The Master's Coming by Charles L. Taylor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 1, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 43.

The Master's Coming

By Charles L. Taylor

I. His First Advent Literal

Foretold by Prophecy, Fulfilled in Fact

"The Desire of all nations shall come." Hag. 2:7. How beautifully, how wonderfully, how completely do these prophetic words sum up the longings, the prayers, the expectations, the hopes and ambitions of centuries! From that fatal day when man so foolishly surrendered his dominion, and allowed himself to be brought under the tyranny and servitude of evil, there has gone up to heaven an unceasing cry for the coming of Him who should break the yoke and reestablish the reign of right.

The hope of a Deliverer was first implanted in the breasts of our first parents. To them a "Seed" should be born. Gen. 3:15. The coming of that "Seed" comprehended the restoration of the Paradise home, the Paradise associations, the Paradise life, the Paradise rule. Across the gulf of sin, lighting up all its dark waves and yawning chasms, and shining athwart the path of every son and daughter of Adam, who should be compelled to travel the paths of time, the bright rays of the glory world, of the kingdom restored, began to shine. By faith the fallen children of men were brought to view the ultimate achievements of grace, the perfected work of redemption, wrought out through Him who was to come.

What the Bruising Means

That the promise of the Messiah included a second coming as well as a first, or, better stated, a twofold advent, is clearly seen by a close reading of the text. To the tempter it was said, "It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel." The bruising of the "heel" of the "Seed" contemplated the persecution and death of the Son of God on Calvary; the bruising of the "head" of the serpent, or Satan, pointed forward to the overthrow of the arch-rebel, and his final and eternal extinction. The bruising of the heel sets forth the humiliation of God's dear Son; His bruising of the serpent's head, His exaltation. The bruising of the heel points out the Messiah of sacrifice, "the Lamb slain;" the bruising of Satan's head the Messiah of kingly power and rule.

Without doubt the Scriptures teach that these two comings are literal and personal. The doctrine that either the first or the second advent would be in any sense a spiritual, invisible affair, was unknown in those days when men of faith were wont to receive the Word of God at its face value. Hence the hope of righteous women, from Eve's day forward, to give birth to that One who should break the yoke and set the world free.

So deeply was this thought imbedded in the minds of God's children in early days, that when apostasy crept in in the days of Babel, and men in their wickedness were scattered to the utmost bounds of earth, they carried with them (tho in a more or less distorted form) the thought of a coming Redeemer. The impress of that Eden promise is therefore to be found in the myths and fables of nearly all the nations of olden time, a fact which bears eloquent witness to the truth of the Inspired Record.

It was indeed true that the Seed of the woman was "the Desire of all nations." Not that all nations had an intelligent hope, for they had not; but in Him was to be found that which answered to the calls of all men, of all ages, of all climes. And had those to whom God revealed Himself been faithful to their trust, His message of salvation would have been given centuries ago to the nations of earth, and out of those nations would have been gathered "a people for His name." Acts 15:14.

Faithful Witnesses

But while mankind as a whole proved recreant to the divine call, there were always those whose hearts found their equilibrium of happiness and hope in the promise of the Coming One. The cherished faith of those bygone ages is beautifully set forth by one under inspiration, who said, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; as He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began." Luke 1:68-70.

Yes, from the very "foundation of the world" men were taught the truth that in God's own good time a divine-human Son would appear, through whom salvation would come to the world. This great truth was taught, and certainly was lived, from the day that man was driven forth from the garden; for by Adam, by Abel, by patriarch, prophet, and saint, there were offered up those multitudes of sacrifices, all of which expressed faith in One who should live a life in the flesh, and whose shed blood would atone for man's sin.

Abundant Promises

The Scriptures abound with inspired utterances regarding the coming of the Messiah,—a coming in the flesh, a coming both literal and personal.

Note the promise to Abraham. First, the Lord said to him, "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Gen. 12:3. Later, the word was, "In thy Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Gen. 22:18. That is, the "Seed" should be one of Abraham's descendants, one of his own flesh and blood kin. And while it was undoubtedly true, in a sense, that Isaac was specifically referred to in these divine assurances, yet primarily the promise referred to Christ. For the apostle, speaking of this same matter, said, "To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ." Gal. 3:16.

