The Clouds of Heaven

The Clouds of Heaven - By John McTernan - http://www.defendproclaimthefaith.org/clouds_the_coming_of_jesus.html

 

The Blessed Hope - The Coming of Jesus Christ for the Believers

 

"Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64.

 

When the Lord Jesus was questioned by the high priest about being the Son of God, He answered in Matthew 26:63-65 by joining two Scriptures together.  He joined Daniel 7:13 and Psalm 110:1.  He applied Daniel 7:13 to Himself which had a direct reference to His Second Coming.  The high priest fully understood what the Lord Jesus was saying and used this statement to condemn Him to death for blasphemy.

 

Daniel 7 is a very important chapter as it shows King Messiah coming to establish His kingdom over all the earth.  This will occur at the glorious Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.  When studying this chapter, it is very clear that at the Lord's Second Coming He does not return by Himself.  He returns with whom the Bible refers to as the "Clouds of heaven."  This verse follows:

 

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." Daniel 7:13.

 

The "Clouds of heaven" is obviously a very important term because the prophet Daniel used it, and the Lord Jesus quoted it to the high priest.  The high priest understood what the Lord Jesus was saying.  He understood because the use of this phrase was in part what caused him to charge the Lord with blasphemy and then crucified.  As we will see, the Apostle John, in the book of Revelation, also applied this term to the Lord Jesus' Second Coming.

 

The Bible leaves no doubt what are the "Clouds of heaven."  This phrase was first used by the prophet Daniel.  When he first mentions this term, he also tells what are the "Clouds of heaven."  The "Clouds of heaven" are the innumerable number of believers who are in heaven with the Lord Jesus and return with Him.  They are returning with Him as He sets up His kingdom over all the earth.

 

Daniel, in chapter 7, gives a rare glimpse of heaven in the Old Testament.  He actually sees events taking place before the very throne of God.  He refers to the holy God of Israel as the Ancient of Days.  He sees God on His throne.  Everything about God is like fire.  His throne and the area surrounding Him appeared on fire.

 

Daniel saw something else around the throne and that was a countless number of believers.  The believers were recorded as thousand times thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand around the throne.  This is a huge number that is beyond description.  These are the are the redeemed believers that are in heaven with the Lord Jesus.  This huge numbers of believers before the throne of God are the "Clouds of heaven" which return with the Lord Jesus.

 

Thus, the "Clouds of heaven" are the enormous number of believers who are in heaven at the time of the awesome Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  They then accompany Him at His return.  The verses to show God's throne and this huge number of believers follow:

 

Daniel 7:9 "...the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (10) A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened."

 

The following verses from Daniel 7 show the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus returning with this cloud of believers.  It appears the Bibles uses the term "Clouds of heaven" because the huge throng of believers from a distance would look like a massive cloud.  From other Scriptures, the Bible reveals the believers will be dressed in pure white.  The Lord's coming with all the believers dressed in pure white will look like a massive cloud in the distance.  They will return with Him and be there as He establishes His kingdom on earth.  The verses to show this follow:

 

Daniel 7:13 "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

 

Notice that in verse 13 the phrase, "They brought him near before him."  This is the people of the "Clouds of heaven" bringing King Messiah before the Ancient of Days.  The "Clouds of heaven" can only be the people in heaven who return with the Lord Jesus at His awesome Second Coming.

 

The prophet Zechariah also writes about King Messiah's Second Coming to establish His kingdom on the earth.  He shows the events which will immediately precede His return.  Zechariah establishes where the Lord Jesus will return and what will happen when He returns.  Zechariah also mentions that the Lord Jesus will be accompanied with the "Clouds of heaven."  Instead of using the phrase the "Clouds of heaven," he calls the believers the saints.

 

Zechariah shows that the LORD God is coming to establish His kingdom, and all His saints will be with Him.  The Lord will return and the Bible gives the exact location.  The location is Jerusalem .  His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives .  He will return at the height of the battle of Armageddon when the nations of the world try and destroy Jerusalem .  His presence in great glory will destroy the invading armies.  The verses to show this follow:

 

Zechariah 14:2 "For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle...(3) "Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (4) And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east..."

