So, we have a way to try.
Oh, Lord, how we praise You for Your precious promise: Thy goodness and Thy mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. We take You as our Shepherd. Oh, we do desire to commit ourselves to You as our Shepherd, to let You lead us and rule over us. There will we go.
And we know Thy goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. How we praise Thee, Lord. We do ask Thee, Who cleansed us with precious blood, that at this very moment Thy presence may fill this place, that we may see no one but the Lord Jesus, and hear no one but our Lord Jesus speaking by His Spirit to every one of us.
We do ask Thee, Lord, to open Thy Word to us. Make it life and spirit to us in the operation of our lives, because we do desire that I may always get lower and lower in the midst of Thy people. We commit this time into Thy hands and trust Thee to bless us, in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
We have been fellowshipping together last night and this morning from the Gospel according to Matthew. This is the Gospel according to Matthew; that is to say, it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Matthew knew Him personally. The Gospel of Christ is the Gospel of the King.
Although Jesus is not only our Savior, the Gospel is not only something to receive; the Gospel is also Someone to obey. Matthew was a tax collector under the Roman Empire. Now he presents the Lord Jesus to us.
So, brothers and sisters, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as presented to us through the evangelist Matthew, is the Gospel of the King. There is the call of the King to all of us who believe, that we may commit our lives to Him and be in His kingdom.
The reason why our Lord Jesus came into this world, according to the Gospel of Matthew, was to establish His kingdom on earth. His kingdom consists of those who will hear His call, who will forsake all and follow Him. They put themselves under the authority of the King of heaven. They are the kingdom of the heavens, and this is the kingdom that our Lord Jesus is establishing.
For this reason, when John the Baptist preached, his message was, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand.” The kingdom is coming. Even at the beginning of our Lord Jesus’ ministry, He said, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand.” He has come, but He has not yet got His people.
A king without a people does not have a kingdom. So here you find that He is calling. After He has gathered people around Himself, then, in Matthew 11:12, the kingdom of the heavens suffers violence, and men of violence take it by force.
Brothers and sisters, so far as the spiritual reality of the kingdom of the heavens is concerned, it is eternal. The Gospel of Matthew is the Gospel of the kingdom of the heavens. We mentioned in the beginning that the kingdom of the heavens is sometimes synonymous with the term “the kingdom of God.”
The kingdom of the heavens is very specific. It refers to that kingdom which came from heaven and is yet in heaven. In a sense, the kingdom of the heavens refers specifically to those who have not only believed in the Lord Jesus, but who have committed their lives to the Lord and put themselves under the rule of Christ. There is the kingdom of the heavens.
In the Gospel according to Matthew, you find three aspects, or three pictures, of the kingdom of the heavens. By seeing these three pictures, we may have a better understanding of the kingdom of the heavens.
First, we find in Matthew 5 through Matthew 7 the reality of the kingdom of the heavens—the spiritual principles of the kingdom of the heavens. What the kingdom of the heavens really is. The Lord Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” We know what a kingdom of the world is, but we do not know what the kingdom of the heavens is.
So the Lord is expounding, explaining, and describing to His own disciples what the kingdom of the heavens is. In other words, we who have the life of Christ in us, if we put ourselves under the authority of Christ our King, what kind of life will we live? All that we find in Matthew 5, 6, and 7 are the outflow of the life of Christ.
No one can keep the commandments in these chapters. If we cannot keep the law of Moses, we will even less be able to keep the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is not set out before us as a moral standard. The life of Christ can only be expressed if we are under the authority of Christ.
So here you find, in Matthew 5 through 7, the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. First, it is spiritual. When the Spirit of Christ characterizes our life, there is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of the heavens is not in letter; it is in spirit.
That is the reason why our Lord Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not murder; but I say unto you.” He did not come to make void the law.
