Shall we turn into God's word tonight to
the epistle of Thessalonians, the epistle of Thessalonians
chapter four, and we would like to read
beginning at verse 13 through verse 18.
First Thessalonians chapter four, commencing to read at
verse 13 to the end of the chapter,
that wonderful section that tells us of the
blessed hope of the believer in the Lord
Jesus.
Paul writing by the Spirit to say, but
I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye
sorrow not even as others which have no
hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus, will God bring with him?
For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord shall not prevent or precede, meaning go
before them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God, and
the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and so shall we ever be with the
Lord.
Wherefore comfort or encourage one another with these
words."
Another scripture portion, please, in First Corinthians chapter
15.
The beloved Apostle Paul writing again in chapter
15 of First Corinthians, beginning at verse 16,
shall we read through the end of the
chapter.
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither
doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye at the last trump.
For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality.
So, when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, death is swallowed up
in victory.
O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin, and the
strength of sin is the law, but thanks
be to God which giveth out the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
for as much as ye know that your
labor is not in vain in the Lord.
May I read but one more verse at
the end of the Bible?
Chapter 22 of the book of Revelation, the
16th verse of this chapter, for we have
the last words of the Lord Jesus as
we hear them in the book of the
Revelation at the end of God's precious word,
and we have his own words saying, verse
16 of Revelation 22, I, Jesus, have sent
mine angel to testify unto you these things
in the churches.
I am the root and the offspring of
David, and the bright and morning star.
May God bless the reading and the hearing
of his words, and as we continue tonight
in the study of the chart before you
concerning the seven feasts of Jehovah, we touch
again upon that feast which is called the
Feast of Trumpets, and as we approach the
study of the word of God tonight, I
wish particularly to emphasize what the latter part
of the chart indicates.
We have mentioned specifically that the chart presents
not only the primary relationship of Israel to
these annual, seven annual feasts, but also the
dispensational application of the word of God and
the purposes of God for Israel, and we
have also stated the upper part of the
chart indicates the New Testament truth which these
seven feasts typify.
Now, as you look at the last section
of the chart, the last three feasts, the
Feast of Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement,
and the Feast of Tabernacles, you will note
that there is indicated upon the chart above
an earthly application to these last three feasts,
and also a heavenly application in relation to
these last three feasts.
The reason for the emphasis is this.
When we come to the church age and
the formation of the body of Christ which
is the church, we find according to scripture
God is to have a heavenly people as
well as an earthly people in that coming
day of eternal glory, and there never has
been emphasized in holy scripture before, until the
New Testament presentation of the church, the heavenly
people that God would gather for himself.
I'm sure that every one of us who
are believers in the Lord Jesus recognizes that
the church is heaven born, that the church
is not only heaven born, the church is
heaven fed, and third, the church is heaven
bound.
May I commend to you the reading of
the Epistle to the Ephesians.
There you have the highest character of truth
pertaining to that age, the present age in
which we live, while the nation of Israel
has been scattered.
The formation of the church, and in that
epistle the church is seen blessed with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
It is also seen in chapter two of
that letter, seated with Christ in the heavenly,
because it is also found in chapter three
as having been in the purposes of God
before the foundation of the world in a
past eternity, a mystery that never was revealed
until Christ came to the earth.
And it was the Lord Jesus who said,
upon this rock I will build my church
in Matthew 16 and verse 16, and the
Lord Jesus spoke of it as a future,
existent thing.
And then, as we have noted, on the
day of Pentecost, when the Spirit descended, the
church was formed, and the formation of that
church which is the body of Christ has
been going on.
It is not only seen as a heavenly
found company, but the very heavens above.
As you read in chapter three of the
Ephesian letter, we are told that it is
a testimony to the principalities and powers in
heaven above, as they see the wisdom of
God in the testimony of the church below.
And then, we are absolutely sure that the
church is to be glorified, and to be
in heaven manifested in glory with the Lord
Jesus.
Now, may I quote Ephesians 5 verse 25
through verse 27.
Here you have the history of the church
in very few words.
Paul, writing, husband, love your wine, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself
for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse
it by the washing of the water of
the world, that he might present it unto
himself a glorious church, not having spot or
wrinkle, or any such thing.
