THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians
Message Four
The Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Scripture Reading: 1 Thes. 4:15-18; 5:15-18; 2 Thes. 2:1-12; Dan. 2:28; 9:24-27
I. The two Epistles to the Thessalonians were written in the light of the Lord’s coming; the Lord’s coming (Gk. parousia) is His presence—1 Thes. 4:15; Matt. 24:3; 2 Thes. 2:19:
A. Every chapter of 1 Thessalonians ends with the coming of the Lord; this shows that the writer, Paul, lived and worked with the Lord’s coming before him, taking it as an attraction, an incentive, a goal, and a warning—1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:15-18; 5:23.
B. Because we are awaiting the Son of God from the heavens, our future is focused on Him; our life declares that we have no hope on this earth and no positive destiny in this age, and that our hope is the coming Lord, who is our destiny forever; this governs, holds, and keeps our Christian life for the church life—1:10; 2 Thes. 2:1, 8.
II. We need to see “the coming [presence—Gk. parousia] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him”—2 Thes. 2:1-12:
A. Before the three and a half years of the great tribulation, the overcomers among the believers will be raptured into Christ’s presence (parousia) in the heavens—Rev. 12:5-6; 14:1-5; Luke 21:34-36; Matt. 24:36-44.
B. At the end of the three and a half years of the great tribulation, the second half of the last week in Daniel 9:27, the majority of the believers, both the dead and resurrected and the living, will be raptured into Christ’s presence (parousia) in the air; First Thessalonians 4:16-17 speaks of this rapture, which corresponds to the reaping of the harvest in Revelation 14:14-16.
III. The prophecy of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24-27 shows that the day of the Lord’s coming is very near; the seventy weeks are divided into three parts, each week being seven years in length—cf. 2 Pet. 1:19:
A. First, seven weeks (49 years) were apportioned from the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 2:1-8) to the completion of the rebuilding—Neh. 2:1-8; Dan. 9:25.
B. Second, sixty-two weeks (434 years) were apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the cutting off (crucifixion) of the Messiah—vv. 25-26.
C. Third, the last week of seven years will be for Antichrist to make a firm covenant with the people of Israel (v. 27); in the middle of that week, he will break the covenant, terminate Israel’s sacrifices and oblations to God, and persecute those who fear God (v. 27; Rev. 13:1-18); this will be the beginning of the great tribulation, which will last for three and a half years—v. 27; Rev. 13:
1. When there is news that such strong man, signs a treaty of seven years, with Israel, we have to prepare ourselves to be raptured—Matt. 24:32-44.
2. At the beginning of the great tribulation, Antichrist’s image will be set up in the temple as an idol and he will sit in the temple of God, exalting himself above every object of worship; this means that the temple must be rebuilt before the great tribulation begins—Matt. 24:15, 21; Rev. 13:14-15; 2 Thes. 2:3-4; Dan. 11:36-37.
D. There is a gap of unknown duration between the first sixty-nine weeks and the last week of the seventy weeks; this gap is the age of mystery, the age of grace, the age of the church—Eph. 3:3-11; 5:32; Col. 1:27:
1. During this age Christ is secretly and mysteriously building up the church in the new creation to be His Body and His bride—Matt. 16:18; Eph. 25-32.
2. At the end of the last week of the seventy weeks, Christ with His overcomers, His bridal army, will come as the smiting stone to crush the totality of human government and become a great mountain, the kingdom of God, that fills the whole earth—Dan. 2:34-35; 2 Thes. 2:8; Rev. 19:19-20.
IV. We must be those who have dispensational value to God “in the last days,” those who are being prepared to be God’s dispensational instrument, Christ’s bridal army, to turn the age for the glory of God and the kingdom of God—Dan. 2:28; Rev. 12:1-5; 14:1-5; 19:7-9, 13-16:
A. Every time God wants to make a dispensational move, an age-turning move, He must obtain His dispensational instrument; we must be those who have dispensational value to God in the last days to turn the age—12:5-11; 1:20; Dan. 12:3; 9:23; 10:11, 19.