The kingdom of the heavens is heavenly. It is not something that has to do merely with men. It is primarily and basically something to do with our Father Who is in heaven. That is the reason why He said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
In Matthew 7, the kingdom of the heavens is very practical. Not because it is heavenly, not because it is spiritual, does it cease to be practical. It is very practical. It comes down to earth, but it is heaven on earth: the narrow gate, the strait way that leads to life.
So, brothers and sisters, what is the kingdom of the heavens? There you find the kingdom of the heavens in spiritual reality. It has nothing to do with time and space. It is eternal.
And, you know, when you come to spiritual reality, that is the simplest thing that you ever need. That is the reason why Matthew 5, 6, and 7 do not need much explanation. If you explain it too much, you explain it away. It is very simple.
How can these things be real? First, we must have the life of Christ. Second, we must yield ourselves to our King. Then it will come out spontaneously, naturally—naturally. This is the kingdom of the heavens.
But unfortunately, the kingdom of the heavens is not all reality. The kingdom of the heavens has an outward appearance, and this confuses people. So here you find Matthew 13, all the parables of the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens.
These parables do not deal directly with the church. They deal directly with Christianity, with Christendom. In the eyes of the world, Christianity is the kingdom of the heavens on earth. Christendom is the kingdom of the heavens. So if you ask anybody in this world, they will think, “Well, is not that the kingdom of the heavens—Christianity, Christendom?” But what confusion!
We find in these parables that the Lord comes to sow the seed, the word of the kingdom. Even though most people are not able to receive all that He sows, yet, thank God, there will be some who take the word of the kingdom to heart, and they bear fruit patiently—some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
Then, in the second parable, you remember, the Lord sows the seed. The seed is more than the word of the kingdom; the seed is also the sons of the kingdom. Those who receive the word of the kingdom become the sons of the kingdom, and the Lord sows them here and there strategically for His testimony.
But while men slept, the enemy came in and sowed tares—the sons of the evil one. The result is that in Christendom you find the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the devil growing together. Their roots are so intertwined that there is no way to pull out the tares and leave the wheat. It must wait until the time of harvest, when God shall send His angels to separate them.
On the one hand, you find the mustard seed, which is known as an insignificant vegetable. But, strangely, it grows out of divine order and becomes a tree. Christianity becomes a big institution and deals with the powers of darkness. The birds lodge in its branches.
Within it there is leaven—false teaching and wicked conduct—that leavens the whole meal instead of making it a fit offering to God. Yet, thank God, on the other hand, hidden in the field is the treasure.
God has hidden the mystery of the Christ, that is, the church, in the world. Christ has found it, but He does not take it out and make it visible for everybody to see. Instead, to the world, the church is still hidden. He has gone and sold everything to obtain it.
There is also a precious pearl. It is the pearl of greatest price, and the merchant is willing to sell everything he has to get it. This is the attitude of our Lord toward His church.
Then the last parable of the kingdom of the heavens is the parable of the dragnet. That points to the end. At the end, God will send His angels to separate that which is good from that which is bad. That which is good in His sight will be gathered into vessels, and that which is bad will be cast out.
That refers to the end of this age, when judgment shall come and there will be separation. So, brothers and sisters, when you come to the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens on earth today, it is confusion. To the world, they can never understand it.
That is the reason why the Lord used parables, but He explained these parables to those who were His disciples. In other words, He wants us to understand. If we do understand, then we will not be discouraged. We know what the Lord is doing.
Now, this evening, we would like to go to the third aspect, or third picture. This is found in Matthew 24 and 25. Maybe we will read just a little bit before we go on.
And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on His way; and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.
But He answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
And as He sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Then we turn to Matthew 24:37.
And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left.
Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.
Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25:1:
Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And Matthew 25:14:
For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
During the last week of our Lord’s life before His crucifixion, He revisited Jerusalem. As they were coming out of the city of Jerusalem, His disciples looked back and pointed to the Lord, saying, “Now look. Look at the buildings of the temple. How adorned it is with precious stones, beautiful stones.”
