Over the last couple months, I’ve shared with you some of the terrible things that are going to happen in America and eventually all around the world as we get closer and closer to the second coming of Christ, and already, as we listen to the news, we can see the direction things are going in this land of the free and the home of the brave and the coming religious persecution that will be akin to what happened during the dark ages, and I must tell you a little more about some of these things this morning; but then I want to transition to a more delightful subject wherein God’s faithful commandment keeping people will be delivered out of the hands of their enemies.

But before we get to the good part, I need to tell you that one of these days in the not too distant future, the protection of civil law will no longer apply to those that are convicted by the Holy Spirit to keep God’s law, especially the Sabbath, and all over the world there will be a concerted effort to do away with those that are out of step with the rest of the religious world.

And who do you suppose they’ll go after first? No doubt those that are being most vocal; those that they consider to be spewing hate speech, and I fully believe that those who are clearly exposing the devils plans will end up in prison if they live to see the Lord come. And so, don’t be surprised if false accusations are made and trumped up charges are perpetrated against various ministries before it’s all over. Just a little heads up if you hear anything like this in the days ahead. False accusations were made against Jesus and the apostles, weren’t they? And can we expect anything less in these last days as the devil is going around like a roaring lion? I don’t think so. Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” We need to be praying for one another and especially for those God has specifically called to be as watchman on the walls of Zion.

As the death decree mentioned in Revelation 13:15 draws near, those that have abandoned the law of God for a man made law, will conspire together to get rid of commandment keepers once and for all, because the disobedient have grown to hate them on account of the reproof they constantly receive because of their holy lives, and because they keep pointing to the Scriptures as their only authority. And it will finally be determined to literally wipe them out in one night.

It’ll be much like what happened during the Saint Bartholomew massacre when the king of France, urged on by the papacy, killed thousands of Protestants. As the bell of the palace, tolling at dead of night rang out, that was the signal for the slaughter to begin. As Protestants slept quietly in their homes, trusting to their king to keep them safe, they were dragged out of bed without a warning, and murdered in the streets in cold blood. However, the next time something like this happens, or at least is attempted, it will be Protestants who have apostatized that will do the persecuting just like the papacy before them. In other words, Protestants who have forgotten what they were protesting about, will make an image to the papal beast, and with its help, seek to destroy those that speak out against the false Sunday sabbath.

During the time when the death decree is getting close to enforcement, God’s people are going to be scattered all over the place. Some will already be in prison for their faith, while others will be hidden in the forests and mountains and solitary retreats, and you know what they’ll be doing; they’ll all be pleading for divine protection. But as they’re praying to God for deliverance, armed men will be anxiously waiting for the law to go into effect so they can begin the work of death. But here’s the good part; mans extremity is what? God’s opportunity; and he will interpose for the deliverance of His chosen ones.

Even though the saints don’t know at this point exactly when God will intervene in their behalf, they’ve read the end of the story, and they know God will deliver them as He has promised, and so they continue to pray in faith, while at the same time, hoards of evil men will be anxiously waiting to pounce upon their prey as soon as they can. And because these evil men are so anxious to begin taking pot shots at those they hate, those they believe to be enemies of law and order, and extremely unpatriotic, some will no doubt try to begin their work of destruction before they can legally do so, but it will all be to no avail, because human probation will be closed by this time and God isn’t going to allow it.

The reason I say that the wicked will attempt to destroy God’s people in the dead of night like the Saint Bartholomew Massacre is because our new day begin when? At midnight, that’s when the death decree will go into effect; and so, in the dark of night with their infrared scopes and heat detecting devices they will begin to hunt down God’s people, and that’s when God will begin to manifest His power for their deliverance.

As the God of nature prepares to descend the skies, no doubt nature itself will be convulsed; you can read all about that in Revelation 15 and 16 when the seven last plagues are poured out. And when the seventh plague has been poured out, Revelation 16:17 says “there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, it is done.”

