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I suppose most of us have heard of the passage that states: "Where there is no vision the people perish (are unrestrained)." Let me paraphrase this a bit: "Where there is a false vision the people follow false gods." This is the way it is in our day. The Christians often have a false vision, an incorrect picture in their mind of the return of Jesus Christ, of the Day of the Lord.

It appears to me that the picture of the coming of the Lord is is being painted in our day as a time of rejoicing, a period in which God's people will be carried up to Paradise. What we are to do there is not always made clear. However, the idea is, we will be supremely happy for eternity.

Is that how you view the future?

This is an incorrect vision. It will cause you to follow false gods.

(8/27/2006) Do you know why we have developed an incorrect vision of the coming of Christ? It is because we do not understand God's goal. We suppose God's goal is to forgive people so we can go to Heaven. This is not God's goal. How could it be? How would this solve God's problem of sin and rebellion on the part of His children?

God's goal is to put an end to sinful behavior. God has a plan to do this, and it is mentioned by the Prophets:

Seventy "sevens" are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. (Daniel 9;24)

Notice carefully: "To put an end to sin."

As you might expect, God wants all sin out of His creation, and He is going to accomplish this.

For two thousand years the Christians have prayed, "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done in earth as it is in Heaven."

God's will is not being done in the earth while there yet is sin. Therefore, when we pray the Lord's prayer, we are praying that God will put an end to sin and disobedience in the earth.

Is this what we desire? Do we believe God will answer this prayer? Do we believe God wants to answer this prayer? Do we believe God has enough power to answer this prayer?

A lot depends on our faith, doesn't it?

If God wants to remove sin from the earth, and has enough power to remove sin from the earth, how is He going to do this?

The answer is in three parts: first, God will forgive the sin of those who will come to Him through Jesus Christ. God already has done this.

Second, God will form Christ, the Righteous One, in those who will receive Him. God already is doing this.

Third, God will create an army of saints who will return with Christ and enforce God's righteous ways on the saved peoples of the earth. We do not see the army as yet, but if we are following the Lord Jesus each day we may note that He is dealing with us constantly.

Christ is helping us turn away from the temptation to involve ourselves in the Antichrist world system.

Christ is helping us turn away from the passions and lusts of our flesh and spirit.

Christ is bringing us into various prisons and sufferings to burn the self-will out of us that we may begin to do His will instead of our own.

We may have a question in our mind: "Why is the Lord bringing me through such an ordeal?" The answer is, Christ has chosen you to be one of those who will return with Him and set up His Kingdom on the earth. If you hope to return with Him when He comes, or to be transformed and caught up with His soldiers to meet Him in the air, pray for the strength and faith you will need to respond correctly to His dealings with you, because they may be severe!

Think for a moment. In the beginning the man and woman were placed in a perfect environment. We do not know how long they enjoyed the garden before they fell through disobedience. But they could have been joyously happy for eternity.

This is what God desires—that His children be joyously happy for eternity. In His Presence is fullness of joy. At His right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Human beings have been created to play.

Alas, we could not maintain Paradise. We were not experienced enough. So it is that we lose that which is given to us freely and have to regain it through much suffering and hardship. This is the story of all of us, isn't it?

God knew we would not be able to remain in Paradise, so God withdrew Paradise into the spirit realm. But Paradise began on the earth, belongs on the earth, and will be returned to the earth. But first, God has to be sure it will not be lost again.

God's answer is the Divine Nature of Christ planted in us. Also, the forming of a Kingdom maintained by an army of conquering saints.

There are several scriptural passages that mention the victories to be won by God's armies: Joel, Chapter Two; Obadiah, verse 21; Habakkuk, Chapter Three; Isaiah, Chapter Thirteen; Micah, Chapters Four and Five; Malachi, Chapter Four, Jude, verse 14; Revelation, Chapter Nineteen.

I say "armies," plural, because the battles must be won by both the army of saints and the army of angels working together (Mahanaim).

My favorite from among these several passages is the second chapter of the Book of Joel. As we study the first eleven verses of the second chapter we can see the discipline required of each soldier. This is why we know the Lord is not going to return tomorrow or ten years from now. Many of God's people have not been brought under the total discipline required of a soldier of Christ's army.

Incidentally, the saints who have died and now are in the spirit world are being subjected to the same discipline, the same Divine redemption, as we. They cannot be made perfect apart from us. My guess is they wish we would hurry up and decide to do the will of Christ, because they are anxious to return with Christ and rule on the earth.

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9,10)

"They will reign on the earth."

So we see that the true vision of the future is that of a great and mighty army of saints who will return with Christ and enforce the doing of God's will on the earth.

They shall rule with the rod of iron that today is being formed in their character. Their word shall be law, enforced by the mighty angels of Michael's army.

You can be one of the Lord's mighty men if you so desire. But you will have to follow the Spirit of God diligently and be sternly obedient to God in all He requires.

Remember, what is coming to the earth is a Kingdom. It is not a democracy. The laws of the Kingdom will be enforced strictly by Christ and His saints.

If you are one of those who will be saved to life on the new earth, who will enjoy Paradise on the earth forever, please keep in mind that you either will be ruling or else you will be ruled by those who have been more faithful to Christ.

The choice is yours. Act on it today.

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. (Joel 2:2)

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—"He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery"—just as I have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26,27)

"A large and mighty army comes."

"He will rule them with an iron scepter."

"They will reign for ever and ever."

If we hold to this true vision of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth, we will not follow the false gods summoned by the pleasure-loving "believers" of our day.


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