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The Events of His Coming

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 2, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 11.

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The Events of His Coming

By L. L. C.

The Second Advent—No. 4

The Events of His Coming

WE have found that the promise of Christ’s coming runs through the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation; that his coming is to be personal and glorious; that the purpose of his coming is to judge all men, give every man his reward, restore the earth, and have his people ever with him. Let us now consider in more detail the order of events which the Bible connects with the second advent.
The preaching of the gospel to the whole world will precede the return of him who died on Calvary, but comes back to earth to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Again, as in the days before the destruction of Jerusalem (A. D. 70),—
“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24:14.
The apostle Paul, writing to the Colossians about A. D. 64, could exhort them to remain faithful to “the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.” Col. 1:23.
The words in which this gospel is to be preached when it again goes to the whole world are given in Revelation 14. The very next thing which the apostle John saw after the work of the three angels was the coming of Christ on a great white cloud:—
“I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Rev. 14: 14-16.
Thus a world-wide message is to be given. While we are not to expect that all will be converted, the message comes as a witness to all, and “then shall the end come.”
The resurrection of the righteous dead and the translation of the righteous living will take place at Christ’s coming. This is made very clear in the words of 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17:—
“The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
A fuller description of the change which both the dead and the living undergo is given in 1 Cor. 15: 51-53:—
“Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
The wicked are not raised in the first resurrection. Their resurrection occurs after a period of a thousand years, during which, having no subjects to deceive, Satan finds himself bound. In the words of Scripture,—
“The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” Rev. 20: 5-7.
These words bring to view the Biblical doctrine of the millennium, a thousand years of inactivity for Satan because all the wicked are dead and the righteous are reigning with Christ. At the close of this period the rest of the dead live again, and Satan gathers them to battle:—
“They went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Rev. 20: 9.
The apostle Peter tells us that “the heavens and the earth which are now . . . are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:7. In further describing that day he says:—
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3: 10-13.
The beauties of that new creation no human pen can paint. We can but say with the great voice out of heaven which John heard:—
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Rev. 21: 3, 4.
May God hasten the glad day of this glorious consummation. L. L. C.