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Our
Lord's Return
THE
view just had, of the speedy close of Gentile Times, and the assurance
that the consummation of the Church’s hope must precede
their close, only whets the appetite of those now waiting for the
consolation of Israel. Such
will be hungering for whatever information our Father may have supplied
through the prophets, touching the “harvest,” the end, or closing
period of this age—the separating of wheat from tares among the living
members of the nominal Church, and the time of the change of the
overcomers, to be with and like their Lord and Head.
But in order to appreciate the reasonableness of the prophetic
teaching on these deeply interesting subjects, it is absolutely necessary
that we have clear views both of the object
of our Lord’s second coming, and of the manner
in which he will be revealed. That
the object
of his coming is to reconcile “whosoever will,” of the world, to God,
by a process of ruling, and teaching, and disciplining, called judging and
blessing, we trust all present readers have been convinced in the reading
of Volume I. The manner
of the Lord’s coming and
appearing, therefore, is of paramount importance, before proceeding in our
study of the time of the harvest, etc. The student must hold clearly in
mind the object while studying the manner of our Lord’s return; and both
of these, when he comes to study the time.
This is needful as an offset to the erroneous views, already
preoccupying many minds, based upon false ideas of both the object and the
manner of our Lord’s coming.
Grasp and hold in mind as firmly as possible the fact already
demonstrated, that God’s plan is one harmonious whole, which is being
wrought out through Christ; and that the work of the second advent stands
related to the work of the first as effect to cause: That is, that the
great work of Restitution at the second advent follows the work of
Redemption accomplished at the first advent as a logical sequence
according to the divine plan. Therefore
the Lord’s return is the
dawn of hope for the world, the time for the bestowment of the
favors secured by the redemption—the Gospel Age being merely an
intervening parenthesis, during which the bride of Christ is selected, to
be associated with her Lord in the great work of restitution which he
comes to accomplish.
And since the Church of Christ, which has been developing during
the Gospel age, is to be associated with her Lord in the great restitution
work of the Millennial age, the first work of Christ at the second advent
must be the gathering of his elect Church, to which reference is made
through the Prophet (Psa. 50:5), saying, “Gather my saints together unto
me—those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” This
gathering or harvesting time is in the lapping period of the two ages.
As will be shown, it is a period of forty years, which both ends
the Gospel age and introduces the Millennial age.
(See Vol. I, pages 219-221; 234-237;
and the Chart of the Ages.) This
harvest period not only accomplishes the separation of wheat from tares in
the nominal Gospel church, and the gathering and glorification of the
wheat class, but it is also to accomplish the burning (destruction) of the
tares (as tares, or imitation wheat—not as individuals: the fire of
destruction is symbolic as well as the tares), and the gathering and
destruction of the corrupt fruitage of “the Vine of the earth” (human
ambition, greed and selfishness), which has been growing and ripening for
centuries in the kingdoms of this world and in the various civil and
social organizations among men.
Although, when treating of the object of our Lord’s return, we
showed that it would be a personal
coming, let us again guard the student against confusion of thought in
considering the two apparently conflicting expressions of our
Lord—“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (aionos
age), and, “I
go to prepare a place for you, ...and will
come again and receive you.” (Matt. 28:20; John 14:2,3) The
following incident will serve as an illustration of the harmony of the two
promises: One friend said to another as they were about to part, Remember,
I will be with you through all your journey.
How? Certainly not in
person; for there they took trains to go in opposite directions to distant
points. The idea was that in
love, and thought, and care one for another, they would not be separated.
In a similar yet fuller sense, the Lord has always been with his
Church, his divine power enabling him to oversee, direct and assist them,
from first to last. But we
are now considering, not our Lord’s presence with us in this figurative
sense, but the manner of his second personal presence and appearing,
“when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in
all them that believe in that day.”
The Scriptures teach that Christ comes again to reign; that he must
reign until he has put down all enemies—all
opponents, all things in the way of the great restitution which he
comes to accomplish—the last to be overthrown being death (1 Cor.
15:25,26); and that he will reign for a thousand years.
It is therefore only as should be expected, that we find a much
larger space in prophecy devoted to the second advent and its thousand
years of triumphant reign and overthrow of evil than to the thirty-four
years of the first advent for redemption.
And as we have found that prophecy touches the various important
points of those thirty-four years, from Bethlehem and Nazareth to the gall
and vinegar, the parted raiment, the cross, the tomb and the resurrection,
so we find that prophecy likewise touches various points of the thousand
years of the second presence, particularly their beginning and ending.
The second presence of our Lord will cover a much longer period of
time than the first. The
mission of his first advent was finished in less than thirty-four years,
while it will require a thousand years to accomplish the appointed work of
his second presence. And thus
it may be seen at a glance that, while the work of the first advent was no
less important than that of the second advent—yea, though it was so
important that the work of the second advent could
never have
been possible without it—yet it was not so varied, and hence
required less description than the work of the second advent.
In considering the second advent we must not, any more than at the
first advent, expect all prophecies to mark one particularly eventful
moment of our Lord’s arrival and to call the attention of all men to the
fact of his presence. Such is
not God’s usual method: such was not the case at the first advent.
The first advent of Messiah was not marked by any sudden or
surprising demonstration, out of the usual order of things, but it was
manifested and proven by the gradual fulfilment of prophecy showing to
thoughtful observers that
the events which should be expected were being accomplished on time.
And thus it will be at his second advent. It is of less importance
that we discover the exact moment of his arrival than that we discern the
fact of his presence when he has arrived, even as at the first advent it
was important to be able to recognize his presence, and the sooner the
better, but much less important to know the exact date of his birth.
In considering the second advent, the act of coming and the moment
of arrival are too frequently the thought, whereas it should be thought of
as a period
of presence, as was the first advent.
The precise moment at which that presence would begin would then
seem less important, and his object and work during the period of his
presence would receive the greater consideration.
We must bear in mind, also, that our Lord is no longer a human
being; that as a human being he gave himself a ransom for men, having
become a man for that very purpose. (1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 10:4,5; 1 Cor.
15:21,22) He is now highly
exalted, to the divine nature. Therefore
Paul said, “Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now,
henceforth, know we him [so] no more.” (2 Cor. 5:16)
He was raised from the dead a life-giving spirit
being (1 Cor. 15:45), and not a man,
of the earth earthy. He is no
longer human in any sense or degree; for we must not forget what we have
learned (See Vol. I, Chap. 10)—that natures are separate and distinct.
Since he is no longer in any sense or degree a human being, we must
not expect him to come again as a human being, as at the first advent.
His second coming is to be in a different manner, as well as for a
different purpose.
Noting the fact that our Lord’s change
from human to divine nature at his resurrection was even a greater change
than the one which occurred some thirty-four years previously, when he
laid aside the glory of spiritual being and
“was made flesh,” we may with great profit consider very
minutely his every action during the forty days after his resurrection
before he went “to the Father”; because it is the resurrected Jesus of
those forty days who is to come again, and not the man
Christ Jesus who gave himself as our ransom, in death.
He who was put to death a flesh being was also in his resurrection
quickened [made alive] a spirit being. 1 Pet. 3:18*
—————
*In
this passage, the words “in the” and “by the” are arbitrarily
supplied
by the translators, and are misleading.
The Greek reads simply—“Put to
death flesh, quickened spirit.”
Our Lord was put to death a fleshly
or human being, but was raised from the dead a spirit being.
And since
the Church is to be “changed”
in order that she may be like Christ, it is
evident that the change which occurred in the Head was of a kind
similar to
that described as in reservation for the overcomers, who shall be
changed from human to spiritual nature, and made like
him—“partakers
of the divine nature.”
Hence, the following description of the change of
the saints is applicable also to their Lord; viz., “It is sown in
dishonor, it
is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
it is sown a
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”
At his second advent he does not come to be subject to the powers
that be, to pay tribute to Caesar and to suffer humiliation, injustice and
violence; but he comes to reign, exercising all power in heaven and in
earth. He does not come in
the body of his humiliation, a human body, which he took for the suffering
of death, inferior to his former glorious body (Heb. 2:9); but in his
glorious spiritual body, which is “the express image of the Father’s
person” (Heb. 1:3); for, because of his obedience even unto death, he is
now highly exalted to the divine
nature and likeness, and given a name above every name—the
Father’s name only excepted. (Phil. 2:9; 1 Cor. 15:27)
The Apostle shows that it “doth not yet appear” to our human
understanding what he is now like; hence we know not what we shall be like
when made like
him, but we (the Church) may rejoice in the assurance that we shall one
day be with him, and like him, and see him as
he is (1 John 3:2)—not as he was at his first advent in
humiliation, when he had laid aside his former glory and for our sakes had
become poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.
If we consider the wisdom and prudence of our Lord’s methods of
manifesting his presence to his disciples after his resurrection, as well
as previously, it may help us to remember that the same wisdom will be
displayed in his methods of revealing himself at his second advent, both
to the Church and to the world—methods not necessarily similar, but in
each case well suited to his object, which never is to alarm or excite
men, but to convince
their cool, calm judgments of the great truths to be impressed upon them.
Our Lord’s first advent was not a startling, exciting or alarming
event. How quietly and
unobtrusively he came! So
much so that only those who had faith
and humility were enabled to recognize in the infant of humble
birth, in the man of sorrows, in the friend of the humble and poor, and
finally in the crucified one, the long-looked-for Messiah.
After his resurrection, the manifestation of his presence would in
the nature of the case be a more astounding fact, particularly when his
changed nature is taken into consideration. Yet the fact of his
resurrection, together with the fact of his changed nature, had to be
fully manifested, not to all the world at that time, but to chosen
witnesses who would give credible testimony of the fact to succeeding
generations. Had all the world been made acquainted with the fact then,
the testimony coming down to our day would probably have been much less
trustworthy, being colored and warped by men’s ideas and mixed with
their traditions so that the truth might appear almost or quite
incredible. But God entrusted it only to chosen, faithful and worthy
witnesses; and as we notice the account, let each mark how
perfectly
the object
was accomplished, and how clear, positive and convincing was the proof of
Christ’s resurrection and change offered to them.
Mark, too, the carefulness with which he guarded against alarming
or unduly exciting them while making manifest and emphasizing these great
truths. And be assured that
the same wisdom, prudence and skill will be displayed in his methods of
making known the fact of his glorious presence at his second advent.
The cool, calm judgment will be convinced in every case, though the
world in general will need to be brought by severe discipline to the
proper attitude to receive the testimony, while those whose hearts are
right will have the blessed intelligence sooner.
All the proofs of his resurrection and change to spiritual nature
were not given to his disciples at once, but as they were able to bear
them and in the manner calculated to make the deepest impression.
During the three and a half years of our Lord’s ministry, his
disciples had sacrificed friends, reputation, business, etc., to devote
time and energy to heralding Messiah’s presence and the establishment of
his kingdom. But they had
necessarily crude ideas regarding the manner and time of their Master’s
exaltation, and of their promised exaltation with him.
Nor was full knowledge then necessary: it was quite sufficient that
they should faithfully take each step as it became due; hence the Master
taught them little by little as they were able to receive it.
And near the close of his ministry he said, “I have yet many
things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth... and show you things to come, and bring all things to
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 16:12,13; 14:26
Who can tell their great disappointment, even though so
far as possible they had been armed against it, when they saw him
suddenly taken from them and ignominiously crucified as a felon—him
whose kingdom and glory they had been expecting and declaring, and which
only five days before his crucifixion had seemed to them so near a
realization. (John 12:1,12-19) Though
they knew him to be falsely accused and wrongfully crucified, this did not
alter the fact that their long cherished national hopes of a Jewish king,
who would restore their nation to influence and power, together with their
own individual hopes, ambitions and air-castles of important offices and
high honors in the kingdom, were all suddenly demolished by this
unfavorable turn which matters had taken in the crucifixion of their king.
Well did the Master know how desolate and aimless and perplexed
they would feel; for thus it was written by the Prophet, “I will smite
the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” (Zech. 13:7; Mark
14:27) And during the forty
days between his resurrection and ascension, it was therefore his chief
concern to gather them again, and to re-establish their faith in him as
the long-looked-for Messiah, by proving to them the fact of his
resurrection, and that since his resurrection, though retaining the same
individuality, he was no longer human, but an exalted spirit being, having
“all power in heaven and in earth.” Matt. 28:18
He broke the news of his resurrection gradually to them—first,
through the women (Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, Mary the mother of James
and Salome, and others with them—Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1,10), who came
early to the sepulcher to anoint his dead body with sweet spices.
While they wondered whom they should get to roll away the stone
from the door of the sepulcher, behold, there was an earthquake, and when
they came they found the stone rolled away,
and an angel of the Lord sat upon it, who addressed them, saying, “Fear
not, for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified.
He is not here; for he is risen, as
he said. Come, see
the place where the Lord lay. And
go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and
behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him.” Matt.
28:5-7
It seems that Mary Magdalene separated from the other women and ran
to tell Peter and John (John 20:1,2), while the others went to tell the
rest of the disciples, and that after she had left them Jesus appeared to
the other women on the way, saying (Matt. 28:9,10), “All hail.”
