Forever with the Lord
(Sermon Notes) By Warren Zehrung 9/7/2021
We have come to the Fall Holy Days – a most wonderful time of the year! The return of Jesus Christ is going to be accompanied by the blasts of trumpets, and an army of tens of thousands of Saints riding white horses.
Those trumpets will signal the sound of war, and announce the arrival of Christ at His return. The trumpet, because of its powerful, terrifying sound, has a varied use in Scriptures…, warning, signaling war, calling people to assemble at the tabernacle, and the arrival of the new moons and the arrival of the Holy Days, and many other uses.
I blew my ram’s horn shofar at sunset last evening – welcoming the Feast of Trumpets, the new moon, and the first day of the seventh month, as I have done for many, many years – and I will blow it again now.
Trumpets is the next Feast of the Lord to realize its prophetic fulfillment. The Feast of Trumpets has great significance to us because we know that it is holy time—a commandment of God to observe a memorial of what is surely going to be the most spectacular event ever to occur on earth. It seems to me that there is more information about the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of the Lord in the Scriptures – than any other subject.
In Matthew 24 Jesus tells us that the heavenly signs will usher in the seven trumpets – the seventh seal.
Revelation 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
The Feast of Trumpets means virtually nothing to people today— but it will! To God’s people who are looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, this Day of Trumpets pictures our first assignment with Him as resurrected spirit beings (Titus 2:13).
For this evil world, the Feast of Trumpets is simply another regular day in which people go through their normal routines. The Feast of Trumpets points to the Day of the LORD, the day of God’s wrath – a most significant event; the dramatic return and second coming of Jesus Christ in supreme power over all the earth. God’s rage has come to the full – He has had enough!
Isaiah 66:15-16 Behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
Person to person, City to city, nation to nation. After the Saints are resurrected and gathered with the Two Witnesses on the sea of glass, the last seven vials will be poured out.
Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
The Saints accompany Jesus as He smites the entire earth (Revelation 19:14).
The world will be caught unawares by the Day of the Lord. In the Plan of God, the Feast of Trumpets foreshadows the victorious return of Jesus Christ who will overcome all evil kings and rulers of this world. The earth and the evil works done by men will be stripped bare before God. Jesus will conquer the Beast and the False Prophet with divine wrath. He will bind Satan.
Revelation 17:12-14 The ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Revelation 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. [Called, and chosen, and faithful — brethren, that is us!]
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
The Feast of Trumpets pictures:
Revelation 6:17 The Great Day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Jesus will establish the Kingdom of God over all the earth (Revelation 19:14-16).
Jesus’ Saints will be with Him
Brethren, here is a most remarkable point: As King of kings, Jesus’ Saints will be with Him as He gains victory. How do we know that the Saints will be with Him? The resurrected Saints of God will be with Jesus every step of the way as He conquers the entire earth. We will forever be with Jesus beginning with the resurrection, being caught up in the clouds of the air, and the Wedding to Christ (Revelation 19:7). The title of today’s sermon is from here:
1Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who 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.
So shall we ever be with the Lord.
After the wedding supper, we are clearly told, so shall we ever be with the Lord. We shall cleave to one another – never to be separated! The Feast of Trumpets is more up-close and personal than we realized. The Bride of Christ will return with Him on invincible white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Revelation 19:14 And the armies [Saints and angels] which were in heaven followed [Jesus] upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
In Jude, this fact is unambiguously spelled out – the Saints will be with Jesus! There will never be any separation from Jesus Christ ever again.
So shall we ever be with the Lord. What a great promise! Jude explains that God promised this very early on:
The Lord comes with ten thousands of His Saints
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, …Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His Saints,
When Jesus comes against this earth at the time of Trumpets — the Saints will be with Him.
Jude 1:15 to execute judgment on all [the entire earth], to punish all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. [Four times in one verse we see that Jesus is coming to convict and punish everything that is ungodly.]
One of the very first things we will do as resurrected Saints is to join Jesus Christ in bringing mass destruction on the entire planet. It may seem counterintuitive to think of war as an act of Christianity – but that is what this Feast of Trumpets is all about — waging war against the ungodly.
God’s desire is that all the ungodly ultimately repent – and they will have that opportunity at the Great White Throne Judgment of the Last Day.
Jesus will say to the ungodly, “You dished it out to my people, now get it together – or lose it forever!” It does seem counterintuitive that the Saints first duty will be to wage war. It seems uncharacteristic of the Bride of Christ – that her first responsibility would be to fight and make war against all mankind. Keep in mind that the true saints and the true church have been persecuted throughout history.
God’s Perspective on the Matter
Let’s look at God’s perspective on the matter: Paul says:
2Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith grows exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other abounds;
2Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
That is the lot of true Christians – persecutions and tribulations, so that we may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God. We see the Judgment at Christ’s Coming:
The persecutions and tribulations which we suffer are:
2Thessalonians 1:5 … a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
A Righteous Thing with God to Recompense Tribulation
2Thessalonians 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
Let me repeat that.
