Holy Day Prophecy
(Sermon Notes) By Warren Zehrung 9/12/2020
When we look around us each day it is so very easy to become dejected and demoralized by what we see and hear. Disease epidemics, Wild Fires, the economy curtailed, natural disasters, the Chinese Navy surpassing United States Navy in ships and missiles, rioting and burning of our cities, deep corruption in government, lies, lawlessness and Godlessness:
The news media continually paints a negative view that is able so easily to depress us: War, murder and crime in our neighborhoods, hurricanes battering coastlines, nuclear Armageddon just around the corner, political agendas to destroy the president and our Constitutional Republic, broken homes and child delinquency … on and on the list goes.
Brethren, that is the kind of world that Jesus is coming back to remedy. A week from today is the Feast of Trumpets!!! Time is short.
Sometimes it seems that there is so little we can really be thankful for in this society of ours that is rapidly losing what little remains of its moral compass. Brethren, that is why God has graciously given us this Sabbath. and His Holy Days.
I was speaking to a 90-year-old disabled gentleman this week, and because of his age, and the fact that he is now an invalid, he cannot travel to the Feast anymore… In his active years, he was a business man, pilot, investor – and yes, a Church member… But in his mind his Feast memories are as real and valid as if he were packing up to go to the Feast this week. He began to reminisce about earlier Feasts he had attended. He thought back to being with ten-thousand brethren at St. Petersburg, Florida.
It was the same at Big Sandy with 15,000 in attendance, Belknap Springs, Oregon, (that is in the Willamette National Forest), Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania and many other big tent Feast sites across the world. The elderly Church gentleman spoke of the excitement and exhilaration of being there – at the Feast of the Lord! He spoke of the incredible music, singing and fellowship that he enjoyed. The sermons were filled with new truth and anticipation. You could feel the delightful enthusiasm in the air… That elderly gentleman – though slowed down considerably – is not slumbering and sleeping – as so much of the Church of God is.
Matthew 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass;
God wants us to know, because it all points to the Kingdom of God! King David in a Psalm of praise – sang:
Psalm 145:13 Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations.
Psalm 145:15 The eyes of everyone waits upon thee; and thou give them their meat in due season.
Meat in due season = speak on the meanings of the Holy Days. With the Feast coming up, we think about travel to Feast sites, our motel rooms, and feast activities – but brethren, let’s not forget the meanings of the Holy Days – that is what is most important! In God’s Plan, He begins with Passover:
Leviticus 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
Leviticus 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S Passover.
Why does God begin with Passover? What is needed by mankind that is supplied by Passover? Here in Leviticus God has given us a beautiful chronological list of His prophetic Holy Days. God intends that we “live” this narrative every year! He wants us to know what to expect—and He gives us many interim details – like How, after Passover, Jesus Christ is the wave sheaf offering who is presented to His Father for acceptance. But that is getting ahead of the story!
In their brilliant Godly wisdom and love, God the Father and Jesus Christ came up with a magnificent seven-step Plan – a perfect Plan. Seven is God’s number for perfection – so His Holy Days are a perfect little outline and framework of His Plan.
He could have said, “Here are a few thousand details you need to know” – but he considered out frame, and; He remembered that we are dust (Psalm 103:14). God wants His Plan to be clear and straight-forward to us – and it is this:
God the Father and Jesus Christ chose to open their close-knit God-Family to humankind! Wow! That is incredible. The world has been blinded to this magnificent reality!
We have been shown that His Plan is to bring many sons and daughters to the glory of eternal life in the Family of God – the Kingdom of God (Hebrews 2:10). God is very much “Hands-on.” God’s Plan would require their direct intervention, with miracles and angels to bring it about.
God has revealed His glorious Plan to us by way of His Feast Days. That is how we know about His Plan. A lot of God’s Church through the ages were not aware of God’s Plan – because they did not know to keep the Feasts of the Lord.
We are so blessed to have this truth revealed to us! The seven annual Holy Days were ordained by God as “Feasts of the Lord.” They were diligently kept by Jesus Christ, His disciples, and the first-century New Testament Church of God. The world has since gone off into Christmas, Easter, Mardi Gras, Halloween, and a host of nonsense that teaches nothing about God.
Jesus revealed that each Feast has a special prophetic meaning depicting an essential step in God’s master Plan for mankind.
God’s Holy Days describe in prophetic detail how God is working out His Plan. Each of Feasts of the Lord point to measures that God is taking to bring about His Plan for mankind (Leviticus 23:2).
Scripture reveals to us that Passover is the first of God’s annual Feast days.
A lamb in the Old Testament was the symbol for Passover because a lamb was slain at the very beginning of Passover (Exodus 12:6). That lamb was symbolic of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). By the sacrifice of His life, Jesus paid the saving price of redemption for all mankind.
Without that redemptive price having been paid for us – and the world – we would never escape our death penalty – it’s that serious.
In the same way that the blood of the lamb protected ancient Israel’s firstborn from the messenger of death, and delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage – God’s people were bought with the perfect price when Jesus unreservedly sacrificed His life for the sins of the entire world (Exodus 12:23, 1Corinthians 6:20).
