Herbert W Armstrong

   You ever thought about why on this Holy Day, out of all of the Holy Days that God gives us, that we are commanded to fast? We're told on this day that we're to afflict our souls. We're to fast. And yet all the other days are days, normally, of festivity.

   They're days that we anticipate a festive meal, and that is talked about in Scripture. We're coming to the Feast of Tabernacles, and we anticipate coming and rejoicing before God. But before we feast, first we have to fast.

   There's a very important lesson to be learned in that, and I want to focus our attention on it here today. We're living in a time of world trouble. We're living in a time that is a prelude to the very events that we are picturing with these festivals.

   We know that the Scripture tells us that we're to be alert, we're to be awake, we're to be aware, we're to be watching world news, we're to be watching what's going on in the world around us, not to be caught by surprise or to be spiritually asleep. That, of course, is what the world by and large is, spiritually asleep. We also, in the years ahead of us, increasingly are going to have to walk by faith.

   As we look at the events that are going to unfold and the times immediately ahead of us, it's going to be vital that we, as the people of God, really trust God, that we know God, that we walk by faith. Now, this day, the Day of Atonement, is a very crucial part of the answer when we understand how to be spiritually awake and alert, how to walk by faith. When we understand why God designed the Holy Day pattern, that fasting is a prelude to feasting.

   Now, let's go back in our Bibles to the book of Isaiah, chapter 58. Here is a section of Scripture that talks about the subject of fasting. God tells His ministry in Isaiah 58:1, "...Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." He inspired Isaiah to go on to write, "...Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and didn't forsake the ordinance of their God." Verse 3, here's the question that Israel is pictured as asking God, "...Wherefore have we fasted, say they?" And you don't see it.

   "...Wherefore have we afflicted our soul?" And you take no knowledge. "...Behold," God says, His answer, "...in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exact all your labors." You fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness. You shall not fast as you do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

   The Scripture clearly shows that one of the purposes for which fasting is done, is that our voice might be heard on high. But God says, if we fast for strife and debate, this is what He told ancient Israel, this is what Isaiah told, actually, the people of Judah, if you're doing, if you're going through the motions of certain things. He went on to tell them, in verse 5 of Isaiah 58, "...Is this such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush? To spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day of the Lord? Does God want us to just go through outward motions?" Many of the people of Judah made a great elaborate presentation in terms of fasting.

   Oh, they were religious folks. You could tell they were religious. They went around with the expression on their face, with the clothes they wore, with all of the outward trappings of fasting, and yet nothing really changed.

   God didn't take note of that. You can't just go through outward form. What God is after goes beyond simply going through outward form.

   He inspired Isaiah to go on to write in verse 6, "...Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, that you break every yoke, to deal your bread to the hungry, that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house. When you see the naked, that you cover him, that you hide not yourself from your own flesh. Then shall your light break forth, as the morning in your health shall spring forth speedily." Verse 9 says, "...Then you shall call, and the Lord shall answer.

   You shall cry, and he shall say, Here am I. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, the speaking vanity, draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul." You see, this is the key. What God is after, what God wants, is a change in our life. A fast that is acceptable to God, must be a springboard to real, deep change.

   It's not just a matter of going through a form, and it's certainly not a matter of trying to impress other people. Because fasting is for a specific purpose. Fasting has to do with a change, and a transformation of our lives.

   Now it's interesting, as we look here in Isaiah 58:3, let me call your attention to something. The word afflicted. Now this is the term that's used back in Leviticus 23, when God tells us that we are to afflict our souls, on the Day of Atonement.

   On the 10th day of the 7th month, we are to afflict our souls from evening to evening, from sunset to sunset, this period of time. Isaiah 58:3, Wherefore have we fasted, and you don't see, wherefore have we afflicted our souls. This expression, to afflict our souls, is a term that is used several places in Scripture.

   Now what does that mean? You know, sometimes people have the idea that what fasting is all about, is you sort of make God feel sorry for you. You go hungry, and go around with a draggy look, and sort of down at the mouth, and you have that lean and hungry look, and maybe God will look down, and He'll just sort of feel sorry for you. Well that's not what this is talking about at all.

   Now, there is this term afflict, but what does it mean? How else is it used in Scripture? Just turn over a few pages in your Bible, to Isaiah chapter 66, and notice here in verses 1 and 2 (Isaiah 66:1-2). Isaiah 66, Thus says the Eternal, The heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool, where is the house that you shall build unto me, and where is the place of my rest? For all those things has my hand made. All those things have been, says the Lord, but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembles at my word. The great God, the great God, the one that created the universe, the one that flung out the heavens, the one that put the stars in their place, that designed the solar systems and the galaxies that exist throughout this vast universe, the great powerful God, the one that created this orb, this little earth, out in the midst of the blackness of space, the great God of all power, the one who said, Let there be light, and there was light, the one that brought everything that exists into existence.

