to get into this. But if God shows us, then, absolutely, maybe we can discuss it.
5th Question: Could you look at Luke 12:35-37?
Chris: We read in Luke 12:35-37:
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Turn to Luke 17. This is the point of this parable. We read of this man who has just come in from the field in Luke 17:7-8:
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
So after this final stage, then the servant eats and drinks.
6th Question: In relation to Luke 12:36 that you just read, could there have been a spiritual wedding on May 21st, because Jesus is coming back from a wedding?
Chris: I do not know. I know what you are asking, but I have not looked at this; and so I cannot say anything this.
7th Question: In Luke 12:37, is this relating to Jesus serving His elect on October 21st?
Chris: The nice thing about this, in a sense, is that this will be forevermore. Of course, we should never think that we are going to lounge around in eternity future. Some people have this idea of floating on clouds and stringing a harp forever and ever and ever.
No; we are servants into eternity and God is a God of work. He has nothing good to say about lounging around and being lazy. We can expect for the ones who have “well done,” He will likewise say to them, “Be thou also over five cities” or “I will make thee ruler over many things.”
This all relates to work. There are all of those “principalities and powers.” All of those creations may need princes. This is one way of looking at this.
This is like King Ahasuerus who had 127 provinces. He would have had many sons, and these kings would set their trusted sons over their provinces.
God has many creations and now He has about 200 million sons and daughters. He has 200 million of His elect who will be coming whom He can put to work.
We are going to have to stop here and close with a word of prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, we do thank You once again for all that You have done for us and for this whole unfolding of time in history. This has all been to reveal Yourself and Your glory. It has accomplished the bringing in of a great multitude of sons, Your children for all eternity. Father, we pray that You would help us to be patient, to endure hardness, to realize that this is nothing but a momentary affliction, to wait, as all the people of God have waited in all generations, and to look towards You, because from You comes our help. Father, may we also turn our minds and attitudes around, and may we continue forward, no longer fearful, no longer fretting, but rather rejoicing. Help us to properly keep the feast, and help us to trust in You that You will work all things out according to Your perfect will. Father, we pray for each one. We pray that You would bless Your Word to us according to our heart’s need. We pray this in Christ’s Name. Amen.