THE SECOND COMMANDMENT: PART 2

The work that all of us have is to live the principles. Each one of us has to discover them. The Lord has revealed them in His Word. But let me ask a question: In what moment did Adam see his own face?
In what moment did Adam see his own face? Or did Adam die without seeing his own face. Have you ever seen your back? I don’t know if mirrors are a curse. Who invented mirrors? Did Adam have a mirror? How did he see his face?

The problems related to form that we find in the 2nd commandment, we can solve them with the 1st. "Thou shalt have no other God before Me."
What does it mean ‘before Me’?

What does it mean ‘before Me’? What is the only thing that should be before me?—only Him—as a reality—not as an idea.

And humanity—and we are included—we have lost that. And once we have lost this, we make another image, and the image that we make now, is worse than the images of the Canaanites. The Canaanites had the sun before them; they had the moon before them, and the stars.

We don’t have before us the sun—and we hate that, and we are far from idolatry. We are even farther from idolatry than the Jews, but what is in front of us is worse than what the Canaanites had, because what is in front of us is my self.

There is the mirror. What do we do with the mirror? Who is pretty? Who is grand? Who is the one who adorns himself? Who admires himself? Who exalts himself? Who is ‘I’? Who is before me? Only Him! It is the 1st commandment.

We have in front of us—our car; our house; or our girlfriend. What is it that is an obstacle so that I can experience the ‘shama’ of the Old Testament? The only thing that man should experience—and for us who have a Western mind it is difficult to understand this.

Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

Heart; soul; might; not with 50%; not with 80%; Total! Everything! Nothing for me—nothing in my heart for myself; nothing of my soul for myself; nothing of my might for me—nothing for self—everything for Him!

Have we practiced this? That was the great teaching; that was the curriculum that the Lord gave every father and mother in a family to teach to their children. What the parents had to teach to their children, was that He who made the heavens and the earth is the only thing that should be in front of us. There were no mirrors!

Is it simple? Very simple—and we don’t understand this! We can’t imagine life without mirrors. We cannot conceive life if we don’t have things in front of us. We see the latest model, and we say, "Wow"! We see the latest airplane, and we say, "Wow"! We see the building, and we say, "Wow"! We see the computer, and we say, "Wow"! We are surprised; we admire it and we are surprised—of the things—but not of Him. We have lost this.

The Lord taught His people to not loose Him as a reality. He should be in front of them—all the time—and look what the ‘Shama’ says: "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:"
Verse 7-9: "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."

That is the curriculum—there was no more, no other curriculum for Israel. We don’t understand this. And the enemy has made a tremendous development in advertisement so that we will loose the image of God. The image of God is my fellow man—my fellow man.

When the Lord created Adam & Eve, the first relationship that the male had, that Adam had, was with his Lord. When the Lord made the man, his bond was with his Creator. When the Lord created Eve, her first bond in relationship was with her Creator. Wasn’t it like that?

God made man with His hands—He made man. He gave him His Spirit–and Adam saw the Lord. The first thing that Adam beheld was the Lord. Our first relationship should be with the Lord. Father and Mother need to teach their children that their first relationship is with the Lord. If our first relationship is with the Lord, our second relationship will be with our fellow man, and in the case of the family, with the wife.

But who is the mediator? Who should be between both of them? Who was first?—the relationship with her or the relationship with God? He should always be in first place—always. That’s the way He created us. And since we’ve lost it through sin, by faith—He should be the first. And if He is the first, He has to be the bridge and any relationship between human beings cannot be direct.

We destroy ourselves because our relationships are direct. The 1st commandment says that my relationship should be with Him—He should be in front of me. And if He is in front of me—what am I going to do with her? How should I treat her? How am I going to treat the others? How am I going to treat my enemy? If God is in front of me; have we lost that?

Who is before us? Who is before me? Myself? Myself? We need images, and the first image—the only image—is myself! Even in grammar that is written with an iron chisel—our first pronoun should be plural—us; we. But it is not us or we; I do; I eat; I work; I think; I am; I have; I. Grammar has placed us in front of ourselves.

How easy it is for the enemy to destroy us! Only through the mercy of the Lord can we experience His Law. The 1st commandment is the crucifixion of self—the 1st commandment. And if we break the first commandment, the rest—the rest are already broken; because whoever transgresses one—is guilty of breaking all.

In the Old Testament is a testament of blood. The New Testament is the confirmation of that blood. God’s relationship with us, after sin, was through blood and humanity doesn’t understand that. But each of our relationships with our fellow man should be a relationship in blood; because in order for the Lord to restore us—the only way He could use to restore us and reconcile us—was through the price paid in blood.

The scriptures teach us that there is a God in heaven and there is a Mediator and Intercessor between God and man. Between God and man He placed a Mediator. For us in the Western world, that’s an interesting—a very nice concept. But for the Lord, it is not a concept—for the Lord, it is a reality. He doesn’t look at me—He looks at me through the Mediator. He doesn’t treat me directly—He does it through the Mediator.

We treat each other without a mediator. Husbands and wives treat each other without a mediator. They receive each other without a mediator; and what is the result? Contradiction! And fights! And they destroy themselves—there is no mediator.

The Lord—in the context of sin—when He sees a man, before him is the Mediator. Have we lost this reality? That is why it is so difficult for us to forgive. That is why it is almost impossible for us to justify a sinner. We look for a mediator to separate things; because the only thing we take care of is our things and not people. So people look for a mediator to see who ends up being the owner of the house, and who will stays with the car, and who will stay with the money.
How different is our God! Because human beings without a Mediator—what do we have in front of us? The Lord? Jesus? Or self? Is it simple? That’s the 1st commandment. The 1st commandment is the assurance for all the rest. "Thou shalt have no other God before Me." Only Him!

The enemy has made theology a concept that we have in front of us. And we have the concept in our head but the reality is something different. The enemy, after creating concepts and making us lose reality—he then makes us actors. And today, almost every human being is an actor.
The actor says, "I love you! I love you! I can’t live without you!" and cries. He even gives gifts. Isn’t that the way it is with girlfriends and boyfriends? Many of us arrived to marriage in this way. Actors—what is an actor? A specialist in pretending. A specialist in pretending.

"I love you!" it’s a lie. What is it that he wants? He wants something—a part of that person, to use it in a selfish way. And the enemy has translated that into images. The idols of the Old Testament and the images of the Old Testament, were harmless and they degraded the man and they corrupted man—the images of the Old Testament—they didn’t have any reason to be.
Let’s read Psalm 115, beginning with verse 3; "But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them."

Those idols degraded the people of the Old Testament, but those idols were harmless in relation to the ones we have today. Actors are the idols of young people, and even of older people. The television, those are our actors and our idols.

How do people sit? Have you seen how people sit watching what is in front of them? They sit on the edge of their seats, and they look, and they feel, and they see, and sometimes they even have a heart attack! They are living—what are they living? What is in front of them—idols; images. How many of these images are true? How many of them are true? How many of the images on television are true? They are false—modern idols—modern images; and there is the movie: "I love you! I live for you!" Is that true, or is it a lie? But we live it—we live it—a lie.
"Thou shalt not make thee any graven image"; what should be in front of me—only the Lord.

And in the Lord—in the Lord, I can treat my fellow man, in the Lord. In our marriage relationship—our marriage relationship should be an indirect relationship, because it should be through the Mediator, the One Who is in front of me—the One Who made heaven and earth.
We lost that—and we destroy our fellow man. Where did we learn that? Where did we learn that—with Hollywood? Hollywood is a great teacher. I don’t know what judgments God will bring upon Hollywood, because they have destroyed the Law of God in a dimension because now modern idols have mouths and they speak; they have hands and they move them; they have feet and they walk.

Fifty years ago, movies were just black and white, and now—red; white; yellow; and all the colors and all the movements and people think that that is more real than the Invisible that made the heavens and the earth. Our reality is only sensorial. It is almost impossible that our reality can be by faith.

My beloved; He who made the heaven and the earth, transcends my feelings, He goes beyond my sensorial capacity. My senses, after sin, can not perceive it, and the Lord knows that any physical figure would destroy human beings.

Jesus said: "in Spirit and in Truth it is necessary that you should worship me", in Spirit and in Truth—very interesting! He said first, "in Spirit", and then He said, "Truth". He didn’t say "Truth" first, He put Spirit first.

In John 1:14, when the scripture tells us that the Word was made flesh and abideth with us, and we saw His glory as the only begotten of God—full; full of what? Of concepts? Of philosophy? Of theology? Of ideas? Full of grace! Full of grace!

And in the original, when it says full, John in 1:14 uses the verb ‘plero’, and the verb ‘plero’ means so full—so full, that it overflows. And that is where the word ‘plentitude’ which in English is complete fullness, comes; so full that it overflows; but not only does it overflow, it floods the space—it inundates the space.

Jesus, my beloved, was a flood of grace; of love; of mercy; His image and likeness flooding this world—and then He was full of grace and truth. So that we would have Him in front of us, and that any other thing—any other thing—would cease to exist.