   That great God, sitting on His throne in the heavens, is going to take note of us. You know, if you want to get in to see someone of great importance, maybe the governor of your state, or the president of the United States, or the Prime Minister of your country, or the king, or the queen, you know, it's pretty important that you have to be an important person to walk in there, because just the average person, you don't walk up to the White House, or to Buckingham Palace, or to Downing Street, or any place like that. You don't just walk up and come in and be taken note of.

   But the great God, the one who is so far greater than any human leader, says, To this man will I look, to this person, the one that is poor and of a contrite spirit, that trembles at my word, the one who really stands in awe of God. Now it's interesting, the term poor, that's translated poor in Isaiah 66:2, is the same term that we saw back in Isaiah 58:3 that was translated afflicted. You see, we fast to make our voice to be heard on high.

   God says, this is the person that I'm going to listen to, the one that stands in awe of me, the one that recognizes his own total lack of self-sufficiency, the one that recognizes his total dependence upon God, the one that recognizes how great God is, and how small and tiny and puny we are as human beings by comparison. You know, fasting sort of puts us in that frame of mind, because it's a little bit hard to be all puffed up and proud and strutting around when you're beginning to feel a little tired and a little weak, and a little bit run down. Now let's go on, let's notice elsewhere, this same term is used back in Psalm 35, back in Psalm 35:13.

   David here writing in Psalm 35 is talking about his pattern, his practice. He talked about even praying for his enemies, and in Psalm 35:13 he says, As for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I humbled my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom.

   I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother. David said that he humbled his soul with fasting. This word that's translated humbled right here in Psalm 35:13, is the same word that's translated afflicted in Leviticus 23.

   It's translated afflicted in Isaiah 58. It's translated poor back in Isaiah 66. We bring ourselves, the purpose, when we're told to afflict our souls on the Day of Atonement, fasting is a tool to humble our soul, to bring us low.

   Now that's interesting because there's another word, there are a couple of different words that are used in Scripture to describe what takes place when we fast. This particular word that refers to being afflicted, is translated afflicted or poor or humble, is another word that, there's a different word that is used back in II Chronicles 7. Now in II Chronicles 7, we read of the dedication of Solomon's temple. And in II Chronicles 7, Solomon made an end of praying.

   We're told in verse 1 (II Chronicles 7:1), this was at the dedication ceremony, and the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices and the glory of the Eternal filled the house. What an awesome event. If you remember the story that we're given back at the end of the book of Exodus when the tabernacle was reared up.

   It was reared up almost exactly a year after Israel had come out of Egypt, in the beginning of the first month of the second year after the Exodus. So just over a year, the tabernacle was reared up, everything was set up, everything was put in place, and then we're told that God filled the inner court of the tabernacle with the cloud, the shakhanah glory. He filled that with his glory and miraculously sent fire out from the Holy of Holies, out through the door of the tabernacle and consumed the offerings on the altar of sacrifice.

   Now, here we are, several centuries later. The temple has been erected and it's built there and it is the successor to the tabernacle. And once again, in a very miraculous way, the glory of God fills the house.

   Fire comes down and burns the sacrifice on the altar. The priest could not enter into the house of the Eternal because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down and the glory of the Eternal upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshipped.

   And they praised the Eternal, saying, For he is good, his mercy endures forever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Eternal. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice, 22,000 oxen, 120,000 sheep.

   The king and all the people dedicated the house of God. And the priests waited on their offices. The Levites also, with the instruments of music, all the things David had designed.

   Now, as we come on down, we find that God told Solomon, he appeared to Solomon by night after the dedication of the temple, recorded in verse 12 (II Chronicles 7:12). And he told Solomon, I've heard your prayer. And I've chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice.

   And if I shut up heaven, that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people, if my people that are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. If my people that are called by my name shall humble themselves. That phrase is a slightly different word.

   It is a different word than is used earlier, but it has to do with fasting. As we're going to note, we humble ourselves. II Chronicles chapter 13 describes another event on down in verses 17 and 18 (II Chronicles 13:17-18).

   It describes an event that took place after the, well, several years after Solomon's death. When he died, his son Rehoboam succeeded to the throne, and then Judah and Israel split with Jeroboam reigning over the ten tribes of northern Israel and Rehoboam reigning over the tribes of Judah. Now, the story as we pick it up here is right after Rehoboam's death and his son Abijah is now ruling, Solomon's grandson.

   And in verse 17, we'll pick up the story. II Chronicles 13, Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter. There fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

   Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Eternal God of their fathers. The children of Israel, the northern ten tribes, were brought under. Now, this is the phrase that was used, that we saw earlier in II Chronicles 7, where God said, if my people that are called by my name shall humble themselves.

