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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The True Hope: "Rapture" or Resurrection?, #7
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede; have an advantage over] them which are asleep. (I Thessalonians 4:15)
"We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord."
When will the coming of the Lord take place?
Based on the second chapter of Second Thessalonians and the twenty-fourth Chapter of Matthew, we are of the opinion that the Lord will not return until after the worldwide rebellion against authority and the great tribulation.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition [destruction]; (II Thessalonians 2:3)
"Except there come a falling away first."
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (Matthew 24:29)
"After the tribulation of those days."
Our understanding is that the purpose of the great tribulation is to separate the Bride of the Lamb from the babylonish (manmade, man-centered, man-directed) church organizations and to purify the members of the Bride.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Revelation 18:4)
When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. (Isaiah 4:4)
The Lord will have a bride without spot, wrinkle, or blemish of any kind whatever. To maintain that the Christian Church of today is without spot, wrinkle, or blemish of any kind is to be irresponsible and deluded. The Christian Church of the present hour is a valley of dry bones.
Perhaps the churches are of the opinion that the Bride is to be without spot or blemish "by imputation (ascribed righteousness)." Christian theology is in such disorder it is entirely possible that some are viewing the Bride as perfect by assigned righteousness, clothing herself in the borrowed righteousness of Christ.
Can you imagine the Lord Jesus coming for the churches of today? Can you imagine the Lord bringing into the unutterably holy new Jerusalem the unrighteous, unclean, disobedient believers of our time?—stating they are without spot or wrinkle by imputation (ascribed righteousness)? Whoever would agree to such an idea does not understand God or His Christ or the nature or purpose of the Divine salvation.
As we have stated, the purpose of the great tribulation is to separate the members of the true Church from the Christian organizations and to prepare them to meet the heavenly Bridegroom.
First will come the latter rain to bring the Lord's wheat to maturity. Then will follow the burning sun of tribulation to harden the heads of grain in preparation for the harvest.
To be continued.