I don’t know who invented mirrors so I can see myself; I can behold myself—and I see a hair, and I see a blemish, and I see a wrinkle, and I want to take it off. I see I am ugly or I’m not looking very good—who is in front of me? For the Lord, nobody is ugly. Nobody is ugly for the Lord. A black man is beautiful for the Lord, with his thick lips, with his flat nose; he is beautiful for the Lord. For the Lord, nobody is ugly. A white man for the Lord is beautiful, because he is the image of God. A Chinese, African, anybody, is beautiful.

What is the only thing that is ugly to the Lord?—sin and wickedness and iniquity. But for us, people are ugly, for us and the Greeks taught us that and not God’s revelation. For God, human beings are His image. To rescue him and to restore him, and to reconcile him, and to restore His image and likeness in us, He shed blood—He shed blood; His own blood, to restore the image of God. That’s why between Him and us, between Him and your life, between Him and your enemy, is blood, and we haven’t understood this.

We like the concept. We manage it as a concept, but not as a reality. And that has been Satan’s masterpiece; his work of spiritualism—to convert this into an idea and a concept, but not the reality of His blood and His relationship with us.

What is our reaction when we see blood? What is our reaction? When we see that someone’s blood is spilling out on the road in an accident—how do we react? What was the reaction of the Heavenly Father when He saw the hands of His Son—with His hands with the nails on the cross—so He could reach a sinner and restore His image? In us—with the price of blood—for Him, my beloved, that is not an idea; that is not a theory; that is not something that is up in the air; that was real—He lives it. That is His life. That is Him—an offering, to give Himself to our selfish hearts.

Our selfish hearts have lost this vision. The enemy has placed papers and images; pictures; videos; movies, even movies of Jesus. Is that person Jesus? It’s false! Maybe he even gets drunk. He might even be an adulterer—he’s divorced—and now he says he’s Jesus? And we sit down in the chair and we believe it’s true.

What is in front of us? "Thou shalt have no other God’s before Me." Our Lord Jesus said that we needed to manage this in Spirit and in Truth. How difficult that is for us. Do you know why? For us what is real, what is concrete, is what we see; is what we hear; is what we smell; is what we taste; and what we can touch. That is real for us.

For us, if we cannot touch it; if we cannot hear it; if we cannot see it; if we cannot taste it; if we cannot smell it; it is not real. And all of our educational system of knowledge is based on the senses. That’s our education. Our education goes to where our sensorial perception can go and from there onward, there is no more faith—we cannot believe because we cannot experience it with our feelings—with our senses.

Very soon religion became sensorial. In all of the different religions; in pagan religions, in Christian religions, in the Jewish religion and what came a reality was the space, and that’s why the Samaritan woman asked "Where Lord? Where Lord?" The space—and we are children of space. We lost the reality of being children of the Spirit.

But the Lord wants and He has purposed that we should be children of Spirit and Truth. And the scriptures teach us—let us see what the scriptures say: 2 Corinthians chapter 4—Paul is going to help us—verse 18; "While we look not at the things which are seen,"
What is it that we see? What can be seen. What we can see. That is what we see. But Paul tells us here, "Look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen:"
And he tells us why; "for the things which are seen are temporal;" Everything we see; everything that I see—even my son—is temporal. He will cease to be; and what ceases to be—is not true.

What is it that will never cease to be according to the scriptures? According to the scriptures—and we have a text for that—a Bible text. The Bible tells us; prophecies will cease; science will cease; tongues will cease; but love will never cease. Love that has an end—never was love. True love will never end. True love never ceases.

Those things that have an end pertain to my sensorial perception. The boyfriend; he tells her, "I love you!" it’s a sensorial perception and its base is a selfish one—"I want her for me!" An actor—what he is saying—is not what he is. And after he is satisfied, "Out!" And now another one. That’s the ‘love’ that we see in this world—it’s spiritualism. It’s not a reality.

Love is not temporal. It is not confined to space. It goes over my sensorial capacity. It’s His love; that’s the love that the Lord wants; that’s the love that the Lord wants to give to us. It is His love and it is a fruit of the Spirit; it’s not one of my fruits—it is His fruit.

And He says, "look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen—which are not seen—are eternal." Eternal!

The question is my brethren, what is easier—to stop seeing what I have seen during the past forty years; what is easier? To stop seeing fifty, sixty, seventy years—seeing things here on earth—and the Lord tells us we have to stop looking at the things which are seen. What is easier—to stop seeing what we see—or to see what we have never seen? What we have never seen. What is easier? And that is the job we have; that’s the work we have to do and the Lord is revealed there; "Thou shalt have no other God before Me."

My beloved, do we really believe that He made the heavens and the earth? Do we really believe that? Do we believe like David?

When I see the works of Thy hands—the moon; the stars and the heavens that Thou hast made, and I ask myself, who is man? Who am I—that I should pretend to place my pride and my self sufficiency and destroy my fellow man and feel angry towards him and destroy him, because Who is God? I am God! I am God. Is that our reality? The concept is Him but in reality I am God, because I destroy my fellow men who He has bought with His nail-pierced hands.

My dear ones, who is before us? Who is before me? He who made the heavens and the earth and He tells me, "To your fellow man, I crowned him with glory and with light and I made him lord over creation."

My beloved, What a Father! What a Savior! What a Creator! There is no one more than Him. He who is more, the only one who is more—I am not less, I am not less—He is more to him by faith. To the invisible, we should see Him not with these eyes, through the eyes of faith that transcend the temporal.

When that reality is true in us, He’s going to come to get us and He will take us to live with Him forever. May the Lord keep you and permit us that only He will be in front of us. We cannot see Him but He is there and He is more real than what is in front of my eyes. It’s an experience by faith and by faith we are justified. By faith we receive Him. By faith we will be a new creation.
May the Lord bless us!