And they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him.
Then said Jesus unto them, “Be not afraid: go tell my brethren
that they go into Galilee [their home], and there shall they see me.”
And with fear and joy they ran to tell the other disciples. In
their mingled feelings of surprise, perplexity, joy and fear, and their
general bewilderment, they scarcely knew how to report their strange and
wonderful experience. When Mary met Peter and John she said sadly, “They
have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher and we know not where they
have laid him.” (John 20:2) The
other women told how at the sepulcher they had seen a vision of angels who
said he was alive (Luke 24:22,23), and then how they afterward met the
Lord in the way. Matt. 28:8,10
The majority of the disciples evidently regarded their story merely
as superstitious excitement, but Peter and John said, We will go and see
for ourselves; and Mary returned to the sepulcher with them.
All that Peter and John saw was that the body was gone, that the
grave clothes were carefully folded and laid by, and that the stone was
rolled away from the door. So
in perplexity they turned away, though Mary still remained there weeping.
As she wept she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher and saw
two
angels,
who said, “Woman, why weepest thou?”
She answered, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know
not where they have laid him.” And
as she turned about she saw Jesus standing, but did not know him.
He inquired, “Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?”
And she, supposing him to be the gardener, answered, “Sir, if
thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will
take him away.” Then, in
the old familiar tone which she quickly recognized, the Lord said,
“Mary!”
That was enough to establish her faith in the statement of the
angel, that he had risen, which until now had seemed like a dream or an
idle tale; and in her joy she exclaimed, “Master!”
Her first impulse was to embrace him, and to tarry in his presence.
But Jesus gently informed her that there was a very important
mission for her to perform now, in bearing witness to the fact of his
resurrection, and that she should be in haste to carry the message and
establish the faith of the other disciples, still in perplexity and
uncertainty, saying, “Touch [Greek, haptomai,
embrace] me not [do not tarry for further demonstration of your affection
now]; for I am not yet ascended to my Father [I will be with you for a
short time yet]: but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my
Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17)
Through the other women also he had sent them word that he would
meet them in Galilee.
Next, he overtook two of the sad and perplexed disciples as they
walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus, and inquired the cause of their sadness
and despondency. (Luke 24:13-35) And one of them answered: “Art thou
only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come
to pass there in these days? And
he said unto them, What things? And
they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the
people: and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be
condemned to death, and have crucified him.
But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed
Israel: and besides all this, today is the third day since these things
were done. [Here they were
probably calling to mind John 2:19,21,22.]
Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished,
which were early at the sepulcher. And
when they found not his body, they came saying that they had also seen a
vision of angels, which said he was alive.
And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulcher, and
found it even so as the women had said; but him they saw not.”
No wonder they were perplexed; how strange it all seemed! how
peculiar and thrilling had been the events of the past few days!
Then the stranger preached them a stirring sermon from the
prophecies, showing them that the very things which had so disheartened
them were the things which the prophets had foretold concerning the true
Messiah: that before he could rule and bless and lift up Israel and all
the world, he must first redeem them with his own life from the curse of
death, which came upon all through Adam, and that afterward, raised to
life and glory by Jehovah, their Master would fulfil all that was written
by the prophets concerning his future glory and honor, as truly as he had
fulfilled those prophecies which foretold his sufferings, humiliation and
death. A wonderful preacher!
and a wonderful sermon was that! It
started new ideas and opened new expectations and hopes.
As they drew near the village they constrained him to tarry with
them, as it was toward evening and the day was far spent.
He went in to tarry with them; and as he sat at meat with them, he
took bread and brake and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened; and he vanished out of their sight.
Not until that moment did they recognize him, though they had
walked, and talked and sat at meat together.
He was known to them not by face, but in the simple act of blessing
and breaking bread in the old familiar way, thus assuring their faith in
what they had already heard—that he had risen, and would see them again.
Then the two surprised and overjoyed disciples arose that same hour
and returned to Jerusalem, saying to each other, “Did not our hearts
burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to
us the Scriptures?” Arriving in Jerusalem they found the others
rejoicing also, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to
Simon.” And they told what
things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of
bread. Probably they were
nearly all there that evening, homes, business and everything else
forgotten—Mary Magdalene with her tears of joy, saying, I knew him the
moment he called my name—I could not credit the angel’s assurance of
his resurrection until then; and the other women telling their wonderful
experience of the morning, and how they had met him in the way.
Then Simon had his story to tell; and now here were two other
witnesses from Emmaus. What
an eventful day! No wonder
they desired to meet together on the first day of every week after that,
to talk the matter over and to call to mind all the circumstances
connected with this wonderful event of the Lord’s resurrection, and to
have their hearts “burn” again and again.
While the excited and overjoyed little company were thus met and
relating to each other their several experiences, the Lord Jesus himself
suddenly stood in their midst (Luke 24:36-49) and said, “Peace be unto
you!” From where had he come? All
such meetings were held secretly with closed doors, for fear of the Jews
(John 20:19,26), but here was a sudden appearance without any visible
approach; and they were terrified, and supposed they had seen a
spirit. Then he comforted
them, told them to calm their fears, and showed them his hands and his
feet, saying, “It is I, myself; handle me and see; for a spirit hath not
flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto
them, “Have ye here any meat?” and they gave him a piece of a broiled
fish, and he took it and did eat before them.
Then he opened their understanding,
their mental eyes, and expounded the Scriptures to them, showing from the
law and the prophets that these things had come to pass exactly as
foretold. But Thomas was
absent (John 20:24); and when the other disciples told him that they had
seen the Lord, he would not believe it, but said, “Except I shall see in
his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will
not believe.”
Eight days passed without further manifestations, and they had time
calmly to think and talk over the experiences of that wonderful day, when,
the disciples being again assembled as before, Jesus stood in their midst,
just as on the first evening, saying, “Peace be unto you.” (John
20:26) This time Thomas was present, and the Lord addressed him, saying,
“Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither
thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but
believing.” He thus showed
that he knew what Thomas had said without being told, and he gave that
proof of his resurrection which Thomas had said would satisfy him; and
with joy Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God!”
After this, there must have been quite a long interval before there
was any further manifestation of the Lord’s presence, and the disciples
who were Galileans began to think of home and the future; and remembering
the Lord’s message by the women, that he would go before them into
Galilee, they
went thither. Probably on
their way, the Lord met them, as Matthew relates, in a mountain.
They were perplexed; they no longer felt the same familiarity they
once had toward him; he seemed so greatly changed since his crucifixion
from what he used to be—he appeared and disappeared in such peculiar
times and places; he no longer seemed like “the man Christ Jesus”; so
Matthew says “they worshiped him—but some doubted.”
After a few words with them the Lord “vanished” from their
sight, and left them to wonder what next would happen.
For some time after their return to Galilee nothing unusual
occurred, and there was no further indication of the Lord’s presence.
Doubtless they met together and talked over the situation, and wondered
why he did not appear to them more frequently.
As they waited, the days and the weeks seemed long. They had long
ago given up the ordinary pursuits of life, to follow the Lord from place
to place, learning of him, and preaching to others, “The kingdom of
heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 10:5-7)
They did not now wish to go back to the old pursuits; and yet, how
should they proceed with the Lord’s work?
They comprehended the situation clearly enough to know that they
could no longer preach as formerly the kingdom at hand; for all the people
knew that their Master and King had been crucified, and none but
themselves knew of his resurrection.
While all of the eleven were thus perplexed and anxious, waiting
for something, they knew not what, Peter said, Well, it will not do to
remain idle: I will go back to my old fishing business; and six of the
others said, We will do the same: we will go with you. (John 21:3) And
probably the rest also turned again to their old employments.
Who can doubt that the Lord was invisibly present with them many
times as they talked together, overruling and
directing
the course of circumstances, etc., for their highest good?
If they should have great success and become swallowed up by
interest in business, they would soon be unfit for the higher service; yet
if they should have no success, it would seem like forcing them; so the
Lord adopted a plan which taught them a lesson such as he often teaches
his followers, viz.: that the success or failure of their efforts, in any
direction, he can control if he please.
The old firm of fishermen reorganized: got together their boats,
nets, etc., and went out for their first catch.
But they toiled all night and caught no fish, and began to feel
disheartened. In the morning a stranger on shore calls to them to know of
their success. Poor success!
We have caught nothing, they answer.
Try again, said the stranger.
Now cast your net on the other side of the boat.
No use, stranger, we have tried both sides all night long, and if
there were fish on one side, there would be on the other.
However, we will try again and let you see.
They did so, and got an immense haul.
How strange! said some; but the quick and impressible John at once
got the correct idea, and said, Brethren, the Lord only could do this.
Don’t you remember the feeding of the multitudes, etc?
That must be the Lord on shore, and this is another way that he has
chosen to manifest himself to us. Don’t
you remember that it was just so when the Lord first called us?
Then, too, we had toiled all night and caught nothing until he
called to us, saying, “Let down your nets for a draught.” (Luke
5:4-11) Yes, surely that is
the Lord, though, since his resurrection, we cannot recognize him by his
appearance. He now appears in
a variety of forms; but we know each time that it is he by some peculiar
circumstance like this calling to mind some marked incident of our past
acquaintance with him.
And when they got to shore they found that Jesus had bread as well
as fish, and they learned the lesson, that under
his direction and care and in his service they would not be left to
starve. (Luke 12:29,30) They
did not ask him if he were the Lord; for on this as on other occasions,
the eyes
of their
understanding being opened, they knew him, not by physical sight,
but by the miracle. Then
followed the instructions of that delightful hour, reassuring Peter of his
continued acceptance notwithstanding his denial of the Lord, for which he
repented and wept. He now
learned afresh of his Master’s love, and of his continued privilege of
feeding the sheep and the lambs. We
seem to hear the Lord say, You need not go back to the fishing business,
Peter: I called you once to be a fisher of men, and, knowing your heart to
be still loyal and zealous, I renew your commission as a fisher of men.
“And, eating together with them, he commanded them that they
should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with
the holy Spirit not many days hence.” (Acts 1:4—margin)
So they came to Jerusalem as instructed, and here it was, forty
days after his resurrection, that he met with them for the last time and
talked with them. They
summoned courage this time to question him about the kingdom he had
promised them, saying, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom
to Israel?” This thought of
the kingdom was the one uppermost in the mind of every Jew.
Israel, they understood, was to be chief among the nations under
Messiah, and they knew not of the long Times of the Gentiles, and saw not
yet that the chief blessing had been taken from fleshly Israel (Matt.
21:43; Rom. 11:7), and that they themselves were to be members of the new
(spiritual) Israel, the royal priesthood and holy nation, through whom, as
the body of Christ, the blessing of the world would come.
They as yet understood none of these
things. How could
they? They had not yet
received the holy Spirit of adoption as sons, but were still under
condemnation; because, though the ransom-sacrifice had been made by the
Redeemer, it had not yet been formally presented on our behalf in the Most
Holy, even Heaven itself. (John 7:39)
Hence our Lord did not attempt any explanatory answer to their
question, but merely said, “It is not for you
[now] to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own
power. But
ye shall receive power* after
that the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:7,8
—————
*This
promised power to know and to understand times and seasons, and
all things pertaining to a proper witnessing,
applies to the whole Church
from first to last; and under the guidance and power of the holy
Spirit, meat
in due season concerning every feature of the plan is provided, in
order that we may be his witnesses, even to the end of this age.
Compare
John 16:12,13.
Then the Lord, who was walking with them, when they reached the
Mount of Olives, lifted his hands and blessed them, and he was parted from
them and went upward; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Luke
24:48-52; Acts 1:6-15) They
began to see something more of God’s plan now.
The Lord who came down from heaven had returned to the Father, as
he had told them before he died—had gone to prepare a place for them and
would come again and receive them—had gone afar to receive the promised
kingdom, and to return (Luke 19:12); and meantime they were to be his witnesses
in all the earth to call and make ready a people to receive him when he
would come to be glorified in his saints, and to reign King of kings and
Lord of lords. They saw their
new mission, of proclaiming to every creature a coming king from heaven,
“with all power in heaven and in earth,” to be a much more important
work than that of the preceding years, when they heralded “the man
Christ Jesus,” and followed him who was “despised and rejected of
men.” Their risen Lord was
changed indeed, not only in his personal appearance—appearing sometimes
in one way and place, and again in a different way and place, manifesting
his “all power”—but he was changed in condition or nature also.
No longer did he appeal to the Jews, nor show himself to them; for
since his resurrection none saw him in any sense except his friends and
followers. His words, “Yet
a little while, and the world seeth me no
more,” were thus verified.
Thus was the faith of the apostles and of the early Church
established in the fact of the Lord’s resurrection. Their doubts were
scattered, and their hearts rejoiced; and they returned to Jerusalem and
continued in prayer and supplication and study of the Scriptures, waiting
for the adoption promised by the Father, and their endowment with
spiritual understanding, and with special miraculous gifts of power, to
enable them to convince true Israelites, and to establish the Gospel
Church, at the day of Pentecost. Acts 1:14; 2:1
Though our Lord at his second advent will not manifest his presence
in the same way that he did during those forty days after his
resurrection, yet we have his assurance that the “brethren shall not be
in darkness.” Nay, more: we
shall have an aid which they could not and did not have to help them
during those forty days, viz., “power
from on high,” to guide us into the understanding of every truth due to
be understood, and, even as promised, to show us things to
come. Hence in due season we shall have full understanding of the
manner, time and attendant circumstances of his appearing, which, if
carefully watched for and marked, will be no less convincing than were the
evidences of our Lord’s resurrection furnished
to the early Church, although of a different kind.
