Part 6 (1/2)
”Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all.” Jude 14, 15.
The promise of Christ's coming was the ”blessed hope” in the patriarchal age. In Job's dark hour of trial his heart clung to the promise, and he was kept from despair:
”I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: ... whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” Job 19:25-27.
The psalmist sang of it:
”Our G.o.d shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.” Ps. 50:3.
And the prophets of later times were unceasingly moved upon to talk of the glory of that coming, of events preceding it, and of the preparation for it.
”I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence.” ”Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.” Isa. 62:6, 11.
The message of His coming is to be heralded to the ends of the earth; for it is ”good tidings of great joy” to every one who will receive it.
On that last night with His disciples before the crucifixion, when His heart was sorrowful even unto death, as the burden of all our iniquities was about to be laid upon Him, Christ's love for His own made precious to Him the thought of His second coming to gather them home at last, safe from all sin and trouble; and He said:
”Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in G.o.d, believe also in Me.
In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3.
In that a.s.surance the heart finds rest. O the preciousness of the promise, ”I will come again”! ”I am coming for you,” is the cheering message. ”Yes, Lord,” we reply, ”we will wait, and watch, and be ready, by Thy grace.”
The Manner of His Coming
Christ's second coming is to be visible to all the world. There is to be nothing secret or mystical about it. The revelator says:
”Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him.” Rev. 1:7.
Christ Himself described the scene to His disciples as it will appear to the eyes of all:
”As the lightning cometh out of the east, and s.h.i.+neth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24:27. ”Then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13:26.
The day of the Lord--the close of probation, the initial outpouring of the judgments of G.o.d--will come ”as a thief in the night,” but Christ's personal appearing will be visible to all. The heavens will open, the earth quake, the trump of G.o.d resound, and such glory as mortal eye has never seen will burst upon the world when He comes as King of kings and Lord of lords.
”He comes not an infant in Bethlehem born, He comes not to lie in a manger; He comes not again to be treated with scorn, He comes not a shelterless stranger; He comes not to Gethsemane, To weep and sweat blood in the garden; He comes not to die on the tree, To purchase for rebels a pardon.
Oh, no; glory, bright glory, Environs Him now.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE TRANSFIGURATION A TYPE OF HIS COMING
”Behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.”
Matt. 17:3.]
”This Same Jesus”
The Lord would have His children understand that this One who comes in power and glory is the same Saviour of men who once walked by blue Galilee. As the disciples were watching their Saviour, and ours, ascending bodily into heaven from Olivet, until ”a cloud received Him out of their sight,” suddenly two angels stood by them, who said:
”Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9, 11.
[Ill.u.s.tration: CHRIST SET AT NAUGHT BY THE ROMANS