The temple at Jerusalem was built by the Jewish remnant who came back after the Babylonian captivity. The temple they built was very small and insignificant. It was Herod the Great who expanded the temple at Jerusalem. He beautified the city. He used forty-six years to build and enlarge that temple in Jerusalem.
So it was adorned with beautiful stones, dedicated by different people to the temple. It was a magnificent building. To the Jewish people, the temple in Jerusalem was their very life. Their life centered upon the temple in Jerusalem. It was sacred to them.
So when Christ and His disciples were leaving the city, His disciples could not help lingering and looking at the temple. They were so caught by the temple, by its beauty and magnificence. They pointed it out to the Lord Jesus: “Now look, look, look.” You can see how they admired it.
But the Lord answered them very quietly, “You have seen these things. The time shall come when no stone shall be left upon another stone.” And this answer of the Lord shocked them.
They did not know what to think. The temple represented the life of the Jewish people. It was the most sacred thing to them. They took great pride in the temple of Jerusalem. Yet the Lord said that no stone would remain upon another stone. In other words, total desolation.
They could not take it. So probably they just followed the Lord, walking quietly and silently without saying a word, but they were thinking all the time. They were disturbed, but they did not say anything.
Then the Lord and His disciples crossed the Kidron and climbed the Mount of Olives. The Lord sat down there, and they could see the temple of Jerusalem in all its splendor. The disciples came to the Lord privately.
They asked, “When shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the completion of the age?” They were afraid even to ask publicly, because if anyone gave the slightest indication that the temple would be destroyed, and if the Jewish people heard it, they would put him to death.
So the disciples did not dare to voice the question openly. They could only whisper to the Lord. “If You say this is going to happen, when shall these things be?”
As we read these words, probably we cannot see the connection. The disciples actually asked two questions. First: “When shall these things be?” That is to say, when shall there be no stone left upon another stone in the temple? Second: “What is the sign of Thy coming and of the completion of the age?”
Now, to us, how can these two things be put together? Why was it that the disciples, when they heard the Lord say that there would be no stone upon another stone concerning the temple, immediately thought of the return of the Lord and the end of this age?
To us, it is difficult to understand. But if you knew the Jewish mind, you would understand. To the Jewish mind, if the temple in Jerusalem was to be destroyed, that must be the end of the world. What else could it mean? If the temple of Jerusalem should be removed, then the world had come to an end. This would be the completion of the age.
Then, surely, Messiah would come and rebuild the nation. You know, to the Jewish people who read the Old Testament, the prophets of the Old Testament prophesied the coming of the Messiah. In their prophecies, the first coming and the second coming of Christ were mingled together.
When we look back, we say that they mixed up the first coming and the second coming of Christ. Why? Because to the prophets of old, they saw the coming of the Messiah, but they could not see the interval between the first and second coming of Christ. To them, the Messiah would just come—that was all.
Some prophecies spoke of Messiah coming in splendor and glory, while other prophecies spoke of Messiah as a suffering Messiah. They could not harmonize these things. That is why they tried to explain the suffering Messiah as the suffering of Israel, because they could not understand how Messiah could come in glory and yet suffer so much.
So, with the prophets of old, the coming of the Messiah was just one thing. They could not see that there is a first coming and that there is a second coming. Why? The church is a mystery hidden from the ages, and the church stands between these two comings.
Take away the church, take away the mystery of the church, and in the coming of Messiah you cannot see that there is a great length of time. The mystery of the church was only revealed by the Holy Spirit to the apostles and prophets of New Testament times.
So, brothers and sisters, you will remember that to the Jewish people, when the Lord Jesus said, “There shall be no stone upon another stone,” they thought this must be the end of the age. The end of the age meant that Messiah would come and build His kingdom. It would be the time of the restoration of Israel.
