The world would see Jesus. If Christ is lifted up, all men will be drawn to Him. God did not send His Son to condemn the world but that the world through Him may be saved.

The Christian Church is the instrument God has chosen for the revealing of His Son. In order for us to serve as a revealer of Christ, we ourselves must die to all that is of our first personality. If some of our old personality is left, the world sees us and not Jesus.

This is the condition that is in existence today. The Christian churches are attempting to present Christ by their own wisdom, strength, and human talents. Such wisdom, strength, and talents may cause many to join the church but they do not reveal Christ. They do not give life to the dead sea of humanity.

The Lord is seeking saints who are ready to enter the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles, into the third platform of redemption. This will mean a death to self. The presence of Satan in the earth will be stronger in the days to come than at any other point of history. Saved human beings no longer will be able to stand against the ancient dragon. Only the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will have the power to overcome the adversary. The believer must lay down his own life or else God cannot work through him.

Samson had to die in order to destroy the temple of the Philistines (Judges 16:30).

There can be no parousia, no bringing of the creation into the glorious liberty of the children of God, until there is a Christian Church that loves not its life to the death.

The Parousia Will Come as a Thief to All but the Participants

Jesus warned us that His appearing would be as that of a thief. This does not mean He is coming to steal something but rather that His coming will be unexpected and will catch people unprepared.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (I Thessalonians 5:2,3)

We have stated that certain events will precede the parousia :

The sun will be darkened.

The moon will not give its light.

The stars will fall from heaven.

The powers of the heavens will be shaken.

The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven.

All the tribes of the earth will mourn and will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven.

The Lord will send His angels with a sound of a trumpet.

The angels will gather together the Lord's elect from the four winds.

The above is the order of events of the parousia (Matthew 24:29-31).

To be continued.