When God utters those words, that signals that Jesus is about ready to come, and as he comes, God’s people that are in prison will be set free, and those who’ve been in hiding will come out in the open. But here’s the best part; Daniel 12:2 says, “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

According to this verse, before the general resurrection of all the righteous who have ever lived, there’s going to be a special resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message of Revelation 14, keeping the Sabbath, will come forth from the grave glorified, and Revelation 1:7 says, “They also which pierced Him”.

The very ones that took part in the crucifixion of Christ will also come forth from their graves; those that mocked Christ’s dying agonies are going to be raised to see Him in His glory, along with all those who have kept all ten of God’s commandments and the faith of Jesus since the third angels message began to go forth after 1844. And then those that pierced Him are going to die a second time, only to be raised again after the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20:4,5,6; and finally they’ll die a third time with all the rest of the wicked who have ever lived when fire comes down from God out of heaven to devour them, and they’ll never live again, this is what Revelation 20:14 and 21:8 calls the second death from which there will be no resurrection: second death for the majority, but the third for that special group who were literally responsible for Christ’s death.

But before those who pierced Christ die the second time, they, along with all the rest of the wicked that have not yet died; the wicked that are alive to see Jesus come, will be overwhelmed with horror and shudder in fear as they see that those they persecuted were indeed God’s faithful commandment keeping people. This is definitely going to be the worst day they’ve ever experienced up to that point.

Notice with me what it says in Isaiah 13:6-13. This is speaking of what it will be like for the wicked when Jesus comes: Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. 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. 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.  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. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. 

Also let’s read Isaiah 2:19-21 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

This goes right along with what it says in Revelation 6:14-17 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 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; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

So, as the wicked are feeling the effects of their decision to rebel against God’s law and to destroy those that still hold it sacred, a marvelous change will come over those who have held fast their faith in the very face of death. Just think of it; the righteous have been suddenly delivered from men that have been transformed into demons, but now their voices rise in triumph at their deliverance. Notice what it says in Psalm 46:1-3, 7. The language in this Psalm was written long beforehand to reflect the feelings of those that will experience God’s deliverance at the coming of Christ [READ].

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.  . . . The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

While these words of praise and assurance ascend to heaven, I can just imagine the dark and angry clouds being sweep back on either side to reveal the glory of God, can’t you? Remember the words to the chorus of the old popular Advent hymn, “The golden morning is fast approaching“? “O, we see the gleams of the golden morning piercing through this night of gloom! O, we see the gleams of the golden morning that will burst the tomb.”

I’m thinking of another hymn titled, “Just over the Mountains.” Remember that one? The chorus goes like this, “We are nearing home! We are nearing home. See the splendor gleaming from the domes afar! See the glory streaming through the gates ajar! There we soon will enter never more to roam, hear the angles singing we are nearing home! We are nearing, nearing home.”

One of these days brothers and sisters, the glory of the celestial city is going to stream from the gates ajar. And do you know what that glory is? It’s God’s character of love; and the law is a transcript of His character. The ten commandments are going to be revealed to the whole world at this time as the great standard of righteousness by which every person will be measured. Romans 8:4 says that the righteousness of the law will be fulfilled in the lives of all who walk after the Spirit. We can’t keep the law by ourselves, but we will keep it if we are in Christ as Romans 8:1 says!

1 John 4:8 says that “God is love”, and Romans 13:10 says, “love is the fulfilling of the law.” And so we can see how this all fits together.

Notice what David writes in Psalm 50:3-6. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.  Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.  And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

4000 years ago, amid thunder and flame, and smoke, God’s holy law was proclaimed from Mount Sinai as the guide of life for all generations, and right at the end of time it’s going to be revealed to everyone that it’s also the rule of judgment. It will be clearly seen that the words of the Ten Commandments are so plain that no one will be able to excuse themselves for breaking them. God’s Ten Commandments are short and concise; a lot is comprehended in just a few words, and the time is coming when they will be presented to the view of all the inhabitants of the earth, and everyone will know exactly where they have stayed from the path of righteousness and what they should have done but failed to do.