THE SABBATH EXPERIENCE

For me Time is a mystery. I would like to understand Time. But for me Time is, but I cannot really give a concept on it—it is. Do we see it? Or we can’t see it? Time has a mystery tied to it, because Time is like air, it enters everywhere—it is everywhere—Time.
Sabbath belongs to all of humanity. It’s the gift that God has given to all humanity. Whether they accept it or not, all human beings enter into the Sabbath, all of them. Even in prison there is Sabbath.
Sabbath is redemption; the Sabbath experience is a redemptive experience. If we follow what God is showing us here in the scriptures, Sabbath is liberty; Sabbath is dignity; Sabbath is restoration; Sabbath is gospel.
Let us read the commandment in Exodus 20:8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:"
And the Lord then says why: 11 "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."
The Lord set apart the Sabbath. He did something special with the Sabbath. The word for ‘sanctify’ is to cut off, to separate, and to consecrate with a specific objective— and within the context of sin, in order to redeem us, in order to restore us. Last night we mentioned that Sabbath is a plural experience because no one can enter into the Sabbath experience alone. He who enters into the Sabbath experience alone, that is the Sabbath of the Pharisee. To the Sabbath we cannot enter alone.
Someone is affected positively by keeping the true Sabbath. Someone is touched by keeping the Sabbath, because the Sabbath experience is a redemptive experience; it is an experience of sanctification; it’s an experience of forgiveness; it’s an experience of reconciliation and no one is reconciled alone.
Reconciliation is not an egotistical, selfish experience. Reconciliation is an experience that is alterocentric, other-centered, because in order to reconcile—when we were created we were in harmony, we were reconciled to God, with our neighbor and with nature. But when we sinned, we lost that reconciliation and harmony. But when we come to the fountain, when we come to the Sabbath, whence are the waters of rest, we are reconciliated.
If we are not reconciliated, then we are not in the Sabbath, because Sabbath is Shalom, Sabbath is peace, Sabbath is harmony, and the Holy writings teach that even the cattle, the beasts, that are within our courtyard, that are within our house—and we don’t understand this, because nowadays we don’t have cows or horses or cattle inside our house.
In this Western experience, we should place here something different. Instead of putting there your cattle, you should put your dog—your dogs, or your cats, because the beasts should also experience the affect of the Sabbath experience of reconciliation.
In the book of Jonah, the Lord finishes the book of Jonah with a special conciliation that we seldom take into account. But in Jonah the Lord says, when Jonah rejects God’s reconciliation; when Jonah rejects forgiveness; when Jonah wants the Ninevites to be condemned and he is disappointed because God forgives Nineveh. Jonah is angered with the Lord and the Lord teaches him that lesson with that plant.
Then the Lord concludes: Jonah 4:11 "And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle (animals)?"
Also many animals—why does the Lord include in the Sabbath experience even the animals? Because no one who participates in the true Sabbath experience remains the same. Who ever enters into the Sabbath experience, and enters in time with the Lord, what the Lord gives to the sinner on the Sabbath day affects nature; affects my son; affects my daughter; it touches my wife; it affects the family; it touches everything that is within your house—because Sabbath is a redemptive experience. And Redemption, at least at the minimum, happens between a you and an I.
What happened in creation when Adam and Eve sinned? What happened with the flowers? What happened to the animals? What happened with relationships? What happened between Adam and Eve? The scriptures say, "Thou shalt have dominion over her." "And your desire shall be unto him". Were the relationships affected? Was God’s image affected? Was the true principle of authority and dominion broken down? Were faith, trust and affection affected? Was individuality affected? Did we usurp the individuality?
This participation of the Sabbath is to restore all that within your sphere—in your home. Here Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7, that the faithful, he that is faithful, sanctifieth the unfaithful. 1 Corinthians 7:14 teaches that the faithful, he who believes, he who has experienced—and you know that we Westerners have difficulty with the word ‘believe’, because for us to believe is just to assent with our mental faculties. But for the oriental mind, believing is not just saying yes with their mental faculties, believing is obeying. Believing is to work. To believe is to live—believe.
But Plato taught us that believing was just to say yes with your head, while with your hands you say no; with your works you say no; but with our head we continue saying yes but with our works we are saying no. In reality we are not doing it, but in thought and in an abstract way, we are saying yes.
That is the spiritualistic dichotomy that Satan taught Greek philosophers. In matter of knowledge we are children of the Greeks. The Lord, Who is not Greek, Who gave His message in the Oriental semantics, for Him, to believe is to live! And when Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:14, "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy."
The experience of sanctification is an experience that has radio-active properties. Each human being can irradiate—he can radiate either sin, or righteousness. He can radiate selfishness or other-centeredness. He can radiate hatred or love; resentment or forgiveness and hope. And in our eyes we radiate, in our countenance we radiate, and when we touch, we are radiating; in the tone of our voice we are radiating.
The Sabbath experience is an experience—a plural experience and it has no trace of selfishness. That is why whoever enters into the Sabbath, dignifies, lifts up, places up, his fellow man. Oh, in marriage relationships, we who are married should experience—we should experience once again the new encounter experience—from Sabbath to Sabbath.
What happens in the marriage relationship? Does it become common? Do we become indifferent? Does it become so common that she—that she is just she, and I, I am I. But in the Sabbath experience that has to be redeemed, if it is the true Sabbath experience. If through the week, I have not treated her as in the image of God, I have not received her as in the image of God, then, I have destroyed her dignity. I have destroyed her value. I have underestimated her life. And in the Sabbath experience, that should be redeemed. That must be restored, that has to be reconciled.
Human beings today, when we are not reconciled, we sleep giving the back to each other; And others, they change beds; and still others, they change rooms. Others who have more facilities of space, one will be in the second story and the other one in the basement. That is humanity without the Sabbath. That is human beings without being reconciled. That is humanity without sanctification.
And beloved brothers, within the true Sabbath, the beast participates in that experience. If I am in the real Sabbath, what should my companion experience, when I participate of the sanctification? Sanctification is radiation and no one remains the same. And if uranium and radium, the inorganic elements, that are not alive, that don’t have the image of God, have the capacity of radiating and having rays that are admitted from them, and even of producing cancer and destroying the cell, what can the love of God do when it is constituted into the human experience and the Sabbath experience?
That’s why we find the commandment, "Thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy servant, nor thy maid servant," and on few occasions does the scripture make a difference between feminine gender, because that was the culture, in their culture people were in complete satisfaction in the rupture that had happened when Adam sinned.
When Adam sinned and when Eve sinned, when they disobeyed, the way they treated each other changed. He usurped dominion over her, not by Divine will—it was a consequence of sin. Rupture between man and woman is not the Word of God—it’s a consequence of sin. When she became her own center, and when he became his own center, there was a true rupture. And he had dominion over her. In Genesis 1 and in Psalm 8, the dominion and government and strength over, is upon things—over things, not over persons.
In the image of God, between persons, only love, only trust, only hope, only kindness, and the fruits of the Spirit—love—nothing else, between two, but it was lost after creation. Sabbath restores it, and the animals experience it, if you enter into the real Sabbath experience. And if the dogs and the cats should experience it, what should the unbeliever experience who is living with the believer? There should be a radioactive power, the radiation of the Holy Spirit and of the truth because God’s love is radioactive.
The gospel is radioactive—"I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God." The original word says ‘dunamis’ and from dunamis comes the word dynamite. It’s power! It’s radioactive! It transforms, it changes, it penetrates, just as time penetrates everything and enters like air into everything. In the same way God has wanted to enter into us in the Sabbath experience in order to perform redemption and sanctification, remission and forgiveness, complete reconciliation.
Have we lost that Sabbath? The Jews lost the Sabbath; the Pharisees lost the Sabbath but they believed that they were fulfilling the law.
Sabbath is dignity. There are some verses here in Deuteronomy that are very special. We are happy—many are happy because the laws of the Old Testament were nailed to the cross. But the principles that are behind the symbols of the ceremonial sabbaths are still valid. The external form died, but the principle never dies. But the Jews were specialists in keeping the external application—having destroyed the principle. But the principle never perishes.
Follow on the principle of the Sabbath here in Deuteronomy 15; "At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release."
The Sabbatical year, the seventh year was a year of forgiveness. Just as the Jubilee—the experience of the Jubilee, was an experience of forgiveness. All scripture is saturated with justification. All scripture is saturated with forgiveness, because for the Lord, sin—sin is absurd. It has no explanation. It has no reason of being. It is irrational. It is crazy. He cannot conceive it. Sin is so terrible, that it is absurd. And the only thing He could do with sin was to justify it.
For us that is very difficult to understand, very difficult; because what we do with the sin of someone else—we recognize it; we sentence it; we accuse him; we condemn him; and we send him to jail; because it’s sin—it’s evil. And then we think that that is our righteousness.
But in God’s righteousness, instead of defending the norm, He defends the image of God because the price is not in the letter of the law; the price is living and is in the person. But for us it is very difficult to handle that. But the Lord has opened the way to forgive what is absurd in me, to forgive my sin–my iniquity, even the depths—even my very depths.
In this world people forgive anything except money. But in Sabbath, the Lord made provision within Sabbath for forgiveness. Sabbath is forgiveness; Sabbath is justification; Sabbath is hope; Sabbath is life; and that is why Sabbath is rest. It is Shalom.
There are many things that could be said here in the following verses of Deuteronomy 15, a principle is revealed of what God’s character is. Every ceremony of the Old Testament, every statute of the Old Testament, reveals an aspect of God’s character that should be in us. Not the external form but the principle.
Notice what happened here in verse 12; never was it God’s plan—never was it God’s plan that woman should be less than man. That man should be lord, and the other slave. Never was that God’s plan. That has never been the Lord’s plan—that is the result of sin. Things became degenerated in our social status in such a way that in the days of Jacob, he bought his wives, and the fathers, the parents accepted the culture that their daughters were things, and they sold them. They negotiated with them and they exchanged them. Strange! It’s the consequence of sin.
The Lord in His mercy redeems that in the Sabbath experience. Notwithstanding that cultural problem the Lord enters into time—He’s Immanuel with us and He teaches
us that thy maidservant, that your servant, in the Sabbath experience, no longer is a servant—he’s the image of God.
Perhaps here we don’t see that because in this culture, you don’t have many maids or servants. In the days of Abraham Lincoln that was finished. But in spirit, there is still slavery. But in our Latin countries we still have servants and rich people, the wealthy people they hire servants. Have you seen the maidservant’s or the servant’s room in the house of the wealthy? Have you seen them? What type of rooms are they? The tiniest; the smallest; the least comfortable—there in the back—"He’s just the servant". He’s not the image of God—he’s the servant. He has the worst because he’s a servant. How do we look on him? How do we look at him? That’s not God’s plan. That isn’t God’s character.
In the Sabbath experience, he who keeps the true Sabbath, he who experiences it, that when sunset on Friday arrives, of every Sabbath, he stops being a servant—his social status is not that of a servant on Sabbath. His social status is the image of God; and he receives the same things that the lord of the house receives.
And that’s why the scriptures says nor thy servant, nor thy maidservant, because your servant and your maidservant on Sabbath, they are reconciled, they are restored. the experience of the Sabbath is a plural experience. It’s not a selfish experience—what I am and what I receive from Him, who comes and visits me, is the same participation that I give to others in the spirit, in the influence and the way that I treat others in the reality and not the concept.
And the servant and the maidservant also experience it and they hope for the Sabbath; they yearn for the sunset on Friday because in that moment he prepares himself because no longer is he a servant, no longer is he a slave, he’s the image of God. He has been dignified, he has been lifted.
No one enters into the Sabbath alone. Your peace, your reconciliation, your forgiveness, your righteousness, your sanctification, is a radioactive power and it touches all that are within your home, including the animals, even the foreigner and if it includes the foreigner of course it includes your family in greater proportion.
What type of relationship should happen between husbands and wives in the Sabbath experience? If we have taken away from her, her dignity during the week and if we have exerted dominion over her or she over him? Sabbath restores all that.
Deuteronomy 15, Verse 12: "And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee."
Liberty—Sabbath is liberty; but not only liberty, because liberty alone, without dignity, is not liberty according to the Lord. For us, liberty is just to break the chains and that’s what human law does. It removes the chains. The Negro is no longer the slave and the white man is no longer the lord over the black man.
But only the chains; God goes beyond that. Not only the chains but He gives value and the Lord restores and dignifies—He dignifies his fellow man. Here what He says: 13 "And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:"
If you let him go empty, then he will become a slave again. He will have to look for some other chains.
14 "Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him."
Today we don’t have lambs, flocks, we are vegetarians—what do we have? What do we have, what do we have in abundance that she doesn’t have? That he doesn’t have? What do we have in abundance that the wife doesn’t have? That the husband doesn’t have? That the son, or the servant, that the animal doesn’t have? That the foreigner doesn’t have? And in order to dignify him, it’s not just to rent the chains asunder. It’s not only the status, also internally, his dignity which is God’s image.
Oh my beloved, God’s liberty, God’s liberation, God’s reconciliation, God’s sanctification, is totally different to these selfish concepts that I have; from His reality who is God, that descends in the Sabbath and enters with me in my time and he visits me in my home to restore His image in me. And once He restores it in me—what do I breath? What do I breathe out? What influence do I impart? What do others receive from me? The same thing that I receive from Him.
And what is life eternal? And this is life eternal that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent.
Oh beloved, how did Jesus handle the Sabbath? And the Pharisees did not understand Jesus’ Sabbath, because on Sabbath, Jesus dignified people. Jesus liberated people. Jesus reconciled the people. Not on paper, not in the letter of the law, with the human being; with your son; with your daughter; with your servant; with your maidservant; with the animals—with the flock—with the cattle; with the foreigner.
The Jews had destroyed the Sabbath and they had made it into a private experience; into a selfish experience—a totally egocentric experience. And they thought that they were in the truth.
The Lord came and He broke all that apart, and they didn’t understand. Do we understand why the Sabbath is the Seal? It’s not just a matter of time. It’s much more than time. And time for me is a phenomenon—it’s a mystery. And in time—it is that events happen. In time—it is that prophecy is fulfilled. In time—prophecy is developed. In time—creation was done and in time—redemption was done. In time—the cross took place and in time—we are redeemed.
The Lord knew that we would be busy in our selfish works: on Sunday—I work for myself; on Monday—I work for myself; on Tuesday—I work for myself; Wednesday and Thursday—I work for myself and Friday—I work for myself; and perhaps on Sabbath I continue thinking on myself. The Lord knows that we need a rest from our self and He has given us the Sabbath; so that we might rest from our self; so that we might rest from sin; so that we might rest from what is ours; we might leave our things aside which is sin, iniquity and we might experience Him.
We work differently from God, because God worked on Sunday—not for Himself—but for us. And He worked on Monday—not for Himself—but for us. And all His work is not for Him—it’s for us. Ellen White says that Jesus did nothing for Himself. All was done for others—every day, every day.
Heaven does not work; heaven does not work. Have you known the origin of the word ‘work’? It is a Latin word, ‘travail’ instrument of slavery. Heaven does not work. God does not work. Jesus does not work. Jesus serves. The Lord serves; every work of God is a work of service. And the work of the 144,000 will be a complete work of service.
They have not lived for themselves—they lived for others. They have experienced the great universal law of service—I, for you not I for myself.
Have we rested from our self? And each moment we live in function of others and not in relationship to ourselves. That is the foundation; that is the base of the divine economy. The foundation of our economy is selfishness—it is the base. But in the foundation of the divine economy, other-centeredness is placed—totally opposite foundations.
Sabbath is the Seal of the experience of other-centeredness; where God in His mercy, knowing our fallen condition, and knowing that everything that is ours, rotates around myself and that I am the center and everything I do I do it for myself and with difficulty do I do something for someone else.
The Lord, Who prophetically knew that as we drew closer to the end of time, the only thing ours would be the cares of this world; the cares of this world. Who doesn’t live for himself? And our excuse is "I don’t have time", that’s our excuse; "I don’t have time". "I am too busy." "I am too busy in my business." And God, understanding that human condition, gave us a fountain—a Sabbath; and every six days we would have a special fountain in the midst of the desert, so that He might lead us by still waters; so that we might enter into His menuha—the rest from myself. The rest from ‘I’ being the center; and for that—time.
It’s in time—it’s in time that I can rest from myself. It’s in time that I lay aside myself. It’s in time that I renounce to myself by God’s grace.
Oh my beloved, the enemy has said that Sabbath is just a rule; that Sabbath is legalism. But Sabbath is grace! It’s mercy. Sabbath is love. He has given it to us because of man—it is for man. It is for you; it is for us; it’s a gift; it’s His mercy; it’s His grace; it’s part of His gospel because He is love. And comprehending our human condition and all our processes, He has given us a break, a rest, a fountain of rest.
And the word ‘menuha’ that is translated as ‘rest’ is a state of harmony—a state of peace; resting in Him. He—assuming our lives. Isaiah 58:12, 13; "If you keep thy foot . . . Not doing your will. . . and not speaking your words. . . and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

