HE PROPHETIC PROGRAM
by Charles H. Stevens, President, Piedmont Bible College
write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and in creased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” As To Their Hope As Related to Signs. It is important to understand that when the future of the Church is contemplated that she is timeless and signless. All signs refer to Israel, God’s earthly people. We may look at but not watch for signs. As to Their Prospects. The prospect of Israel is, “ Thy Kingdom come.” The Old Testament closes with a prom ise of a sunrise. Israel looks for a daybreak to end her long night of rejection and despair (Mai. 4:2-3). The New Testament closes with the hope and expectancy of the appearance of the bright and morning star (Rev. 22:16: “ I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the off spring of David, and the bright and morning star.” ) He is both to Israel the root and offspring of David and to the Church the bright and morning star. Israel is looking for the daybreak. The Church is up early watching for the bright and morning star. Israel waits for the revela tion of her Messiah; the Church the rapture of the saints. Israel’s hope is the coming of the Kingdom; the Church watches for the return of her Bridegroom. Israel prays, “ Thy Kingdom come;” the Church prays, “ Even so come, Lord Jesus.” As To Their Destiny The Kingdom is to be ushered in by our Lord’s com- SEPTEMBER, 1961
ing in gloiy; the Church will be caught up to meet the Lord at His presence. As To Their Ultimate Sphere The Kingdom is to be upon this earth with Jerusalem as the center, Christ reigning over all the earth. The Church is to be with Christ in the heavenlies, reigning with Christ over all. The moment we see and realize the two prospects, a tremendous change takes place in our individual lives. Those who are trying to build a Kingdom have become so absorbed in a program that they have all but lost sight of the King. Others realize the Kingdom cannot come until the King Himself returns, having received it from His Father (Luke 19). Such wait not for a King dom but the blessed Person of the King. There is just this difference. Suppose there is a country deprived of the presence of her ruler; the citizens look for the estab lishment of the Kingdom, bringing order out of chaos and light out of darkness. That is one thing. But it is quite another for the young maiden who is desperately in love and betrothed to the absent King Son. To her, the Kingdom is incidental. She longs, hopes, prays and watches for her lover’s return. Here is romance. “ Even so, come Lord Jesus.” Oh, the tragedy that so many of God’s people have lost the romance of the “ Blessed Hope,” the hope of our Lord’s return. Luke 12:35-40: “ Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding: that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” 19
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