   Well, that expression means to be brought under. Here we see that when Judah and Israel had a conflict, had a war, and Judah was successful, they prevailed because of God's blessing, and a vast, huge amount of the army of Israel was slaughtered. We're told that Israel was brought under.

   They were greatly weakened as a result of that. Now, let me show you another example, back in Psalm 107. We'll go back to Psalm 107.

   This Psalm is telling about the story of God having brought Israel out into the wilderness after he had brought them out of Egypt, and it tells how in Psalm 107:4, they wandered in the wilderness and they cried to the Lord. Verse 6 (Psalm 107:6-12), He delivered them. He led them forth by a right way.

   Verse 8, Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men. He satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with goodness.

   Such as sit in darkness and the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron, because they rebelled against the words of God and condemned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore He brought down their heart with labor. They fell down and there was none to help.

   He brought down. This expression, to bring low or to bring down, is the expression that is also translated humbled. We humble our soul with fasting.

   We bring ourselves down. We seek to humble ourselves. That's what God wants us to do in the context of fasting.

   That's the purpose of fasting. Now let's notice one other scripture that along this line. This is back in Psalm 119.

   In Psalm 119, we'll pick it up in verse 57 (Psalm 119:57-71). You are my portion, O Eternal. I have said that I would keep your word.

   I entreated your favor with my whole heart. Be merciful unto me according to your word. I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto your testimonies.

   That's why it's important to meditate on God's word. You know, you can pray and talk to God. You can read God's word and God can talk to you.

   But you've got to think about it. You've got to meditate. You've got to turn it over in your mind and think about different circumstances and situations.

   The psalmist says, I thought on your ways. Then I turned my feet to your testimonies. Because as we think about what we're doing, as we think about the way we're living, then we look at God's law, God's word, as you're reading and studying God's word, and then you meditate on what's going on in your life, it provides a means of turning our feet, of getting more back on track.

   I made haste, the psalmist writes in verse 60, I made haste and delayed not to keep the commandments. When you think on your ways, and you begin to realize that you're a little off course, that maybe your pathway is taking you in a little different direction than the way that God wants you to go, what do you do? Do we drag our feet? Do we procrastinate? Do we sort of delay and put off making changes? Do we really think about our lives? Do we regularly evaluate what we're doing and the way we're living, and compare it to God's word? And when we do that, do we make haste? Do we have a sense of urgency to change? David writes in verse 62, he says, At midnight I'll rise to give thanks unto you because of your righteous judgments. So he would even get up sometimes in the night.

   You know, you wake up, and when David would wake up at night, it was an opportunity to pray to God, and to give thanks to God for the wonderful things God had done. He goes on in verse 65, You've dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I've believed your commandments.

   Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept your word. You're good, and do good. Teach me your statutes.

   The proud affords to lie against me, but I'll keep your precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight in your law. It's good for me that I've been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes.

   You see, we can afflict our own souls to bring ourselves low, to humble ourselves, to make our minds and our hearts receptive to God, to put ourselves in a frame of mind where we see our insignificance in God's greatness and grandeur and power. We can afflict our own souls to bring ourselves down. Or, if we don't, sooner or later, God will have to afflict us.

   God will have to bring us down. You know, Solomon told the people, if you humble yourselves and seek God, He'll listen. We find that a matter of a few years, actually about, probably about five decades or so after Solomon had spoken those words, the house of Israel certainly did not afflict themselves and seek God.

   They didn't bring themselves low and seek God's help, so God brought them low with the armies of Abijah, and a whole vast multitude of them were slaughtered. If we don't bring ourselves low, ultimately God has to bring us low through circumstances. Because if God is working in our lives and He's seeking to change us, to transform us, to bring us into His family, to make us like Him, then it involves our having to have a perspective that recognizes the greatness and power of God and that recognizes our own puniness, our own lack of self-sufficiency, our own lack of human significance in terms of anything that we are, to bring ourselves low.

   Fasting plays a very important role. Now, what does that have to do with the Day of Atonement? We can see how fasting plays an important role in our lives and our relationship to God, but what does that have to do with the Day of Atonement? Now, with that in mind, let's go back to the book of Ephesians, chapter 2. In Ephesians chapter 2, the Apostle Paul writes, we'll pick it up in verse 1 (Ephesians 2:1-5), you has he quickened, you has he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, among whom we all had our conduct in times past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. God has called us.

   We, we're told in verse 5, were dead in sins, and he has quickened us. He's made us alive with Christ. But we're told that in times past, we were just like everybody else.

   We walked according to the patterns of this world, according to the course. We followed the world's standards. Now, where does the world get its standards? Walk according to the course of this world? To walk according to the pattern, to fit in with this society, to be part and parcel of this world, this society, this culture? Do you know what really is the basis of this world's society? The apostle John tells us in the book of I John, tells us in I John chapter 2 (I John 2:16), all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, the lust of the eyes, it's not of the Father, it's of the world.

