Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr19/rendvous.zip/RENDVOUS.TXT

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Rendezvous In Space


Copyright by Joe Crews.
  All rights reserved.

Redbook magazine made a survey of the eight leading seminaries
in America and discovered that only one percent of the students
believed in the second coming of Jesus.  The reason for this
astonishing skepticism may be revealed by the experience of D.
L. Moody, the great lay evangelist.  After explaining that he
had been in the church for fifteen years before hearing his
first sermon on the subject of Christ's return, he stated, "Now
I know why the devil does not want this subject to be preached.
Nothing would wake up the church so much as the doctrine that
Jesus is coming soon."
Does that also explain why the modern church is so strangely
quiet about this glorious future event?  Has Satan been
successful in throwing a blanket of silence over the one great
truth that could revive the Laodicean churches of today?  It
certainly seems to be the case.  Even the evangelists are saying
little about this spectacular occurrence which is mentioned 331
times in the New Testament alone.
There is no event of the past, present, or future which has a
stronger basis for belief.  Jesus spoke about it with such
unmistakable clarity that no one need be in doubt or confusion.
He said, "I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."  John 14:2, 3.
It is biblically clear that God's complete plan for this world
will not be fulfilled until we are transferred into that perfect
home He is now preparing.  The plan of salvation has made
infinite provisions for our justification and sanctification,
but the restoration of all things will not be accomplished until
we are freed forever from the contaminating presence of sin.
When and how will Christ's second entry into earth's history
take place?  Before answering that question it is very important
to understand how it will not happen.  Millions have been
deceived by an incredible array of false theories which have
spread like wildfire among evangelical Christians.
When His disciples approached Him on the Mount of Olives with
the anxious question "What shall be the sign of thy coming and
the end of the world?"  Christ answered, "Take heed that no one
deceive you."  The implication is clear that there will be an
unusual amount of misleading information about His return.
Then Jesus proceeded to outline the major signs that would mark
His second coming.  Almost the whole of Matthew 24 is mingled
with warnings about the endtime program of Satan to delude the
whole world on this issue.  According to Jesus, the very elect
will be assailed and threatened by the cunning impersonations of
the evil one. He declared that false Christs and deceiving
prophets would appear in the last days working undeniable
miracles.  "For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that,
if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
Matthew 24:24.
Have such bold religious frauds made their appearance?  Indeed,
they have been announced through the pages of the world's most
prestigious newspapers.  Highly sophisticated advertising copy
has proclaimed the imminent appearance of the divine
"Incarnation" who will have the answers to all our problems.
Even though many of the claims of such charlatans are being
rejected, the world community is subtly being prepared for a
supernatural manifestation of a counterfeit Christ.  Because of
their lack of biblical knowledge, millions of Christians will be
ready to receive the spurious claims of this brazen impostor.
Jesus declared that He would not return to any localized area of
the earth.  "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it not. ... Wherefore if they shall
say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth:
behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not."  Matthew
24:23-26.
Those who are well-versed in the truths of the Bible cannot be
swept by the massive hysteria which will mark Satan's attempt to
impersonate the advent of Jesus.  When popular television news
commentators announce, with great excitement, that Christ has
appeared in London, New York or Rome, the vast majority of
listeners will believe it is true.

