THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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itary term signifying the word o f com mand which a general gives to his troops. The archangel is probably Michael (Jude 9; Rev. 12:7; Dan. 10:13); to whom God commits the special guardianship o f His people Israel. The trump summons the sleeping saints from their graves, for “the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:52). Those who*are in Christ are caught up “to meet the Lord in the air,” the word meet or meeting, wherever it is found in the New Testament, implying a return with the person met. He pauses, therefore, in the air long enough to gather about Him the real church, risen and living believers, and sleeping saints of Israel. SA INTS W ITH HIM But there is another class o f texts show ing that when He- descends to the earth, all the saints will be with Him. “ To the end He may stablish your hearts unblamable' in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming o f the Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thess. 3:13). “ I f wé believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” (1 Thess. 4:14). As far back as Enoch’s day it was predicted, “ Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands o f His saints” (Jude 14) ; or “ holy ones,” as the Revised and A lford render it; or “saintly myriads,” as Dr. Young translates it; or “ holy myriads,” according to Rotherham and the Emphatic Diaglott. “ His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount o f Olives and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee,” or “ with Him” (Zech. 14:4, 5). When He descends from heaven to earth, “the armies in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev. 19:14). What ever this may mean, it means the redeemed in heaven, “ For the fine linen is the right eousness o f saints” (Rev. 19:8) ; “and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 15:14). It is ceftain, therefore, that there is an
interval between His coming for His saints and His Appearing with them, between the titne o f our being caught up to meet Him in the air and our return with Him to the earth. Whether the interval is long or short may not be definitely stated, because there is no record o f time in the gelation which the Lord Jesus Christ bears to His bride. Doubtless it is long enough to settle the question o f our faithfulness as set forth in the Parable o f the Talents (Matt. 25:14-28), and o f the Pounds (Luke 19:12-24); to be judged before the beema o f Christ, according to the deeds done through the body (2 Cor. 5:10) ; and to be assigned our proper place in the administra tion of the kingdom (1 Cor. 6:2, 3). With these things the world has nothing to do,- and it is utter confusion to suppose that the saved and unsaved, the righteous and unrighteous, will all be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and to be judged, at the same time. It violates all the analogy o f Scripture, and in itself is unseemly. A DEFIN ITE PROMISE But the Lord’s promise to His faithful church on this subject is definite and dis tinct. “ I also will keep thee from the hour . o f temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3 :1 0 ).' He not only declares that He will keep them out o f the great and universal tribulation, but out o f the hour, or “ season,” as the word is elsewhere rendered. Nor do we find the slightest ref erence to the real church, or, the true church, as being on the earth after the voice is heard in heaven at the beginning o f the next chapter, “ Come up hither.” On the other hand, the representatives o f the redeemed, the four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, are seen in heaven worshiping the Lamb. W e read about the souls under the altar, crying for vengeance, and the sealing o f an hundred and four thousand o f all the tribes o f the children o f Israel, and the temple and the altar, and the court o f the Gentiles, and the two wit nesses, like Moses and Elijah, calling down
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