May I clearly point out, the church is
the object of Christ's affection.
He loved the church.
Second, it is the object of his redemption.
He gave himself for it.
It is the object of his tender ministration.
He nourishes, he cherishes it, and he sanctifies
it.
By the washing of the water of the
word of God, and therefore the church is
the object of his glorification, that he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not
having blemish, or spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing.
And the church is heaven-bound, and when
we touch upon the dispensational application of these
three last beasts, we see there is a
heavenly company of saints, and there shall also
be an earthly company of saints in the
program of God's divine purposes.
Now, beloved, you note on the chart, and
we have read the word from Revelation, you
note upon the chart at the end of
the church age, there above is one who
is called the Morning Star, and that Morning
Star represents the coming of the Lord.
The words that we read in Revelation 22
and 16 are very full of meaning in
relation to the times in which we live.
You have three titles by the Lord Jesus
given of himself in this 16th verse.
He speaks of himself as Jesus, he speaks
of himself as the Root of David, he
speaks of himself as the Bright Morning Star.
Now, every name has a particular meaning, and
a particular application.
The name of Jesus, what does it mean?
You know from Matthew 1 21, the angel
told Joseph, thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their
sin.
The name Jesus means the Saviour, and when
you come to the end of the book
of the Revelation, the final revelation of divine
truth, revealing the coming purposes and consummation of
those purposes of God, the Lord Jesus takes
this title in relation to the world as
Jesus.
But, you know what the world needs is
Jesus.
What the unsaved world needs is a Saviour,
and may I point out, if there is
any friend within the audience tonight who knows
not Christ as his and her Saviour, you
need to know the meaning in your soul
of that precious name, Jesus.
Meaning Saviour, and for the world he still
presents himself as the Saviour of sinners.
The second title is unique.
I'm the Root of David, says the Lord
Jesus.
Root of David, what does he mean?
Beloved, you recognize this is a title in
relation to the earthly people of God, Israel.
He was not only David's Lord, but he
was David's son, and he is the rightful
heir to the throne of David.
But, he presents himself as the Root of
David.
He takes that title in chapter five of
this book of Revelation.
He calls himself of the Root of David,
the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and
of the Root of David, and to Israel.
In the days we now live in, and
the coming days that are approaching, he will
prove himself to be the Root of David,
and the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
to subdue their enemies, and restore their kingdom
and land under his own authority and power.
But, the third title that he takes is
very full of meaning for us tonight.
It is the title that he gives in
relation to his church.
I am the Bright and Morning Star.
You have three occasions in New Testament Scripture
that the Lord Jesus is spoken of as
the Morning Star.
You have it in 2 Peter chapter one,
where Peter writes of him as being the
Day Star, or the Morning Star, rising in
your heart.
John, by the Spirit, writes in Revelation chapter
two, they are the words of Jesus to
the seven churches, and particularly to the church
of Thyatira in chapter two, verse 28, I
will give him the Morning Star.
The last occasion is in our verse, and
he adds a blessed adjective.
I am the Bright Morning Star, and thus
the Lord Jesus presents himself in relation to
his church as the Bright Morning Star.
Now, may I point out a distinction upon
the chart that will help you understand it?
You notice upon the chart the Morning Star
indicated.
You note later on, which we shall see
in our last subject of the Feast of
Tabernacles and the Millennial Kingdom, you note there
is a title named as the Son of
Righteousness.
The expression, Son of Righteousness, is found in
Malachi chapter four, verse two, where the prophet
writes that the Son of Righteousness shall rise
with healing in his wings.
It is a definite prophecy for Israel, when
they shall be restored, and with healing in
his wings their Messiah shall come, and thus
bring about the restoration and the glorification of
his earthly people.
To them he appears as the Son of
Righteousness, but to the church he will appear
as the Bright Morning Star.
Now, from nature you know, as well as
I do, that the Morning Star shines in
the darkness before the dawn rises, before the
sun comes up.
And, beloved, may I say there is a
divine truth in these two titles, the Morning
Star and the Son of Righteousness.
First, he is the Morning Star to his
bride, which is the church.
He comes for his bride before he will
come to the earth with his people, and
to reign on and over the earth as
the Son of Righteousness, with healing in his
wings.
