Paul closes 1 Thessalonians 4 with these words, “So shall we ever be with the Lord.” And is that all? Yes that is all; for to the heart that has learned to love Him, He can say no more.
Then he adds, “Of the times and seasons ye have no need that I write unto you,” you are the children of the day, you wait for that.
No explanation of this as a doctrine can ever reach the heart. You cannot make a person understand a relationship; to understand it he must himself be in it. An unquickened soul may understand in a manner what prophecy means, but nothing short of the sense and taste of being connected with Christ Himself can give the desire for His own personal coming. And why? Because for this the relationship must be known. In Revelation 22:1616I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (Revelation 22:16) the relationship is known, affection is awakened and there is immediate response.
Take a case: A woman is expecting her husband; he knocks at the door; not a word is uttered out of his mouth, but his wife knows already who it is at the door; for it is he whom she loves that is there, and thus the natural feelings proper for a wife are awakened when the chord is touched by that which acts on them. But then the link must be there to produce the response, the chord which vibrates with this blessed truth must be there to be awakened by it. There is such a consciousness of union with Jesus through the power of God’s Spirit that the very moment He is spoken of in this character, the chord is touched, and the instinctive cry is, Come!
Now mark the practical effect of this looking for Jesus. It takes us clean out of the world up to heaven. If my heart is right in its affections for Him, I am looking too straight up on high to take notice of the things around me. Plenty of things there are around in the world, plenty of bustle and turmoil, but it does not disturb the blessed calm of my soul, because nothing can alter the indissoluble relationship with a coming Jesus, as nothing should divide us in hope.