That our Lord at his second advent could
assume the human form, and thus appear to men, as he did to his disciples
after his resurrection, there can be no question; not only because he thus
appeared in human form during those forty days, but because spirit beings
have in the past manifested the power to appear as men in flesh and in
various forms. But such a manifestation would be out of harmony with the
general tenor of God’s plan, as well as out of harmony with the
Scriptural indications given, relative to the manner of his
manifestations, as we shall see. Instead,
it is the Lord’s plan that his spiritual kingdom shall communicate,
operate, and manifest its presence and power through human, earthly
agencies. Just as the prince
of this world, Satan, though unseen by men, exercises a wide influence in
the world through those subject to him, and possessed of and controlled by
his spirit, so the new Prince of Peace, the Lord, will chiefly operate in,
and manifest his presence and power through, human beings, subject to him
and possessed of and controlled by his spirit.
Seeing with the natural eye and hearing with the natural ear are
not all there is of seeing and hearing.
“No man hath seen God at any time” thus, yet all God’s
children have seen him, and known him, and held communion with him. (John
1:18; 5:37; 14:7) We hear
God’s call, our “high calling,” we hear
the voice of our Shepherd, and are constantly looking
unto Jesus, and see
the prize, the crown of life which he promises—not by natural sight and
hearing, but by our understanding. Far
more precious is the sight we have of our glorified Lord as the spiritual,
highly exalted King of glory, our Redeemer as well as our King, by the
eyes of our understanding and faith, than the sight afforded to the
natural eye before Pentecost.
There was a necessity for our Lord’s appearing in the manner he
did to his disciples, after his resurrection, which will not exist at his
second advent. His object
then will be better served in a different way.
In fact, to appear so at his second advent would be detrimental to
the purpose then to be accomplished.
His object in appearing to his disciples after his resurrection was
to convince them that he who was dead is alive forevermore, that they
might go forth as witnesses to the fact of his resurrection (Luke 24:48),
and that their testimony might be a sure foundation for the faith of
coming generations. Since no
man can come to God acceptably, to receive the holy Spirit of adoption,
without faith
in Christ, it became necessary, not only for the sake of the disciples
then, but for all since, that the evidences
of his resurrection and change should be such as natural
men could grasp and appreciate.
After they had become partakers of the holy Spirit and understood
spiritual things (See 1 Cor. 2:12-16), they could have believed the angels
at the sepulcher, that he had risen from the dead condition, even if they
had seen the fleshly body of the man Christ Jesus still lying in the tomb;
but not so before—the body must be away to make faith in his
resurrection possible to them. After
the holy Spirit had enabled them to discern spiritual things they could
have believed the testimony of the prophets that he must needs die, and would
rise from the dead, and that he would be highly exalted as King of
glory, without its being needful for him to appear
as a man, and assume various bodies of flesh as a garment, so that
they could handle him and see
him ascend. But all this was
needful for them and for all natural men.
By believing, we come to God by him and receive forgiveness of sins
and the Spirit of adoption, to understand spiritual things.
Even while removing the natural
obstacles to faith, by assuming human form, etc., our Lord convinced
the disciples, and made them witnesses
to others, not by their natural sight and touch, but by reasoning with
them out of the Scriptures: “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, and that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And
ye are witnesses of
these things.” (Luke 24:45-48)
Peter also states this object clearly, saying, “Him God raised up
the third day, and permitted
him to become manifest—NOT TO ALL THE PEOPLE, but to those
witnesses previously chosen of God, to us, who did eat and drink with him
after he arose from the dead. And he commanded us to proclaim to the
people that this [the resurrected Jesus] is he who has been appointed by
God the judge of the living and the dead.” Acts 10:40-42. Diaglott
translation.
With our Lord, after his resurrection, it was simply a question of
expediency as to which way of appearing to his disciples would best
accomplish his object, of making known his resurrection and change of
nature. Had he appeared as a
flame of fire, as the angel appeared to Moses in the burning bush
(Exod. 3:2), he might indeed have conversed with them, but the evidence
thus given would have been far from being as convincing as the method he
did adopt, both to the apostles and to the world at large to whom they
witnessed.
If he had appeared in the glory of the spirit form, as the angel
did to Daniel (Dan. 10:5-8), the glory would have been greater than the
witnesses could have borne. They
would probably have been so alarmed as to be unable to receive
instructions from him. To
none except Paul did the Lord ever thus show himself; and Paul was so
overcome by that glimpse of his glory that he fell to the ground and was
blinded
by its brightness, which was above that of the sun at noonday.
In our examination of the method of manifestation adopted by our
Lord during those forty days, we saw that he “permitted”
himself to become manifest even to the chosen witnesses only a few times,
and then but briefly. The
entire time that he was manifest to them, had it all been crowded into one
day instead of being at intervals during the forty days, would probably
have been less than twelve hours, or one eightieth of that entire time.
This being true, it is evident that he was present with them unseen
about seventy-nine eightieths of that period of forty days.
And even when they did have manifestations,
they were not (except once, repeated to St. Thomas) in a form exactly like
the one they had known so intimately for three years, and had seen but a
few days before. It is not
once intimated that they knew him by the familiar features of his face,
nor even that he was recognized by the same appearance as in other
manifestations.
Mary supposed him to be “the gardener.”
To the two on their way to Emmaus he was “a stranger.”
He was also a stranger to the fishermen on the sea of Galilee, and
to the eleven in the upper room. On
every occasion he was recognized by his actions, his words, or the
familiar tones of his voice.
When Thomas declared that only the proof which addressed his
natural sight and touch would be acceptable to him, the Lord, though he
granted that demand, gently reproved him, saying, Because thou has seen
me, thou hast believed; blessed are those who believe, not
having seen. (John 20:27-29)
The stronger evidence was that which was not addressed to natural
sight, and more blessed are those who hold themselves in readiness to
receive the truth through whatsoever proofs God is pleased to substantiate
it.
He thus showed them, not only that he now had the power to appear
in a variety of ways and forms, but also that no one of those bodies which
they saw was his spiritual, glorious body, though the facts of his
resurrection and presence were thus manifested to them.
The different forms, and the long intervals of invisible presence
with no outward manifestation, made evident the fact that though their
Lord and teacher was alive and not yet ascended to the Father, he was now
a spirit being, really invisible to human sight, but with ability to
manifest his presence and power in a variety of ways at pleasure.*
—————
*The
occurrence recorded by Luke (4:30) should not be regarded as a case
parallel to his appearing and vanishing after his resurrection.
That was
not a disappearance in the sense of becoming invisible to the
people. It
was merely an adroit, prompt movement, by which he eluded the
murderous
design of his enemies.
Before they had executed their plans for his
death he turned about, and, passing through their midst, no man had
courage or power to molest him, because his hour had not yet come.
The creating of the body and clothing in which he appeared to them,
in the very room in which they were gathered, was proof unquestionable
that Christ was no longer a human being, though he assured his disciples
that the body which they saw, and which Thomas handled, was a veritable
flesh and bone body, and not a mere vision or appearance.+
As a human being he could not come into the room
—————
+Let
no one hastily suppose that we are here following Spiritism,
Swedenborgianism or any other ism.
We are simply following and logically
connecting the apostolic account.
The vast difference between the Bible
teaching and that counterfeit of it promulgated by Satan, known as
Spiritualism, we distinctly discern and shall examine in a
succeeding volume.
Suffice it here to point out that Spiritism affects to communicate
between dead
men and living men, while the Bible condemns this (Isa. 8:19),
and teaches that such communications as were true
have been made only
by spirit beings, such as angels, and by our Lord; and not by our
Lord while
he was “the man
Christ Jesus,” nor while he was dead, but after his
resurrection change, when he had become a life-giving or
“quickening
spirit” being.
Nor can we for a moment admit the suggestion offered by some, that
our Lord opened the doors without being observed; for the record is plain
and clear that he came and stood in their midst while
the doors were shut—probably very carefully barred and bolted
too—“for fear of the Jews.” John 20:19,26
The lesson of his changed nature was still further emphasized by
his manner of leaving their sight: “He vanished
out of their sight.” The
human body of flesh and bones, etc., and its clothing, which appeared
suddenly while the doors were shut, did not go out of the door, but simply
disappeared
or dissolved into the same elements from which he had created them a few
moments before. He vanished
out of their
sight,
and was no longer seen
of them when the flesh and bones and clothing in which he had manifested
himself were dissolved, though doubtless he was still with
them—invisibly present; and so also much of the time during those forty
days.
On special occasions, for special instruction, God has granted
similar power to other spirit beings, angels, enabling them to appear as
men, in bodies of flesh and bones which ate and talked to those they
instructed, just as our Lord did. See
Gen. 18; Judges 6:11-22; 13:3-20; and the comments on these in Vol. I,
pages 178 to 184.
The power manifested by our Lord, and the angels referred to, to
create and dissolve the clothing in which they appeared, was just as
superhuman as the creating and dissolving of their assumed human bodies;
and the bodies were no more their glorious spiritual bodies than were the
clothes they wore. It will be
remembered that the seamless robe
and other clothing which our Redeemer wore before his crucifixion had been
divided among the Roman soldiers, and that the grave clothes were left
folded away in the sepulcher (John 19:23,24; 20:5-7), so that the clothing
in which he appeared on the occasions mentioned must have been specially
created, and probably was the most appropriate for each occasion.
For instance, when he appeared as a gardener to Mary, it was
probably in such apparel as a gardener would wear.
That the bodies in which our Lord appeared were real human bodies,
and not mere delusions, he gave them clearly to understand when he ate
before them, and invited them to handle him and see that the body was real
flesh and bones, saying, “Why are ye troubled?...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.”
Some Christians draw very absurd conclusions from this expression
of our Lord as to the verity of his assumed flesh and bone body.
They regard the assumed body as his spirit body, and declare that a
spirit body is flesh and bones, and just like a human body, excepting that
an indefinable something, which they call spirit, flows through its veins
instead of blood. They seem
to disregard the statement of our Lord, that this was not a spirit
body—that a spirit being has not flesh and bones.
Do they also forget John’s statement, that “It doth not yet
appear” what a spirit body is, and that we shall not know until we are
changed and made like him and see him, not as he was, but as he is? (1
John 3:2) Do they also forget
the Apostle Paul’s express statement that “flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God?”—and his further
assurance that therefore
all the heirs with Christ must also “be changed?”
1 Cor. 15:50,51
Many Christians have the idea that our Lord’s glorious
spiritual body is the very same body that was crucified and laid
away in Joseph’s tomb: they expect, when they see the Lord in glory, to
identify him by the scars he received on Calvary.
This is a great mistake, which a very little consideration should
make manifest — Firstly, It would prove that his resurrection body is
not glorious or perfect, but scarred and disfigured: Secondly, It would
prove that we do know what a spirit body is, notwithstanding the
Apostle’s statement to the contrary: Thirdly, It would prove that our
redemption price was taken back; for Jesus said, “My flesh I will give
for the life of the world.” It
was his flesh, his life as
a man,
his humanity, that was sacrificed for our redemption. And when he was
raised to life again by the power of the Father, it was not to human
existence; because that was sacrificed as our purchase price.
And if that price had been taken back, we would still be under the
condemnation of death, and without hope.
We have no more reason to suppose that our Lord’s spirit body
since his resurrection is a human body than we have for supposing that his
spirit body prior to his first advent was human, or that other spirit
beings have human bodies; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones; and, says
the Apostle Peter, our Lord was “put to death in the flesh but made
alive in spirit.”
Our Lord’s human body was,
however, supernaturally removed from the tomb; because had it remained
there it would have been an insurmountable obstacle to the faith of the
disciples, who were not yet instructed in spiritual things—for “the
spirit was not yet given.” (John 7:39)
We know nothing about what became of it, except that it did not
decay or corrupt. (Acts 2:27,31) Whether
it was dissolved into gases or whether it is still preserved somewhere as
the grand memorial of God’s love, of Christ’s obedience, and of our
redemption, no one knows—nor is such knowledge
necessary.
That God did miraculously hide the body of Moses, we are assured
(Deut. 34:6; Jude 9); and that as a memorial
God did miraculously preserve from corruption the manna in the golden
bowl, which was placed in the Ark under the Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle,
and that it was a symbol of our Lord’s flesh, the bread from heaven, we
also know. (Exod. 16:20,33; Heb. 9:4; John 6:51-58)
Hence it will not surprise us if, in the Kingdom, God shall show to
the world the body of flesh, crucified for all in giving the ransom on
their behalf—not permitted to corrupt, but preserved as an everlasting
testimony of infinite love and perfect obedience.