 

(12) "And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem ; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth."

 

The Mount of Olives will split into a huge valley from the east to the west.  This huge valley is evidently caused by a powerful earthquake as the Lord stands on the Mount of Olives .  All of Israel will run into this valley to be protected as the armies of the world are being annihilated by the presence of the Lord Jesus.  The Bible emphasizes the Lord Jesus standing on the Mount of Olives and this huge valley being created.  The verses to show the Lord's return to the Mount of Olives follow:

 

Zechariah 14:4 "...and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (5) And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah : and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee."

 

 

The attempt by the nations of the world to surround and destroy Jerusalem is the factor that will trigger the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.  After destroying these armies, the Lord Jesus then sets up His kingdom.

 

Zechariah just like Daniel reports that when the Lord returns He will be accompanied by a vast number of believers which are the "Clouds of heaven."  Zechariah reports that when the Lord returns He will be accompanied with all His saints.  The saints which accompany Him are the "Clouds of heaven" which Daniel described.  The saints and the clouds are one and the same.  The verses to show this follow:

 

"...and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." Zechariah 14:5.

 

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." Daniel 7:13.

 

The New Testament

 

With this foundation in the Old Testament, let's now look at the New Testament and the coming of the Lord Jesus with the "Clouds of heaven."  When the Lord was asked by His disciples what was the end of the age and the sign of His coming, He listed many things.  Then He said when all had been fulfilled all the tribes of the earth would see Him coming with power and great glory.  He then directly tied His coming with the "Clouds of heaven."

 

The Second Coming of the Lord is directly linked with the "Clouds of heaven."  The writers all directly tie the Second Coming and the "Clouds of heaven" together.  The verses from Matthew, Mark and Luke to show this follow:

 

Matthew 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

 

Mark 13:26 "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."

 

Luke 21:27 "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

 

The Apostle John also makes the link between the Second Coming and the Lord returning with the "Clouds of heaven."  John in the Book of Revelation sees the Lord return with the clouds, and all the people of the earth crying.  When they see the Lord returning in His power and glory with the "Clouds of heaven," they will mourn.

 

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." Revelation 1:7.

 

The Bible clearly connects the Lord's Second Coming with the "Clouds of heaven" but up to this point the Clouds are not identified.  It is just a huge throng of people before the throne of God who return with the Lord Jesus.

 

The Apostle John in the book of Revelation identifies who are the "Clouds of heaven."  John shows that the Clouds can only be the Church.  They are the true believers in the Lord Jesus who are in heaven with Him and then return with Him.  This is not just the dead in Christ, but it is the entire Church.  It is the Lord's completed Church that returns with Him.

 

This is seen in heaven where the entire Church is at the marriage supper of the Lamb.  There are an innumerable number of people with Jesus.  A number just like Daniel witnessed before the throne of God.  There can be no doubt that this event is taking place in heaven.

 

Revelation 19:1 "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: (6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."

 

After John identifies this event is taking place in heaven, he goes on to describe what is taking place.  This is the marriage supper of the Lamb and His bride the Church.  This is all the Church that is heaven with Jesus.  There is no indication that part of the bride remains on the earth while this marriage supper is taking place.

 

Revelation 19:7 "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."

 

After the marriage supper is finished, the Lord Jesus has work to do on earth.  John sees heaven open and Lord returning to earth.  He is returning as a mighty man of war.  He is going to execute the fierceness of God's wrath over the nations in rebellion against Him.  He is going to judge the nations.  This is also known as the battle of Armageddon.

 

"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wieners of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." Revelation 19:15.

 

He sees Jesus returning to destroy the beast, also known as the antichrist, and his armies.

 

"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army." Revelation 19:19.

 

The Bible already has identified where this will take place and the purpose of the beast's armies.  This is the antichrist leading the armies of the world in the last attempt to try and kill all the Jews and destroy Jerusalem .  This event is going to take place on the Mount of Olives .