B. The goal of God’s eternal economy, the goal of the divine history within human history, is to have the corporate Christ, Christ with His overcomers, as the crushing stone to be His dispensational instrument to end this age and become a great mountain, the kingdom of God—2:28, 31-45; Joel 3:11; Rev. 12:1-2, 5, 11; 14:1-5; 19:7-21.
C. Simply speaking, recovery is to overcome; to be in the Lord’s recovery is to be in the Lord’s overcoming, being prepared to be His overcoming bride for His return—2:7; 3:21; 19:7-9.
V. The Lord will come secretly as a thief to those who love Him and will steal them away as His treasures to bring them into His presence in the heavens; hence, we must watch and make ourselves ready to be His bride—Dan. 10:19; Matt. 24:42-44; 25:13; Rev. 19:7; 22:20:
A. Every “today” that we have is truly the Lord’s grace; therefore, as long as we have today, as long as we still have breath, we should love the Lord and His appearing, await the Lord’s coming (Phil. 3:20), and always take His coming as an encouragement.
B. We must be absolutely consecrated to God, having one heart to love Him, seek Him, live Him, and be constituted with Him to be His expression—Jer. 32:39.
C. We must be reconstituted with the holy word of God, reading the Bible all the days of our life—Col. 3:16; Deut. 17:18-20; Psa. 119:15-16; 2 Tim. 3:16-17.
D. We must persevere in prayer to glorify God, thank God, worship God, and serve God; our prayer and our being should be totally for God’s interests—Dan. 6:10; 9:17; 1 Kings 8:48; cf. Rom. 1:21, 25.
E. We must be watchful, on the alert, for our prayer life, cooperating with the indwelling, sanctifying Spirit to live a rejoicing, praying and thanking life as a glory to God and a shame to His enemy—Matt. 25:13; 1 Thes. 5:16-18.
Ministry Excerpts:
CHRIST’S COMING AS HIS PRESENCE WITH HIS BELIEVERS
…The Greek word for “coming” in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 15 is parousia, the same word as used in Matthew 24:3. Christ’s coming will be His presence with His believers. This parousia will begin from the time the overcomers are raptured to the throne, continue with His coming to the air (Rev. 10:1), and end with His coming to the earth. Within His parousia, there will be the rapture of the majority of the believers to the air (1 Thes. 4:15-17), the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), and the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).
Parousia denotes the Lord’s presence; it does not directly denote His coming. Of course, His presence involves His coming. If I am away from my family and then am present with them again, my presence includes my coming. Actually, my presence equals my coming. For this reason, the word parousia may be translated coming. It would be rather awkward to literally render it as presence. But even though this translation may be awkward, it would be correct to say “unto the presence of the Lord.” (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, msg. 16)
Paul, Living and Working with the Lord’s Coming before Him,
Taking it as an Attraction, an Incentive, a Goal, and a Warning
Every chapter of this book ends with the coming of the Lord. This shows that the writer, Paul, lived and worked with the Lord’s coming before him, taking it as an attraction, an incentive, a goal, and a warning. He not only did this himself but also encouraged the believers under his care to do the same. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, 1 Thes. 5:23, footnote 7)
Waiting for God’s Son
The characteristic of our Christian life is that we are waiting for God’s Son from the heavens. As Christians, we must live a life that declares to others that our hope is not on this earth or in this age. Instead, our hope is in the coming Lord, and our future is in Him. On this earth we do not have any destiny, destination, or future. Our future, our destiny, and our destination are altogether focused on the Lord who is coming. He will be our hope, our future, and our destination. We are going to the Lord, and our destiny is to meet Him. Worldly people, on the contrary, have the kind of living that gives others the impression that their future is on earth and that their hope, destiny, and destination are all in the present. Although their future is thoroughly related to this age, our future is not. Because we are waiting for the Son of God from the heavens, our future is focused on Him. We have no hope on this earth and no destiny in this age.
