Only the victorious saints, the overcomers, those who, like Paul, have attained the earlier resurrection by coming into union with the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, will be raised, caught up to meet the Lord, and clothed with a body like the body of the Lord. These are the members of the royal priesthood. They have overcome the world, Satan, Antichrist, and their own lusts and self-will.

Today is a time of preparation. We are to be prepared by receiving an ever-increasing amount of virtue and strength from the living Lord, Christ. Such virtue and strength is available now to the seeking disciple.

It appears to be true that the majority of the Christian people will continue in deception until the coming of the Lord.

When we halt for a moment our many activities and pray sincerely enough and long enough to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, we may discover He is commanding us to wash our garments in the blood of the Lamb and to prepare ourselves for an increase in spiritual strength and victory. He now is ready to lead us into the fullness of God, into the spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament feast of Tabernacles.

The feast of Tabernacles of the old covenant will have been fulfilled in the new covenant when our physical body has been redeemed and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are abiding in Their fullness in our whole personality—spirit, soul, and body.

The redemption of our mortal body by a fullness of the resurrection life being developed in us now, plus the donning of the heavenly body that has its rise before the Throne of God as our mortal body is sown to death in the present hour, plus the coming to dwell in us of the fullness of God, compose the consummation—the completeness and perfection of the Christian redemption.

The feast of Tabernacles, marking the completion of the harvesting of all the fruits of the earth, was celebrated by the Hebrews with the greatest joy and rejoicing. When God and Christ through the Holy Spirit come to us in Their fullness in the Day of the Lord we will experience such joy, peace, and rest—the fullness of the Divine Glory—that it will require a redeemed body to contain it all.

Our many possessions and activities shrink in value in our eyes when compared with His Presence. Our idols are placed in perspective and we can see them for what they truly are. He is God and must be the focus of our attention at all times. He will be the focus at all times if we love and serve Him as He deserves to be loved and served.

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:21-23)

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (Revelation 21:3) (from The Feasts of the Lord)