1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

he will not be a man limited to place,but a spiritual being, personally present,yet invisible because spiritual, as allspiritual bodies are invisible to humansight. As the lightening (the electriccurrent or fluid) unseen, yet powerful,its presence widely manifested by thelight which it causes, "so shall also thepresence (improperly translated coming)of the Son of man be." ver. 27.In verse 28 Jesus teaches that insteadof going out to seek him in the wilderness,etc., we shall be gathered together,not physically, but mentally, that allwho are his shall come to recognize hispresence by the instinct of their new nature,being brought together by themutual apprehension of the truth aseagles would be drawn to their food."And he shall send his angels [messengers--servants] with a great soundof a trumpet [the "seventh trump," or"trump of God"], and they shall gathertogether [into union and oneness] hiselect from the four winds, from one endof heaven to the other. [The churchnominal is the present heavens; thelittle flock, when by-and-by exalted,will be the new heavens.] The littleflock as eagles are being gathered fromout the present "heavens." "From thefour winds" from every direction; fromall denominations. Matt. 24:28 and 31.Immediately after the tribulation ofthose days shall the sun be darkened,etc. (v. 29). Verses 29 and 30 go backto take up the chain of events belongingto "the time of the end" as theyrelate to the world. That the tribulationreferred to is that of verse 9, and notthat of verse 21 and Dan. 12:1, will beevident as we proceed. [In those daysbefore they end, 1798], but after thetribulation of those days--as Papal persecutionsand that of other abominations(systems) began to draw to a close--in1780 the "Dark Day" occurred, concerning