It is at least possible that John 19:37 and Zech. 12:10 may have
such a fulfillment. Those who
cried, “Crucify him!” may yet, as witnesses, identify the very body
pierced by the spear and torn by the nails and thorns.
To regard our Lord’s glorious body as a body of flesh would not
in the least account for his peculiar and sudden appearings during those
forty days prior to his ascension. How could he so suddenly appear and
then vanish? How was it that
he kept himself almost constantly invisible during those forty days?
And why was it that his appearance each time was so changed as not
to be recognized as the same one seen on any former occasion, or as the
one so well known and loved by all, before his crucifixion, only a few
days previous?
It will not do merely to say that these were miracles, for then
some use or necessity for the miracles should be named.
If his body after his resurrection were flesh and bones, and the
same body that was crucified, with all the features and scars, why
did he perform miracles which not only did not establish that fact, but
which were likely, we see, to teach the opposite?—that he himself was no
longer human—flesh and bones—but a spirit being who could go and come
as the wind, so that none could tell whence he
came
or whither he went, but who, for the purpose of instructing them, appeared
as
a man in
various bodies of flesh and bones which he created and dissolved as
occasion required.
Before our Lord’s crucifixion, he had been on familiar terms with
his disciples, but after his resurrection, though he loved them none the
less, his manner toward them was more reserved.
This was doubtless to impress them more forcibly with the dignity
and honor of his high exaltation, and to inspire due reverence for his
person and authority. Though as a man Jesus never lacked that dignity of
deportment which commands respect, yet a greater reserve was necessary and
expedient after his change to the divine nature. Such reserve has always
been maintained by Jehovah toward his creatures, and is expedient under
the circumstances. This reserve marked all our Lord’s interviews with
the disciples after his resurrection.
They were very brief, even as he had said, “Hereafter I will not
talk much with you.” John 14:30
Those who believe that our Heavenly Father is a spirit and not a
man should find no difficulty in realizing that our Lord Jesus, who is now
exalted to the divine nature, and who is not only a moral likeness of God
but in fact “the
express image
of the Father’s person,” is no longer a man but a spirit
being, whom no man hath seen nor can see without a miracle.
It is just as impossible for men to see the unveiled glory of the
Lord Jesus as it is for them to behold Jehovah. Think for a moment how
even a reflection of the spiritual glory affected Moses and Israel at
Sinai. (Heb. 12:21; Exod. 19; 20:19-21; 33:20-23; 34:29-35)
“So terrible was the sight,” so overwhelming and
fear-inspiring, “that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake.”
And though Moses was supernaturally strengthened to behold the
glory of the Lord, so that for forty days and forty nights, alone with
God, overshadowed by his glory and without either food or drink, he
received and wrote the divine law (Exod. 34:28), yet when he desired to
see the Lord face to face he was told, “Thou canst not see my face; for
there shall no man see me and live.” (Exod. 33:20)
All that Moses ever saw, therefore, was an appearance
representing God, and nothing more was possible.
This accords, too, with the Apostle’s statements: “No man
hath seen God at
any time”; he is the King immortal, invisible, whom
no man hath seen nor can [ever] see. (1 Tim. 6:15,16) But that
spirit beings can and do see God, who himself is a spirit being, is
clearly stated. Matt. 18:10
If our Lord is still “the man
Christ Jesus, who gave
himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5,6)
— if being put to death in the
flesh he was raised again in the flesh, and not, as the Apostle declares,
a life-giving spirit—then instead of being exalted higher than angels
and every name that is named in heaven as well as in earth, he is still a
man. And if he retains the
form of a servant, which he took for the purpose of suffering death for
every man, and is still a little lower than the angels, he never can see
God. But how unreasonable
such a view when fully examined in the light of apostolic testimony.
Consider, too, that if our Lord’s flesh, that was pierced and wounded
with nail and spear and crown of thorns, and marked with sorrow, is his
glorious spiritual body, and if the scars and marred human features are
part and parcel of the exalted Lord, he would be far from beautiful, even
if we should love the wounds endured for us.
And if he thus bears an imperfect, scarred, marred body, and if we
shall be like
him, would it not imply that the Apostles and saints who were
crucified, beheaded, stoned to death, burned, cut to pieces and torn by
beasts, as well as those who met with accidents, would each likewise bear
his blemishes and scars? And
in that view would not heaven present a most awful spectacle—to all
eternity? But this is not
the case, and no one could long hold so unreasonable and
unscriptural a view. Spirit
beings are perfect in every particular, and so the Apostle reminds the
Church, who are heirs of heavenly or spiritual glory and honor, that,
though sown [in death] in weakness [with marks and wounds, etc.] it [the
being] is raised in power; though sown in dishonor [with lines of care and
sorrow, etc.] it is raised in glory; though sown a natural body
[literally, “an animal body”] it will be raised a spiritual body; and
that as we have borne the image of the earthly father, we shall bear the
image of the heavenly Lord. (1 Cor. 15:42-51)
Our Lord Jesus for our sakes took and bore the image of the earthly
also, for a while, that he might redeem us.
But in his resurrection he became the heavenly Lord (Rom. 14:9),
and we, if faithful, shall soon bear the image of the heavenly Lord
(spiritual bodies), as we now still bear the image of the earthly lord,
Adam (human bodies).
Remember Paul’s case—In order that he might be one of the
apostles, he must be a witness
—must see the Lord after his
resurrection. He was not one
of those who saw the manifestations of resurrection and presence during
the forty days, hence he was given a special glimpse of the Lord.
But he saw him, not as did the others—not veiled in flesh and
garments of various forms. And
the merest glance at the unveiled glorious person of our Lord caused him
to fall to the ground blinded with a glory far “above the brightness of
the sun at noon-day”: from which blindness, to restore him to even
partial sight required a miracle. (Acts 9:17,18)
Did not Paul see the Lord as he is—a
spiritual being? And did not
our Lord during the forty days appear
as he was,
i.e., as he had been previously, for the special purposes and reasons
already pointed out? There is
no room to doubt this. But the Lord had an object in appearing to Paul
thus, just as he had, and served another object by appearing differently
to the others. This
object Paul shows, saying: “Last of all he was seen
of me also—as
by one BORN BEFORE THE DUE TIME.” (1 Cor. 15:8—literal rendering)
As the resurrection of our Lord was his birth
from the dead, to the full perfection of spiritual being (Col. 1:18; Rom.
8:29), so the resurrection of the Church, the body of Christ, is here and
elsewhere referred to as a birth. In
our birth or resurrection as spirit beings, we shall see the Lord as
he is, just as Paul saw him; but we, being changed
or born then, as spirit beings, will not be stricken down nor blinded with
the sight of our Lord’s glorious person.
Paul’s statement means that he saw him as
we shall see him—“as
he is”: he saw him as
all the body of Christ shall see him, but BEFORE THE DUE TIME, before he
was born from the dead, and therefore before able to endure it—yet “as”
each one so born shall in due time see him.
Moses, coming down from the mount to communicate to Israel the Law
Covenant, was a type of the greater Lawgiver and Mediator of the New
Covenant, who at his second advent shall come forth to rule and bless the
world. Moses typified, therefore, the entire Church, of which our Lord is
the Head. Moses’ face was
caused to shine, so that the people could not look at him, and he must
thereafter wear a veil, as a type of the spiritual glory of Christ, an
illustration of the point we are now examining.
Christ has the real glory and brightness, the express image of the
Father’s person, and we shall be like him, and no man can behold that
glory; hence whatever manifestation of the Law-giver there will be to the
world when the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, the glory of the
spiritual persons cannot be seen. They
will speak through the veil—under the cover. This, as well as more, was
meant by Moses’ veil. Exod. 34:30-33
As we give the matter careful study, we come more and more to
recognize the divine wisdom displayed in the manner of revealing the
resurrection of our Lord to the apostles, that they should be thoroughly
satisfied and reliable witnesses, and that the meek of the world might be
able to receive their testimony and believe that God raised our Lord from
the dead—that they might recognize him as the one that was dead, but is
now alive forevermore, and, believing, might come unto God by him.
And as we consider him under the leadings of the holy Spirit of
truth, our minds expand and we see him no longer the man Christ Jesus, but
the Lord of glory and power, partaker of the divine nature. And thus we
know him, for whose coming and kingdom the Church has so earnestly prayed
and longed. And no one
properly recognizing his great exaltation can expect at his second coming
the man Christ Jesus in the body of flesh prepared for sacrifice and
wounded and given
in death as our ransom. Nor
should we expect that at his second coming he would “appear,” or manifest
himself, in various flesh and bone forms to the world—that was needful
for those early witnesses,
but not so now. He will, as
we shall see, manifest his second presence very differently.
From what we have seen regarding spirit beings and their
manifestations in times past, it is evident that if our Lord were to
manifest himself at his second advent either by opening men’s eyes to
behold his glory, as he did with Paul and Daniel, or by assuming a human
body, it would be detrimental to the plan revealed in his Word.
The effect of appearing in glory to the world, their eyes being
miraculously wrought upon to enable them to see him, would be almost to
paralyze them with the overwhelming sight, while to appear as
a man would be to lower the standard of dignity and give a lower
than the true estimate of the divine nature
and form. As neither would
seem to be necessary or advisable now, we cannot presume that either of
these methods will be adopted.
On the contrary, we should expect that the Christ would be manifest
in the flesh of mankind in the same manner as when the Lord was “made
flesh” and dwelt among men, God was manifest in his flesh.
Human nature, when perfect and in harmony with God, is a likeness
of God in the flesh; hence the originally perfect Adam was a
likeness of God, and the perfect man Christ Jesus was also; so that he
could say to the disciple Philip, who asked to see
the Father, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father”—he hath seen
the likeness of God in the flesh, “God manifest in the flesh.”
So, too, mankind in general, as
its members come gradually back to the long-lost image of God, will be
fleshly images and likenesses of the Father and of the Christ.
At the very beginning of the Millennium, as we have seen, there
will be samples of perfect manhood before the world (Vol. I, pages
287-293): Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the holy prophets, already tried
and approved, will be the “princes” among men, the exponents and
representatives of the spiritual, invisible kingdom.
In these Christ will be manifested—in their
flesh—even as the Father was manifested in his flesh. And as
“whosoever will” reaches perfection and comes into full harmony with
the will of Christ, every such one will be an image of God and of Christ,
and in each of these Christ will be manifested.
Because created in God’s moral image, the perfect man, fully
consecrated, will be able to appreciate perfectly the holy Spirit and Word
of God; and the glorified Church will direct him.
No doubt, too, visions and direct revelations, and general
communications between the spiritual kingdom and its earthly
representatives and exponents, will be much more free and general than
similar communications ever were
before—
more after the order of the
communions of Eden, before sin brought condemnation and separation from
God’s favor and communion.
Nothing, then, either in reason or in Scripture, demands that our
Lord shall at his second advent appear in various bodies of flesh and
bones. That such a procedure
is not essential is evident from the success of Satan’s kingdom, which
operates through human beings as agents.
Those who partake of the spirit of evil and error represent the
great unseen prince, most fully. He
is thus manifest in their flesh though himself a spirit being, invisible
to men.
The Christ “changed,” made partakers of the divine nature,
shall be spirit beings as truly as is Satan, and equally invisible to men.
Their operations will be similar in manner, though directly
opposite in character and results; their honored agents, not bound and
made slaves by ignorance and weakness, as are most of the servants of
Satan, but made perfect, and “free indeed,” will act intelligently and
harmoniously, from choice and from love; and their appointments will be
rewards of righteousness.
Our Lord’s presence will be manifested to the world
by exhibitions of “power and great glory,” not, however, merely to the
natural sight, but to the eyes of their understanding, as they shall open
to an appreciation of the great changes which the new Ruler shall effect.
His presence and righteous authority will be recognized in both the
punishments and the blessings that will flow to mankind from his reign.
It has long been generally believed that distress and trouble come
as punishments for evil doing, upon the wicked.
This seeming to be a natural and proper law, people in general have
accepted it, thinking that it should be so, even if it is not; yet the
hard facts of experience agree with the Bible, that in the past it has
been the godly who have oftenest
suffered afflictions and persecutions. (2 Tim. 3:12) But in the “Day of
Trouble,” the period of forty years introducing Messiah’s reign, this
order will begin to be reversed. In that day, evil powers are to be
overthrown, and righteousness, established by a gradual process, shall
speedily work out a corresponding retribution to evildoers, and blessings
to them that do good—“Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man
that doeth evil,...but glory, honor and peace to every man that worketh
good”—in that “day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment
of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds.” (Rom.
2:9,10,6,5) And since there
is so much that is wrong now, the retribution will be very heavy at first,
making a “time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation.”
Thus, in vengeance, and trouble, and wrath upon the nations, will the Lord
reveal to the world the fact of the change of dispensations, and the
change of rulers. And thus,
“When the judgments of the Lord are in the earth, the inhabitants of the
world will learn righteousness.” (Isa. 26:5-11) They will learn that
under the new order of things right-doers are to be exalted and evildoers
restrained and punished. For
clear prophetic testimony relative to this kingdom and its operation on
behalf of the humble, the upright, the poor, the needy and the oppressed,
and its overthrow of monopolies and every system of injustice and
oppression, and the general equalization of human affairs, read carefully
Psalm 72:1-19; 37:1-14.
