Yesterday I was interrupted from one of my numerous projects by a surprisingly determined little creature imploring me to stop my work and pick my sickle back up and stay involved in the harvest in the way He has given me to do my part. Today I’m preempting that little fellow just in case he should find me back out there neglecting my real assignments. For this paragraph to make sense, click on the link a few sentences up, and take five minutes to read the article. Today the Spirit has beckoned me to try and paint a verbal picture – I’m not an artist, so bear with me. Allow the thoughts presented to sink in and just imagine what you would think and feel when this event happens:
It’s seemingly a normal day and you are going about your usual grind, fretting over this or that, allowing your thoughts to meander through the news cycles of recent events, maybe trying to figure out what you want to do for dinner, or whatever else occupies your time. You don’t notice that the world outside has become totally quiet and still, almost as if in anticipation of something, but what? Something suddenly does happen; an unusually loud noise, then a bright light, brighter than the normal daylight blasts through the windows. The noise becomes more and more distinct until you realize it’s a trumpet blast – louder than anything you have ever heard! Something big, really big is happening out there, and the suddenness of it all is amazing.
You go to the door, but before you open it, you are seized by an unfamiliar sensation – this is something that in the back of your mind, you knew was coming, but you always diverted your attention to other things when it arose – put your head back into the sand until the thoughts of it went away. As you open the door, you are stunned by the brilliance of the light – it’s not a glaring, threatening light, and as your eyes adjust you can make out huge clouds slowly drifting earthward and the noise of the trumpet, though loud enough to be heard throughout the whole earth, doesn’t cause any discomfort – in fact there is an indescribably soothing effect in your very heart.
Your mind races; Could this be??!! You realize in a moment that this is it! This is none other than the return of Jesus Christ! The seminal event in all history of mankind and it’s actually happening right now! You reel in disbelief, almost fainting with excitement! Your thoughts immediately go to the last time you prayed. Was it last night? Was it a few days, or a week ago? Perhaps you have been putting off saying a prayer for a really long time now, and you wonder how many sins you’ve accumulated on your record since the last time you sincerely asked for forgiveness. How many…
You begin to realize that your life in this moment is absolutely and forever changed. No more worry about the money in your bank account. No need to fret over picking the kids up from school, or to think about that all-important project you’ve stewed over for months. No more worry ever again about how much gas is in the car or how much it costs. That trip out to grandma’s you had planned for the weekend is now cancelled – forever. Thoughts flood your mind. Will I ever see anyone in my family again?
Neighbors are coming outside now, each person with the exact same thoughts racing through their minds. The fear is palpable – you can actually feel a huge knot growing in your throat. You realize you are actually trembling with fear and anticipation – Then you see Him! There on the highest bright cloud – higher and more enormous than any cloud you have ever even imagined, stands the celestial figure of the brilliantly lit Son of Man, the light is actually coming from Him, His magnificence is unimaginable and indescribable! He is surrounded by powerful angels in a celestial setting too beautiful and magnificent to put to words. You are able to see colors you’ve never seen before – colors you never knew even existed. There are no words in any human language that could even begin to relate what you are seeing! You realize instantly that no institution, no army, nor any weapon ever devised by mankind would be of any use to try against this celestial being whose presence fills the whole sky – indeed, all the Heavens are filled with His power – His glory! You feel yet another sensation as He comes closer – your thoughts, your physical presence, your whole existence actually experiences the actual, physical feeling of His sensational love – wonderful, unimaginable, indescribable love – that surrounds and encompasses His whole Being, and in that instant you begin to understand this presence of Him is something so absolutely wonderful that no mere human could have possibly imagined the glorious joy of simply being near to Him, but it’s also a joy to be lost when this is over – when one is rejected from His glorious presence – denied because during this very short life we have here on earth, His offer of eternal life with Him was denied. The horrific impact of experiencing His marvelous presence and then realizing the joy that comes with being near Him will be forever lost because we were too busy with the goings on of this world to entertain the notion of getting to know Him in that life when we had the chance.
Time itself stops as these events unfold. As His wonderous gaze lands on the eyes of each and every person, people drop their heads, few have the psychological wherewithal to withstand His piercing eyes. Tears flow like rivers on faces of shame and all present instinctively go to their knees – finally in obeisance, some belatedly begging forgiveness – before Him Whom they should have acknowledged in earlier times, many attempt to hope there is still time for forgiveness, but those hopes are instantly dashed in their minds. They know. They realize now that that night at the bar, that football game, wasn’t nearly as important as a church service; that working all that overtime was absolutely pointless – the events surrounding this return of Jesus Christ are the only things on everyone’s mind, the price of gas, picking up the groceries, even sweeping the floor – nothing left in this world in which you have spent your whole life learning to exist is of an iota of importance now – now and forevermore. Nothing that is, unless during that meaningless existence you paid attention to the Holy Scriptures and made yourself ready for this day.
Jesus told a parable about ten virgins waiting for a man to appear who would be their prospective groom. Five of them were wise and prepared by filling their lamps with oil to welcome him, some of them just kept putting off their preparations until, in the dark of night he arrived. As he approached the girls who had no oil asked the ones who did for some oil, but the girls who were prepared told them they would have to go and buy their own, which they did, but they had waited too long, and while they were away, the groom took the women who were prepared in and shut the door. Now this is important, so don’t overlook it – the groom said he did not know the girls who were not prepared.
In the magnificence of this upcoming event, when the Groom for this wedding returns, if we are to celebrate in total joy and rapture of the moment, we must have oil in our lamps. If we are prepared, this day of absolute terror for some and ecstasy for others will be the beginning of our eternal reward, but if we are of those who always put off a relationship with Him, then that day will be indescribable fear and terror. The last thing anyone wants to hear on that day is [Luke 13:27]: “But He will say, “I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.”
Are you absolutely sure those words are what you want to hear from Him on that terrible day? One of the greatest freedoms He gives all mankind is that of our choice. He does not make anyone serve Him in this life, but He does make some incredible promises of a new life. If you’d wish to be among those who are able to stand and share in the joy of His return, just go ahead and fill your lamp now. A prayer of repentance and asking His forgiveness for living a worthless life would be the first step. Jesus said He stands at the door of every heart and knocks. When we open that door, we begin the journey to the place we can stand when He comes back, and we can eagerly anticipate that life of perfect peace and joy – joy so profound we can’t even imagine it from these tents of flesh where we dwell. Find a preacher and get baptized into the faith today.
May the blessings of the Almighty Father find and keep us.
MK