   The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, that is the basis of this society. And we all walked according to the pattern, the course of this world. We fit in with the world.

   We were part and parcel of it. We blended in with this society. But the question is, from where does this society receive its identity? What is the source of the pattern of this world? Because brethren, we need to understand, if we fit in with the world, we don't fit in with God.

   You can't walk with God and run with the devil all at the same time. John explains in I John chapter 2 that this world is going to pass away and the lust thereof. The ways of this world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, the whole basis of our society is going to be relegated to the trash heap of history in just a few years.

   It's going to pass away. Now, we're told here by the Apostle Paul that this world is, the pattern of this world derives, it is according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. So this world really derives from Satan the devil.

   It takes its identity. It takes its pattern of life based on lust and pride. It takes its pattern of life from Satan.

   Now that's important to understand. Now let's go back and understand where did Satan originate? This world derives from him. The pattern, the course of this world derives from him.

   We all fit in with that. We were part of that. Let's go back to Isaiah chapter 14.

   In Isaiah 14:12, we'll pick it up. How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How are you cut down to the ground that did weaken the nations? You have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

   I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.

   That's what Lucifer said. That great Cherub, that great created being said in his heart, I'll ascend above the heights of the clouds. I'm going to be like the Most High.

   Now let's go back to a parallel account, an account that describes the same events in Ezekiel chapter 28. In chapter 26, God begins an indictment against the city of Tyre, the city-state, the great commercial empire of the day, in Ezekiel's day. Then chapter 27 continues a prophecy against Tyre.

   And in chapter 28, the prophecy becomes directed at the prince of Tyre, beginning in verse 2 of chapter 28. But in verse 12, there's a change. Chapter 28:2 starts out talking about the prince of Tyre, the human ruler.

   But in verse 12 (Ezekiel 28:12), Ezekiel is told, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyre. Now what's the difference between the prince of Tyre and the king of Tyre? Well let's notice a little bit about this being that is called the king of Tyre, the real ruler. Take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyre and say unto him, Thus says the Eternal God, You seal up the psalm full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

   You have been in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone which you're covering, it goes and enumerates various beautiful jewels You've been in Eden, the garden of God. Is that talking about the human ruler of Tyre? Is that talking about the human being that directed that great city state? Or is that talking about something else? Well let's go on.

   It talks about the various jewels that were a part of your covering. The sardius, the topaz, the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, the carbuncle, and gold. The workmanship of your tabreys and your pipes were prepared in you in the day you were created.

   This is a created being. You are the anointed Cherub that covers. And I have set you so.

   You were upon the holy mountain of God. You've walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created until iniquity was found in you.

   By the multitude of your merchandise they filled the midst of you with violence. You've sinned and I will cast you out as profane. I'll cast you out of the mountain of God.

   Verse 17, Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness. Now, let's put that together with Isaiah 14.

   Let's understand. Let me ask you a question. What was the original sin? You ever thought about that? What was the original sin? In traditional Catholic doctrine and many of the Protestants use the same term, they use that expression original sin.

   And they attach that term to what Adam and Eve did in the garden in taking of the tree of the forbidden fruit. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But was that the original sin? Oh no brethren.

   The original sin is described right here. The one who committed the original sin was Lucifer. The original sin was pride.

   Pride is the fountainhead from which all other sin has flowed. You see, Lucifer was perfect in his ways from the day that he was created until iniquity was found in him. So up until that point there was no sin.

   Where did sin come from? Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. Lucifer began to focus on himself. He focused on his beauty, his wisdom.

   He focused on all he had, all that he was. His whole focus was on himself. And as he focused on himself, then his focus got away from God.

   Well, it got away from God in terms of being thankful to God and worshiping and praising God. And instead, Lucifer began to look at it that you know he had ideas and his ideas were just as good as God's. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that his ideas were better than God's ideas.

   That was his attitude. That was his approach. His heart was lifted up.

   He said, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

   I'm going to be like God. I'm going to take over everything that has happened, all of the pain, all of the suffering, all of the grief, all of the misery, all of the heartache, all of the hunger and the famine and the war and the disease. Every wretched thing that has occurred on this earth from the days of Adam until now have ultimately flowed from that original sin.

   Because the whole world follows a pattern that derives from Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air, the wicked spirit that works in the children of disobedience. Satan is what Lucifer became. Lucifer, the light bringer, was perfect in his ways from the day that he was created until iniquity was found in him, until his heart began to be lifted up by pride and he decided to exalt himself.

   Now when we understand that, it brings into focus the statement that God brings out through the pen of various prophets and apostles that God resists the proud and gives more grace to the humble. God's gifts are poured out on those who are truly humble. Now we saw earlier that fasting is a tool to humble ourselves, to humble our souls.

