Its Relation to Christ’s Second Coming
By W. A. Colcord
Its Relation to Christ’s Second Coming.
THE teaching of Spiritism respecting the second coming of Christ is multiform, inconsistent, and unscriptural. When Christ ascended in the cloud, the angels in white apparel declared, “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.” Acts 1:9-11. The language is plain, emphatic, and unequivocal. He is to come again as He went away, personally, visibly, and in the clouds of heaven. But Spiritism has denied this, and spiritualized the whole glorious doctrine away. It has, in fact, itself claimed to be the second coming of Christ. Thus, in the early days of Modern Spiritism, the controlling spirit of Mrs. Conant, a famous medium, said:— This second coming of Christ means simply the second coming of truths that are not themselves new, that have always existed. . . . He said, “When I come again, I shall not be known to you.” Spiritism is that second coming of Christ.—Banner of Light, Nov. 18, 1865. But the arch-deceiver well knew that such a gross perversion of Christ’s promise to “come again” would not satisfy all. It might suit and deceive some, but it is too apparent a heresy to be received by all. The promise is too plain that Christ will come again in person. So, through Spiritism, Satan provides another deception, which more nearly resembles the event described in the Scriptures. Through “materialization” he has Christ come actually in person, but in secret, in the “cabinet,” or “secret chamber.” The following graphic and almost thrilling description of “A Wonderful Materialization,” appeared in the Cincinnati Inquirer a few years ago:— Friday morning we had a private seance, at which only eight persons were present, including Dr. Pence. The medium entered the cabinet, and in about twenty minutes was entranced. After a little while, during which the controlling spirit talked as usual, the cabinet door opened, and a majestic form appeared that filled us with awe; for there in the door stood, in majestic grandeur, Jesus of Nazareth! the Lord of glory! the King of kings! the pure and holy Christ of God! He had come according to promise, and stood manifest before our eyes. He stood looking at us for several moments, and then said, “You are faithful soldiers, and greater wonders than these shall you yet see.” These words he spoke in a low voice, yet distinct enough for all to hear. He reached his hand to Mrs. Lewis, who sat nearest to the cabinet. She then took it, and gave him a bouquet of flowers. He then reached his hand to Mrs. Dr. Cutter, who sat next to Mrs. Lewis, then to Mrs. Kline, who had stepped on to the platform. He took her by the hands, then laid his hands upon her head, blessed and kissed her. He then beckoned each one of us to him, took us by the hand, and blessed and kissed us before retiring to the cabinet. He had stood in the door and on the platform nearly half an hour. He had on a white robe, and a crown upon his head, in the center of which glittered a beautiful gem. A faint halo was visible surrounding his sacred head. He left us awe-stricken with his sacred presence. This was the masterpiece of materialization. Surely these are the days foretold by John the revelator, when he declared that Jesus Christ should come again a second time, with power and great glory; and have not the dead arisen throughout the land, and angels returned, appearing unto many? Would to God every mortal could have seen, and know as we now know, this glorious truth. The Saviour of mankind has reappeared; the second advent has arrived; the heavens are opened; the dead are raised; mortality is swallowed up in immortality; death has lost its sting, and the grave its victory. Having thoroughly examined the cabinet, the seance room, and the medium, we are prepared to witness to the world that the materializations that have occurred in our presence are genuine and true. Signed by Mrs. John Edson, Van Wert, Ohio; Mrs. A. Kline, Van Wert, Ohio; Mrs. Lucie E. Lewis, Jacksonville, Florida; Mrs. Dr. A. B. Cutter, Louisville, Kentucky; Mrs. R. Conn, Mrs. Eliza Kummel, Mrs. O. W. Rose, Van Wert, Ohio. After reading the foregoing, who can doubt that this is indeed one of the very deceptions of which Christ, in His great prophecy recorded in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, warned us? Referring to the last days, He said, “Then if any man shall say unto you, ‘Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; BELIEVE IT NOT. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’” Matt. 24:23-27. The advocates of Spiritism here tell us that Christ has come, that He has already appeared,—appeared in the “secret chambers,”—the cabinets so frequently used by Spiritistic mediums. They boldly declare and witness to the world that He has “come again the second time, with power and great glory,” as foretold in the Scriptures; that they have actually seen Him, conversed with Him, been blessed and even been kissed by Him! Is not this indeed a masterpiece of delusion? And does it not stamp Spiritism as an antichristian device and a Satanic delusion? Those who have been tampering and experimenting with Spiritism have little realized the kind of fire they have been playing with. Christ said when they should say, “Behold, He is in the secret ‘chambers,’” we were to “believe it not.” He is not to come that way. His coming is to be as visible as the lightning in the heavens. But these Spiritistic witnesses not only declare that He has appeared in the secret chambers, but that this sort of second coming is in harmony with the Scriptures, citing the Revelation given through John particularly. But they show their ignorance or disregard of the very scriptures they refer to. They express a wish that “every mortal” could have seen what they saw, and they profess to have seen the second coming of Christ. But when Christ comes the second time, “every mortal” will see Him, for His revelation through John declares, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see ‘Him.’” Rev. 1:7. This shows how much reliance can be placed upon the use and application of the Scriptures by Spiritists. The christ who comes in the “secret chamber,” it will be noticed, speaks “in a low voice;” but when the Christ of God comes again, He descends from heaven, “with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and with the trump of God,” and the dead are raised. 1 Thess. 4:16. But the world is not through with the lying wonders of Spiritism. The climax has not yet been reached in its history and wonder-working. As intimated in the foregoing extract, greater wonders are yet to be seen. We have not yet witnessed all the mighty signs and marvelous wonders foretold by Christ in the words, “For there shall arise ‘false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very ‘elect.’” In the near future we shall behold great signs and startling wonders as the result of the miracle-working power of demons. And then, as a finishing touch to all, will come Satan’s great, final, and crowning masterpiece of deception. This will constitute the subject of our next article. W. A. COLCORD.