pure
invention. Nowhere is the church called the Kingdom, nor do we find the
Lord Jesus ever called "the King of the Church." He is the Head of the
church, which is His body. The New Testament still looks forward to the
Kingdom to come. The Lord has left the earth to receive a Kingdom and to
return (Luke xix:11-28). He occupies the Father's throne, which is not
His permanent place, for He is to have His own throne. "When the Son of
Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then
shall He sit upon the throne of His glory" (Matt. xxv:31). He waits in
heaven for the time when all enemies will be made the footstool of His
feet (Heb. x:13). "But now we see not yet all things put under Him"
(Heb. ii:8). No nation serves Him and the Kingdoms of this world are not
His Kingdoms during this age. They will become His and heaven will
resound with many voices saying: "The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and
ever" (Rev. xi:15). But that is future. When the seventh angel sounds
His trumpet, when heaven opens and He appears as King of kings, crowned
with many crowns (Rev. xix:11-16), then He will receive the nations for
His inheritance.

How Christ Begins His Future Work.

The beginning of Christ's future work is revealed in 1 Thessalonians
iv:15-18. This Scripture contains a great and unique revelation, unknown
in the Old Testament. The Lord had made the promise to His disciples, "I
will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am ye may be
also" (John xiv:3). He did not tell them in what manner He would keep
this most precious promise. In the first Epistle to the Thessalonians
the Lord gives the details of His coming for His own, and how He will
fulfill the promise given to His disciples. He promises that He will
descend from heaven with a shout. When He accomplished His work on the
cross, He gave a shout, for he cried with a loud voice "Tetelestei"--"It
is finished!" As the risen One, He met His beloved ones and said "All
Hail!" The Greek gives only one word, "Chairete"--"Oh! the Joy!" This is
His resurrection shout, the shout of joy and victory. And when He
ascended He went up with a shout (Ps. xlvii:5). First Thessalonians
iv:16 tells us He is going to descend with a shout. He passed through
the heavens in His glorious ascension and entered into the presence of
God, His Father. Some day He will arise from the place He occupies