Genuine Christians do not have any idols, they live a life that testifies that their God is living, and they declare by their living that they have no hope on this earth, but only in the coming One. We should not have anything other than God, our God should be living in our daily life, and we should declare that we are waiting for the coming of the Son of God from the heavens. I hope that those who are working with new converts and young believers will render them help concerning these things from 1 Thessalonians. Furthermore, even some of us who have been in the recovery for years still need to be helped to make up things lacking in the Christian life. Some of us may still be clinging to certain idols, to things other than God Himself. Moreover, our daily life may not testify that the God whom we serve is living, for we still may do many things without His direction, control, or adjustment. If this is our situation, then we have a negative testimony that our God is not very living to us day by day. If He is living to us, we shall surely be under His control and correction. If our God is living, He will correct us and not allow us to be careless in our living. Many of us may also lack a waiting spirit, a spirit waiting for the Lord’s coming back. Our living may not declare or testify that we are waiting for the Lord’s coming. We may lack this kind of atmosphere in our living. May we all see from 1 Thessalonians that a proper Christian life for the church life is a life without idols, a life that testifies that our God is living, and a life waiting for the Lord’s coming back. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, msg. 2)
Our Hope Being in the Coming Lord, who is Our Eternal Destiny
My burden is this: When the apostles wrote the New Testament, to them the Lord was coming soon. Hence, the teaching of the New Testament shows us that their living was in preparation for the Lord’s return. This is like the situation in which some long-separated relatives are soon to return. The entire family is prepared to welcome them. It is also like a girl waiting to be married, who knows of the wedding day and who is waiting wholeheartedly for that day to arrive. Paul was one who had such an attitude. The life he lived was a life of waiting for the Lord’s return. We can see this by reading 1 Thessalonians. That book has five chapters. Each chapter concludes with the Lord’s coming back. From this we can see that Paul was one who loved the Lord’s appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). We also should be this way.
Since we love the Lord’s appearing, we should earnestly wait for His coming (Phil. 3:20; 1 Thes. 1:10). Hence, our future is with Him. Our living should indicate that we have no other hope on this earth. Our hope is in the coming Lord. He is our eternal destiny. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul says, “This I say, brothers, the time is shortened. Henceforth both those who have wives should be as though they had none, and those who weep as though they did not weep, and those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, and those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use the world as though they did not abuse it; for the fashion of this world is passing away” (vv. 29-31). Christ is our real hope. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Vision of the Divine Dispensing and Guidelines for the Practice of the New Way”, msg. 4)
THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
AND OUR GATHERING TOGETHER TO HIM
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul says, “Now we ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him.” In this verse two matters are covered: the Lord’s parousia (presence) and our gathering together (rapture) to Him. The Lord’s parousia will begin with the rapture of the overcomers to the throne of God in heaven (Rev. 12:5-6); at the end of the great tribulation, which will occur in the last three and a half years of this age, the second half of the last week in Daniel 9:27 (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 11:2), His parousia will come to the air (10:1) and last for a time; and it will end with its manifestation, the manifestation of His coming (2 Thes. 2:8; Matt. 24:30). During the time in which the Lord’s parousia remains in the air, the majority of the believers will be raptured to meet the Lord there (1 Thes. 4:17). (Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 361)
According to the New Testament, the Lord’s parousia, His presence, will last a period of time. It may begin immediately before the start of the great tribulation. The Lord’s coming (the parousia) will begin probably near the start of the tribulation. At present, the Lord is in the third heaven. When the great tribulation begins on earth, the Lord will leave the throne in heaven and descend from the throne, concealed in a cloud, to the sky. Revelation 10:1 speaks of a “strong Angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud.” This strong Angel is Christ, who descends secretly from the third heaven to the air. Probably the Lord will stay in the air concealed by the cloud for a period of time, possibly more than three years. This is the reason we say that the Lord’s parousia will last a certain length of time.
When the Lord is in the air, He will do a number of things. He will rapture both the resurrected and the living believers. He will judge all the saved ones at His judgment seat. At that time the decision will be made by Him concerning who will join Him in the millennial kingdom and who will not. This judgment will, of course, take place after the rapture mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4. This sketch should give us a general idea of the Lord’s coming according to the pure Word. This sketch is not according to strange or traditional teachings.
