6/85 DO 2218

1. SOMEBODY ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, COULD THE HEAVENLY CITY IN THE CRYSTAL SEA BE "THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN"? (MAT.24:30) I never even thought about that before! I read that verse many times & I wondered, "What is the sign of the Son of Man?" So I read it again, what is the sign of the Son of Man? Well, I've seen pictures by churches & religious organisations‚ especially Catholics, showing the Lord coming in the Heavens. The Catholics even have a few pictures of the Second Coming! And what do you suppose He's got in His hands like this over His shoulder? (Fam: A cross.) They call that the sign of the Son of Man! The Catholics have made that famous. They exalt the death of Christ more than His resurrection! They exalt His birth & childhood more than His adulthood & ministry! Sad, isn't it? They preach a dead Christ on a cross, crucifixion, a crucifix, another idol, another graven image.

2. WELL, THEY DON'T BOTHER ME‚ I'VE SLEPT IN BEDS WITH A CRUCIFIX HANGING OVER THEM in people's homes & hotels & I thought it was kind of a nice reminder, at least, of Jesus, better than nothing! But this idea of the sign being the sign of the cross, they even had a movie called "The Sign of the Cross" once, didn't they? I've seen several pictures of Christ's coming in glory, the Second Coming, one with Jesus still carrying the cross‚ imagine that, or a big lighted brilliant shining cross hanging in the sky above His head!

3. I DON'T THINK HE CARES TO REMIND PEOPLE ABOUT HIS DEATH & THE AGONY & ALL THAT! This is the pay-off‚ this is the end, this is the glory! Why should He magnify the cross? I think He's going to want to show'm the Holy City!—Their destination, their Heavenly Home that He's been preparing all this time, gone to prepare for us! (Jn.14:2) Why not glorify the Holy City‚ the thing that He's gone to prepare & is going to bring with Him? I believe He's going to bring it with Him, why leave it out there in space? Amen?

4. WHY SHOULDN'T IT COME DOWN FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN & HOVER CLOSE TO THE EARTH? Being a spaceship it can always take off & get a little further off while God burns up the Earth after the battle of Gog & Magog. But during the Millennium, why shouldn't it come down & hover close to Earth so we wouldn't have to commute so far back & forth, we wouldn't have to fly so far. It's nice to be able to fly, but why have to fly clear into outer space? Can't you visualise the Holy City coming down & being close enough to get a good look? Wouldn't you like to have Home not far away when you're down here working?

5. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE! That may be my imagination‚ my personal conception, you can take it or leave it, but that's what I believe. When Jesus comes, why should He leave it behind? Why shouldn't He bring it with Him? If He's going to bring all the Saints with Him when He comes, which it says, why shouldn't He bring the City too? Why not? Well‚ I can dream, can't I? You like my dreams, don't you? Well, I really believe that was a revelation the day I was talking to John about "Pie in the Sky"! (#1917) So PTL!

—ARE YOU READY?

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family