Our King will thus reveal himself gradually: some will discern the
new Ruler sooner than others, but ultimately “every eye shall see [horao—discern]
him.” (Rev. 1:7) But “he
cometh with clouds”; and while the clouds of trouble are heavy and dark,
when the mountains (kingdoms of this world) are trembling and falling, and
the earth (organized society) is being shaken, disintegrated, melted, some
will begin to realize what we now
proclaim as already at hand—that the great day of Jehovah has come; that
the foretold day of trouble and wrath upon the nations is beginning; and
that Jehovah’s Anointed is taking to himself his great power and
beginning his work, of laying justice to the line and righteousness to the
plummet. (Isa. 28:17) And
“he must reign until” he shall have put
down all authorities and laws on earth, contrary to those which
control in heaven.
As the trouble increases, men will seek, but in vain, for
protection in the “dens” and caves, the great rocks and fortresses of
society (Free Masonry, Odd Fellowship, and Trades Unions, Guilds, Trusts,
and all societies secular and ecclesiastical), and in the mountains
(governments) of earth; saying, “Fall over*
[cover, protect] and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the
throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is
come.” Rev. 6:15-17
—————
*The
Greek word epi,
here used, is generally translated on,
but has also the
significance of over
and about,
and is so translated many times in the
common version.
The thought is that of protection, not of destruction.
The common
view of this passage, that it teaches that wicked men will get
faith enough to pray for literal mountains to fall, is absurd.
The real
fulfilment is already beginning: the great, the rich, and no less
the poor, are
seeking to the mountains and rocks and caves for shelter from the
darkening
storm of trouble which all see is gathering.
The idolatry of money in which the whole world has gone mad, and
which is to have so prominent a place in the trouble, causing not only
anxiety for its accumulation, but also for its preservation, is to be
completely overthrown, as shown in Isa. 2:8-21; Ezek. 7:17-19.
The great day of trouble will be recognized, and from its storm all
will seek protection, though few will recognize the judgments of the Lord
then abroad in the world as the result of his presence,
the setting up of his authority, and the enforcement of his laws.
In the end, however, all shall recognize [“see”]
the King of glory; and all who then love righteousness will rejoice to
obey him and conform themselves fully to his just requirements.
That will be a time of retribution upon all who by fraud or force,
sometimes in the name of the law and under its sanction, have
unrighteously grasped the rights or property of others.
The retribution, as we have seen, will come from
the Lord, through
the uprising of the masses of the people.
In their distress, loathe to part with a dollar or an acre, or an
assumed right or dignity long enjoyed and long undisputed, yet seeing the
approaching retribution, many will seek the covering of the hitherto
powerful organizations—civil, social and ecclesiastical—to promote and
shield their interests, feeling that alone they must fall.
But these shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the
Lord’s anger. The
approaching conflict and retribution will cause all the families of the
earth to wail; for it will be a time of trouble such as was not since
there was a nation—no, nor ever shall be again.
It will be “because
of him” that they will wail; because of his judgments producing
in a natural way the great trouble; because the Lord ariseth to shake
terribly the earth, and to destroy its corruptions. (Isa. 2:21)
So far-reaching will be the judgments and the trouble that none
shall escape. Ultimately
every eye shall discern the change, and recognize that the Lord reigneth.
The trouble might be greatly lessened could men see and promptly
act upon principles of equity, ignoring and relinquishing all unjust
privileges of the past, even though legalized; but this, selfishness will
not permit until the trouble shall break and overthrow the proud, humble
the powerful and exalt the meek.
But not until the great day of trouble is about closing—not until
the Gentile kingdoms are ground to powder and utterly removed, no place
being found for them (A.D. 1915, as
shown in the preceding chapter)—not until great Babylon is utterly
overthrown and her influence over the world broken—will the great mass
of mankind come to realize the true state of the case.
Then they will see that the great trouble through which they will
have passed was that symbolically termed “The battle of the great day of
God Almighty” (Rev. 16:14); that in proportion as they have aided error
and wrong, they have been battling against the law and forces of the new
empire and the new Ruler of earth; and that in proportion as their
tongues, and pens, and hands, and influence, and means, were used to
support the
right and the truth on any subject, they had been to that extent
fighting on the Lord’s side.
Some will learn the significance of the trouble more quickly than
others, because more teachable. And
during all the trouble there will be in the world those who will bear
witness to its cause, declaring the Lord’s presence and the setting up
of his kingdom which is in opposition to the powers of darkness to be the
real cause of the trouble and shaking and overturning of society, showing
that all who oppose truth and righteousness are the enemies of the new
kingdom, and that unless they quickly surrender they must soon suffer
ignominious defeat. Yet the
masses will be heedless of wise counsel, as they have always been, until
completely humbled under the iron rule of the new kingdom, only at last
realizing the folly of their course.
The true teacher and light bearer (Matt. 5:14), the true Church,
the body of Christ, is not to be left in darkness to learn of her Lord’s
presence by the manifestations of his wrath and power, as the world will
learn of it. For her
enlightenment special provision has been made.
By the sure word of prophecy, which shines as a light in a dark
place, she is clearly and
definitely informed just what to expect. (2 Pet. 1:19)
Through the prophetic word, she shall not only be shielded from
discouragement, and enabled to overcome the besetments, snares and
stumbling stones so prevalent in “the evil day,” and thus to stand
approved of God, but she becomes the light-bearer and instructor of the
world. The Church is thus
enabled to point out to the world the cause of the trouble, to announce
the presence of the new Ruler, to declare the policy, plan and object of
the new dispensation, and to instruct the world as to the wisest course to
pursue in view of these things. And
though men will not give heed to the instruction until the lesson of
submission has been forced upon them by the trouble, it will greatly aid
them then in learning the lesson. It
is to this mission of the “feet,” or last members of the Church, who
will declare upon the mountains (kingdoms) the reign
of Christ
begun, that Isaiah 52:7 refers.
Seemingly
Conflicting Scriptures
There are some statements of Scripture with reference to the manner
of the Lord’s return and appearing which, until critically examined,
appear to be contradictory of each other.
And no doubt they have for centuries served the divine purpose of
concealing the truth until the due time for it to be understood; and even
then, from all except the special class of consecrated ones for whom it
was intended.
For instance, our Lord said, “Behold, I come as
a thief”; and, “As it was in
the days of Noah, so shall it be also in
the days
of the Son of man [the days of his presence]:
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage,” “and knew
not until the flood came.”
“And when Jesus was questioned of the Pharisees when the Kingdom
of God should come, he answered them and said, The Kingdom of God cometh
not with observation” [marginal
reading, “not with
outward show”]. Rev. 16:15; Luke 17:26,27,20; Matt. 24:38,39
These scriptures plainly state and illustrate the manner of the
Lord’s coming. They show
that he will be present unseen, doing a work of which the world for a time
will be entirely unaware. His
arrival must therefore be in a quiet manner, unobserved, and entirely
unknown to the world, just “as a thief” would come, without noise or
other demonstration to attract attention.
As in the days of Noah the world went on with its affairs as usual,
not in the least disconcerted, and without the slightest faith in the
preaching of Noah with reference to the coming flood, so in the early part
of the Day of the Lord, the world, having no faith in the announcement of
his presence and of the impending trouble, will go on as usual, giving no
heed whatever to any such preaching until, in the great flood of trouble,
the old world—the old order of things—goes down, passes away,
preparatory to the full establishment of the new order, the Kingdom of God
under the whole heavens—“As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be
also in the days [of the presence]
of the Son of man.”
On the other hand, we find
scriptures which at first sight seem to be in direct conflict with these;
as, for instance: “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice
of the Archangel, and with the trump
of God.” “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
messengers, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“They [the world] shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory.” “Behold, he
cometh with clouds, and every
eye shall
see him.” 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:7,8; Matt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7
As seekers after truth, it will not do for us to say, in view of
these passages, that the majority
of them seem to favor whatever
view we incline to prefer, and then to ignore the others.
Until we have a view of the matter in which every Bible statement
finds a reasonable representation, we should not feel sure that we have
the truth on the subject. One statement of God is as true, and as firm a
foundation for faith, as a hundred. And
it would be wiser to seek for a harmonious understanding than to arrive at
a conclusion or adopt a theory based on a one-sided interpretation, and
thus to deceive ourselves and others.
Christians generally make no effort to harmonize these statements,
and therefore their ideas are one-sided and incorrect. The last group of
statements is just as positive as the first, and apparently teaches the
very reverse of a quiet, unobserved, thief-like manner in the Lord’s
coming and presence. In
addition to these statements, we are referred to two other illustrations
of the manner of his coming, viz.:
“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,” and,
“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.” (Acts 1:11; Matt.
24:27) To reach a correct
conclusion, these also must be given due weight.
In our examination of the subject we should note that while our
Lord stated, as a positive fact, that his kingdom would be established
without outward show, and that his coming, his presence, would be as
a thief, requiring close, attentive watching to apprehend and discern it,
all of the above texts generally cited as proof of an outward, visible
manifestation are in highly
figurative language, except the one which says that he will come
in like manner as he went away. The
symbolic must always bend in interpretation to the plainer, more literal
statements, as soon as their symbolic character is recognized.
Whenever a literal interpretation would do violence to reason, and
also place the passage in direct
antagonism to plain
statements of Scripture, such passage should be considered
figurative, and its interpretation as a symbol should be sought in harmony
with obviously plain and literal passages, and with the general character
and object of the revealed plan. By
recognizing and thus interpreting the symbols in this case, the beautiful
harmony of all the statements is manifest.
Let us now examine them and see how perfectly they agree with the
statements which are not symbolic.
“The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice
of the Archangel, and with the trump
of God.”
(1 Thess. 4:16) The voice and
the trumpet here mentioned correspond in every way with the same figures
used in Rev. 11:15-19—“The seventh angel sounded;
and there were great voices
in heaven, saying, The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our
Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever....And the
nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that
they should be judged,” etc. The
same events are referred to in Daniel’s prophecy: “And at that time
shall Michael [Christ] stand up [assume control], the great Prince,...and
there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a
nation,...and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall
awake.” And Paul adds to
his mention of the voices and the trumpet the statement, “And the dead
in Christ shall rise first.” In
2 Tim. 4:1 he further states that Christ shall judge the quick (the
living) and the dead, at this time of his appearing and kingdom; and the
beginning of this judgment of the living nations is everywhere described
as the greatest time of trouble the world has ever known. Dan. 12:1
Thus Paul, John and Daniel evidently refer to the same time, the
time of our Lord’s appearing, and the establishment of his kingdom in
the midst of a great time of trouble,
and to the events preceding and introducing it. The same result is shown
by each writer to follow the standing up of Michael, the voices and the
trumpet: namely, trouble and wrath upon the nations and the resurrection
of the dead. Next, mark the
figure used:
“WITH A SHOUT.” The
Greek word here translated “shout” is keleusma,
which signifies a
shout of encouragement. A
shout implies a public message designed for the ears, not of a few, but of
a mixed multitude. It is
generally designed either to alarm and terrify or to assist and encourage.
Or it may have the one effect upon one class, and the reverse
effect upon another, according to circumstances and conditions.
The aspect of affairs in the world for the past fifteen years very
strikingly corresponds with this symbol, in the outbursts of world-wide
encouragement for all men to wake up to a sense of their rights and
privileges as men, and to consider their mutual relationships, the
principles upon which they are based and the ends which they should
accomplish. Where on the face of the earth is the civilized nation that
has not heard the shout, and is not influenced by it!
The entire civilized world has, in the past few years been studying
political economy, civil rights and social liberties as never before in
the annals of history; and men are encouraging each other, and being
encouraged, as never before, to probe these subjects to the very
foundation. The shout of
encouragement started by the increase of knowledge among men has already
encircled the earth, and under its influence men are banding themselves
together, encouraged and assisted by men of brain and genius, to contend
and strive for both real and fancied rights and liberties; and as their
organizations increase and multiply, the shout grows louder and longer,
and will by and by result as foretold, in the great time of trouble and
tumult of angry nations. This result is graphically described by the
Prophet—
“The
noise of a multitude in the mountains [kingdoms] like as of a great
people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together:
the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of battle.” Isa. 13:4
“THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL” is another striking symbol of
similar import. The name
“archangel” signifies chief
messenger;
and our anointed Lord himself is Jehovah’s Chief Messenger—the
“Messenger of the Covenant.” (Mal. 3:1) Daniel refers to the same
personage, calling him Michael, which name signifies who
as God—an appropriate name for him who is “the express image
of the Father’s person,” and the representative of his authority and
power. The voice of the
Archangel represents Christ’s authority and command. This symbol, then,
represents Christ as taking control, or beginning his reign and issuing
his commands, his official orders, announcing the change of dispensation
by the enforcement of the laws of his kingdom.
The same thought is differently expressed by Daniel, when he says,
Then shall Michael, the great Prince, “stand
up.”
