THE FIRST AND SECOND COMINGS OF CHRIST.
By David Arnold
The first and second advents of Christ are events that excel in greatness and interest all and every other event connected with the history of our world. To redeem and fully restore all things back to the Edenic state in which the all-wise Creator first placed this now ruined and sin-cursed world, is a work that no being in Heaven or earth or in universal worlds around could accomplish save Him in whom it pleased the Father should all fullness dwell, and in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Consequently the magnitude of this work bears a close analogy to the greatness of the only one competent to devise and execute such a work. Therefore the interest involved in these events to every son and daughter of Adam is truly paramount to every other interest combined. This being the truth is it not reasonable to conclude since “the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets,” Amos 3:7, that these events will be more especially noted in prophecy, and all the events in close connection with these scenes will be clearly and definitely set forth in prophetic description? And truly while we search the transcript of the divine mind as recorded in prophecy we find that the first and second coming of Christ are the two great central points to which almost all prophecy converges. Then as “we have also a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed,” 2 Peter 1:19, let us, dear reader, carefully examine the sure word concerning these two great events, and see if the last is not near, even at the door. And first, let us take a view of the culpable neglect and criminal unbelief of the first house of Israel by which their house was left desolate and Christ became to them a stumbling stone and rock of offense. All the sacrificial blood-shedding from the sacrifice of righteous Abel down to Calvary’s cross, with almost the whole category of typical services, point with unerring certainty to the scenes and events connected with the first advent and the work of the atonement. The Old-Testament scriptures abound with prophecies showing most conclusively the introductory and progressive work, and closing scenes of the first advent. They stand out in bold relief as written by the prophets. And not only this, but time with its definite index, fixes a precise point where eight events transpiring, close the Jewish and usher in the Gentile or Christian dispensation. The seventy weeks of Daniel 9:24, commencing at the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, Ezra 7, covering a space of four hundred and ninety years, marked the time when the Jews should no longer be the special chosen people of God, when their city and temple should be rejected and it should no longer be a transgression to neglect their ceremonial ordinances, or a sin to put them away. Here also, by Christ’s atoning sacrifice, reconciliation should be made for iniquity and the everlasting righteousness of Christ should appear, and thus the vision and prophecy would be sealed and the most holy anointed. Had the Jews with the facilities within their reach searched the sure word, they might have known the time of their visitation and hailed with joy the babe of Bethlehem with a Simeon and Anna and the wise men in the East, and been partakers of the blessings, and heralds of the event. But instead of searching the sure word, they looked back to Abraham as their father, rejected all the light a kind heavenly parent had given them, clung to the old system of types and shadows, sunk down in darkness and unbelief, clamored for the blood of the Son of God, knew not the time of their visitation, and their house was left desolate. And after the lapse of eighteen hundred years with all the foregoing evidence of the first advent and the additional testimony of the New-Testament scriptures, with the ordinances of the Christian church pointing back to the death, burial, and resurrection, of the Messiah, so great is their darkness that they are still in unbelief. Truly, Christ was a stone of stumbling and rock of offense to the first house of Israel. No marvel that Christ should say in view of such darkness, Take heed that the light that is in thee be not darkness. Here is an exhibition of the darkness and unbelief engendered by a rejection of the light of prophecy and a bigoted, superstitious rejection of whatever does not come in the line of our creed or directly from some of the ancient fathers. But Christ is said to be a stumbling-stone and rock of offense to both houses of Israel, and we see it clearly fulfilled in the first house. The first advent passed with all its clear fulfillments of prophecy, and we have the sad record of the unbelief and hardness of heart of those who should have hailed its appearance with gladness. Now, let us turn our attention to the second house of Israel and the crowning event of all events—the second advent of Christ. Christ while here on earth said to his sorrowing disciples when about to leave them, “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 14:2, 3. The two in white apparel that appeared at his ascension said, “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 “coming again” is an event of such vast magnitude, such deep and thrilling interest, to the entire race, and fraught with such eternal consequences that it would seem that no one could but feel a deep and lasting interest in its nearness, and weigh well the inspired testimony which shows that it is drawing near. The disciples of Christ felt a deep interest in the second advent, and although far in the future, they anxiously inquired, “What shall be the sign of thy coming?” In this was centered their hope; for in his second coming was their only hope of the resurrection of the just and the reward of the righteous. Why, then, should the second house of Israel, see Gal. 3:29, be so loth to hear and investigate the sure word of prophecy, whereunto they do well to take heed unless they have, as Isa. 28:15 says, “made a covenant with Death, and with hell are at agreement”? No need of the second advent: we have made a covenant with Death to take us across the river to the Canaan of rest, where there is