If you’ve been walking after the Spirit you won’t have anything to worry about, but for those who’ve been walking after the flesh, they’re going to be horrified to learn that they’ve been barred from ever entering the Holy City and inhabiting the earth made new. Can you imagine the horror and despair of those who find out to late that they’ve been trampling upon God’s holy requirements. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7 about those that are going to say, “Lord, Lord; haven’t we done thus and so in your name, and done many wonderful works in your name? But Jesus is going to say, “I never knew you, depart from me, you that work iniquity.” And what is iniquity? It’s sin! And sin is the transgression of the law.

Everyone that is lost will be a law breaker, and everyone that is saved will be a law keeper. Not that we are saved or lost because of law breaking or law keeping, but because we’ve accepted or rejected the One that gave the law as the standard by which to live. It’s like the old illustration of the fig tree. The fig tree doesn’t produce figs in order to become a fig tree, but because it is one. And it’s the same way with the Christian. We don’t keep the law in order to become Christians, but because we are Christians, and we become Christians by simply accepting Jesus into our lives. And when Jesus lives within, don’t you think we’ll do what He asks us to do? Of course we will.

In John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” A more accurate way to translate this verse would be to say, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Also, in John 15:10 Jesus said, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” You can’t separate love and obedience, but that’s what many are trying to do today when they teach that law keeping has nothing to do with salvation.

The reason the Lord gave us His law is so we might compared our characters with it to learn our defects while there’s yet opportunity for repentance and reform; but during the time when Jesus is coming to deliver His people, it’s going to be too late! Those who fail to bring their lives into harmony with God’s law while they can, will in the end, see that they’re without excuse, but it’ll be to late by then to do anything about it, the plan of salvation is complete and there’s no longer opportunity to be covered with Jesus’ shed blood.

Once people recognize that they have been enemies of God’s law, and that’s what they are, from the ministers down to the least among them, they will all of a sudden have a new conception of truth and duty, but it will be too late! Too late they’ll see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the seal of the living God. Too late they’ll see the true nature of their false Sunday sabbath and the sandy foundation upon which they’ve been building. Too late they’ll find out that they’ve been fighting against God.

But they could have known! They had ample opportunity to study the Scriptures for themselves instead of placing blind faith in their religious leaders that have led them down the road to perdition while professing to guide them to the gates of Paradise.

You know, one of these days many pastors, and priests, and rabbis, and imams are going to see how terrible are the results of their unfaithfulness, and fearful will be the doom of the one to whom God shall say: “Depart, thou wicked servant”, and I don’t want to be one of them; that’s why I’m telling you these things now. Right now it’s not too late for repentance and reform, Jesus is still our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary where He can still apply His blood to cover your sins, and I hope that if you see your life is out of harmony with God’s law on even one point, that you will make a course correction while there’s still time.

Soon the voice of God like peals of loudest thunder will be heard from heaven delivering the everlasting covenant to His people, that is, the everlasting agreement God made concerning faith in Christ and obedience to His law.

Let’s read about that in Isaiah 24:1-6.  Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.  And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.  The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.  Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. 

The reason the everlasting covenant is called “everlasting” is because the salvation of the human race has always been the object of heaven. It’s a covenant of grace and mercy that was made between the three members of the godhead before the foundation of the world. Read about it in 1 Peter 1:20. Just as surely as there never was a time when God was not, so surely there was never a moment when it was not His purpose to manifest His grace to humanity; never forget that!

This everlasting covenant, as far as humanity is concerned, was first made with Adam and Eve in Eden when they were given the promise that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head. To everyone for all time this covenant offered pardon, and the assisting grace of God for future obedience through faith in Christ. That’s how the patriarchs during Old Testament times received the hope of salvation, and it’s no different today.