To stand up signifies to assume authority, to give commands. See
“ariseth,”
Isa. 2:19,21. Another
illustration of this symbol is from David, who says of Christ
prophetically, “He uttered his voice; the earth melted.”
The great time of trouble will be precipitated, and the earth
(organized society) will melt, or disintegrate, under the change of
administration going into effect when the new King utters his voice of
command. At his command,
systems of error, civil, social and religious, must go down, however old
or firmly entrenched and fortified they may be.
The sword out of his mouth shall cause the havoc: The truth on
every subject, and in all its varied aspects, shall judge men, and, under
his power and overruling, shall cause the overturning of evil and error in
all their thousand forms.
“THE TRUMP OF GOD.” Many
seem thoughtlessly to entertain the idea that this trumpet will be a
literal sound on the air.
But this will be seen to be an unreasonable expectation, when it is
noticed that Paul here refers to what the Revelator designates “The
Seventh Trumpet,” the “Last Trump” in a
series of symbolic trumpets. (Rev. 11:15; 1 Cor. 15:52)
The proof that these references are to the same trumpet is found in
the record of the events connected with each.
Paul mentions the resurrection, and the establishment of the
Lord’s Kingdom, as connected with “the trump of God,” and the
Revelator mentions the same with even greater minuteness.
The propriety of calling the “seventh,” or “last trump,”
the “trump of God,” is evident, too, when we remember that the events
mentioned under the preceding six trumpets of Revelation refer to
humanity’s doings, while the seventh refers specially to the Lord’s
work, and covers the “Day of the Lord.”
Since the six preceding trumpets were symbols—and this is
generally admitted by commentators and students who make any claim as
expositors of Revelation—it would be a violation of reason and common
sense to expect the seventh, the last of the series, to be a literal,
audible sound on the air. And
not only so, but it would be out of harmony with the Lord’s general
methods, as well as with those statements of Scripture indicating the secrecy
of his coming; for a thief never sounds a trumpet to announce his arrival.
The seven trumpets of Revelation are all symbolic, and represent
seven great periods of time and their events.
The examination of these we leave for a subsequent volume. Suffice
it here to say that we find ourselves today in the midst of the very
events which mark the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
The great voices, the increase of knowledge, the angry nations,
etc., taken in connection with time prophecies, establish this as a fact.
Many events are yet to transpire before this seventh or last
trumpet ceases to sound; as, for instance, the rewarding of the saints and
prophets, the resurrection of all the dead, etc.
In fact, it covers the entire period of the Millennial reign of
Christ, as indicated by the events which are to transpire under it. Rev.
10:7; 11:15,18
Thus we find the “shout,”
the “voice
of the Archangel” and “the
trump of God” all symbols, and now in process of fulfilment.
Note carefully, too, the fact that each of the three prophecies just
referred to (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 11:15; 1 Thess. 4:16) declares the Lord’s presence
at the time when the events mentioned transpire.
They were foretold for the very purpose of indicating the manner in
which his invisible
presence would be manifested to those who have faith in the word
of prophecy. Paul says,
“The Lord shall
descend with [literally in,
or during]
a shout,” voice, trumpet, etc.; John says that the kingdoms of this
world become his, during the time of these events; and Daniel says, “At
that time shall Michael, the great Prince [Christ], stand up” (be present)
and take to himself his great power.
If, therefore, we can recognize the shout, the voices and the
sounding of the great trumpet, we should accept them as indications, not
that the Lord will come soon, but rather that he has come and is now
present, and that the harvest work of gathering the wheat and burning the
tares is already under way. This
we shall soon see is abundantly proved by time prophecies.
Yet it is not to the natural vision, but only to the eye of faith,
through the sure word of prophecy, that his presence and work can be
discerned.
Just here another fact should not be overlooked, namely, that the
“Shout,” the “Voice of the Archangel,” and the “Trump of God,”
as above explained, are all instrumentalities for the accomplishment of
the harvest work of the Gospel age. If,
therefore, we see not only the meaning of these symbols, but the foretold results
actually taking place, we have additional proof both that we have rightly
interpreted
the symbols, and that we are now in this period called the “harvest,”
in which the Gospel age and the Millennial age lap—the one closing and
the other opening. Many will need no aid in tracing a separating
work now going on between the truly consecrated and the merely
nominal Christians. Many can
see the symbolic fire already under way, and can discern the “shout”
of the people, the command of the new King Immanuel and the events called
the “seventh trumpet,” and the “clouds” of trouble, in which the
Lord comes, and from and in which his power is to be manifested—subduing
all things unto himself.
We have already (Vol. I, p. 237) called attention to the fact, that
the recognition of the harvest work in actual process is proof of the
Lord’s presence, since he declared that he would be the chief reaper and
director of the entire work, and that this would be his first
work—“Behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the
Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp
sickle....And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth;
and the earth was reaped.” “In
the
time of the harvest I
will say to the reapers, gather” etc. (Rev. 14:14,16; Matt. 13:30)
The harvest work will occupy forty years for its full
accomplishment, ending with A.D. 1914. Its various features will be
accomplished gradually, but all of its days are “days of the Son of
Man”—days of our Lord’s presence and power—recognized in the end
by all, but at first only by the class specified by the Apostle — “Ye,
brethren — not in darkness.”
“IN FLAMING FIRE.” The
next of these symbolic statements can be readily understood, if the
meaning of the symbols, fire, etc., already explained (Vol. I, p. 317), be
borne in mind. It reads,
“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in
flaming fire, taking vengeance on
them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” 2 Thess. 1:8
Expressed literally, we understand this to signify that in his day
(the Millennial age) our Lord’s presence will be revealed or manifested
to the world from his position of spiritual control (“heaven”), in the
wrath and punishment then visited upon evil and evildoers.
It will be consuming wrath, as indicated by the symbol, fire,
and will leave neither root nor branch of evil systems, error, oppression,
or wilful sinners; and all the proud, and all evildoers, shall be burned
up as stubble in that Millennial day.
In its beginning—in this “harvest” period—this fire will
burn very fiercely, consuming pride and evil, now of such rank growth.
Happy those who will surrender their pride and evil to be
destroyed, that they themselves be not destroyed also (in the “second
death”), as some resisters will evidently be, during the Millennial age.
It is of this time that we read, “Behold, the day cometh that
shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly,
shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the
Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Mal.
4:1
The “mighty angels,” messengers, or agents of his power, are
various, and may properly be understood as applying to and including all
the various agencies, animate and inanimate, which shall be used by our
Lord in the overthrow of the evil systems of the present, and in the
chastisement of evildoers.
While the wrath or vengeance of the Lord is thus to be expressed in
flaming fire, in consuming trouble, such as never before was known—so
general and widespread, and so destructive of evil—righteousness and the
righteous will begin to be favored. And
as these dealings become more and more apparent, men will begin to draw
the inference that a new power has taken control of human affairs; and
thus
the presence
of our Lord as King of kings shall be revealed to the world.
“He shall be revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance [both] on
them that know not God [who are not really acquainted with God, but who
nevertheless fail to obey the light of conscience, which all to some
extent possess], and [also on those who, while knowing God, yet] obey not
the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Under the chastisements and increasing light and favorable
opportunities of the Millennial day, all will be brought to such a clear
knowledge of the truth and the way of righteousness as to be without the
excuse of ignorance, or of inability to obey the truth; and those who
persistently continue
enemies of God and righteousness shall be punished with lasting
destruction (a destruction from which there shall be no
resurrection) from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his
power.
“IN POWER AND GREAT GLORY.”
The next statement is to the effect that the world will see the Son
of man coming,
before his kingdom is fully set up or his joint-heirs are all gathered and
exalted with him. And, seeing
his coming, all the tribes of the earth will mourn—“They shall see the
Son of man coming with power and great glory.”
Already the world sees the
clouds of trouble gathering and darkening; they realize that a power is
now at work in the affairs of men, with which they cannot cope; the near
future, from the present outlook, is dark and ominous to all who have
sufficient intelligence to mark the trend of events. Thinking men observe
the persistency with which questions of right and wrong, justice and
injustice, are forced
upon their consideration, demanding
an expression of their individual principles.
Many recognize the glory
and power of earth’s new Ruler, yet because clouds and darkness
are round about him they do not recognize the King himself. Men see the
clouds, and therefore see him coming in the
clouds
with power and great glory [the glory of power and justice], but they do
not recognize him.
Not until the clouds have let fall hail stones and coals of fire (Psa.
18:12,13) to batter down men’s pride, and selfishness, and prejudices,
and consume these, will the clouds disappear, and reveal the full majesty
and glory of Christ’s presence. If
men would consider, and hearken to the voice of the Lord, which now
directs the course of justice, and warns of impending retribution, the
great disasters of the near future would be averted; but “God speaketh
once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not....Then he openeth the ears of
men [in the thunder tones of “the day of trouble”] and sealeth their
instruction, that he may withdraw man from his [own] purpose, and hide
pride from man.”
“Behold, he cometh with clouds,” and in due time “every eye
shall see [discern] him,” shall recognize his presence, power and
authority; and all must submit to it, whether willing or unwilling, until
the loosing of Satan for a little season, in the close of the Millennium,
when after full experience their willingness or unwillingness will be
fully tested, and the unwilling will be destroyed—the second death,
symbolically called the lake of fire. Rev. 21:8
Thus seen, all of these symbolic explanations of the manner of our
Lord’s coming accord perfectly with the plain statements which declare
that his presence will be a secret for a time, known only to those
watching.
In
Like Manner
What, now, is taught by the statement of the angel at the time of
our Lord’s departure—Acts 1:11—“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”?
A careful examination of this text will manifest its harmony with
the foregoing. Many seem to
think the passage reads, As you see
the Lord ascend into heaven, so, in like manner, you shall see
him come again. Such should
read it again and again, until they note the fact that it does not say
that those who saw him go will see
him come, nor that any one else will see
him come. What it does say
is, that the manner
of his coming will be like
the manner
of his going. What, then, was
the manner of his going? Was
it with great splendor, and with great demonstration?
Was it with trumpet sound and voices and a great shout rending the
air, and the Lord’s person shining in supernatural glory and brightness?
If so, we should expect his coming again to be “in
like manner.”
On the other hand, was it not as quietly and secretly as was
possible, consistent with his purpose of having thoroughly convinced
witnesses of the fact? None
saw him, or knew of the fact, except his faithful followers.
His statement (John 14:19), “Yet a little while and the world
seeth me no more,” has never yet been disproved; for none but the
brethren saw even his manifestations after his resurrection, and no others
witnessed his ascension. And
in like
manner
as he went away (quietly, secretly, so far as the world was concerned, and
unknown except to his followers), so,
in this manner, he comes again. And
as when he went away he lifted up his hands and blessed them, so, when he
comes again, it is that their joy may be full, as he said: “I will come
again, and receive you unto myself”; “I will see you again, and your
heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” Luke
24:50,51; John 14:3; 16:22
The angel seemed also to give special emphasis to the fact that the
coming again would be the coming of this very “same
Jesus”—the same one who left the glory which he had with the
Father before the world was, and became man—became poor that we might be
made rich; the same Jesus that died on Calvary; the same Jesus that arose
a quickening spirit the third day; the same Jesus that had manifested
his change
during the forty days—THIS same Jesus now ascended upon high.
Yes, it is the same
Jesus who has experienced two changes of nature—first from spirit to
human, and then from human to divine.
These changes of nature have not destroyed his individuality.
His identity was preserved, as the angel thus assures us, whether
the philosophy of that fact be understood or not; and though we shall know
him no more after the flesh (as a man), but should remember his
exaltation, that he is now of the divine, spiritual nature, and should
anticipate his coming in harmony with this change and exaltation, yet we
may remember that he is the
same loving Jesus, and not changed in this respect.
It is “this same Jesus,” who, though present forty days after
his resurrection, was seen of the disciples only, and by them but briefly,
who in his second presence will be as invisible to the world as during the
forty days preceding his ascension. We must remember that he does not come
to give himself as a sacrifice, and hence that he has no further use for a
human body prepared for sacrifice. (Heb. 10:5)
That is all over now: he dies no more, but now comes to rule and
bless and uplift the redeemed race.
Our Lord furnished us a most beautiful illustration of the manner
in which his presence will be revealed, when he said, “As the
bright-shining emerges from the east, and illuminates even unto the west,
so will be the presence
of the Son of man.” (Matt. 24:27) That
most translations of this verse are faulty in using the word lightning,
where sunlight is meant, is evident; for lightning flashes do not come out
of the east and shine unto the west.
They just as frequently come from other quarters, and rarely, if
ever, flash clear across the heavens.
The Lord’s illustration, and the only one which will comport with
his words, is the sun’s brightness, which does invariably emerge from
the east and shine even unto the west.
The Greek word astrape,
here used, is thus shown to be
improperly translated in this text, and also in the account of the same
words by Luke (17:24). Another
instance of the use of this word astrape
by our Lord is found in Luke 11:36, where it applies to the brightness of
a candle, and in the common version is rendered “bright-shining.”
