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1St Thessalonians 4 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven.
It was a sheriff with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God.
The dead didn't crush your eyes first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together within the clouds.
To make the Lord in there.
And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words, but of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you for yourselves. Know perfectly that the day of the Lord shall cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say peace and safety.
Then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child. They shall not escape.
But she, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
You're all the children of light and the children of the day.
We are not of the night in our darkness, therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober.
The Bay, the sleep. Sleep in the night.
And they that be drunken, or drunken in the night, but let us who are of the day be sober.
Putting on the breastplate of faith and love.
And for inherit the hope of salvation.
For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who died for us that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together.
And identify one another even as also you do not do to any of us. I'm sure to notice that in the Thessalonian epistle we have the Lords coming in every chapter.
In chapter one of First Thessalonians at the end of it, it says in verse 10 and to wait for his son from heaven will be raised from the dead, even Jesus our deliverer from coming wrath.
And so I know that as you read each of these, we can have different thoughts, I'm sure upon them, but I would just suggest that in this first instance, then it's the Lord himself.
Apart from anything else of raising the dead, it's just the Lord Himself. These Thessalonians. Remember in Acts 17 the apostle Paul was there and he reasoned 3 Sabbath days, just a short time.
Could have been there perhaps a little time before the 1St Sabbath and a little after the last three weeks, a month. But one thing that as they turned from their idols to God, why the first thing was the wait for His Son from heaven. His Son, all the affections would be engaged. That the Lord Jesus Christ, the one that Paul preached to them that died on the cross of Calvary, but going back up to glory, He's the one that was coming to receive them to Himself.
So at the 2nd chapter at the end of it, it says verse 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing are not even gain in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. For ye are glory and joy. So how blessed too that not I alone.
But all thy loved ones, it's it's nice that we enter in. The Lord's going to come for me. I'm going to see him.
But oh, how blessed our affections go out to all the people of God. It's not just for myself, but all the dear Saints of God are going to be caught up together at that time. And also, someone has said this is an incentive for the soul winner because the apostle Paul says he was the one that went and ministered the gospel as it were to them and saved their souls. And there's going to be a crown for each one that goes out and win souls for the Lord.
Jesus Christ, may we be gospel minded as we have in Philippians chapter 3 at the end of it. It has to do with responsibility. Verse 13 to the end. He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints. Well, that's not the coming four. That's the coming with whenever that's spoken of in that sense it has to do with.
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Responsibility as to our walk in our ways here while we're waiting, not to go on too long, the 4th chapter. Then we have the Lord coming and he's going to bring those that have gone on before and there's going to be a reunion, as it were, all how blessing. We're going to see loved ones that have gone on before and we'll know, just like on the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah and Peter, James and John.
Who they were. And we're going to have recognition too in that coming day. The 5th chapter that tells us.
In verse 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. And verse 23 the very God of peace sanctify you holy. And I pray God, your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So here the coming of the Lord is set before us as a deliverance.
We will not go through the tribulation he's delivered us from coming wrath. God has a controversy with the scene that rejected his Son. The judgments will fall, but we're going to be caught away and the at that time we'll know sanctification in every part of the being, spirit, soul and body at that time will be completed. Like to give a thought in the third chapter.
Our brother did not read the 12Th verse and I'd like to connect those two verses often times.
Love is looked upon is different.
Almost as the opposite of holiness. Notice how those two verses read. The Lord make you to increase and abound in love, one toward another and toward all men, even as also.
Even as we do toward you to the end, He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His Saints. Here we're talking about His coming with the Saints, but notice that the operation of love is to the end that the hearts be established in holiness.
There is no conflict.
In fact, there is nothing so holy as love. There's no conflict between love and holiness, and when divine love is operative amongst the Saints of God, love always seeks the blessing of its object. Love does not. If it's true divine love, it does not link it evil, but where we see one who is possibly going astray or tending to air from the path of.
Love seeks Him out, and it's to the end that the hearts be established in holiness. If Divine Love is really operating in our midst, it will seek to correct that which is an error. It will seek the good and the blessing of its object. It is always to the end that holiness be the result.
The two are not in opposition. The one leads to the other. The one you might say, is the product of the other.
God sent His Son into this world to put our sins away. He is light and He is love. And when it's true love that's operating, it's never at the expense of His Holiness. Never. If it is, it's not true love. And I think that's so important to bring out that divine love, divine love operating amongst us.
Will always see the good and blessing of the object, and to have all evil judged and dealt with.
That holiness might be the result for sin to surface.
In an atmosphere of love.
The flesh can never correct the flesh, and when we have bitterness, the flesh is still active. Have the marvels of these trows to see the way the thought of encouraging and comforting one another is also woven together.
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For instance, in our chapter, it's a marvelous thing to read of the Lord himself shall descend.
The end of verse 17 So shall we ever be with the Lord?
Wherefore comfort one another with these words, verse 11 in chapter 5. Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also you do. That type of language is also woven through this epistle because it is not simply beloved brother, not simply a fact of being.
Told of coming events, although that's here, there's a reason we are being told.