These are a few scriptures you may want to read over:
Exodus 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
1Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
What an incredible first step in God’s master Plan of His love for us in that He would literally offer His only begotten Son that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:16-17). What has been achieved by this first step – Passover? Answer: God the Father has reconciled us to Himself (Isaiah 59:2) by Jesus’ sacrifice – so that He no longer sees our sins.
What is needed by mankind that is supplied by the Feast of Unleavened Bread? The Church of God was given instructions in how to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Scripturally, ‘leaven’ typifies and pictures sin. Paul wrote:
1Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us:
1Corinthians 5:8 Therefore, let us keep the Feast [of Unleavened Bread], not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the Unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth.
Truly, Jesus is that Unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth. When we partake of that unleavened bread, we become “unleavened” in a true spiritual sense because Jesus shed His blood in payment of our death sentence for sin (Romans 6:23, Matthew 26:28).
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
The True Bread from heaven, Jesus Christ, transforms our lives by living within us to enable us to be like Him (John 6:32, Galatians 2:20).
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, …my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Unleavened Bread pictures uprightness, and how we must be striving to overcome and come out of sin through the righteousness of Jesus. Christ’s righteousness imputed to us is the second step of God’s Plan (Romans 4:24), but it requires God’s Spirit.
What has been achieved by this Feast of Unleavened Bread? The answer is that we have found out about our need to come out of this world – come out of sin – so that we may be reconciled to God the Father.
We come to the third step in God’s Plan – if we try to skip a step – we go off track! What is needed by mankind that is supplied by Pentecost?
The next phase of God’s Plan for mankind was provided shortly after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Acts 2 we see the fulfillment of the meaning of the Holy Day actually taking place.
The Feast of Pentecost fully came the day Jesus began building His Church by sending God’s Holy Spirit to the New Testament Church brethren (Matthew 16:18). It was a glorious day.
God the Father had promised to send His power from on high (Luke 24:49).
Jesus and His Father make their abode within each Christian through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 14:23). They dwell within us.
God’s Plan necessitated this third stage prior to the Kingdom of God being established on earth. What has been achieved by this Feast of Pentecost? The answer is that without God’s Holy Spirit we are unable to walk in all His ways.
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Deuteronomy 10:13 To keep the Commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
Without God’s Holy Spirit, ancient Israel was unable to walk in all his ways. The Feast of Pentecost remedied that lack of inspiring power for us by bringing the Mind and Spirit of God to us.
Isaiah 64:4 Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what He hath prepared for him that waits for Him.
Paul paraphrased Isaiah this way:
1Corinthians 2:9 As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
The Feasts of the Lord were given to us by God in order to instruct us in His Plan for all mankind. God gave us His Hoy Days in a specific – prophetic order. One Feast day leads to the next.
Now, we approach the end-time – where we are today – entering the remaining Fall Holy Days. God’s Holy Day Plan shows us that the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and the Last Great Day are yet future. Brethren, is there a correlation in how close together the final four stages of God’s Plan are?
Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Leviticus 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath.
That is 22 days in the seventh month for the last four Holy Days! Perhaps that means that the final stages will wind up much more rapidly than the first phases of God’s Plan???
What is needed by mankind that is supplied by the Feast of Trumpets? The Feast of Trumpets is God’s fourth phase in His Plan.
The end-time Church of God is able to recognize that God’s Plan is right on schedule – even as we speak. Next, the Feasts of Trumpets, embracing the second coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the Saints is to be fulfilled – immediately after the Tribulation of Satan’s wrath, and the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:1-11).
This time, Jesus will come in great power – not like His first coming.
Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days …they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Mark 13:24-27, 1Thessalonians 4:16, 1Corinthians 15:52).
The Feast of Trumpets pictures the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord will arrive in conjunction with the Second Coming of Christ. The earth will be purged of all evil works as Jesus destroys the works of the devil.
Notice how God declares that dealing with Satan is an integral part of His Plan:
1John 3:8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus Christ will overcome all evil kings and rulers of this world. He will conquer the Beast and the False Prophet with divine wrath (Revelation 17:13-14; 19:20). He will bind Satan. He will establish the Kingdom of God over all the earth (Revelation 19:14-16).
Jesus will unleash His indignation against all wickedness on the earth described as the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The seven trumpets signal the day of God’s wrath, the Day of the Lord.
Trumpets is God’s fourth phase in His Plan!
The Feast of Trumpets pictures the soon coming return of Jesus Christ in great power to replace the kingdoms of this present world (Revelation 19:15).
We come to the fifth-step. What is needed by mankind that is to be supplied by the Day of Atonement? The Feast of Atonement pictures the beginning of the world’s reconciliation with God.
The Day of Atonement pictures the reconciliation of all mankind with God. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, once and for all, on Passover day, reconciled BOTH the Church to God, and eventually – all the willing world to God.
Jesus Christ’s sacrifice also fulfilled the meaning of the Day of Atonement—reconciliation of the world to God the Father. That reconciliation will come after Jesus returns on Trumpets.