As Christians, we should live a holy life for the church life. This life has a hope, the hope that the Lord whom we are serving today will come back. At His coming back, the saints who have died will rise up from Paradise and the tomb to be caught up with those who are alive and remain. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, msg. 16)
THE SECTIONS OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS
Daniel 9:24-27 gives the sections of the seventy weeks. Verse 24 says, “Seventy weeks are apportioned for your people and for your holy city, to close the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make propitiation for iniquity, and to bring in the righteousness of the ages, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies.” Your people refers to the children of Israel, and your holy city refers to Jerusalem. According to biblical interpretation, in verses 24 through 27 one week does not refer to seven days but to seven years. If the seventy weeks were to refer to seventy times seven days, there would not be an appropriate explanation for this portion of the Word.
Verse 25 says, “Know therefore and comprehend: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the time of Messiah the Prince will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with street and trench, even in distressful times.” This verse mentions seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. Verse 26 continues, “After the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing; and the people of the prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end of it will be with a flood, and even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.” The “cutting off” of Messiah indicates prophetically the crucifixion of Christ. The destruction of the city and the sanctuary refers to the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem by the army of Titus, the prince of the Roman Empire, in A.D. 70.
Finally, verse 27 says, “He will make a firm covenant with the many for one week; and in the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease and will replace the sacrifice and the oblation with abominations of the desolator, even until the complete destruction that has been determined is poured out upon the desolator.” This is a prophecy concerning Antichrist making a firm covenant with the many for one week. In the middle of that week, that is, after three and a half years, Antichrist will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This means that he will stop the worship of God in the temple. The seventy weeks, composed of four hundred ninety years, is the time apportioned from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king (Neh. 1:1; 2:1) to the end of this age.
THE CONTENTS OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS
The First Seven Weeks of Forty-nine Years
The first seven weeks, of forty-nine years, was the time apportioned from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the completion of the rebuilding. Even though the environment was extremely distressful, Jerusalem was rebuilt, with street and trench (Dan. 9:25).
Sixty-two Weeks of Four Hundred Thirty-four Years
The following sixty-two weeks of four hundred thirty-four years were apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the cutting off of the Messiah (vv. 25-26). “After the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing” (v. 26). This refers to the crucifixion of Christ. The cutting off of the Messiah—the crucifixion of Christ—was the termination of the old creation with its human government and the germination through the resurrection of Christ of God’s new creation with God’s eternal kingdom as the divine administration in God’s new creation. Thus, the cross of Christ is the centrality and universality of God’s work.
This prophecy concerning Messiah’s being cut off is good news, not bad news. Through His death on the cross, Christ terminated the old creation. Then in His resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) to germinate those whom God has chosen and make them a new creation. If we see the issue of Christ’s death on the cross, we will realize that the word in Daniel 9:26 about the death of Christ is good news.
Whereas the first part of verse 26 speaks of the death of Christ, the second part of this verse speaks of another matter: “The people of the prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” This was a prophecy concerning the prince of the Roman Empire, Titus, who came with his army to destroy the city and the sanctuary—Jerusalem and the holy temple. The Lord Jesus also prophesied concerning this destruction in Matthew 24:2. This prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70. The last part of Daniel 9:26 says, “The end of it will be with a flood, and even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.”
The Last Week of Seven Years
Finally, verse 27 speaks of the last week of seven years. This week will be for Antichrist to make a firm covenant with the people of Israel. Between the sixty-ninth week and the last week, there is a gap, which has already lasted for nearly two thousand years. (Truth Lessons, Level 4, vol. 2, lsn. 31)
The Age of Mysteries, the Age of Grace and the Age of the Church
After the sixty-two weeks and before the last week of the seventy weeks, there is an interval, the length of which is not revealed and in which was the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary by the people of the prince (the Roman army of Titus) in A.D. 70; and the end of it will be with a flood, and even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined (v. 26b). The interval after the sixty-two weeks and before the last week of the seventy weeks is the age of grace and the age of the church. This is also the age of mysteries. In this interval everything that God did, is doing, and will do is a mystery. In this interval Christ is the mystery of God (Col. 2:2), and the church is the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4). Christ and the church are the great mystery (5:32). Revelation 10:7 says that these mysteries will be completed, finished, and over at the trumpeting of the seventh trumpet. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Prophecy of the Four “Sevens” in the Bible”, msg. 1)
Christ Preparing a Bride for Himself in the New Creation
Before the human government is crushed, there will be a long history, both of the world and of the new creation. It is in the new creation that Christ prepares a bride for Himself to marry. If Christ did not have a bride, then He would have to fight alone against Antichrist, for Antichrist would have an army but Christ would not. However, Christ will have an army, and this army will be His bride.
