3. The Coming of Our Lord Jesus

Hebrews 11:16: “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

The Christian is “waiting” for Jesus to come … “in the air”. The Christian is not waiting for Jesus to come to this earth to establish the Kingdom of Heaven [Matthew 11:11]. Rather it is this; the believers in Jesus Christ [the body of Christ] are waiting for Jesus to come and take them out of this earth to heaven “to the judgment seat of Christ” to prepare “for them a city.” [2 Corinthians 5:10]

We are waiting for this to happen: “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:” [1 Corinthians 1:7]

We are waiting for this to happen: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” [1 Thessalonians 2:19]

We are waiting for this to happen: “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” [1 Thessalonians 3:13]

We are waiting for this to happen: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [1 Thessalonians 5:23]

We are waiting for this to happen: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,” [2 Thessalonians 2:1]

Do you have it now? “As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.” [2 Corinthians 1:14]

The “day of the Lord” and “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” are not the same.

4. Come Away

Song of Solomon 2:1-13:

“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

The Song of Solomon forms a picture of a future relationship.

This relationship between Jesus Christ and the church was kept hidden until God revealed the mystery to the saints which were at Ephesus, [“to the faithful in Christ Jesus”] by the Spirit of God through the Apostle Paul in the epistle to the Ephesians, chapter five, verse thirty-two: “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

Something that exists and yet is not revealed is a mystery. A mystery is a hidden thing. A mystery is a secret. A mystery, therefore, is a body of knowledge that is “locked up” and kept secret till it is made known by the one who keeps it.

Now, what is made known here is that Jesus Christ is the “bridegroom” and the “church” is the bride.

Jesus Christ came to this earth to clothe the “church” in a “robe of righteousness”. The prophet Isaiah foretold of this hundreds of years before it ever happened: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” [Isaiah 61:10]

Jesus Christ “loved the church”, and “gave himself” for the church in similitude to what husbands should do for their wives. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” [Ephesians 5:25-27]

A good husband nourishes and cherishes his wife, “even as the Lord the church”. “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:” [Ephesians 5:29].

Furthermore, a husband protects his wife and guards her from all danger. Though she go through trials and tribulation, and will suffer for his [Christ] sake, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” [Philippians 1:29], … yet she will not suffer the wrath of God. This is because the LORD has promised the church to deliver her “from the wrath that is to come.”

For the church, the body of Christ, is not one of the “guests” who are bidden to participate in the great “sacrifice” in “the day of the LORD”. “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.” [Zephaniah 1:7]

The church will not be there! She will be with the LORD! She is not waiting for “the day of the LORD”; she is waiting for the Son to appear from Heaven in the air the grand meeting in the air. “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” [1 Thessalonians 1:10]
“Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

Brethren, we ourselves are living on the threshold of the time of the coming translation of the Church, and the judgment of the inhabitants of this earth in the Great Tribulation (or Jacob's Trial).

We, who obtained salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, will be taken up and out of here very soon. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” [1 Thessalonians 5:9]

Up and out!!!!!

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