These dear Saints were being called for their encouragement, for their comfort, for their edification that there would be the result in glory, and there would be that peace and that way of going on as on to the Lord and for the Lords glory.
And it's marvelous to see that at each juncture it is woven together. Is the subject of the first few verses of chapter 5, Is that the same as the subject in 16 and 17 of chapter 4? No, it is not the same subject. But we come along to the end of that subject. And in either case, we have comforting one another with these words, that is.
The intelligence.
In divine things, in action in our lives, in a manner which when we speak together, is to comfort, to edify. And that love therefore, that has been before us in operation and shining out to one another. And wouldn't that be glorious and for the honour and glory of the Lord, if it were more operative in our lives?
Quite a number of years ago.
I met a lady.
That was very much occupied with the facts of prophecy.
And trying to get everything in order.
And was occupied with it to such an extent.
Especially in the Book of Revelation.
That she seemed to lose contact with the Lord himself.
And went into a period of darkness, depression. Well, she was simply looking at the facts, the prophetic facts that we find in Scripture and looking at them simply aspects.
And seeming seemingly not connecting them with the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way.
And this is what we find in connection with future events, prophetic things.
They are all connected with the Lord Jesus Christ. They're centered around Himself.
And if we miss that, we've missed the real point of the whole thing, because it's all to bring before us that scene of coming glory in which we will be with the Lord Jesus Christ. And as that is related to this earth. And we find that we have these two things brought together here in First Thessalonians, what we're still reading.
Is the revelation that the Apostle Paul got from the Lord himself?
In connection with the church being caught up to meet the Lord in the air. But later on we come to times and seasons taking up really where it left off in verse 14 of chapter 4. Because those two verses 13 and 14 are connected with the times and seasons which have to do with things here upon the earth and the Lord reigning during the Millennium, reigning over this sea.
And so it the whole thing is related together, and it's all centered around the Lord Jesus Christ.
You notice when you come to chapter 5 that the day of the Lord is spoken out. Well, that's connected with this earth and the judgments of this earth. When the Lord reigns is key and He is ruling and judging every day. The wicked in the land, keeping everything cleaned up here on the earth. That's times and seasons. It's times and seasons because it's not eternity yet during the Millennium, the 1000 years reign of Christ and Christ.
Of course, is the center of that whole scene, the millennial scene. He will be king of Jerusalem and He'll be the center of that throng of which will be a part in the glory. And I notice that it speaks of the Lord descending, and then later on we meet him in the air. Of course, that tells us that the Lord, when he comes for his people, He doesn't come way down to earth.
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But during the Millennium he does come down to earth, and he takes his place on the throne of Jerusalem.
To read Rain and just all the details connected with his, his passing between the earthly people and the heavenly people. I, I couldn't answer that. I don't think we're giving all those details. But still, there is a way in which he's the center of the heavenly company and he's king on the earth as well. And all of these things, all of these facts that come out.
Are connected with himself.
And we mustn't forget that. And this is the part that's really the comfort to our hearts, because to be caught up there, to be in the air, well, what would that be without Him there? That's what the comfort is. We're going to be with him. So shall we ever be with the Lord? And what about heaven? Sometimes people wonder, well, what is heaven well.
It's a sphere in which the Lord Jesus Christ is the center of everything.
And if the Lord were not in heaven, it would just be an empty place. And what would we want to be there for? Nor the Lord is there. We used to sing a song where Jesus is tis heaven there. Well, if Jesus isn't there, we don't want to be there and bring it right down to the present time.
We here today.
Why are we really here today in this reading meeting? Why were we there together yesterday at the breaking of bread? Why are we together at the prayer meeting? It's because He is there. I trust it is. I hope that this is brought before us powerfully by the Scripture that we have, that the Lord is the center of all that's worth anything.
In these meetings we've been speaking about.
The loving kindness of God, the righteousness of God, the holiness of God, God's judgments on the earth. Are they all woven together or are they separate subjects? Love it. They're woven together. Mike just turned to Jeremiah Chapter 9, and we'll see that they're all woven together because the subject is really one. The subject is the glory.
Of God the subject is He the glorious, Let him glory in the Lord.
It's all one subject.
Jeremiah 9, verse 23.
Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.
Neither let the mighty mind glory in His might.
Let not the rich man glory in his riches.
But let him the glory in this.
He understandeth the knoweth me that I am the Lord, which exercise loving kindness.
Judgment and righteousness in the earth were in these things I delight set the Lord.
Have therefore 1 subject.
The glory of God and the fullness of it declared on the earth and in heaven. And we have the righteousness of God, surely, but we have the loving kindness of God first, whether it be with respect to his people of old, or whether it be with respect to you or to me.
But righteousness must be maintained. Judgment on the earth must be here.
That Blessed One will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and all of these marvelous things, therefore, would but in your heart and mind show that the glory of that Blessed One will yet be in fullness declared. And it is that that causes within us that interest and that keen awareness that it is all given to us by the Spirit of God for our instruction.
Learning comfort, exhortation, edification, and praise to Himself as we see it all woven together by the Spirit of God for the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The Lord himself shall descend from heaven. We had before us yesterday. He that had this hope in him, in Christ, purifieth himself even as he is pure. I was thinking of the.