The book of Ephesians reveals that the church is not only Christ’s bride but is also a warrior (6:10-20). On the day of His wedding, Christ will marry the one who has been fighting the battle against God’s enemy for years. This means that in Revelation 19 Christ will marry the overcomers, who have already overcome the evil one.
This defeated evil one, the devil, will then seek to join himself to Antichrist, and Antichrist will welcome him. The devil and Antichrist will become one. Inspired by the devil, Antichrist will gather together a multitude of evil persons to be his army. In the sight of God, these evil ones, the army of Antichrist, will be the grapes that will be trodden in “the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Rev. 19:15).
When Christ comes to fight against Antichrist and his army, He will come as the Son of Man. As the Son of Man, He will need a counterpart to match Him and complete Him. This counterpart will be His bride. In His coming to crush human government, Christ will be the Husband with the overcomers as His bride. This means that before He descends to earth to deal with the ten toes and then with the entire image, He will have a wedding (Rev. 19:7-9). After His wedding, He will come with His newly-married bride to destroy Antichrist, who with his army will fight against God directly. (Life-study of Daniel, mag. 13)
The Controlling Vision Keeping God’s People from the World
I hope that we will all see the controlling vision in the second chapter of Daniel and that, in light of this vision, we will have a clear view regarding human government. In the eyes of human beings, there are different kinds of governments, some good and others bad. But in the eyes of God, every human government is a beast. Babylon, Persia, Greece, the Roman Empire — all are beasts. I can testify that this view has preserved me from the world for more than sixty years. We all need such a view, such a vision. If, as God’s people, we see this controlling vision, we will be kept from the world and prepared for Christ’s coming as the smiting stone which will crush the aggregate of human government and become a great mountain — the eternal kingdom of God — filling the whole earth. (Life-study of Daniel, mag. 4)
THE LORD’S RECOVERY IN THIS AGE
In such a time the Lord must take the quick way. He must quickly gain a group of people whom He has not gained before to be His overcomers on this earth and His bride to welcome His return. These days, in a formal wedding the bridegroom always arrives first, and the bride enters a few minutes later. It is considered inappropriate for the bride to arrive earlier than the bridegroom. In the wedding in the New Testament, however, instead of the Bridegroom waiting for the bride, the bride is waiting for the Bridegroom. In the parable in Matthew 25 it is the ten virgins who take their lamps to go forth to meet the bridegroom (v. 1), but who is going forth to meet the Bridegroom today? We have yet to meet a group of Christians who are going out of the world to meet Christ, the Bridegroom. Instead, most Christians are in the world. Today the Lord wants to gain a group of people who take their lamps and go forth to meet Him, the Bridegroom. May we be that group of people.
Today even the pastors and preachers may not realize that we need to become the group of people whom the Lord desires. If you go and ask a pastor, “Is there a statement in the Bible concerning virgins going forth to meet the bridegroom?” He may answer, “Is there such a statement? I just know that we have to love our parents, we have to love others as ourselves, the husbands have to love their wives, the wives have to submit to their husbands, and we have to be humble and patient.” This is the condition of Christianity today. Therefore, regardless of what we are busy with in our daily living, we should not forget that the most important thing is to properly adorn ourselves and be prepared to go forth to meet our Bridegroom. We need to be the group of people who is preparing to meet our Bridegroom. We all need to go forth, to go out from this world, to meet our Bridegroom.
Fifty-one years afterward, which is half a century later, the gospel still has not been preached in the whole inhabited earth. The gospel has not been fully spread even in the little island of Taiwan. Whose responsibility is this? Do you believe the gospel can be fully spread in Taiwan by those who are in Christianity? Can we do it according to our old way? We practiced the old way for over thirty years. In the first ten years we were quite successful, but in the last twenty years we have been a complete failure. Therefore, we have initiated a change, changing back to the biblical way. The preaching of the gospel to the whole inhabited earth began from Jerusalem. To us, Taiwan is our “Jerusalem,” so we need to preach the gospel here in Taiwan.
