When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

The Scriptures appear to indicate that the coming of the Lord includes a series of events that commence when we are born again and will reach completeness at the time of the coming of Christ in the clouds. In that Day the Lord Jesus will appear both in and with the saints.

Each of the two dimensions of His coming, in and with the saints, has its own aspects and purpose. According to the Scriptures, Old Testament and New Testament, both dimensions certainly shall take place in the last days of the present age.

Notice, in the following passage, that the revivals of church history are one form of the coming of the Lord:

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 6:3)

"He shall come unto us as the rain."

It can be seen from the above that the outpourings of the Spirit of God are a part of the multistaged coming of the Lord.

When Jesus declared He would prepare a place for us in the Father's house, and then come again and receive us to Himself, it appears that He was referring to all the forms of His coming that take place as we progress from the born-again experience all the way to the first resurrection from the dead.

Christ does not leave us to our own devices. He comes and administrates the construction of the rooms of the house of God.

The many stages of the coming of the Lord seem to be indicated in the words of Peter in Acts 3:19,21:

"The times [seasons] of refreshing shall come."

"The times of restitution [restoration]."

According to Peter, God's sending of Christ to us is associated with seasons of refreshing and times of restoration. Perhaps these are related to the coming of the Lord as the latter and former rain to the earth (Hosea 6:3).

Inasmuch as John 14:21-23 proclaims clearly that Christ will come to His faithful disciples in a manner not shared by the world, it is likely that the expression "I will come again, and receive you unto myself" may include, but is not limited to, the return of Christ at the last trumpet.

. . . and receive you unto myself; . . .

Here is the point. Christ desires that we be brought to Himself; not just to Heaven, not merely into the spirit realm, but to Himself.

There is an interesting parallel between Christ and Paul. Christ was filled with the fullness of the Godhead. Yet He returned to His Father.

Paul was filled with Christ. Yet he desired to be present with the Lord.

The greater the extent of the internal relationship the greater the desire for the totality of the external relationship.

To be continued.