The Coming of Christ.—No. 9.
By S. S. Griswold
We now come to the consideration of Acts 1:11, a passage, supposed by Adventists to be impregnable, as proving the personal return of Christ to this earth. The passage reads, commencing with the 4th verse, “And when he [Jesus] 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.” It is assumed that the above passage incontestibly proves the return of Christ in his material body to this earth; and to call in question that supposed fact is to question the veracity of the text. It is assumed by the Adventists that Christ’s literal body was raised from the dead, that it was this resurrected material body that was seen during his sojourn on the earth after the resurrection, and that it was this self-same material body of resurrected flesh, bones, muscles, blood, viscera, &c., that ascended into Heaven, and which is to return. That there are serious difficulties attending this view must be admitted even by its advocates. As the resurrected body of Jesus was doubtless clothed, Christ did not appear to his disciples naked, the question may be asked, Where did he obtain the garments he wore after his resurrection? For he was buried in grave-clothes, fine linen purchased by Joseph of Arimathea. These grave-clothes were left in the sepulcher, they were not assumed by Christ at his resurrection. Where, then, did he obtain those garments that he wore after his resurrection? Did Christ borrow, beg, buy, or create them out of nothing? Again, did Christ ascend to Heaven in those veritable garments of woolen, linen, or mixed? and is he now clad in those material fabrics? Again, if Christ’s resurrected body was the same veritable material body that was buried, how came it to pass that Mary did not recognize him after he was risen? See John 20:14–16; so also those two, while journeying to Emmaus. Luke 24:13–34. Again, and why were witnesses chosen to whom Christ appeared, instead of being seen by people generally? Again, why was not Christ visible all the time after his resurrection until his ascension, if he possessed a material body? and how could a material body pass into a room without the door being opened? Again, of what consistency were the bodies of those men that stood by the apostles at Christ’s ascension? also of those angels that were in the sepulcher, and that rolled away the stone from its mouth, at Christ’s resurrection? also of that multitude of the heavenly hosts who sang the natal song of the Redeemer? Again, if Christ ascended in the same veritable body of flesh and blood that he possessed during his earth life, must not his ascension to, and continuance in, the heavens be a continued miracle, counteracting the law of gravitation, which would have held him to the earth? So, also, must there not be a continued miracle, to sustain him in existence, as respects food? For how can his life be continued without nutriment, if his body is material as prior to his resurrection? In fact, the materialistic view of Christ’s resurrection, must necessarily involve an unending series of miracles. It entirely sets aside the whole course of nature, and resolves the whole into the miraculous. It may also be remarked that, had the ascension taken place either earlier or later in the day, the line of ascension would have been either in an opposite direction in the heavens, or at right angles with the direct line of ascension. The question, then, is, What was the ascension? Was it the ascending up from the earth of a material body, a body of flesh, blood, and bones, and all its internal viscera, against the law of gravitation, either drawn upward by some higher power, or propelled upward by some force inhering in the body itself? Its rising buoyant on the air could not have been caused by any spirit force within it; for according to the materialistic view, there is no such thing as spirit, hence no spirit force could have sent a body weighing some 150 pounds upward against the force of gravitation, which held it fast to the earth. What, then, was the ascension? Was it not the passing from the visible to the invisible? and was not its phenomena of being seen rather an effect wrought on the beholders, than on the ascending one? Was not the fact of the ascension in accordance with those laws of spiritual phenomena by which all those angelic appearances mentioned in the Scriptures are to be explained? The denial by materialists of all spiritual phenomena, is directly in the face of abundant evidence. The facts of spiritual phenomena can be sustained by as abundant testimony, almost, as those of the natural world. The assumption that mind, spirit, does not nor cannot exist, except as an effect of material organism, is contradicted by all past experience, both of science and revelation. It annihilates God as well as angels and men. It necessitates as its legitimate sequence, the blankest atheism. Not that all materialists are atheists, but that materialism, which denies the existence of spirit, except as the effect of material organism, necessitates that consequence. Therefore, although it may be anticipative of what may be said when I come to the consideration of the subject of the resurrection; yet, as the ascension of Christ seems to stand connected with his resurrection, perhaps I may be pardoned in very briefly remarking upon Christ’s death and resurrection. The death of Christ, then, what was it? Did it render him unconscious of existing, of being? During the time his body lay in the tomb, was not Christ, as to his spirit, alive? Did he not then exist as a conscious, active, acting being? or was all that constituted him a personality sleeping unconscious in the tomb of Joseph? An answer to these questions may, in a measure, determine as to who he was, whether a mere man or a divine man, possessing the duality of divinity and humanity. That he was the latter the Scriptures abundantly show. Hence death could not have been the annihilation of his consciousness or his divine consciousness. The admission would be fatal to his divinity. Christ, then, as to his spiritual nature, did not die, or death did not render him unconscious. For it was while his body lay entombed that he preached to the spirits of the departed dead, as mentioned by Peter (see 1 Pet. 3:18–20) a fact universally believed by the church during the first three centuries, but