The Coming of Christ, Literal, Personal, Visible
4%Page 5
The Coming of Christ, Literal, Personal, Visible
By H. W. Cottrell
WHEN the human family had bartered away the conditional life given them by the Creator, then the All-Father so manifested His love to man, "that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. On account of man's absolute helplessness, God tendered to him an endless life in the gift of the divine Son, conditioned on individual belief in and acceptance of Him as the only way to life. In fulfilment of the prophetic Word, Christ left the glories of the heavenly world, came to earth clothed upon with a fleshly garb, lived an example to man among men, suffered the ignominious death of the cross, that men might see with the natural sense of sight the life given in their behalf, and know, each one for himself, that "we shall be saved by His life." Rom. 5:10. The gift of Christ's life was a free gift on His part. His interest in man's redemption was equal to that of the Father. The gift was the sacrifice of both the Father and the Son, and the life given was equal to that of the life of either or of both the Father and the Son. "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." John 10:17, 18. After His resurrection, He was with His disciples in person, just as He had been with them in a material form prior to the cross. From a lack of familiarity with the teachings of the prophets, His followers had imbibed the belief that He would set up a literal kingdom at that time, and bring all unbelievers into subjection to His reign. But such was not Heaven's plan. The Master had been teaching them of His intended departure from them, and of His return to them the second time; but they had so far failed to grasp the thought. Upon one occasion He said to them: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And 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 14:1-3. Associating with this language of the great Teacher, His utterance in the divine commission, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations: . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:19, 20), the reader will discern that Christ made unquestionable reference to His literal departure and personal return to His people. In harmony with this utterance, He made His personal departure from them; for we read: "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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. A Literal, Personal Return
Christ's personal return to heaven was witnessed and testified to by both men and angels. They were eye-witnesses of that signal event that marked that now historic epoch. He returned to heaven to make the necessary preparation for the home-coming of His children. Blessed be the eternal Father and the divine Son, for the assurance vouchsafed to all people of the Master's visible, literal, personal return for His redeemed ones, as evidenced by the unimpeachable testimony of Christ Himself, "I will come again;" and that of the two attending angels, "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." His spiritual presence in the individual heart at conversion or at the hour of death is not the fulfilment of the afore-quoted texts; for there have been millions of Christians who have died, and a still greater number of sinners converted. All these could not be His second coming. And the manner is not the same. Said Jesus: "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. 24:26, 27. His return must be as literal as was His ascension. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of Christ's second coming. Paul attaches eternal consequences to His second coming: "Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Heb. 9:28. "I will come again"—once more; a second time. The first time, He came to tender His own endless—eternal—life to man, in exchange for man's limited life. The second time, He will come "without a sin-offering." He will come as the glorified king to reap the harvest in-gathering. The second coming of Christ has been the joy and hope of God's people throughout all the ages. David, Isaiah, Job, and all the apostles, looked forward with longing desire to see King Jesus face to face, Their hopes will yet be realized. Our highest anticipation of that signal event, which will mark the beginning, determine the continuance, of an unmolested reign of the redeemed with their Lord, will then be immortalized. That His coming will be literal, personal, visible to all men is evidenced again: "Hereafter shall ye [His enemies] see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Matt. 26:64. Jesus designed to give assurance and comfort to those heart-pierced, sorrowing disciples. Surely there was comfort in the words, "I will come again." How soul-inspiring that associate thought expressed by the attending angels at His ascension, "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." The manner of His ascension unquestionably determines the nature of His second coming to be literal, personal, visible to the human eye—not mystical, non-corporeal, invisible, ethereal, mysterious. The poet expressed divine truth in the words, "We shall see Him face to face." Christ was and now is "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isa. 9:6. The cloak of human flesh the Deity took upon Him—the human nature of which He "took part"—was glorified, and at His resurrection immortalized. Thus He ascended to glory, and thus He will return in glory, to glorify His people. That will be a glorious morning, an eventful day, hopes all realized, and the Christian's joy full, as he beholds his Redeemer eye to eye, "when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26. Dear reader, are you "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ"? Titus 2:13.