SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
By Birdie Watson
1. Is Christ coming again? John 14:3: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” Matt. 24:29, 30: “Immediately after the tribulation [1,260 years of papal persecution] of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven; . . . and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; . . . and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds.” NOTE.—The wonderful dark day took place on May 19, 1780. Cows came lowing home, chickens went to roost. It was a “supernatural darkness, no cause known.”—Webster. The same night the moon had the appearance of blood. The wonderful meteoric shower of falling stars took place on Nov. 13, 1833, 64 years ago; many people live yet to testify of this event. 3. How near is his coming when we see these signs? See Matt. 24:32–36: “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” 4. Do we know the day or the hour? “But of that day and hour knoweth no man.” Acts 1:9–11: “A cloud received him out of their sight. . . . 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.” Rev. 1:7: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.” 6. Who will accompany him? Rev. 5:11: “And the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” NOTE.—These form the cloud or clouds in which our Lord comes. 7. What does one angel look like? Rev. 10:1: “I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.” NOTE.—The sun is 93,000,000 miles away from the earth, yet in the summer-time its heat is almost unbearable, and its brightness is blinding. 8. How will it be when we stand in the immediate presence of such a company, with the glory of Christ added? Ps. 50:3: “Our God shall come, . . . a fire shall devour before him.” 9. Who will be destroyed by this fire, or brightness? 2 Thess. 1:8: “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thess. 2:8: “Whom the Lord shall . . . destroy with the brightness of his coming.” 10. How will the righteous be affected? See 1 Cor. 15:51–54; 1 Thess. 4:15–17: “Shall all be changed;” “put on immortality,” “be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air;” “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.