Satan Impersonates Christ

If you feel you would be insulated from deception, just imagine
yourself in the presence of such a personage.  Perhaps you have
rushed to the scene to expose the crafty pretender, but you are
not prepared for the awesome reality facing you.  A majestic
being, dressed in a glistening robe, towers above all the
thousands who try to press in to his side.  A tremendous aura of
power circulates around the Christ-like figure.  He speaks in
the same gentle tones that you imagine Jesus used when He was
upon the earth.  You watch in amazement as he puts forth his
hand to touch the blind, lame, and diseased who prostrate before
him.  Instantly they seem to be healed of every infirmity and
weakness.  The cry goes up from hundreds of voices, "Jesus has
come!"  You are strangely affected by the waves of joyful
emotion which seem to immerse the adoring multitude who fill the
streets.
Then, suppose that this noble benefactor proclaims that he is
indeed the Messiah who has returned to resume his work of
healing and preaching.  How easy would it be to resist the
impulse to hail him as the Son of God?  The evidence of your
physical senses would be overwhelming.
Why could the whole world be captured by such a dazzling
demonstration?  Because there is a natural response in every
human being to the unusual and the spectacular.  People will go
anywhere at any cost to witness a promised miracle.  Satan will
exploit this fleshly foible to his own advantage.  No wonder the
very elect will be in danger of being deceived.
Now that we know how Jesus will not return, let us discover how
His coming will actually take place.  Our only safety is to
understand the truth as it is revealed in the Bible.
Two angels came all the way from heaven to give the clearest
declaration on record concerning the manner of Christ's return.
The circumstances of that dramatic moment leave no room for
quibbling over what they meant:  "And when he had spoken these
things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received
him out of their sight.  And while they looked stedfastly toward
heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white
apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven?  this same Jesus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go
into heaven."  Acts 1:9-11.
Five colorful words in these verses indicate beyond question
that the ascension of Jesus was a very real event--beheld,
sight, looked, gazing, and seen.  This was not some mystical
dream or vision.  They were literally watching our Lord with
their physical eyes as He disappeared into the distant sky.
Said the angels, "This same Jesus ... shall so come in like
manner as ye have seen him go."
His return will be just as visible and literal as His going
away.  Since He left in a cloud, He must also come back in a
cloud.  Do the Scriptures confirm this?  John wrote, "Behold, he
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him."  Revelation
1:7.
In a few brief words the Revelator
reveals one of the most astounding facts about the advent of
Christ.  He will be seen by every living soul in the world as He
gradually descends through the atmospheric heavens.  The good
and evil inhabitants of all nations on earth will look up
together and behold the glory of His train filling the sky.
Jesus described it this way, "And then shall appear the sign of
the Son of man in heaven:  and then shall all the tribes of the
earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory."  Matthew 24:30.

One Hundred Million Angels

Man and devils may be able to counterfeit many aspects of His
coming, but they will not be able to duplicate the manner of His
celestial entry into our atmosphere.  At no time or place will
so much glory and grandeur be exposed to the eyes of man. We are
told in Matthew 25:31 that "all the holy angels" will be in
attendance when He comes.  According to John the Revelator there
are many times more than a hundred million angels in heaven and
all of them will be with Him as He returns.   "And the number of
them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of
thousands." Revelation 5:11.
On occasion single angels have appeared to human beings in the
strength of their heavenly glory and the results have been
devastating.  One angel smote the Assyrian army during the night
and 185,000 were dead the next morning.  2 Kings 19:35.
Multiply that kind of glory by a few hundred million and you can
imagine the brightness of the Advent.
Will it be visible to every person alive in the world?  Jesus
said, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth
even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be."  Matthew 24:27.  No wonder all tribes and peoples will be
audience to that spectacular sight.  Just as a vivid flash of
lightning on a dark night penetrates to every corner so that no
one can hide from it, so will His coming be.  The earth will be
illuminated from one
horizon to the other.
Already we can see that the final events will not be done in a
corner somewhere.  In addition to being highly visible, there
will be some very loud sounds associated with the second coming
of Christ.  Paul wrote, "For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with
the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first."  1
Thessalonians 4:16.
That mighty demonstration of sight and sound will be such that
even the dead will be awakened out of their dusty beds.  The
shout, the voice, and the trump will be audible to every
creature under the sun.  I have never played a trumpet,
personally, but my two sons tried to learn the art when they
were children. I can only say one thing about trumpets with
absolute certainty and that is:  They are not silent!  Trumpets
were made to be sounded and to be heard.
Will there be other global phenomena to mark the close of time
as we know it?  Yes, there will also be a convulsive, world-wide
earthquake, more destructive than any ever seen before.  "And
there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a
great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth,
so mighty an earthquake, and so great. ... And every island fled
away, and the mountains were not found."  Revelation 16:18-20.
Envision the universal terror which will accompany the shock
waves which cause inhabited islands to disappear into the sea.
Huge mountain chains will be shattered into fragments, according
to the graphic language of the prophet.
As the picture unfolds, it becomes more and more apparent that
our Lord's return will be the most cataclysmic event ever to
occur.  Not one person in the world will be able to hide from
it.  The wicked, in particular, will be profoundly affected by
the approach of those myriads of heavenly
beings, as they escort Jesus toward the earth.  John described
how they will try to avoid the presence of the One whom they
have rejected and denied.
"And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together;
and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men,
and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman,
and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks
of the mountains;  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on
us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne,
and from the wrath of the Lamb:  For the great day of his wrath
is come; and who shall be able to stand?"  Revelation 6:14-17.
As Christ returns to execute judgment upon the earth, His
presence is a consuming fire upon all sin and sinners.  The
wicked try to escape into the caves of the mountains and pray to
be blotted out of existence rather than face a holy God.
Intense and awful is their sense of shame and fear.

