THE SECOND COMING OF THE LORD AND WHAT WILL FOLLOW
It is an undeniable fact that the church in her present condition is instructed to look for the return of Christ from heaven, as the next great event. Nowhere are we instructed to look for a pre or post-millennial reign on earth. We will present the arguments relating to the subject of this chapter under several propositions.
I. THERE IS BUT ONE PERSONAL COMING OF CHRIST FUTURE
"What shall be the sign of thy coming?" - Matt. 24:3. "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 2 Thess. 2:1. "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thess. 5:23. "Whom the Lord shall . . . destroy by the brightness of his coming." - 2 Thess. 2:8. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." - Tit. 2:13. "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time." - Heb. 9:28. "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." - 1 John 2:28. "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of our Lord.... Be ye also patient: establish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." - James 5:7, 8.
Some latter-day teachers advocate three comings of the Lord yet future, but all the foregoing scriptures with many more teach us to look for but one coming, which will be at the end of this world.
II. THE MANNER OF HIS COMING.
1st. Visibly. "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven, this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." - A 1:9-11. This is clear. "This same Jesus, shall come again, in like manner" as he went up. He went up bodily and visibly. They saw him ascend, "and a cloud received him out of their sight." "In like manner" shall he descend from heaven. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and ever eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." - Rev 1:7. "The powers of heaven shall be shaken. And this: shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." - Luke 21:26, 27; Mark 13:26. "A', then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." - Matt. 24:30; Mark 14:61
Russel and other Millennium advocates teach that Christ has already come in his second advent. But their whole "presence of Christ" theory is without support of a single text of scripture. The positive testimony is that when he comes in the clouds of heaven "every eye shall see him." Mark you, dear reader, not only will the righteous see him, but all the tribes of the earth, "and they also which pierced him" shall see him when he comes.
2nd. Unexpectedly. "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth." - Rev. 16:15. "If therefore thou shall not watch, I will come on thee as a thief." - Rev. 3:3. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."2 Pet. 3:10. "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them; . . . and they shall not escape - 1 Thess. 3:2, 3. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day con upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on a them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man." - Luke 21:34-36. "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." - Matt. 24:37-39.
This is very plain. The coming of Christ is a great and solemn event pending, for which the church is to look and watch, for which to be ready. That day and hour the Father only knoweth. When the rending heavens shall reveal his presence, this world will be in a Sodom state, and as the antediluvian world before the flood. The millions of earth will be sleeping in carnal security. Thousands dreaming of Millennial glory. Oh, the surprise and disappointment of the masses in that great day! Never since the foundation of the world has there been a day like this, in the surprise and terror with which it will break upon the thoughtless millions of the population. Business and pleasure will occupy the minds of men as usual up to the close of the preceding day. The sun will rise and set with the same placid majesty, and fling his smiling radiance with the same bountiful profusion on this devoted world as he sinks beneath the western horizon. Myriads will go to rest, dreaming of future years of wealth and happiness. But the loud blast of the "trump of God" will awake them to sleep no more; and looking up they will see the heavens on fire. The worldling, elated with schemes of opulence and splendor, will suddenly find his visions dispelled by the light of eternity, and the despairing cry, "The Judge is come!" The astounded senate will suddenly break up at the crash of the conflicting elements, and hurrying away in wild confusion, see that the great Legislator is come. The ermined judge and the manacled prisoner will hear themselves alike summoned without ceremony to the great tribunal. The miser, counting his gold, or reckoning his profits, will be panic stricken by the knell that tells him gold has no more value, and his priceless soul is lost, forever lost, in seeking a bursted bubble. The procrastinating trifler, dreaming of mercy after years of worldly pleasure, will be filled with dismay to see that the day of grace is past and the hour of retribution come. The anxious speculator, the busy merchant, the thriving tradesman, racking imagination with schemes of gain, panting to reach the goal of wealth, and revel in earthly aggrandizement, without one thought of God or eternity intruding on the vision of anticipated bliss, will be struck with terror to find the delusive mirage break up before the glare of the flaming skies and the catastrophe of a ruined world. The atheist, who denied God's being, will be appalled at the sight of his person. The Demases who have forsaken him for the world, the Judases who have betrayed him for silver, and all the host of apostates and blasphemers who have despised his name and trampled on his blood, will stand aghast when the great day of his wrath shall break upon their sight. It was an awful night in Egypt when every family rose up to bewail its first‑born struck with death. It was a day of awful vengeance when the siege of Jerusalem closed with the crash of a ruined city over one million one hundred thousand dead bodies. It was a day of anger when the deluge burst upon a degenerate world and overwhelmed its despairing millions in one common grave.
