Behold He Cometh

From: Good News For Young And Old: Volume 25 (1883)

• 5 min. read • grade level: 8

ONLY a few weeks since, a preacher in St. John, N. B., told his hearers, a mixed congregation of saved and unsaved people, “There is one thing sure and certain, which is, you will ALL have to die, for the Bible says, ‘It is appointed unto all men once to die.’” This, however well meant, was not true, because he put in the word “all,” and thereby added to God’s Word. A look at Heb. 9:27²⁷And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27), will show that it says, “It is appointed unto men once to die,” the word “all” being omitted. Now his saying what he did was very serious, inasmuch as it was setting Scripture against Scripture. How careful preachers ought to be. If you turn to 1 Cor. 15:51⁵¹Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (1 Corinthians 15:51), it distinctly says, “We shall not all sleep.” Again in 1 Thess. 4:15¹⁵For 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:15), “We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord.” There isn’t a question that, if a man lives in his sins, he must die in his sins, and be banished from God’s holy presence into “the lake of fire” for all eternity. Scripture gives no uncertain sound as to that, but the believer or saved man may be translated and not see death. It isn’t a question of what people think, but what God says; to this we must bow. The blessed Lord Jesus, when on earth, told His disciples (John 14²⁷Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)), “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” That longstanding, yet sure and faithful promise hasn’t yet been fulfilled; but the point is, when the Lord Jesus went on high, what were the disciples to wait for? Surely not for death and the grave! Oh, no, but for the Saviour to come and remove them from earth to the Father’s house on high. Now, let us look at some who were converted through the apostle Paul’s preaching, and see if they expected to die. Turn to 1 Thess. 1:9⁹For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; (1 Thessalonians 1:9), “Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven.” How conclusive, “to wait for His Son from heaven.” Passages can be multiplied to show that the believer’s “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13¹³Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)), is his Lord’s return—not death; and, oh, how sweet to believe on divine authority, that at any moment the Saviour may rise up from the Father’s throne, and “descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ 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.” 1 Thess. 4:16, 17¹⁶For 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: ¹⁷Then 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 Thessalonians 4:16‑17). Of course, believers may have to die; if so, their spirits “depart to be with Christ,” but this is quite distinct from His coming for us. In 2 Cor. 5:4⁴For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (2 Corinthians 5:4), you get both spoken of, and which was, and is to be desired. There cannot be a doubt, then, that as the early believers were waiting for God’s Son from heaven, so should believers be now. Let one verse more suffice: “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord.” Luke 12:35, 36³⁵Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; ³⁶And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. (Luke 12:35‑36). Let not one then say in his heart, “My Lord delayeth His coming;” it but proves such an one to be an “evil servant” (verse 45). Such would be as bad, or, if possible, worse than the one branded by God with the name “scoffer” ―alas! how numerous are they. 2 Peter 3:3³Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3). There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” God grant that every one of His dear children may be in longing expectation for their blessed Lord’s return, for surely, “The coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

“Soon He will come; the saints shall be raised; we who remain alive shall be changed; Then all caught up at His blessed call, Changed to His likeness once for all.”