Christ in You, the Hope of Glory
Dearly beloved of God, the Lord Jesus Christ sent the promise of the Father, the gift of holy spirit, on the Day of Pentecost.
Luke 24:49
And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
This was done openly for all to see.
Acts 2:2-4
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them [the 12 apostles] cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the holy spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Lord Jesus Christ initiated the Administration of the Grace of God at His Father's direction by sending the promise of the Father, the giving of the holy spirit. It was now available to born again of the spirit from God.
The Lord Jesus Christ will also execute the authority that his Father has given him to bring this administration to a close. This event will also be done openly for all to see.
I Thessalonians 4:16 and 17
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.
The Lord's coming will be “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump[et] of God.” His coming will be publicly announced; it will be impossible to miss.
First, the announcement is made, and the Lord himself descends from heaven. He gives the command for the saints to assemble – both the dead in Christ, and those who are still alive.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. . . ” The word for “shout” is keleusma, which is a command that assembles.
In the sport of crew, this word is used for the shout that gives the rowers the timing for their strokes so that they can synchronize their efforts. It is the word used when hunters call their dogs to assemble. Our Lord will assemble his Church, both living and dead at the same time, by the word of his command.
The words translated “caught up” are the Greek word “harpazo.” It literally means to snatch by authority. The Latin means rapture.
The Lord will execute the vast authority that His Father has given him in this coming day. When he gives the command every member of the body of Christ will come forth unto eternal life, whether by rising from the dead, or by transformation. We will obtain the redemption of our bodies.
When the heavenly trumpet of assembly is blown the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then, the saints that are alive and remain on the earth will be changed from mortal to immortal. Together they will be caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and then he will lead the victory procession into the heavenlies.
From this event forward, the Church which is the body of Christ, will always be with the Lord Jesus Christ. So, in the Lord's Day when he comes back to the earth we will be with him.
The Administration of the Grace of God, and the Mystery began when they received the gift of holy spirit. Christ became a life giving spirit. If anyone does not have the spirit, that is to say Christ, he is none of His. When you were saved, you received Christ in you, the hope of glory.
When the Lord Jesus Christ returns to gather us up to meet him in the air, we will acquire the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ; we are joint heirs with him. The glory will no longer be a hope, it will be an accomplished reality, and that forever.
What began in grace will end in glory for the Church, which is the body of Christ. Rejoice, dearly beloved, our citizenship is in the heavenly realm from where we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is coming!