2Thessalonians 1:6 [again] It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation [exact full payment] to them that trouble you;
Jesus is not going to let all the trials, persecutions and tribulations which we suffer in this lifetime go unanswered! Paul says for us to be patient – it will take place:
2Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Thessalonians 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power;
Brethren, we will witness Christ’s retribution on the ungodly – first hand!
Jesus Christ will be Glorified in His Saints
2Thessalonians 1:10 When He shall come to be glorified in His Saints [we will be there, and we will witness it firsthand], and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Jesus is going to recompense tribulation to them [exact the full payment out of the ungodly] that trouble His Saints; – and He is going to do that to the full when He returns on the Feast of Trumpets – – and He is making sure that we are there with Him to see it happen to all the ungodly.
Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? [Yes!]
Luke 18:8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.
The Feast of Trumpets is designed to bring this world face to face with their transgressions and the ultimate consequences of their ungodly acts. Jesus Christ and all the Saints, will put down the malicious rulers and lawless governments which have brought so much misery to mankind. Nearly all the sinful people on earth are going to be destroyed by the seven last trumpet plagues.
That great slaughter will be a sublime act of God’s love! God has a great deal of mercy – we must not forget that. All the ungodly who die in the Trumpet plagues will eventually have the opportunity to repent. They will live again – and be given time to worship the True God. Those who do repent, and come to know and worship the true Creator God will be judged righteous in the Great White Throne Judgment and receive eternal life!
The Feast of Trumpets shows God’s mercy for all. Even the ungodly. So, you see that the slaughter of the Day of the Lord is an act of Godly love. It is ultimately a great event that welcomes repentance and salvation.
On the Feast of Trumpets, the Saints will return to earth as Christ’s vast heavenly army of spirit beings to defeat the Beast and False Prophet in the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and help establish God’s Kingdom over all the earth.
Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the Day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
Joel 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
The Coming Day of the Lord
Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the Day of the LORD comes [this is what today, the Feast of Trumpets signifies—the Day of the LORD], and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
Zechariah 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zechariah 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.
Zechariah 14:4 And His [Jesus] feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Brethren, for a long time, the Church of God did not realize that the Saints would accompany Jesus at His return… Notice closely:
All the Saints Will Return with the LORD my God
Zechariah 14:5 And ye [all the ungodly] shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the Saints with you.
Brethren, did you ever realize that when Jesus will stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in two—that the Saints would be there with Him? The Feast of Trumpets announces the day in the Plan of God in which Jesus will return to pour out His wrath on this lawless evil world in preparation for the Millennial reign of Christ.
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
In Mark we find the time setting of Christ’s return: There’s the fifth seal, Satan’s wrath for 2 ½ years -> the sixth seal, Heavenly Signs -> the seventh seal, the Day of the Lord – that is God’s Wrath.
Mark 13:24 But in those days, after that Tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
Mark 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
The interesting thing is that the Saints will be with Him. What a glorious future Christ has in store for His bride—the Saints. God’s word speaks of incredible devastation and upheaval in the heavens, seas, and earth. After the Tribulation the nightly sky and the appearance of the landscape will little resemble what we know today. The heavenly constellations we recognize today will be seen no more, and the face of the earth will lie in ruin.
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isaiah 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
A Picture of Trumpets
Isaiah 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
The sixth seal, Heavenly Signs, is opened between Satan’s wrath in the Tribulation and the Trumpet plagues that accompany Christ’s return.
Jesus said: reiterated here:
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Again, the Saints accompany Jesus at His return.
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.
Read that closely brethren. Just exactly when will our redemption draw nigh?
God will bring the Saints with Jesus
1Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them [the Saints] also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
There it is again, even those Saints who are dead in their graves, will God bring with Him. As we have seen over and over, all the Saints will God bring with Him when He returns on Trumpets!
1Thessalonians 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.
1Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Is this verse saying, “but First, [before the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout of the Trumpet] the believers who have died will rise from their graves?
1Thessalonians 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.
1Thessalonians 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal [Satan’s wrath – 2 ½ years of tribulation], I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge [Trumpets] our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
They will be killed in the two and a half years of Satan’s wrath.
Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Revelation 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Revelation 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: [the seventh seal]
Revelation 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
When the people of the nations refuse to repent, God’s vengeance comes upon them all. But they will live again at the Last Great Day – and they will remember that the LORD was serious about them living righteously – and then the great majority of mankind will repent and enter the Kingdom of God.
The sixth seal describes violent pandemonium in the heavens and major earthquakes spread over the entire face of the earth. The sixth seal introduces the seventh seal—the one-year-long wrath of the Lord.
Isaiah 34:8 For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. [Think ‘people of God’ when you read Zion]
The sixth seal [heavenly signs] divides Satan’s part of the Tribulation from the Day of the Lord’s wrath, the last year of the Tribulation – the seventh seal.