Verse the last verse in John 14. I'll quote it. You don't have to turn to it, but that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father has given me commandment, Even so I do arise. Let us go hands. These were the two things you might say that characterized the blessed Lord love to the Father.
And obedience to the Father. We are sanctified to the obedience of Christ, to obey as He obeyed. And it was love to the Father which was the spring of his obedience. It was love to the Father which always led that blessed One, when He was here below in affection for the Father.
To walk a path of perfect obedience and dependence.
And this is really how true holiness is produced in the life of the Christian. True holiness is the result of affection for Christ, having the heart attached to Him, the Lord Himself, and as we have him before us.
You're certainly not going to fall into sin when you're in love with him, when you're walking hand in hand with him, when your affections are engaged with Christ. This is the most perfect way of separating you from all that is contrary to Himself and and holiness is the result. It's love to him. It's having him before your heart and my heart that really separates us.
From all that is contrary to Him. It's not doctrine that separates us. It's the person of Christ who is before our hearts, who engages our affections. And then there is holiness, Then there is separation From all that is contrary to Him. There are three things mentioned in this verse. He descends from heaven.
With a shout. In the new translation it says with an assembling shout.
Kelly renders it with a shout of command. It's the word that General uses to his soldiers, the Admiral to his sailors, a shout of command. I think of the Lord Jesus at the grave of Lazarus, where he said with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth. It suggests to me that with this shout of command he awakens the sleeping Saints. And then.
Archangels voice, the Supreme Commander is the one that gives the shout.
And then the trump of God, and we're home with him. Not that these are sequentially vents. I don't mean to suggest that they take place in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, but the shout of command which assembles us, ready to March the authority of the one that commands. And then the trumpet, and we're gone. We're home, we're with him, the Lord Jesus. How precious. What a prospect.
And so in First Timothy 1, the apostle says, Christ Jesus, who is our hope. He is our hope. It's not just a doctrine, it's himself, the Lord himself.
Things in connection with these important things mentioned in verse 16, I wish you would repeat them.
Just had to add two things that made the five points that you brought out your brother in the 15th verse.
All heaven and has moved and comes forth.
There was nothing, nobody left in heaven, humanly speaking.
But there's one or two that are on earth. That is the spirit.
And we find the mention of that Spirit who Letteth will let in chapter two of Second Thessalonians. And we learned that the Holy Spirit is now withholding and keeping the world in such shape that we can still go on live a quiet and peaceable life.
But there comes this time of that meeting in the air.
When the Holy Spirit will be taken from the earth and we along with the Holy Spirit and that made the two additional ones so that the number and that is what I enjoyed was seven. Now it is like the completion is here. It is all complete. That is it was stated on Saturday.
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This is the moment for which every other moment was made. All beloved is a wonderful thing, is it not?
And then may I also share with you a thought in the next verse that I've had and enjoyed very much. The question may come up. And I would specially address the dear young people here because, you know, we're analytic Sometimes as young people, we like to find out the very last of what the Scriptures say.
And the words in the clouds are here. Spend my query. What do the clouds have to do with this event?
And the first thought went back to the first chapter of Acts in.
There the disciples see the Lord Jesus caught up.
And it says that he was taken in verse nine and a cloud received him out of their sight. And I felt that was saying what it wants to say to us out of their sight.
When that cloud was between the blessed Lord Jesus and His disciples who were watching him, He had disappeared. So the cloud was like a veil or a barrier between that ascended Lord and His own that were to remain on earth now till the moment in our chapter comes to pass.
Now we know in Christendom, in the world, there's a lot of speculation going on. Not that the Christendom or the camp generally takes these things to heart, as we have learned to do, but they do speculate, for they believe that they're going to be caught up. What's going to happen?
Here it speaks of clouds in the plural took one clouded.
Take up the Lord Jesus and out of their sight. But there will be clouds, beloved, that are like a barrier between ourselves caught up to be with the Lord and this world. Perhaps many are in such expectation. They would just love to train Paloma.
Back to telescope on that event if they could, but God wonderfully puts a veil right across it. All this world is left to wonder. They'll soon have to believe a lie, but because some explanation will have to be given and it says that they shall believe a lie.
Well, the cloud is to me here of that significance. The Lord draws a veil over the whole thing. As to the eyes of the world that would love to fill their curiosity with some information, it's all going to be closed at once and we'll be home with the Lord and no more troubles from this world. We have forever left it behind.
That we find in Christendom that there's a lot of speculation as to events, present events, and bringing these in connection with the coming of the Lord Jesus. And that I believe is a snare of the enemy to occupy the people of God with events rather than be looking for the Lord Jesus himself. There is no prophetic scripture that we're waiting for to be fulfilled.
Before the Lord Jesus will come Himself to fetch us away and we should not be overly occupied with the things that are going on. They can at best have something to do with that which will take place after the rapture. The rapture has nothing to do, as we have seen with the times and seasons. That has to do with His return to earth and we can for those who might not be that familiar with it.