This is the same covenant that was renewed to Abraham in the promise found in Genesis 22:18 when God told him, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” And of course this promise pointed to Christ as the seed; that’s how Abraham understood it, and he trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and it was this faith that was accounted unto him for righteousness as it says in Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:3.

But here’s the point I want to make; the covenant with Abraham also maintained the authority of God’s law. In Genesis 17:1 the Lord appeared to Abraham and said, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” And in Genesis 26:5 God tells us what He meant by that mandate when He said, “Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” By the way, that was before God wrote the Ten commandments on tables of stone. Before God gave the Ten Commandment through Moses, Abraham knew there was a law, and by being obedient to that law is how he walked perfectly before God. And remember what it says in Galatians 3:29? If we belong to Christ the way Abraham did, then we are of Abrahams seed (spiritually speaking) and heirs according to the promises God made to him.

And so, the covenant of grace is not just a New Testament truth; it existed in the mind of God from all eternity. This is why it’s called the everlasting covenant. There’s hope for us only as we come under the everlasting covenant God made with our first parents in Eden and renewed to Abraham; which again is the covenant of grace by faith in Christ and His shed blood. The gospel preached to Abraham, through which he had hope, is the same gospel that is preached to us today.

Let’s take a look at Hebrews 13:20, 21 and then we’ll get back to the sequence of events as they’ll unfold in the very near future. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

And here’s one other thing; to us as to Israel of old the seventh-day Sabbath is given “for a perpetual covenant.” You can read that in Exodus 31:16. To those who reverence His holy day, the Sabbath is a sign that God recognizes them as His chosen people, Exodus 20:20; and it’s also a pledge that He will fulfill to them His everlasting covenant, and every person who accepts this sign as part of God’s government places himself under the divine, everlasting covenant.

Now let’s get back to what I was saying a few minutes ago when God makes good on His promise to deliver the everlasting covenant to His waiting people. Like peals of loudest thunder God’s words are going to roll through the earth. And as God’s faithful people stand listening, their eyes are going to be fixed upward toward heaven, because that’s where the voice come from. Do you remember what happened to Moses face when He came down from Mount Sinai after being with God for 40 days and 40 nights? Well that’s what’s going to happen to the faces of God’s people just before the Lord comes, and the wicked won’t be able to look upon them for the glory of God. That’s when the blessing will be pronounced upon those who have honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy when the rest of the world have forgotten the day He said to remember, and there’ll be a mighty shout of victory from all the saints.

Soon afterward there will be clouds that surround Jesus as he draws closer to the earth, and God’s people will know that this is the prophetic sign that the Scriptures promised. Remember what happened as the disciples watched Jesus ascend to heaven after His resurrection? In Acts 1:9 it says, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” And in verse 11 the angle said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” He’s coming back just like He left! And Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him.” This has to be clouds of angles and not literal clouds, because in Matthew 25:31 Jesus Himself said when He comes all the holy angels are coming with Him. And so, the people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man coming to take them home with Him.

In solemn silence God’s children will gaze upon this scene as it draws nearer and nearer to the earth, and as Jesus gets closer and closer they begin to see His form as He comes as a mighty conqueror. Revelation 19:11-16 gives a dramatic description of the scene; let’s read it.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 

When Jesus comes back, He’s not coming as a “Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief” this time, but as victor in heaven and earth. “Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” of angels will attend Him on His way; we can’t even imagine the splendor that will be portrayed during this time, nothing on earth has ever taken place like this before. As this living cloud comes even nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. Not wearing a crown of thorns this time, but a crown of glory rests on His holy brow, and His countenance shines brighter than the noonday sun, and while the righteous literally shake with indescribable joy, upon the rejecters of God’s mercy falls the terror of eternal despair. Even the righteous are nearly overcome with the glory of the scene and all classes of people cry out, “Who shall be able to stand?” Then the voice of Jesus is heard in reply to that question saying, “My grace is sufficient for you.” But what about those that rejected His grace? It’s going to be terrible!

