AS a servant of the Lord was preaching on the coming of the Lord in a seaside town, four little boys, belonging to a boarding school there, happened to be among the audience. The preacher showed from Scripture that when the Lord comes he will first of all take every believer to Himself. All of these who have gone to be with the Lord since the beginning of the world,—from Abel, or Adam, down to the moment that Jesus arises from His Father’s throne, will be raised in glorified bodies, and all who are living on the earth at that time, will be changed and caught away “tether with them to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:16, 1716For 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17); 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); 1 Cor. 15:51, 5251Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In 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. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑52)). Then “when they that are ready” through faith in Christ have thus gone “in with Him to the marriage the door is shut” (Matt. 25:1010And 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. (Matthew 25:10)).
It will be of no use then to knock at the door, saying, “Lord, Lord, open unto us;” for it will be too late (verse 11, 12); for, of course, all who are not ready, all who are not believers, are shut out and left bind, so that they come into all those terrible judgments foretold all through the books of prophecy, to be poured out on this earth.
Well, these four little boys went home to their boarding school thinking and talking solemnly of what they had heard, and what do you think they did? Why, as they were very much concerned about it, and knew that their kind governess was a real disciple of the Lord Jesus, in whose teaching and prayers they had full confidence, they put their young heads tether and wrote the following little letter, a touching appeal when you consider that it told how anxious they were to be saved:
“Miss—. We find from Mr. R—’s sermon that you and all the believers may all be taken away to heaven, and we left behind. We should like you to pray with us about it.”
Having, all signed their names to this, they quietly laid it on her Bible and left it there.
I have no doubt at all that the cry of their young hearts has been heard, and the prayers of their Christian guide and teacher on their behalf answered by Him who proved His love for the little ones when He was here on the earth (Mark 10:13-1613And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13‑16)), and who is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”
My purpose in telling you of it is to show you that even little boys can understand this solemn truth connected with the coming of the Lord, namely, that only those who know Him as their own Saviour will be caught away to meet Him in the air above the clouds.
Now, as this may take place at any moment suddenly, I hope that if you are not yet “ready” by believing in Jesus, you will not rest until you are so, but be in earnest to receive salvation at once by the blood of Christ like the four little boys.
ML-08/11/1935