The Coming of Christ: by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Oct 25, 1883

The Coming of Christ:

By John Nevins Andrews

THE DOCTRINE OF THE SECOND ADVENT AS REVEALED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

WE have shown that the doctrine of the advent of Christ to execute the Judgment was known from the days of Adam to those of John the Baptist. We are now to trace this doctrine through the New Testament. The Jews well understood from the Old Testament that there is to be a day of future retribution, as is shown by the familiar references made to it by John the Baptist and by Christ. Matt. 3: 7, 12; 7: 21-23; 11: 22, 24; 12: 36, 41; 13: 40-43, 49, 50.

When Christ was at Cæsarea Philippi he thus announced his second advent to his disciples: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he reward every man according to his works." Matt. 16: 27; Mark 8: 38; Luke 9: 26. In order that this might be perfectly understood, he promised that certain of his disciples should witness this as it will appear at the last day. This was fulfilled at his transfiguration. Matt. 16: 28; 17: 1-9; 2 Pet. 1: 16-18.

In Matt. 24: 27, 29-31 he says: "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. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 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. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." See also Mark 13: 24-27; Luke 21: 25-27.

In Matt. 25: 31-34 Christ says: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." See also verses 35-46.

In Luke 17: 29, 30 Christ says: "But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." In John 5: 28, 29; 6: 39, 40, 44, 54, Christ announced the resurrection of the dead, which is an event connected with his second advent. In John 14: 1-3 Christ said: "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."

At the ascension of the Saviour from the Mount of Olives we read: "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also 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." Acts 1: 9-11.

Peter, a few days after this, thus addressed the Jews: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3: 19-21.

St. Paul told the Athenians that God "hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness." Acts 17: 31. He wrote to the Romans of the day when God will render to every man according to his deeds. Rom. 2: 7. To the Corinthians, Paul wrote that we are to commemorate the death of Christ till he come again. 1 Cor. 11: 26. He also wrote them that the resurrection of the just would take place at the advent of the Saviour; thus he said: "For as in

Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. . . . We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Cor. 15: 22, 23, 51, 52.

St. Paul wrote again to the Corinthians concerning the last day: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5: 10. To the Philippians Paul wrote: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." Phil. 3: 20, 21.

The same apostle wrote to the Thessalonians that they had turned from idols to serve the living God, and to wait for his Son from heaven. He told them also that they would be his crown at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when they would appear before God unblameable in holiness. 1 Thess. 1: 10; 2: 19; 3: 13. He also said to them: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with 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." 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17. He wrote them again in these words: "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God." 2 Thess. 1: 7, 8.

To Timothy he wrote that the Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. 2 Tim. 4: 1. He wrote to Titus that we are to look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2: 13. He wrote to the Hebrews that Christ will appear the second time to the salvation of those that look for him, and that he will come and not tarry. Heb. 9: 28; 10: 37.

St. James wrote: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5: 7, 8. St. Peter wrote the brethren that their faith, though tried as by fire, would be found unto praise and glory at the appearing of Christ. 1 Pet. 1: 7. He wrote the elders that when the chief Shepherd shall appear they shall receive a crown of glory, which shall not fade away. 1 Pet. 5: 4. He wrote them again that the doctrine of the second advent is not a cunningly devised fable. 2 Pet. 1: 16-18. He said also that the scoffers in the last days would ask in derision, "Where is the promise of his coming?" 2 Pet 3: 3, 4.

St. John desired that his brethren should not be ashamed before Christ at his coming. He said that the Christian would be made like Christ when he comes again. 1 John 2: 28; 3: 2. St. Jude records the prophecy of Enoch: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints." Jude 14. St. John says again, "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him." Rev. 1: 7. He also saw him upon the white cloud, about to reap the harvest of the earth. Rev. 14: 14. He saw him also riding forth upon the white horse. Rev. 19: 11-16. And in this book Christ says, "I come as a thief," and four times, "I come quickly." Rev. 3: 11; 16: 15; 22: 7, 12, 20. J. N. A.