To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27)

The developing of the Lord's Presence in us is the all-important work of the Holy Spirit as He brings us through the processes of salvation. Christ will appear in His Church, as well as visibly to the world, in order that the Church may bring the Presence and Glory of God to the peoples of the earth.

The internal kingdom must be perfected in us before the external kingdom appears from Heaven. This is how we know Christ will not appear just yet. It is because His internal kingdom has not been perfected in the Church.

If Christ desired only an external kingdom, He would have returned long ago. But Christ is seeking to take up residence in the Body of Christ, and for this reason the Body must be perfected. The Body of Christ has not as yet been perfected. There is more of God for us.

As the dark clouds gather over the earth there is coming an entrance of Christ into His temple—the Christian Church. It does not matter that Satan may become incarnate in a man who will sit in the Holy of Holies of an earthly temple. God in Christ will come to the Body of Christ and His vessels will have an inner glory vastly exceeding and conquering anything Antichrist can produce.

The inner manifestation of the Lord's Presence will take place, as we understand it, just before Christ's coming, and is the necessary forerunner of and preparation for the first resurrection—the resurrection of the victorious saints that will take place at Christ's appearing.

Let us look now at the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, to see what the Holy Spirit has said about the internal dimension of the Kingdom of God.

Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (John 14:19,20)

We can notice, from the above passage, that this particular manifestation of the Lord can be witnessed only by the disciples, not by the world. His Life becomes our life. We see Him because we are living by Him and in Him.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

The inner manifestation of Christ cannot be obtained by the average careless churchgoer. It can be gained only by the sincere disciple of Christ—the person who keeps Christ's commandments.

The question that naturally would arise after hearing such a promise was stated by Judas.

Judas saith to him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? (John 14:22)

How can Christ reveal Himself to us without being seen by the world? How is this possible?

The answer is, Christ will come to each disciple in an inner Presence, in fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles. If we follow the pattern of the feasts of the Lord we come to the conclusion that the inner Presence of Christ will come after Pentecost because the feast of Tabernacles came after the feast of Pentecost.

To be continued.