p. 1 | I WILL COME AGAIN by P. C. Rodman

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 18, 1869

I WILL COME AGAIN.

By P. C. Rodman

BY ELD. P. C. RODMAN.

TEXT.—“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 xiv, 1-3.

There are several reasons why the hearts of the disciples were troubled, as this language implies. We will notice some of them.

1. He had introduced an ordinance that they did not fully understand, although they had taken part in it, and Jesus had explained to them its import, and said unto them, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

2. He had astonished them by declaring that one of them should betray him; and they began to inquire, “Is it I? is it I?” not suspecting Judas, even.

3. After he had gone out, Jesus said, “Yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me; and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. Then to Peter he had said he could not follow him then, but should follow him afterwards; and in reply to his assertion he told him he should deny him. Read John xiii, entire.

Not fully understanding all this, and especially because he was going to leave them, they were troubled. But, says Jesus, “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.” They had confidence in God; they were only to have the same in him, and it would disperse doubt. And well may they repose confidence in him who was rich, but for their sakes had become poor, that they might be rich; for his love for the faithful will never abate.

He said to them, “I will not leave you comfortless, but will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter that shall abide with you forever. Verses 15, 18. What is this Comforter?” “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Verse 25.

Thus on the day of Pentecost they were not troubled and filled with doubt; for they were able to explain the things that were transpiring. Having done as Jesus had told them to do, they had kept his commandments and so abode in his love. But some one may ask, what especial commandment of the Saviour they had kept. “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke xxiv, 49.

After they had patiently waited, the promise was fulfilled. Then while others were amazed and in doubt, Peter stood up and explained the wonder by quoting from the prophet Joel, saying, This is that, &c. He preached quite a discourse which resulted in the adding of three thousand souls, to the hundred and twenty, in one day. This is pretty good testimony in favor of expounding the prophecies, and showing present truth to the people.

Brethren, be of good cheer. Truth is just as clear and as easy to be understood now, as then; and Jesus says, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He will give us rest from condemnation, by granting us pardon of all our sins; only confess and forsake. If we take his yoke and learn of him, he will enable us to live obedient to God, and to prepare for the eternal rest that remains for his people. This certainly implies labor. This would lead us to inquire,

What would Jesus have us do, that he did? We answer, Keep the Father's commandments. But some will say, We cannot do that. Not of ourselves, it is true; but we have One to help us, that is able to lead us to victory over all our sins, so that we can live soberly and righteously in this present world. Read Rom. viii, 1-4: “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Is not this a comforting thought for us who wish to be servants of the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from Heaven, that we can keep his holy commandments, and thus really love him who has loved us so as to give his only begotten Son for us, that we might have eternal life?

Verse 2. “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.” All Bible believers believe Jesus did go: but do they believe he has gone to prepare a place for us? I believe he has gone to prepare a place for his people; but it is our privilege to go still farther than this. Our faith can take hold on those mansions as being prepared for us. Shall we not come up to this point, and so rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

What a precious promise here is: “I will come again and receive you unto myself.” But where shall we be then? Where will he take us? Answer. To the place he has gone to prepare.

Said a minister some years since, “He has gone to prepare the earth, for this is to be the eternal abode of the saints, when made new.”

Now it is here the righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein forever; but they have the promise of following the Saviour to the place he has gone to prepare, and that place is in Heaven.

Proof: Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, “Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterward.” John xiii, 36. It may be objected that this is virtually saying that the saints shall inherit Heaven. Not quite that, but we do say they are promised an inheritance in Heaven.

Proof: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you. In this text we are taught that by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead we are begotten to a lively hope, or hope of life, and that eternal; and then, as if anticipating the inquiry, Where shall we live when alive never more to die, he adds, to an “inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.”

Say, brother, or sister, shall we love these things that we behold all defiled more or less, and fading as they are? Or shall we use them as not abusing them, and love this unfading, incorruptible inheritance, so having our affections on things above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God? Which occupies our mind and interests us the most? That which does, must be our treasure; and where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.

But how and when shall we come to possess this inheritance? Answer, “Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke xiv, 14. Another testimony: “For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thess. iv, 16-18. Now when we are resurrected and go to meet the Lord, he will take us to that incorruptible inheritance, and there the saints will abide in safety while the earth is made empty, and its inhabitants, the wicked, are swept off by the destruction of the mighty God, whose unmixed wrath shall come upon them. Isa. xxiv, 1-6. Zoph. i, 3, reads, “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks

with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord.” Read also verses 14-18. Thus is described the result of the unmixed wine of the wrath of God, as threatened by the third angel, upon all that worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand; but when this time comes there is seen a company of whom it is said, “Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Shall we be among the last company described? If we are, must we not bear this character before God? Certainly; for the faithful Witness has said, “Blessed are they that do his [God's] commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into his city.” Rev. xiv, 9, 12, and xxii, 14.

Here we think we have found the incorruptible inheritance that is reserved in Heaven for us, who are kept by the power of God unto salvation, and also the character of those who will be thus kept; for the Lord will keep the way of his saints; for he is the hope of his people amid the perils of the last days. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler; Thy law is the truth. Ps. xci, 4; cxix, 142. God will protect his loyal people, and give them a home in those mansions he has gone to prepare, while the earth is desolated without an inhabitant; and there they will dwell a thousand years, amid the splendor of the eternal city, and be associated with Christ in the judgment of the world. 1 Cor. vi, 2: “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” Again, Rev. xx, 4-6: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands: and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. . . . 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.” Thus the saints will make a visit of one thousand years to Heaven. What will take place after that? This we answer by calling attention to Rev. v, 9, 10: “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests.” This we think will take place during the thousand years, while the saints rejoice over their deliverance, in the city with its golden streets, jasper walls, and pearly gates, in the society of angels anticipating their glorious rest on the earth eternally; for thus they continue: “And we shall reign on the earth.” Are they then to leave their glorious abodes in Heaven? I answer, No. It is to descend and be the metropolis of the everlasting possession, and they will come to partake of the fruit of the tree of life each month, that is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Then, after the thousand years, the saints and city will be on the earth. The earth will be made new; and there will be no more curse. Dear hearer, will you be there? May you so obey God and follow the good Shepherd, that he may receive you to reign with him, when he comes again, to receive his people, and take them to the place he has now gone to prepare. Amen.