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COMING SUDDENLY

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 25, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 10.

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COMING SUDDENLY.

NEW LIGHT.

BRO. and SR. White spent Sabbath, Aug. 22, with the church in Battle Creek. The burden of their message was the duty of watchfulness. With earnest words they set before the church their danger of being absorbed in the things of this world, setting their affections upon things below, and laying up their treasure here, so that the day of the Lord may come upon them unawares. “Watch ye therefore;” is the injunction of the Master, “for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.”
On this scripture some remarks were made especially by Bro. W., calculated to give this language a new and startling importance for us all.
What is the coming here brought to view which is liable to overtake us suddenly and find us sleeping? It cannot be the personal appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven; for before he thus appears, events are to transpire which will thoroughly arouse the soundest sleeper. Before that time the terrible fiat is to go forth, “He that is holy, let him be holy still, and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still;” and if we are sleeping when that fearful sentence is pronounced, that certainly will awaken us.
Following this, the plagues fall; and if we are sleeping then, the infliction of these last judgments, will thoroughly dispel from our hearts all spirit of slumber; and before the Lord actually appears, there is to go up to Heaven an agonizing cry from the great, the rich, the mighty, the bond and the free, as they call upon the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, whose appearance they momentarily expect. No, there will be no sleepers then. The delusive dream of sin, the fatal spell of carnal security has lost its hold upon careless professors and a wicked world before that time. The coming referred to must be a previous event.
The coming, which is to be sudden, and to find many sleeping, is, doubtless, the same as that brought to view in Matt. xxv, 19: “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them.” This coming is for the purpose of reckoning, looking over accounts, and coming to a settlement. But this is not the object for which Christ appears in the clouds of heaven. The reckoning with the servants is all done, and every case decided before that time. The coming to reckon can illustrate but one thing, and that is, the investigative judgment with which the sanctuary work in Heaven closes.
The foregoing we consider conclusive reasons to show that the sudden coming of the text cannot mean the appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven; and this view is further sustained by the fact that the expressions, coming of the Son of Man, coming of the Bridegroom, &c., are applied to movements on the part of Christ which take place before his actual appearance in this world. Thus, Dan. vii, 13: “And I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him.” Here is a “coming of the Son of Man;” but it is not a coming to earth, constituting his second appearing, but a coming to the Ancient of Days, who is in Heaven. Hence it denotes a movement of Christ in reference to his Father.
In the parable of the ten virgins, Matt. xxv, an event transpires called the coming of the Bridegroom; yet we learn from the events which follow, that that coming is not his appearing to this earth.
Malachi iii, 1, speaks of the Lord’s suddenly coming to his temple; but there follows a work of refining and purifying the people of God, a work which cannot follow his advent to this world; hence this “coming” takes place before his coming to earth.
Again in Matt. xxii, 11, and onward, we read of the king’s coming in to see the guests; but this coming is previous to the final decision of character, as a man is there found unprepared, and is cast out; and this forbids our applying this coming to his appearing in the clouds of heaven, all decision of character, as we have already stated, being made previous to that time.
From these illustrations and arguments, it is evident that the coming suddenly, of which our Lord speaks, may be and must be an event which takes place before his visible appearing as he returns to earth. And what is it? We answer this coming to reckon with his servants, the coming in of the king to see the guests, or in other words, the passing of the investigative judgment of the sanctuary upon the living saints.
It is in view of this that we are so strictly and repeatedly enjoined to watch. This may come upon us suddenly. No startling premonitions may herald the approach of this decisive hour. The closing judgment work goes rapidly forward. At what hour our Lord shall reckon with us, we know not. Our names may be called, and we be found asleep. He who, of ancient Israel, did not afflict his soul, and maintain a devout and watching position during the day of atonement, was cut off from among the people. And what will be the fate of him who is now found engrossed in the cares of this life, allied to this world, laying up his treasure here, but asleep to his eternal interests, and the world to come? Here is now the danger of the people of God. “O world! the world, with its cares, its riches and its pleasures! Satan means our ruin in these things. The True Witness gives us timely notice that the guests for the marriage feast are soon to be examined, and bids us secure the white raiment, the wedding garment. And the startling admonition is repeatedly given, Watch, watch, watch. The decisive moment is coming suddenly, at what hour you know not. Unannounced it opens upon you; suddenly you are called to meet the issue; and if you are then found off your watch, unprepared, asleep, all is lost. Shall we be alarmed? Shall we awake? We have each an individual case to look to; and individually we are to watch, lest coming suddenly he find us sleeping.”
BRO. and SR. W. had freedom in their exhortations. He remarked that he felt in his heart some of the original spirit of the first message. The meeting, though of the utmost solemnity, was truly cheering and encouraging. The Lord revive the true Advent faith and the true Advent spirit of separation from the world, waiting and watching, in the hearts of all his people.