CHRIST'S COMING WILL BE LITERAL.
By WM. PENNIMAN
MANY of the so-called divines of the day attempt to prove that there will be no literal coming of the Saviour. A doctor of divinity with whom I am acquainted attempts to overthrow the true meaning of Acts 1:11, by claiming that the Greek word, tropon, means not manner, but character. So when the angels 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,” they did not mean that he would come literally, but spiritually, with the same character. This position amounts to nothing. This expression is pointless and without meaning if you undertake to spiritualize it so as to get rid of50the literal coming of Christ. By using the word character instead of manner he undertakes to overthrow the literality of the whole text. The primary meaning of tropon, as given in Greenfield’s Greek Testament, is mode, manner, way. It is also thus defined in Liddell and Scott’s Greek Lexicon. Both of these authors give character as one of the definitions, but as they do not give it as the primary sense of the word, we are not bound to accept it, especially as it does not harmonize with the true sense of the text. Yet even admitting that the word means character, what is the great difference? What was the character of the Saviour’s ascent into Heaven? or what characterized it? Literality. He ascended up into Heaven bodily, and a cloud received him out of the sight of those who gazed upon him. Now what will be the character of his second coming? or what will characterize that event? Literality, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.” Rev. 1:7. Examine the text in question more carefully; notice that it reads: “This same Jesus.” The angels doubtless knew that some would not believe in his personal coming, and that some doctors of divinity, in the last days, would write and preach against it, hence the forcible language they used to encourage and comfort the disciples. “Yes,” says the objector, “it is the same Jesus, but his coming is not the same. He does not come visibly to the human eye; he comes spiritually to reign in the hearts of his people.” This is certainly a spiritual manner of getting rid of the teachings of the text. We would ask if Christ’s ascension into Heaven was simply of a spiritual character, or was it literal? If it was literal, then we must look for a literal coming; for the text reads, “This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven.” It plainly follows, then, that if his ascent into Heaven was personal, visible, and consequently literal, as he was seen by literal eyes, and a cloud received him out of their sight, then the same Jesus, no substitute or deception like the appearance of Samuel to Saul, but the real Jesus, who was on earth doing his Father’s will, who was crucified, and whom Thomas handled, will again come to the earth. If he is to so come in like manner, his coming again will be visible and literal, and as a cloud received him out of their sight, so he will be seen coming in a cloud. “And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:30. “And ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:62. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself.” John 14:3. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God.” 1 Thess. 4:16. See also 2 Thess. 1:7; Titus 2:13; 1 John 3:2. Have we not abundance of proof that his coming will be literal? Then instead of crying, “My Lord delayeth his coming,” or will not come at all, or if he does, it will be a spiritual coming, let us believe that his coming is near, and prepare for it, and for the things that are coming upon the earth. WM. PENNIMAN.