MOODY ON THE SECOND ADVENT.
By Dwight Lyman Moody
We cannot study the resurrection apart from the second coming of Christ. Paul says, "The dead shall be raised, and we shall be changed." This change takes place when Christ comes. So the two events are united. In all Paul's epistles, baptism is spoken of only thirteen times, and Christ's second coming more than fifty times. Yet, nowadays, how much more we hear about the former than about the latter! There are 260 chapters in the New Testament, and in them there are no less than 318 references to this doctrine. There are two opinions in the church in regard to the millennium. Some think that the thousand years of holiness and peace will precede the return of Christ to the earth; others think that they will follow his return, and that he will reign here in person during the thousand years. The former class of interpreters are called pre-millenarians. I believe that when Christ comes the saints then on the earth will be changed. They will not have to die and go into the grave, but will be caught up to meet their Lord in the air, and that he will afterward set up a visible kingdom on the earth. Christ's first coming into the world was announced by angels; so was his resurrection. And we have the same authority for expecting his second coming, and that it will be bodily and visible—not spiritual only, as some believe. We read in Acts 1:11, that immediately after his ascension two angels said to his disciples: "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." His ascension was bodily and visible, and so will his return be. He will come back as he went away. This is the message that he sent down to his sorrowing disciples, and this is the hope of the church to-day. Yes, thank God, he is coming again, just as he went. We are going to see him in person; He that left this world, blessing it—is coming back to bless his own church, and to receive them that have waited for his return. If you read the 26th chapter of Matthew, the 64th verse, you will find that it was just this very thing that caused his death. When the high priest asked him who he was, and if he was the true Messiah, what does he reply? "Jesus saith unto him, thou hast said; nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." That was enough. The moment they heard that, they accused him of blasphemy, and condemned him to death, just because he was coming again. "Ye shall see me coming in the clouds of heaven." Now, let me say that this doctrine has suffered a good deal from those who claim to be its friends, because they set a time—a certain day—for his coming. Now, we read here in Matt. 24:36, that no man knows when he shall come. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only." Now there it is clearly taught that the day and the hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in Heaven. Now, when a man comes and tells you that he knows when Christ is coming—that he is coming next year, or at any particular time, he has got no truth for that assertion. "The day and the hour knoweth no man." Miller said that he would come in 1843. Dr. Cumming, of London, said that he would surely come in 1866. But if we knew the day and the hour of his coming, we wouldn't be watching. All through the Scripture we are told to watch for his coming. "Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." And then we are also taught that his coming shall be sudden. We find in that 24th chapter, 35th verse: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until Noe entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of man be." Now we have that order that the time of his coming is unknown; that he is coming unexpectedly. In another place it says that he is coming like a thief in the night. He is coming suddenly; but let us bear in mind that he is coming, because that word has gone out.—Bible Reading in San Francisco.