In our Lord’s last memorable address to His disciples, He touchingly assured them, that, though He was going away to prepare a place for them, He would return. “I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:33And 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. (John 14:3).) This was the bright and blessed hope He set before them. True, the Holy Ghost would be with them, and in them, all through the time of His absence, and forever; but He would come again. He left the world to go to the Father. He said, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world, and go to the Father.” (John 16:2828I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. (John 16:28).) He assured them that in His Father’s house there were many abodes, that He would go and prepare a place for them, and come again to receive them unto Himself, that they might be with Him. No words could more plainly set forth His personal return from heaven. From other scriptures we learn that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven, that His saints will be raised or changed in a moment, caught up to meet Him in the air, and so be forever with the Lord. (1 Cor. 15:51, 5251Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In 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 Corinthians 15:51‑52); 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).) His coming again was the alone hope He gave to the sorrowing hearts of His loved ones, who would so soon feel bereaved, and in a world that had hated Him, and cast Him out.
Our Lord left no hope of men getting better. On the contrary, He said, “The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” (John 16:22They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. (John 16:2).) Neither were they to hope as to the world; nor did He give the least intimation of its getting better. He had already, in chapter xii., pronounced it under judgment: “Now is the judgment of this world;” and here He prepares His own to receive hatred from it. As to the Holy Ghost, He said, “the world cannot receive him, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.” As to Himself, the world would see Him no more. We know it has not, nor will it, see Him, till He comes in flaming fire to put all enemies under His feet. As to themselves, they were to have tribulation in it, and hatred, and persecution from it. He said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
Withal, they were to know peace in Him, and be of good cheer, not because the world would get better, but because He had overcome the world. Their true hope was that He would come again, and then their sorrow would be turned into joy. It is scarcely possible that anything can be more clearly taught than that the Christian’s position here is one of distinct and practical separation from the world, because he is associated with Christ whom the world has rejected, and still hates. He is here looked at, though in the world, as not of the world, but a sufferer from it, a minister of blessing to it, and, going through it glorifying God. He hopes for Christ to come and take him out of it to the Father’s house. (See John 14:17, 30; 15:18-20; 16:22, 3317Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:17)
30Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. (John 14:30)
18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. (John 15:18‑20)
22And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. (John 16:22)
33These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33).)
Thus we are left in a world where the Lord is not; not, however, without hope, but that hope is the highest, the best, and the brightest we could have. It is the return of Christ Himself. So it was understood by the early Christians, for by the power of the gospel they were turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven. This is not waiting for the fulfillment of events, but for the Lord Himself. The believer, already in Christ in heavenly places, abiding too in Him, as he surely should, for daily strength for walk and all fruit-bearing, is taught to be looking for his loving Savior to come again. This also the apostle taught the Philippians. He said, “Our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.” (Phil. 3:20, 2120For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20‑21).)
Many now seem sensible that it is not the mere knowledge of the doctrine of the Lord’s second coming that has power over hearts and consciences, but so receiving it from the mouth of God as a divine revelation, as to produce desire and hope. Therefore it does not say in scripture, he that knows the doctrine, but that” every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:33And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:3).)
It is this which the Spirit teaches, for “the Spirit and the bride say, Come!” Surely, then, those who are instructed and led by the Holy Spirit of God will be taught to say, “Come,” while looking and waiting for God’s Son from heaven. We have seen also that it is a purifying hope, eminently practical, always associated with ways of separation unto Him, and suffering with Him and for Him, according to His will.
Let scoffers rail, with harden’d brow,
And cries of “Peace” resistless flow,
Or Reason spurn His word;
By grace divine ‘twill be my choice
To wait for the archangel’s voice—
To look for Christ my Lord.