A Place In the Wilderness

Introduction

When will the Lord Jesus return to earth? There are those who believe that at some preordained time the Lord will simply come back to the earth. Others believe that as soon as a certain, preordained number of unbelievers are saved, then the Lord will return. But what is the Lord's view concerning His return to earth, as expressed in the Bible?

In the Gospel of Matthew the Lord Jesus uses a particular phrase to denote the time of His second coming. That is “the consummation of the age.” This is translated in some versions of the Bible as “the end of the world” or “the end of the age,” referring to that time period during which the Lord brings all things together in order to accomplish His particular goal. What is the consummation of the age? In Matthew 13 the Lord tells us clearly, “the harvest is the consummation of the age.” It is not that there is some preset time for the Lord Jesus to return to the earth and end this present age. Rather, this age will close when the harvest is ripe, when the believers are mature in the spiritual, divine life. According to the Lord’s word, everything concern-

ing His second coming hinges upon the ripening of God’s crop. Without a ripened harvest, the Lord could never return to earth! Without a ripened harvest, the present age could never close and the coming Kingdom Age could never be ushered in. It is not until the fruit is ready that the time of harvest comes.

The Two Comings of Christ

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.

Revelation 14:15-16 And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.

In order for Christ to accomplish God’s eternal purpose and ultimately bring forth the New Jerusalem, it is necessary for Him