Just what is the starting point for the appearing of Christ Jesus the Lord in glory to everyone on earth (Titus 2:13)? Put another way, what sets in motion this huge world-changing move by God that is the next thing on his agenda after some 2,000 years in which He has said and done little except to show forth unlimited grace and kindness?

Put simply, that move will be when the Lord Jesus Christ takes over government of the world at his APPEARING (Titus 2:13, 2 Timothy 4:1) and his kingdom brings justice and restoration to the earth and its people.

I have come to see that it is when the Father unveils the Lord Jesus in glory that is the beginning of the process. Right now we, who are called and chosen as members of the “Church which is his body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23), are told that we are “dead” and that our life is “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-4). And if God has hid both Christ and us in Himself, then, obviously, only He can let us out. Thankfully, the Bible promises He will do so. For…

When Christ who is our life shall appear [phaino], then shall ye also appear [phaneroo] with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).

This the Father will do by speaking the word to command the Lord and ourselves to “appear in glory”. That this is so derives from a study of the Greek words for appear, phaino, epiphaneia and phaneroo, commonly translated as “appear” or sometimes “coming” in our English Bibles.

Tom Ballinger in a painstaking study of these words says that the noun epiphaneia (appearing) means “something that appears, a phenomenon, one which in turn causes Christ to appear (Greek: phaino in the passive voice) meaning it is Christ who is acted upon, rather than being the agent to bring about the appearing Himself”.

We must then ask who is this “agent”? And the obvious answer is “the Father”. And, when it comes to our own appearing [in distinction to Christ’s] a different word, phaneroo, is used, but again in the passive voice, showing that this appearing is something that is done to us. Certainly, it is nothing we can bring about. We are told only to “love” his appearing and be “looking” for it (Titus 2:13, 2 Timothy 4:8).

Importantly, Mr Ballinger found one meaning of phaneroo is to manifest a person in their true character. So, it is only when the Father causes us to be revealed as members of the true, but hitherto hidden and unrecognised church over which Christ is Head, that will we be seen by all as those saved and sanctified by his grace.

Certainly, the visible man-organised churches of today do not acknowledge us as the grace-saved, chosen before the foundation of the world, members of the “church which is his body, the fullness of Him who filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23), and over which uniquely He is the Head, that scripture says we are. Nor do they recognise that it is the “appearing and his kingdom’ (2 Timothy 4:1) that will be God’s next move, not the so-called  “rapture”, tribulation and the “Second Coming” which will only occur many centuries later.

The following scriptures further explain why it is only the Father who can bring about the longed for appearing at which the Lord’s kingdom will be manifest in both heaven and earth (2 Timothy 4:1):

I saw in the night visions and, behold one like the Son of man came near with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of days [the Father] and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14).

Fear not little flock; for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:31),

Who [God the Father] hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his Dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:12-14).

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven either the Son, but the Father only. (Mark 13:32).

The LORD said unto my Lord, sit Thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy foot stool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zio: rule Thou in the midst of thy enemies (Psalm 110:1-2).

LORD here is Yahweh, the eternal God of the universe, and “my Lord” is Adonai, the Messiah, God in the form of a man who is the rightful King of the earth. This means Messiah must be more than an ordinary, mortal man. The nature of the conversation and the extent of Adonai's power and rule speaks of His divinity (see Matthew 22:41-46, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42-43, Acts 2:34-35, Hebrews 1:13). References to the "right hand" imply strength and approval. To be seated there is to be given the highest possible honour. Depicting enemies as a place to rest one's feet depicts utter conquest.

Note that the word UNTIL here is of great importance. The Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of the Father UNTIL He makes our Lord’s enemies his footstool. Thus, He remains in heaven throughout the Day of Christ, the times of refreshing and “times of the restitution of all things spoken by all the prophets since the world began (Acts 3:19-21).

When that is accomplished, our Lord will then sit on his own throne, the “throne of his glory” (Matthew 25:31). This will occur at some stage during the “Day of Christ” when He takes over Government of the earth while still ruling from heaven (Acts 3:21). So, just as the LORD told David’s Lord to “sit at my right side until I make the enemies thy footstool”, so He will also give the word to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ in his full glory at his APPEARING and takeover of the government of the world.

In Acts 1:6-7 the apostles asked the risen Lord: “Will you at this time [i.e. the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost] restore the again the kingdom to Israel?” His answer: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power”. No, the kingdom was not restored to Israel at Pentecost. Nor has it been restored even now. But it will be during the “Day of Christ” (Titus 2:13, 1 Timothy 4:1) when the Lord Jesus Christ appears to bring in his kingdom government of the world. So, just as Jesus taught the disciples, we too should still be praying: Our Father which art in heaven … thy kingdom come”.

John Dudley Aldworth

You’re welcome to contact me at the email address below.

Email: john.aldworth@hotmail.com

Website: https://www.dayofchristmnistries.com/rss/all.xml