Behold He Cometh by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Apr 15, 1902

Behold He Cometh

By Uriah Smith

“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. The startling cry of a herald, uttered in the ears of a world in deadly peril! It proclaims the second advent of the Son of God, an event which will eclipse the record of every event that has gone before it in the whole history of the human race, from the beginning of time,—an event surpassing all other events in such glowing intensity that even the holy and beloved prophets, Daniel and John, fell as dead men before the angel that showed them the view of it, till they were strengthened by his angelic touch,—a day before which the most dazzling brightness that the chemistry of man can produce, will hide its head in utter blackness,—a day fraught with the most abrupt changes and world cataclysms that have ever overwhelmed humanity. Such a day is coming. Many will be startled by its opening scenes, then sink into death, from which they will not awake till a thousand years have rolled their slow length around. But every eye shall see Him,—every eye of the kindreds, tongues, and peoples that are living when he comes. But the declaration goes further than this: “And they also which pierced him.” This carries the mind inevitably back to the day of the crucifixion of our Lord, and the work of those who drove the cruel spikes through his hands, and thrust the spear into his side. And this text asserts that these

men will see him when he comes in his glory. But these men have already been sleeping in their graves for nearly two thousand years; and how, then, do they appear on this occasion?—By a special resurrection. We know that the resurrection of the dead takes place in two grand divisions, a thousand years apart,—the righteous, in the first division; “the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16); and the wicked, in the second resurrection; and “the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” Rev. 20:5.

But while the dead are set apart in two great divisions, the Scriptures do make special provision for the resurrection of those mentioned in Rev. 1:7. See Dan. 12:1. This chapter introduces the great time of trouble, when Michael stands up, “the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people.” The next verse (Dan. 12:2) reads as follows: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” This cannot be the general resurrection; for that is a classified resurrection,—the righteous and the wicked by themselves, respectively; but the resurrection here spoken of is a mixed resurrection, some righteous, raised to everlasting life, and some wicked, raised to shame and everlasting contempt. Now apply Rev. 1:7. Here are the ones raised at this time to shame and everlasting contempt,—the very ones who pierced him, that is, who had a part in his crucifixion, now raised to see him come in his glory. Would not this be fitting and appropriate? And among those raised in this promiscuous resurrection will be some raised to everlasting life. These will be some of those entitled to antecedent rewards, who will doubtless receive the stamp of eternal life when the final resurrection of the righteous takes place. Those who perish in the partial resurrection will perish again, in the second death, in the final closing up of the controversy with sin. Rev. 20:12-15. Most of the wicked experience death only twice; the death they die after the second resurrection is, and is called in their cases, the second death. But here are some of these exceptional cases who experience death three times. These remarks are offered to meet a query that might arise in some minds. But we find nothing inappropriate, inconsistent, or unjust in finding a place for these applications of the Scriptures.

He Surely Cometh

The Lord himself bears witness as to the manner of his coming, the same as in Rev. 1:7. See Matt. 24:30: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Again: “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The herald cry, “Behold, he cometh,” breaks upon the world when every conceivable effort is being made to discount the doctrine of the second coming, and make it appear that it has nothing real and tangible about it, and that no such event will ever come to pass; notwithstanding all the declarations, as plain as language could, or can, make it, that such an event is sure to take place, in all its glorious and minute particulars. It is astonishing what denials and sophistries and fallacious reasonings and contradictions are resorted to, to deaden the consciences of men and lead them to put far off the evil day, and even to persuade themselves that it will never come. But the text asserts that “every eye shall see him.” They will not simply think about him; but their eyes, every one, shall behold, and be fixed upon, him. And to them that look for him his appearance shall be without sin, for their salvation. Heb. 9:28. But the text includes all others, who also will see him; but he brings salvation only to those that look for him.

This should be the note to be proclaimed everywhere and every day, and to be affirmed with all assurance. Every token he gives of his approach, as the sending of this gospel of his kingdom to be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, is an evidence that he is moving, and is even now on the way. The Lord will not suffer his branch of the work to lag behind. “Then shall the end come”! People may now scout the idea of the coming of the day of the Lord. But when it opens upon the world, as described in Rev. 6:14-17, then they will all exclaim in concert, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” The Lord himself says, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22:12. It would be well for us now to make our own the question which the Scriptures reveal to us that the great and mighty men of earth will ask in that day, and see how we can answer it: “Who shall be able to stand?” That will then be the absorbing question. It will occupy the whole mind. The miser will then forget his gold; the worldly man his pride of life and his pleasures; the man of influence and of power his schemes, and advantages of cheating and of fraud; there will then be something of more importance to think of; and that is, how to be able to stand. Then all other thoughts will be merged into this: How shall we be able to stand? Let us, reader, ask ourselves the same question. Will you be able to stand? Shall I be able? The sorrow that men will feel on that great day will, in a great measure, arise out of the Lord’s glory. All men will then see what they have lost by rejecting it.

Since we must all see him, and answer at his judgment bar, why not now look to him and live, while he may be found? In the spirit of the apostle, can we acquiesce in the decisions of that day? Can we say, “Even so;” that is, so be it, “Amen”? U. S.