The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Kingdom of God Is at Hand, #41

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (James 5:7)

We now are in the season of the latter rain, of the kingdom-wide witness to every nation. The latter-rain of the next few years will be the most copious outpouring of God's Spirit in the record of mankind. However, the latter-rain of the twentieth century is destined to be exceeded by the Pentecost of Pentecosts that will characterize the rule of Christ and the saints over the earth.

The day of image and union will result in total image, total union, total fruitfulness, and total dominion in each member of the elect. Then the new Jerusalem will be ready to descend from the new heaven to its eternal resting place on the new earth.

The Day of Rest

We have come, in our study, to the seventh day, the day of rest. The day of rest is typified by the feast of Tabernacles of the Jews (Leviticus 23:33-43).

There is no "evening and morning" of the seventh day because the seventh day, the rest of God, represents the beginning of eternity.

The concept of rest is that of perfect joy in the will of God and the full achievement of all God has planned for us.

As is true of each of the other days, there will be a time of ferment, of chaos, toward the close of the sixth day:

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:7-9)

"The camp of the saints."

Here are the two witnesses that will appear in the sixth day, bearing witness of the new heaven and earth reign of Christ, the seventh day, the day of rest. The two witnesses are God and His tabernacle.

God's tabernacle at this time consists of the camp of the saints, Mount Zion, the fortress city, the warlike remnant, the firstfruits to God and the Lamb (as we find in Revelation, Chapter 14). God in Christ is dwelling in the saints bearing witness of the new heaven and earth to come. The Lord Jesus is on the Throne of David and the saints in whom He is dwelling are ruling with Him.

The firstfruits, those who were raised when the Lord returned to earth (Revelation 20:4-6), compose the camp of the saints, according to our understanding. The firstfruits are typified by the Ark of the Covenant of the old covenant. The "beloved city" refers to the earthly city of Jerusalem. These are the people of Israel who are alive during the thousand-year Kingdom Age.

The remainder of the Bride will remain in Heaven awaiting the descent of the new Jerusalem to the earth, according to our understanding at this time.

To be continued.