WHY CHRIST'S COMING IS DELAYED
By K. C. Russell
K. C. RUSSELL (South Lancaster, Mass.) THERE are doubtless many who once believed that the Lord’s coming was very near, but because He did not come within the time they had fixed in their mind that He should come, they have lost their faith in this glorious doctrine. The truth is, however, that the very delay in the Lord’s return is that which will increase our faith and confirm our hope in the comforting truth of His coming. The apostle says, in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The text does not teach that the Lord is not slack concerning the promise of His coming; but that He is not slack as men count slackness. But how does He count His slackness in not coming? The remainder of the text will tell us how He counts the delay: “But is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God always counts things differently than man does. In the fifteenth verse of this same chapter the Lord speaks on this point, as follows: “And account that the long-suffering [delaying His coming] of our Lord is salvation.” Do you count that the delaying of the Lord’s coming, that you might come to repentance, has been your salvation? If you are counting in that way, you are in possession of the mind of Christ on this point. Lest some one may question the application of the term “slack” to the Lord’s delay in coming, I will herewith give two other translations of this text: “The Lord is not slow with His promise as some esteem slowness, but is long-suffering towards you, not being willing that any should perish; but that all into repentance should make way.”—Rotherham. “The Lord who hath promised, doth not delay in the manner some account delaying; but He exercises long-suffering towards us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”—Macknight. From these translations it can be seen that the terms “slack,” “slow,” and “delay” are used synonymously. It may be that “for joy” some one may not believe that the Lord is so inexpressibly kind to the impenitent that He is delaying His coming, that they may come to repentance; hence I will quote other texts which prove that the Lord is delaying His return: “Behold, the husbandman WAITETH for the precious fruit of the earth [his people], and hath long PATIENCE for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” James 5:7. “The long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing.” All understand that the days of Noah were a type of the last days of this world’s history before Christ is to come. The long-suffering of God waited then, for men to repent, and so the long-suffering of God is waiting now, for men to repent. Is He waiting for you? 1 Peter 3:20. The Spirit of Prophecy is in harmony with the Bible in this, as in all other thoughts. If all who had labored unitedly in the work in 1844 had received the Third Angel’s Message, and proclaimed it in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts. A flood of light would have been shed upon the world. Years ago the inhabitants of the earth would have been warned, the closing work would have been completed, and Christ would have come for the redemption of His people.—Great Controversy. Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving the message of mercy to the world, Christ would have come to the earth, and the saints would ere this have received their welcome in the city of God.—Appeal for Missions, Oct. 21, 1898. Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have come to our earth in power and great glory.—The Desire of Ages, page 634. If any think that because the Lord has delayed His coming, He may do so indefinitely, they should read carefully 2 Peter 3:10, first part, which says: “But the day of the Lord will come.” And this statement is made immediately following the statement that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God’s Spirit will not always strive with man; but as soon as all have an opportunity to come to repentance, “He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Years ago we were told by the Lord that the angel of mercy was folding its wings to take its flight from this world. Ought it not to be the earnest desire of all to repent of their sins, that the limit of God’s long-suffering may not come, and they have failed to “come to repentance”? Are those sins that have been committed against God and His truth repented of? Have we repented of our neglect in studying His word, and seeking Him both in family and secret prayer? Have we repented of our sin in failing to render to God that which belongs to Him in tithes and offerings? Is the Lord waiting for us to make those wrongs right that we have committed against husband, wife, children, brother, sister, friend, or neighbor? The Lord has promised that he will lead us to repentance. “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Rom. 2:4. And even after He leads us, and we come along with Him, He will even then give it to us. Acts 5:30; 2 Tim. 2:25. For one to complain because the Lord has delayed His coming, since we have seen that it is because He is waiting for all to come to repentance, would be to do as Jonah did when he was displeased because God had not destroyed the Ninevites. Instead of being displeased, Jonah should have rejoiced exceedingly. So now, and with us, instead of complaining because the Lord has not come, we should rejoice that all may come to repentance. Do not delay in coming to repentance, if you have not already found it.