And all this was exactly true. Christ descended through the line of Abraham's earthly family. He was of the tribe of Judah (Heb. 7:14), who was a son of Jacob, a son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.

To Moses it was revealed that the Messiah would come as "a Prophet." He said to Israel, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren." Deut. 18:15. He would be a simple Man among men, a Brother in Israel. And a reading of Ps. 22:22 reveals the fact that, prophetically, Jesus announced the brother relationship: "I will declare Thy name unto My brethren."

And to understand the matter of Jesus' coming—either His first coming or His second—it is important to remember that He must appear as the Son of Man, the Seed of the woman, the near Kinsman of mankind.

The Right to Redeem

The true position of our Redeemer is beautifully foreshadowed in the story of the Book of Ruth. According to the law given to Israel, the right to redeem lay with him who was nearest of kin. See Leviticus 25; Deuteronomy 25; Jer. 32:7. Thus when Boaz would assist the family of Naomi, he said, "It is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I." Ruth 3:12. The Hebrew word here translated "kinsman," is frequently rendered "redeemer," as in Isa. 49:26 and kindred passages. See Ruth 4:14, margin. To be our Redeemer, the Son of God became Son of Man, taking man's flesh and blood, meeting man's trials and temptations.

But this was not all. Adam, the first man, had lost the earthly inheritance, that which had been given to man. Ps. 115:16. And as God's original plan must be carried out, only a second Adam, one of like nature, could be the medium of redemption, the agent through whom the earth would be restored. So Christ Jesus, from the very beginning, was set forth as a Man in man's place, to accomplish man's work, and to rule in man's behalf. Therefore the Son of God introduced Himself to the world as the Son of Man (Luke 19:10; Mark 2:10), and as the Son of Man He will come in glory by and by. Matt. 25:31.

David foresaw Christ as one of his own seed. 2 Sam. 7:12, 13; Ps. 132:11. Isaiah knew Him as a Son to be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14), and yet, tho a child, as one who one day would bear the government upon His shoulder, and be known as "The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace," whose kingdom should have no end. Isa. 9:6, 7. The Gospel prophet also saw Him as "a Man of sorrows," as One upon whom was laid "the iniquity of us all," and who would die in man's stead. Isa. 53:3, 6, 8.

Wonderful Details of Prediction

It were impossible to include in this short article the many details of the life of the God-Man which prophets foretold. Suffice it to say that the exact time and place of birth, the length and character of His ministry, the circumstances connected with His betrayal and death, His resurrection and ascension,—all this and much more were clearly portrayed.

And when, finally, the story of seers was ended, and the fulness of time had come (Gal. 4:4), God sent His Son into the world. Like every other child of flesh, He was made subject to the laws of heredity. Born "under the law" (Gal. 4:4) as one of David's seed (Rom. 1:3); wearing the garb of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3); meeting life's woes and temptations in common with His fellow men (Heb. 4:15); bearing the burdens and infirmities of a sin-filled, perishing world (Matt. 8:17); counted as a sinner in man's stead (2 Cor. 5:21); living by faith in His Father's Word, and overcoming by its power (Matt. 4:1-11); maintaining a life of constant sacrifice (Luke 9:58); and continually going about doing good (Acts 10:38); choosing the cross and its agonies in order to bring salvation to men (Luke 12:50; Matt. 26:39); such was He who, true to every exaction of the divine law, fulfilled all prophetic forewords.

Yes, He came! "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." John 1:14. "God was manifest in the flesh." 1 Tim. 3:16. He, was truly Emmanuel,—"God with us." Matt. 1:23. "The Desire of all nations" did come, and during the few short years in which He tabernacled among men, He did the work God had assigned Him, the work that made it possible for Him to come again. Those days of humiliation were necessary to prepare the way for the days of exaltation. And just so certainly as He came once to offer Himself as man's Example and Sacrifice, so certainly will He come again to reap the fruits growing out of His divine accomplishments.

"The Desire of all nations shall come," said the prophet. He came. He came personally, literally, visibly, truly. And He said, "I will come again." John 14:3. The same Jesus, the Son of Man, personally, literally, visibly, truly, will come again. Thank God for the hope!