Man from Space, Part 3 Many years ago in ancient Babylon there was a very reckless king named Belshazzar. The whole world was at his feet. He was world famous. He had prestige and honor. He was a man of renown. One day he called in a thousand of his high government officials and said, “Let’s have a feast.” He felt so secure, he wanted to have a feast to boast, if you please, of his great achievements. And so they gathered together, and in defiance of God they drank from the golden vessels that they had stolen from God’s Temple in Jerusalem. Things were riding high. Everything was wonderful, so they thought. They were so optimistic. After all, it seemed that they were forever secure in that great city that had been made into a fortress. My friends, the walls of that great city were 200 feet high and 75 feet wide. Chariots could race along the top of the walls of Babylon. There was food— enough food stored up to last a million people 10 to 20 years. They had an unlimited water supply. They had a great army and they felt forever safe. Who could breach those tremendous walls! At the feast they were very relaxed. Who could ever touch them! But they had forgotten, as too many people today have forgotten, that there is a God in heaven who rules over all. Suddenly, right in the midst of their revelry, the bloodless hand of God came from nowhere apparently and began to write on the wall. Letters of fire were traced there and these were the words. “MENI, MENI TEKEL UPHARSIN.” Translated, it means, “Thou are weighed in the balances and found wanting.” Or, as we would say today, “You have failed; this is the end.” And that very night the glory of Babylon disappeared, crumbled away; an enemy came in and took over the kingdom. Now today, you and I are witnessing the latest attempt of man to journey into space entirely on his own, forgetting all about God, His interest, and His domain. Could it be that these flaming satellites in the sky, instead of honoring the men who invented them— could it be that they’re the handwriting of God in the sky; a solemn warning to men and women and to nations all over the world to wake up, that their cup of iniquity is almost full? Many scientists have thought this thing through very reverently, realizing that they’re tampering with something that belongs to a higher being. And many scientists reverently believe today that if the Christian would really tune his ears and heart, instead of hearing the beep, beep, beep of the satellite, he would hear an entirely different message, “MENI, MENI TEKEL UPHARSIN”—Thou are weighed in the balances and found wanting. Friend of mine, today on the authority of the Bible, our God is about to intervene. He is coming very soon. The signs of the Scriptures have almost all been fulfilled— about 97 or 98 per cent of the Bible has been completely fulfilled before our very eyes. I read something graphic here in Luke 21:25-28: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” I want to repeat that, friends. On the authority of the Word of God, “When these things begin to come to pass, look up for your redemption draweth nigh.” Jesus is coming. That Man from outer space is about ready to appear; suddenly and soon heaven will break open. There seated on a cloud with millions and millions of an innumerable host of angels will be Jesus, the Son of God. That cloud will come nearer and nearer the earth until its glory and majesty will stretch from horizon to horizon. Nearer and nearer it will come until it hovers just above the earth and then it will stop. The wicked will cry out to the mountains and rocks, according to Revelation 6:16, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand.” The righteous will cry out too, according to Isaiah 25:9, but they’ll say something different. “Lo, this is our God we have waited for Him and He will save us.” And the Lord Himself will say, “Awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust. Awake and arise,” and the redeemed of God from all ages will come forth in the beauty of holiness, with bodies like that of Jesus, to be caught up into the clouds. The living saints will be changed and caught up into the cloud while the wicked are destroyed. Sin, death, sickness, tragedy, disappointment, heartache, all gone forever. We’ll have bodies like Jesus and a perfect future ahead for a perfect people. That great space ship will whisk out through space to the Kingdom of God and as the redeemed look down on this earth, it will get smaller and smaller as they move farther away. Try to picture in a very feeble way what a glorious journey it will be. I tell you, friends, I think it does us good to analyze some of these things and think them through in our hearts, even though we have to use our imagination a little bit. The Bible actually says, that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him.” So really we cannot begin to even imagine how wonderful it will be, but I think we can use our minds