The Coming of the Lord by L.A. Phippeny

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 2, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 27.

The Coming of the Lord

By L.A. Phippeny

BY L.A. PHIPPENY

GOD'S ORIGINAL DESIGN FOR THE EARTH.

The proper understanding of the real purpose of the literal coming of the Lord demands a few thoughts concerning God's purposes for our earth, and the origin and presence of sin and its relation to human affairs.

The presence of evil with the good in the world, and the apparent preponderance of the former, is not clearly understood by the majority of mankind at the present day. Probably no person having arrived at years of understanding has failed to reflect upon this great problem and to seek for an answer. But unfortunately the true answer is not widely accepted, because it is to be found only within the pages of a Book which the world with its worldly wisdom is disposed to relegate to the realms of fable and tradition. Erroneous theories and false philosophies have long been in the world, and in some form the doctrines of evolution prevail well-nigh universally.

Certainly it is a relief to the believer in the Word of God to turn from theories that must be unsatisfactory to him to the word of One who has made true His promises to give peace to the burdened souls, and will demonstrate His word in the life of every man who will let Him. A few statements from the Scriptures will serve as a key to unlock what may be mysteries to many:—

“For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.” Isa. 45:18. “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; but the earth hath He given to the children of men.” Ps. 115:16. “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” Eccl. 7:29. “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Rom. 5:12. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. . . . And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. . . . Behold, I make all things new.” Rev. 21:1, 4, 5.

What a panorama is here suggested! A world established in righteousness; marred by sin; re-established in righteousness! It is sometimes urged by would-be doubters of the Bible that the presence of sin in the world is evidence of fallacies in its teachings, since they reason that an all-wise God would not permit His purposes to be thwarted. But this assumption is not correct. While sin has seemingly obliged the Creator to modify His operations, and has caused unutterable woe, yet the scriptures just cited reveal the final triumph of righteousness and the ultimate accomplishment of God's plans concerning this earth.

It is difficult for the human mind of the present day, heir to sin and life-long accustomed to the scenes and effects of evil, to picture a world without sin or any of its appurtenances. Take away selfishness, greed, envy, pride, hatred from every heart; in their places put contentment, love, peace, and every good emotion, and what a transformation would be effected in human affairs! What a re-adjustment of industries, trades, and pursuits would inevitably take place! Add to this a life without death, without end of days or approach of decrepitude, and assuredly the ideal age would dawn in all its splendor.

Well, the Scriptures clearly reveal that the earth came without sin from the hand of God, and that the altogether worthy design was that it should continue without sin, without death, without the entrance of evil in any form. It was to have been populated by a sinless race, unmarred by disease, undefiled by the remotest germ of lust,—a race ever rejuvenated by the virtues of a tree of life, a race whose powers of intellect were to develop toward perfection through endless ages. Untold possibilities, little conceived of by the world as it has been, were placed before the man and the woman in the earth's bright, glorious morn.

The Origin and Entry of Sin.

Speaking of sin and the one chiefly responsible among men for its presence in the world, the Scripture, as already noted, places the blame upon “one man,” referring to Adam, the father of the human race. The detailed record is known to all. Briefly it is as follows: A test of loyalty, and for the purpose of developing character, was arranged by the Creator for the holy pair placed in Eden. It consisted simply in their refraining from touching or eating the fruit of a certain tree in the midst of the garden, called the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve wandered from Adam's side, and in a truly remarkable manner was induced to eat of the forbidden fruit. Adam, seemingly in despair, partook with her. This act of disobedience was sin, and sin as an element of their character descended as an inheritance to their posterity.