Where Passover concerns the redemption of the firstborn [the Church brethren, the saints, the Christians] whom God has called in every age up to now – before Jesus Christ’s return… The Day of Atonement reveals the reconciliation of all humanity to God the Father – even the entire world (Romans 5:8-10, 2Corinthians 5:18-19).
Romans 5:8 But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Paul also says it clearly in:
2Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [while they are yet sinners – like He did for us (Romans 5:8)]
John spells it out as well:
1John 2:2 Jesus is the atonement sacrifice for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
The Day of Atonement pictures two things Jesus does – He applies the price paid for sin to the entire world, and He removes the guilt of sin also. Jesus Christ made reconciliation to our Father possible when He covered our sins – we no longer carry the guilt.
The Feast of Atonement is an entirely spiritual feast – with no banquet of physical food, it is the time to humble ourselves through fasting. We know that we would soon perish without food and water. We fast in order to draw near to, and be reconciled with God the Father. Before God’s Kingdom can be established on the earth, Satan will be restrained so that he will not hurt and deceive mankind during the millennium.
Leviticus 23:27-28 On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a Day of Atonement: it shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a Day of Atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God.”
The Day of Atonement will see all mankind cleansed of iniquity, and their ultimate reconciliation to the Father. This fifth step, the Day of Atonement, will make way for the millennial rest to begin.
What is needed by mankind that is supplied by the Feast of Tabernacles? The Feast of Tabernacles depicts the formation of the millennial Kingdom of God on earth ruled by Jesus Christ. Remarkably, it is God the Father’s intent, as well as that of Jesus Christ – to dwell with His people. The beloved apostle John related this to us:
Revelation 21:3 I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us.
In the same way that Jesus Christ “tabernacled” with the ancient Israelites in the wilderness, He will “tabernacle” with all believers for a thousand years. The Millennial rule of Jesus Christ will be the sixth step in God’s overall Plan—God’s Kingdom on earth. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the coming Kingdom of God. For seven days, we will be rejoicing before the Lord. We have looked forward to, and saved our second tithe for the Feast all year! We will live like royalty – not only eating whatsoever our heart desires, but enjoying a spiritual Feast – which pictures the wonderful world tomorrow!
Deuteronomy 14:25 … Go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose:
Deuteronomy 14:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul desires after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desires: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice…
Leviticus 23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.
Leviticus 23:35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Leviticus 23:38 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
Leviticus 23:37 These are the Feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations… [because they all point us to the tremendous Plan of God].
All Nations will come to know the Lord for a thousand years.
Step number seven. The Last Great Day is the phenomenal completion of God’s Holy Day Plan. It is the final step, number seven, after a thousand years, the Feast of the Last Great Day will arrive when the entire Plan of God for mankind will be realized in the New Heavens and the New Earth!
At the end of the Millennium will come the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11), followed by the Last Great Day—the Day of God (2Peter 3:12). There is a great transition there from physical to spiritual. Again, John tells us:
Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him [Jesus Christ] that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
This physical earth and the starry heaven will cease to exist at the conclusion of the great white throne judgment!
2Peter 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
The Great White Throne will bring into judgment – both those in the second resurrection and those who lived during the millennium – having had God’s Spirit available to them (Joel 2:28) – in order to be tried and tested by Satan – because he has been bound for 1000 years.
John 7:37-38 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 [Jesus’] belly shall flow rivers of living water.
The verdict will be pronounced on those who stand before Jesus Christ: The third resurrection is to physical life for condemnation to the second death—everlasting death—by verdict and judgment at the Great White Throne—(Revelation 20:12-13; 21:8).
Those once converted people – this applies to the Church of God today – who received God’s Spirit and were begotten by God, who then rebelled against God, and those who were called to repentance but refused to do so—will be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8). John the Baptist explained:
Matthew 3:11-12 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with Holy Spirit, and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat [faithful Saints] into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
The seventh – and final step in God’s Plan When Christ’s judgment is completed – there will be a great transition into the Last Great Day – the Day of God. The Feast of the Last Great Day pictures the vast harvest of spiritual lives into eternity.
Paul says: Death is swallowed up in victory (1Corinthians 15:51-54). The vast harvest of saved mankind will be caught up alive – as were the living saints at the time of the first resurrection.
1Thesalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep.
1Thesalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The immense multitude of converted humanity will not have to die. They will be like the Saints of the first resurrection—there will be no need to die anymore—death is swallowed up—they will be raised to incorruptible eternal life.
After the completion of the 1,000-year physical rest, the Day of God will inaugurate the everlasting spiritual rest of the Saints. God will dwell in both Zion and in the Saints of God – because they are one and the same!
The Last Great Day – the fulfillment of the final Feast of the Lord – will usher in the grand transition between the old physical world and the spiritual New Heavens and New Earth. For the great majority of mankind, the significance of the Plan of God yet lies in the future. Jesus work on earth as the Advocate and the Mediator will be completed.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
1Corinthians 15:24-26 Then comes the end, when Christ shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For [Jesus Christ] must reign, until He has put all enemies under His feet.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His Kingdom Empire and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
End: Holy Day Prophecy