fullness of joy, and our trust in Christ will secure us against the flames of hell. Away with the doctrine of the advent near, if we are only prepared for death, that is all we need. Pause a moment and read the doom of those who have made a covenant with Death as recorded by Isa. 28:18–23. And as the signs have been and are fulfilling all around us, let us take heed to the sure word that we may be of those who shall say at his coming, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him.” As has been shown, the first house of Israel had all the facilities for knowing the time and the manner of the first advent, and for not knowing this, their house, their sanctum sanctorum, was left desolate. And can it be supposed for a moment that the great crowning event of all events, Christ’s second coming and the scenes connected with the close of probation, the resurrection of all the righteous dead, the “gathering together of his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other,” the pouring out of the seven vials of God’s wrath to desolate the earth, the binding of Satan for one thousand years, the commencement of the thousand-year period of judgment, the great day of God, &c., &c. I say, Can it be supposed that the coming of Christ the second time to commence and finish up all these events is left a mystery that none can understand while the first advent was made so plain that the Jews were rejected for not knowing the time? No, no; God does not so deal with his creatures. “We have a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed.” But few of the signs given in prophecy as precursors of the second advent, have not already become history. The signs given by Christ, Matt. 24, in answer to the inquiry, “What shall be the sign of thy coming?” have all, save one, been most definitely fulfilled. The sun was darkened, and the moon did not give her light, in perfect keeping with the prediction as to time and manner, on the 19th day of May, 1780. The stars, meteors, fell from the atmospheric heavens so as to meet all the descriptions of the prophecy, Nov. 13, 1833. The only sign here given that remains to be fulfilled is the shaking of the powers of the heavens. This is in close connection with, and a part of, the scene of his appearance in the clouds of heaven. Christ also describes the condition of the inhabitants of the earth just prior to, and at, his coming and refers to the days of Noah and Lot as representing those days. The features he points out are clearly seen in these days of feasts, picnics, fairs, donation parties, socials, and those various gatherings so common where feasting and drinking constitutes a prominent point in the programme. These all come in to fill out the scene, and render the prophecy, history. The disciple John was also chosen to write out and give a faithful description of scenes and events in close connection with the second advent, all of which are fulfilled and fulfilling in such perfect order as to demand of the inhabitants of earth who have access to the Bible a knowledge of the nearness of the great event just at hand. Of these events we will mention the three angels’ messages of Rev. 14, the spirits of devils working miracles, the filling up of Babylon with every unclean and hateful bird, preparatory to her destruction, the preparation of the kings of the East for the great battle of Armageddon, who are now preparing for war on a gigantic scale, and the efforts now on foot in this government destined to produce an image to the beast;—all these and many more tell us plainly his coming is near. Daniel, the man greatly beloved, was also inspired to inform us who are living in the “last days” of the progressive events of the rise and fall of four universal empires reaching down to the standing up of Michael (Christ), at which time the dead shall be raised and the kingdom of peace be established under the whole heaven. Daniel has also along the way marked certain events and defined their occurrence by definite periods which have been most clearly fulfilled, some of them within the present generation, bringing us into close proximity to the second advent. Other prophets have most clearly defined events and occurrences and described scenes146in close connection with the end. Yea, all the prophets who have written since the days of Samuel have spoken of the great restitution of all things. Nahum, after speaking of the Lord’s “taking vengeance” and “utterly cutting off the wicked,” says, The “chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation.” Here we have a graphic description of the railroad cars, which are jostling one against another in the broad ways and running like the lightnings. These tell us most definitely that He that dasheth in pieces is in the day of his preparation. Says the psalmist, “Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” But the brevity of these remarks will not permit us to give all the signs that prophets have written, which are fulfilled and fulfilling as precursors of the second advent near. And now, my friends, shall we search the sure word and take heed to its teachings, believe what the prophets have written and make timely preparation to meet the things that are coming on the earth, and to stand before the Son of man. Or shall we, like the first house of Israel, turn a deaf ear to all that a merciful Father has given us to warn us of the coming of the great day of his wrath and thus become subjects of the seven last plagues. Permit me in conclusion to call your special attention to, and urge a close investigation of, the third angel’s message found in Rev. 14:9–12. This is the last message of mercy to a fallen world, and draws the line between the worshipers of the beast and his image and the keepers of God’s commandments and the faith of Jesus. The first to be the subjects of the seven last plagues, see Rev. 16:2, the other to be borne away on the white cloud, to have right to the tree of life. Rev. 22:14. “The day approaches, O my soul,
The great decisive day,
Which from the verge of mortal life,
Shall bear thee far away.”
“Yet does one short preparing hour,
One precious hour remain,
Rouse, then, my soul, with all thy power,
Nor let it pass in vain.”