Even have been confused by teachings that are going around in Christendom. The Lord Jesus can come any moment. It's an imminent imminent to hope at any moment he can come. We do not look for any events to take place and we do know that there is the teaching of.
That we will, as believers, go through the tribulation.
That which has to do with the times and seasons for others again speak of a partial rapture, that only the faithful one will be raptured. And these are all doctrines that we take heed not to listen to. We should be occupied with the person of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.
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The Spirit of God will always seek to link the events in Scripture with that person.
And if that is not accomplished, that that person becomes dearer to us, that our joy is great because we see He will be exalted and glorified in the very place where He was rejected and crucified, then prophecy really doesn't do as much good.
The enemy uses it to puff us up, but we have to ever seek, as the Spirit of God would seek to do, bring them into connection with the person of the Lord Jesus. And that's for us especially what we should be looking for, not events and be occupied with these things too much we should be occupied with.
That expectation of seeing the one who loved us and gave himself for us.
Our brother is brought before us the coming of the Lord in each of the chapters in Thessalonians.
It just has struck me so forcibly that these living Saints at Thessalonica were so waiting for the sun from heaven that the error that they had that they needed to be corrected on was when some of the Saints died.
They wondered what would happen, would they lose out when the Lord came? And that's why the apostle has to give this instruction in verse 15 through 18, that the dead in Christ shall be raised 1St and then the living changed and caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air. They were waiting for the Lord, but they were so expecting the Lord to come in their day way back then.
They were waiting for him.
And when some died, they wondered, are they going to lose out? Are they going to miss out? And that's the error. That's the mistake in their minds. That is corrected here by the apostle.
Glad that the apostle was hindered, he would have gone not merely once, but again to the Cecil lynchings, to minister to them. But he was hindered. And so we have this epistle in our hands here this morning.
And all this array of blessed truth to enjoy the coming of the Lord for His own is never associated with judgment in the Scriptures. The first mention of the coming of the Lord and its Christian character is in John 14 and.
That's the reason for the disappearance of the title The Son of Man in the 13th verse of Matthew.
Because the Lord is coming for His own, and there's no judgment connected with that. Our judgment has already been taken care of at the cross of Calvary when our blessed Lord died. The just for the unjust to bring us to God. And judgment does not change men's hearts. We see that in the last two verses of Revelation 9.
After all the severity of those judgments that have been poured out.
Man's heart is still unchanged, so it's the Lord himself that we need, and we're glad that that was mentioned from the first chapter before we come to service in the second chapter.
The judgment seat of Christ, then.
Well, that expression judgment seat of Christ is really not a correct expression because.
The after we've been taken up to be with Christ, then the works of all of us as believers will be evaluated, and it's at that time that the Lord sits what is on what is called the the Bema.
Or the judgment seat, and it has nothing to do with sins, because the sins are all taken care of and the finished work of Christ, the precious blood has cleansed us from all sin. The judgment is passed will not come into condemnation, but that time when we passed before that judgment seat, or I'd like to call it the man, a place of manifestation or a place of evaluation. It's a manifest.
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Evaluation of the works that we have done to please the Lord in whatever way it might have been down here to please the Lord. And rewards will be given out for those, for those works on the basis of those works. So we mustn't get that confused when it speaks of the judgment seat of Christ, it's not a judgment of doom. It's in a judgment of evaluation.
Like at a County Fair.
Or any kind of affair where people bring all of their produce and they cook thing baked things, and the farmer brings in all of his wares from the farm and the livestock. And all the judges come in and they're not coming there to condemn any of these things or to destroy them, but simply to evaluate them, place an evaluation upon them. And so one gets first prize and another one gets second prize and third prize and so on.
It's a judgment of evaluation or manifestation. It's not a judgment of doom. So our brother is correct in what you say, that the coming of the Lord has nothing to do with judgment as far as condemnation is concerned, that fast.
Someone has said that I believe it's true in connection with what you just said, Brother Anderson, that the coming of the Lord for his people is an affair of the heart.
The coming of the Lord with his, with the Saints, is an affair of the conscience.
Going to be brought into judgment. Judgment is coming.
Thinking to us, someone has said remarked about we find those that are seek to be occupied with prophecy today and it's they get very confused on many things. I was thinking of what Daniel said in connection with.
In the book of Daniel, in connection with that which is to come, Daniel's prophecy has to do much with the Book of Revelation also.
And we know what's coming, but just notice there.
As as to prophecy today, there is much speculation as to what this is or what that is, but God's desire is that we'd be occupied with Christ because this is where we're going. There's the the the church is not a part of prophecy at all. It's been set in. God is now calling out of a condemned world of people for his name up there.
And so as far as the scene now is concerned, even we as those who belong to the Lord now, we see through a glass dimly, not darkly, but dimly. We, we don't see clearly all that we have because God wants us to be occupied with Christ, as someone has already said. But I was looking at Daniel chapter 12.
And verse 4.
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end.
And many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Seal them up. Well, that's that's taking place now, isn't it? It's sealed as far as as the.
The knowledge of these things are concerned and then then we find later.