May I point out this distinction in another
way?
As the Morning Star, he comes for his
saints.
As the Son of Righteousness, he will come
with his saints.
As Jude writes the message of Enoch long
ago, behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands
of his saints.
Now, let me emphasize our message tonight.
From the Feast of Trumpets, we saw in
the study of this feast that it represents
dispensationally that when the church age is complete.
Now, let me interject something here.
Listen, please let me emphasize there's an end
coming to the church age on the earth.
The church will not always be on this
earth.
Now, that sometimes may be difficult to grasp,
but as I read my scriptures, and we
shall see it tonight in specific detail, God
is going to take his church out of
this scene.
Christ is coming for his bride, and to
take her to be with him in glory,
fulfilling his promise.
If I go away, I will come again
and receive you unto myself that where I
am, there ye may be also.
And, beloved friend, let me tell you very
frankly, and forcefully, I don't expect to stay
here.
The promises of God for his people is
when this present age of the church in
its formation and consolation takes place, the Lord
will come for his bride.
May I say this?
I marvel that the Lord can keep his
bride here much longer, in a scene of
vileness and iniquity that is increasing on every
hand.
For his promises, I will come again and
receive you unto myself that where I am,
there ye may be also.
And, it is after that bride is taken
out, God will awaken Israel as a nation
to bring them to the place of repentance,
and, as we shall see tomorrow, the cleansing
and restoration of their confession, and ultimately bring
them into their land of glory under the
blessings and the reign of their Messiah.
But, beloved, the next step in the program
of God, before Israel's awakening, we would remind
our hearts of the coming of the Lord
for his faith.
Now, look with me in 1 Thessalonians 4,
from which we read, for I want you
to recognize the trumpet in connection with the
coming of the Lord, not for Israel, but
for his church.
Quite a specific difference.
Can I repeat it again?
No apology for repetition.
I love repetition.
I learn much by repetition, and I'm sure
you do too.
Thank God that someday the Lord will take
his bride out of the earth to heaven
above, which is her home.
He will come for that bride, and that
day is very near.
Perhaps tonight.
Oh, I wonder if you're ready.
Do you belong to him?
So, look at our chapter, and the scripture
in specific, as we see chapter 4 of
Thessalonians, and Paul writing of the comfort of
the Thessalonian believers because of the bereavement of
their loved ones who were dying.
I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, if you write in the 13th verse,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow
not, even as others which have no hope.
For in their sorrow for the loss of
their loved ones they were deeply grieving, and
the apostle writes words of comfort.
He not only writes words of comfort, but
as we shall see, he writes words of
revelation that had never been revealed before, and
he goes on to say, for if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring with him.
To give consolation to those sorrowful faiths, the
loved ones who had died in Christ would
be with Jesus when he comes, which they
could not and had not been able to
understand.
Now, note the specific revelation as he continues
on.
Verse 15, 16 and 17.
For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord.
Now, beloved, let me state that if you
hear what I'm saying, if perhaps this message,
as we follow it through, may seem to
you a very strange thing, may I point
out that the apostle states what is now
written is written by the commandment and the
authority of the word of the Lord.
This is not the fictitious imagination of any
human mind.
This is the revelation of divine truth.
If you're along with me, I say, I
could not and I dare not stand here
tonight without having the authority of a divine
book.
My responsibility is not to give what may
be the origination of mind, my own thought,
in my own mind concerning these things.
Thus saith the Lord must be the message,
and what we now read and study is
by the word of the Lord.
I hope you believe this book is the
word of the Lord from the beginning to
the end.
If there be one who doubts that this
book is the word of the Lord, I
urge you to give it your heart's attention,
to put it to the test.
For all scripture is given by inspiration, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
and for instruction in righteousness.
And from the beginning to the end, it
is the word of the living God.
The word of God is living, powerful and
effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of the soul
and spirit, the joints and marrow, and is
a discerner of the thought and the intents
of the heart.
For all things are naked and open to
the eyes of him with whom we have
to do.
And I commend to you, put your soul
under the word of God.
