The Daily Word of Righteousness

Seven Steps to the Rest of God, #15

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven [of the heavens] to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31)

The shaking of the heavens, which will take place "immediately after the great tribulation of those days," will catch the world by surprise; for until that hour—even throughout the tribulation, apparently—the nations of the earth will continue to go about their business as usual (Matthew 24:37-39).

During this time the saints will have "entered the ark of safety," that is, they will have entered the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles. They will be dwelling in Christ and He in them. When the flood of destruction comes it will only drive them further into the Presence of God.

We believe from the Scriptures that the Lord Jesus will come to His Church through the Spirit before His appearing to the world. We think that this spiritual aspect of His coming may have begun already. It is a time of judgment, of preparation for our entrance into Jesus in celebration of the feast of Tabernacles:

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:50,51)

The above passage, along with the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew, Chapter 25) may be referring to the visible, historic coming of the Lord. However it is not impossible that there will be a spiritual counterpart in which the Lord comes in the Spirit, and those who are not serving Him are removed from the flowing of the Divine purposes.

As we have stated, the process of removing the tares from the wheat may be taking place now. First, the tares of sin are being taken from the personalities of the true saints. Next, those among the believers who refuse to give up their sins will be removed. First the removal of the sin. Then the removal of the sinners.

The Church finally will be without spot or wrinkle—a perfect, complete bride for the Lamb.

Let the reader take heed how he hears. The Lord is speaking through the Spirit in our day, calling us out from the world, sin, and self-seeking. The spiritual darkness in the world is increasing rapidly. We are approaching the midnight hour. It is not a time for carelessness.

Numerous pastors and teachers are lulling their audiences to sleep with smooth words, promising them money, power, a "rapture" to remove them from trouble. They are in error. They are not hearing from the Lord. They, and those who follow them, will suffer greatly in the days to come. Zion will be purified by fire.

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. (Isaiah 4:4)

To be continued.