PREPARING TO MEET CHRIST

ALL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS LOOK FORWARD LONGINGLY TO THE TIME WHEN JESUS WILL COME TO TAKE THEM TO THE HEAVENLY HOME THAT HE HAS GONE TO PREPARE FOR THEM. IN THAT BETTER LAND THERE WILL BE NO MORE SIN, NO DISAPPOINTMENTS, NO HUNGER, NO POVERTY, NO SICKNESS, AND NO DEATH. WHEN THE APOSTLE JOHN CONTEMPLATED THE PRIVILEGES THAT AWAIT THE FAITHFUL, HE EXCLAIMED: ―BEHOLD, WHAT MANNER OF LOVE THE FATHER HATH BESTOWED UPON US, THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLED THE SONS OF GOD…. NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, AND IT DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE: BUT WE KNOW THAT, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM.‖ 1 JOHN 3:1,2.

TO BE LIKE JESUS IN CHARACTER IS GOD‘S AIM FOR HIS PEOPLE. FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS GOD‘S PLAN THAT MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN FAMILY, CREATED IN HIS IMAGE, SHOULD DEVELOP GOD-LIKE CHARACTERS. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, OUR FIRST PARENTS IN EDEN WERE TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTION FROM CHRIST AND THE ANGELS IN FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSE. BUT AFTER ADAM AND EVE SINNED, THEY COULD NO LONGER FREELY SPEAK TO HEAVENLY BEINGS IN THIS MANNER.

SO THAT THE HUMAN FAMILY MIGHT NOT BE LEFT WITHOUT GUIDANCE, GOD CHOSE OTHER WAYS TO REVEAL HIS WILL TO HIS PEOPLE, ONE OF WHICH WAS THE MEDIUM OF PROPHETS. TO ISRAEL, GOD EXPLAINED, ―IF THERE BE A PROPHET AMONG YOU, I THE LORD WILL MAKE MYSELF KNOWN UNTO HIM IN A VISION AND WILL SPEAKUNTO HIM IN A DREAM.‖ NUMBERS 12:6.