p. 3 | WHEN WILL CHRIST COME? by Henry F. Brown

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 18, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 20.

WHEN WILL CHRIST COME?

By Henry F. Brown

Teaching in Past Ages Concerning the Event—Notions Unwarranted by Scripture—May the Church Expect to Know?

By Henry F. Brown

At the birth of the first child into the world, its mother exclaimed, “I have acquired a man of the Lord,” thinking the promised Redeemer had come to deliver the erring pair from sin. In one form or another this has been the universal hope of the inhabitants of the world. The Hindu Vedas promised the “Wise One”; and the Hebrew prophets proclaimed an “Anointed One.” Traces of the promise of the “Coming One” are found in the legends of the North American Indians, and in the tales of the natives of Africa. It is natural for the Christian to desire the advent of the “Sinless One.” Patriarchs and prophets looked for the day of the Lord. “Abraham . . . saw it, and was glad.” He saw it in its proper setting of prophecy; but misconceptions of the advent of Christ have also existed throughout the ages.

Unenlightened Expectations

The Jews thought Jesus would come as a king to deliver them from the hated Roman dominion. They exulted over those prophecies which foretold that out of Zion a King should come, but overlooked the ones that said He should be led as a lamb to the slaughter. The Jewish expectations of the Messiah were disappointed, as their conception was selfish. On the arrival of Jesus, He was rejected, because He came not as king.

In Paul’s time, some of the Christian converts expected the return of their Lord in their day; and when some of the believers fell asleep, those left were tempted with discouragement. This state of affairs called forth the second letter to the Thessalonians. In it Paul assured the saints that the advent of Christ was not then imminent, but that before He came, certain developments must take place in the church.

At various times, the Christians who were so vigorously persecuted during the Dark Ages, expected Christ would come, or no flesh should be saved, so bitter were the trials. Some historians say that in the year 1000 there was a strong feeling that the end of time was at hand. Later, John Wesley looked for the return of the Lord; and his brother Charles has put some of the Christian’s hopes into song. Luther, in his time, said the day of Judgment was not far distant.

A World-Wide Stir

During the first half of the nineteenth century, the message of the return of the Saviour was heralded to every continent. Bengal announced it in Germany; Edward Irving was its advocate in England; Wolff, a converted Jew, preached it in Syria and Arabia; and in South America, Lacunza published it. The advent movement in America is familiar. Our grandfathers still tell of William Miller, who, aided by Josiah Litch, Joshua V. Himes, and others, stirred the whole continent. They announced that Christ would come in 1844 to cleanse the earth with fire. Thousands expected to be translated to heaven at that time, and sold their possessions so as to be held back by nothing. Bitter was the disappointment when the sun sank at the close of the day of expectancy, and they were still on earth.

Since then the time-setting sects have been numerous. The Millennial Dawn, of Pastor Russell, is perhaps the most self-assertive of these. The Dowietes, or Zionists, of Zion City, also expected the appearance of Christ on a certain day. But the advent of the Lord has been misconceived, as to both the time and the manner.

A Millennium of Reform

By far the greatest and most deceptive misconception, and the one which has the most far-reaching results, is that held by the evangelical churches of to-day. Almost without exception, they are preaching a thousand years of peace anterior to the advent of Christ. Then when Jesus comes, He will be the political as well as the religious head of the world. To substantiate this theory, its advocates refer to the statement, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares.” Secretary Bryan recently typified this belief by casting a number of old swords into the form of miniature plowshares. After he had inscribed upon them the verse above quoted, he presented one to the ambassador of each nation that has recently signed a treaty of peace with the United States.

“Secretary Bryan recently typified this belief by casting a number of old swords into the form of miniature plowshares.”

Evolution or Revolution

Jesus will come before the millennium. The Bible does not leave us in doubt as to that point. But the social reforms that are being carried on in the large cities, will never bring the advent of Christ. The world will never evolve from its present sinful state into being the kingdom of heaven. The world will never be legislated into perfection. The change will be revolutionary. “In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,” said Daniel, “which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” Dan. 2:44.

In preceding verses of the same chapter of Daniel, the kingdom of Christ is symbolized by a stone cut out of the mountain, and cast at the kingdoms of this world. They become as chaff, and are carried away by the wind. The kingdom of the Lord is not composed of the same sinful material that composes the nations of the earth. The prime qualification of citizenship is conversion, John 3:3. We are born into the kingdom of God, not socially reformed into it.

May We Know of His Coming?

The church of Christ must know when its Lord is about to come. Before leaving this world, Jesus told the church of the events that would precede His return. His instruction in part is in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. The sun was to be darkened, and the stars were to fall from heaven.

By referring to any detailed history of the past century, we find these events took place in the years 1780 and 1833 respectively. “When these things begin to come to pass,” He said, “then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28.

Jesus Expected It

Jesus expected the church to know the signs of the times and be prepared to tell the world of the impending Judgment. He said it should preach the gospel to every creature preparatory to the advent. The instruction He gave, He considered sufficient; for He said, “Watch therefore.” The day and the hour are known only to the Father; but by the conditions that were to prevail before the advent, the church was to be aware of its proximity. Why would the Lord have required the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, if that kingdom were not at hand? The church of the Middle Ages had no such commission, nor did Paul preach such a gospel. John the Baptist and Jesus alone preached the gospel of the nearing kingdom; and it is given to the church in the end of the world. To be able to preach it at the right time, that the cause suffer no loss, the church must know when it is near.

Explicit Prophecies

Other prophecies are even more explicit in the prediction when time shall end. The angel of Revelation (chapter 10) announces when time shall be no longer and the Judgment of God is due. Rev. 14:6. Daniel tells that the Judgment of God (the cleansing of the sanctuary, Dan. 8:14), takes place at the end of the 2,300 years, or in 1844. When this Investigative Judgment is completed, Jesus will come, “to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22:12.

At the close of the millennium, the wicked will suffer eternal death, the wages of sin. This earth will then be re-created, and God’s plan will proceed as though there had not been an interruption of six thousand years of sin.