That's verse nine of that chapter. And he said, go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
Well, that doesn't come until after the church has gone home. And so it says. Many shall be purified and made white and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but the why shall understand. When will they understand? Not today. They'll understand then, because judgment will fall.
Man is going to learn a knowledge, then he'll learn of God through judgment.
But then in in Revelation in the 22nd chapter.
When we get there.
Verse the 22nd chapter, verse 10 that says, and he said unto he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of the book where the time is at hand now it's going to be open, but when is it opened? After the church is gone to glory, then it will be revealed. So it's good for us to know that as we were having in our chapter that.
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It's the Lord Himself that's coming for us.
Someone referred to Matthew 13 when he when he comes together his elect.
He will send his angels, He sends a representative there but for us, and now He comes himself. How blessed that is all. In chapters 13141516 and around there the Lord says that what I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. And constantly He keeps referring to and in that day well.
We're in that day.
And the disciples only could take hold of so much while the Lord Jesus was here speaking to them.
What day did he anticipate, the day after he would do that work on the cross, go up on high, receive the second time the Holy Spirit, and send him forth. And this the Spirit of God would come down and be with and in all believers and baptize them into one body and unite them to the hidden glory.
And the Spirit of God indwells each one of us, and would lead us in the intelligence of the whole world of God, prophecy included.
Proverbs 25, Proverbs 25 and verse two says it is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is the search out a matter.
Kings and priests unto God, and God would have us search out the Lord would lead us into the intelligence of all of us. Truth in the word of God. Now there is a prerequisite, shall we say?
Who was used by the Lord in the New Testament to bring out the truth of the Book of Revelation in the prophetic things?
The one in John chapter 13 who laid his head upon the bosom of the Lord.
What was the secret with Daniel that had all this coming time unfolded these prophetic things, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the King's meat and wine.
And so Abraham, shall I hide this thing from Abraham?
This judgment that's to come, that which was a secret to God. No, he let it be known unto a man who was walking in separation from the world. The so dear ones, for you and I, the Lord would open up the Vista of all this truth that's there. There's a capacity for it and he loves us so much. I'm not going to hide anything from you. All that all that's coming.
One other thing we might say we have a Trump mentioned here.
Let me go back to a statement now that our late brother chapter Brown said one time, talking about fundamentalism as we know it in the Christendom around. He said fundamentalism is the effect of the truth back in the camp.
In other words, when God wrought in 1830 and 40, and through Mr. Darby and Mr. Bellitt and Wigram and later Mr. Kelly, all of those writings, they brought out the whole truth of scope, as it were, of the prophetic things and the nature and calling and character of the Church.
There are many who never got into the pathway. They got the truth of it through the writings of the brethren.
Fundamentalism is the reaction of the truth back in the camp, and if you don't take the position somewhere along the line, you're going to give up. So why do they start teaching now in fundamental circles that the church is going to go through the tribulation? We can expect a lot more.
Of erroneous things to be taught. Well, how about this Trump? Well, they say, look, here's a Trump here. 1St Corinthians 15 says the last Trump.
And here in Revelation 11, it says the seventh trump shall sound of the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of Christ. They're all one. So the church has gone through the tribulation.
Well, I would just suggest to you that as those who have the Spirit of God indwelling us as we learn the truth of Revelation two and three, the prophetic history of the church and profession upon the earth, that we get to lay it to see you. And then in the 4th and 5th chapter, what do we see? We see 24 elders up in glory. What do they represent? They present represent the whole company of the redeemed for the.
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Testament Saints are going to be raised here in First Thessalonians 4 along with us, and we are seen in that company as the 24 elders right after chapters two and three of Revelation. So in the rest of the unfolding of all the judgments that have to do with the tribulation period, we're the 24 elders, as it were represented there. Now we'll get our own distinct place later on the 19th chapter we find the last time the 24 elders are mentioned. Then when the marriage supper of the.
Comes we have our own distinct place as the bride of Christ with the Lord Jesus Christ and will be associated with him like a son at was with Joseph of old. We're going to be associated with the Lord Jesus Christ not only in the Kingdom, but on through eternity.
For a high school, there is this scripture in John 16 that helps me in what you have said. As to prophetic scripture, He shall show you that which is to come.
And I have enjoyed this thought, that in the 14th chapter the Spirit of God is used to bring to our memory that which the Lord had uttered on earth. You might say that has to do with the Gospel. For us to have spiritual intelligence as to the Gospels, to really enter into them, we need the Spirit of God in the 15th chapter.
It has to do.
With the Lord Jesus himself that he presents him, and it has to do, we might say, with the Church, the epistles, that which we have in Paul's writings in particular, but then in the 16th chapter we have to prophetic scriptures. The statements that we made earlier are not to be understood, that we should not seek to read.
Prophetic Scripture.
Blessing is pronounced upon those who read this book.
And revelation, in contrast to Daniel, is not sealed because we live now in the dispensation of the Spirit of God, where we have spiritual power to enter into those things. But the danger is to bring the rapture in connection with events that are taking place. This is the warning that we want to give.
And we do certainly benefit from reading the prophetic scripture.
