Christ and His Proud, Rejoicing Armies!

Christ and His Proud, Rejoicing Armies!

The day of the Lord is coming, and is at hand, when all the ungodly will be judged. Once the Jews have returned to their land, huge hosts of the ungodly will move against them to steal and gather plunder. But even now the Jewish people—who are being persecuted all over the world—are not left in peace, even in their own land. In this critical situation they will send up supplications to God who will hear their prayers and come to their aid. On that day the trumpet will be blown in Zion, and the alarm will be sounded in God’s holy mountain. Joel 2:1.

All Christ’s warriors are gathered on Mount Zion. They are the elect who have lived blameless before His face. Isa. 33:14-17 and Ps. 15. Now they will go out into battle and serve His burning wrath. Christ Himself will go out at the head of His army on a white horse, and the armies in heaven—clothed in fine linen, white and clean—will follow Him on white horses. Rev. 19:11-21. This army will destroy all the ungodly who have gathered in the valley of decision and have surrounded the Jews. The beast and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire, and all ungodliness will come to an end on that day.

“I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger—those who rejoice in My exaltation.” Isa. 13:2-12. In the days of their flesh these chosen ones had intimate fellowship with Christ because they loved Him and kept His commandments. Christ Himself is proud of them as His true sons who have glorified His name in their lives and have adorned His doctrine. They are His rejoicing armies because they have rejoiced and triumphed over all the devil’s power down here. They rejoiced in all kinds of temptations, and through them they rejoiced in all kinds of victories.

On that day there will be heard a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of the nations when the Lord of hosts musters His army for battle. V. 4. Then the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the saints of the Most High. This kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey it. Dan. 2:44; 7:27.

The Lord and His army will come from the ends of heaven. Christ Himself ascended over all the heavens; and when the bride is caught up in the clouds she will be where He is to come down again for the millennium.

This day will be a day of darkness and gloominess for all the ungodly, when they meet the army of Christ: “A people come, great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations.” Joel 2:2. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, because they are riding on white horses. V. 4. They leap over mountaintops. V. 5. They have leaped over walls with their God in this life. When they come to heaven and receive glorified bodies that correspond to their spirits, they will leap easily over the highest mountaintops.

After Jesus had arisen from the grave, He could walk through locked doors. When the two disciples were on the way to Emmaus, He was suddenly in their midst. However, He had a body, so they recognized Him, and He ate and drank with them.

The bridal flock who will rule and reign with Him for a thousand years will obviously receive such bodies as well. “They run to and fro in the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter at the windows like a thief.” V. 9. They can be anywhere in a moment. “They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like men of war; every one marches in formation, and they do not break ranks.” V. 7. They were also such mighty men in the days of their flesh. They did not break ranks, neither did they push each other aside, but each of them marched in his own column, because all of them went the way through their own flesh, and as genuine disciples they had a sincere love for each other. And when they lunge between the weapons, they are not cut down. V. 8. They are without fear; they were not stopped in their race by Satan’s fiery darts, but they forged straight ahead. Jesus can truly be proud of such an army.

“The Lord gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong in the Lord is the One who executes His word.” V. 11. This is the secret of their great strength. They always executed God’s Word in the days of their flesh. This is where the mightiest Man of all received His strength: by doing God’s will. John 4:34.

“Before them the people writhe in pain; all faces will blush deeply.” Joel 2:6. When those who live in sin suddenly meet this pure and holy army, they will tremble and blush deeply. They will even call out to the mountains to hide them. After all the ungodly have been killed, a mortal will be rarer than fine gold and a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Isa. 13:12.

After this great battle the Lord God of hosts Himself will make a feast for all the people with fat things full of marrow and old, clarified wines. Isa. 25:6.

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.” Joel 2:15-16. This will be such a blessed feast as there has never been before on earth.

The Jewish people and the other survivors will then do homage to the Bridegroom and the bridal flock. They came at just the right moment and saved them from the enemy’s hand. Then they shall cry out: “Let the Bridegroom go out from His chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.” This is the shout that also goes up now at the weddings of great princes. The people want the bridegroom and bride to show themselves so they can see them and applaud them with all their hearts. Then the bride will rule together with Christ for a thousand years, and after that for all eternity in the greatest glory and perfect joy. There is truly a future and a hope for the God-fearing; but the hope of the ungodly perishes. Here are a few conditions for partaking of this highly exalted and glorious calling of being in the bride: Jas. 1:18-22; Gal. 5:24; 1 John 2:4-6; Rev. 2:26-27; Rev. 3:4-5; 15-16 and 21; Rev. 19:7-8; Rev. 21:1-2 and 24; Luke 9:23. This is the way to all the glory of heaven. Walk on it!