WE beg your most earnest consideration of what we now place before you. Search the scriptures and see if these things are so.
The Lord Jesus may come this year, He may come this very day! “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” (Heb. 10:3737For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (Hebrews 10:37).)
The Lord will first come to the air and will take His own out of the world, to be with Himself forever, afterwards the Lord will come with clouds to the earth, accompanied by His own and His holy angels.
When the Lord comes to the air He will raise up all the dead in Christ, and change all the living saints, and take them all to glory.
His coming will be in a moment, not necessarily ushered in by great events on the earth, as will be the case when He comes with clouds to the earth. And the Lord will first
RAISE THE DEAD IN CHRIST.
The Lord will awake all whom He has put to sleep. “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.” (1 Thess. 4:1616For 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: (1 Thessalonians 4:16).) Then those who are alive, and remain upon the earth, shall be changed, and shall be caught up, together with the raised saints, to “meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thess. 4:1717Then 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:17).)
CAUGHT UP WITHOUT DYING.
“We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” (1 Cor. 15:5151Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (1 Corinthians 15:51), 52.) The Lord will “change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.” (Phil. 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21).) Made glorious like the glorified Christ, all His own shall see Him face to face, and so shall enter
HIS ETERNAL HOME.
SAVED BY GRACE.
By grace are we saved. And God will, in His grace, take each of the saved to glory. Trust Him for your soul’s salvation and you are then numbered amongst those who look for the coming of His Son from heaven. Even as the grace that saves is common to all believers, so will the grace that takes them to glory at the coming of the Lord, be the common blessing of all who believe. Not one single living saint will be left behind on the earth, nor will the body of one single departed saint be left in the grave on that day.
Are you amongst the saved? Have you heard the voice of mercy, to which, alas! the world turns a deaf ear?
THE PRIVATE CALL.
The Lord will come privately for His own people. Those only who have heard His voice in their hearts calling them to Himself as their Saviour (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)), will hear His voice when He comes to call His own to their eternal home. If you are deaf to the voice of Jesus now, you will not hear His voice then.
LEFT BEHIND.
After the Lord has taken His own away from this world, God will send “strong delusion” to those “that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 1:88In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:8).) “Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thess. 2:10, 11, 1210And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10‑12).) Already there is, alas, in Christendom terrible unbelief. As said one of the greatest of modern preachers, not long since, of infidelity, “Men now preach publicly what they would have hardly dared to whisper a few years ago.” Christianity is becoming Christless. Professors are growing lukewarm. And because of this will be spued out of Christ’s mouth, at His coming. (Rev. 3:1616So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16).) Many preachers do not believe in eternal punishment, in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, in God’s holiness. Already the shades of night are creeping over the area of Christendom.
These are signs of the times they proclaim to such as have ears to hear.
COMING JUDGMENTS.
The Lord will take His own away before the judgments which are about to come upon this guilty world, “To try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:1010Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)), fall upon it. When the Lord’s people are gone, the world’s trouble will begin. The predicted falling away will take place. And as it was when Noah entered the ark, the flood came and swept them all away; and as it was when Lot left Sodom, the fire fell and burned them all; so, when the Lord’s people have taken His home, will the wrath of God be poured out upon Christless Christendom.
That will be the time of
THE GREAT TRIBULATION.
The world’s fancied peace and safety will be swept away, the boast of progress will have subsided. The judgments will have begun which precede the coming of Christ to this earth in order to reign over it.
THE TIME IS SHORT.
Sleepers, awake! The midnight cry has long since sounded. The Bridegroom cometh. Only such as are ready will go in with Him to the wedding. Mere professors, the door will be shut upon you. (Matt. 25:1-131Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 25:1‑13).)
Friend! when Christ comes will you be shut inside the Father’s house, or shut outside?
It will be all too late, then, to cry, “Lord, Lord, open unto us.” “When once the Master of the house is risen up and has shut to the door,” He will say to you, if you are outside, “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:24-2824Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. (Luke 13:24‑28).)
Then you will believe and tremble. Now is the day of salvation. Now, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME.
H. F. W.