The Personal Return of Christ
By Walter C. Thompson
Has Never Been Absent in Spirit — Literal Eyes, and Not Merely Eyes of Faith, Will See Him ONE of the most precious promises of Jesus reads, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt. 18: 20. And just before Jesus left this world to return to heaven, He gave the comforting assurance, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matt. 28: 20. Taken in a spiritual sense, Christ has not been absent from this world; so to prove that His second coming is to be personal, it is only necessary to show that in no other sense has He been absent. Some may contend that His spiritual presence has reference only to His church; but again it is written: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Rev. 3: 20. “Any man” includes those in and without the church. In other words, Christ has not been spiritually absent from the world, but has been accessible at all times and to every one. The personal absence of Jesus is very real. His going away was a personal leaving. The place to which He went is represented as local — “I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14: 2. This place is in heaven. “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things.” Acts 3: 21. When He returns, He comes from heaven. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Phil. 3: 20. NOT MERELY BY THE EYE OF FAITH
One of the popular theories teaches that the second coming of Christ has already taken place, but that His presence is not manifest. But again it is written, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Heb. 9: 28. Here it is plainly stated that when He comes the second time, He will appear. In a further endeavor to elude the force of the Scriptures, the argument is made that it is by the eye of faith that Jesus is seen at His second coming. The following scripture, however, precludes any such position: “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Rev. 1: 7. As the kindreds that wail because of Him have not faith, so cannot see with the eyes of faith, it is obvious that it is with the natural eyes that they see Him. This is also in harmony with the instructions of the angels at the ascension of Jesus. Their comforting assurance to the disciples was, “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.” “Like manner” includes the form. The same personal Jesus is to return, not merely His spiritual influence. That, as we have shown, is here with the world at all times. To teach otherwise is to do violence not only to the language of the text, but to the teaching of the Word. The prophecies relating to Christ’s first advent were all literally fulfilled; and to teach that the prophecies relating to His second advent will not be as literally fulfilled, is to commit the same error that the rabbis committed when they perverted the Scriptures and misled the people at His first advent. The doctrine which denies the personal return of Christ, is only another master stroke of the adversary of souls to blind the eyes of the world to the saving message for this age — the last message that is to be given to a perishing world. Only those who are looking for His personal return does Jesus come to save. Matt. 24: 42-47; Heb. 9: 28. Only those who are looking for His personal return will join in the glad song at His appearance: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”