Biblical Essays
THE COMING OF CHRIST
It must always be the desire of the heart that loves Jesus to see Him as He is and be with Him and be like Him forever. Hence, the proper cry of an affectionate heart is, “Come, Lord Jesus.” But it is our privilege to have fellowship with Him in His longsuffering toward this sinful world. “The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” Blessed be His name, “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3). We do not think there is any difficulty in reconciling the two things. A loving wife may mourn the absence of her husband and earnestly long for his return, but he is away preaching the Gospel and she may have such full fellowship with him in his work that she is willing for him to prolong his absence if only a single soul might be brought to Jesus.
As to the expression “falling away” in 2 Thessalonians 2, some have not seen the distinction between the Lord’s coming to receive His people and His coming to judge the world – between His coming as the Bridegroom and His coming as the Judge. “The day of the Lord” refers to the latter, and before that day comes, there will be a great apostasy or falling away and “the man of sin will be revealed.” It is important to understand this distinction. The Christian’s proper hope is the coming of the Lord, which may be become reality at any moment, but when the body of Christ, the church, has gone to be with her Lord, the man of sin shall be revealed, “whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.” This is too weighty and extensive a subject to be handled in a short essay, but one should prayerfully study 1 Thessalonians 4:3-10 compared with 2 Thessalonians 2:12.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 the apostle is correcting a mistake into which the Thessalonian saints had fallen. They had been led to think that “the day of the Lord” had actually begun. In the first epistle, he had taught them to look for the Lord’s coming and their gathering unto Him in the air, to be forever with Him. Further, he had taught them that “the day” was not to overtake them as a thief. Then, in the second epistle, the apostle exhorts them “by” or on the ground of Christ's coming, not to be agitated as to “the day.” The former was their proper hope; the latter could not take place until after the manifestation of “the man of sin” which was then and still is future. Our difficulty arises from not distinguishing between “the coming” of Christ for His saints and “the day” of His manifestation in judgment on the world. We are exhorted by the former not to be troubled about the latter. The two things are as distinct as possible. The one is the bright and blissful consummation of the church’s hope; the other, the death knell of all this world’s glory. The distinction is important.
We judge that Philippians 4:5 refers to the Lord’s coming. “Let your moderation [yieldingness] be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (emphasis added). If our hearts are set on the blessed hope of the Lord’s coming, we shall not be standing up for our rights or grasping after the perishing things of this world. He may come tonight. Then we shall leave all these things behind forever. It is interesting to notice the two expressions in this passage. Our moderation is to be known unto men; our requests are to be made known unto God. Men are to see that we are content with our portion and prospect. We should never go to men with our wants. God is sufficient. Man is sure to disappoint us. God never fails a trusting heart.
Regarding the judgment in Revelation 19 – It is after the church has left this scene. This is obvious from the fact that the saints come forth with the Rider on the white horse.
We believe the midnight cry has gone forth. For centuries, not a sound was heard about the Bridegroom’s return. “My Lord delayeth His coming” was the plain language of the Lord’s church. Christendom was asleep. But, through the mercy of God, the cry has gone forth – that soul-stirring cry: “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.” Are we ready? Have we got the oil in our vessels – the true grace of God’s Spirit in our hearts? This is truly a solemn enquiry. Those who are “ready” shall go in with the Bridegroom. The rest shall be shut out into outer darkness – the awful region of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth; that place where hope can never come, where not one single ray of light can ever shine in on the gloom of eternity.
May God’s Spirit stir up all our hearts and make us thoroughly in earnest. May we be seen with girded loins and burning lights as men who are really waiting for their Lord. May we seek to sound a warning note in the ears of our fellow men as we pass along from day to day. Lord, make us serious.