ANYTHING BUT SECRET

In the early 1500s, the Aztec empire was one of the most powerful and sophisticated civilizations in the western hemisphere. However, within one year's time this mighty nation of over two million people was conquered and enslaved by just six hundred men. How did it happen?

The Aztecs had a prophecy about Quetzalcoatl (kèt-säl´ko-ä-tal), a legendary feathered god-king who was light skinned and bearded. It predicted that he would return to Mexico from across the sea and that he would come in the clouds from the east to save them.

Well, in 1519 Spanish galleons arrived in Mexico carrying a group of conquistadors led by Hernando Cortez. When the Aztecs saw these ships with their billowing sails, they thought it looked like clouds. Cortez heard about the Aztec legend from some Indians who lived on the shore and decided to use the situation to his advantage. He astutely assumed the mantle of deity to befuddle superstitious King Montezuma II.

While the king was waiting to receive him with honor, Cortez marched his army right into the center of the Aztec capital. By the time the people realized that Cortez was not the savior they were expecting, it was too late. The conquistadors proceeded to plunder, enslave, and kill the Aztec people. An entire nation was deceived and destroyed-in part because the prophecies of their god's return were so ambiguous that almost anyone could have served as a counterfeit.
In the near future, Satan will attempt to personate Jesus and counterfeit His return to earth. But God's people need not be deceived. When the disciples asked Jesus for the sign of His coming and the end of the world, the very first thing He told them was to be on guard against impostors. He said, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:4, 5.

Christ then proceeded to give His followers a wealth of information about His second coming so there would be no doubt as to how He would return. Jesus not only wants us to know that He is coming and that He's coming soon; He wants us to understand the manner of His coming.
The reason this is so important is because Satan will soon attempt to personate Jesus and counterfeit His return. And to pave the way, Satan has introduced a strong delusion to the Christian world that has been almost universally accepted in mainline churches. I am speaking of the popular teaching regarding a "secret rapture."

The secret rapture theory was designed to lull God's people into a false sense of security and to prepare them for this final master deception. Jesus warned, "If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:23, 24.

Satan's deceptions will be strong and convincing, but Christ has given us ample information to help us discern truth from error.

Not a Secret
Will there be a rapture? Yes. Will it be a secret? NO! Rapture means "to be carried away with power," and it is true that when Jesus comes we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). But many have come to believe that this rapture will take place quietly-that faithful Christians all around the world will suddenly disappear and that life here on earth will continue for a seven-year period of tribulation. During this time, they say, many will be converted and have a "second chance" at salvation before Christ's final coming.

Although the secret rapture scenario may appear comforting at first glance, there is absolutely no scriptural support for it. The Bible plainly teaches that when Jesus comes again, every one of our senses will be bombarded with evidence!

His Coming Will Be Literal
"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11.

Heaven-sent messengers told the disciples that Jesus would return to this earth in the same manner He left. Christ left in the clouds, and He will come back in the clouds. He was visible when He left, and He will be visible when He comes again. He had a real body when He left, and He will return the same way.

His Coming Will Be Visible
"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him." Revelation 1:7.
"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:27.

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:30.

When Christ comes, it will not be merely a local sighting or an isolated event. It will be visible across the entire world.

His Coming Will Be Audible
"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." 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

"The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout." Jeremiah 25:30.

"Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him." Psalm 50:3.

Christ's second coming will be loud! There will be shouts and trumpets and all kinds of noise. No one will accidentally miss it or be able to read about it in the newspaper the next day.

His Coming Will Be Emotional
"Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Luke 21:26, 27.

"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isaiah 25:9.
When Christ returns, it will be an emotional day for the wicked and righteous alike. The lost will experience indescribable fear and anguish, while the saved will experience the perfect joy of eternal salvation.

His Coming Will Open the Graves
"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40.

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23.
"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." 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

This is the Bible's description of the rapture. The dead in Christ will rise by His power and will meet Him in the air. Afterward the faithful who are still alive will also be caught up. It will not be a secret!

His Coming Will Destroy the Earth
"The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again." Isaiah 24:19, 20.

"And the heaven [sky] departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places." Revelation 6:14.

"And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." Revelation 16:18-20.

This world will be uninhabitable by people after Christ comes. His coming will shake the very foundations of the earth.

His Coming Will Mean Final Judgment
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Matthew 16:27.

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:12.

It is at Christ's return that we will receive our final reward. Each person's decision will have already been made; there will be no second chance to convert. The time to make a decision to follow Christ is now!

Basis for Confusion
With so much evidence in the Bible as to the manner of Christ's coming, where do people get the idea that the rapture will be a secret event? As with most deceptions, the secret rapture theory is based on a few texts which have been taken out of context. There are two main concepts in Scripture that have been used to substantiate a "secret" rapture.