Incorrect ideas of the manner of our Lord’s coming and revealing, firmly
fixed in the minds of translators, led them into this error of translating
astrape
by the word “lightning.” They
supposed that he would be revealed suddenly, like a flash of lightning,
and not gradually, like the dawning sunlight.
But how beautiful is the figure of sunrise, as illustrating the
gradual dawning of truth and blessing in the day of his presence.
The Lord associates the overcomers with himself in this figure,
saying, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom
of their Father.” And the Prophet, using the same figure, says, “The
Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his beams.”
The dawning is gradual,
but finally the full, clear brightness shall thoroughly banish the
darkness of evil, ignorance, superstition and sin.
An imperfect translation of the word parousia
has further tended to obscure the sense of this passage.
In the Emphatic Diaglott and in Prof. Young’s translation it is
rendered presence;
in Rotherham’s it is arrival;
while in the common version it is rendered coming.
And though the text of the Revised Version retains this last
erroneous rendering—coming—yet
in the marginal reading it acknowledges “presence”
to be the true definition of the Greek.
The Greek word parousia
invariably signifies personal presence, as having come, having arrived;
and it should never be understood as signifying to be on the way, as the
English word coming
is generally used. The text
under consideration therefore teaches that as the sunlight
gradually dawns, so shall the presence
of the Son of man be gradually manifested or revealed.
Together with this illustration, our Lord coupled words of caution
to guard us against certain errors which would be advanced about the time
of his second advent, calculated to lead his Church astray.
“Behold, I have told you before.
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 bright shining [sun] cometh out of the east and
[gradually] shineth even unto the west, so shall be the presence
of the Son of man.” Thus
does our Lord put us on guard against two errors rapidly growing in our
day. One is the claim that
our Lord will come in the flesh, in the wilderness or desert of Palestine;
and, so believing, many have gone thither, and are waiting to see Jesus in
the flesh,
with the scars, as when crucified. Expecting
him as he was,
and not “as he is,” they seriously err, and blind themselves to the
truth, as did the Jews at the first advent. These false expectations lead
this class to interpret literally the statement of the prophet (Zech.
14:4), “His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives,”
etc.*
Blinded by false expectations, they do not see that the “feet”
in this passage are figurative, as truly as in Psa. 91:12; Isa. 52:7; Psa.
8:6; 110:1; Eph. 6:15; Deut. 33:3; and in many other passages.
If they knew what
to expect, they would know not to go to Jerusalem to look for the man
Christ Jesus; for the highly exalted king comes as the sunlight, making
his presence and influence felt the world over.
Wherefore, “Go not forth.”
—————
*We
leave the examination of this prophecy for another occasion.
“If they shall say, Behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe
it not.” Spiritism, ever
ready to deceive by counterfeits, and
ever ready to use advanced truths as a garment of light (2 Cor. 11:13,14),
has not hesitated to claim that we are in a period of dispensational
change, the dawning of a glorious age.
Among other such things, some of them even teach that Christ is present,
and, we doubt not, ere long they will give seances
at which they will claim to show him in the secret
chambers. Should the
error present itself in this form, or any other, let us remember our
Lord’s words and repudiate all such claims as false, knowing that not
thus will he reveal
his presence, but “as the sunlight,” emerging gradually—“the Sun
of righteousness shall arise with healing in his beams.”
Our
Lord's Parousia in the Harvest
The Greek is a very exact language: a fact which greatly enhances
its value in giving exact expression to truth.
Thus, for instance, in our common English Bibles, the word come
is used to translate thirty-two Greek words, each of which has a fine
shade of difference. Instances:
ephistemi
signifies to
overtake,
as in Luke 21:34—“come
upon [overtake] you unawares”; sunerchomai
signifies to
gather, or come
together, as in 1 Cor. 11:18—“come
together in the church”; proserchomai
signifies to
approach, or come
toward, as in Heb. 4:16—“Let us therefore come
boldly”; heko
signifies to
arrive, or have
come, or came,
as when the action of coming is completed, as in John 2:4—“Mine hour
is not yet come”; enistemi
signifies to
be present, and is so translated, except in two instances where it
should be so rendered: 2 Tim. 3:1—“Perilous times shall
come”—be
present; and 2 Thess. 2:2—“That the day of Christ is
at hand”—present. Parousia,
too, signifies presence,
and should never be translated coming,
as in the common English Bible, where it is twice rendered properly, presence.
(2 Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:12) The
“Emphatic
Diaglott,” a very valuable
translation of the New Testament, renders parousia
properly, PRESENCE, in almost every occurrence of the word.
The two Greek words, heko
and parousia,
and their use in the New Testament, are what we desire to notice at
present, and particularly the latter of these; because a correct
appreciation of their significance sheds light upon the manner of our
Lord’s return, through passages in which they occur, while the common
but erroneous translation beclouds the very point it should illuminate.*
—————
*The
word parousia
occurs twenty-four times in the Greek Testament, and
is only twice in the English com. ver. (2 Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:12)
correctly
translated presence.
The other occurrences, in which it is mistranslated
coming,
are as follows: Matt. 24:3,27,37,39; 1 Cor. 15:23; 16:17;
2 Cor. 7:6,7; Phil. 1:26; 1 Thess. 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23;
2 Thess. 2:1,8,9; James 5:7,8; 2 Pet. 1:16; 3:4,12; 1 John 2:28.
With the correct thought as to the meaning of parousia
in mind—not that of coming,
as being on the way, but presence,
as after arrival—let us examine some passages in which the word is used.
And from these we will learn that presence
does not necessarily imply sight, but that it is applicable also to things
present but unseen. Thus, for
instance, angels, spirit beings, can be present with us, yet unseen, as
our Lord was present
in the world and often with the disciples during the forty days after his
resurrection, without being seen of the world, or by his disciples except
on the few brief occasions already referred to.
Those days were days of his parousia
(presence), as much as the preceding thirty-three and a half years had
been.
In the conversation previous to the question of Matt. 24:3, our
Lord had foretold the destruction of the temple, and the rejection of
Israel after the flesh until a time when they would gladly recognize him
as their Messiah and say, “Blessed is he.”
He had told his disciples that he would go away, and come again and
receive them unto himself. He
called their day the “harvest,” or end of that age, and he had told
them of a future “harvest” at the time of his second coming. (Matt.
9:37,38; 13:39,40) Doubtless
remembering that few recognized him as the Christ at his first advent,
they wanted to know how
he might be surely recognized at his second advent—expecting probably
that his second advent would occur in their day.
Hence their inquiry, “What shall be the sign [indication] of thy parousia
[presence] and of the end of the age?”
Because of their disposition to mix the closing events of the
Jewish age, or harvest, in which they already were, with the then future
“harvest,” or end of the Gospel dispensation, our Lord gave quite a
detailed account of events which must intervene, indicating a lapse of a
considerable period
between, yet giving no clear idea of its length; for even he did not then
know how long it would be. Mark 13:32
Our Lord’s reply in verses 1 to 14 covers the entire Gospel age;
and his words in verses 15 to 22 have a double application—literally to
the close of the Jewish age, and figuratively to the end of this Gospel
age, of which the Jewish age was a shadow.
Verses 23-26 contain words of warning against false Christs, and in
verse 27 he reaches their question regarding his parousia,
and declares [properly translated], “as the bright shining [the
sunlight] cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall
the parousia
[the PRESENCE] of the Son of man be.”
The sunlight becomes present instantly, yet noiselessly; and it is
first discerned by those who are first awake.
Leaving other intermediate features of our Lord’s discourse for
examination in their appropriate place, we note his second reference to
their question regarding his parousia
in verses 37 and 39. He says,
“As the days of Noah, so shall also the parousia
[PRESENCE] of the Son of man be.” Notice,
that the comparison is not between the coming
of Noah and the coming
of our Lord, nor between the coming
of the flood and the coming
of our Lord. The coming
of Noah is not referred to at all; neither is the coming
of our Lord referred to; for, as already stated, parousia
does not mean coming,
but presence.
The contrast, then, is between the time of the presence of Noah
among the people “before
the flood,” and the time of the presence of Christ in the world, at his
second advent, before
the fire—the extreme trouble of the Day of the Lord with which this age
ends.
And though the people were wicked in Noah’s day, before
the flood, and will be wicked in the time of our Lord’s presence, before
the hot fire of trouble comes upon them, yet this
is
not the point of comparison or likeness to which our Lord refers;
for wickedness has abounded in every age.
The point of comparison is stated clearly, and is readily seen if
we read critically: The people, except the members of Noah’s family,
were ignorant
of the coming storm, and unbelieving
as to the testimony of Noah and his family, and hence they “knew
not”;
and this is the point of comparison.
So
shall also the PRESENCE of the Son of man be.
None but those of the family of God will believe here: others will
“know not,” until society, as at present organized, begins to melt
with the fervent heat of the time of trouble now impending.
This is illustrated by the words, “As in the days that were before
the flood, they were eating, drinking and marrying [Luke (17:28) adds
“planting and building”], until the day Noah entered into the ark, and
knew not,...so shall also the parousia
[the presence] of the Son of man be.”
In the time of the presence
of the Son of man, therefore, the world will go on with its eating,
drinking, planting, building and marrying—not mentioned as sinful
doings, but as indicative of their ignorance
of his presence, and of the trouble that will prevail in the
world. This, then, is our
Lord’s answer to the question of
the disciples— And though the people were wicked in Noah’s day, before
the flood, and will be wicked in the time of our Lord’s presence, before
the hot fire of trouble comes upon them, yet this
is
not the point of comparison or likeness to which our Lord refers;
for wickedness has abounded in every age.
The point of comparison is stated clearly, and is readily seen if
we read critically: The people, except the members of Noah’s family,
were ignorant
of the coming storm, and unbelieving
as to the testimony of Noah and his family, and hence they “knew
not”;
and this is the point of comparison.
So
shall also the PRESENCE of the Son of man be.
None but those of the family of God will believe here: others will
“know not,” until society, as at present organized, begins to melt
with the fervent heat of the time of trouble now impending.
This is illustrated by the words, “As in the days that were before
the flood, they were eating, drinking and marrying [Luke (17:28) adds
“planting and building”], until the day Noah entered into the ark, and
knew not,...so shall also the parousia
[the presence] of the Son of man be.”
In the time of the presence
of the Son of man, therefore, the world will go on with its eating,
drinking, planting, building and marrying—not mentioned as sinful
doings, but as indicative of their ignorance
of his presence, and of the trouble that will prevail in the
world. This, then, is our
Lord’s answer to the question of
the disciples—
What shall be the sign [indication]
of thy [parousia]
presence and of the end or harvest of the age?
In substance, he says: There will be no sign for the worldly
masses; they will not know of my presence and the new dispensational
changes. Only the few will
know, and they will be taught of God (in a way not here explained) before
there is any sign
(indication) which the worldly could discern.
Luke’s account of this same discourse (Luke 17:26-29), though not
in the same words, is in perfect accord.
Luke does not use the word parousia,
but he expresses this exact thought, saying: “As it was in
the days of Noe, so shall it be also in
the days of the Son of man”—in the days of his presence.
Not before
his days, not after
his days, but in
(during)
his days, the world will be eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling,
planting and building. These
scriptures, then, clearly teach that our Lord will be present
in the end of this age, entirely unknown to the world, and unseen by them.
Though there shall never be another flood
to destroy the earth (Gen. 9:11), it is written that the whole earth shall
be devoured with the fire
of God’s jealousy (Zeph. 3:8)—not the literal, physical earth in
either case, but the existing order
of things
in both cases: in the first instance accomplished by drowning all the
people except Noah’s family; in the last, by burning all except the
family of God in the symbolic fire—the great trouble of the Day of the
Lord. The faithful children
of God shall be counted worthy to escape all those things coming on the
earth (Luke 21:36): not necessarily by being taken away from the earth,
but possibly by being rendered fire-proof, as in the typical illustration
of the three Hebrews who walked in the midst of the fiery furnace heated
seven times, on whose garments, even, was not the smell of fire; because
one like unto the Son of God was present with them. Dan. 3:19-25
Next we will notice scriptures which teach that many in the Church
will, for a time, be ignorant of the Lord’s presence, and of the
“harvest” and the ending of this age, while he is actually present,
and the harvest work in progress.
The closing verses of Matt. 24, from verse 42 on, are very
significant. In verse 37 our
Lord had shown that the world would not know of the parousia
of the Son of man; and now he cautions his professed disciples that,
unless on their guard they will be similarly in darkness relative to his parousia.
He says, “Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth
come [erchomai—arrive].”
If people were expecting a thief at a definite time, they would
stay awake so as not to be taken unawares: so you should be ever awake,
always ready, and always watching for the first evidence of my parousia.
In reply to your question, “When
shall these things be?” I merely tell you to watch and be ready, and
when I arrive, when I am present,
I will communicate the fact to all who are watching and faithful, and they
only will have any right to know. All
others should and must be in outer darkness, and must learn with and as
the world—through trouble.
“Who, then
[in the “harvest”], is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Master
shall make*
ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Blessed that servant whom his Master on coming [erchomai—when
he arrives]
shall find so doing. Verily,
I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods”—all the
vast storehouse of precious truth shall be opened to such faithful
servants, to arm and supply and feed the entire household of faith.