 

When the Lord Jesus returns, His feet are going to stand on the Mount of Olives just like Zechariah 14:3-5 states.  He is then going to destroy the armies as Zechariah 14:12 states.  Revelation 19 and Zechariah 14 tie directly together.  This is all clearly mapped out in the Old Testament, and the events of Revelation 19 all tie into this.

 

John sees more than just the Lord Jesus returning to destroy the beast and his armies.  He sees the Lord's Church returning with Him.  He refers to the Church as the armies in heaven.  They return with him clothed in pure white linen.  This is the "Clouds of heaven" which Daniel saw in his vision.  This is the "Clouds of heaven" which the Lord Jesus told the high priest He was returning with.  He is coming back with His bride.

 

The "Clouds of heaven" is the glorious Church returning with the Savior.  The Church was in heaven and then returned with the Lord Jesus to defend Jerusalem .  What a sight that will be to see the Son of God returning in His power and glory with His bride.

 

"And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." Revelation 19:14.

 

The Church is all arrayed in white garments and from a distance looks like a massive white cloud.  Remember, there is a great multitude of people in heaven, and both John and Daniel see this massive amount of people.  What an incredible scene this will be, when the Lord returns in His glory with this massive cloud of believers.

 

Imagine being on earth and seeing this happening.  The entire sky filled from one end to the other with this massive white cloud, and at the head is the Lord Jesus in His glory!  What Daniel actually witnessed was the Church returning with King Messiah, the Lord Jesus!  The verses to show this follow:

 

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." Revelation 19:6.

 

"A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:10.

 

The Church returns with the Lord Jesus at His Second Coming.  Since the Church is in heaven during the events of the book of Revelation, how and when did it get there?  The Church is taken to heaven at Jesus' command.

 

It happens, as the Apostle Paul says, in the twinkling of an eye.  Not everyone is going to die, but those that are alive at the Lord's return will be immediately changed and receive an incorruptible body.  The dead in Jesus will be raised and joined with those who are still alive.

 

"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51,52.

 

This will happen when the Lord Jesus comes for His bride the Church.  He will descend from heaven with a tremendous shout and the blast of the shofar.  The dead in Christ shall arise first, and then they which are alive at this time shall be changed into a resurrected body.  The entire Church both the living and dead are then taken to heaven and shall forever more be with the Lord Jesus.  They go with Him to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:15 "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

(16) 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: (17) 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.

(18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

 

The believers being instantly changed and caught up in the air with the Lord is known as the rapture of the Church.  The idea of the Lord's coming for the Church is so powerful that the Bible tells us to comfort one another with this in a time of sorrow over the loss of a loved one.  The loss is only temporary as there will be a uniting when the Lord comes for His bride.  This is the blessed hope, the coming of the Lord for the Church and being with Him forever.

 

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13.

 

Looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus is a blessed hope.  It is not just a hope, but it is a blessed hope.  Immediately following the Church being gathered with the Lord is the marriage supper of the Lamb.  And, we are blessed to be called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

 

There is a double blessing for those who are waiting for the Lord's return.  There is the blessed hope and the blessing of anticipating the marriage supper of the Lamb.  All believers should be living with the blessed hope and the excitement of the marriage supper.

 

If these two hopes are not motivating a believer, there is something radically wrong with that person's faith.  Living with the blessed hope is a true sign of a believer, and the Lord Jesus is returning for those that are waiting for Him.

 

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the Second time without sin unto salvation." Hebrews 9:28.

 

The Second Coming is not just a doctrine, but it is to be a living reality in a believer's life.  If this reality is not there, it is a sign something is radically wrong.  Sin and the love of the world could kill the blessed hope.  Wrong doctrine about the blessed hope could also kill the reality of the Lord's coming for His bride and the marriage supper of the Lamb.

