True Christianity #764
764. After This Night Comes the Morning, Which Is the Lord's Coming
Since the successive stages of the church on both a large and a small scale are described in the Word as the four seasons of the year (spring, summer, fall, and winter) and as the four times of day (morning, afternoon, evening, and night), and since the modern-day church, which is Christianity, is the night, it follows that now the morning is at hand. The morning is the beginning of a new church.
The following passages make it clear that the Word describes the successive stages of the church as the four parts of the day, which are determined by light.
Through the evening and the morning, for two thousand three hundred [days], what is holy will be made just. The vision of the evening and the morning is the truth. (Daniel 8:14, 26)
Someone was crying out to me from Seir, "Watchman, watchman, what of the night?" The watchman replied, "Morning is coming, but so is the night. " (Isaiah 21:11-12)
The end has come. The morning is upon you, O you who dwell in the land. Behold, the day has come; the morning is over. (Ezekiel 7:6-7, 10)
In the morning, in the morning Jehovah will bring his judgment to light; it will not be lacking. (Zephaniah 3:5)
God is in her midst. God will help her when she looks for the morning. (Psalms 46:5)
I have been waiting for Jehovah. My soul waits for the Lord like those who watch for the morning. They watch for the morning because with him there is the most redemption. He will redeem Israel. (Psalms 130:5-8)
[2] In the passages just quoted evening and night mean the time when the church is at an end; morning means the time when the church is just beginning.
The Lord himself is also called the Morning, as we see in the following passages:
The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me, "He was like the morning light, a morning without clouds. " (2 Samuel 23:3-4)
I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the shining morning star. (Revelation 22:16)
From the womb of your dawn comes the dew of your youth. (Psalms 110:3)
These quotations are about the Lord. Since the Lord is the Morning, he rose from the tomb first thing in the morning, in order to begin a new church (Mark 16:2, 9).
[3] What the Lord says about his Coming makes it obvious that we are to await it:
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him and said, "Tell us what the sign of your Coming and of the close of the age will be. " (Matthew 24:3)
Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Humankind will appear, and they will see the Son of Humankind coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. (Matthew 24:29-30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27)
Like the days of Noah, so will the Coming of the Son of Humankind be. Therefore be prepared, because you do not know at what hour the Son of Humankind will come. (Matthew 24:37, 39, 44)
In Luke:
When the Son of Humankind comes, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)
In John:
Jesus said of John, "If I want him to remain until I come . . . " (John 21:22-23)
[4] In the Acts of the Apostles:
When they saw Jesus taken up into heaven, two men were standing near them in white clothes. They said, "Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way you saw him go up to heaven. " (Acts of the Apostles 1:9-11)
In the Book of Revelation:
The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants what must happen. "Behold, I am coming. Blessed are those who keep the commandments of this book. Behold, I am coming, and my reward is with me, to give to all according to their works. " (Revelation 22:6-7, 12)
And from the same chapter:
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, a shining morning star. The spirit and the bride say, "Come. " And those who hear, say, "Come. " And those who are thirsty, come. Those who wish to, take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17)
And again in the same chapter:
He who testifies to these things says, "I am indeed coming. " Amen. Do indeed come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (Revelation 22:20-21)
Revelation 22
1
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8
And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9
Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
10
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst Come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
