WE are taught by the grace of God to look for the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour. This appearing will not be in a hidden manner, else it could not be spoken of as appearing. Webster defines the word “appearing” as the act of coming into sight; the act of becoming visible to the eye; a thing seen; an appearance in the sky; personal presence; exhibition of the person. Christ then will appear, will be visible to every eye. Rev. 1:7. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us that . . . we should live soberly, righteously, and godly. . . . Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2: 11-13.
The second coming of Christ has been spoken of by all his holy prophets. “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”
On an average, one verse in every twenty-eight in the New Testament speaks of the second coming of Christ.
Enoch understood the coming of Christ, for in Jude 14 we read that he prophesied of the coming of the Lord with ten thousands of his saints. All the generations from Adam to Enoch had the privilege of hearing the message of Christ’s coming directly through Enoch; for Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years, and from creation until the birth of Enoch was six hundred and twenty-two years, so Adam lived three hundred and eight years after the birth of Enoch. Then Methuselah was born three hundred years before Enoch’s translation, so he had a chance to hear directly from his father. Methuselah lived until the year of the flood, and Shem, the second son of Noah, was born ninety-seven years before the flood; hence he had the message from Methuselah. Both Abram and Isaac had the privilege of hearing it from Shem; for Abram lived one hundred and fifty years, and Isaac fifty years, contemporaneously with Shem.
Abram looked for a city whose builder and maker is God. The message of Christ’s second coming, which was given by Enoch, had to pass through only two individuals, Methuselah and Shem, to reach Abram and Isaac. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb. 11:8-10.
Job’s hope was in the coming of Christ at the latter day. Job 19: 23-27:11“Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”
Christ himself has promised to come again and receive unto himself all those who believe in him. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, 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. This is a beautiful promise, and in Christ’s own words.
Another statement is recorded in Acts 1: 9-11. Jesus was talking with his disciples, and when he had finished speaking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And it was then, as they stood looking steadfastly toward heaven, that two angels appeared to them and 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.” This must have been a blessed assurance to them to know that he would come again. After being so closely associated with Christ, I believe it was a disappointment to the disciples when he was taken from their midst, but when the promise was given them that he would come in the same manner as they had seen him go, they must have rejoiced. So also should we rejoice as the promise is handed down from generation to generation and by all the holy prophets to us.
The last Bible prophet describes Christ’s second coming: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” Rev. 1: 7. This, then, agrees with the text in Acts 1: 9-11. A cloud received him out of sight, and when he comes, it will be with clouds.