But this day exceeds them all; for it is the day when time has run its course, when universal retribution shall be rewarded, when God himself shall come down to take vengeance on them that know him not, and pent up fires shall envelop the earth in a general conflagration. Throughout the New Testament the most solemn charges and warnings are given to the church to be ready for that great and awful event. "Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord cloth come." - Matt. 24:42. "There be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." - Ver. 44: While to the masses Christ's coming will be a great surprise, his faithful church will be "looking and hastening unto the coming of the day of God." "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober." - 1 Thess 5:4-6.
3rd. With his saints. "Them also which sleep In Jesus will God bring with him." - 1 Thess. 4:14. "At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." - 1 Thess 3:13. The spirits will return in that day and reanimate these bodies just raised.
4th. With a shout. "For 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.
5th. Quickly. "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." - Matt. 24:27. "Watch ye therefore; . . . lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping." - Mark 13:35, 36. "Surely I come quickly. Amen Even so, come, Lord Jesus." - Rev. 22 :20.
III. THE OBJECT OF HIS COMING.
There are four things clearly stated in the New Testament that will take place at Christ's coming.
1st. The general or universal resurrection of all the dead. There will be millions of people, good and bad, living upon the earth when Christ comes. These, Paul tells us will not taste death; but "shall all be changed, in a moment. In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." - 1 Cor. 15 :51, 52. No one will deny that the apostle here speaks of a resurrection which includes the church: and mark the fact that the trump which calls them forth is called the "last trump.' By this we are to understand that all the dead, both righteous and wicked, will come forth at that time; for how could another trump call forth the wicked a thousand year after the "last trump" had sounded? Preposterous. The language is clear. "The trumpet ['last trump'] shall sound, and the dead [all the dead] shall be raised, . .and we [the living] shall be changed." "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." - 1 Thess. 4 :13-17. Here we are plainly told that the resurrection of the dead will take place at the very time "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, . . . and with the trump of God" - the last trump. The order of the resurrection is also clearly given. All that "are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For . . . the dead in Christ shall rise first." "The living, who are left over to the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who fell asleep. Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout, . . . and the dead in Christ will be raised first, then we, the living, who are left over, shall at the same time with them, be caught away in the clouds, for a meeting of the Lord in the air; and so we shall be always with the Lord." - Emphatic Diaglott. "The living who are left over to the arrival of the Lord, in no wise may get before those who fell asleep. . . . For the dead in Christ will rise first; after that, we the living who are left over, all at once, together with them, shall be caught away," etc. - Rotherham. "We who are living, who survive to behold the appearing of our Lord, shall not enter into his presence sooner than the dead." - Conybeare and Howson. This is clear and conclusive. The saints living on earth when Christ comes will not "precede" the righteous dead. They will first be raised, before we will enter into the presence of the Lord. After this we "together with them" shall be caught up and be forever with the Lord.
The reason the wicked are not mentioned in this scripture is because the apostle was treating directly on the hope of the church. When the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, not only will the righteous dead hear his voice, but the wicked also will come forth at the same time. "For the hour is coming, the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." - John 5:28, 29. This scripture forever demolishes the theory of an intervening thousand years between the resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked.
Christ positively declared that all that are in the graves, both they that have done good and they that have done evil, shall hear his voice, and come forth in the same "hour." Daniel looking forward with prophetic eye the very end of time, beholds this universal resurrection, and thus describes it: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt " - Dan. 12:2. This text is rendered in Young's Bible Translation as follows: "And the multitude of those sleeping in the dust of the ground do awake, some life age during, and some to reproaches, to abhorrence age during." Here again, it is taught that the whole multitude of the dead, both righteous and wicked, will come forth in the last day. In Paul's defense before Felix, he boldly declares "that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." - Acts 24:15. How many resurrections? "A resurrection of the dead." Who included in that resurrection? "Both the just and unjust." So positively teaches the immutable word of truth which liveth and abideth forever. "A resurrection there shall certainly be, both of righteous and of unrighteous." - Rotherham's Translation. In the name of Jesus we ask: Could language more clearly teach but one literal resurrection, and that resurrection made up "both righteous and of unrighteous?" If Paul had believed Millennium heresy, he would have said "There shall be two resurrections of the dead; one of the just, the other of the unjust. But, thank God, Paul was not of the "simpler sort" Origen speaks of, but spoke by inspiration of God.
The Revelator says that when "he cometh with clouds," "every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him." - Rev. 1:7. This so clearly proves that both classes of the human family will be raised at that time that there is no appeal from it. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it.... And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; . . . and they were judged every man according to their works.... And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." - Rev. 20:11-15. Here again we see the dead, all the dead, coming forth from land and sea, and immediately the judgment scene follows, and the separation of the righteous and wicked, "and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." The language clearly implies that in that day of final examination some will be found in the book of life and others not. "How say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen." - 1 Cor. 15 :12, 13. "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." - Ver. 21. "He shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." - John 11:24. Who, but such as are blinded by deception, can fail to see that in these texts but one resurrection, the "resurrection of the dead" - all the dead - is spoken of; and that resurrection will take place "at the last day"?