No Two-Phase Coming

Paul adds to the information about the final fate of those who
are not ready for Christ's coming:  "And to you who are troubled
rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them
that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ:  Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of
his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints." 2
Thessalonians 1:7-10.
At the very same time that the righteous are glorified, the
rejecters of His grace will be slain by the brightness of His
presence.
This interesting revelation brings us face to face with a
massive deception which has misled millions of Christians.
Obviously, there will be nothing secret about the rapture of the
saints, and the so-called "secret rapture" is only a figment of
the imagination.  We have just read the clear Bible statement
that the wicked are dealt with at the same time the righteous
are given
immortality.
There is absolutely no scriptural indication that the return of
Christ takes place in two phases.  The popular concept that
Jesus comes secretly seven years before the end of the world to
snatch away the good people has no Bible support whatsoever.
The wicked do not continue living in the earth for seven years
after the mythical rapture of the righteous. They are slain,
Paul says, "When he (Jesus) shall come to be glorified in his
saints."
Recently, there came to my desk a mockup of a newspaper which
was supposed to represent the typical news flashes on the day
after the rapture occurs.  It was filled with horror stories and
pictures
beyond description.  Terrible accidents were reported to have
occurred simultaneously around the world, killing thousands of
people.  As millions of Christians suddenly vanished without a
trace, driverless cars and pilotless planes careened out of
control.  The paper carried many articles about little children
who had apparently disappeared into thin air while on their way
to school.  Only the spiritually careless and uncommitted were
left behind to pick up the pieces of a shattered society.
What a perversion of truth!  The wicked will also see Christ
when He comes.  Paul says He shall "appear the second time," and
Peter declared, "When the chief Shepherd shall appear."  Hebrews
9:28; 1 Peter 5:4.  If His coming were secret or invisible, it
should be written that He will not appear.  When Paul and his
companions suffered a storm at sea and the clouds were dark and
lowering, he described it as "when neither sun nor stars in many
days appeared."  Acts 27:20.  To appear is to be seen.  Will
Jesus appear or not when He comes?  Many verses say He will
appear.  Can we trust the Bible, or should we put some strange,
twisted meaning to that word "appear" in order to support what
we want to believe?