and try to picture it as best we can. I would like to talk to that Roman soldier—I think he’ll be in that great heavenly spaceship—the one who officiated at the death of our Master and who stood there trembling. He said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” I think it will be a great thrill to sit at his feet on that trip and hear just a little more about the wonderful sacrifice of my Lord in the closing hours of His life. I believe the shepherds will be there who lay on the Galilean hills that night when the angels came and sang. Oh, what a wonderful joy it will be to talk to them, and learn about their trip to Bethlehem and just how everything turned out! There will be singing in that cloud. I think all Christians like to sing, but there’s something about a singing Christian that warms my heart. But, friends, none of us have ever sung a song yet that will be anything like the songs we will sing on the way to heaven. I believe there will be special musical groups part of the time and perhaps on one side of the cloud we’ll hear a group of angels singing. It’s so thrilling that human language could never really picture it. Somebody goes up to them and says, What group are you? And they say, “We’re the angels that sang over the hills of Galilee that night at the birth of Jesus.” They sang that wonderful song, “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace, good will toward men.” And then, perhaps, the entire group will sing it together. All the redeemed singing, “Peace on earth.” And it will be true in a special sense because peace will at last have come to all. What a thrill it will be to sing that song with the angels. Oh I know it’s a feeble picture, friends, but it will be real some day, very, very real. Then somebody will say, “Look, look, there in the distance, there’s a little spot of bright light!” And as we look closer, it gets brighter and more glorious and we see we are nearing the City of God. Then the cloud pulls up by the gates of the City and the lovely Jesus steps out and says in effec— “Ye have suffered for My name; you’ve been abused for My name; you have loved me through thick and thin; you’re My people. Come, enter this Kingdom which I have prepared for you from the foundation of this world.” Then taking the gate on its glittering hinges, He will swing it back and the redeemed of God will enter their heavenly home to find peace and happiness forever and ever. Shall we recognize our friends in that glad tomorrow? Certainly! For the identity of each will be preserved. Notice this text in 1 Corinthians 13:12. “Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 1 John 3:2: “Beloved 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 for we shall see Him as He is.” Oh yes, we will know each other there. The years of eternity will bring new wonders to admire, new themes to comprehend, and new vistas to gladden the centuries. Then all the sorrows of life shall be healed and forgotten; its disappointments understood and its perplexities made plain. We shall more clearly understand the ministry of trial and sense in a larger measure the surpassing love that inspired Jesus Christ to make His infinite sacrifice on Calvary. We shall see and associate with our Blessed Redeemer and shall listen with rapt attention as the great Teacher unfolds the romance of creation, the mysteries of the physical world, and the science of redemption that restored man to sonship with God. Oh friends, have you ever stood at the gates of a great railway terminal and watched the crowds crash the gates? Have you heard a firm voice say, “You can’t go through here,” and the vigorous retort, “Why not?” And again the voice replies, “You don’t have a ticket.” Then there’s a hasty good-bye, an unseasonable parting at the gate, and those who expected to go through together are separated by the crowd. When the heavenly gates swing open and you seek an entrance, how terrible it would be to hear a firm voice say, “You can’t enter here.” Friends, only those who have proper preparation will be admitted then to that heavenly place. May God help us to make that preparation and to make it now. Let me ask you a question. You aren’t going to miss that, are you? You wouldn’t let the devil cheat you out of that, would you? It would be the blunder of a lifetime. You know Christ died, according to John 3:16, that we need not perish but have everlasting life. It isn’t hard. John 1:12 is the answer. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” It does take the power of God to become the sons and daughters of heaven. If you’ll receive Jesus, that power is yours free. Have you received it to its fullest degree? How many would like to say right now, I determine to turn everything over to Jesus. There will be room for nothing else, and when that great beautiful kingdom is ushered in, I want to have a part in it. Is that your desire today, friends? May God help you in making that decision sure.