That is why the disciples combined these things together. To them, it was one event, one day. Of course, today we know that the sign of His coming and the completion of the age is another matter. There is the period of the church between these two events.
Another thing we should remember is this: in prophecy, the rule of fulfilment is such that usually, when a prophecy is given, there is first an immediate and partial fulfilment. Then there will be, in the future and in remote days, a full and complete fulfilment.
So you find that “these things” were fulfilled, but that fulfilment was just a token, pointing forward to the fulfilment at His coming and the completion of the age.
For the sake of convenience, to help us understand more easily, may I put it this way? In the Gospel according to Matthew, chapters 24 and 25, the answer of the Lord is directed more toward the second question. In Luke, you find that the answer is directed more toward the first question.
If you read it that way, that will probably help. In the Gospel according to Luke, when the disciples ask, “When shall these things be?” the Lord begins to say that there will be false Christs, wars, famines, pestilences, persecutions, and that they shall witness for the Lord even before kings. Then Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies and destroyed, and they will be led captive into all nations.
There you find that Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Then the Lord shall return. So in Luke 21, the answer is more toward the first question. But after He answers the first question, He leads on to the second one.
Whereas in Matthew, the emphasis of the Lord is more on the second question, though He uses something as an introduction leading to the answer of the second question. If you look at it that way, I hope that will be a help. If you read them carefully yourselves, you will find the difference. We do not have time to go into the details, but I put it before you anyway.
First of all, when shall these things be? If we know anything about history, we know that in A.D. 70 the Roman army surrounded the city of Jerusalem because the Jewish people rebelled against the Roman Empire.
Under Titus, the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem, but they could not get in. There was famine in the city. People died in the city. They were piled up in the houses. Finally, when the Roman army broke into the city, the soldiers were so furious that they went into the houses trying to find valuables and wicked men. But when they opened the doors, they found only piles of corpses.
Those who came out of the city trying to find food were captured and crucified. The trees in that area were all cut down. There were no more trees because so many people were crucified outside the city.
Then the Jews retreated to their last stronghold, the temple, because the temple was built with massive stones. They shut themselves in the temple to make their last resistance.
Josephus, the Jewish historian who surrendered to the Roman Empire, wrote The Wars of the Jews. Perhaps through his influence, Titus ordered that the temple should not be destroyed. But before his order was known by the soldiers, one soldier threw a torch into the temple, and it started to burn.
So finally they crashed into the temple and took the whole city. You may say, “The temple of Jerusalem was burned, yes, but it was not necessary for every stone to be removed.” But remember one thing: the temple was overlaid with pure gold.
When there was fire, the heat was such that the gold began to melt, and it ran into the crevices between the stones. The Roman soldiers wanted to get the gold, so they took up every stone until there was no stone upon another stone. It was literally fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Now, this was just a partial fulfilment, and this is true. What the Lord Jesus said concerning His coming and the completion of the age is still bound to be fulfilled.
Brothers and sisters, when the Lord shall return, He will establish His kingdom. The kingdom of the heavens in its spiritual reality is already here, but the world does not know it. To the world, it is Christianity, Christendom; it is confusion.
But one day, at the return of our Lord Jesus, He will establish the kingdom of the heavens publicly on this earth. That is the third aspect of the kingdom of the heavens.
“When shall be Thy coming, and the completion of the age?” We are living in this age. This age will come to an end. Then there will be the age to come, which is the kingdom age; and after the age to come, there will be eternity.
What is the sign of Thy coming and the completion of the age? Here you find how our Lord Jesus began to speak. He said there will be false prophets, false teachers, even false Christs. There will be wars. Kingdom shall fight against kingdom, nation against nation, people against people.
There will be international wars, national and civil wars, all kinds of wars. There will be famines, pestilences, and deaths everywhere. But the Lord says, “This is not yet the end.” When you see these things, they are the beginnings of travail.