The primary one is that Jesus will come as "a thief in the night." The secret rapture theory assumes this means that Christ will come secretly to steal away the righteous and carry them quietly to heaven.

Christ's coming is described as "a thief" several times throughout the New Testament. Let's look at one of these passages and see if it describes a secret rapture. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10. That doesn't sound like a secret event to me!

In describing His return as a thief, Christ did not intend to show that it would be quiet, but that it would be sudden and unexpected-that the wicked would be taken by surprise. He said, "If the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." Luke 12:39, 40. Likewise, Paul told the Christians in Thessalonica, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thessalonians 5:4. God does not want His followers to be surprised. He wants us to be watchful and ready.

The second concept used to support a "secret" coming is found in Luke 17:34-36: "I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left."

Secret rapture proponents say this passage proves that the saints will suddenly disappear from the earth when Jesus returns. But let's take an honest look at the evidence and see what these verses actually teach.

In Luke 17:34-36, Jesus employs some of His favorite symbols to illustrate a simple point. At the end of time, there will be just two groups of people living upon the earth-the lost and the saved.
Two men in one bed. A bed generally connotes sleep, and Jesus used sleep as a symbol of death. He said to the disciples, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." John 11:11, 14. In the resurrection at the last day, there will be two kinds of people sleeping in the grave-the lost and the saved.
Two women grinding together. In Bible prophecy, a woman is a symbol of a church (Jeremiah 6:2). Grinding grain represents working with the Word of God. When Christ comes in glory, there will be two kinds of churches-the false and the true. Both will be outwardly doing the same thing, but only one will be redeemed.

Two men in the field. The field represents the world (Matthew 13:38). When Jesus comes again, there will be two kinds of missionaries laboring out in the field-the false and the true. This is why He said, "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:22, 23.

The Devil's Hidden Agenda
The devil knows that Jesus is coming back and that his time is short (Revelation 12:12). He has been sharpening his skills of deception for 6,000 years, and his last masquerade will be his masterpiece. One day soon, Satan is going to attempt to personate Christ Himself. And Jesus warns that he will do such a convincing job that, if it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived. "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." Mark 13:22.

Satan is not an ugly, grotesque, bat-winged creature wearing a red leotard. He's an angel-a beautiful, powerful angel. And the Bible makes it clear that he is able to transform himself and appear in different forms. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:13, 14. We must not underestimate how convincing and overpowering Satan's final deception will be. I'm sure he will even quote Scripture, as he did while tempting Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-6).

The devil also has the ability to create the illusion of miracles. You will remember that when Moses went in before Pharaoh to plead for the children of Israel, the magicians of Egypt were able to duplicate the first few signs from God (Exodus chapters 7, 8). Satan is in the business of deception. And we know that he is saving his greatest deception of all for the last days. We need to know how Jesus is coming, or we will be deceived.

The Bible is very clear that when Jesus comes back, His feet never touch the ground. It says the righteous will be caught up to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). This is why Jesus emphatically warns us, "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." Matthew 24:26, 27, NKJV.
Satan cannot replicate a worldwide, cataclysmic event the magnitude of the real second coming. But if he can seduce Christians into believing the secret rapture theory, he won't have to. He can simply show up around the world in various places, perform great miracles, make TV appearances, and thereby deceive the entire world.

Every general knows that the key to victory in battle is to maintain an element of surprise. Many battles have been won because of a clever diversionary tactic. While one army was distracted and looking at the diversion, the enemy came up from behind to conquer them. In the devil's final assault, he will do the same thing. The archdeceiver has always wanted to be God. Now he knows that he is doomed, but his last taunting gesture against heaven will be to personate Jesus and receive the worship of a lost world.

Sadly, the devil is not the only one who likes to masquerade as God. Many people who claim to be Christians have never come to the place where they are willing to make a complete surrender and allow Jesus to be Lord of their lives. They still want to be in charge. They call him, "Lord, Lord," but do not obey Him.

Friend, is Jesus your Lord? Are you submitting to His will now, or are you masquerading as your own master? No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). It must be Jesus or yourself. He will soon come in glory for all to see. Will you give Him the crown, throne, and scepter of your life now?

THE LION AND THE LAMB

"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, . . . . Rev. 5:5,6.

". . . Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.

It is stated by scholars that John wrote Revelation before his gospel and epistles. It isn't likely anyone had a question as to who the slain Lamb was, but with John's gospel record of John the Baptist speaking as Jesus came toward him, all discussion certainly would have been settled; and perhaps the most beautiful of all religious concepts takes on deeper meaning - the Lion is also a Lamb.

Think about that. We long for the time when the lion and lamb shall lie down together. Truthfully, until the fullness of the lion and lamb are reproduced in a final generation; until a balance is developed in us of all that is strong and noble, and meek and lowly Jesus cannot come; for the world has yet to have that witness manifested.

Everyone reading this is probably yet unbalanced. I make no sweeping assertions. It is entirely possible Enoch's walk amongst us. I just don't know any. Perhaps you do. In the balance God desires to recreate we are likely to be more lion or more lamb at present. No one who knows the author of this article would have to guess where he stands. May the Lord have mercy and continue to sanctify me in such a way that the beautiful nature of the lamb can be more fruitful in my life. Certainly my wife and children would be most receptive to that!

"Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Genesis 49:9.

Let us take a look at some of the characteristics of our Lion in scripture. Whether as the young lion ready to pounce, or the old lion lying in his regal nobility; who shall rouse him? He holds the scepter. The kingship, the royalty, the nature of rule is unmistakable.

We are supposed to be children of a King. Brethren of a King. Espoused to a King. It is stated in different ways throughout the Bible. As such, we are to exemplify the highest traits of nobility and the welfare a king would bestow upon his children, his family, his bride. As a people, have we not been given the finest counsels and opportunities in regard to doctrine, health, clothing, education and service, etc. in the King's world? Unless we are living up to the privileges and responsibilities of all the counsel of God, we cannot possibly be fit representatives to complete His work on earth.

Far too many amongst God's professed people are imbalanced when it comes to these things. How many this writer has met who maintain a sharp and keen awareness of last day events and doctrinal matters, but their dietary practices are obviously lacking. Or the reverse is seen; people deeply into health reform that seem to have little grasp of the issues that confront us as a people living at the end of all time. In areas of modesty, the education of our children and the influences that Satan seeks to derail our noble calling - how less than noble and regal is the life of God's professed church!

As the world sinks into rank, deplorable foolishness and sordid immorality how closely the church follows but a mile or two behind; so that where the world once was decades ago, the professed people of God are today!! How true shall it be that those ready for translation will be viewed as odd, singular, straight-laced extremists. Ah! But this is not permission to be "gazing stocks" either. Balance under the roof of our King. Balance. Jesus carried Himself in the perfect balance of noble traits and terrible exactness. Ask anyone in the temple when He cleansed it! Ask the Jewish leaders when he dismantled their whole program in Matthew chapter 23!
"And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:
"For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Matthew 7:28,29.

Lions have authority. A lion roars and everything around pays attention. I heard a lion roar at a zoo once. I not only felt it in my stomach, but, amazingly enough, it seemed to reverberate right through the ground into my feet. It was an awesome experience, indeed. And mind you, the lion was lying down! He wasn't angry. He wasn't shouting. He just had something to say and you definitely paid attention.

So it was with Jesus. People were enthralled with His teaching because they could see and perceive He truly meant what He said. There was no equivocation in His voice. He knew what He believed, why He believed it, and how He needed to get His points across to the people. Oh, to have that perfect balance of authority in my own preaching and witnessing! That the world around us should know that we KNOW what we believe and why we believe it is God's quest for our lives. The world will know, when God has a balanced, authoritative people.

"And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about."

"And they all were amazed , and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out." Luke 4:14, 36
Lions are powerful. Among all carnivores the big cats are the most powerful, and the lion a most fearless creature. It will tangle with anything but a full grown elephant. And even there, recent night-time photography has shown lions bringing down young elephants 5 times their size, right in the midst of surprised herds, if food supplies grow too short. The lion is a powerful creature.
Jesus had power. At times it just exploded in a wealth of influence on those He was around. At other times it was an undertone; a sense of that even if He was only walking people expected something to happen.

Oh, that God would bring power amongst His people; a fearlessness that gives us the true spirit of Protestantism to stand up against sin and all that is opposed to the kingdom of God; and to proclaim the truth regardless of who or what resists and retaliates! The entire planet is soon to be arranged in a final rebellion towards God and His people. Are we ready for this? Do we have the power from on high that moved the world in former times? We do not, and we best plead for it before we are surrounded by forces bent on our failure and destruction, as already exists against Christians in many parts of the world. We need power. We also need balance, that such power is not abused, misused, or taken for granted. God cannot entrust power to an unbalanced people.

"If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity."
"If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
"For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again Thou shewest Thyself marvelous upon me." Job 10:14-16.

Indeed. What a picture of God's people in the coming time of trouble when it will seem as though Satan has won, and all is surely lost. Yet out of the terror of the moment arises the fierce and mighty Jesus to arrest the attention of the world and rescue His agonizing servants from a planet gone mad.

