Come!

From: The Christian Shepherd: 2001

• 1 min. read • grade level: 6

There is a great difference between the rapture and the kingdom. His appearing for the church is the expression of His peculiar love to His people. His kingdom is the expression of His power.

He knows His people as one with Himself, and He will come and fetch His bride first (1 Thess. 4:13-18¹³But 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. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵For 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. ¹⁶For 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: ¹⁷Then 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. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑18)). He went to take the kingdom without her. Looking at the Lord’s love to us in this way, we see it to be quite distinctive and separate from all other grace that He ever will or can show.

He will not show forth the kingdom till He has come to get a heavenly people. Israel has an earthly kingdom. But such external power would not do for a Christian. I am part of the bride; the Lord has given Himself to her (Eph. 5:25²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 5:25)). It is He Himself for whom I wait (Rev. 22:20²⁰He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)).

The authority of the Lord Jesus in that day (the kingdom) will extend to, and take in, the range of everything. Those now associated with Him in sorrow will reign with Him.

The thought of being a king and a priest is beautiful for glory and dominion, but ah! it does not touch that blessed thought of relationship—the Lord Jesus is the Firstborn among many brethren—and our hearts’ affections for Him as His bride.

The Christ who looked down on Stephen (Acts 7:55-56⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, ⁵⁶And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55‑56)) is the Christ to whom we say, “Come!” But you cannot be ready for that without a personal love to Him. May each redeemed, as part of the bride, a pilgrim and stranger down here, say, “Come!”

G. V. Wigram (adapted)

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