Now, brothers and sisters, whatever interpretation you may take is all right with me. I am not arguing with you about interpretation. But personally, as I compare the Scriptures, I feel that when the Lord says there shall be wars, pestilences, famines, and these things, these are not yet the end. These are just the beginnings of birth pangs.
To me, I feel it begins at the ascension of our Lord. Why? Because if you connect this with Revelation 5 and Revelation 6, you will see the similarity.
In Revelation 5, you find a scene in heaven: a Lamb standing before the throne. He alone is worthy to receive from the One Who sits upon the throne the book that is sealed. Why? Because He is worthy. He has redeemed out of every nation, tribe, tongue, and people by His blood, and made them kings and priests unto God.
This is the ascension of our Lord Jesus. In Revelation 4 is the creation scene; there in Revelation 5 is the redemption scene. It signifies that when our Lord has completed redemption, He ascended unto heaven.
There, as Psalm 2 says:
Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance,
And the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.
Brothers and sisters, after the Lord victoriously accomplished His work on Calvary’s cross, He ascended up to heaven. There He received from the Father the title deed of this world. God has never given up His ownership of this world. Even though Satan is the usurper of this world, he is not the owner.
God has never given up His ownership. Here you find that He delivers the ownership, the title deed of this whole world, to Christ. So Christ, to bring the world unto God, begins to open the seals.
What do you find in the first four seals? The white horse, the red horse, the black horse, and the pale horse: false Christs, war, famine, and death. He begins to claim the world as His possession.
Do you know one thing? All the troubles and sufferings in this world, from two thousand years ago until now, have grown in scope. Formerly, you might have had a war between two tribes. Then you had war between nations. Now you have global war.
Formerly, you might have an international war after forty or fifty years. Now we may have an international war within ten or fifteen years. In other words, these things began two thousand years ago and continue on up to the present time, but they grow in intensity.
That is why some people get confused. They say, “These are the signs of the return of the Lord. But two thousand years ago you had these things. The world has always had wars. The world has always known famines and pestilences too.” That is true. But remember one thing: these things will be intensified as the end approaches.
Those who do not know God will say, “If there is God, how can He allow all these things? How can He allow famine? How can He allow pestilences?” That is why people who do not know God say there is no God. “If God is just, if God is love, why all these sufferings and things in the world?” To the world, these things seem wasted.
But to those who know the Lord, brothers and sisters, these things are the beginning of birth pangs. A woman with child has to suffer. Out of death comes life. The world is such that it has to go through these things in order to bring forth the kingdom of heaven.
It is not wasteful. God has a purpose behind it all. So when we look at the things happening in this world, we are not as hopeless as the people of the world. We can see that this is because of the thing Jesus has done.
The world has to go through all these things in order to be released, in order for the kingdom of the heavens to be established on this earth. It is birth pangs. But the end is not yet. These things will go on and on and on.
Of course, in Matthew you find many other things into which we do not have time to go in detail, because this is not my purpose tonight. My purpose tonight is this: What is the sign of Thy coming and the completion of the age, especially in relation to the kingdom of the heavens?
Now, you know the word “coming” here in Greek is parousia, parousia. The word parousia means “presence.” What is the sign of Thy presence and the completion of the age?
If we want to understand the coming of the Lord, we have to know what parousia is. Parousia is not just one single event. Parousia includes a period of time and a number of events.
Let me use one illustration. When the Lord was ascending to heaven, He led His disciples to the Mount of Olives, and there He went up. He was taken up. When He left the Mount of Olives and went upward, His disciples all looked up. They saw Him going up, going up, going up.
But when He went up to a certain distance, the Bible says a cloud received Him. He was in the cloud. He was still going up. The men of Galilee were still looking up. They could not see Him, though, because He was in the cloud, and He was still going up until He ascended to the right hand of God the Father.
When these men of Galilee were looking up and looking up, they could not see Him, but He was going up. Two men in white appeared and said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? This Jesus, Who was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven.”
