p. 7 | Jesus Is Here by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 12, 1914

“Jesus Is Here”

By F. M. W.

Of the doctrines of the Scriptures none is so precious as that of the return of Jesus. It has been the basis of faith, the anchor of hope, and the polestar of inspiration to the saints of every age. Of it holy prophets have prophesied and sacred singers sung. Belief in its reality has sustained the church throughout its history. To Christ’s coming the captives have looked for deliverance, the blind for sight, the weary for rest, the mourners for the joy of reunion with their lost ones. And these have not hoped in vain.

The Word plainly reveals that the return of the Lord to this earth will usher in the long-hoped-for day of deliverance from sin and death, and from all the power of Satan. The nations of men will be judged and rewarded according to their works; the earth will be purified from the effects of the curse; sin and sinners will be destroyed; the great author of sin will become as if he had never been; the righteous dead from

every age will be raised to a life of eternal joy; the righteous living will be changed to immortality; Christ will take up his dwelling place among the redeemed, and of his glorious reign there shall be no end.

These, briefly, are the events which cluster about, culminate in, and grow out of the second coming of Christ. No wonder that Satan has sought to obscure this blessed truth. Creating in some hearts a disbelief of it altogether, he has minimized its importance in other minds, leading even professed Christians to accept doctrines which rob the second advent of its true significance and real necessity. In the minds of many even who believe in the literal return of Jesus the teaching of the Word is distorted and perverted; and in too many instances religious teachers are responsible for these erroneous views.

A noteworthy example of delusive teaching on this great subject is seen in a series of articles recently published in the Christian Herald. Charles M. Sheldon, D. D., a Topeka (Kans.) pastor, and author of a religious novel, “In His Steps,” is the writer. The articles are cast in story form, under the heading “Jesus Is Here.”

Christ is represented as returning to the earth, his advent heralded by a peculiar light in the sky, observed alone by some of his devoted followers. He makes his first appearance in a little mission church in a city called Raymond. He lives among the people as a man, much as he did when here two thousand years ago. He preaches when opportunity affords; teaches from house to house; associates with men in all walks of life, manifesting an interest in their temporal affairs; eating, drinking, dressing, working, becoming wearied, and finding rest in sleep, like any human being. He highly commends the churches for their endeavors; strongly favors church federation; takes a deep interest in social, municipal, State, and national reform propaganda; decries war; seeks to influence legislation in the bringing about of reforms; etc. He fully measures up to the standard of a modern religio-political preacher.

As a religious novel the production is as good as its kind. Its theological teachings compare favorably with the religious beliefs of many professed Christians of the present day. But with the teachings of the Scriptures of Truth it is sadly and widely at variance. This will appear evident by the citation of several Scriptural propositions regarding the second coming of Christ.

Dr. Sheldon does not state in so many words that the coming of Jesus as represented in his story is the “second” and final coming of Christ as pictured in the Word, but the reader is left to draw this conclusion.

The Bible represents Christ as visiting this earth three different times; namely, his first advent, two thousand years ago; his appearing in the clouds of heaven at the end of this age, to take his children to the New Jerusalem above, where they will reign with him for one thousand years; and his return to earth at the end of the millennial reign, to destroy sin, and complete the work of restoration in the purification of the earth and the final establishment of his kingdom. When he comes the second time, he does not stand upon the earth, but the saints are caught up to meet him in the air. He will not stand upon the earth, as he did when he once lived among men, until, at the close of his millennial reign, he comes to establish on the earth and among men his glorious and everlasting kingdom. Read Heb. 9:28; Revelation 20; Zech. 14:1-9.

When Christ is about to appear the second time, the world will be apprised of the proximity of that event by striking signs and unusual phenomena. These signs and phenomena will be so unmistakable in their character as to call the attention of the entire world to the significance of their portent:—

1. There will be signs and unusual sights in the heavens. Luke 21:25-27; Isa. 2:10; Matt. 24:29-31.

2. Conditions in the physical world will point to its speedy dissolution. Heb. 1:10-12.

3. In the social world there will be found the same conditions which existed in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot. Luke 17:26-30.

4. The industries of peace will be made to pay heavy tribute to the demands of war; and the great, closing drama of earth’s history, as far as the voluntary course of the nations of men is concerned, will be the great battle of Armageddon. Joel 3:9-16; Rev. 16:12-16.

5. Contemporary with these warlike preparations there will be fostered a strong movement in behalf of peace, which will also constitute a sign of coming destruction. Isa. 2:1-5; 1 Thess. 5:1-4.

6. The great Christian church, instead of discerning the times and the seasons, sounding an alarm of impending danger, and calling the people to a reformation of life, will fall a prey to delusive teaching and sinful practices, and thus be herself a sign that the closing days of the world have been reached. 2 Tim. 3:1-5.

And when Christ returns the second time, his coming will be in an altogether different manner from that indicated by Dr. Sheldon. Instead of appearing to a few of his followers in some remote corner of the earth, and from there the knowledge of his return spreading by newspaper report to all the world, his coming will be attended by such phenomena as will leave none in ignorance of its character and identity. The Scriptures clearly teach that,—

1. The return of Christ will be attended by the glory of the Father and the angelic host. Matt. 16:27.

2. He will return in the same open, visible manner as he went away. Acts 1:9-11. Every eye shall see him. Rev. 1:7.

3. His voice will shake the earth, and from their graves, in earth and sea, shall come forth his sleeping saints. John 5:28, 29; 1 Cor. 15:51-55.

4. The righteous who are alive on the earth when he appears will be changed from mortality to immortality, and with the resurrected saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

5. The wicked living on the earth will be destroyed by the brightness of his coming. 2 Thess. 1:7-10.

When Christ returns, his waiting saints will meet him with glad acclaim. They will look up with joy in that day, and in the words of the prophet declare: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isa. 25:9. Then, and not until then, can it be said, “Jesus is here.”

It is to be regretted that Dr. Sheldon should lend his influence to the teaching of such antiscriptural philosophy as is contained in his series of articles in the Christian Herald, and it is to be regretted that that great, and for the most part excellent, journal, with its widespread influence, should place before its readers teaching of this character. Dr. Sheldon may pass muster as a novelist. His teachings may measure up to the standard of modern theology, but they surely fall far short of the standard of true Biblical exegesis, and of correctly representing the plain, unequivocal teaching of the Word of God. “What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.”

F. M. W.