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. . . . And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." - 1 Cor. 15 :22-28.
This text is clear and conclusive. (1) All of Adam's race will be raised from the dead. (2) This will take place at Christ's coming. (3) Then cometh the end. "Cometh" is not in the original text. "Then the end" is the correct rendering. The Millennial advocate says that "immediately after the resurrection of them that are Christ's at his coming, the kingdom will be set up, and Christ will reign upon earth with his saints one thousand years, after which the wicked will be raised." Nothing of the kind is hinted at in the text. In fact it proves directly to the opposite. With the resurrection of "them that are Christ's" comes the end. "Then the end, when he shall have delivered up [mark you, not set up] the kingdom to God. When he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet." Here the apostle clearly shows that Christ's kingdom is not a reign of perpetual rest from his enemies, but one of continual conflicts and victories. Christ reigns while his enemies are being conquered and not after they are all conquered as Millenarians teach. The enemies Paul speaks of him conquering are spiritual antagonizing powers. In the morning of the Christian era, Christ went forth "conquering and to conquer." - Rev. 6:1, 2. The first enemy was sin, which he conquered on the cross. Next he conquered the dragon ( ism). See Rev. 12:3, 7-10. Next, the beast (Popery); then, his image (Protestantism); then, the Gog and Magog union of false religions (These points will be taken up fully in subsequent chapters.); and finally, he conquers death in the resurrection of the entire human family. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Ver. 26. This makes the end of his reign, being the last enemy to conquer. "Then the end" when he shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father, the end of time, the end of probation, the end of this world, the end of the reign of Christ, as the second person. Christ now reigns upon a mediatorial throne. But soon he will leave that throne for the judgment seat. Then the world will be without an advocate, without a Savior, or further opportunity of salvation. The redemption plan will then have been finished. The sacrifice for sins was offered; the Spirit came and strove with all flesh; the gospel was published to all nations; Christ comes in the clouds of heaven; the judgment is set, and eternal rewards and punishments are meted out to all men; Christ delivers up the kingdom to the Father, who no more reigns particularly in the Son, but "all in all," as from all eternity. So 1 Cor. 15:22-28 is utterly fatal to the Millennial heresy; for instead of Christ setting up the kingdom, it positively says that at the time of his coming he will "deliver up" the kingdom which he now possesses and over which he now reigns. To sum up all the foregoing scriptures, the following facts are clearly taught:
1st. There will be a literal resurrection from literal graves.
2nd. This resurrection will take place the instant of Christ's coming.
3rd. It will be universal. "All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth."
4th. Being universal, it includes the two great classes of the human family - "they that have done good and they that have done evil."
Having proved that the universal resurrection of all the dead will take place the instant of Christ's coming, we will now prove that the judgment scene immediately follows.
2nd. The general judgment, the reward of the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked. "Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." - 1 Pet. 4 :4, 5. "And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead." - Acts 10:42.
When will this judgment take place? Answer: '1 charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at appearing and his kingdom." "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." - 2 Tim. 4:1, 8. Thank God for this clear testimony. Instead of setting up a millennial reign, it is positively declared that Christ will Judge the "quick" (just changed) and the "dead" (just raised from their graves) at his appearing, and at that time the apostle and all who love his appearing will be crowned. "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." - 1 Cor. 4:5, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." - Matt. 16 :26, 27. "But after hardness and impenitent heart treasures" up unto self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds." - Rom. 2:5, 6. "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." - Rev. 22:12,11.
That a Millennial age will follow Christ's second coming is utterly refuted. The revelation of Jesus Christ 'from heaven will be the time of the general judgment, the reward of the righteous, and the perdition of the ungodly. [let us briefly glance at the foregoing texts. As before observed, 2 Tim. 4:1, 8 proves that Christ will judge the quick and the dead "at his appearing" (not a thousand years after), and in that day the righteous will be crowned. '[Cor. 4:5 also proves that the judgment will take place when the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness.' Yes, dear reader, in that day "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret shag, whether it be good or whether it be evil." - Eccl. 12:14. And "every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." - Matt. 12:36. In Matt. 16:26, 27 is a blast of warning to men that Christ will come in the glory of his Father, and then [at that time] he shall reward every man according to his works," and then there shall be no more escape from sin, but the wicked shall have forever lost their soul. Rom. 2 :5, 6 is a solemn warning to ungodly men who oppose the truth and presume upon God's mercies. To such, the revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven will be a day of wrath, when God shall "render to every man according to his deeds." Rev. 22:11,12 also proves that the instant of Christ's coming shall eternally fix the doom of all men, whether pure or filthy. Amen. The fact that all, both righteous and wicked, will be judged at the same time, is fatal to Millennialism. But such is the plain testimony of scripture.