Let its power shine in the spirit's energy,
into your heart, into your soul, piercing your
heart with its intention, your mind with its
thought, and it will expose you to what
the blessing of salvation brings when you find
in that word, and through that word, your
savior.
And, beloved, it is with the greatest authority
by the word of the Lord we now
read on.
This we say unto you by the word
of the Lord, that we which are alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent an obsolete English word, meaning
precede or go before them which are asleep.
Beloved apostle, give assurance, and may I add
it for the benefit and comfort of any,
you who have been bereaved of loved ones
in Christ need not at all be alarmed
when you know there is a reunion coming,
and together with those loved ones gone before,
you together with them will meet the Lord
in the air.
Now, let's see how it takes place, and
you don't need to go down to Cape
Canaveral, either, or Cape Kennedy, to find how
it will take place.
Listen to the words, they're wonderful.
Verse 16.
Now, I want you to notice three distinct
movements, three distinct movements, as we look at
this great event.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God.
Now, that's the first movement.
The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with
the accompanying shout, an assembling shout, and with
the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God.
And we're reminded of our study in these
feasts, that the feast of trumpets that gathered
the people of Israel together.
After long absence of some months, they were
gathered together in holy convocation, the first day
of the sun's month, by the feast of
trumpets, and the trumpets calling them to gather.
And, beloved, here we have a New Testament
anticipation.
The coming of the Lord for his people,
and the first movement from heaven above, the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout.
Not a delegation of angels, not a bat,
not even Michael the archangel coming for us.
The Lord himself shall descend from heaven.
O beloved, drink in the thought.
I will come again and receive you unto
myself, said the Lord Jesus.
And it will be the personal appearing, the
personal descent of the Lord from heaven when
this event commences.
Then note, synonymously with that descent of the
Lord, what follows in the end of verse
16?
And the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Now, note carefully, not all the dead, but
only the dead in Christ shall rise first.
May I suggest, my fellow believer, when you
and I die, if such will be the
case, thank God, though we are dead, we'll
still be in Christ.
Precious, isn't it?
You'll never lose that blessed, blessed position.
If any man be in Christ, new creation,
and the first thing that happens on the
earth, or under the earth, is the resurrection
of the dead in Christ.
The dead in Christ shall rise first.
This is the first movement of resurrection of
saints.
Now, may I qualify it again?
It does not say, some of the dead
in Christ, as certain would indicate or teach.
There's no other qualification but to be dead
in Christ.
May I ask the question, are you sure
that when you die you'll be in Christ?
You know it's a terrible thing to die
out of Christ.
Said the Lord Jesus, when he was on
the earth, if you die in your sins
where I am, there ye cannot come.
Beloved, may I say, may I say it
carefully, pointedly to you, the worst thing that
can ever happen to you, I mean it,
the worst thing that can happen to a
man and woman, boy and girl, is to
go out of this life without Christ as
his or her saint.
Oh beloved, may I point out to you
solemnly the issue of death and its consequence,
so that you may realize that if death
comes for you, it might be your portion
and joy to know I'm in Christ.
May I tell you how you can get
in Christ for just a moment?
You might say, how can I be sure
of this?
Let me say it.
First, you must acknowledge that you are a
lost guilty and a hell-deserving sinner, for
the word of God tells you that, and
your thought and conscience will also affirm it
if you're truthful.
A lost guilty sinner.
Second, you must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is
the only one who can save you, for
by his death upon the cross, and may
I remind you as we began our study,
the great Passover feast where the passion lamb
was slain that night in Egypt long ago,
and the blood of that lamb was placed
over the doorposts and the side posts of
the homes of the Israelites, God said, when
I see the blood I will pass over
you, and that Passover represents the New Testament
teaching the death of Christ the Son of
God, whose blood was shed to put away
sin upon the cross of Calvary.
You must acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, is the only one that
can take away your sin, and that he
died for you.
Third, you must receive him into your heart
as your Savior, for it's to as many
as receive him to then give you the
power, the right, the privilege, the authority to
be called the sons of the children of
God, even to them that believe on his
name.
Beloved, if you hear one say, I want
you to know you can be saved, you
can know that you die in Christ if
the time were to come, but you must
acknowledge you need Christ.