Coming As a Thief

I am convinced that the confusion has been largely the result of
misinterpreting two phrases which Jesus used in describing His
coming.  And the interesting thing is that He gave such a clear
explanation of the phrases that hardly an unprejudiced mind
could be misled.
Now let us take a close look, in context, at the two expressions
of our Lord which have been used to support a secret rapture--
"as a thief in the night," and "one taken and the other left."
If we are willing to accept the Bible definition of terms, there
can be no ambiguity about what Jesus said.
What did He mean when He said His coming would be like a thief
in the night?  He carefully explained in Matthew 24:42-44:
"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in
what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and
would not have suffered his house to be broken up.  Therefore be
ye also ready:  for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of
man cometh."
There it is!  So simple that a child can understand it.  It will
be unexpected.  The advent will take the world by surprise. His
coming will burst upon this earth when people least expect it.
They will be just as unprepared for it as they would for a
midnight thief.  These words do not convey the least idea that
our Lord will come sneaking around like some common criminal.
He was just using a striking illustration of the unexpectedness
of His return.  Jesus reinforced the point He was making in
verse 50,  "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he
looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of."
Peter used exactly the same words in
describing the coming of Christ.  He said, "But the day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens
shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat." 2 Peter 3:10.  This verse alone contains all
the evidence we could ever desire about the meaning of the
disputed term.  When Jesus comes as a thief, Peter says, the
heavens will pass away with a great noise.  Could that be
secret?  Does this portray the silent snatching away of millions
of people while others are totally unaware of what is taking
place?  It is the very opposite of that.  That great noise
corresponds to the shout and trumpet of Paul's epistle--a sound
so
intense that even the dead are awakened.

One Taken and One Left

The amazing thing is how people have taken such obvious verses
and twisted them out of context to support a doctrine which does
not even appear in the Bible.  The same thing has been done with
the illustration of two woman grinding together.  Jesus did say,
"The one shall be taken and the other left," but what does the
context tell us about the meaning of those words?  Is there any
indication whatsoever that Jesus was teaching a secret rapture
of the saints?
The words in question are found in Luke 17:24-27, but let's read
the verses before and after in order to get the full picture.
Beginning in verse 26 Jesus likened His coming to the days of
Noah:  "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in
the days of the Son of man.  They did eat, they drank, they
married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that
Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them
all."
The similarity is beyond question. Before the flood some were
taken and some were left.  The ones taken were taken into the
ark and saved.  The ones who were left were all destroyed by the
raging water.
Christ continued His discourse with another illustration.
"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they
drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But
the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and
brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall
it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."  Verses 28-
30.
Again, the parallel is obvious.  Some were taken out of the city
to safety and some were left.  What happened to those who were
left?  They were all destroyed by the fire.
Now we come to verses 34-36: "I tell you, in that night there
shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the
other left.  Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall
be taken, and the other left.  Two men shall be in the field;
the one shall be taken, and the other left."
Please keep the continuity of Christ's previous illustration in
mind as you consider these words.  In every case there had been
a separation of the good from the bad, and then the wicked were
slain.  If the context teaches us anything at all, we must
conclude that the one who is left will be left dead, just as it
was in Noah and Lot's days.  And when we read the next verse,
there can be no doubt that this is exactly what Jesus was
saying.  "And they answered and said unto him, Where Lord?  And
he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the
eagles be gathered together."  Verse 37.
After Jesus said one would be taken and the other left, the
disciples asked where they would be left.  His answer clearly
reveals that all who were left would be dead.  Their bodies
would be food for the eagles to
devour.  This is in perfect harmony with what the rest of the
Bible says on the subject.
There is not the slightest hint that this final separation of
the saved and lost will be done in any secretive manner.  Yet,
this connotation has been applied by those who are desperately
trying to find inspired support for an empty tradition.  The
unscriptural two-phase coming has been repeated so
often and so persistently that millions believe it must be true.
There is probably no more dangerous doctrinal distortion in the
world than this, because it could delude the majority of
professed Christians into being lost.  No wonder Jesus warned:
"Take heed that no man deceive you."