I think just about 2/3 of the Word of God, maybe not quite that much, is prophetic in character and it all has to do with the blessed Lord. But how wonderful, like Freddie Hindsley has said in the 5th chapter is the best proof that we will not go through the tribulation when the Lamb stands there.
A slain he is the one that has the right to take the book out of him.
That sitters upon the throne and this book is the book of judgment. They are unfolding one after another. But before he even has that book and receives it, the redeemed are already around him. So we do see that. We just see from this that we, the Saints of God will not go through the tribulation. The rapture will take place. And in the 4th chapter.
Verse one I believe we have.
A scripture that hints or gives us an indication that the rapture.
There could be implied. Here's what it says after this.
I I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me.
And which said come up, hit her.
We see in John being called up hitter a picture as a prayer of the church being called to glory after the 2nd and 3rd chapter which presents us a prophetic picture of the church here on earth.
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Order.
So to speak, to be on the Isle of Patmos with John, where the Lord is, when we read the Book of Revelation, When?
The early brethren came together to study prophecy. I believe I read that they broke bread every morning or before they began their studies of the prophetic word. They wanted to avoid taking up the prophetic subjects of Scripture in a merely intellectual way. They wanted their hearts warmed and drawn out to the Lord Jesus, and there's nothing that draws the heart out to Him like the remembrance.
Himself and his death and I believe they remembered the Lord each time before they had their prophetic studies and it it becomes us. And it's so important to stress again the words the Lord himself. You can have all the knowledge of Scripture, but if He is not the one who is before your soul in mind, the truth that we possess will not keep us.
That's been abundantly proven in the history of the Church.
Men far better than you or me have gone astray. Well, it ought to keep us very humble with our faces in the dust as we realize what we're capable of. But the Lord himself alone can keep us.
And Prison Dumb expects or plans to bring in the Kingdom through the enlargement of the professing church. And of course that is an empty sort of thing and man's design, and it makes something of man as he is in the flesh, but we are thankful for.
Dispensational truth. And that Lord has promised. I will come again.
And receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
Here in these verses that the word Lord is used several times. Verse 15.
The word of the Lord, and in that same verse, the coming of the Lord.
Verse 16. The Lord Himself.
And then again down in verse 17, to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. But why is it that that is mentioned there? I believe five times. We read it there, Lord. Well, to me it speaks of this.
That he is the one that has everything under control.
He is the one in dominion because the word Lord means the one who has dominion.
It's you know what a Dominion is.
King is it is raining.
His sphere of rain is a dominion. He has dominion over that sphere. Well, here's something that the Lord has complete dominion over. He is the Lord. He's in control.
And I think it's wonderful to see that it says at the end where for comfort one another with these words, the Lord has all under control. Recently we heard with the passing of a brother.
That just before he went, he said.
God's way is perfect.
God's way is perfect. Yes, God is perfect in all of his ways. And the Lord is going to do everything for us according to his desires, and it's going to be just right. It's going to be perfect.
And to be with the Lord, that is the essence of comfort and perfection, or whatever you could call it forever with the law. Comfort one another with these words.
And we'll be with the one.
Reigning with the one who will have all things under control in the Millennium, the 1000 years when he reigned, and we'll be with him for all eternity.
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What a wonderful thing that is to be with the one who loved us, gave himself for us, and he's doing the very best he can for every one of us, even now.
Doing the very best He can for us all. He would love to do a lot more for us, but sometimes we're in a sort of a state of soul that prevents him, as we have in the Book of Revelation in the first chapter. There the Lord stands with the golden girdle.
Around his bosom.
Well, the seed of his affections are there in his heart, in his bosom, but the golden girdle is on there to hold the affections back.
To keep them from being shown out as he would love to, because the of the state of things, the state of the church. He's standing in the midst of the golden candlesticks, symbols of the testimony of God here on the earth at this time, and he's standing in the midst of us.
And he's there for our blessing, but he has to judge everything too.
And he wants to show his love to us, but oftentimes he can't because we're in a bad state of soul. He has to chasten us instead. And then he has to tell us whom the Lord loveth. He chasing us while he's trying to get us closer to himself in such a state of soul that he can show his luck to us and we can be in the enjoyment of that love, the love of the Lord.
Toward us never changes.
But he can't always show it to us as he would love to. And this ought to touch our hearts. But all we're going to be in that scene where everything that comes into our lives brings a barrier between us and him. It disturbs our fellowship with him. We're not going on in communion with him as we ought to. Everything that disturbs is going to be dropped.
And we're going to be just like him, having a body of glory, like unto his body of glory.
And we will be able to enjoy him in fullness and we're thankful that he is in control. I'm so thankful for that and all that. We might learn that lesson now that even in the assembly he is in control.
Is not the brothers meeting that's in control, It's not leading brothers that are in control. All that we might recognize that he is in control.
Always looking to him, to the one who is in control, that we might give all the controls to him, that we might recognize him really as he is, because we're going to see him as he is.
Yeah, and this verse is to be found in the promise and fact of the Lord's coming.
Chapter Brown had my father's funeral in the year 19140.