You must acknowledge he alone can save you
by the merit of his cross, and the
work of his redemption there, and you must
say in the language of the poet, I
do believe, I now believe that Jesus died
for me, that on the cross he shed
his blood for sin to set me free,
and receive him in your heart and soul
as your personal Savior.
You know it's grand to know you're saved.
Oh beloved, look, I don't know when the
moment's coming, and you know it comes.
There's not a day past as we hear
of others, and hear of loved ones, and
friends who pass from us and go into
eternity.
I would solemnly remind you, my friend, someday
you will pass into eternity, and I ask
the question, will you die in Christ?
And what a joy to know that if
you do, you'll be in that resurrection.
The only qualification dead in Christ, and the
rest of the unsaved dead will not rise
on that occasion, but on the later one,
as many others know.
Oh beloved, now look at the movement.
The Lord himself shall descend from heaven.
Second, the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then look at the third movement in verse
17.
Then we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord where?
In the air.
Let me point out on the chart the
coming of the Lord for his people, tickifying
the feast of trumpet, tickified by it.
The saint will be gathered to Christ to
meet him in the air.
Beloved, will you be there?
May I point out the significant word, three
little words, in the air.
I remember as a boy, and this goes
back many years, back perhaps in 1911, when
first coming to this country from England, I
remember seeing my first airplane.
It was built in the city where I
lived, and an attempt was made to fly
it.
I saw it being taken through the streets,
and an attempt was made to fly it
on the outskirts of the city, which I
don't believe was very successful.
But what has happened?
Look at the developments and the discoveries of
the air that we have now seen since
the beginning of this century.
Then came the radio, and the development of
the mysteries of the air in relation to
the radio.
Then came radar.
Then, well, we keep going on, and in
this one century, half a century, we have
seen the discovery, and the wonders, and the
mysteries of the air unlocked to human science
and human knowledge.
Why?
Go on to Scott, in his poem, Lockhill's
Warning, both these words, mystical love casts its
shadows, but he pointed out these words.
He said these words, coming events cast their
shadows before.
Coming events cast their shadows before.
And, beloved, the great next coming event in
the prophecy of God's Word is the coming
of the Lord for his bride, for his
church.
And, that coming is foreshadowed when you think
of these three little words, in the air.
In the air.
You know, beloved, I'm not at all interested
to get to the moon, and that's tremendous.
We all wonder if they'll ever put their
feet on it, and the way it seems
they may.
But, beloved, look, may I say, God is
way ahead of men, beyond the human imagination
of man.
God's program is to manifest his glory in
a universe of a new creation, in which
to come will be a new heaven, and
a new earth, and an eternal rest.
For sin has ruined the present creation, as
you and I are tainted.
And, if you don't object, I'm very, myself,
I'm very anxious to be in a place
where there's no sin.
I don't know how you feel about it.
I'm not only anxious to be in a
place where there's no sin, I'm also desirous
of being in that same place without having
sin within me.
To be there sinless.
O beloved, God's program of redemption, he is
going to have a heavenly people as well
as an earthly, and they shall be called
up to meet the Lord in the air.
And, where they're going, so shall we ever
beware, with the Lord within.
Beyond there is a heaven, that you keep
coming to the end of the messages, we'll
see more of that wonderful mystery, and the
prospect that in a new universe will be
the portion of the redeemed of the ages.
For, beyond all the imagination of human mind
today, God's purposes will be fulfilled to bring
about a universe of communication beyond the present
imagination of scientists.
And, the first movement of that fulfillment is
going to be the taking out of this
being of those who belong to the Lord.
The morning star will come for its rise.
Now, go with me to Corinthians, please.
First Corinthians, chapter 15.
I wanted to note that the same event
is described by Paul in this resurrection chapter.
Wonderful chapter!
First Corinthians, chapter 15, and Paul touches upon
the great doctrine of the resurrection in this
chapter.
He not only touches upon the doctrine of
the resurrection, but as in 1st Thessalonians, the
resurrection is linked with the translation of the
saints.
When the living saints who will remain in
that day shall be changed, and caught up
with those who were resurrected to meet the
Lord in the air.
And, I want you to note the details
in 1st Corinthians 15.
We read in verse 50, Paul's saying, Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
Let me stop there.
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God.
Beloved, let me state this.
