WHY SPEAK OF CHRIST’S COMING?
This, strange to say, is a question frequently asked by Christians. Many Christian ministers rarely if ever preach on the great subject. The great majority of people are ignorant respecting its importance, its manner, the order of events connected with Christ’s second appearing. Because of this the idea has obtained that it is not an important matter as to when Christ shall come or how he shall come, and to some whether he shall come at all; and therefore we are asked, Why say so much about the Lord’s coming? We do it for several reasons, some of which we wish our readers to consider:— 1. The gospel commission to the ministers of Christ is, “Preach the Gospel,” “Preach the word,” “Preach Christ.” But a part of the glad tidings of salvation is that Christ is coming again. Every twenty-fifth verse on an average in the New Testament we are told refers directly or indirectly to his coming. It is the same Jesus, the Christ of God, who is coming that came before and died on our behalf. Can we be faithful to the trust which he has reposed in us to “preach the word,” and yet leave out that which forms so important a part of that word? Can we preach Christ and not preach his coming eternal kingdom? Can we tell the glad tidings and yet not tell of the sinless, happy time to come which Christ wants all to enjoy? In faithfulness, therefore, ought we not to preach Christ’s coming again? 2. Christ’s second coming is the hope of the church. Then will the resurrection of his people take place. 1 Cor. 15:51–54; 1 Thess. 4:15–18. Then will this mortal put on immortality. Then will death be conquered and life be triumphant. Then will “Christ, who is our life,” appear, and we “appear with him in glory.” Col. 3:4. God has promised it. Enoch prophesied concerning it. Job looked to that “latter day” when his eyes should behold his Redeemer and not a stranger. The psalmist raised glad hallelujahs over the inspiring theme. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and all the lesser prophets, foretold that glad day of deliverance, when the children should come from the enemy’s land, when the captives of death should be delivered, when the Israel of God should live in reality as they now live in God’s purpose, when death should be no more and the grave destroyed, God’s people be all righteous, and the Lord alone king. Over and over has our Lord cheered us with promises of his coming. It is “the hope of Israel.” It is “the hope of the promise of God.” It is “the blessed hope,” the longing prayer, of all the ages of Sacred Story, from the man who walked with God three hundred years, to the enraptured watcher on seagirt, rock-bound Patmos, and, meaningly and unmeaningly, with lip and heart, multitudes have since cried, “Thy kingdom come,” “come, Lord Jesus.” 3. It is the only hope of comfort to God’s sorrowing ones of earth. Nowhere does the Scripture tell us that death is a friend, or that at death is our reward. It does not tell us of eternal life outside of faith in Christ nor immortality this side of, or apart from, the resurrection and Christ’s second coming. It is by these false theories—inherent immortal-soulism and reward at death—that Satan has hid from the eyes of the church, and shut from her heart, Christ’s second coming. Listen to the apostle as he speaks concerning those who died in the Lord and our hope concerning them:— “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, 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. 4:13–18. Christ’s coming is the hope of the Christian—the only hope. It was the hope of the dying, penitent thief as he saw God’s glory in Jesus Christ, when His “visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” The penitent criminal saw beyond the cross to the crown, beyond the shame to the glory, beyond the dying to the living, and his heart breathed out to another dying Man, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” The prayer was heard by Him who forgets himself for all others’ good; but can he, seemingly as helpless as the one by his side, answer the prayer?—To unbelief, no. To faith, yes. In him was absolute righteousness, therefore in him was life. The grave could not and would not hold him. He would rise, would go away, would come again to reign. It was all in the all-power of his righteousness, and as the penitent thief had faith that dark hour of all the dark hours of Christ’s life, so Christ had love to forgive, assurance to promise, as he will have power to perform, “Verily I say unto thee to-day, shalt thou be with me in paradise.” That will be at Christ’s coming; for “then shall he reward every man.” Matt. 16:27. Be comforted with these words. 4. He is coming; and those who love him will be glad. “Whom having not seen we love.” We know him. He loved us and gave himself for us. He “loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” When we were worthy to be cast off forever, “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” in infinite and unasked love he gave himself to save us, clothed the nakedness, bestowed riches for poverty, happiness for misery, sight for blindness, righteousness for sin. We know his love, his mercy, his goodness. He is coming again. Surely he is a Friend in our need. He knows all our wants, has met all our necessities, has been the best Friend in all the universe to us; why should we not love him, long to see him, and tell others that he is coming, the One altogether lovely? The Coming of Our Lord.