Christian Science and the Coming of Christ
By J. L. McElhany
The Prophecies of the First Advent Are Plain—Christ Upbraided His Own Disciples for Not Heeding Them—The Prophecies of His Second Advent Also Abundant and Clear—No Occasion for Making Mistakes
IN turning over the pages of a copy of the Christian Science Journal, the writer noticed an article entitled "The Fulfillment of Prophecy." Being especially interested in the subject of prophecy and its fulfillment, I read the article with more than ordinary interest. A few sentences from this article will show how far some will go in setting aside the plain teaching of Scripture: "Just before coming into Christian Science, the writer was greatly stirred up over the second coming of Christ; had read a book and heard numerous sermons on the subject, and was convinced that the second advent was near at hand; but somehow this reflection did not afford any great satisfaction. On the contrary, there was the fear of not being ready; but being healed by Christian Science, . . . almost the first thought that presented itself was, This is the 'second coming of Christ.' The Messiah did not come at first in the way He was expected, and it is not strange if people should now have a wrong conception of the reappearing of the Christ." That Christ's first coming was different from the popular expectation, is perfectly true. The religious teachers of that day were looking for a Messiah who would assert His power as a mighty conqueror. Instead of the Lamb of God, who would deliver them from their sins, they looked for a deliverer from the Roman power. The Messiah for whom they looked was one of their own imaginations, but not the Messiah foretold in Scripture. PROPHECIES OF HIS FIRST ADVENT PLAIN
How did He come? — In exactly the way every prophetic writer declared He would come. Centuries before He appeared, prophets had written, telling the very time He would come. They had traced out the manner of His conception and birth. They had foretold the place where He would be born, and many of the events that would occur during His life on earth. In the prophets, we read the inspired predictions of His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. SLOW TO BELIEVE THE PROPHETS
After His resurrection, we read of His summing up the meaning of all these prophecies, for the benefit of two unbelieving disciples, in the following words: "Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Luke 24: 25-27. On the same day, He appeared to all the disciples, and spoke to them as follows: "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day." Verses 44-46. Christ's first advent was not in harmony with popular ideas; but it was in harmony, in every particular, with the statements of Scripture. HOW WILL HE COME THE SECOND TIME?
Will it be according to the teaching of Christian Science, or will it be in harmony with all the predictions of Holy Scripture? Is Christian Science the second coming of Christ, or shall we look for His glorious appearing in the clouds of heaven? These questions are worthy of our earnest consideration. The writer quoted in the beginning of this article is right in saying that "it is not strange if people should now have a wrong conception of the reappearing of the Christ." He then proceeds to demonstrate it by assuming that Christian Science is the second coming of Christ. Unmask this assumption before the word of God, and how strikingly are the words of Christ fulfilled: "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matt. 24: 23, 24. HIS COMING DESCRIBED IN THE PROPHECIES
Christ recognized that there would be many attempts to deceive His people by false manifestations of His coming. Therefore He was very particular to describe the exact manner of His appearing. "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. . . . And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Verses 26, 27, 30, 31. Angels of God also have added their testimony on this subject; 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. The apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said: "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 [precede] 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 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 shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4: 15-17. The prophet John, in vision on the isle of Patmos, saw the closing events of this world's history, and thus describes the Lord's coming: "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him." Rev. 1: 7. These prophetic statements concerning the second coming of Christ will be literally fulfilled, just as the prophets have declared. The child of God does not look forward to that great event with fear, but with glad anticipation; for "unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Heb. 9: 28. Every Christian should be "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2: 13. The closing words of the Bible contain His promise, "Surely I come quickly." Let every loyal heart join with the prophet in praying, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."