The Rapture
Rooted in Catholicism

The foundation of the rapture theory was laid over 400 years ago
upon the specific orders of the Catholic Church.  Every
Christian needs to understand how this fabrication of error was
designed to neutralize the great Protestant Reformation.  If the
facts of history were known by Protestants today who defend with
such great emotion the rapture theory and the futurist
antichrist doctrine, they would be horrified.
Luther and his fellow reformers boldly identified the pope as
the "man of sin," and labeled the Catholic Church as the
antichrist of prophecy.  In response to those charges, the
hierarchy assigned two Jesuit priests to develop counter-
interpretations which would turn the onus away from the Catholic
Church.  In spite of the fact that the two men founded opposing
schools of interpretation, their theories have survived to form
the basis of most modern Protestant theology today.  Not only
did they effectively blunt Luther's assessment of the papacy as
the antichrist, but they cleverly divided and diluted the
"protest" of all the churches which grew out of the Reformation
movement.
Modern religious observers were astounded in January, 1984, when
men like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell meekly
accepted and defended the establishment of United States
political ties with the Vatican.  Why could those famous
Protestant spokesmen see no danger in being allied with the
Church of Rome?  Because they are deceived, along with millions
of others, by the Catholic-contrived theories of those two
priests which have almost eclipsed the historic, biblical
position of the Reformers.  If the spiritual descendants of
Luther and Wesley now had the same doctrine which they taught,
not a single Lutheran or Methodist would favor any kind of
alliance with the papacy today.
Now let's take a look at these two Spanish priests who flooded
the sixteenth century with their counter-Reformation propaganda.
Alcazar of Seville applied all the beast prophecies to Antiochus
Epiphanes, who lived long before the popes began to rule in
Rome. His system of interpretation came to be known as the
Preterist School of prophecy.
On the other hand, Jesuit Francisco Rivera invented a system
known as the Futurist School of interpretation.  He taught that
the antichrist was to be some future superman who would appear
near the end of time and continue in power for three and a half
years.  It is his clever, unscriptural theory which has been
resurrected by modern evangelical Protestant Christians.  And
today millions of Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc., hold
this anti-Protestant concoction of the Jesuits as some kind of
infallible doctrine.  Yet, those same denominations claim to be
faithful supporters of Protestant theology.  Luther and other
stalwart protestors against Catholic errors would be astounded
if they were suddenly resurrected to hear what is being taught
in the name of Protestantism.
In the early 1800s the futurist view of Jesuit Ribera passed
through certain refinements and additions, including the seven-
year tribulation and the snatching away of the saints.  For the
first time, it was espoused by Protestant teachers who were
seeking ways of reconciliation with Rome. Through the influence
and writings of John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren
Church in England, the new doctrine spread to the United States.
During the middle and latter nineteenth century, it received its
biggest boost from Cyrus Scofield, who incorporated it into the
notes of his Scofield Reference Bible published in 1909.

Rescue and Reward

Now we turn to the most exciting aspect of this subject.  Why
will Jesus come back to this earth the second time?  John was
inspired to write the answer in the exact words of our Lord:
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give
every man according as his work shall be."  Revelation 22:12.
After long, oppressive millenniums of suffering, God's people
will finally be delivered from the bondage of Satan's evil
influence.  The mark of his power is etched upon the cemeteries
of the land and on the war memorials of the dead.  The cries and
tears of the saints have filtered through all the years of every
generation since Adam sinned.  What a day it will be when the
curse of transgression is lifted, and the most dreaded of all
human enemies is eternally banished.
Paul described it in these words:  "For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ
shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  1
Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
The reward which Christ brings with Him has so many facets that
no language on earth could ever adequately portray it, but the
resurrection of the righteous dead will be the grand focus of
that moment.  Some who have been sleeping for centuries will
awake as from a night of dreamless slumber.  For others it will
be the first moment in memory free from the searing throb of
pain.  The eyes of the blind will be opened to gaze in rapture
upon the immortal faces of loved ones who have been recognized
before only by touch or sound.
Paul describes the split-second change which will forever place
the saints beyond the range of pain or death:  "Behold, I shew
you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump:  for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put
on immortality."  1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
As the resurrected ones rise to meet Jesus in the air, all the
living righteous are instantly translated into the same body of
immortal youth.  Jesus' feet will not touch the earth at that
time, but all the redeemed will be caught up to meet Him as He
descends.
That rendezvous in space will surely be the most ecstatic and
emotional moment in the long history of planet earth.  It is no
wonder that so much of the Bible is laced with glowing
descriptions of that climactic event in time.
Do most Christians truly understand the nature of Christ's
coming and how it will affect the inhabitants of the earth?  Let
the facts speak for themselves.  Most churches have accepted the
claims of the rapturists, who have rejected the historical view
in favor of these recent revisionist errors.  As a result,
millions of contemporary church members are looking for events
that will never take place.
For countless others, our Lord's return is a subject of great
fear and consternation.  The nominal Christian (which is the
majority) holds very mixed feelings about the event, largely
because they lack the personal assurance of being ready to meet
him.

