The coming of the Glory of God to the saints is the hope that will bear up the elect throughout the dark days of the great tribulation. This is the dawning of the Day of Redemption, the Year of Jubilee, the thousand-year Kingdom Age, the time for the unveiling of the sons of God (Romans 8:18-21). This is the point at which the world, beholding the oneness of the saints in Christ in God, will believe God has sent Christ (John 17:21-23).

God in Christ will fill the members of the Body of Christ whether they are in Heaven or on the earth. Christ will be revealed to the world in the fullness of His glory and we shall be glorified together with Him (Romans 8:18; Colossians 3:4; II Thessalonians 1:10; I Peter 2:12).

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:2)

The Scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament, teach us that Christ will return at the "midnight hour." To the people of the earth it will not appear to be a midnight hour. They will be marveling at the "peace and safety" that the reign of Antichrist has brought about. They will be buying, selling, building, planting, sowing, reaping, marrying, giving in marriage. The flesh of men will be rejoicing in the "fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness" (Ezekiel 16:49).

It will be a peace and safety without God!

The godly remnant also will be rejoicing but only in the Lord. The people who are filled with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit will realize the nations have been infiltrated by fallen angels and demons. The forces of Satan will have captured the churches of God. This capture will not be obvious, it will be as it is today—a capture by deceiving the churches into fellowshiping with the economic and political systems of the world.

Even today we behold Christian teaching and believing that the Lord would have us prosper and take our ease as part of the world. If the believers can be tricked so easily now, what will be the case when the spiritual darkness is a hundredfold greater than in the present hour?

Have we forgotten the world hates Christ? Do we truly believe Satan is our friend? Surely it will require a blood bath of nightmarish proportions before the Christian believers wake up to the fact that they are asleep in the lap of Delilah.

The spiritual darkness is rising from the recesses of the bottomless pit. It is blanketing the earth. The Christians of the wealthy nations cannot perceive the darkness because it is coming in the form of ease and material prosperity while they are looking for an Antichrist ready to stamp us with the seal "666."

The darkness will increase in intensity (although held somewhat at bay by the last testimony of the saints, as symbolized by the "two witnesses" of Revelation, Chapter 11) until only the strong, pure disciples of the Lord will be able to abide in Christ. After the worldwide testimony has been given the saints will be forced to flee from the cities of the world.

To be continued.