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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Coming of the Kingdom, #6
And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:11)
The "voice" of the Lord. Joel stipulates that "the Lord shall utter his voice before his army" (Joel 2:11).
Paul declares that the Lord Himself will "descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel" (I Thessalonians 4:16).
The expression, "the day of the Lord." There is only one Day of the Lord.
Joel refers to "the day of the Lord" (Joel 2:11).
Paul, obviously referring to the parousia that he had just described, terms this event "the day of the Lord" (I Thessalonians 5:2).
The militant nature of the Day of Christ. The second chapter of the Book of Joel presents the Day of the Lord as being an attack, an invasion of the earth by the army of Christ.
Does the Apostle Paul, in the fourth chapter of First Thessalonians, present the parousia as being a secret, invisible withdrawal of the believers; or does Paul's language suggest an attack, an invasion of the earth by the army of Christ? What is your judgment?
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout!
With the voice of the archangel!
And with the trumpet of God!
There would be no reason for the Lord to shout if this is a secret withdrawal of His people from the dangers of the earth. In time past warriors shouted at the time of attack, not during a retreat. During a retreat they slunk away shamefacedly.
The above description certainly does not apply to a secret withdrawal of the saints. Rather it is speaking of the calling up into the air of the army of Christ in preparation for the descent of the entire Christ, Head and Body, to the Mount of Olives. From the Mount of Olives the Lord's soldiers will attack the nations that have invaded Jerusalem. The Battle of Armageddon, Christ against Antichrist, will be fought. Then the Son of David will be crowned King in Jerusalem.
We understand, therefore, that the Kingdom of God will be installed on the earth with violence. The spiritual dimension of the Kingdom is God in Christ in the saints. The material dimension of the Kingdom is the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. The coming of the Kingdom of God is the entering of the spiritual dimension into the material dimension until the material dimension becomes filled with the righteousness and incorruptible eternal life of the Kingdom of God.
As soon as Christ is crowned King in Jerusalem His saints will go throughout the whole earth commanding every knee to bow to the Lord. The demons will be cast out of every person and out of the earth itself. Those who refuse to bow the knee to Christ will be crushed. They will be cast into the area prepared for the wicked.
Then will the whole world break forth into singing. Joy will fill the universe. The Glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. This is the Messianic Kingdom—that for which the Jews are waiting.
To be continued.