Importance of the Second Advent of Christ.
By B. F. Snook
THERE is not a truth brought to view in the Scriptures, of greater importance than the doctrine of the second coming of our Lord. The great importance of this event is shown by a number of very interesting considerations among which are the following: 1. The resurrection of the dead. All Bible believing Christians look forward to the resurrection of the dead in Christ, with much desire and interest. And it is the blessed promise of the resurrection that dispels the darkness of nature that settles around the tomb and fills our hearts with sweet consolation when we are bereaved of friends that we shall never more see in this world. Our friends that have fallen asleep in Christ will not awake till the resurrection; and that event will not take place till the Lord comes again. "For the Lord himself will 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." 1 Thess. iv, 16. Then at his coming the last trump will sound, and the righteous saints will awake from their long and dreamless slumbers. But if he does not come again the last trump will not sound and then the dead will not awake and come forth but will sleep an eternal sleep, and so infidelity prove true. The second Advent of Christ is therefore the great antidote for infidelity, and is an effectual cure of that destroying malady to all who will have faith in his appearing. 2. The saints' reward depends upon the resurrection. "For you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke xiv, 14. The resurrection as we have shown above, depends upon his second coming. Therefore the reward of the saints depends upon his appearing again. If this event never takes place, then the saint can never receive his reward—God's word proves a failure, and infidelity proves true again. There is however a theory quite prevalent now that promises that at death we shall go to Heaven and receive our reward. This as the reader, can very easily perceive is not the truth revealed to us in the Scriptures. Besides there is no promise of any such things in all the word of God. Furthermore if this doctrine be true there is no need of the resurrection. For if we go to Heaven before it and without it what benefit can it be to us? It also sets aside the generally-believed doctrine of the future Judgment. For if the righteous go to Heaven and the wicked go to hell at death; then of necessity one or the other of the following conclusions must be correct. The Judgment takes place at death (and if so the Scriptures cannot be true which says "God knows how to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished" 2 Pet. ii, 9), or it does not take place at all. The theory of going to Heaven at death is therefore proved to be unscriptural—a tare which the enemy hath sown among the wheat of God's promises. 3. We are dependent upon the Lord's coming for immortality. Paul tells us that at his coming when the last trumpet sounds we shall put on immortality. 1 Cor. xv, 53. This implies that we are mortal now and that we cannot become immortal till he comes again. 4. We are not to receive the promised crown of glory till his appearing. "And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Pet. v, 4. Blessed promises. The great kings and emperors of earth, exult in wearing a corruptible crown of fading and decaying glory; but the poor child of God, at last will rejoice forever in wearing the crown the beauties of which are unfading and the glories of which shall eternally endure. 5. We all desire to go to Heaven; to appear with Christ in glory. This we cannot realize at death, but at the last day when he comes again. Paul says, "When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Col. iii, 4. Christ says, "I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there ye may be also." Jno. xiv, 3. From the above we see that much, with us, depends upon his second coming. If he comes as he has promised, the saints will be raised from the dead, will be changed to immortality, will be crowned with the unfading crown, will be forever saved and appear with him in glory. In view of such a beautiful cluster of glorious events that hang upon his appearing again, may we not join in the petition, "Even so, come Lord Jesus, and come quickly?"