—Elsewhere in this paper will be found articles on the various phases of our Lord’s second coming, its importance, and what it means. In those articles it is clearly shown from God’s word—men’s theories of themselves are no evidence—that Jesus Christ will come again; that his coming will be literal and personal; that every eye shall see him in his overpowering glory; that at that time his presence will destroy the wicked and glorify his people; that the rewards of the faithful will then be given, and his eternal reign with his saints will begin. It is the culmination of all God’s promises, the glorious hope of the true church in all ages. Yet there are some things said about Christ’s coming that we wish here to notice. “As a Thief.”—There are expressions used concerning a coming of our Lord which indicate that it will be secret, or as a thief. Illustrations of this are found in Matt. 25:10, 19; Luke 12:40; 1 Thess. 5:2, 4; Rev. 3:3, etc. But these expressions relate either to the time when Christ goes in before the Father to receive for himself a kingdom, a coming to the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:13, 14), or to the close of Christ’s priestly work, when the cases of all are decided, just before he comes, when the irrevocable decree goes forth (Rev. 22:11, 12). These events of course will not be known to the inhabitants of earth, yet the latter, the time when Christ leaves his mediatorial seat and comes in as judge to view the guests, is to them all important; for if they have not on the wedding garment, they will be cast out forever. (See Matt. 22:11–14.) These events are, however, prior to Christ’s coming to this world. “The Secret Rapture.”—In addition to the claims made that Christ’s coming is at death, that it is by the outpouring of his Spirit, that it is in Modern Spiritualism or Christian Science—all of which are disproved by positive Bible testimony—it is taught that there will be a “secret rapture,” a coming of Christ to take “the bride,” or “first fruits,” home to himself. One will be caught up here, another there, secretly, till the requisite number are gathered out. This will be the parousia, or presence, of Christ. Christ will then come with this elect, immortal company, and every eye shall see him. He will then be manifest in his glory. The Original Words.—It will help us in this study if we will consider for a little the original names referring to Christ’s coming. These are as follows:— 1. Parousia. It is in the common version rendered “coming” and “presence,” and means always when applied to persons, personal presence, “a being alongside of.” Here are some of the passages where the word occurs:— The other passages where it is rendered “coming” are, Phil. 1:26; 1 Thess. 2:19; 3:13; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1, 8, 9; James 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 1:16; 3:4, 12; 1 John 2:28. It is rendered “presence” only twice, 2 Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:12. The Greek word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It will be seen by an examination of the passages where it occurs that it is always applied to the bodily, personal presence. It was Paul present as opposed to Paul absent. The parousia of Christ is Christ present then as opposed to Christ as now absent. He is present by his Spirit now; he will be bodily present then. The occurrence of the word in 1 Thess. 4:15, 16 shows that the coming, parousia, of Christ will be attended by such circumstances as will render it anything but a secret event. He comes with sound of trumpet, with mighty shout of victory; and his burning glory will be visible to all. 2 Thess. 2:8. 2. Apokalupsis, or apocalypse. This word is translated as follows: “Appearing” (1 Peter 1:7); “coming” (1 Cor. 1:7); “manifestation” (Rom. 8:19); “revealed,” a revelation (2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Peter 4:13); “revelation” (1 Peter 1:13; Rev. 1:1), and other places referring to different things. It means revelation, manifestation, disclosure. When referring to Christ’s coming it has reference to his being revealed as he is, the unveiled and divine Son of God. When on earth his divinity was veiled by humanity. He had no form nor comeliness that men should desire him. Isa. 53:2. He was to many only a prophet, to many more the son of Joseph and Mary. But he will come again, and that coming will be a revelation of all that his people have believed him to be,—“Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” “We shall see him as he is.” He will be seen then as the blessed Redeemer, the Lifegiver, the mighty Creator and Recreator, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Every knee shall then bow, and every tongue shall then confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Phil. 2:11. 3. Epiphaneia, or epiphany. This word is translated “appearing” and “brightness,” as follows: “appearing” (1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 1:10; 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13); “brightness” (2 Thess. 2:8). It refers to the shining forth or bright glory manifested in the coming of Christ. The Same Event.—But all these words when applied to the coming of Christ refer to one and the same event. The parousia is the literal, personal presence of “this same Jesus,” without regard to the glory or appearance of his coming. The epiphany shows (2 Thess. 2:8, “brightness”) that his11presence, coming, or parousia is overwhelmingly glorious, even “the glory of his Father” (Matt. 16:27). It will be the shining forth of his divinity. And the word apokalupsis shows that his coming, his glory and presence, is the revelation of his divine majesty and complete fullness. What the people of God have seen dimly by faith that glorious coming of Christ will then reveal to all. He was the Son of God while on earth; he then possessed the glory of the Father, but unbelieving eyes saw it not. When he comes as King of kings and Lord of lords, his glory will be revealed; but that glory will be but the shining forth of what was in him while he walked among men.