p. 6 | The Master's Coming by Charles L. Taylor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 8, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 44.

The Master's Coming

By Charles L. Taylor

II. His Second Advent a Literal, Personal, Visible Coming

JESUS said, "I will come again." John 14: 3. Is it possible to misunderstand this simple, straightforward, clear-cut promise? Is it possible that the matter of Jesus' return to earth is involved in uncertainty, so that, after all, mankind can not really rejoice in the blessedness of absolute knowledge, and find in its hope the sweet satisfaction of demonstrated revelation?

Reader, just for a moment place yourself among those troubled disciples as they surrounded Jesus that night of betrayal and wo, their hearts filled with sadness at the thought that He was going away, and that soon they would be left to battle alone. Not only stand among them, but really enter into their experiences; and then, while your heart is torn and bleeding, catch those beautiful words, "I will come again," as they fall from His lips. Candidly, do you suppose for a moment that you could possibly gather from them any other thought than that the One who stands before you, the One whom you see, whom you hear, whom you know, whose presence you have felt, with whom you have walked and talked and eaten and drunk, with whom you have held sweet communion — could you gather any other thought than that this same One, this same Man, would come again to you?

His Promise

"I will come again." I have come once, I will come again. The One now in your midst will come and be in your midst again. A real, substantial, corporeal Being, speaking to other real, substantial, corporeal beings, makes a promise; and would it not be a travesty of language to suppose that by some process of spiritualizing or dematerializing, Jesus intended us to believe that the parties interested in that promise were to be changed into invisible, ethereal, non-corporeal beings, whose experiences lie outside the realm of human understanding?

The Jesus who made that promise, died shortly after, was buried in the tomb, and by the power of God was brought again to life. As He came forth from the grave, triumphant and immortal, He still bore the form of the Son of Man. In the presence of His disciples He broke bread (Luke 24: 30), and the same evening came to the eleven in the upper room, saying: "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have." And then, to remove absolutely all doubt regarding His personality, He asked for a portion of their evening meal, and ate before them. Luke 24: 38-43.

The Promise of the Angels

The Jesus of the resurrection was the Jesus of the ascension. For forty days after rising from the tomb, He gave His followers "many infallible proofs" of His resurrection (Acts 1: 3), being seen by many different ones in different parts of the land (1 Cor. 15: 5-7; John 21: 3-13); and when all was completed, "He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." Luke 24: 50, 51. "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.

Look again over this most interesting story. The Jesus who said, "I will come again," is the same Jesus who came forth from the tomb,—the Jesus who could be seen and touched and handled, who broke bread, who ate and drank, and who as flesh and bone said, "It is I Myself." And this Jesus, this literal corporeal Being, was taken up into heaven. And the Jesus taken up into heaven — the same Jesus — shall "come again." And not only will He come "again," but He will "so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go."

The Testimony of Scripture

The truth of a personal, visible, literal advent of Jesus Christ, is clearly set forth in all the Sacred Writings. The prophets and saints who in olden time looked for and spoke of a literal "Seed" of Adam to appear in humiliation, looked for that same "Seed" to appear later in glory. Thus Enoch believed. Jude 14. Job, in his affliction, found comfort in this blessed hope, "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and tho after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold." Job 19: 25-27. Certainly there was no question in Job's mind about the fact of a personal Redeemer, a personal coming, and that he himself, in person, in his flesh, would see Him.

David looked for a personal, literal appearing (Ps. 50: 3-5), and Isaiah delighted in the same hope (Isa. 25: 9). All looked for a personal Messiah, a divine Prince, who was to sit on David's throne, and bear rule over all the earth. Ps. 132: 11; 72: 8; Jer. 23: 5, 6; Luke 1: 32, 33. Never was there a question concerning the fact of a visible and actual King who should govern an equally visible and actual people here on earth. Israel was right in this; their only mistake, and that which led them to reject Jesus Christ, was in confounding and making identical His two appearings. The prophecies concerning His second advent, His coming in glory, were made to apply to the time of His humiliation.

Now what the Old Testament writings assert relative to the personal appearing of Jesus at the end of time, is most wonderfully emphasized in the teachings of Jesus Himself and of His apostles. And this is as it should be; for than the second advent of Christ nothing is or can be of greater importance to the people of this generation. It is only natural, therefore, that God should have inspired His servants to view the great subject from every angle, and to make it so grandly plain that no one can be mistaken, except he deliberately deceive himself by closing his eyes.

The Perversion of the True

It is a noteworthy fact that throughout the centuries Satan has sought to counterfeit all the great and important items in the plan of salvation. And inasmuch as the second coming of our Lord is of such mighty import, it is nothing strange that during the centuries since Jesus gave the promise to come again, counterfeit after counterfeit has appeared to lead men astray, and by disappointment and reproach to disgust them with the entire subject. Especially is this true just now, when the great day of His coming is impending.

It was to our own day that Jesus specially looked when He said, "There shall arise false christs and false prophets," who should carry with them such satanic power as, if possible, to "deceive the very elect."

These deceivers would seek to lead men to believe in a secret, mystical, invisible appearing. They would say, "Behold, He is in the desert;" "Behold, He is in the secret chambers." "Believe it not," said He. I will not come in this place, or that; My coming will need no Lo here! or, Lo there! I will come openly and to all the world. "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.

Not at Death

Such teaching absolutely prohibits a belief in a coming of Christ at the death of each believer. It forever debars us from accepting as truth the thought that His second coming can be found in great spiritual revivals. While He does manifest His presence and blessing among men in the gift of His Spirit, such manifestation of His power is not in any wise the fulfilment of the promise, "I will come again." Spiritual revival, a work of His kingdom of grace, is to prepare His children for the great day of His coming, when He shall rule in His kingdom of glory.

"But," says one, "have not many people, both young and old, as they were dying, seen the Lord Jesus and angels coming for them?" Yes, many have had glorious views of a coming Saviour and angel retinues; but let it never be forgotten that God has granted to many of His saints foreviews of the great day when Jesus will appear to take His people home. But we may not suppose, therefore, that such scenes as loved ones have described actually took place at death; rather, they saw what shall take place in the day of final reward.

A Decided Difference

The doctrine of the second advent as enunciated by Jesus, is the perfect antithesis of all such systems of faith as Spiritism, Christian Science, Mormonism, Theosophy, New Thought, and such like. None of these teach a visible, personal, literal coming.

That Jesus expected to appear openly and literally, is shown by the fact that He spoke of His coming as the coming of "the Son of Man." "Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man." Matt. 24: 30. "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory." Matt. 25: 31. "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. He was Son of Man on earth, He is Son of Man in heaven, and Son of Man He will always continue to be. He is the second Adam, and as head of the human race He will come to take His rightful place. And when He comes to reign, He will be corporeal, substantial Man, and will reign over men of like character. He will be truly "this same Jesus."

In Like Manner

The angels said (Acts 1: 9-11) that He should come in like manner as He had gone. When He went, a cloud — an angelic cloud — received Him from sight; when He comes again, it will be with clouds. Rev. 1: 7. Jesus Himself ascended, and the Lord Jesus Himself will descend. 1 Thess. 4: 16; 2 Thess. 1: 7.

"I will come again" — not many times, but once, — "again." The writer of Hebrews describes it as "the second time." Heb. 9: 28. He will come once more. First, He came to offer Himself as man's sacrifice for sin; the second time, He will come "without a sin-offering;" He will come as King.

He will come with salvation "unto them that look for Him." To look for His appearing, is an essential part of Christian experience. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2: 11-13.

"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless." 2 Peter 3: 14.