The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Original Blessed Hope

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (II Thessalonians 1:7-10)

Our vision of the return of Christ to the earth affects the sincerity with which we prepare ourselves to do our Lord's will. It is necessary that Christian people study the Scriptures concerning this supremely important event and not just accept the traditions that have been handed to us. There are widely held doctrines among Christians that are contrary to the words of the Lord Jesus and the Apostles of the Lamb.

Many of us have trusted that the saints will not be called on to endure tribulation. Yet this is not borne out by church history or by the Scriptures. One area of confusion concerns the great tribulation. The difference between tribulation and Divine wrath is not always made clear.

Paul teaches us in Second Thessalonians that the Day of Christ will not come until after the worldwide revolt against authority and the revealing of the man of sin. The Lord Jesus spoke clearly that He would not come in secret but His appearing would shine as lightning "immediately after the tribulation of those days."

No verse of the Scriptures speaks of a disappearing of the saints. Christ ascended in full view of the onlookers, will call up His saints into the clouds in full view of the onlookers, and will descend to the Mount of Olives in full view of the onlookers.

The Scripture does not teach or imply that when we are caught up to meet the Lord we will return to Heaven with Him. Yet multitudes of Christian believers have been taught that this is the case without any scriptural support whatever for their belief.

To our knowledge there is no verse in the New Testament that tells us the Lord will bring His Church to Heaven when He returns. The Lord's return is not for the purpose of bringing His Church to Heaven but to bring justice, righteousness, and true worship to the nations of the earth.

We are to flee to the mountain of prayer with God as we behold the rise of lawlessness. When we Christians have been driven from the cities of the earth, God will provide for us in the wilderness until Christ returns and destroys Antichrist with the power and glory of His Presence.

The return of Christ to set up His Kingdom on the earth is the ancient hope of the saints. That original hope is being brought up to date by the burden of the Holy Spirit.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (I Peter 1:13) (from The Coming of the Lord)