You look at this body of mine, you
look at that body of yours, and in
that body of flesh and blood you have
corruption.
There is the corruption of sin, and the
corruption of sin has stained the lives of
humanity from head and down.
And, with such a body of corruption, you
and I cannot enter into the kingdom of
God.
There has to be a change.
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God, neither.
Now, as you read those words, the opening
words of verse 50, he's referring to the
living bodies of believers.
The living bodies of believers.
Now, when you read the rest of the
verse, he now refers to the dead bodies
of the believers.
Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption, for the bodies
of the saints who have died have corrupted
in their graves.
Now he goes on to explain what will
happen.
Behold, I show you a mystery, a revelation
never before given, something revealed unknown before.
I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, meaning we shall
not all be in death.
But we who shall not sleep, we shall
all be changed.
Now, if you remember 1 Thessalonians 4, you
remember first the Lord comes from heaven, second
the dead in Christ arrayed, third we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up,
snatched up together with them in the air,
in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air, and so shall we ever be
with the Lord.
Now, Paul is stating, before we can meet
the Lord in the air, we who are
alive must be changed.
I want to tell you something.
If I try to go through that ceiling
right now, I'd never make it.
And if I hit the ceiling, I'd get
back to the floor very quickly.
But when the Lord comes for his people,
we who are alive must be changed.
Can I give you the truth of it
in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus?
That glorified, resurrected body of the Lord Jesus
was a changed body, for after his resurrection,
you know what happened in the upper room
in John 20?
Through those doors that were bolted walked the
form of the resurrected Christ.
A friend of mine was in California many
years ago.
He was talking to one of the scientists
with whom he was acquainted, not a Christian
man, but a man who recognized the authority
of the Bible, and they were speaking of
scientific things in relation to my friend's occupation,
in which he uses for the service of
the Lord.
And as he spoke to him, they were
talking about the body, the resurrected body of
the Lord Jesus, how it was able to
walk through atoms, and they were considering the
putting of atoms through atoms, and atoms being
pushed straight through atoms.
And he said, he said, Owen, he said,
when your Savior walked through the doors in
that upper room, it was the God of
the atoms walking through the atoms.
And dear mother, may I say, now this
might seem ridiculous, but I think it's the
authority of God's word.
My body and your body, believer, must and
will be changed.
At the coming of the Lord, there is
no question of doubt.
There's an atomic change.
Read on, will you?
For I want you to note something.
The next word.
Note the rapidity of that change in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye at
the last trump.
Now, note three things.
First, in a moment, and may I suggest
if it's not known to you, it's an
interesting fact, this word moment is the only
place in your Greek New Testament you have
the word atom.
The word is really H-E-O-N
-O-S, the common.
In a moment, in an atom, when I
went to school as a lad, an atom
meant indivisible.
That's what it meant.
Indivisible, cannot be divided.
Now men have split the atom, and they
wonder if they really made a wisecrack after
all, the trouble that they're having with it.
But the Lord says in His word that
at the coming of the Lord, the event
will be in a moment, and I want
to say that time is indivisible in human
reckoning.
Now, note the next expression.
Not only in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye.
I remember many years ago reading that the
Better Vision Institute of America recorded that the
fastest, the quickest automatic action of the human
body was the twinkling of the eye, and
they had timed it at one twentieth of
one second.
What?
One twentieth of one second.
And in a moment, in one twentieth of
one second, if you want to be so
literal, as the last trump, the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we who are alive shall be changed,
and suddenly we shall go to meet the
Lord in the air.
For this corruption, the body in the grave
must put on incorruption.
This mortal body that is living must put
on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, this mortal shall have put on immortality.
Then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, death is swallowed up in
victory.
Now, will you note verse 58, 55 rather,
verse 55, and note the dual anthem that
rises from the resurrected and the translated state.
O death, where is thy sting?
O grain, where is thy victory?
O beloved, please may I point out one
part of the company that goes to meet
the Lord in the air when the trumpet
shall sound is a company that never die.
O death, where is thy sting?
Many others love to sing that hymn.
O joy, O delight, shall we go without
dying?
No sickness, no sadness, no dread, and no
crying.
Caught up in the clouds with our Lord
into glory when Jesus receives his own.