Let’s read a little bit more, because it’s going to be awesome. Revelation 6 beginning with verse 14 to the end of the chapter. By the way, the signs mentioned in the previous verses have already been fulfilled, and we are now living between verses 13 and 14.  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.  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; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? 

The wicked pray to be buried beneath the rocks of the mountains rather than meet the face of the one they have despised and rejected.

When the voice of Jesus is heard saying, “My grace is sufficient for you”, that voice the wicked also know, because countless times in the past it has called them to repentance, and it will awaken memories that they would like to forget; things like warnings despised, invitations refused, privileges slighted; and as I mentioned earlier, there will be those who mocked Christ during His trial, and they’ll remember His words when He said to them, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:64.

Those who denied His claims that He was the Son of God are speechless now. Those that called Him Beelzebub, which is a name for Satan, and a blasphemer, or that He had a devil; will wish they could take back those words, but it’s too late now. No doubt Herod, and Annas, and Caiaphas, and the mocking soldiers that placed the purple robe upon Him will be there. Those who placed the crown of thorns upon His head and spit on Him will also be there. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet, and the soldier who pierced His side will replay it all in their heads as they realize what they’ve done.

With every detail brought forcibly to their minds, priests and rulers will recall the events of Calvary. They’ll remember how they wagged their heads in satanic exultation, when they said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. (No they wouldn’t) He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him.” There will also be those that cried, “Crucify Him, crucify Him”, and those that said, “His blood be on us and our children forever.” Even Pilate who tried to wash the guilt from his hands will be there, because he was by no means innocent as he claimed. It would have been much better for him had he lost his position as governor, than to now be standing before the one he turned over to the rabble crowd.

Those who just a little while before would have destroyed God’s faithful commandment keeping people, now witness the glory that rests upon them, and in the midst of their terror they hear the voices of the saints, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation”, and wicked will wish they were them, but it can never be. They had their opportunity multiple times, but now it’s too late.

Amid all the commotion of lightning and thunder and the convulsions of the earth and the confusion of their own dreadful thoughts, those that played a part in the sufferings of Christ; those that came up in that special resurrection we read about earlier; they will hear the Son of God call forth the sleeping saints; that is, all the righteous from the time of Abel to the last Christian that died.

As Jesus looks upon the graves of His faithful people, it’ll be similar to the day He raised Lazarus from the tomb, only this time He won’t say, “Lazarus come forth”, He’ll call all the sleeping saints to rise from their dusty beds. And throughout the whole earth, the righteous dead will hear that voice; read it in John 5:25, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and Matthew 24:31; and they that hear shall live and receive immortality. The apostle Paul even recorded their words in 1 Corinthians 15:55 when he wrote “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” And the living righteous who have never died along with the risen saints will unite their voices in one long glad shout of victory. Notice the sequence of events as they’re recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.  Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.   

We better also read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 to round out the picture.   But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  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 prevent them which are asleep. 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:  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. 

And the redeemed will shout, “Alleluia!” as they join Jesus and the cloud of holy angels as we all move onward and upward toward the Holy City, New Jerusalem. And when we get there, do you know what’s going to happen? Jesus is going to open wide the pearly gates, and say, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” And the Father Himself will be there and say, “Welcome home children”, and all who have kept the truth will be able to enter in.

This is when the Saviour’s prayer for His disciples will be fulfilled when He prayed to His Father, “I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.”

How about it friend; will you be one of those that will be inside the Holy City when it comes down from heaven after the thousand years are finished, as it says in Revelation 20:4-9, or will you be one of the multitude that are outside the Holy City looking in when fire comes down from God out of heaven to devour all the wicked?

In the final analysis those are the two choices, and as we close with prayer, I’d like to give you the opportunity to make your calling and election sure this morning, by dedicating, or rededicating your all to the One who made it possible for you to experience joys of eternal life here and now, and finally immortality one day soon.

This sermon can also be printed out from PDF The Final Deliverance