Do you think that he suggested to me that after time that you will be allowed to rejoin your loved one that has been taken away? No, that's not the comfort of the verse.
The covenant of the verse is in the promise and fact of our Lord's return. The Lord Himself shall come.
Together, I'm sure you have thoughts about it. Let's turn back to Ezra three and four, and we'll glean a few thoughts from there on the word together, Ezra, Chapter 3.
When this little remnant went back some 42,000.
To the center and when the 7th month was come, Ezra three one and the children of Israel were in the cities. The people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. And how blessed this is. Then this together they were together there at the right center, the divine center, having come back from Babylon well.
God, on the day of Pentecost, they were all of one heart and one soul. They were together.
The Spirit of God came down, baptized believers into one, united them to the head in glory. But we see that after the death of the apostles, things went into ruin and divisions have come about in Christendom. God raised up a testimony in 1830 or 40 around there. How blessed that God and his marvelous grace.
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Has given the truth that there is one body.
And that we can meet all that ground and we have this truth and we trust by God's grace that will appreciate it and we'll go on together. We love the people of God. We know that there are some even in Thyatira, which have not known the depths of Satan and are going to be in glory in the Roman Catholic system. There are those scattered throughout the branches of Protestantism. We meet them every once in a while and.
In no time at all, we learn all they're a true child of God.
We can't walk with them here.
We can't be divine Love will not allow us to go. Just the other day we were having something to eat in a restaurant. We bowed our head and gave thanks. And then when we were ready to leave, we left the gospel track on the table. There were three ladies and a gentleman, elderly in the next table. And the lady looked over and she says, I think I'll do that too. Well, I knew that was just an excuse to speak. So I stood up and I said, well, I said, let me see your track.
And she showed it to me and it was a fundamental track. And I said, well, I says, are you the Lord? Oh, yes, indeed. Well, there was response in no time at all. We just shared some common thoughts. Then they says we're going to a Bible conference down at the Ocean City and such and such as the speaker. How about coming down? Well, I said, you see, I can't go there.
As I'm gathered with a little group of Christians to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, she says, I know who you are, your brethren. And I says, well, you're saved, aren't you, each one of you and your brethren too? Well, I couldn't go where they invited me. It would be false to the truth.
Blessed that hymn we sing no more to view thy chosen few by selfish strife. Divided that will be up on the other side. But here in love to my brethren, I've got to walk in that separated pathway. It condemns that position. That's contrary to the word of God. It might exercise his conscience that he might meet on that ground. That's according to the word of God. Well, that's one thought here in verse 9.
It says then stood Joshua with his sons and his brethren, Kate Mills.
And his sons, the sons of Judah, together to set forward the workmen in the House of God.
So we see these dear ones working together. They were gathered together. Now they're working together and all. How blessed that you and I can be workers together in the vineyard of the Lord. Some of the dear servants are out on the front line. God hasn't called all to that position.
But all we can sustain them, we can pray for them earnestly and fervently. We can minister of our substance to them. And also we have our own to every man, his own work. We each have our jobs to do. Well, let's just take two more things.
In verse 11, they sang together. How blessed to be seeing the praises of the Lord together, both in assembly or as we gather around the piano over at Fisher Hall. How it rejoices our souls in these hymn sings. And another thing that's blessed is on Lords Day or any other time when we pick up this book.
To sing from it. We can sing without with ease. We don't have to worry. Are we singing things that are not accurate according to the word of God? This has been proven.
And the expressions are good and faithful to the Word of God. Let us be careful then. And a lot of the songs that we pick up from the camp, they may not be scriptural, they may have a good tune, but watch what you sing. One other thing that is in chapter 4 and verse 3.
You have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God, but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel. While these were the adversaries, and they came and they said, let us throw in with you, we'll help. We're going to be worshippers too in that temple and.
They had the sense of discernment to say you are not worshippers, you are adversaries.
And so with you and I, we cannot throw in our lot. They would like us to join in their amalgamations. I remember one time, you'll forgive me, but T8 Frank Jackson went into a restaurant in Washington, DC.
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And who should show up in the same restaurant but a great evangelist whose name is close by?
They had gone to school years before, and Billy recognized Frank and he had some words with him. They spoke together of old things. And then he says, I'm having a big campaign over at the Coliseum. I trust you'll be there, Frank. And Frank says, I'm sorry, but I won't be there. Why? What's wrong?
Well, says Frank.
I'm with a little group of Christians gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Mr. G said I know who you are, don't go any further.
Just pray for us. Just pray.
Well, here in our chapter building together, we don't amalgamate, we don't join in, we don't secure the help of others. We'll go on with God's help till he comes. The story comes to mind. It's a bit of information. Our brother Larson was laboring in the western part of the state of Arkansas.
And the local minister edged up pretty close. He wanted to find out what was going on. He was a man preaching the gospel. It was.
The truth of the Word and he was baptizing people.
And he wanted to find out who this man could be.
And after a time, he says I've got it.
You're a Plymouth brother.
Larson says Plymouth brother.
I'm a Des Moines brother. Aren't you an Arkansas brother?
