The New Testament's by Carlyle B. Haynes

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 7, 1916

FromSigns of the Times, November 7, 1916

The New Testament's

By Carlyle B. Haynes

Most Prominent Doctrine

"This glorious event is mentioned more than three hundred times in the New Testament alone."

By CARLYLE B. HAYNES

THOSE in all ages who have believed in the literal, personal, visible coming of Jesus Christ the second time to this earth have not followed cunningly devised fables. This doctrine is one of the fundamental doctrines of Holy Scripture. It finds a larger place in the Bible than any other doctrine of the church, this glorious event being mentioned more than three hundred times in the New Testament alone. With the devout believer in the Bible, there can be no doubt that Jesus will come again.

The faith of the believer in this doctrine is founded not on any theory of his own, but upon the clear and convincing testimony of the Sacred Writings, and especially upon the testimony of Jesus Himself, who declared again and again to His disciples that He would come again. An examination of the teaching of the Scriptures on this point will dissolve all doubts that may exist regarding the second coming of Christ.

No Possibility of a Mistake

Just before His death, Christ said to His disciples: "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.

Here is a clear-cut, unequivocal promise, the meaning of which there is no possibility of mistaking. The Master Himself said, "I will come again." In the same chapter, He repeats this, saying: "I will not leave you comfortless ["orphans," margin]: I will come to you." John 14: 18.

And again He said, "I go away, and come again unto you." John 14: 28.

To the unbelieving Pharisees and scribes, just before His betrayal, He said: "Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." Matt. 23: 39.

The Conviction Irresistible

When instructing His disciples, in answer to their questions as to "what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world," Matt. 24: 3, Jesus said: "Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: . . . and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matt. 24: 30.

And to His disciples again He said: "The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels." Matt. 16: 27.

When adjured by the high priest at His trial, Jesus answered: "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Matt. 26: 64.

And in the last chapter of the Bible, this same Jesus repeats three times this truth of His second coming: "Behold, I come quickly." "And, behold, I come quickly." "Surely I come quickly." Rev. 22: 7, 12, 20.

This uniform testimony of the Saviour is enough to create conviction in every heart that accepts Him as its guide and teacher. There is no doubt here. Jesus is coming again.

Ancient Worthies Proclaimed It

But there is other testimony in the Bible in addition to that of Jesus Himself. This truth of the second coming of Christ to establish an everlasting kingdom and judge the world has been known and taught from the earliest times. The ancient patriarchs, even before the Flood, believed it and taught it.

"Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all." Jude 14, 15.

David, under the inspiration of God, sang of the time "when the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory." Ps. 102: 16.

And he said again: "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.

And of this time David again says: "Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord; for He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity." Ps. 98: 7-9.

The prophets also teach the same truth of the second coming of Christ. Isaiah repeatedly refers to this subject. He says:

"It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us." "For, behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity." "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you." "Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him." "Behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind." Isa. 25: 9; 26: 21; 35: 4; 40: 10; 66: 15.

The Testimony of the Apostles

This truth is also taught by the apostles. Paul says: "Every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming." "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven." "What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" "To the end He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout." "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels." "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time." "Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." 1 Cor. 15: 23; Phil. 3: 20; 1 Thess. 1: 9, 10; 2: 19; 3: 13; 4: 16; 2 Thess. 1: 7-10; Titus 2: 13; Heb. 9: 28; 10: 37.

And Peter unites his testimony to that of Paul, as follows: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you." "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty." Acts 3: 19, 20; 1 Peter 1: 13; 5: 4; 2 Peter 1: 16.

Even Angels Told It

The apostle James gives a similar testimony: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. . . . For the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5: 7, 8.

And John testifies to the same truth: "And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him." "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him." 1 John 2: 28; 3: 2; Rev. 1: 7.

So important is this truth of the Lord's second coming, that the Father, at the time of the ascension of Jesus, sent two angels with a special message to the earth to tell His disciples that He would return. The record says: "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: 10, 11.

Discredited by Sensational Predictions

To no other truth of the Scriptures is there given such prominence as to this truth of the second coming of Christ. Evidently the men who wrote the Bible considered this doctrine of supreme importance. And because of this very importance, the enemy of our souls has labored hard to discredit this doctrine, in the eyes of the people of God. He has succeeded in surrounding it with so much fanaticism that the teaching of the Lord's return has been disbelieved and neglected. So many sensational predictions have been made regarding the second coming of Christ, and have failed of fulfillment, that unbelief in this great event is becoming

prevalent in the church, and the vital importance of the subject is hidden.

But evidently if Christ is coming again to this earth, it is of the utmost importance that the inhabitants of the earth should be made acquainted with that fact, in order that they may make such preparation for this wonderful event as is needful. If His coming is near at hand, as the Scriptures plainly teach—and there are certain indications and signs of God's own giving which prove its nearness—then the church has, in the preaching of the truth of His coming, a most wonderful message to deliver to the world. And that message is one which the church surely needs; for the obvious lack of anything definite in present-day preaching is causing the church to drift upon the rocks of higher criticism and infidelity, until her whole mission is endangered.

In this message of the second coming of Christ, God is calling to His church to renew her allegiance to Him; and just to the extent that she hears and obeys the call will she succeed or fail in her great mission. This is equally true of individuals. Hence it is important that we make a thorough investigation of this great Biblical doctrine, and as we ascertain the truth, accept it, and bring our lives into harmony with it.

Satan Wants It Concealed

Dwight L. Moody, in writing on this subject, wisely says: "To my mind, this precious doctrine—for such I must call it—of the return of the Lord to this earth is taught in the New Testament as clearly as any other doctrine in it; yet I was in the church fifteen or sixteen years before I ever heard a sermon on it. There is hardly any church that does not make a great deal of baptism; but in all of Paul's epistles, I believe baptism is spoken of only thirteen times, while he speaks about the return of our Lord fifty times; and yet the church has had very little to say about it. Now I can see a reason for this. The devil does not want us to see this truth; for nothing would wake up the church so much. The moment a man takes hold of the truth that Jesus Christ is coming back again to receive His followers to Himself, this world loses its hold on him. Gas stocks, and water stocks, and stocks in banks and railroads, are of very much less consequence to him then. His heart is free, and he looks for the blessed appearing of his Lord, who, at His coming, will take him into His blessed kingdom."—"The Second Coming of Christ."