Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends:
Some of you might remember the following famous words of Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986), saying that this is a world of awesome progress and appalling evil. And how true this is! We can send humans to the moon and back; we can create highly sophisticated spaceships, satellites, airplanes, cars, robots and other magnificent accomplishments; but at the same time, we are not able to solve the mounting problems which are plaguing mankind, such as sickness, disease, famine, war and poverty—just to name a few.
Many suffer under oppressive and restrictive governments which all seem to have a hostile attitude towards the true God and His laws, while they are motivated and driven by a desire to control their “subjects” and influence or brainwash them through their propaganda and political ideologies.
If we are honest, we must conclude that we cannot find righteous political leadership ANYWHERE on this planet, and that is why no human government knows the way to peace and happiness.
Some think they could eradicate the evils of this world through violence and war. They participate in revolutions with the goal of toppling their government and replacing it with a “better” one. However, the replacement will be hardly an improvement—and in far too many cases, the situation will have become worse than before.
Others might try to bring about change by more peaceful means—through political campaigns perhaps and through voting in governmental elections—and if God’s people are not careful, they might also fall into this ditch of wrongful thinking, believing that we in God’s Church can and should help to make this present world a better place.
However, this is Satan’s world, not God’s, and every attempt to improve Satan’s handiwork will fail. The ONLY hope and SOLUTION for mankind is the return of Jesus Christ and the restoration of God’s Kingdom and His government on and over the earth. Christ will not try to reform Satan’s rule over this world—He will DEFEAT and DESTROY this world’s governments and REPLACE their leaders, while establishing a NEW and RIGHTEOUS government on earth—which will be administered by the Family of God OVER man. Human beings will not rule this earth any longer, nor will they be in God’s Kingdom; rather, they will be ruled by God’s Kingdom.
True Christians should concentrate on the great commission which God has given His Church in these last days—to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness, and to feed His Flock. Mankind is unable to solve its problems—only God CAN do this. The sooner we have completed our God-given task of ANNOUNCING the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ and the ESTABLISHMENT of GOD’s rule on this earth, the earlier the anticipated and desired future will have become reality.
God’s Church is getting ready to celebrate God’s Holy Days in the autumn, which remind us of God’s incredible plan of salvation for all of mankind and the only solution for this present evil world. The fall festival season begins with the Feast of Trumpets (September 25, 2014), picturing the return of Jesus Christ and our resurrection to eternal life and entry in God’s Kingdom, when God’s enemies will be defeated and human rule will become a thing of the past.
The next annual Holy Day, the Fast Day of Atonement (October 4), symbolizes the banishment of Satan the Devil and his imprisonment in the “bottomless pit,” preventing him from deceiving the nations any longer.
A few days later, we begin celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days (beginning with the opening night of October 8, and lasting until sunset of October 15), picturing God’s peaceful and righteous rule on and over this earth for 1,000 years. The Millennium will be heaven on earth, so to speak—not remotely resembling its dictatorial perversion propagated by Adolf Hitler who spoke of his 1,000-year-Reich of demonic rule.
No, God’s rule, administered by Jesus Christ and true Christians made immortal, will bring something to this earth which man has never experienced since a brief fleeting moment enjoyed by Adam and Eve—peace, tranquility, prosperity and TRUE and LASTING happiness, without hatred, violence, war, envy, strife and evil thoughts. Then, we will not experience any longer a world of awesome progress and appalling evil, but we will live in a world of awesome progress and incredible good. Humans will be given a new heart and once they qualify, they too will become immortal God beings.
The next and last annual Holy Day, the Eighth or Last Great Day (October 16), pictures a time when all those humans will be resurrected to physical life who had died without having been given an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and to live God’s Way of Life. They will be given that opportunity then… and those in God’s Kingdom will help them to make right choices in order to qualify to become immortal members of God’s Family.
The Last Great Day also symbolizes those who knew better and still decided to rebel against God. They will be resurrected to physical life to be burned up and destroyed in the lake of fire. This will end God’s plan for physical human beings. All will either have become God beings in God’s Kingdom, or they will have been destroyed.
But there is much more, of course, once this aspect of God’s plan for humans has been completed. We read that Christ’s government will have no end, and that the Family of God will rule for all eternity. What will they do?
During sermons at the Feast of Tabernacles, further answers will be given. We will also distribute to our Feast-goers, as a Feast present, printed copies of our newest booklet, “When and How Will Christ Return?”
It is very true that we must keep God’s annual Holy Days if we want to understand fully God’s plan for mankind. Neglecting to observe them will in due course lead to forgetfulness as to their meaning, and what we might have comprehended at one time will soon have disappeared. Sadly, many have experienced this tragic development—they are now walking around in spiritual darkness without knowing where they are going. Let us not make the same mistake.
We are wishing all of you the “best Feast ever.”
With Christian love,
Norbert Link