Apostle Paul say.
Times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you.
They must have been acquainted with this. They could. They could find out about that from the Old Testament Scriptures. I'm sure the Apostle Paul had spoken to them about these things when he was there preaching the gospel.
And the times and seasons are spoken of in the Old Testament. The Old Testament prophecy.
You don't find any revelation in the Old Testament about the church, but you do find revelations concerning the times and seasons. Well, the times and seasons are connected with the restoration of Israel, the reign of the Lord during the 1000 years. Rainiest king, the Kingdom of Israel established again.
Has to do with the times and seasons. Well, the beginning of the times and seasons is really when the Lord comes back to earth, isn't it? And he deals with the nation. He comes in judgment. He comes to set everything right.
See, when the children of Israel went into the land of Canaan, they had to clean it up first. They had to deal with all of the enemies. They had to destroy those enemies according to God's word, because they were wicked sinners. They had to clean up the country, and then it was that Solomon reigned. The Kingdom was set up then.
I speak of Solomon because it was really then that the Kingdom was.
Set up according to the mind of God. In the beginning there was Saul of Tarsus, and he was given to the people because they desired a king like all the nations around. But still in Solomon we get a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ reigning in glory. But there had to be a clean up first. And so when the Lord comes, he'll do both things. He'll clean up the whole seed, and then he'll reign.
It's the same as the day of the Lord.
We find in scripture two expressions that it is good to understand the difference, the day of the Lord and the day of Christ or Christ Day and the day of Christ has to do with his own. We find that in Philippians and other scriptures and.
The day of the Lord has to do with his coming back on earth and the judgment and the Millennium.
All of this is the day of the Lord and even the final judgment. Is that correct?
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The first chapter of Acts we get that the question there was asked wasn't it they were still concerned about the Kingdom.
The first chapter Acts one verse. Chapter one of Acts and verse.
6.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father had put in His own power, But then he brings them to the other era, when the Spirit of God would come down, and.
Reveal this to them, but He shall receive power after that. The Holy Ghost has come upon you.
You shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, into the uttermost parts of the earth. But they were concerned there, weren't they, about the Kingdom. And he said it's the times and seasons were not for you to know.
I believe to what the Church is. The Church is a heavenly people. The Church belongs to heaven, and the Church does not belong to the sphere that's included.
In that statement, times and seasons, we don't belong to that sphere of times and seasons. We belong to heaven. We're heavenly people and we're heavenly because the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church, is in heaven and we're connected with him there seated in the heavenlies in Christ. And so this has nothing to do with the church, the church at this time.
Is home with the Lord, but then the Lord comes back to deal with this earth.
And as was already mentioned, he comes as the Lord, and it's the day of the Lord, and he mentioned about the day of Christ. And I remember Brother Brown giving us this simple illustration.
Of a two-story house.
He says these two things are really like a two-story house. The day of the Lord has to do with the earth. The day of Christ has to do with heaven. The day of Christ has to do with his earth, his heavenly people, those who are in Christ, who belong to Christ the Church. The day of the Lord has to do with people here on the earth that come in for judgment, the judgment of God.
Read in Matthew about all nations being gathered before the Lord and he deals with them all and separates them as shepherds, divides the sheep from the ghosts, and those on the left hand are sent to eternal destruction, and those on the right hand they go into the blessing of the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth. So the Lord comes, and he is in full command.
And that's another reason, I suppose it's called the day of the Lord, because he's, he's in command.
He's in control of that too, and nobody is going to say anything to him. They're not going to again say him. All of them will be submitting to him. And in chapter 18 of the Psalms.
It tells us that they're going to give feigned obedience to the Lord. They'll be so afraid of him that even though they're not born again, they're going to bow to him and give feigned obedience to him. And all the way through the Millennium they'll do that which is the day of the Lord. That whole 1000 years and a few more years are the day of the Lord, and they'll give feigned obedience to the Lord. And so when you come to the end of 1000 years reign of Christ.
Then it is that Satan is loose, and he goes out to deceive the nations.
And of course all of those who simply give given feigned obedience to the Lord, they will follow Satan and fire comes down out of heaven and destroys them all because they dare to compass the camp to Saints about that is the Lords little company of earthly people, and the fire of God destroys all of them. So all of those during that time were not really the Lords who are not really born again.
There are only feigned subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will be dealt with and all of them going to death. And so at the end of the Millennium, all those who are not the Lords are in death. And then after that you get the great White throne judgment. When the Lord sits on that throne and all are gathered before him, all the dead, well, there's no point in calling living there because all the living.
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Are in the Lord's safekeeping.
We in the glory and those on the earth who are the Lords, they're all safe keeping. 2 But all the wicked dead are brought forth, all those who died in their sins are brought forth to stand before the great white throne and be judged there, And the doom is that they're cast into the lake of fire. Perhaps you might just give a word on 2nd Thessalonians 2, verse 2.
Because I believe some of the young people might.
Like a little help on this. It speaks, but they have Christ. But you read this Mr. Darby's translation. It's the day of the Lord, isn't it? I just mentioned that #282.