We do not have to fight our way into Heaven. Heaven is not the land of promise. Heaven is a wonderful Paradise in the spirit realm—a real place. It is a change of environment for us while God is preparing His temple and His Kingdom. Heaven is a staging area for the army of the Lord, a place of waiting for the future kings of the earth.

The out-resurrection from the dead, of which Paul spoke in Philippians, Chapter Three, is something to be attained. Indeed it is! "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." These are God's rulers, the victorious saints, the all-powerful royal priesthood whom God is preparing to rule with Christ.

These are the judges, the sons of God whose coming the Hebrew Prophets have foretold (Isaiah 53:12; Joel 2:2; Micah 5:3; Obadiah 21; Zechariah 14:5).

Revelation, Chapter Two mentions that the victorious saints will rule the nations of the earth with a rod of iron. There is a spiritual law that dictates as follows: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him." We learn to suffer with Him now, in this life. We learn to overcome and to govern our own heart with a rod of iron now, in the present life.

The burden of the Lord today concerns the sons of God and their ministry of judgment during the Day of the Lord. If we would be on solid scriptural ground it would be a good idea to use the term first resurrection or out-resurrection, rather than rapture. The term first resurrection brings us into the mainstream of the concepts presented by Paul and John, and by the Hebrew Prophets as well.

The Day of the Lord, the return of Christ to the earth in the same manner in which He departed, will be accompanied by maturity and overcoming strength on the part of the disciples. Both the wheat and the tares will have come to maturity in that day.

The coming of the Lord is a revolution and spiritual triumph that is related to the birth of the ruling Son, as described in Revelation, Chapter 12. The ruling Son represents Christ who is being formed in the saints in the present hour.

The teaching of the "rapture" is leading the believers into a false sense of security regarding the events of the Day of the Lord. Because of this unscriptural doctrine the saints are not growing in spiritual maturity nor are they prepared for the persecution and tribulation that are at hand.

Earth's problem is the sin of its inhabitants. The earth is a beautiful place in which to live. The purpose of redemption is not to pull people away from man's God-given home!

Earth's problem is not physical, it is spiritual. The spiritual problem arises from the fact that the spirits of the nations come from fallen angelic rulers who are enthroned in the air above us.

The spiritual bondage will continue until the members of the Body of Christ overcome the accuser. As soon as they overcome the ancient dragon, he and his followers will be hurled down from their thrones.

To be continued.