   Let's go on a little further. Job chapter 41 gives an interesting description. Here in Job 41, the, right toward the end of God's dealings with Job, he describes, he talks about Leviathan.

   Leviathan is a great serpentine creature that is described here in Job 41. And, God asked Job the question about Leviathan. Can you draw him out with a hook? Describing this great dragon-like serpentine creature.

   But as we come on down through the end of Job 41, notice what we're told speaking of Leviathan because this serpentine creature is used as a type descriptive of Satan. Isn't Satan called that old dragon? Satan the devil that deceives the whole world? Notice what God writes, or inspired Job to write, in Job 41:34, speaking of Leviathan, he beholds all high things. He is a king over all the children of pride.

   Leviathan, that great dragon, the king over all the children of pride. Now, perhaps we're beginning to understand a little more the connection. We're going to tie this in here in just a few moments.

   Let's go back to Genesis, and let's understand the events that are brought out here in Genesis chapters 2 and 3. We read that God created Adam and Eve, created Adam, and then when there was not found a help fitting or suitable for Adam, God put Adam into a deep sleep, and He took from Adam a rib, and from that rib He made a woman. Now, God created Adam and Eve. They were in a beautiful environment, a beautiful garden, and God gave instructions.

   God said, you can have any of the things in this garden. You can have fruit from any of the trees, but there's one tree you need to leave alone. That tree over there in the midst of the garden, that's the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

   Don't touch it. Leave it alone. Well, as we come on down through the story in Genesis chapter 3, we encounter the serpent, Satan.

   The serpent, we're told, was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said unto the woman, Has God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, Oh, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but the fruit of the tree that's in the midst of the garden, God said, you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. See, the devil came along, encountered Eve, and he said, Hey, nice place you got here. You know, looks like a beautiful spot, a lot of trees, a lot of fruit.

   Does God let you have any of it? Oh, she said, Oh, yes. Yeah, we can, we can have everything here we want, except for that one right over there, the one over where you are, because if we eat that, we'll die. And the serpent said, You shall not surely die.

   Oh, no, you're not going to die. You mean God didn't tell you that you're an immortal soul? You can't die. Oh, no.

   Oh, you see, God is saving the best for Himself. God knows if you eat of this tree, you'll be like Him. You'll know what He knows.

   Oh, you know, God's, God's not being fair to you. Now, we're told that the woman saw that the tree was good. She saw that it was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and it was a tree to be desired to make one wise.

   Remember back in I John 2, we saw that all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, it's not of the Father, but it's of the world. The world takes its course, its pattern from Satan the devil. Where did the pride of life, where did the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes originate? Right here in Genesis 3. What did Satan appeal to? Eve saw that it was good for food.

   You know, maybe the devil came along at lunchtime. She was a little bit hungry. It was good for food.

   So she desired it because she was hungry and she wanted to fill the desires of the flesh. It's good for food. It was pleasant to the eyes.

   It looked good. It was attractive. It was enticing in terms of its look.

   So it appealed to the lust of the flesh, the physical appetite. It appealed to the lust of the eyes. And it was a tree to be desired to make one wise.

   It appealed to the pride of life. You see, that is the fountainhead of this world's civilization flowing from our first parents. Now you know the story.

   Eve took some and she gave some to Adam and he took some. A little bit later, of course, when God came along, what do you find Adam and Eve? Well, they're not around. They're hiding.

   They're behind the bushes. You know, isn't that a crazy thing? The idea that somehow God will never notice? You know, God just come along and He'll never notice. He'll never know.

   God said, Adam, where are you? Oh, you know, I'm back here hiding. Adam, have you by any chance eaten the fruit of the tree that I told you to leave alone? Well, the woman, the one that you gave me, she's the one that took of it. She did it.

   And I sort of took a little bite. You see, that’s human nature. That's the approach that the world has that is the natural human approach to guilt.

   Try to cover it up. And if you get caught and put on the spot, then blame somebody else. You know, there's nothing new about that.

   Whether we're talking about Adam and Eve, or whether we're talking about Enron. It's just, it's the same old pattern. When you do things that you shouldn't do, the natural human tendency, number one is to cover up, number two is to blame other folks.

   You know, God asked Adam, and he blamed Eve, and he asked Eve, and he said, Eve, is that true? And she said, well, now the serpent, he beguiled me. It wasn't my fault. I was tricked.

   You know, God didn't even want to hear the devil's excuse. He didn't ask him. The point is, a spirit of pride and self-sufficiency is infused by Satan.

   And that is the source of our estrangement from God. You know, up until this point, man had close, intimate fellowship with the Creator. God walked in the garden.

   God talked with Adam and Eve. A close, intimate fellowship with their Creator. But now they were estranged.