Acts 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:
Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable Day of the Lord comes:
The seventh seal consists of the seven trumpets, each signaling a massive, earth shattering cataclysm (Revelation 8:1-2). God is going to shake the earth powerfully and more furiously than since He created man.
Why would a loving God be angry? It is because He has a beautiful Plan for mankind that is disrupted by evil lawless men and their governments. When sinful man has had every opportunity to appreciate his Creator God and does not do so, Jesus will return in great power to prepare the earth for those who will avail themselves of His blessings in the Millennium.
When the wrath of the Lamb is finished, there will be only a small percentage of this earth’s population left alive. The apostle Paul speaks often of the wrath of God. This must have been written about this time of the year…
Romans 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasure up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Those who die at the hand of God will remember this harsh lesson – and many will repent in the Last Great Day / Great White Throne Judgment time. We are given many particulars of what is entailed: This describes today’s world.
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness.
A Picture of Trumpets
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
People take God’s patience as a sign that He doesn’t mean what He says: Trumpets will show them differently:
Colossians 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.
During the Tribulation, those who worship the Beast and his image, and receive his mark on their forehead, or on their hand shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God: (Revelation 14:10, 19, Revelation 15:1, 7). The seven golden vials contain the final plagues of the wrath of God:
Revelation 16:1 I heard a great voice out of the Temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
The Lord’s wrath will come upon all ungodly men. Here are a few of the Scriptures from the Old Testament: The saints of the Church of God will be protected in God’s Place of Safety during the three and a half years of wrath – the last year being the Lord’s wrath:
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hidden in the day of the LORD’S anger. [In the Place of Safety]
Two Suppers
Revelation 19:1, 7-9 Wedding supper -> two suppers below
Isaiah 46:8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Isaiah 46:11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Isaiah 46:12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:
Isaiah 46:13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
Revelation 16 shows the seven vials of the wrath of God being poured out one by one:
The Saints are on the sea of glass being called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. The last vial brings the deeds of great Babylon into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of God’s wrath (Revelation 16:7–19:2).
Of the two suppers—one is good, the other to be avoided at all cost: The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and the dreadful supper of the great God, of which Zephaniah speaks:
Zephaniah 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the Day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has bid His guests [all the ungodly kings of the earth to the supper of the Great God] (Revelation 19:17-21).
This verse will be fulfilled when Jesus, accompanied by His Saints on white horses, sacrifices the guests themselves who are bidden to the supper of the Great God (Revelation 19:14, 17-18).
Revelation 19:17 I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls [buzzards] that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the Great God
Revelation 19:21 …And the remnant were slain with the sword of [Jesus Christ] that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
The wrath of God will not be complete until after Jesus Christ as King of kings, and Lord of lords has deposed of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image, including kings, captains, might men and nations. God’s wrath will be comprehensive in nature:
Jeremiah 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh.
Isaiah 34:1-2 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies: He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter.
Brethren, that is what this Feast Day of Trumpets pictures – we will be there with Jesus Christ – we will witness it firsthand!
Jesus is the Stone Cut Without Hands
The Prophet Daniel spoke of Jesus – as a stone cut without hands. He gives us the picture of Jesus Christ coming in great power against all the kingdoms of this earth. God revealed through Daniel what shall be in the latter days (Daniel 2:28).
Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that all the kingdoms of the earth would be pulverized at Christ’s return: All the kingdoms of the earth will become the kingdoms of our LORD.
Daniel 2:34 Thou saw till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Daniel 2:45 Forasmuch as thou saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
The Feast of Trumpets is designed to ultimately bring about the world’s repentance because people are going to be brought, as it were, “face to face” with their Creator in regard to what they have committed against Him directly, against His way, and against His people.
If it were not for the great destruction of the Day of the Lord, this world would never change on its own. They would keep Christmas, Sunday, Easter and all their sinful ways. They would never repent, and so this pain associated with this day, with all of its destruction, is in the long run going to bring about something that will be eternally good for them.
Keep in mind that all who have died will come forth at the Last Great Day – after 1000 years of the Millennium, and have time to not only repent, but to know and worship the Great Creator God who made them.
Those who do repent, and come to know and worship the true Creator God will be judged righteous in the Great White Throne Judgment and receive eternal life! So, you see that the slaughter of the Day of the Lord – is ultimately a great event that welcomes repentance and salvation.
Wrath of the Lamb
The great day of the wrath of the Lamb is come and no one will be able to stand against Him. Jesus is coming soon, and it will not be what most people are expecting or hoping for. The wrath of God is coming against all evil lawless men. Jesus will eradicate all ungodliness and the unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth of God. Jesus is coming to prepare this earth for His Millennial rule. He is coming in retribution against this earth for its treatment of His saints.
Jesus will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible (Isaiah 13:11).
Brethren, we will be there – every inch of the way – when Jesus returns.
End: Forever with the Lord