There are two prophetical mountains of the comings of Jesus Christ to the earth. For many years these mountains brought a kind of confusion, even to the New Testament Jewish Christian. The mountain of the first coming of Christ disclosed a Cross. The mountain of the second coming of Christ declared a Crown. First the suffering Saviour; then the Reigning King! As the Jewish prophets and seers viewed through their prophetical telescopes these two coming mountains, they often thought them to be but one. Even at the time of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus, there were those who thought He would set up the Crown Kingdom then. But, instead, Christ gave the world the Cross-Kingdom.

In these days of the twentieth century, we stand in between the two mountains. We look back to the first with historical clarity; we look forward to the second with prophetical nearness. Personally, I believe we are possibly living in the very generation of the second coming of Christ. And as we do set forth our life, let us be clear about the fact that He will come the second time.

The mountain ranges are marked clearly as we ascend from a present dark valley of the "apostasy" in Christendom into the slopes and heights of the meeting of Christ in the clouds. He will first come back for His saints in the clouds; then, He is to return with His saints to the earth. The Bible urges us to "wait for his Son from heaven" (I Thess. 1:9-10); and "unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:27-28). Of course, this means He will return the second time without the need of sacrifice for our sins again.

We are presently living in a time of similar significance to that which characterized the first coming of Jesus. As we ascend the second mountain, let us note the comparison.

Note, one. Just as at the first coming of Jesus only a few recognized Him, so it will be at the time of His return. A few shepherds, wise men, Simeon, Anna, and others, but relatively speaking, in the light of the greater population, only a few.

Note, two. Just as at the first coming of Jesus, Herod, "was troubled," and "all Jerusalem with him," so we are now in troubled times, although not the great Tribulation Period itself.

Note, three. Just as at the first coming of Jesus there was a call from heaven to take the young child and "flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word," so will it be again, in a similar way, when the saints are caught away by a rapture into heaven for a season, until the indignation be passed.

Note, four. Just as at the first coming of Jesus there followed a manifestation of Herod's wrath, a personality of sin, in the slaying of the children, so there will be at the second coming of Jesus the manifest wrath of the personal or individual Antichrist, "the man of sin," in slaying those on earth who do not accept the mark of the beast.

Note, five. Just as at the first coming of Jesus, word came again for the child to return from Egypt to Nazareth, so the word of the Lord will bring the raptured saints back to reign on earth in the Millennium.

Thus, these two prophetical mountains are similar, but they are not the very same. We stand where they stood, prophetically, but we are not, historically, where they were.

We stand in between the two mountains with reverent and humble trusting of His wondrous grace! It may be that this Christmas will be spent in heaven!