 

The two comings of the Lord, once for His bride and the second to defend Israel can be viewed like the comings in general.  The Bible in the Old Testament does not say that King Messiah is coming twice.  But, when you study the Old Testament the clear strain of verses for the two comings are there.

 

In one coming, King Messiah is lowly on a donkey while in the other He is coming in power and great glory with the "Clouds of heaven."  These two comings can appear to be irreconcilable until you realize there are actually two comings.  With the understanding of two comings, the Scriptures then beautifully fit together.  The verses to show the two comings follow:

 

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion ; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem : behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." Zechariah 9:9.

 

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." Daniel 7:13.

 

The same pattern in Scriptures can be for the Lord's Second Coming.  This coming is in two stages or phases.  The first for the Lord is to catch up the bride in the air and then go to the marriage supper of the Lamb.  The second phase is at the completion of the marriage supper, to return with the bride as the "Clouds of heaven" to Jerusalem .  The Lord's feet will then stand on the Mount of Olives .  The verses to show this follow:

 

First phase:  The Lord gathers the Church to Himself in the air and then the marriage supper of the Lamb:

 

1 Thessalonians 4:16 "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: (17) 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."

 

Revelation 19:9 "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."

 

Second phase:  After the marriage supper, the Church returns with the Lord Jesus to Jerusalem :

 

Revelation 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

 

Zechariah 14:3 "Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (4) And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east...(5)...and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

 

The Timing of the Lord Coming For His Bride

 

The question naturally arises, when was the Church raptured from the earth?  If the Church was taken to heaven for the marriage supper and then returns with the Lord Jesus for the battle of Armageddon, when was the Church taken to heaven?  The answer to this question is found in the Book of Revelation.

 

The Book of Revelation is divided into three sections.  This is found in chapter one verse 19.  The three sections of the division are the things that the Apostle John has seen; the things which are; and the things which shall be hereafter.  This verse follows:

 

"Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." Revelation 1:19.

 

The things which John has seen is the revelation he had of the glorified Lord Jesus in chapter one.  The "Things which are," pertain to the letters to the seven churches which are found in chapters two and three.  The letters to the seven Churches all end with the same admonition from the Lord.  This admonition was directed to all of the Church for all time.

 

The admonition was for the Church to listen to what the holy Spirit was saying.  These seven admonitions are all the same and found in Revelation 2:7,11,17,29 and 3:6,13 and 22.  The exact admonition follows: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

 

The things which shall be hereafter are the events which John sees in heaven.  In chapter four, John is translated to heaven.  He has a vision of a door to heaven being opened, and he hears a powerful voice say, "Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter."

 

"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter." Revelation 4:1.

 

The last time the Church is mentioned on earth is at the end of chapter three.  The next time that the Church is seen is in heaven before the throne of God and then at the marriage supper of the Lamb.  The Church is no longer on earth, but seems to have been translated with John.  The Church is seen before God's throne in huge numbers praising the Father and Son.

 

The Church has been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus.  All the people before the throne have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  They are in huge numbers just as described by Daniel.  Here is the Church glorified in heaven with the Lamb.  The Scriptures to show this follow:

 

Revelation 5:9 "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

 

(11) And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; (12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."

 

When the Lord Jesus opens the seven seals of judgment the Church is there with Him.  The Church is in heaven before the judgments of Revelation take place.  The exact time of the rapture is unknown, but it takes place before God's wrath is poured out upon the earth.  The Church is watching from heaven as the events of Revelation unfold.  The Scriptures to show the Church is in heaven when the seal judgments are opened follow:

 

Revelation 5:1 "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (7) And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

 

(9) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation"

 

The Church is then seen at the marriage supper of the Lamb and returning with Him for the final judgment on the earth.  The Church is in heaven watching the Lord Jesus open the seven seals.  This is before His wrath is poured out, and then the Church returns with Him as His bride for the final judgment on the rebellious nations.  The Church is in heaven during the entire time the judgments of Revelation are falling on rebellious mankind.

