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The Hope of the Ages

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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 27, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 42.

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The Hope of the Ages

By L. A. Reed

By L. A. Reed
The second coming of Christ has well been called the “hope of the ages,” because in that hope are concentrated all the promises of God. Outside of Christ’s promise of daily help, every promise finds its complete fulfilment at the second advent.
It is then that the righteous dead are to be resurrected and given their reward. “Behold, I show you a mystery; 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: 51, 52.
It is then that the living righteous shall be changed, glorified, made immortal, and caught up to Christ in the heavens, to be forevermore with Him. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thess. 4:16-18.
It is then that the last enemy, death, will be destroyed. “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Cor. 15: 53-55.

The Expectation of the Faithful

Having this hope through all the ages, the faithful children of God have looked forward to the time when Christ would appear to remove sin, grant fulness of life, and companionship with Him forevermore. So long ago as the days of Job this hope was most gloriously expressed in the words, “For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and tho after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” Job 19: 25-27.
David also had this hope, for he chants in sublime rhapsody these words: “For He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.” Ps. 96:13.
The prophet Daniel was shown the history of the world from his time on down to the closing of all things earthly. As his eye looked forward, beholding, one after another, the world’s events, he sees in the far distance the last earthly thing, and then exclaims in triumph: “At that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: . . . and at that time Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1.
Paul was favored of God in doing a great work in the world. When that work was practically done, and he looked forward only a short way to his death by the Roman power, he did not talk of going at once to heaven and receiving his reward. He looked forward to that time which has been through all the ages the time emphatically understood by all the saints when rewards should be given. He says: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” 2 Tim. 4: 7, 8.
The apostle John, who had been favored with the direct presence of the Lord for three and a half years, who had received the Saviour’s instruction at first hand, who knew all the fundamental tenets of the Christian church, does not give us any warrant for supposing that the Christian will receive his reward at death. He says: “We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3: 2.

From Earliest Ages

Thousand of years ago, even before the great Flood that came upon the antediluvians, we read that there existed in the early days of the earth’s history, a preacher of righteousness, the noble Enoch, who walked with God, who was instructed in the doctrines of the Lord, who thus knew the plans and purposes of his Maker; we read these words of him: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all.” Jude 14, 15.
The Saviour Himself, in admonishing His believers to be true and steadfast, and make a good confession of their faith before mankind, says: “Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.” Luke 9: 26.
It is therefore at the appearing of Christ that He accepts those who have lived true to Him, and rejects those who have rejected Him.
And again, when the Saviour was about to leave the disciples, He said, “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.” John 14:3. And again He said: “Then shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:14.
All this is clear enough in showing us the importance of the second coming of Christ. It is so important that no Christian has any promise that does not find its continuation and complete fulfilment in the Saviour’s advent. And it is of so much importance to us, that the promise is, “Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Those that look for Him, to these He will appear without sin, unto salvation. And the crown laid up, as Paul tells us, is not alone for him, but for all them also that love Christ’s appearing. Are you looking for Him? Do you love His appearing? Only to such as do this is the promise made.
And so we wait, loving His appearing, and looking forward with joy and expectancy to that time when His salvation shall be revealed.
“The heavens shall glow with splendor, But brighter far than day The saints shall shine in glory, As Christ shall them array. The beauty of the Saviour Shall dazzle every eye, In the crowning day that’s coming By and by.
“Let us that look for, hasten That coming glorious day, By earnest consecration To walk the narrow way, By gathering in the lost ones, For whom our Lord did die, For the crowning day that’s coming By and by.”
“Behold, I show you a mystery; 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruption shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Cor. 15: 51-54.