John.14: 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;

‘In receiving us to Himself we become the Bride of Christ’

Its every important to note that, just as Moses build the habitation for God in Exo, 15, even so Jesus build a habitation for God through the Spirit (Eph.2:22-23).

God speaking to Moses in said Exo. 19:4

“Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles wings and brought (received) you to MYSELF” KJV.

This is God’s redemptive work in favour of the children of Israel when they were in captivity in Egypt.

God spoke to Abraham that his seed will be slaves for 400 years, but that he will redeem them “…And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge said God: and after that, shall they come FORTH, and SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE” Acts 7:6 –7 KJV.

So here was a restoration to fellowship with God after a broken relationship as slaves.

Just as Adam broke relationship with God, Christ restored the relationship of (Father-Son, Husband-Wife relationship) thereby setting us free from sin.

This is what God meant when He said He is to receive us unto Himself.

He told Moses “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land-” Exo. 3:7-8 KJV.

Moses in turn said to Israel

“hath God assayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations by signs, and by wonders, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you’ in Egypt before your eyes?” Deut. 4:34 KJV.

Now, these miracles that God used in Egypt-the terrors, wars etc, to deliver His people were the invisible manifestations of God’s presence through a vessel-Moses, in Egypt.

Just like He told Moses “…I am (God Himself) come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians” Exodus. 3:8. KJV.

We see here that God did not physically come down to Egypt; rather, He empowered Moses-a chosen vessel for the hour, with the Holy Ghost to go.

The Magicians of Pharaoh confessed it and said:

“…This is “THE FINGER OF GOD, –” (Exo.8:19 KJV).

And “The finger of God” is the power of the Holy Spirit with which Jesus cast out devils (Luke 11:20).

This also is what was termed “EAGLE’S WINGS” in Exodus 19:4.( Compre Isa.40:31..)

“Pentecost the reality of the Eagles wing “

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said of Jesus

“ye men of Israel hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs…” Acts 2:22 KJV.

So, Just as Moses brought out Israel from Egypt through signs and wonders, so also was Christ anointed to deliver mankind out of the bondage of sin through signs and wonders.

Just as the Lamb was killed in Egypt for their redemption,(Exo.12) even so Christ is our Passover Lamb.(1Cor.5:7,John.1:29)

This Passover experience is followed by the out pouring of the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost to empower His Body – the redeemed ones to go forth again with signs and wonders for the continuation of that “—which He (Jesus) began both to do and teach” (Acts 1:1 KJV)

Where is Jesus taking us to?.

“…I will come again and RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF…” Christ is receiving us unto HIMSELF-Christ is a PERSON and not unto a geographical location.

It is to the person of Christ that the church is being received. The word RECEIVE in Greek root is “PARA”: near, from beside, with, act, in and ‘LAMBANO’ –to take (in very many applications, or act, to get hold of.

The two words joined together is ‘PARALAMBANO’ which means to receive near, i.e. ASSOCIATE WITH ONESELF (in any familiar or intimate act or relation).

So what is that? Simply that Christ is taking us unto Himself as a bride from this present evil world through the atoning blood. So we read

“…who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world (age)…” Galatians 1: 4 KJV. (See I Peter 2: 24, I Tim. 2:6).

So what’s wrong with the world (age)?

First of all, he meant the Jews, and their system of carnal ordinances; and judgments by which they could not live; (Eze 20:25); and the whole of their ecclesiastical economy, which was a burden neither they nor their fathers were able to bear, Acts 15:10. The disciples were to get out of that.

The secondly, this present world(age) of the unredeemed, is evil it is under the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”-Eph. 2:2. (2 Cor. 4:4, Acts 26:18. John 12:31).

Therefore the redeemed are moved from that age to the kingdom age.

Now, “kingdom of God”, doesn’t mean a future “Millennium reign”. But rather a transition from the age in which we are now in as it is under the influence of the wrong spirit.

So, any spirit-filled son of God, has been brought to this place – the kingdom age, hence we read: “I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have PART (a place) in what He has promised His people in the kingdom of light, God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and BROUGHT US INTO THE KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON, Who forgives our sins and sets us free” Col. 1:12 – 13 CEV

We see then that the work has been accomplished through the blood of Jesus. And also the kingdom which is a people washed in the blood of the lamb is well and alive on earth today.

The Holy Spirit which is the principal factor of the kingdom is here, (Math.12:28).

So, as He redeem us with His blood and washes us with the word. (John 17:17), He is taking a people to Himself from amongst the rest of mankind.

Our being received by God is wrapped up in Christ’s fervent love for the Church

“Christ ‘so loved the church and gave Himself (atoning blood) for it; THAT HE might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that He might PRESENT it to HIMSELF a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such things but that it should be holy and with out blemish” Eph 5:25 – 27 KJV.

You see it? The word ‘present’ is ‘PARISTANO’ (Grk) meaning to stand beside i.e. to exhibit, proffer, (spec.) recommend, to be at hand (or ready) etc.

It is the same idea as ‘Paralambano’ which means to take to ones side as a bride. This two words-Paristano and Paralambano accurately gave us the mind of Christ for His Church. When the job of cleansing is thoroughly done on her, the Church by her Husband (Christ), she will then be EXHIBITED by Him for the world to see.

She will be as a prepared bride adorned for her husband (Rev. 21:2; 9).

This is the full manifestation of the sons of God talked about in Romans 8:19. The ‘Adornment’ is the glory of the husband (Christ), which she has taken upon herself. (Rev.21:11).

In receiving us to Himself, Christ is taking a bride for Himself from amongst men. He is taking a nation from the nations, -a single family under heaven with the name (nature) of the father written on their foreheads (Rev.14:1 = having the mind and wisdom of God and no longer the nature and wisdom of Adam that is earthly and satanic).

A free people to fly in the air; in the Spirit of the father where He dwells, ‘the eagle saints’.

So, here we are talking of a relationship of a husband and a wife. “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.( 1 Cor 6:17).

Friends, we are married to the Christ of God as a Bride, and this happened when He took us (married us, received us to Himself) on the day of Pentecost.

This has nothing to do with a people being taken up to a geographical location above the sky by supposed Rapture.

Let’s stop this deception!

“…where I am, there ye may be also…” Next .

To be continued …