The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Time Is At Hand, #8

She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child is snatched up to God and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5—NIV)

It is the Ruler of the nations who is being formed in us. As soon as we travail in birth and Christ is formed in us He is caught up to the Throne of God. He will not come forth in His people until just prior to His appearing in the clouds.

We see this in the following:

The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. (Joel 3:15,16—NIV)

The darkening of the sun, moon, and stars are the budding of the fig tree that Jesus mentioned. These are the great signs that will tell us the coming of the Lord will take place within one generation.

It is at that time, the time when the world is crying "peace and safety," that the Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem. These mighty occurrences will mark the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the thousand-year Kingdom Age. The witnesses of Christ of all ages will be raised from the dead and terror will fall on the onlookers.

The special generation we have mentioned, who will be alive at the coming of the Lord, will never experience physical death. Christ will enter them in such power just prior to His appearing, and then at His appearing, that the ends of the earth will come to the Glory revealed in them. This sudden revelation of the Lord of Hosts through His people will take place when spiritual oppression and darkness blanket the earth.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1-3—NIV)

Just think of the marvels that lie ahead for those who give themselves wholly to the Lord Jesus!

We understand therefore that the climax of the ages is upon us. Our God is a God of preparation. He is telling us now—today—that we must begin to enter His tabernacle, to abide in His Presence. It soon will be too late.

Right now the Lord is knocking on the door of the personality of each believer. It is the Lord of Hosts who is knocking, the Lord strong and mighty in battle. He is ready now to wage war against His enemies, beginning with His enemies that reside in His own people.

This is an hour to seek God as never before. As we do the Spirit reveals to us the worldliness, lust, and self-will that are in us. All of the spiritual darkness that is in us must be confessed as the Spirit reveals the various sins to us. We must confess, denounce, renounce, and resolutely turn away from all of the death that is in us as it is brought to our attention.

To be continued.