To the scoffer this test seems like a small thing, a vastly too simple matter for the determining of such tremendous consequences as might follow. The thought is child of the same tempter encountered by Eve long ago, and is wholly unwarranted from the circumstances, or any other consideration. It is human pride to sneer at little requirements. To Naaman the Syrian the invitation to dip himself seven times in Jordan for healing from his leprosy appeared so small a thing as to be contemptible in his eyes. But the fact is that God chooses not hard matters for the testing of men, but the little things of every-day life. Character, like great edifices, is built, not all at once, but little by little, from the boards and nails and small stones of life's workshop. And so the Creator chose, not some prodigious matter for the testing of our first parents, but a simple thing in itself, a test adapted to the simplicity of their estate. There is nothing in the record that intimates, even faintly, that Adam and Eve, in the glory and strength of full manhood and womanhood, with vigorous powers of intellect, associated with angelic visitants from heaven and holding face-to-face communion with their Maker, at first regarded the terms of the test other than just, dignified, and appointed in love and solicitude for their welfare.

Thus in brief the record of sin's entry into human affairs through the parents of the race.

But this is only an after-chapter to the real story of sin's origin. The fuller history, the exceedingly interesting, must not be discussed in this series of articles. We must content ourselves with a few brief statements in the form of propositions, which may be amplified and studied from the Scriptures themselves. Without the instrumentality of a third agent, or personality, the record of the fall of Eve, and then of Adam, would not appear complete, in view of their high mental qualification. So we discern in the tempter, under the guise of a serpent, a personality masterful in shrewdness and the art of deception,—an intelligence which, parleyed with, gains the supremacy. As to the identity of the tempter, and a few further facts concerning the origin of sin and its relation to our earth, the following statements may be made without further discussion here:

1. In the divine administration, love is the ruling, binding force. Subjects are “free moral agents.” In such a government or system, sin is a possibility, tho righteousness only be inaugurated.

2. Sin originated in Lucifer, an angel honored next to Christ as the chief of heaven's angelic host. Pride, fault-finding, and an aspiration to remodel the divine government characterized his sinful course. One-third of the angels joined his cause; and when open rebellion ensued, he and his followers were expelled from heaven. Eze. 28:12-17; Isa. 14:12-14; Rev. 12:7-9, etc.

3. Lucifer (now Satan, the adversary) and his followers were permitted to live and demonstrate his claims as best they might, as an object-lesson to the universe of what sin is. This course only could reveal eternal wisdom and justice; and sin, when demonstrated to the ultimate, in contrast with divine love and righteousness, will be forever shunned, by universal consent and choice.

4. Divine justice indicates that Adam and Eve were apprised of the rebellion in heaven, the nature of sin, and the possibility of temptation by a spiritual power. Their loyalty to God was to be the condition of protection from any kind of assault.

5. To the man was given the earth as his dominion. Under God, he was its head, its ruler. The victory of Satan in Eden gained for him a dominion, and human subjects. Ps. 115:16; 8:6; Rom. 6:16. Henceforth he is called the “god of this world,” the “prince of the power of the air,” etc. 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2.

6. The presence on this earth of a malignant usurper with his powerful angels demanded the presence of holy angels to protect God's creatures and the whole creation as far as necessary, and to care for the cause of righteousness in the earth. Rev. 12:12; 1 Peter 5:8; Job 1:9, 10; Ps. 55:18; 2 Kings 6:15-17; Heb. 1:13, 14, etc., etc.

7. Thus behind the scenes, as it were, is being waged a mighty conflict. This world is the battle-field, the demonstrating ground of the principles of righteousness and unrighteousness in opposition.

At this point there comes to view, then, a glorious reason for the personal, literal coming of the Lord, that does not appear until the foregoing facts are grasped as realities. One of God's worlds is now largely dominated by a malignant usurper, who is leaving nothing undone that he can do to retain possession. He will fail, and righteousness will triumph, is triumphing, tho not in the exact manner outlined by many. The earth, lost through sin, has been purchased back, re-conquered by its lawful owner, who will take possession in due time. There is a reality, a literalness to this

that admits of no figurative interpretation, and a peace and blessedness in its anticipation that outrivals the rosiest dreams of any worldly Utopia. And the redemption draws nigh. Further development of features touched upon in the foregoing will follow in due course.