—————
*Sinaitic
and Vatican MSS read “shall
make.”
But if the servant’s heart is not right, he will say, My Master
tarries [has not
arrived], and may smite [oppose and contradict] his fellow
servants [those who differ with him; those,
therefore, who are declaring the opposite—My Lord does not tarry, but has
come, is present].
Such may eat and drink with the intemperate [become intoxicated
with the spirit of the world], but the Master of that servant will come
[Greek, heko—will
have arrived] in a day not expected, and in an hour in which that servant is
not aware, and will cut him off [from being one of the servants
privileged to hand meat in due season to the household], and will appoint
him his portion with the hypocrites.
[Though not a hypocrite but a genuine servant, he must, because
unfaithful and overcharged, have his portion with the hypocrites in the
perplexity and trouble coming upon Babylon.]
“There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The foregoing, carefully examined, clearly teaches us that in the
end of this age there will be one class denying that the Lord is
present (not denying that he will come sometime, but that he has
come), and smiting or harshly opposing those fellow servants who must
therefore be teaching the opposite—that the Lord has come.
Which is the faithful, truthful servant, and which the one in
error, is clearly stated by our Lord.
The faithful one whom he finds giving seasonable “meat” will be
exalted and given fuller stewardship over the storehouse of truth, with
increased ability to bring it forth to the household, while the unfaithful
one will be gradually separated and drawn into closer and closer sympathy
with the mere professors or hypocrites.
And note the fact that the unfaithful is thus cut off, or
separated, at a time of which he
is not aware—in the harvest time—while his Lord is really present
unknown to him, searching for and gathering his jewels. Matt. 13:30; Psa.
50:5; Mal. 3:17; Matt. 24:31
We particularize here, merely to show that, in answer to the
question of the disciples about signs and evidences of his second presence,
our Lord taught that neither the world nor
the unfaithful servants would be aware of it, until the intense
fire of trouble is at least commenced.
And the faithful evidently will see
him present merely by the eye of faith—through the Scriptures
written aforetime for their learning, to be apprehended as they become
due. Present truths on every
subject are parts of “his goods” and treasures new and old which our
Lord had laid up for us and now freely gives us. Matt. 24:45-47
While thus, by foretold indications, the Lord made ample
preparation to enable the Church to recognize his presence when due,
though they should not see him with the natural eye, he also carefully
warned us against deceptions which should arise—deceptions which should
appear so plausible as to deceive the very elect, if it were possible. But
it is not possible, because all the elect give earnest heed to the
warning, and studiously acquaint themselves with the foretold indications
of his presence, and are watching for their fulfilment.
Those otherwise minded are not of the elect class.
Only the overcomers are to reign with the Lord. These deceptions,
as will be shown in a succeeding chapter, are already in existence, and
are deceiving many. But,
thank God, the elect are forewarned and forearmed, and shall neither be
deceived nor disheartened. Though
clouds and darkness are round about him, they recognize his presence, and
rejoice that their deliverance draweth nigh.
If any man should say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there [in
any particular place],
believe it not. And 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 [like] the bright
shining sunlight, which gradually dawns upon and fills the earth, so
shall his presence be. (Matt. 24:23,26,27)
It will be manifested as foretold, by the dawning light of
truth—truth on every subject, as we now see it so rapidly and gloriously
unfolding. A few years more,
and the Sun of righteousness will
have fully risen with healing in its beams to bless and raise up the
death-stricken world.
In view of the evidences presented in this and the preceding and
following chapters, we have no hesitation in announcing the heart-cheering
intelligence, that the harvest of the Gospel age is upon us, and that the
Master is again present as the Chief Reaper—not in the flesh, as in the
Jewish harvest, but in power and great glory, as the “highly exalted,”
divine Christ whose glorious body is now “the express image of the
Father’s person,” though his glorious person is graciously veiled from
human sight. He is
inaugurating his reign of righteousness; his sickle of truth is
separating; he is gathering together into oneness of heart and mind the
ripe first-fruits of spiritual Israel; and soon that elect “body”
complete shall rule and bless the world.
This announcement is here made, in order that as we proceed the
reader may have the clearer idea of what the time prophecies most
particularly indicate, when it shall be shown that the harvest, and all
its attendant events, are now
chronologically due, and coming to pass as foretold.
Thus seen, these time prophecies and all this particularity of
instruction with reference to the manner and the attending circumstances
of the Lord’s appearing were not given to alarm the world, nor to
satisfy idle curiosity, nor to awaken a sleeping nominal church; but they
were given in order that those who are not asleep, and not of the world,
but who are awake, consecrated and faithful, and earnest students of their
Father’s plan, may be informed of the significance of transpiring
events, and not be in darkness on a subject and with regard to events
in no other way discernible with certainty—the
harvest, the presence of the great Reaper, the threshing and sifting of
the true wheat, the bundling and burning of the tares in the time of
trouble, etc.
Scoffing
Foretold
The Apostle Peter describes how some of the unfaithful servants and
hypocrites will scoff during the presence
of the Lord, even as they scoffed in the days of Noah. (2 Pet.
3:3,4,10,12) Notice that the Apostle wrote to the Church, and that the
scoffers he describes are in
the nominal church and professedly interested in the Lord’s work and
plan, and believers, therefore, that he will
come some time. The
scoffing described is on the very subject here noticed, and such as we
hear and shall hear from professed Christians, whenever the subject of the
Lord’s presence and harvest work, etc., is presented.
Christians generally, until they investigate the subject, have such
ideas of literal manifestations of fire, trumpets, voices, etc., and of
seeing the Lord descending through the air, a shining body of flesh, that
when they hear of his invisible presence,
without taking time to investigate a subject upon which they feel so sure,
busied with worldly plans, and intoxicated with the spirit of the world,
they will dismiss the matter quickly as unworthy of investigation.
It is to this class of professed Christians that the Apostle
refers, saying, “In the last days [in the closing years of the Gospel
age—in the “harvest”] shall come scoffers, walking after their own
desires [plans, theories, etc.], asking, Where
is the promise of his presence
[parousia]?
for ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as at present
from the beginning of creation.” When
referred to our Lord’s statement (Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:26) that in his
days, in the days of his presence,
things would indeed continue as before; and that, as in Noah’s day, men
would be eating, drinking, marrying, planting and building; and that, as
then, the world would know
not of his presence, and read not the signs
of the speedy and great changes just at hand, they are too busy to
consider the testimony carefully, and only continue to scoff.
Ah! says Peter, they forget the great change which occurred in the
days of Noah; and then, under the symbol of fire, he describes the
overwhelming flood of trouble which shall shortly overtake the whole
world, utterly overthrowing all civil and ecclesiastical rule [the
heavens] and melting the entire social fabric [the earth]
— producing anarchy and social
chaos until the new heavens [ruling powers—the Kingdom of God] shall be
fully established, as well as a new earth [society organized on a new and
better basis, of love, equality and righteousness].
The Apostle then reminds us (verse 8) that this Day of the Lord’s
presence,
for which the Church has long hoped and looked, is a thousand-year
day—the Millennium of Christ’s reign.
— producing anarchy and social
chaos until the new heavens [ruling powers—the Kingdom of God] shall be
fully established, as well as a new earth [society organized on a new and
better basis, of love, equality and righteousness].
The Apostle then reminds us (verse 8) that this Day of the Lord’s
presence,
for which the Church has long hoped and looked, is a thousand-year
day—the Millennium of Christ’s reign.
In verse 10 he assures us that “the Day of the Lord will arrive
[Greek, heko]
as
a thief”*
[unobservedly, quietly: it will be present, while some are scoffing and
smiting those fellow-servants who declare the truth].
The Apostle then exhorts the saints to separateness from the world;
that they be not swallowed up by politics, money-getting, etc., but that
they set their affections on higher things.
He says, Seeing that in God’s plan present earthly conditions are
only temporary and will soon give place to the better order, what manner
of persons ought we to be, in respect to holy conduct and piety?—“looking
for the PRESENCE [parousia]
of the Day of God”—watching for the evidences (signs) to prove that it
has come.
—————
*Old
Manuscripts omit here the words, “in
the night.”
And, thanks be to God, his provision is so abundant that all those
of piety, who are looking
for that day, will know of it before the full bursting forth of the fire
of wrath. Through Paul
he assures us that none of the children of the light will be left in
darkness, that that day should come upon them unawares. (1 Thess. 5:4)
Hence, though we are already in
the day of the Lord’s presence,
and in the beginning of the great fire of trouble, we see that it is even
as shown us in symbol (Rev. 7:1,2)—the storm is held in check until the
faithful servants of God are “sealed in their foreheads:” i.e., until
such are given an intellectual appreciation of the time,
presence,
etc., which will not only comfort them, and shield them, but also be a mark,
seal or evidence of their sonship, as indicated by our Lord when he
promised that the holy Spirit should show to the faithful “things to come.”
John 16:13
Some take Peter’s statement literally, that “the heavens being
on fire shall be dissolved and pass away with a great noise”; and also
the Revelator’s description of the same events, by a very similar
symbol, “The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together.”
It would seem, however, that one glance upward at the myriad gems
of night shining through millions of miles of space, with nothing between
to roll away, or to take fire, should be argument enough in one moment to
convince such that they had erred in supposing these statements to be
literal—should convince them that their expectation of a literal
fulfilment is absurd in the extreme.
So, then, God veiled from mankind under figures of trumpets,
voices, fire, etc., information (which was not for the worldly to know,
but only for the “little flock” of consecrated saints) regarding the
harvest, the Lord’s presence, his spiritual kingdom, etc.; and yet he
arranged them so that, in due time, they would speak clearly and
emphatically to the class for whom he intended the information.
As at the first advent, so to a similar consecrated class it may
now be said, in the time of the second advent—“Unto you it
is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but unto them
that are without, all these things are done in parables”—in figures
and dark sayings—in order that, even though having the Bible before
them, others than the consecrated may not really see and understand. Mark
4:11,12
The world is not ignorant of the unprecedented events and
circumstances of the present time, and their increasing noteworthiness
with every passing year; but not perceiving the grand outcome, these only
fill their minds with dark forebodings of evil.
As foretold, they are in fear, looking forward to those things that
are coming on the earth; for already the powers of the heaven (the present
ruling powers) are being shaken.
Connecting
The Prophetic Chain
In the preceding chapter we presented evidence showing that the
“Times of the Gentiles,” or their lease of dominion, will run fully
out with the year A.D. 1914, and that at that time they will be overturned*
and Christ’s Kingdom fully established.
That the Lord must be present, and set up his Kingdom, and exercise
his great power so as to dash the nations to pieces as a potter’s
vessel, is then clearly fixed; for it is “in the days of these
kings”—before their overthrow—i.e., before A.D. 1914—that the God
of heaven shall set up his Kingdom. And
IT shall
break in pieces and consume all these. (Dan. 2:44)
And in harmony with this, we see all about us evidence of the
beginning of the smiting, shaking, and overturning of the present powers,
preparatory to the establishment of the kingdom “which cannot be
moved”—the strong government.
—————
*How
long it will require to accomplish this overturning we are not informed,
but have reason to believe the period will be “short.”
The next chapter will present Bible evidence that 1874 A.D. was the
exact date of the beginning of the “Times of
Restitution,”
and hence of our Lord’s return. Since
that date he has been verifying his promise to those in proper attitude of
watchfulness—“Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh
shall find watching: Verily, I say unto you, that he shall gird himself,
and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”
(Luke 12:37) Even so, he has opened unto us the Scriptures, showing us
truth concerning his present glorious nature, the object, manner, and time
of his coming, and the character of his manifestations to the household of
faith and to the world. He
has drawn our attention to the prophecies which definitely locate us on
the stream of time, and has shown us the order of his plan of operations
in this harvest time. He has
shown us, first of all, that it is a harvest of the saints, a time for
their full ripening, and for their separation from the tares; and
secondly, that it is a time for the world to reap its whirlwind
harvest—for the reaping of the vine of the earth, and the treading of
its fruitage in the winepress of the wrath of Almighty God.
He has shown us that both of these ripenings (Rev. 14:1-4,18-20)
will be completed in a period of forty years, ending with the year A.D.
1915.
But while the reader is thus informed of what will be proved in
succeeding chapters, he must not expect to have passages of Scripture
pointed out in which these matters and these dates are plainly written.
On the contrary, he must bear in mind that all these things have
been hidden
by the Lord, in such manner that they could not be understood or
appreciated until the due time had come, and then only by his earnest,
faithful children, who esteem truth as more precious than rubies, and who
are willing to seek it as men search for silver.
Truth, like silver, must be not only mined, but also refined,
separated from dross, before its value can be appreciated.
The things here stated in few words
will be proved point by point; and while many may prefer to take a
statement without the trouble of verifying it from the Scriptures, this
will not be the case with the real truth-seeker.
He must, so far as possible, make every point, argument and proof
his own, direct from God’s Word, by tracing all the connections and thus
convincing himself of the truthfulness of the account presented.
Though the Lord provides it, and the servants bring forth the
“meat in due season for the household,” yet each, to be strengthened
thereby, must eat for himself.
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