The lion is a fierce creature. It is not an animal any other creature of the plains takes lightly. Though Job saw a fierceness in his situation, yet he still marvelled at God. His character is beyond reproach. He knows what He is doing, despite our absolute ignorance of a situation.

The situation among us has reached a major crisis, especially among those proclaiming the fullness of truth. All seems confusion. It is going to get worse. Oh yes, God will take the reigns. Praise His name for that. The terror will lie in who He takes the reigns from and their wicked response. God will no longer be trifled with. When he comes down on the Romanism prevailing amongst a people professing to rejoice in light, His fierceness and their response will show an entanglement of commotion only God will have a handle on.

"And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the changer's money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it is written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten Me up." John 2:15-17.

Where are the lions, beloved? Where are the lions? God's church needs lions!
Selah.
"I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My own judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me." John 5:30
"Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of Myself, but as My Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John 8:28.

How dependent is the Lamb. How dependent was Jesus upon His Father. How dependent we should be in all things heard, believed, taught and lived. Without that dependence, failure is at the door. Without that dependence, self rises up, self tries to rule, self corrupts the soul.

Make no mistake; sheep are not robots. They must eat where the good shepherd leads them, drink at the waters he provides, rest where he stops, and follow his voice wherever it leads. They have their part to do, and without it, they will die. Our dependence upon God's power does not lessen the use of it in our lives. A gift is a gift. But a gift on a back shelf or in a closet is no benefit to anyone. Though salvation by grace through faith is a gift from God, let no one deceive themselves that so prized a gift is to collect dust. It is anything but an ornament or knick-knack. Depending on His Father certainly did not lessen Jesus' use of that connection. He is our example in all things.

Sheep are not necessarily busy. They lead fairly mundane lives. Like all illustrations using earthly things, it has its limitations. On the other hand it is very possible to become so busy all hearing of the Shepherd’s voice gets lost in the shuffles of life. Dependency on God is replaced by dependency on an employer, a paycheck, insurance companies, government, husbands, wives, preachers and leaders. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Everyone agrees, yet so much improper dependency exists in the church it keeps us in this world. We aren't leaving it until complete dependency and cooperation with God becomes daily habit.

"Which of you convinceth Me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe Me?" John 8:46

"Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me." John 14:30.

The innocent Lamb of God. Not guilty of any wrong. Nothing in Him of corruption. Nothing in Him of sinful practice and perpetuation. Tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.
Beloved, we must have innocence before the throne of God. We must partake of the divine nature that we may escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. It is the hour of judgment! These are the final moments of earth's history! Every thought, every word, every action must be pure and holy, true and righteous, spotless and clean if we are to be ready for translation. Jesus comes for a clean church, not a dirty one. He cannot come for a dirty church. He will not come for a dirty church.

Righteousness by faith, character perfection IS the fullness of the balance of God in life. Let no one on earth denounce the work of God for this last generation. Oh fools and slow of heart to believe! Professors of true religion who deny the power of Jesus to cleanse His earthly temples from all defilement and impurity? Apostates! Ringleaders! False teachers with damnable heresies, denying the Lord that bought them. Would they be saved IN their sins or FROM their sins? Shall threads of compromise, worldliness and humanism be woven into a translation garment? Never. And those who perpetuate the lie that the commandments of God cannot be kept by one in Christ, walking after the Spirit; those who maintain that the righteousness of the law cannot be reproduced in those who maintain a living connection to the Vine shall reap what they sow. And those who occupy positions of trust in any institution who allows so foul a doctrine to be held amongst its teachers, and who feel their institution is beyond falling . . . how great the fall when it comes!

Will the innocent in Christ Jesus please stand up? No takers? Indeed. But the God of heaven knows. The Holy Spirit continues to work and Jesus shall come for them when His character is reproduced in their lives; for the forces of hell, especially among the religious, will show the anger of the dragon upon these lambs.

"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:" 2Cor. 10:1.

Lambs are meek and gentle, are they not? Herein is where the author needs much more of Jesus. Here is where many display imbalance. I might add, it is often in the home where the familiarity of family life leads to various displays of lacking in these traits of character amongst professed believers. We live in a world filled with aggression, anger, and hatred. Only through tenderness, gentleness and meekness can much of that wall be broken down, especially in homes where youth fall prey to the influences of this sinful world.

How many times I have seen parents demanding of their children and I have thought, "How we learn so hard. If only they saw our broken hearts more than our frustration. If only they heard gentle entreaty, rather than military command. How different things might be."

How many have been lost in the cracks of church-life because of the lack of gentleness in the way they were approached? How many have given up because of the "in your face" or self-righteous attitudes demonstrated? Such ambassadors Jesus does not need. May God forgive me if I have driven any to such ends with unchristlike exhibitions. The balance is a fine one. The balance is so needed. Balance is everything. "And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." Jude 22,23.

"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:29

Lambs are certainly meek and lowly. They are so unthreatening. That is why children are so drawn to them. If you have ever attended an agricultural fair and walked through the sheep barn, how the children can't get enough petting in! We have delightful pictures of our girls as babies, completely charmed and jubilant in the presence of the lambs. That must be why children loved Jesus. He was so unthreatening; at least to those with nothing to cover up and hide.

Being meek isn't being a doormat for anyone. On the other hand, the Lamb was dumb before His shearers, He suffered patiently, there was no guile in His mouth, no reviling heard from His lips, no threatening.

Balance. We all see ourselves in this mix somewhere. Some are far more the lion. Some, far more the lamb. Some will speak up in an instant, and also be a bull in a china shop; while others quietly go about their business, yet often say nothing when a crisis hits.

Just so you understand the importance of all this; just so you understand just how important Satan sees all this, behold;
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves." Matthew 7:15

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1 Peter 5:8.

Well, well. It appears Diabolos knows what God is striving for and seeks to get into the mix; which is to be expected. There is a counterfeit lion, and a counterfeit lamb. We do well to know the difference, by experience, now, before it is too late. And too late it is soon to be.

Balance. While everything is about to enter a final time of perfect imbalance, a people shall arise and shine; fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.

Beloved, do not delay, do not allow anything to keep you from the most glorious moment in the history of the universe. Seek the Lion. Seek the Lamb. Seek that balance that can be all things to all men.

Now, to give you an unbelievable mix of balance; God's balance perfectly displayed and to be wondered at, look at these verses;
"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and rocks of the mountains;
"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
"For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Revelation 6:15-17.
The wrath of a lamb? Could there be a more convoluted picture? What could possibly be more wondrous? Yet, it shall be so. A balance of Lion and Lamb so perfect, the human race will be seized with a terror unimaginable. A sense of rejection, of fear, of utter loss and hopelessness that calls forth a request of death; for to see the Face of Him they have slighted and rejected is a fate worse than death.

But for God's faithful it is the Face of rescue, of triumph and victory! It is the Face of acceptance, love and joy unspeakable. It is that Face that calls forth the shout, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us!"
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

RENDEZ-VOUS IN SPACE

Redbook magazine made a survey of the eight leading seminaries in America and discovered that only one percent of the students believed in the second coming of Jesus. The reason for this astonishing skepticism may be revealed by the experience of D. L. Moody, the great lay evangelist. After explaining that he had been in the church for fifteen years before hearing his first sermon on the subject of Christ's return, he stated, "Now I know why the devil does not want this subject to be preached. Nothing would wake up the church so much as the doctrine that Jesus is coming soon."
Does that also explain why the modern church is so strangely quiet about this glorious future event? Has Satan been successful in throwing a blanket of silence over the one great truth that could revive the Laodicean churches of today? It certainly seems to be the case. Even the evangelists are saying little about this spectacular occurrence which is mentioned 331 times in the New Testament alone.
There is no event of the past, present, or future which has a stronger basis for belief. Jesus spoke about it with such unmistakable clarity that no one need be in doubt or confusion. He said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:2, 3.
It is biblically clear that God's complete plan for this world will not be fulfilled until we are transferred into that perfect home He is now preparing. The plan of salvation has made infinite provisions for our justification and sanctification, but the restoration of all things will not be accomplished until we are freed forever from the contaminating presence of sin.
When and how will Christ's second entry into earth's history take place? Before answering that question it is very important to understand how it will not happen. Millions have been deceived by an incredible array of false theories which have spread like wildfire among evangelical Christians.
When His disciples approached Him on the Mount of Olives with the anxious question "What shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world?" Christ answered, "Take heed that no one deceive you." The implication is clear that there will be an unusual amount of misleading information about His return.
Then Jesus proceeded to outline the major signs that would mark His second coming. Almost the whole of Matthew 24 is mingled with warnings about the endtime program of Satan to delude the whole world on this issue. According to Jesus, the very elect will be assailed and threatened by the cunning impersonations of the evil one. He declared that false Christs and deceiving prophets would appear in the last days working undeniable miracles. "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:24.
Have such bold religious frauds made their appearance? Indeed, they have been announced through the pages of the world's most prestigious newspapers. Highly sophisticated advertising copy has proclaimed the imminent appearance of the divine "Incarnation" who will have the answers to all our problems.
Even though many of the claims of such charlatans are being rejected, the world community is subtly being prepared for a supernatural manifestation of a counterfeit Christ. Because of their lack of biblical knowledge, millions of Christians will be ready to receive the spurious claims of this brazen impostor.
Jesus declared that He would not return to any localized area of the earth. "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. ... Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not." Matthew 24:23-26.
Those who are well-versed in the truths of the Bible cannot be swept by the massive hysteria which will mark Satan's attempt to impersonate the advent of Jesus. When popular television news commentators announce, with great excitement, that Christ has appeared in London, New York or Rome, the vast majority of listeners will believe it is true.

