The Second Coming of Christ--the Hope of the Church
By John Orr Corliss
HOPE is made up of desire and expectation. The hope of the world is confined to things of time and sense, and is void of satisfaction at the last, because, beyond the sleep of death, there appears no gleam of light to gladden the intellect. The hope of the church pierces the gloom of earth's closing scenes, and sees glory immortal, and joy unending in realms of bliss which are unmeasured by material tests. It is therefore in place to ask at once, Upon what is based such an extravagant hope as that held by the church? Does nature, or science hold out such allurements? —By no means. The things of nature are material and evanescent. Science has never penetrated the house of the departed to reveal its secrets. To what, then, does the church turn for its comfort? There is but one source from whence it can gather knowledge of man's eternal destiny, and that is the word of Jehovah. This being true, there can be but one spring of hope reaching beyond the confines of this state of being. He who would have this to comfort him amid the trials of life must therefore receive the statements of the Lord's own word concerning the Gospel of the kingdom. The name of Him whose kingdom is promised to be shared with men, is Emmanuel—"God with us." Matt. 1:23. The Gospel which engages to do this, is, therefore, the good news of His willingness to dwell in men, and thus rule over their lives and actions. This is so to change sinful men as to remodel them after His own image. But having done so much for men here in the flesh, is the mission of Christ then completed? The apostle has well replied to such a question: "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." 1 Cor. 15:19. How unsatisfying would be such a hope. Indeed, no one could be induced to leave the attractions of the world for such a prospect. The only real comfort, therefore, held before men in the Gospel is the hope, not only of being like Him in this world, but of being with Him where He is. That which so sorely grieved Christ's immediate disciples was the thought received from His discourses that He was to be taken away from them, and they did not know but forever. His knowledge of their wretched state of mind called for this exhortation: "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. Continuing His discourse, the Saviour added words of encouragement and promise for their benefit while in their earthly work, asking them to rejoice because He was to go away in order to prepare a place for their reception. Verses 27, 28. Then, after telling them that in the meantime they were to have His representative—the Holy Spirit—to be their Comforter, they became reconciled, saying, "Lo, now speakest Thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that Thou knowest all things, and . . . by this we believe that Thou camest forth from God." Chap. 16:29, 30. From this time forth the hope of Christ's return to earth became the source of their constant joy. The "beloved disciple" refers to this hope thus, when exhorting the faithful: "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; for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:2. The whole matter of his future being, the disciple willingly left to be determined at the appearance of the Master, and with this he was entirely satisfied. Another, seeing with prophetic eye the jeopardy in which the church would sometime be placed thru the greed of gain, exhorts to steadfastness in these words: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord." James 5:7. Pressing the word a little further he exclaims: "Stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned; behold, the judge standeth before the door." This language would imply that the apostle's entire hope centered in the coming of the just One. Until then the church would be oppressed; but at that time it would not only be relieved of vexation, but would witness justice visited upon its oppressors. Again, one of the Lord's most honored associates, while in the flesh, also points to the second coming of the Lord Jesus, as the time when the reward of the faithful will be received. In exhorting the church leaders to conscientious loyalty, he said that, being ensamples to their flocks, they would surely "receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away," when the chief Shepherd shall appear." 1 Peter 5:3, 4. Such persuasive discourse seems all the more appropriate to the generation which is to witness, with the apostle, the fruition of such a hope, when we read the prophecy of what the trend of men's minds is to be regarding that ground of confidence. Thus he says: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 2 Peter 3:4. This language reveals that the faith and hope cherished by the apostolic church, would, in a measure, give place to other desires, more in conformity with the tendency of the times, and that a revival of the ancient belief in the second advent would call forth ridicule upon the heads of those propagating it. "But," says the apostle, notwithstanding such derision, "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." Concerning the certainty of this doctrine, the apostle exhorts the church as follows: "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless." Verses 10-14. But one may ask, Why preach such a doctrine? Why not leave the matter to every one's predilection, so as not to stir up differences of opinion? If salvation were a question of mere opinion, there would be no need to preach any sort of gospel, because then every one, of every shade of opinion, could revel in pleasures of the basest kind, and still have assurance of eternal bliss, after some fashion. The Bible, however, is very definite regarding the form of faith to be taught and practised. Not only does it prescribe the rules of daily life, but opens to all its readers the very method by which one and all must enter into the presence of the great King. "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren," says the great missionary apostle, "concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." 1 Thess. 4:13, 14. What a promise! Just so surely as one believes that Jesus came forth from the prison-house of death, even so, after the same manner, will God bring forth that believer as He brought forth the Master in whom such belief rests. But how, and when will this be done? The answer is ready: "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [go before] them which are asleep. 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 [after that] 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 [after this manner] shall we ever be with the Lord." Verses 15-17. The order of events stated in the foregoing, and the conclusion following, are all worthy of grave consideration. First of all, the6 Christ's Coming, the Hope of the Church.
Lord assures us that those who sleep in Him, tho hidden beneath the sod, will not be forgotten in the great day of His coming. To give assurance of this, He promises that these shall be brought forth from their dusty beds, even before the living saints receive exaltation. The dead being first raised incorruptible, the living saints will join them and the Lord Jesus in an upward flight to those mansions He went to prepare, when He ascended to heaven from before Bethany nineteen centuries ago, in sight of His sorrowing disciples. The sacred text then significantly adds: 'And so [in this way] shall we ever be with the Lord.' But is there no other way for the redeemed to 'ascend above the heights of the clouds,' and to 'sit upon the mount of congregation,' in the presence of the Most High? Upon this point let us hear the word of the Lord: 'For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then [at that time] He shall reward every man according to his works.' Matt. 16:27. One thing may be accounted certain. If every one is rewarded 'according to his works,' at the very time of the Lord's second coming, they could not have received that reward, even tho having died a thousand years before. On this point the writer of the book of Hebrews says of those who, in ages before his time, obtained a good report thru their faith, even to martyrdom, did not then receive the promise, because that thru God's own arrangement, they could not be made perfect until others were ready for the same result. Heb. 11:39, 40. The same apostle when preparing for his execution by the decree of Cæsar, wrote from Rome to Timothy: 'I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.' 2 Tim. 4:6-8. On the very border of the grave, this veteran missionary looked with an undimmed eye of faith to the time of the Lord's appearing, when he, with all others who love that appearing, will receive a crown of life. This was the cheering hope of Enoch, the seventh descendant from Adam (Jude 14). It was the sheet anchor of Job, of David, of Isaiah (Job 19:25, 26; Ps. 17:15; Isa. 25:8, 9;), and of all the prophets. The seer of Patmos closes his visions of eternal glory with the ecstatic words, born of victorious hope in behalf of the church in all ages: 'He which testifieth these things saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.' May we all be in that frame of mind to re-echo the response of the exalted prophet, with one long and hearty Amen.