THE FIRST INTIMATION OF HIS COMING
[p. 171] THE FIRST INTIMATION OF HIS COMING
In 1 Thessalonians 4 we get the doctrine of the coming of the Lord brought before us. The epistle to the Philippians gives us the power of communion with the life of Christ in the service of the apostle down here. We get two glimpses in Philippians 3 which tell us how the heart of Paul, as fully led by the Spirit of God, was in connection with the hope of His coming. First, “I do not count to have got possession myself; but one thing — forgetting the things behind ... I pursue, looking towards the goal”. Secondly, we look for the Saviour, His heart was set on that personal meeting of the Lord at the end of his course. It was not so much a question of glory with him, but that which would satisfy his heart, the presence of Christ. He was loved by Christ, he was brought into service by Christ, and he was one to whom the Person of Christ was so dear that he had got Christ for his prize. But his feet were still treading this world where he found thorns and briars, sand and flints enough to make his poor body weary; and not only so, but labouring in the house of God he had sorrow upon sorrow. So here we get the coming of the Lord in connection with His coming as Saviour, who could come to take him and clothe him upon, with circumstances perfectly in harmony with the one solitary desire of his heart — to have Christ as his gain.
In 1 Thessalonians we get a different aspect of the coming of the Lord (chapter 4: 15, etc.), where Paul was writing to those who were comparatively in ignorance. We get a remarkable expression: “This we say to you in the word of the Lord”. There is something emphatic in this statement; it indicates the display of the Lord’s power — His energy.
The last bit of the road is all about the blessed Lord; it is a most precious display of two great glories which [p. 172] are found in Him. Not, as we get in Philippians, a man running up an arduous path, getting rid of every weight, one burden after another, that would impede his course; and then, after this arduous run up the hill of difficulty, reaching the goal and winning the prize. If I am toiling, labouring, discovering, this year more than last, what the conflict and difficulty is, still running up the arduous course of service, I know I shall meet Him at the last as my Saviour. In Thessalonians, He comes out as “the resurrection and the life” — “the Lord Himself”. The Holy Spirit always presents Him first in the picture, then tells me what He does. It is Himself, the Lord, who shall descend. His dwelling-place was heaven; He gave the earth to the children of men. The heaven has He reserved for Himself; but He came forth. He comes again the second time from heaven; and what is heard first of all? A voice. Will it not be a well-known voice? You and I have never heard the Lord speak, but somehow or other it will sound as a well-known voice, the voice of Him whom absent we love; “whom having not seen ye love”. None can direct or take the lead in that scene but Himself. “The voice of the archangel” — mark the order. We should not like the trump, the archangel’s sound, before we hear His voice. (The word translated “shout” is used for any loud sound in connection with regulating things.) His voice is the same as agonised in the garden, and which said, “Father, I will”, etc.
The voice of the archangel tells that when the Lord Jesus rises up, all heaven is concerned in it. Heaven gives its approval, and then we get “the trump of God”. God sets His seal on it. It will be a thrilling sight and sound! We have a specialty of invitation to do with the scene — none can intrude, there. What a scene it will be when Christ leaves the throne a second time to take us home to His Father’s house! Where do we date from? Before the foundation of the world that [p. 173] love was set upon us; the same love has been waiting for and on us ever since. It has followed us every step of our way in all the entanglements of the domestic circle. Such blessed love! What sort of love was it that could take such a cup of wrath as He did into His hand? What sort of love is it that will leave the throne a second time to receive me to Himself? It is not the glory, but Himself; not the attendant circumstances, but the thing is, the One who thus loves me. When we discover how feebly we know His love, we prefer saying, He loves me, rather than saying to another, I love Him, though I can tell the world this. I would rather tell Christ I love Him than tell you. How unspeakably brightly His love burns! It is not merely that the One who loves me comes, but He comes as the servant of that love — as “the resurrection”. He speaks the word; the dead in Him rise first. Stephen, Paul and others will start up — all the sleeping ones. Some we have loved on earth more than anything will come forth. What a majestic display of His love and His power it will be to the poor weak ones whose bodies are gone to dust! Every one will come up out of the grave! How it will tell out, “I am the resurrection”! Almighty power will be put forth. The very graves become the scene of glory when He comes back. He searches out the dust of those who are sleeping. He who was the meek and lowly Man of sorrows will speak the word! Let Mine arise! (Though we would not put a word in His mouth for that day.) He will speak some word and all will come out from the tomb. He is the Life too. Some will be alive and remain. Paul does not look for a long interval; he says, “We, the living who remain”. He gave us eternal life, and He will so fill up the earthen vessel with eternal life that mortality will be entirely excluded. Nothing unfit for the glory will remain in it. “Caught up”; it is a strong word — snatched up.
Some say, Tell me about the intermediate state. It [p. 174] is something peculiar connected with communion. It is told in a few words, but it will speak volumes to you if you know Christ well. “Absent from the body ... present with the Lord”. If you do not know Him well, it may be repeated again and again to you, but it will be nothing to you. “Present with the Lord”. It is the test for service. If you know the beauty of Him, and what it is to have His heart hovering over you in the wilderness, “present with the Lord” will be a great volume to you. If you do not know much about Christ’s heart and communion with Him, it will be little to you. The throne, the sceptre, the golden city, is not spoken of; the grand thing is His presence. He is the resurrection and the life; will it be called in question, His being the resurrection and the life, when surrounded by myriads raised and changed?
“So encourage one another with these words”. Is it not comfort to you, the fact that there is rest at the end of the journey? Or if torn by violence here, is it no comfort that there will be no more troublous scenes there, but for ever with the Lord? He comes in answer to the longing desire of those whose hearts say, “Come, Lord Jesus”. Do you find yourselves saying such words as, ‘I wait, Lord?’ Are you putting your soul into this position? Is your own heart so in the secret of His presence that He is able to say of you, ‘That is one who is in the position of waiting for Me?’ Who is in this practical position of soul? Are you putting yourself in this position, and saying, ‘I am a weak one, but, Lord, I wait for Thee’? This is the comfort of heart that will keep us through troublous circumstances.