Brothers and sisters, how did Christ go up to heaven? In two stages. From the Mount of Olives to the cloud—that was the visible part. Then from the cloud to the throne—the invisible part.
When the Lord returns, the order is reversed. His parousia begins from the throne to the cloud—that is the invisible part. Then there will be the visible part, from the cloud to the earth. This is parousia.
So parousia is not just one event. It is a series of events: something begins at the throne, then comes to the cloud, from the cloud to the air, and from the air to the earth. This is the return, the coming of the Lord.
For this reason, you find two different descriptions of His coming. The coming of the Lord is like a thief. When a thief comes to the house, he does not telephone you and say, “I am coming tonight.” No. At the most unexpected time, he comes.
He knows exactly the time that we do not expect him. A thief comes without announcing himself, without letting you know. He comes very quietly. If a thief comes to your house, what will he steal? He will not go through the garbage can and try to steal your garbage. Let him take the garbage.
No, he would never do that. When the thief comes, he will go into your treasure box. He will steal away the most precious thing that you have. Brothers and sisters, the coming of the Lord is like a thief.
You and I do not know when He is coming. The day and the hour nobody knows; only the Father knows. He shall come as a thief.
In the days of Noah, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Why? Because the world had been like that ever since. Nobody knew anything. Suddenly there came the flood. Everything was going on as usual. Some people were just eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.
Suddenly Noah entered into the ark, the gates of heaven were opened, and the flood came upon the earth. Brothers and sisters, in the days of Noah there was ungodliness, spiritism, the sons of God intermarrying with the daughters of men, lawlessness—all these things were there. Then suddenly the flood came.
Why? So shall the Lord return. Some people will say, “Well, you have to wait until this prophecy is fulfilled, that prophecy is fulfilled, and another prophecy is fulfilled. Then the Lord will come.”
May I tell you this? All the prophecies that need to be fulfilled will be fulfilled. But those prophecies are not necessarily to be fulfilled before His coming as a thief. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, so far as prophecy is concerned, standing in the way of His coming. He can come at any time.
Remember one thing: when He comes, He comes. That is the reason why in Matthew 24 it says that two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken and one left. In Luke 17, two men are sleeping in one bed; one is taken and one left.
It may be midnight where two men are sleeping in a bed. It may be early morning where two women are grinding at the mill. It may be noon where two men are working in the field. The Lord may come at midnight. He may come in the morning. He may come at noon, because the earth is round.
To some it will be morning; to others it will be noon; to others it will be midnight. When the Lord shall come, you will find two people. They may be sleeping, resting, or working together. Outwardly, there is no difference between the two. They are doing the same thing. They are occupied with the same thing.
But the Lord knows the difference. He knows that of the two who are living, one is precious to Him. He takes that one and leaves the other. Of the two women grinding, one is precious to Him, and He takes her. Of the two working in the field, one is precious.
The Lord does not take the garbage. The Lord takes the treasure. He is like a thief. Is that clear?
Brothers and sisters, what is the sign of Thy coming? The sign of Thy coming is this: one day, suddenly, all over the world, some people have disappeared.
Those who have followed the Lord faithfully, those who have hearkened to the Lord, those who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, those who have maintained a good testimony—the Lord will take them to Himself.
This is Revelation 12, the man-child:
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb,
and because of the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their life even unto death.
Brothers and sisters, today we live a very loose life, and we do not follow the Lord. Outwardly, there does not seem to be much difference. We all go to church. We all do the same thing. It seems as if everybody is alike. But the Lord knows who is living the life of Christ, who has committed his life under the authority of Christ, and who has not.
So one day, this is a sign of His coming: suddenly, some people disappear. They are taken up to the throne.
Because they are taken up to the throne, they have to pass through the air. The air is where Satan has his headquarters. If you can pass through the headquarters of your enemy, your enemy is defeated. Their life on earth has defeated the enemy.