Satan Impersonates Christ
If you feel you would be insulated from deception, just imagine yourself in the presence of such a personage. Perhaps you have rushed to the scene to expose the crafty pretender, but you are not prepared for the awesome reality facing you. A majestic being, dressed in a glistening robe, towers above all the thousands who try to press in to his side. A tremendous aura of power circulates around the Christ-like figure. He speaks in the same gentle tones that you imagine Jesus used when He was upon the earth. You watch in amazement as he puts forth his hand to touch the blind, lame, and diseased who prostrate before him. Instantly they seem to be healed of every infirmity and weakness. The cry goes up from hundreds of voices, "Jesus has come!" You are strangely affected by the waves of joyful emotion which seem to immerse the adoring multitude who fill the streets.
Then, suppose that this noble benefactor proclaims that he is indeed the Messiah who has returned to resume his work of healing and preaching. How easy would it be to resist the impulse to hail him as the Son of God? The evidence of your physical senses would be overwhelming.
Why could the whole world be captured by such a dazzling demonstration? Because there is a natural response in every human being to the unusual and the spectacular. People will go anywhere at any cost to witness a promised miracle. Satan will exploit this fleshly foible to his own advantage. No wonder the very elect will be in danger of being deceived.
Now that we know how Jesus will not return, let us discover how His coming will actually take place. Our only safety is to understand the truth as it is revealed in the Bible.
Two angels came all the way from heaven to give the clearest declaration on record concerning the manner of Christ's return. The circumstances of that dramatic moment leave no room for quibbling over what they meant: "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11.
Five colorful words in these verses indicate beyond question that the ascension of Jesus was a very real event - beheld, sight, looked, gazing, and seen. This was not some mystical dream or vision. They were literally watching our Lord with their physical eyes as He disappeared into the distant sky. Said the angels, "This same Jesus ... shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go."
His return will be just as visible and literal as His going away. Since He left in a cloud, He must also come back in a cloud. Do the Scriptures confirm this? John wrote, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him." Revelation 1:7.
In a few brief words the Revelator reveals one of the most astounding facts about the advent of Christ. He will be seen by every living soul in the world as He gradually descends through the atmospheric heavens. The good and evil inhabitants of all nations on earth will look up together and behold the glory of His train filling the sky. Jesus described it this way, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:30.

One Hundred Million Angels
Man and devils may be able to counterfeit many aspects of His coming, but they will not be able to duplicate the manner of His celestial entry into our atmosphere. At no time or place will so much glory and grandeur be exposed to the eyes of man. We are told in Matthew 25:31 that "all the holy angels" will be in attendance when He comes. According to John the Revelator there are many times more than a hundred million angels in heaven and all of them will be with Him as He returns. "And the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." Revelation 5:11.
On occasion single angels have appeared to human beings in the strength of their heavenly glory and the results have been devastating. One angel smote the Assyrian army during the night and 185,000 were dead the next morning. 2 Kings 19:35. Multiply that kind of glory by a few hundred million and you can imagine the brightness of the Advent.
Will it be visible to every person alive in the world? Jesus said, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:27. No wonder all tribes and peoples will be audience to that spectacular sight. Just as a vivid flash of lightning on a dark night penetrates to every corner so that no one can hide from it, so will His coming be. The earth will be illuminated from onehorizon to the other.
Already we can see that the final events will not be done in a corner somewhere. In addition to being highly visible, there will be some very loud sounds associated with the second coming of Christ. Paul wrote, "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." 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
That mighty demonstration of sight and sound will be such that even the dead will be awakened out of their dusty beds. The shout, the voice, and the trump will be audible to every creature under the sun. I have never played a trumpet, personally, but my two sons tried to learn the art when they were children. I can only say one thing about trumpets with absolute certainty and that is: They are not silent! Trumpets were made to be sounded and to be heard.
Will there be other global phenomena to mark the close of time as we know it? Yes, there will also be a convulsive, world-wide earthquake, more destructive than any ever seen before. "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. ... And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." Revelation 16:18-20.
Envision the universal terror which will accompany the shock waves which cause inhabited islands to disappear into the sea. Huge mountain chains will be shattered into fragments, according to the graphic language of the prophet.
As the picture unfolds, it becomes more and more apparent that our Lord's return will be the most cataclysmic event ever to occur. Not one person in the world will be able to hide from it. The wicked, in particular, will be profoundly affected by the approach of those myriads of heavenlybeings, as they escort Jesus toward the earth. John described how they will try to avoid the presence of the One whom they have rejected and denied.
"And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Revelation 6:14-17.
As Christ returns to execute judgment upon the earth, His presence is a consuming fire upon all sin and sinners. The wicked try to escape into the caves of the mountains and pray to be blotted out of existence rather than face a holy God. Intense and awful is their sense of shame and fear.

No Two-Phase Coming
Paul adds to the information about the final fate of those who are not ready for Christ's coming: "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints." 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.
At the very same time that the righteous are glorified, the rejecters of His grace will be slain by the brightness of His presence.
This interesting revelation brings us face to face with a massive deception which has misled millions of Christians. Obviously, there will be nothing secret about the rapture of the saints, and the so-called "secret rapture" is only a figment of the imagination. We have just read the clear Bible statement that the wicked are dealt with at the same time the righteous are givenimmortality.
There is absolutely no scriptural indication that the return of Christ takes place in two phases. The popular concept that Jesus comes secretly seven years before the end of the world to snatch away the good people has no Bible support whatsoever. The wicked do not continue living in the earth for seven years after the mythical rapture of the righteous. They are slain, Paul says, "When he (Jesus) shall come to be glorified in his saints."
Recently, there came to my desk a mockup of a newspaper which was supposed to represent the typical news flashes on the day after the rapture occurs. It was filled with horror stories and picturesbeyond description. Terrible accidents were reported to have occurred simultaneously around the world, killing thousands of people. As millions of Christians suddenly vanished without a trace, driverless cars and pilotless planes careened out of control. The paper carried many articles about little children who had apparently disappeared into thin air while on their way to school. Only the spiritually careless and uncommitted were left behind to pick up the pieces of a shattered society.
What a perversion of truth! The wicked will also see Christ when He comes. Paul says He shall "appear the second time," and Peter declared, "When the chief Shepherd shall appear." Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 5:4. If His coming were secret or invisible, it should be written that He will not appear. When Paul and his companions suffered a storm at sea and the clouds were dark and lowering, he described it as "when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared." Acts 27:20. To appear is to be seen. Will Jesus appear or not when He comes? Many verses say He will appear. Can we trust the Bible, or should we put some strange, twisted meaning to that word "appear" in order to support what we want to believe?

Coming As a Thief
I am convinced that the confusion has been largely the result of misinterpreting two phrases which Jesus used in describing His coming. And the interesting thing is that He gave such a clear explanation of the phrases that hardly an unprejudiced mind could be misled.
Now let us take a close look, in context, at the two expressions of our Lord which have been used to support a secret rapture - "as a thief in the night," and "one taken and the other left." If we are willing to accept the Bible definition of terms, there can be no ambiguity about what Jesus said.
What did He mean when He said His coming would be like a thief in the night? He carefully explained in Matthew 24:42-44: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
There it is! So simple that a child can understand it. It will be unexpected. The advent will take the world by surprise. His coming will burst upon this earth when people least expect it. They will be just as unprepared for it as they would for a midnight thief. These words do not convey the least idea that our Lord will come sneaking around like some common criminal. He was just using a striking illustration of the unexpectedness of His return. Jesus reinforced the point He was making in verse 50, "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of."
Peter used exactly the same words in describing the coming of Christ. He said, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." 2 Peter 3:10. This verse alone contains all the evidence we could ever desire about the meaning of the disputed term. When Jesus comes as a thief, Peter says, the heavens will pass away with a great noise. Could that be secret? Does this portray the silent snatching away of millions of people while others are totally unaware of what is taking place? It is the very opposite of that. That great noise corresponds to the shout and trumpet of Paul's epistle - a sound sointense that even the dead are awakened.

