[516]What a contrast in the eyes of the people between the man Christ Jesus who suffered ignominy at the hands of the Jews and the Christ Jesus glorified, the brightness of whose glory shines above that of the brightness at noonday! Great will be the honor and dignity in the minds of the people of the position of Jesus Christ when all have come to know the Lord. What a great contrast between the body of humiliation and the body of glory! These members of the body, as the Prophet beautifully expresses it, were 'digged from the pit and hewn from the rock'. (Isaiah 51:1) They have trudged along the narrow way, suffering at the hands of Satan and his seed. But all the way they have had these precious promises of what would be the result, amongst which is this promise: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the gentiles".—Isaiah 42:1.
[517]In the eyes of the world these die like ordinary men; yet they really fall like Prince Jesus. (Psalm 82:7) St. Paul, discussing the humiliation of the church this side the vail, and contrasting it with the glory on the other side, said: "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body."—1 Corinthians 15:41-44.
[518]We have now come to the time in which these members of the body have their change instantaneously. One moment they are sown in corruption; the next, raised in incorruption. One moment in dishonor; the next in glory. One moment in weakness; the next in power. When the church is finished and all of the 144,000 members are with the Lord, "then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:54,55) Then it will be that all composing that class will enjoy glory, honor, immortality, even eternal life.
APPROACHING THE KINGDOM
[519]It is certain that the time must come when all those composing the body of Christ will have finished their course on this side the vail and passed into heavenly glory; and since the Lord promised that his second presence would be for the purpose of gathering unto himself those who would compose his bride, we should expect the glorification of the church to take place within a reasonably short time after the second presence of the Lord. The apostle Paul's mind was illuminated by the power of Jehovah, the holy spirit; and he wrote concerning the coming kingdom of Messiah, describing conditions that would immediately precede its inauguration.
[520]At Mount Sinai Jehovah made a covenant with the nation of Israel, and at the time of making this covenant God directed Moses to instruct the people, to prepare them for what was about to take place. When Moses came down out of the mountain to deliver God's message to Israel, it was amidst a great convulsion of nature. There were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud of smoke upon the mountain, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud, so that the people in the camp trembled with fear, and the whole earth quaked greatly. This was a picture foreshadowing the time of trouble in the earth, the great shaking of the nations just before the inauguration of Messiah's kingdom and the taking unto himself of his bride for the setting up of his kingdom. St. Paul, referring to that time, by way of comparison says: "Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more (for they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart; and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake)".—Hebrews 12:18-21.
[521]We should expect, then, an antitypical fulfillment of these conditions. And so we do find it. The mountains (symbolically meaning kingdoms of the world) are on fire, and there is a great tempest, and trouble, and disturbance in the earth; and so terrible is the time that men's hearts are failing them for fear of what they see coming on the earth. Speaking of that time, and directing his words to the church, St. Paul wrote: "Ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel".—Hebrews 12:22-24.
[522]Thus St. Paul pictures the gathering together of those who compose the spiritual phase of Messiah's kingdom, namely, the church, Head and body. He describes this as the heavenly Jerusalem.
[523]That the peoples of earth and the creatures of heaven might ever have in remembrance the importance of this great day in which we are now living God is manifesting his power and his justice through his dealings with the nations, and in due time the people will learn to appreciate the love of God.
[524]What a marvelously wonderful time now to be on the earth! Four thousand years ago holy men looked down to the time when God's kingdom might come, but they could not understand it. The angels of heaven were not permitted to know. Many of these faithful men were martyrs to the cause of righteousness. Moved by the spirit of Jehovah, they wrote concerning the kingdom. The Psalmist composed songs and sang of the coming blessed day. For nineteen hundred years Christians have been trudging along the narrow way. And now it can be truly said, The Lord is present; the Lord reigneth! The kingdom of heaven is at hand!