Beloved, may I say it on the authority
of the word of the Lord, there shall
be many people alive belonging to Christ, he
their savior, who when he comes shall be
changed.
Their bodies shall put on the likeness of
his own glorious body, and they shall rise
with an immortal body, sinless, sickless, deathless, fearless.
They shall rise together with resurrected saints, with
their resurrected and glorified bodies, to meet the
Lord in the air.
And those saints who rise changed in a
moment shall sing, O death, where is thy
sting?
The saints that came from the grave in
resurrection shall cry, O grave, where is my
victory?
Praise the Lord, if they follow me, that's
all right, I'm coming out again.
And the spirit and the soul that goes
to be with Christ will be reunited to
that resurrected body, to meet the Lord in
the air.
And O beloved, what a victory that is!
You know, I'm glad I'm saved.
The longer I live, and I must say,
the more I preach, the happier I am
that I'm saved.
To have the joy of knowing this is
part of God's redemptive plan.
May I emphasize in the closing moment, this
charter, as we have touched upon, not only
presents the literal annual feast of Israel, together
with the dispensation of Israel as a nation,
and the redemptive purposes of God from the
beginning to the end of the nation, but
the chart presents the program of God, His
redemptive program for the whole world, and going
down to the events that consummate His program.
May I close with this statement?
You look at the beginning of the chart,
you have eternity.
You look at the end of the chart,
you have eternity.
And in between those two eternities, you have
the course of time.
And, beloved, there's a day coming when time
shall be no more.
When time shall be no more.
That's the teaching of the Word of God.
But, out of the ages of time, God
is redeeming a people for that new creation,
the new eternity that is to come.
I ask the question solemnly, will you be
in that new eternity of glory?
God is through with the old creation.
Sin has ruined it, the devil has had
his authority over it, and when the purposes
of redemption are complete, and the mystery of
good and evil will be forever settled, out
of the ages of time God will have
those who have trusted His Son, and found
His redeeming grace with Him forever in that
glory of eternity.
But, may I remind you of necessity, and
inevitably He will act a place beyond godly,
beyond faith, in eternal separation, forever in the
blackness of darkness, because they refused, rejected the
salvation of His grace.
Friend in the meeting, this is a solemn
moment.
If you were not saved, the whole purpose
of this message is not only for the
comfort, the instruction, and the enlightenment of God's
dear people, but if you are not saved,
it's to bring to your conscience and heart
you need the Savior.
Will you find your shelter and safety under
the blood of that Son of God tonight,
and say just as I am, without one
fee, but that thy blood was shed for
me, and that thou bidst me come to
thee, O Lamb of God I come, then
you could be assured you'll be at that
meeting in the air when Jesus comes.
Shall we pray?
Blessed Father, we thank Thee for the revelation
of Thy Word.
Thy Word is truth, said the Lord Jesus
Himself.
Blessed Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit
will bring to some heart in this audience
tonight the conviction in His own power, to
some unsaved soul, they need thy Son as
their Savior.
May His work be done to convict of
sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
Of sin, because they believe not on thee,
Lord Jesus.
Of righteousness, because thou art with thy Father,
and thou art the only one who can
save them.
And of judgment, because the Prince of this
world is judged.
And, Father, we have been speaking tonight of
that blessed hope that belongs to the saints
of God, the coming of the Lord.
For us, it is nothing but joy.
It is indeed the great happy hope that
cheers us as we look in the night
of earth's darkness, and see the bright morning
star, the blessed hope of our Lord's return.
But, Father, if there's one here unsaved, there
is no hope.
There's nothing but eternal darkness if they die
without Christ.
We pray that the Holy Spirit will convict
and convert them now.
Lord Jesus, may they open their hearts to
thee now, and say, Jesus, I will trust
thee, trust thee with my soul.
Guilty, lost and helpless, thou canst make me
whole.
There is none in heaven, nor on earth
like thee.
Thou hast died for sinners, therefore Lord, for
me.
Lord Jesus, will you reach someone tonight that
they might go with us in that blessed
day, and that happy moment to meet thee
in the air?
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God our Father, the fellowship,
all the conviction of the Holy Spirit be
upon us.
Amen.