   Now, guilt and shame came into play. God expelled them from the garden because he said, in the state that you are, a state of sin, a state of being cut off. You're now under the death penalty.

   I can't let you take of the fruit of the tree of life. You can't have that right now. But God pointed them toward what would ultimately cover.

   We're told on down in Genesis 3, you see, Adam and Eve had tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. Their covering didn't work. God provided a cover.

   God were told made them coats of animal skins. Now, if you're going to make a coat out of an animal skin, the first thing you have to do is kill the animal, isn't it? So, the details are not given. But when you get to Genesis 4, we read of Abel taking of his flock, taking a lamb and slaughtering that lamb and presenting it to God as a sacrifice.

   How did Abel know about sacrifices? How did he know that you ought to offer a sacrifice to God? How did he know that slaughtering an animal and specifically slaughtering a lamb was the appropriate way to go? Undoubtedly, God had instructed it because the lamb that Abel took out of his flock and slaughtered pointed toward the one who would ultimately come as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Undoubtedly, the Bible doesn't tell us specifically in Genesis 3 what animal God slaughtered or what animals God slaughtered to make clothes for Adam and Eve. But I think when you put the whole story together, in Scripture, undoubtedly he slaughtered sheep.

   And in pouring out the blood of that lamb or those sheep on the ground, Adam and Eve were introduced to the fact of what is death. And they were pointed toward the one who would ultimately take their place and your place and my place. The one who would come as the lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.

   They were pointed toward that and God, in slaughtering the animals, produced something for a covering for Adam and Eve. Now, that look forward and that anticipates what will ultimately be a covering for sin. It is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that is our real covering for sin.

   Now, with that in mind, let's go to Leviticus chapter 16. I want to show you in these instructions which have to do with the ceremonies pertaining to the Day of Atonement. In Leviticus 16, we'll pick up the story initially here in verse 29 (Leviticus 16:29).

   This shall be a statute forever unto you, that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your soul. That's today, the Day of Atonement. And you shall do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country or one of your own stranger that sojourns among you.

   And on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before the Eternal. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and you shall afflict your souls by a statute forever. So, we're still afflicting our souls.

   We're humbling ourselves. We're bringing ourselves low before God on this day. Now, we've seen that sin flowed from Satan.

   And ultimately, sin flowed from the sin of pride. All other sins flowed out from that. Satan then infused his attitude, his spirit of pride, of self-sufficiency, into Adam and Eve.

   You don't have to listen to God. You don't have to take his word for it. You don't have to just do what he says.

   Here, take a bite. Find out for yourself. Try it.

   And mankind has been following that way of experience and experiment ever since. Now, notice the ceremony that took place every year in ancient Israel on the Day of Atonement. In Leviticus chapter 16, Aaron was told in verse 7, (Leviticus 16:7) that he was the high priest and successor high priest followed these instructions.

   He was to take two goats and he was to present them before the Eternal at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he was to cast lots upon the two goats. One lot for the Eternal and the other lot for the scapegoat, as it rendered in the King James and several other translations.

   Actually, the term that is translated scapegoat here is really sort of an interpretation. The word in the Hebrew is Azazel. It is a proper name.

   But the translators didn't know exactly how to translate it. And the word scapegoat is based on the fact that it was an older English expression, meaning the goat that escaped because the two goats were taken to the door of the tabernacle and the lots were cast. One lot was cast for God.

   One goat was chosen for God. And the other for Azazel. The goat that was chosen for God was slaughtered and offered as a sacrifice.

   The blood of that goat was taken in to the holy of holies, was taken in before the ark, before the mercy seat. The other goat the one that was chosen for Azazel, the priest laid his hands on the head of that goat and confessed over that goat all the sins of the nations. And then that goat was taken by the hand of a fit man, we're told.

   Taken in to the wilderness. Taken in to a remote desolate area and let go. Well, the translators of the King James Bible looked upon that as the escaped goat, the one that escaped as opposed to the one chosen for God.

   And so they used that term, scapegoat, which meant the goat that escaped. It's interesting how words change meaning in the English language because as you come on down to a period now almost 400 years after the translation of the King James Bible, when we use the word scapegoat today, we're using it to mean someone who is unfairly blamed for what others have done. That's the connotation that it's taken on.

   Well, in the symbolism of Leviticus 16, the goat for Azazel is not being unfairly blamed. Azazel is not being unfairly blamed because Azazel is, frankly, another name for Satan the devil. Now, notice the two goats are chosen.

   One is sacrificed to God. The blood is taken in within the veil. That's what we're told in verse 15, that Aaron shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring his blood within the veil and brings that in and sprinkles it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

   Symbolic of the very throne of God. So, now an atonement is made. We find that after this is done, verse 21, Aaron lays hands on the head of the live goat, confesses the sins of the nation, and then this goat, this Azazel goat, is now sent away into the wilderness.

