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Special greetings to all of you world-wide in the name of Jesus Christ with the following scripture which expresses the hope and desire of all true believers:

“For this we say unto you by the word of the LORD, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the LORD shall not prevent them who are asleep. 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 who 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. Wherefore, comfort one another with these word.” (1 Thess. 4:15-18).

The prediction made two thousand years ago was never as close to its fulfillment as right now. This great event will take place precisely in the way and order it is written. Interpretations about it are not needed at all. The resurrected LORD Who was taken into heaven bodily before the eyes of His disciples (Lk 24:50-51) will return in exactly the same way (Acts 1:11), and those who permit to be made ready will be changed, as He was transformed (Mt 17:2), and receive their immortality (1Cor 15:49-54) as He did in the resurrection. Then they will be like He is, “…but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” (1J 3:1-2)

Not a teaching presented as a revelation would come, but rather He will come Himself. The Bridegroom will take His Bride to the marriage supper. She will be taken up, meet the LORD in the air and be with Him for ever (1Thess 4). The question remains whether each of us is truly ready (Mt 25:1-10) and belongs to the Bride of the Lamb to participate in the marriage supper (Rev 19:7-10).

The emphasis is not only upon this great event which is at hand but rather on the absolute, “for this we say unto you by the word of the LORD…” Therefore the whole matter is a teaching based on the Holy Scriptures. Therein lies the assurance. In fact, all things pertaining to the plan of salvation take place as foretold in God's Word.

By the Word of the LORD Peter could say in his first sermon in regards to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, “This is that which was spoken through the prophet Joel…” (Acts 2:1b). By the Word of the LORD he could say in his second sermon, that all those things, which God before had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, had to be fulfilled (Acts 3:18). In that connection looking into the far future, he spoke about repentance and of … the times of refreshing which shall come from the presence of the LORD; and He shall send Jesus Christ, Who before was preached unto you… (vv. 19-20). Thereupon he made the statement of great significance to all who expect the return of Jesus Christ, “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the age began.” (v. 21)

The Scripture text is binding for all of us. It is a divine must. Before the return of Jesus Christ all things must be brought back into the original order. The Bride-Church must be re-established upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets whereby He Himself is the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20-22) and, of course, the headstone (Zech. 4:7). It must become a reality that the teachings and lives of all who constitute the Church of the living God comply with the Word, each one in their personal life, in marriage, in family life and also in the life of the whole Church. God's people must become one with God's Word. The Apostle James spoke of the coming of the LORD. He also wrote about the former and the latter rain which must come before the harvest (chapter 5). The prophet Joel prophesied about it and also about the restoration (chapter 2:23-27).

The prophetic Word of the LORD does not come to a pastor or evangelist, they preach about it. After the divine pattern the Word of the LORD comes to a prophet – servant and apostle (Eph 3:5) – also in the New Testament as predicted by the LORD Jesus Christ, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them you shall kill and crucify…" (Mt 23:34) After this serious prediction what those sent by Him would suffer, our LORD sorrowful said, “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee…” – (v. 37). God has set in His Church apostles, prophets, teachers, etc. (1Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11). But whenever Bible prophecy comes to fulfillment it can be a promised prophet to whom the Word is revealed. God acts when a foreordained prophet rises on the scene according to the plan of salvation. Only true prophets have the THUS SAITH THE LORD. The others have their own interpretations.

By the Word of the LORD John the Baptist could say, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness…” (Jn 1:23), for thus the Spirit of God had spoken by the mouth of the Prophet Isaiah (40:3). In Mt. 11:9-10 our LORD emphasized the ministry of the promised prophet. HE started with the question, “But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet…” Not “more than a man”, but more than the prophets who had announced that great event.

All Old Testament prophets had one thing in common: They predicted the coming of the Messiah. The difference lies in the fact that John was a promised prophet who prepared the way of the LORD, baptized the Messiah and introduced Him to the people “… that all men through him might believe.” On. 1:7). “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet, Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make his paths straight.” (Mt 3:3). Therefore he was more than the Old Testament prophets.

The LORD again testified of his ministry, “For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee…” (Mt 11:10; Mal 3:1)

Luke states, “The law and the prophets were until John, since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” (16:16)

By the Word of the Lord John could say, “I, indeed, baptise you with water unto repentance, but he who cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” (Mt 3:11) Pointing to Him he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:36)

By the Word of the LORD the angel could say to Zacharias in reference to John the Baptist in Lk. 1:16-17, “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the LORD, their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the LORD.“

Because the first part of the Elijah promise (Mal 4:5-6), was then fulfilled, he was also called Elijah. But not once was the Elijah-text applied to John in connection with the “day of the LORD“ of Mal. 4:5-6. His ministry is shown forth in the context of Mal. 3:1 in every New Testament reference, which deals with his ministry.

 

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