Stolen Sweets

It is this lack of preparation which has created such a confused
attitude toward our Lord's return.  Many do not know whether
they want to see Him or not.  What a sad commentary on the state
of the modern church!  Why should we not be eager to see the One
we love--the One who died for us?  Every true Christian should
be excited about His coming.  We should talk it, sing it, and
preach it!  As Paul said, we should love His appearing.  It is
the blessed hope of every child of God.
My mother was a wonderful cook, and without question she made
the best chocolate cake that ever was baked.  As a child I would
watch her put the layers together, and then apply the delicious
icing to the top and sides.  The high point came when mother let
me lick the pan, or clean out all the icing that was left
sticking to the pan.
Sometimes, unfortunately, there wouldn't be very much left, but
I always managed to scrape up at least a spoonful.  Then I would
look longingly at all that delectable icing on the cake as it
slowly settled into place.  Often it would be so heavy on the
sides that the icing would droop and accumulate on the plate.
It was always the most terrible temptation for me to clean up
all that excess icing on my finger, but Mother had given very
specific instruction not to do it.
My real test came on the day Mother left me alone at the house
with a big, beautiful cake sitting right in the middle of the
table.  It was freshly decorated, and I watched in fascination
as the thick chocolate icing oozed almost imperceptibly toward
the bottom of the cake.  Finally, it seemed almost ready to
spill over the edge of the plate, and I could resist no longer.
Carefully and cleanly, I slid my finger around the rim of the
place accumulating a gob of the forbidden frosting.
Then, suddenly, I heard footsteps on the porch, and before I
could dispose of the evidence, Mother was in the room. Without
any reservation I can assure you that I did not want to see my
mother come at that moment.  And I believe this is the reason so
many are afraid to see Jesus come--their hands are filled with
the stolen treats of this world.
Make no mistake about it.  There will be some dramatic changes
when He appears.  The old familiar places will disappear and
nothing we know now will be unaffected by that event.  Some
people fear the changes, but those fears are ungrounded.
Everything will be better and more wonderful than we have ever
known or imagined.  One moment in the presence of Jesus will
compensate for all the suffering and self-denial of a lifetime
on earth.

Back to Paradise

God will return the human family to the sinless ideal which He
designed from the beginning.  All four of God's original gifts
to man will be restored, including the perfect conditions of the
Eden paradise.  But there will be one tremendous difference
between the quality of life in the new Eden and the old.  Adam
received only a conditional grant of immortality, whereas the
redeemed will be given an absolute and unconditional access to
the life of God.  And even though the power of choice will
remain, not one of those immortalized saints will ever choose to
disobey God again.  Because of the demonstration of God's
character and Satan's character, as revealed in the age-long
controversy, the universe will be secure from any further
rebellion or disobedience.  Every created being will see the
results of such a course, and none will choose to repeat the
painful experiment.
It is this prospect of eternal security which makes the coming
of Jesus such a glorious doctrine.  The world is sick of
fractured peace plans, broken treaties, and disappointed hopes.
Mankind longs for a peace where fear and uncertainty will be
entirely eliminated. Christ's coming will bring an end to
everything which could produce human anxiety.  Poverty, disease,
war, and death are the most common sources of stress, and those
conditions will cease to exist when He returns.
But the most exciting prospect of all is to know that we will
see the face of Jesus and dwell in His presence for all
eternity.  Surely that moment will be the climax of all the
fondest hopes and dreams we have ever cherished.  May the
preparation for it be the focus of all our thoughts and actions.
And God forbid that any day should pass in which we do not pray
with longing desire for our Lord to come soon.

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