   To bear upon him all the iniquities into a land not inhabited. Now, let's go back at this point to the book of Revelation. Let's go back to Revelation, chapter 20. Let's notice the sequence of events that takes place at the return of Jesus Christ.

   We just celebrated the Feast of Trumpets a few days earlier. We always look forward to it. We anticipate that. That's the beginning of the full festival. And we read the scriptures in the book of Revelation.

   We anticipate the time of the great trumpet blasts that are made, the great angelic trumpet blasts that signal the intervention of the great God as God steps into history, that signal His intervention, the events of the day of the Lord that culminate with the return of Jesus Christ at the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet of the book of Revelation. When the seventh trumpet is blown, the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15, I Thessalonians 4, tells us that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, the trumpet shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise.

   That's the time of the resurrection, a time when this mortal will put on immortality. But there are other things that take place as you read the story in the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 19 describes the events of the destruction that the punishment that is going to take place on these armies that are gathered outside Jerusalem, these rebellious armies, describes the beast and the false prophet in verse 20 that are cast alive into a lake burning with fire and brimstone.

   Now, understand about that, here are individuals who have claimed to be divine, who demanded worship, and people all over the world have been impressed. The first thing Christ is going to do is he's going to throw them into the fire and they're going to burn up. And in effect, he's going to say, you see, these are simply mortals.

   They're not divine, they don't have some great power, they're nothing but human beings. Throw them in the fire and they burn up. Now, what happens next? Chapter 20, verse 1, (Revelation 20:1) says, I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, the great abyss, and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years.

   First place you read about serpent in the Bible is Genesis 3. Now, in Revelation 20, you find out what happens to the serpent. The serpent that beguiled Eve. The serpent that was the one who established the course and the pattern of this world, of this society, of this culture.

   The source from which this world takes its identity, an identity based on lust, based on pride and vanity. God resists the proud. He gives more grace, more of his gifts to those that are truly humble.

   Satan, the devil, that old serpent, the dragon, Leviathan is going to be bound for a thousand years. He's placed in this great abyss and it's shut up. A seal is set on him that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are fulfilled.

   And after that, he's loosed for a little season. Then John goes on to write in verse 4 (Revelation 20:4), and I saw thrones and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of those, the lives of those beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, those that did not worship the beast neither his image, neither had received his mark; and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

   The rest of the dead didn't live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

   Ruling and reigning with Christ, sitting on thrones. This is what we're going to be picturing in just a few days at the Feast of Tabernacles. We look forward to, we anticipate the millennium.

   We anticipate the time when the saints will rule and reign with Jesus Christ, when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. We look forward to that time when the Lord will make a feast of fat things, for all the world.

   A time of abundance. A time of peace. A time of joy. A time described in the prophets when everyone, every man will sit under his own vine, his own fig tree.

   None will make them afraid. A time when the government of God will rule the world. When the knowledge of the true God and his ways will cover the earth like the waters cover the sea.

   But you know what makes the millennium the millennium? It's not enough for Christ to be here. It's not enough for the resurrected saints to be ruling under him. It takes something else.

   You know what that is? First, you have to get rid of the devil. You can't have the millennium with the devil present. Now, the proof of that is if you just come on down a few verses and you find at the end of a thousand years, Satan is turned loose.

   He's let loose out of his prison for a little season. And what does he immediately do? He goes forth to deceive the nations all over in the four quarters of the earth. First thing you find is that Satan gets things stirred up, gets people stirred up, and the millennium is over.

   Then God has to deal very drastically with those that Satan has stirred up and deal with Satan himself. You see, you can't have the millennium if the devil is here. Satan's removal sets the stage for the kingdom of God to hold sway on this earth.

   You can't have the millennium. Satan has to be removed. He has to be gotten rid of because he is the wicked spirit that works in the children of disobedience.

   He is the prince of the power of the air. He's the one that infuses into humanity the spirit of pride, the spirit of self-sufficiency, all of the attitudes that take man away from God. The attitudes that have created the society, the civilization, the culture that you and I live in the midst of right now.

   An incredible set of events. Now, let me show you something else. In this case, we'll go back to the book of Isaiah, and I want to show you what happens in terms of the launching of the millennium.

   We'll go back here to Isaiah 27. Isaiah 27. Now, we can tie in the events of Isaiah 27. Well, let's come back just a little bit earlier here to the end of chapter 26.

   We'll pick it up in Isaiah 26:20. Come, my people. Enter you into your chambers.

   Shut your doors about you. Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation be overpassed. This is talking about God's protection of his people during the tribulation and the day of the Lord.

   Behold, the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the for their iniquity. The earth shall disclose her blood. There'll be no more.

