[462]Some have misconstrued this Scripture to mean that the Lord would appear the second time and give a great shout and wake up the dead. The word here translated shout means a message of encouragement. It implies a public message designed for the ears not of a few, but for a great number. The "shout", the "voice of the archangel" and the "trump of God" are all symbols. Literally, it means that the appearing of the Lord will be at the time of or during the shout of encouragement; and this is in full harmony with the evidences heretofore examined that the presence of the Lord has been at a time when the people have been encouraged concerning their own rights. Christians have encouraged each other by passing the message of the Lord's presence on to each other. The peoples have encouraged one another with reference to their liberties, rights, and privileges. The "voice of the archangel", as used in this passage, means one with authority, the chief messenger, Christ Jesus himself. He comes with light and truth, illuminating the minds of men, leading them into greater light which has come upon the end of the age when the shout of encouragement for the rights and liberties of the people and the deliverance of Christians into the kingdom of the Lord has begun throughout the earth.
[463]During this time, then, we should expect the resurrection of those saintly ones who died before the second coming of the Lord; and should expect that these would be awakened out of death and gathered unto the Lord, thus to be forever with him. And therefore those believers who were alive at his coming, when the time came for their death, would experience an instantaneous change from human to spirit beings. And finally, when all the members of the bride class shall have finished their course and all have passed from the human into the spiritual condition, with glorious bodies, they will enjoy peace and happiness for evermore. The Lord is taking unto himself his bride class, because the promise is that these shall be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus in his kingdom, and that they shall reign with him.—Romans 8:16,17; Revelation 20:6.
ESTABLISHING HIS KINGDOM
[464]Before the foundation of the world God foreordained that he would have a kingdom and a royal family who would have charge of the kingdom. The kingdom necessarily embraces the royal house or royal family, as well as the dominion. Foreknowing the end of all things, God provided in his great plan not only for the redemption of the human race, but the selection from amongst men of a certain number whom he would transform into the image and likeness of his beloved Son. God provided also that these should constitute the royal family of heaven. The apostle Peter says of this class: "But ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a purpose, that you may declare the perfections of him who called you from darkness into his wonderful light; who once were not a people, but now are God's people".—1 Peter 2:9,10. Diaglott.
[465]To his disciples, and to those who should thereafter become such, Jesus said: "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me". (Luke 22:29) And again: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne". (Revelation 3:21) From these Scriptures it is to be seen that the church constitutes with Jesus the royal family, the kingdom class, otherwise called the seed of Abraham, through which the blessings shall flow out to mankind. This is the kingdom for which he taught his disciples to pray. This is the kingdom which the prophet Daniel declares shall be set up to have no successor, and which shall be established during the last days of the kingdoms of the unrighteous order.—Daniel 2:44; 7:14,27.
[466]The truly consecrated followers of Jesus, obedient to his admonition, have been watching and waiting; and those who were permitted to live at the time of his second presence and since have experienced that blessedness spoken of by Daniel the prophet at the end of the 1,335 symbolic days or years. As the great divine plan has been revealed to these they have learned that the Lord has returned and is here, invisible to human eyes, yet exercising his great power in binding Satan and dashing to pieces the present unrighteous order, gathering unto himself his saints, and putting in order the affairs of his kingdom; that he has taken unto himself his great power to reign, and that soon all the saints shall participate with the Lord in glory in carrying out the further divine arrangement. As this string upon the harp of God is revealed to them, they sing with exultant joy:
"Our lamps are trimmed and burning,
Our robes are white and clean;
We've tarried for the Bridegroom,
And now we'll enter in.