Beloved friends, welcome again to the ministry of God's precious word in the Savior's all-glorious name. I trust with earnestness of heart that God is blessing our meditation on the present series concerning the hope of the Church. May I again emphasize that blessed imminent event, which is the hope of the Church, the rapture and the first resurrection, as we have been considering it from First Thessalonians four. Let me read the words again from verse sixteen and seventeen. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. May I re-emphasize, though speaking of the Blessed Open the Church, we do not forget the responsibility that the Church today should be seeking the salvation of sinners and seeking to carry out the exhortation of Jude, the beloved Apostle who said we should be snatching them from the fire before they are eternally doomed. The message of the Gospel is still the power of God unto salvation. to everyone that believeth, and may God save any and all sinners who may listen to the gospel message through the radio ministry, through whosoever the message may be given in faithfulness. We would seek to conclude the promise concerning the rapture and the first resurrection. We have suggested there are five distinct features which we find in this unprecedented event of divine omnipotence when millions of saints shall be transported from the earth to heavenly glory. There are other remaining features for our consideration. We have considered being caught away. We have been considering also being caught up. And then in our recent message, considering our great transfiguration, now we consider a fourth fact, the great triumph of the rapture. What is that triumph? Let me call attention to the words in verse seventeen of chapter four in first Thessalonians. They tell us that when the rapture takes place, we shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Now take particular note of the last three words, where we shall meet him in the air, the special locality where we meet the Lord. the whole congregation of the church, every blood-bought, born-again believer from the day of Pentecost to the rapture, for the first time shall be gathered together. Millions of believers, in union with Christ, their blessed head, will be thus united forever, personally and bodily to him, in the air. The meeting place, noted, it is in the air. the atmospheric heavens above the earth, if you please. And it will be a triumphant gathering, the occasion of a great triumph. Please take it in. Not on the earth, neither in heaven, in fact, but in the air. Now you may raise the question, why emphasize that? Listen, if you know your Bible, does not the Bible tell you and me that the air above us betwixt the earth and heaven upon is the very base, the headquarters of all satanic operations, from which Satan rules over this world. Now he is called the prince of the air, as well as the prince of the world, and under whose power the world has come, none but Satan, the devil himself, rules the course of this world. Now let me quote, if I may, with you. Ephesians chapter two and verse two, where Paul writes to the Ephesian Christians, he relates what they were in their former condition before being same. In time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. Now ask the question. Who is the prince here? Under whose power the world has come? None but Satan, the devil himself. Now let me go further on, proving that from the air, above us and around us, he rules over the darkness of the world. We read in Ephesians chapter six and verse twelve. Listen very carefully. Listen very carefully to the words of the dear Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter six. Verse twelve. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits or spiritual wickedness in higher heavenly places, Now, beloved, here you have the whole realm of Satan, and the activity of his wicked host of angels referred to, the very headquarters from which he runs the world. And he is, and they are, together with him, the rulers of the darkness of this world. Don't you believe for one moment, which I know there are some faith I would say earnest Bible teachers, but not always true in this respect. There are some who teach that the devil is chained. But my beloved, as one dear Christian person said to me, a dear friend said, if he is chained, he certainly has a very long chain. My beloved, let me please state, the devil is not bound yet. He will be. when Jesus comes to the earth according to Revelation chapter twenty in the opening part of the chapter but in the very region of his power now listen to the words in the very region where his power is known the very headquarters of Satan if you please there takes place the meeting of that mighty conqueror the Lord Jesus our Savior with all of his saints what a victorious host no wonder Paul said after describing the rapture and the first resurrection in chapter fifteen of first Corinthians he closes near the end of the chapter with that triumphant note thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ listen my friend take it in my fellow believer The triumph of this wonderful victory. It cannot be greater. A more glorious scene of victory, for you and for me, could never be. Christ has conquered completely, and he manifests that victory right in the middle of Satan's realm. And his church will have overcome absolutely the power of Satan. My beloved, may I say that's the best reason any Christian can sing today. Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, beloved, the devil who has tormented us, the devil who has troubled us, the devil who has troubled the whole world, there in the very realm of his power, the center of his headquarters. The angels of God perhaps clear the way for no interference when the mighty hosts of saints gather together in the air around the Lord Jesus. It is the crowning victory of the persecuted saints which will take place in the very center of Satan's realm above the earth. Oh, my beloved, what a triumph. I don't know what to say. Surely you and I who know the Lord Jesus is our Savior. May we rejoice. Oh, we have to fight the devil today. We wrestle against his power. But the moment we are translated, the power of the devil over us is gone forever. But even greater, the Lord Jesus is going to manifest his power and our victory right in the middle of the air. Oh, beloved, may it happen soon. I'd like to be there. But there is one, and a closing distinct feature, which we mention concerning the rapture and the resurrection of saints. And what is it but which follows? You know the words that close in First Thessalonians chapter four, verse seventeen. We meet the Lord in the air, and John the Apostle Paul goes on to write, and so... Shall we ever be or always be with the Lord? This is the eternal blessedness. Forever with the Lord. My beloved, may I ask the question? May I do it to my own heart as well as to yours, my fellow believer? Do we not have happy times when we really are with the Lord down here in happy fellowship? Oh, think what is coming. Today it is so interrupted. Today it is so difficult to maintain constant fellowship, unbroken, without being interrupted, here below, with him. But oh, when that rapture comes, we enter into the eternal blessedness of being with him. I think of the words of David in Psalm twenty-three and verse six. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell, I shall abide in the house of the Lord forever. Always with the Lord. And surely we can see the fulfillment of those blessed words. Jesus said, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also. My beloved friend, may I ask, do you have this blessed hope? The hope of the church, which is heaven-born, heaven-fed, and heaven-bound, and always to be with the Lord. Take it to the Father's house. You may ask the question, my listener. How can I know the way? Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus, saying, I am the way, the truth, and the light. No man cometh under the Father but by me. John fourteen in verse six. The way is a person. Christ himself. He is not a way. He is the way. And he is the truth, and he is the life, the embodiment of all truth, and the giver of all life, and especially the giver of eternal life. My beloved is the exclusive way. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. Possess Christ, make sure that he is your Savior. You too will be in that wonderful event, meeting him in the air. Father, by the Holy Spirit, bless, sanctify thy truth, to the hearts of thy people, and especially to the hearts of any sinners who need to be saved in Jesus' name Amen.