Scripture reading: Revelation 16:15
Revelation 16:15 is another one of the warnings that there is going to be a secret coming of Jesus Christ. He will come secretly without fanfare, without noise, quietly, and many men will not know. As a matter of fact, some of the Christians today will not know that Jesus comes because He is coming to a prepared people at a special time.
Remember the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins? The bridegroom came and the foolish did not see him because they were gone to seek oil. May God help us to be part of that bride class so that we will be ready and waiting for the bridegroom, having oil at midnight. The oil represents the Holy Spirit, and the wise had oil in TWO PLACES. One place was in the vessel, and the other place was in the lamp. The vessel replenishes the lamp. The vessel is the SOUL (Acts 9:15), and the lamp is the SPIRIT OF MAN. Proverbs 20:27,“The spirit of man is the candle (lamp) of the LORD…”
The thief-in-the-night coming of Jesus is well established in Scripture that it is going to be a secret coming. There are also many scriptures that say He is coming, “and every eye shall see him,” Revelation 1:7. There is no way that He could come secretly, “and every eye (shall) see him.” These are two separate things. He is coming in the church, to the church, inside of humanity, to fill those who are prepared with His presence. That is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” The will of God will be done in my earth, and in your earth, before it is done in the earth outside. Jesus is speaking of this secret coming, when He will be coming in the believers, in those who are ready, in the wise virgins.
“Lest he walk naked, and they see his shame” means on that day many Christians will be ashamed of the doctrines they preach. One of these doctrines is definitely the rapture doctrine – that we are going to fly away. God wants us to overcome the world here. We cannot fly away and at the same time overcome. We must overcome at the darkest part of time. This is what God is training us for – TO OVERCOME EVERYTHING. First of all, we are to overcome the sin that is within us, the devil that is within us, to cast him out completely, to overcome the flesh, to overcome the mind, the emotions, the will, and the desires. We must be an overcomer, then we will begin to overcome the devil himself, until finally we will overcome death.
(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 2, pages 110-111)
Thought for today: Jesus is speaking of a secret coming, when He will be coming in the believers, to those who are ready.
Sonlight Devotional 