One Taken and One Left
The amazing thing is how people have taken such obvious verses and twisted them out of context to support a doctrine which does not even appear in the Bible. The same thing has been done with the illustration of two woman grinding together. Jesus did say, "The one shall be taken and the other left," but what does the context tell us about the meaning of those words? Is there any indication whatsoever that Jesus was teaching a secret rapture of the saints?
The words in question are found in Luke 17:24-27, but let's read the verses before and after in order to get the full picture. Beginning in verse 26 Jesus likened His coming to the days of Noah: "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all."
The similarity is beyond question. Before the flood some were taken and some were left. The ones taken were taken into the ark and saved. The ones who were left were all destroyed by the raging water.
Christ continued His discourse with another illustration. "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Verses 28-30.
Again, the parallel is obvious. Some were taken out of the city to safety and some were left. What happened to those who were left? They were all destroyed by the fire.
Now we come to verses 34-36: "I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
Please keep the continuity of Christ's previous illustration in mind as you consider these words. In every case there had been a separation of the good from the bad, and then the wicked were slain. If the context teaches us anything at all, we must conclude that the one who is left will be left dead, just as it was in Noah and Lot's days. And when we read the next verse, there can be no doubt that this is exactly what Jesus was saying. "And they answered and said unto him, Where Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." Verse 37.
After Jesus said one would be taken and the other left, the disciples asked where they would be left. His answer clearly reveals that all who were left would be dead. Their bodies would be food for the eagles to devour. This is in perfect harmony with what the rest of the Bible says on the subject.
There is not the slightest hint that this final separation of the saved and lost will be done in any secretive manner. Yet, this connotation has been applied by those who are desperately trying to find inspired support for an empty tradition. The unscriptural two-phase coming has been repeated so often and so persistently that millions believe it must be true. There is probably no more dangerous doctrinal distortion in the world than this, because it could delude the majority of professed Christians into being lost. No wonder Jesus warned: "Take heed that no man deceive you."

The Rapture Rooted in Catholicism
The foundation of the rapture theory was laid over 400 years ago upon the specific orders of the Catholic Church. Every Christian needs to understand how this fabrication of error was designed to neutralize the great Protestant Reformation. If the facts of history were known by Protestants today who defend with such great emotion the rapture theory and the futurist antichrist doctrine, they would be horrified.
Luther and his fellow reformers boldly identified the pope as the "man of sin," and labeled the Catholic Church as the antichrist of prophecy. In response to those charges, the hierarchy assigned two Jesuit priests to develop counter-interpretations which would turn the onus away from the Catholic Church. In spite of the fact that the two men founded opposing schools of interpretation, their theories have survived to form the basis of most modern Protestant theology today. Not only did they effectively blunt Luther's assessment of the papacy as the antichrist, but they cleverly divided and diluted the "protest" of all the churches which grew out of the Reformation movement.
Modern religious observers were astounded in January, 1984, when men like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell meekly accepted and defended the establishment of United States political ties with the Vatican. Why could those famous Protestant spokesmen see no danger in being allied with the Church of Rome? Because they are deceived, along with millions of others, by the Catholic-contrived theories of those two priests which have almost eclipsed the historic, biblical position of the Reformers. If the spiritual descendants of Luther and Wesley now had the same doctrine which they taught, not a single Lutheran or Methodist would favor any kind of alliance with the papacy today.
Now let's take a look at these two Spanish priests who flooded the sixteenth century with their counter-Reformation propaganda.
Alcazar of Seville applied all the beast prophecies to Antiochus Epiphanes, who lived long before the popes began to rule in Rome. His system of interpretation came to be known as the Preterist School of prophecy.
On the other hand, Jesuit Francisco Rivera invented a system known as the Futurist School of interpretation. He taught that the antichrist was to be some future superman who would appear near the end of time and continue in power for three and a half years. It is his clever, unscriptural theory which has been resurrected by modern evangelical Protestant Christians. And today millions of Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc., hold this anti-Protestant concoction of the Jesuits as some kind of infallible doctrine. Yet, those same denominations claim to be faithful supporters of Protestant theology. Luther and other stalwart protestors against Catholic errors would be astounded if they were suddenly resurrected to hear what is being taught in the name of Protestantism.
In the early 1800s the futurist view of Jesuit Ribera passed through certain refinements and additions, including the seven-year tribulation and the snatching away of the saints. For the first time, it was espoused by Protestant teachers who were seeking ways of reconciliation with Rome. Through the influence and writings of John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren Church in England, the new doctrine spread to the United States. During the middle and latter nineteenth century, it received its biggest boost from Cyrus Scofield, who incorporated it into the notes of his Scofield Reference Bible published in 1909.

Rescue and Reward
Now we turn to the most exciting aspect of this subject. Why will Jesus come back to this earth the second time? John was inspired to write the answer in the exact words of our Lord: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:12.
After long, oppressive millenniums of suffering, God's people will finally be delivered from the bondage of Satan's evil influence. The mark of his power is etched upon the cemeteries of the land and on the war memorials of the dead. The cries and tears of the saints have filtered through all the years of every generation since Adam sinned. What a day it will be when the curse of transgression is lifted, and the most dreaded of all human enemies is eternally banished.
Paul described it in these words: "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." 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
The reward which Christ brings with Him has so many facets that no language on earth could ever adequately portray it, but the resurrection of the righteous dead will be the grand focus of that moment. Some who have been sleeping for centuries will awake as from a night of dreamless slumber. For others it will be the first moment in memory free from the searing throb of pain. The eyes of the blind will be opened to gaze in rapture upon the immortal faces of loved ones who have been recognized before only by touch or sound.
Paul describes the split-second change which will forever place the saints beyond the range of pain or death: "Behold, I shew 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." 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
As the resurrected ones rise to meet Jesus in the air, all the living righteous are instantly translated into the same body of immortal youth. Jesus' feet will not touch the earth at that time, but all the redeemed will be caught up to meet Him as Hedescends.
That rendezvous in space will surely be the most ecstatic and emotional moment in the long history of planet earth. It is no wonder that so much of the Bible is laced with glowing descriptions of that climactic event in time.
Do most Christians truly understand the nature of Christ's coming and how it will affect the inhabitants of the earth? Let the facts speak for themselves. Most churches have accepted the claims of the rapturists, who have rejected the historical view in favor of these recent revisionist errors. As a result, millions of contemporary church members are looking for events that will never take place.
For countless others, our Lord's return is a subject of great fear and consternation. The nominal Christian (which is the majority) holds very mixed feelings about the event, largely because they lack the personal assurance of being ready to meet him.

Stolen Sweets
It is this lack of preparation which has created such a confused attitude toward our Lord's return. Many do not know whether they want to see Him or not. What a sad commentary on the state of the modern church! Why should we not be eager to see the One we love - the One who died for us? Every true Christian should be excited about His coming. We should talk it, sing it, and preach it! As Paul said, we should love His appearing. It is the blessed hope of every child of God.
My mother was a wonderful cook, and without question she made the best chocolate cake that ever was baked. As a child I would watch her put the layers together, and then apply the delicious icing to the top and sides. The high point came when mother let me lick the pan, or clean out all the icing that was left sticking to the pan.
Sometimes, unfortunately, there wouldn't be very much left, but I always managed to scrape up at least a spoonful. Then I would look longingly at all that delectable icing on the cake as it slowly settled into place. Often it would be so heavy on the sides that the icing would droop and accumulate on the plate. It was always the most terrible temptation for me to clean up all that excess icing on my finger, but Mother had given very specific instruction not to do it.
My real test came on the day Mother left me alone at the house with a big, beautiful cake sitting right in the middle of the table. It was freshly decorated, and I watched in fascination as the thick chocolate icing oozed almost imperceptibly toward the bottom of the cake. Finally, it seemed almost ready to spill over the edge of the plate, and I could resist no longer. Carefully and cleanly, I slid my finger around the rim of the place accumulating a gob of the forbidden frosting.
Then, suddenly, I heard footsteps on the porch, and before I could dispose of the evidence, Mother was in the room. Without any reservation I can assure you that I did not want to see my mother come at that moment. And I believe this is the reason so many are afraid to see Jesus come - their hands are filled with the stolen treats of this world.
Make no mistake about it. There will be some dramatic changes when He appears. The old familiar places will disappear and nothing we know now will be unaffected by that event. Some people fear the changes, but those fears are ungrounded. Everything will be better and more wonderful than we have ever known or imagined. One moment in the presence of Jesus will compensate for all the suffering and self-denial of a lifetime on earth.

Back to Paradise
God will return the human family to the sinless ideal which He designed from the beginning. All four of God's original gifts to man will be restored, including the perfect conditions of the Eden paradise. But there will be one tremendous difference between the quality of life in the new Eden and the old. Adam received only a conditional grant of immortality, whereas the redeemed will be given an absolute and unconditional access to the life of God. And even though the power of choice will remain, not one of those immortalized saints will ever choose to disobey God again. Because of the demonstration of God's character and Satan's character, as revealed in the age-long controversy, the universe will be secure from any further rebellion or disobedience. Every created being will see the results of such a course, and none will choose to repeat the painful experiment.
It is this prospect of eternal security which makes the coming of Jesus such a glorious doctrine. The world is sick of fractured peace plans, broken treaties, and disappointed hopes. Mankind longs for a peace where fear and uncertainty will be entirely eliminated. Christ's coming will bring an end to everything which could produce human anxiety. Poverty, disease, war, and death are the most common sources of stress, and those conditions will cease to exist when He returns.
But the most exciting prospect of all is to know that we will see the face of Jesus and dwell in His presence for all eternity. Surely that moment will be the climax of all the fondest hopes and dreams we have ever cherished. May the preparation for it be the focus of all our thoughts and actions. And God forbid that any day should pass in which we do not pray with longing desire for our Lord to come soon.