They are able to sweep through the enemy’s territory, the enemy’s headquarters. They go right up to the throne. On the basis of their victory, Michael and his angels will come down to the air to fight against Satan and his angels.
There will be no more place in the air for Satan and his angels. They will be cast down upon the earth. The way for Christ to come down from the throne to the air is opened.
This is the coming of the Lord. Why is it that the Lord delays? Not because He does not long to come. He is ready. The throne room of heaven is waiting.
The reason why the Lord is not able to come is because the way for Him to come is not yet clear. According to the economy of God, this way is to be cleared by the church, by the overcomers in the church.
When they have overcome, the way is clear for the Lord to come back. This is the first step of His coming. He shall come to the air. Of course, when Satan is cast down upon the earth, that is the time of the great tribulation.
Then afterwards, you find the seventh trumpet shall sound. When the seventh trumpet blows, as the last trumpet, all who are the Lord’s and who have died shall be raised. Those who are still living and remain on earth shall be changed.
We shall all be caught up—not to the throne, but to the air, because the Lord is already there waiting. We shall all be caught up to the air to meet Him.
There will be the judgment seat of Christ to decide who will be rewarded with the kingdom of the heavens, who shall rule with Him for a thousand years, who shall have five cities and who shall have ten cities.
Those who are overcome and defeated, who will incur loss, will have no share in the glory of the kingdom. Although they are saved, they shall suffer loss.
Then, after the seven bowls, the wrath of God will be poured upon the earth. Then the Lord shall come back with His victorious army, out of the air, and come down to earth.
What is the sign of the second part of parousia? Like lightning. The Lord says people will say, “Christ is here,” or, “Christ is there.” Do not listen to them. “Christ is in the wilderness.” No.
When He shall return, it is like lightning that flashes from the east to the west, and the whole world shall see it. The first part of His coming is like a thief. The second part of His coming is like lightning. Everybody shall see it. All eyes shall see Him.
He shall come down on the Mount of Olives at the time when the Jewish people are surrounded and Jerusalem is broken into. The Mount of Olives will be opened in two, and they will flee through it. The Lord has come. The Messiah has appeared.
There will be the last battle, the battle of Armageddon. After that, there will be the judgment of the nation of Israel. God will deal with Israel and Jerusalem. Then there will be the judgment of the nations, as in Matthew 25: the sheep and the goats.
Satan will be bound and thrown into the bottomless pit. Then the kingdom of the heavens will be established upon this earth for a thousand years.
Brothers and sisters, this is the completion of the age. This is the coming of the kingdom.
So here you find that when we look forward, the people of the world have nothing to look forward to. When they look at the things that are coming, they are frightened. But with us, there is a blessed hope: our Lord shall return.
This is the time when He shall reward His servants. Brothers and sisters, once again, if we do not live today in the reality of the kingdom of heaven, how can we share in the glory, in the public manifestation of the kingdom of heaven?
So how we need to be before the Lord, that we may not only have His life, but may yield ourselves to His rule. Only thus shall we be in the reality of the kingdom.
And, you know, this is not only for us. The reality of the kingdom—the spiritual power of it—is such that it will cause the downfall of the enemy’s kingdom, and it will bring in the kingdom of our God and of His Christ.
May the Lord be merciful to us. Shall we pray?
Oh, Father, Thou hast taught Thy church to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” Through all the ages and centuries, Thy church has been crying, “Thy kingdom come.” Thy kingdom has not yet come.
Oh, Lord, do enable us to see that perhaps Thou dost not want to establish Thy kingdom because we who are Thine have not been faithful. We are not living in the reality of Thy kingdom. There is not the spiritual strength to overthrow the kingdom of Satan.
Oh, Lord, we do pray that by Thy grace Thou wilt take us up, that we may daily live by Thy life and live under Thy authority, that Thy kingdom may soon be brought back to this earth.
And to Thee be all the praise, the glory, and the honor, because they all belong to Thee. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.