A Place In the Wilderness

4 Preparing For the Lord's Return

In Revelation 14 we see the Lamb standing before the throne of God on the heavenly Mount Zion with 144,000 firstfruits. That these believers are called firstfruits indicates that they have matured in Christ – they have ripened. It also indicates that these have ripened before the majority of the harvest, who are not reaped until much later. While the majority of the believers are the main harvest, there are some who ripen first. Today the Lord is making a call – He is calling for some to let go of everything and seek Him above all else; He is calling that some may ripen before the main harvest. Who will answer this call? Who will drop everything and seek Christ above all else to mature first, to satisfy the heart of God our Father and the heart of our dear Lord Jesus?

In order to help us prepare it is profitable to see what is about to befall the earth during the endtime. It is necessary to understand that time and, according to that understanding, prepare. It is for this reason that this book is written, to help God's people see and understand what is about to come upon the earth and upon man. We all need to be rescued from every kind of befuddlement and spiritual fog into a crystal clear sky with brilliant heavenly light, in order that we may see our high, heavenly calling in Christ, as well as what lies ahead here on earth. We believers have been called to stand before the throne of God, without spot or blemish, as His many sons sharing His divine life, His divine nature, and His divine glory! We have not been called to go to a kind of heavenly mansion. We have been called to be genuine sons of God who are like Him in every way! How extraordinary, how excellent, how glorious this heavenly calling is!

These firstfruits should be those who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 19:12) and who have fully matured through a life given to God during which they lived in constant contact with Him. These are before the throne of God on the heavenly Mount Zion; they have attained in Christ the highest position attainable! The principle seen in them is the same for all believers: we all must live a life given to God and in constant contact with Him to ripen fully.

The Lord's coming is close. It is very near. Now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to let go of every other thing and run after the Lord, to seek Him, to love Him with all our hearts. I am