The Daily Word of Righteousness

Ye Shall Receive Power, #7

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)

We understand beyond all doubt that Christ was born of a virgin, ministered on the earth, was crucified for our sins, rose in triumph over death, and ascended into a cloud in full view of many witnesses.

We understand also, beyond all doubt, that Christ will come again in precisely the same manner in which He departed, and in full view of many witnesses. We do not believe in any secret coming of the Lord to "catch away His Bride to Heaven."

There are two comings of Christ described in Micah 5:1-4: one to the manger in Bethlehem, the other to the world as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Or, we may take the point of view that there is only one coming of the Lord. Jesus came two thousand years ago. His coming continues as people are born again and He enters their personalities. Finally He will be revealed from Heaven with His saints and holy angels for all the world to behold.

The exalted Head of Christ, He whose "goings forth have been from of old," came in the flesh two thousand years ago. Then He ascended into Heaven, there to make intercession for us in the Presence of the Father. We know Christ is at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. We know also He is with us to the end of the age and that He has been born in us and is abiding in us.

In the meantime, Christ has sent another Member of the Godhead to us—the Holy Spirit. The body and blood of the crucified and risen Christ are being fed to us through the Holy Spirit. Christ is being formed in us.

Each member of the Body of Christ reveals in himself or herself the death and resurrection of the Lord. We do more than merely tell other people that Christ died and rose again, we demonstrate that eternal truth in our personality (II Corinthians 4:10,11).

Because Christ lives, we live. As He is, so are we in the world.

Therefore every Christian in whom Christ is abiding is a continuation of Christ's coming. Prophetic "time" is waiting to resume, as far as the nation of Israel is concerned. In fact, all Israel will be delivered from ungodliness when "the fullness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25).

The resurrection Life of Christ is in us. We are His Body. We are His fullness (Ephesians 1:23).

As Christ is coming to fullness in us, and we are keeping His Word and revealing in our personalities the power of His coming, He will be able to enter us in an even greater measure, bringing the Father with Him. The fullness of this experience will take place, as we understand it, during the seventieth week—coming to a climax at the end of the week as the Lord Jesus descends from Heaven in full view of the whole world (Revelation 1:7).

During the first half of the seventieth week Christ will come to us as the latter rain (Hosea 6:3). All the miracles set forth in the entire Scriptures, plus many never before witnessed on the earth, will be unleashed through the saints as the end-time preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom is carried forth.

To be continued.