which materialism, infidelity, skepticism, and rationalism, has almost annihilated. As the death of Christ destroyed the organism of his body, his resurrection, viz., the egeiro not the anastasis of his body, was its restoration. (Remark. The egeiro or resuscitation of Christ’s body must not be confounded with the anastasis, or resurrection of the immortal Jesus. This distinction will be noticed more particularly when I come to examine the subject of the resurrection generally.) While, therefore, it may be admitted that the body of Christ was revivified, and thus removed from the sepulcher, and also that he might have so resumed it as to appear in it at certain times, yet it does not follow that all his post mortem appearances were thus in the fleshly body. For had they been, it is difficult to account for Mary not knowing him; also, the disciples going to Emmaus; also the fact of his appearing under a variety of forms or appearances, and his entering rooms without any opening; also his not being seen by the people generally. The true philosophy of his being seen after his resurrection, doubtless was the couching of the spirit eyes of those who beheld him, rather than his having re-possessed himself of his natural body. That at times he might have assumed an earthly form, may be admitted; but that does not seem to have been the usual manner by which his presence was recognized. There doubtless were good reasons why his body should have vacated the tomb, such as affording proof of his being alive, but that he always, after his resurrection, was possessed of that material body, and that he ascended in it, is not well attested. Christ’s natural body, like Elijah’s at his translation, was doubtless instantly resolved into its original gases, while he possessed a real spiritual body, the one in which he ascended, a body seen only by spiritual eyes. It was this spiritual body that Stephen saw when being stoned to death. The same was seen by Saul. The ascension of Christ, then, was not the ascension of a gross body of flesh, blood, and bones, into the heavens; but a closing up of the spiritual eyes of those who beheld it. And it is in this way Christ is to come, in a manner similar to that in which he seemed to go toward heaven. “The vision was one of those theophanies so oft in ancient times, previous to Christ’s incarnation, vouchsafed to man—during Christ’s pre-incarnate glory which, in accordance with Christ’s prayer [John 17] was similar to his post incarnate glory.” The only passage that numerically refers to Christ’s second appearing is Heb. 9:28, and that limits his appearance to those who look for him. Why thus limit the appearance to such only as look for him, when if he comes bodily all must see him, nolens volens, for none can help seeing a literal body? Hence this second appearing of Christ, called his second advent, is not the appearance of a material, physical body, a personal appearance, but a spiritual appearance, only to those who look for him, those who love him. Therefore as Christ disappeared from the spiritual perceptions or eyes of the disciples, in like manner he will re-appear to them who look for him, or desire to see him in that spirit world where he went at his ascension, and whom the Heaven must receive during the restitution of all things spoken of by the prophets. There those and those only who look for him, will see the King in his beauty. That spiritual beings exist, is abundantly proved and established by the Scriptures, also that such beings have been seen and heard, is equally established. To deny or ignore the fact is to take away from the things written in that book. And I here assume that men who have died immediately exist or continue to live, is abundantly taught in the Scriptures. This being the fact, the question is, How are such spiritual beings recognized by mortals? There seems to be but two ways or modes by which a recognition can take place. One is, that the spirit clothes itself with a material covering or body, and thus would be recognized by our natural senses. The other is, the couching of our spiritual senses, by which we could thus recognize a spiritual being. This last seems to me as the more probable. Hence a large portion, if not all, of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection are to be explained in that way. The spiritual eyes, ears, &c., of those witnesses, chosen of God for that purpose, see Acts 10:51, were thus opened, and by that means, saw, heard, and felt him. And the incident related in Acts 1:11, under consideration is thus explained. As the spiritual vision of the disciples gradually closed, Jesus appeared to recede, until he ceased to be recognized by them. Hence in like manner he will come, recognized by the spiritual perceptions of those who look for him, and those only. Scripture abundantly relates instances where spiritual beings were seen and heard by one and not by another, although both could have seen them had they been recognized by the natural senses. The case of Zachariah seeing the angel, while no one else saw him. Luke 1:11–22. The companions of Saul saw the light, but did not hear the voice of Him who spoke, while Saul both saw and heard. Acts 22:9. Other similar cases might be given. But I will not enlarge. To my understanding, the passage in Acts 1:11, falls far short from proving the personal return of Christ to this earth. On the contrary, it disproves that supposed fact. It is but the last recorded instance of those post resurrection theophanies of Christ which had been occurring since the eventful morn in which he left the abodes of those departed ones who were then living in the spirit world. For Christ rose out from among the dead which were in the hades regions, and once more revealed himself to his disciples, to those who were looking for him. While, therefore, his body was dissipated or removed from the sepulcher, which was the egeiro, or its resuscitation; the true anastasis or resurrection was his rising out from the vast myriads of departed spirits, who were then residents in the spirit world, and to whom he preached and revealed himself. Thus was the gospel preached to the dead as well as to the living, that Christ might be the Judge of both the quick and the dead. 1 Pet. 4:6. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, and come quickly.