It’s easy to see why people look at the world and tremble about the future. There is a visible deterioration occurring in the environment, including the weather patterns and all aspects of nature, as well as in every expression of human life. The Holy Spirit gave us a clear picture of what is happening. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:22-23). The perfection of the earth — as it was created — has slowly descended downward to the point that only a Divine intervention can save it from utter destruction.

Of all people, Christians should understand the wild dreams of the environmentalists. This crowd either knows nothing of God’s great truth or has a misdirected view of Eschatology. Pre-Tribulation and Pre-Millennial Bible believers should actually be standing on their tiptoes watching every sign of God’s developing plans. Our future is star-studded. I believe the great saints of the ages are standing at Heaven’s balcony awaiting the moment to come with Jesus Christ for us. They are coming for the living saints and to get their resurrected bodies. As you may know, a number of these saints received their glorified bodies when Jesus Christ was resurrected. He, along with these saints, is called “The First Fruits of the Resurrection.”

The Biblical understanding of the Millennium demands that the Rapture and The Great Tribulation occur first in preparation for the one thousand year reign. The saints of God that have passed away must come back with Christ to get the living saints. This multitude of the righteous dead is asleep in death but consciously present with the Lord. The Spirit tells us, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (I Thessalonians 4:14).

The raptured multitude will ascend up into Heavenly Jerusalem, where the Temple of God is the center of this majestic city. We will join their worship and this company of saints as we honor the precious Lord. This is the first opportunity that the entire Church of Jesus Christ will have to give Him the glory due His Name. “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:9-12).

When the sounds of worship in this Pearly White City begin to subside, the Father and our Lord will organize the saintly elders and the Great Tribulation will begin. The Lord Jesus Christ alone is worthy to take this Book of Redemption and to open its seals, “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals” (Revelation 6:1a). The process will continue for seven years until the moment that the Heavens open again for the King of Kings to return to an earth that has been utterly judged and prepared for its Creator. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war” (Revelation 19:11).

The truly righteous saints have long lived for the day when we will reign with Him over this earth. The idea of a theocracy is only ugly when carnal men are in charge. The earth will be ruled by the King of Kings and His glorified saints will be His kings and priests. It will be a just and righteous kingdom, “for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9b).

Nothing is more striking about this moment than the capitol city, ancient but renewed and redeemed Jerusalem. This city will be the central city of the entire earth and will grow to a city that is sixty square miles in dimension. The entire topographical contour will be changed into a plain or lush valley of perfect beauty. A river will flow out of the Temple and the Mount of Ascension that waters the entire landscape. The riches of the world will flow into this beloved city. Finally, Jerusalem will become the city it was chosen to be.

Every kingdom of this earth, both past and present, will become the one single kingdom of the crucified but resurrected Lord. Daniel saw this picture in the great dream of Nebuchadnezzar, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:34-35).

The glorified saints will be His perfected government and His righteous rulers will fill the earth with peace. The present evil regimes of selfish men will be history. Every glorified saint will have their new body that knows none of the previous effects of sin. We are created to live in perfect union with our Creator. The spirit of man is akin to God and, with our new temple house; we will be perfect specimens of eternal life. There will be no such thing as a dark moment, an unhappy emotion, or tear-filled eyes. The human family will be powerful rulers of this universe, wealthy beyond understanding, and living in pure fellowship with each other. When the Millennium is finished, it will only get better.

Joseph R. Chambers

jrc@pawcreek.org

Apostle Paul emphatically stated, “I die daily” (I Corinthians 15:31). Sometimes we all marvel at the power of this apostle’s life, but the power was in his “death, to himself.” Over and over this theme fills the revelations that flooded his life. In his second epistle to Corinth he stated,“But we have this treasure (all the priceless blessings and benefits of the Holy Spirit) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us” (II Corinthians 4:7).

Much of this generation can only conceive a saint of God walking on Hallelujah Boulevard with a golden cloud under their feet. Well, they surely need to read how this apostle described his life of constant death, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (II Corinthians 4:8-11).

When our old man is dead, something so wonderful happens that carnal people cannot conceive or understand it. God’s sovereign Spirit cannot rest upon or dwell in a human vessel until death to the sin nature has occurred. This is why the early church was so dynamic that they turned the cities in which they ministered into revival centers. Read Acts chapter 8, where a table-attending appointee shared the gospel message, “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:5-8).

The expectation after the Crucifixion and Resurrection was that the believers gave up their selfish life to live only for Christ. It is clear that all of them did not follow this expectation and we see that many were labeled as carnal instead of spiritual. It is clear that all of them that became spiritual also became powerful. Phillip and Stephen in Acts chapters six and seven were prime examples. It’s shattering to realize how carnal and helpless the church is today. It will never change in anyone’s life until they are fully prepared to die to the “old man.”

I challenge each reader of this Salty Saints to consider this wonderful possibility. The Romans Road of the Book of Romans is our starting point. By the Holy Spirit Paul stated, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:11-14). This is a powerful truth that our modern churches ignore.

You cannot research the history of the great saints of God without constantly encountering this revelation. It does not matter whether it is Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, or Baptist, etc. Every time you find someone that dares to seek the crucified life the same results follow. Those in the Catholic Church had to leave their connections to Catholicism. Often, those in reformed or orthodox circles were persecuted and driven out. But, every time these dear saints begin to bless multitudes and turn cities and communities into harvest fields.

Revival is going to occur either before the Rapture or after the Rapture. The Holy Spirit is searching our Church World to find laborers and the crucified life is His single source. He cannot anoint the carnal life with His unction, but He cannot fail to anoint the crucified. Listen to Apostle Paul explain this great truth, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8).

This level of revelation is enough to thrill a committed believer and to fill with fear the carnal believer. In I Corinthians we read, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14). There is very little difference, if any, between the natural man and the carnal man. At least the carnal man has made a decision to be a Christian, while the natural man probably hasn’t. But, neither is destined to remain in this unspiritual condition.

The sacrifice of Christ’s sacred body was a spiritual moment when cleansing and redemptive powers were released to change our lives. The Blood of Christ cleanses us from the guilt of sin, but is also fully prepared to break the powers of the nature of sin. In His pastoral prayer Jesus proclaimed, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:15-17). Sanctify means to set apart for a righteous cause and to enable the same in their hearts and lives.

Apostle Paul said a similar thing in his epistle to Thessalonica, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:23-24).

You furnish the life fully ready to be put to death and He is fully ready to do the rest. Paul said, “That which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die” (I Corinthians 15:36). Jesus completely settles this entire discussion. “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” and He also says, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27, 33).

Joseph Chambers

jrc@pawcreek.org