will call His bride to come unto Him self (I Thess. 4:13-18). This will be a tremendous hour! This is the blessed hope of the believer, and it could happen at any moment. P art T welve I N OUR STUDIES we’ve looked at a number of variegated miracles in the Bible. Each of them validates the reality of the Word. Our Saviour had an active part in the miracles of disappearance. Jesus Christ often vanished mysteriously. In the days following His resurrection, two fol lowers of Jesus were slowly making their way, in utter despair and deep disillusionment, toward the small town of Emmaus to the northwest. They expressed their disappointment to a fellow Traveller who, to their amazement, demonstrated from the Word of God that the prophesied Christ had to suffer by necessity so that He could enter into His glory (Luke 24:25-28). They urged Him to stay the night (v. 29). As they broke bread together the Lord was recognized by them. This presented the disciples the certainty that Jesus Christ had arisen indeed. The terminating event of Christ’s earthly ministry was His ascension into heaven from the Mount of Olives (Luke 24:50-51, Acts 1:9-12). The Holy Spirit soon empowered them for world-wide witness. This was the climactic disappearance of Biblical history. Really walking with God makes the believer unfit for fellowship with the world. The ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of God the Father was the initial step in the sending of the Holy Spirit, guaran teeing His sure, certain and wonder ful return. God Himself is on the throne. He’s doing marvelous things in the eyes of those who love Him. God also uses miracles to intro duce different methods of dealing with men, all of which were vital to the history of redemption. What we 25
had come, Elijah asked his faithful companion Elisha to make a parting request. The younger candidly asked his friend for a double portion of his departing spirit. He knew he would desperately need it in the con tinuing contest against the false re ligion of Baal, plaguing Israel. Eli jah countered by promising the spir itual blessing only if God allowed Elisha to see his translation into heaven w ithou t passing through death. A flaming chariot, pulled by fiery horses, appeared. The prophet dropped his cloak, disappearing heavenward in a tempestuous wind (II Kings 2:11). Fifty men looked three days for the body of Elijah without success. A third miracle is slated for a future day, yet to come. Revelation 11:3 tells of the two wit nesses who are clothed in mourning garments, prophesying against sin in the great Tribulation. This follows the homegoing of the New Testa ment Church. These two prophetic figures in the days to come will per form judgment similar to those of Elijah and Moses. When their testi mony is all complete, God will allow the European dictator, the Roman prince, the coming antichrist, to kill them. Their bodies will be displayed publicly in the streets of Jerusalem. The whole world will look upon their bodies, probably through television (Rev. 11:7-9). Suddenly the two are made alive by the Spirit of God. The sight frightens multitudes of people, as they are carried bodily in the clouds of God to be with the Lord (vrs. 11 and 12). Perhaps the most spectacular dis appearance will be the rapture of the Church, made of all true born-again believers. This is yet to take place. Both the living and the dead will be translated to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible declares that the risen Saviour will personally come down from heaven with a shout of summons, and with the voice of the archangel. The heralding trumpet
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