Based on my observation, I have a deep feeling. In all of Christian history there has never been a mission, an evangelical group, a Christian organization, or a great evangelist that did not want the door of the gospel to be opened to them, yet their burden was not fully fulfilled. William Carey went to India, David Livingstone went to Africa, and Hudson Taylor went to inland China, but the gospel was not spread to the whole earth through them. However, today the whole world is opened to the Lord’s recovery. This is not an exaggeration. If we have one thousand brothers and sisters, each one can immediately be sent out, because Western Europe is opened, New Zealand is opened, Australia is opened, and even Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, and Central America are all opened up. Every letter sent to us from the major continents all over the globe has fellowshipped with us regarding the need for people to go. But where are the people? We do not have enough people even to meet the need of Taiwan, or even just Taipei, not to mention the whole earth. Where are the people? (CWWL, 1986, vol. 2, “A Blessed Human Life”, msg. 4)
WATCHING AND BEING READY FOR IT
When the Lord comes, He will come secretly as a thief to those who love Him and will steal them away as His treasures and bring them into His presence in the heavens (Matt. 24:42-43). Hence, we need to watch and be ready (25:13; 24:44). If we desire to be raptured, first we must be filled with the heavenly breath and have oil in our vessels. If we are rooted on the earth and occupied daily with the anxieties of this life and with earthly pleasures, we will not be raptured at that time. We should remember Lot’s wife. Because she loved and treasured the evil world, which God was going to judge and utterly destroy, she took a backward look. Thus, she became a pillar of salt and was left to suffer in a place of shame. This should be a warning to us. If we love the world, the Lord will leave us here to pass through the great tribulation so that we may be put to shame until we become mature and are raptured.
The Believers’ Attitude toward the Coming of Christ
Since we know that the Lord’s second coming is so precious, we should love the Lord’s appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). The Bible concludes with “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20). From the record in the New Testament, it is not difficult to discover that in their hearts the apostles firmly believed that the Lord would come quickly, and they also lived a life in preparation for the Lord’s second coming. In the church’s history, I know that Miss M. E. Barber was one who lived such a life. On the last day of 1925, Brother Nee went to pray with her, and she prayed, “Lord, do You really mean to say that You will let 1925 pass by, that You will wait until 1926 before You come back? However, on this last day I still pray that You will come back today!” Not long afterward, Brother Nee met her on the street, and again she said to him, “It is really strange that up to this day He has not yet come back.” Do not think that since we are clear concerning the signs of the Lord’s coming, we can be slothful and can first love the world and then pursue the Lord when the last week comes. There is no such convenience. We should believe that the Lord is to be feared. In Luke 12 the Lord gave a parable concerning a rich man who endeavored to lay up wealth for himself so that his soul might enjoy itself and be merry. But God said to him, “Foolish one, this night they are requiring your soul from you” (vv. 16-20). Every “today” that we have is truly the Lord’s grace. Therefore, as long as we have today, as long as we still have breath, we should love the Lord and His appearing, await the Lord’s coming (Phil. 3:20), and always take His coming as an encouragement.
In 2 Timothy 4:1 Paul said to Timothy, “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom.” This is an exhortation from Paul immediately before his martyrdom. He said that he had fought the good fight, he had finished the course, and he had kept the faith, and that at the judgment seat he would be awarded the crown of righteousness, which would be awarded to all those who have loved His appearing (vv. 6-8). He reminded Timothy, and also us, by the Lord’s judgment and kingdom, that we should have a living that loves the Lord’s appearing. This will cause us not to be discouraged, not to backslide, not to become weak, but to remain faithful to the end.
Beseeching to Prevail to Escape
The Lord also reminded us to take heed to ourselves and to be watchful at every time, beseeching lest our hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that the day of the great tribulation come upon us suddenly as a snare; for it will come in upon all those dwelling on the face of all the earth. We should guard our hearts and give all the room to the Lord so that we may prevail to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34-36; cf. Rev. 12:5-6, 14).
To attain maturity is not an overnight matter. Therefore, for His coming we must prepare ourselves, love Him, and grow in Him, that at His appearing we may be mature to be raptured and receive the reward. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Up-to-Date Presentation of the God-Ordained Way and the Signs Concerning the Coming of Christ”, msg. 7)