 

In the Book of Revelation, when the Bible is warning the believers to have patience during the judgments, the Church is specifically not mentioned.  Each of the seven admonitions in chapters two and three specifically mention the Church; however, in chapter 13 the Church is left out of the admonition.  The reason for this is the Church is in heaven with the Lord Jesus at the marriage supper.  The verses to show this contrast follow:

 

Revelation 3:22 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Revelation 13:9 "If any man have an ear, let him hear."

 

We are to be focused on the coming of the Lord Jesus for the Church and the marriage supper of the Lamb.  If we do not have the right focus, our faith can be adversely effected

 

The Effect of the Blessed Hope on Our Lives

 

The reality of the blessed hope, the coming for the Lord Jesus for His Church, has an awesome effect on the believer.  It is not just the doctrine of the blessed hope, but it is the living reality that effects lives.  This reality causes tremendous spiritual growth.

 

In the letter to Titus the Bible lists eight effects the blessed hope has on a believer's heart.  When a person lives with the anticipation of the Second Coming, the results will include: victory over ungodliness and worldly lusts; sober minded; righteousness; godly living; victory over iniquity; purifying; and a zealousness for good works.  Maybe the weakness of many Christians is because they lack the blessed hope in their heart.

 

The Bibles verses to show the effect of the blessed hope follow:

 

Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

(13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

(14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

 

The blessed hope is spiritual life to a believer, and without it, worldliness can set in and choke the word of God in a person's life.  Notice in Titus 2:11-14 in very middle of the admonition to live godly is the blessed hope.  This verse was placed there to show how important the blessed hope is to our spiritual life.

 

The doctrines that do not teach the blessed hope as a reality that could soon happen are stealing power from the believer.  There is a teaching called preterism which claims the Lord returned in 70 AD which means there will be no catching up of the Church.  These types of teachings create weak believers because of the false teaching about the Lord's Second Coming.

 

What Are We To Do Until the Lord Returns?

 

The Bible tells us what to do about waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus.  We are to wait with patience for His return.  Just as a farmer plants his crops and patiently waits until the crops come, so we are to wait for the coming of the Lord.

 

The Bible also tells us to establish our hearts about His coming.  When the blessed hope is established in the heart, holiness will naturally flow from the heart.  The Bible leaves no doubt that we are to focus on the blessed hope and live every day like the Lord could return for His Church.  We are to live now with patience looking for His Second Coming.  The Scriptures to show this follow:

 

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (8) Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:7.

 

"To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." 1 Thessalonians 3:13.

 

The blessed hope is an anchor for our soul.  This is the hope which God has set before us.  He requires that we keep the blessed hope with full assurance until He comes or we pass away.  This hope steadies us during the storms of life.  We are to lay hold of this hope and let no one or nothing take it from us.  The Bible verses to show this follow:

 

Hebrews 6:11 "And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

 

(18) That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (19) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil"

 

The Bible places nothing in the way of the Lord's coming for His Church.  There is no event which has to take place before He descends from heaven with a shout for His bride.  We are not to look for the coming of the antichrist, but we are look for the blessed hope.

 

We are to be aware of world events in light of Bible prophecy, but our anticipation should be for the blessed hope and not the appearance of the man of sin or any other event.  Focusing on world events rather than the blessed hope can hinder one's faith and often create fear.  No matter what happens in the world, we are to stay focused on the Lord Jesus' Second Coming.  This will be an anchor for your soul in the time of trouble.

 

"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

 

We are to wait for the Lord Jesus with patience.  The waiting should intensify the anticipation for His Second Coming and not weaken it.  As we wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus, God works in us to fulfill all the eight characteristics that are listed for those who live with the blessed hope.  Those characteristics are: victory over ungodliness and worldly lusts; sober minded; righteousness; godly living; victory over iniquity; purifying; and a zealousness for good works.

 

If you have not been living with the blessed hope in your life, now is the time to confess this to God.  And, ask Him to place the reality of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus in your heart.  Now is the time to ask God to make the gathering of the believers at the marriage supper of the Lamb real to you.

 

"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20.