   She'll no more cover her slain. So, this is talking about the time of Christ's return. In that day, Isaiah 27:1, the Lord with his great sword, his strong sword, shall punish Leviathan, the piercing serpent, even Leviathan, that crooked serpent.

   Now, we saw back in Job 41, that Leviathan was used as a metaphor to describe that great serpent that is king over all the children of pride. Christ returns.

   He's going to punish Leviathan. If we come on down to the end of chapter 27 in verse 13 (Isaiah 27:13). It shall come to pass in that day that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcast in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Eternal and the holy mount at Jerusalem.

   Now, often people read this and they just automatically assume that the trumpet that is blown is the seventh and last trumpet. They think in terms of the Feast of Trumpets. Do you know that there is a trumpet that was blown on the Day of Atonement? It was blown only on specific days of Atonement, but it's described in Leviticus 25.

   Leviticus 25:8, says you shall number seven sabbaths of years, 49 years. Seven times, seven years, the space of seven sabbaths of years, shall be unto you 49 years. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month in the Day of Atonement.

   Shall you make the trumpet sound throughout all your land, you shall howl the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land, liberty unto all the inhabitants thereof. It shall be a Jubilee.

   You shall return every man to his possession. You shall return every man to his family. The Jubilee.

   It's holy to you. Verse 12. The Jubilee.

   The trumpet of the Jubilee was sounded on the Day of Atonement. Now, have you ever thought about why the Jubilee year ran not from the first day of the seventh month for the rest of the year? It didn't start on the first day of the month. It started on the tenth day of the month.

   It didn't start on the Feast of Trumpets. It started on the Day of Atonement. It is a proclamation of liberty.

   It is a proclamation that allows a return. The trumpet that is described in Isaiah 57 is the trumpet of the Jubilee. Isaiah 27 opens with the fact that God is going to punish Leviathan, that great serpent, that king over all the children of pride.

   That is the price of millennium. We read in Revelation chapter 20 of Satan being put away for the thousand years. The symbolism that took place on the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16, the goat that was chosen to represent Azazel to represent Satan.

   That is the one that is put away. That is put into a desolate area. That is descriptive of what happens.

   When the great trumpet, the trumpet of the Jubilee is blown, then those who were in captivity are brought back. They are regathered. They come back to inherit the heritage of their ancestors, the heritage of Abraham, their forefather.

   This sets the stage for the millennium. It sets the stage for the rule of the kingdom of God. Before the kingdom of God can hold sway over the earth and bring about a paradise, the king over all the children of pride has to be removed, and the timing of his removal is connected with the trumpet of the Jubilee.

   It is connected with the ushering in of liberation of freedom. We are here celebrating the Day of Atonement. As human beings, we have been estranged and separated from God.

   We've been estranged and separated from God as a result of the wiles of the devil. The crafty cleverness of that old serpent, that great dragon, Satan the devil. The devil's never believed in truth and advertising.

   He presents himself as an angel of light. He doesn't say, I'm the devil and I'm here to deceive you. He appears as an angel of light.

   But he's the great deceiver and he infuses this spirit, this attitude of pride. We're gathered here today to celebrate the removal of Satan. The removal of the one who initially came between God and man.

   The one whose spirit and attitude of pride is the fountainhead of every sin and of every problem that has flowed down through the centuries and the millennia. We celebrate the removal of the king over all the children of pride by doing what? By afflicting our soul. By humbling ourselves.

   By bringing ourselves low. We are in effect telling God that we reject the authority and the rule in our lives of the one who's king over all the children of pride. Because we don't want to be the children of pride.

   We want to be those who are lowly and meek. Those who stand in awe of the great God. Those who are impressed with God and not with ourselves.

   Those who recognize and realize that of ourselves we can do nothing. We can do nothing. But through him that strengthens us, we can do all things.

   And so, while we've been estranged and separated as a result of Satan. While we've imbibed his attitude of pride and self-sufficiency. We've been in times past a part of this world.

   A part of this civilization. A part of this culture. Fasting is an antidote for pride.

   It's an antidote for a spirit of self-sufficiency. As you begin to get hungry. As you don't quite have the energy you used to have.

   Maybe you're feeling a little thick-headed. Sort of hard to be cocky and think you're self-sufficient. You begin to realize a glass of water is going to taste pretty good.

   A meal this evening after sunset is going to taste pretty good. You'll feel a little better. You'll have a little more physical strength.

   We're reminded of our total lack of self-sufficiency. Our total dependence on the great God. The one who gives us life and breath.

   So, fasting is a tool that helps to remove that which blocks our access to God. Pride blocks access to God. Pride blocks God working in us and through us.

   This Holy Day, the Day of Atonement, sets the stage for the events that are going to take place. The time when God will make a feast of fat things to all the world. We anticipate and look forward to that festive period pictured by the coming Feast of Tabernacles.

   But before we can feast, first we must fast.