Hope of the Lord's Coming
Table of Contents
Hope of the Lord's Coming: No. 2
There is also another striking illustration of the true practical effect of the hope of our Lord's coming in the Israelitish jubilee. Every fiftieth year the trumpet of the jubilee was to be sounded; and the value of the land was reckoned from that time. The reason was this. If an Israelite had waxen poor, and had been obliged to sell any of the land that had been allotted to him according to his tribe, when the jubilee trumpet sounded it came back to him again. It was said that " In the year of this jubilee, ye shall return every man unto his possession." The consequence was, that if an Israelite wished to sell his land, the value of his green fields was reckoned according as the jubilee was near or distant. " If thou sell ought unto thy neighbor, or buyest ought of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not oppress one another: according to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee: according to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee." (Lev. 25:14-16.) The directions were minute and clear. They showed that if any one washed to sell his fields, their value would be little or nothing if the jubilee trumpet were expected soon to sound. And is it not really the fact, that, if we are waiting for God's Son from heaven, the best earthly possessions will have little value in our eyes? Whereas, if we are not looking for the Lord, and give way to the thought that He will not come for many years, then will not earthly possessions be highly valued by us? No doubt this jubilee year was typical of the coming of Messiah to His people on earth, and then putting them into possession of those earthly blessings which Jehovah promised them; but we are using it now to illustrate the solemn fact that the hope of our Lord's coming must necessarily draw our minds and hearts to where He is, and detach us from minding earthly things, or esteeming anything here beyond its present blessing, or as we can use it for the glory of God. We may be sure of its being a true test of our hearts. " According to the number of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price thereof," was said to the Israelite as to his land: and can we be valuing anything we have at a high price, if we are really waiting for God's Son from heaven? With the man of the world, who is without God, and having " no hope," it must be otherwise. He knows nothing better than what he sees; but the child of God, knowing he is purchased with the Savior's blood, that he has received the Spirit of Christ, and that the Lord Jesus is coming to take us unto Himself, that we may be ever with Him, cannot but see that his place is not to be sleeping as others, but going forth to meet the Bridegroom. And if really thus occupied, how can he be laying up treasures upon earth?
Look also at Jeremiah. The prophet had been taught to look for the judgment of God upon the sinful nation. He was shut up in prison, and the army of the king of Babylon besieged the city. He knew that God would deliver the city into hi& hand. It was a humiliating and serious moment, and the prophet had declared to Zedekiah, king of Judah, Though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper. But the faithful prophet had the word of the Lord, and he knew and told the people that after seventy years God would deliver His people from captivity, and bring them again into their land. This was the hope of the faithful in that day. Appearances were all against it. There was no sign of such a thing—nothing in what they saw to warrant such a return of blessing. But God had said it. They had His word for it; and to a faithful heart nothing more is required. And so now. There is no human appearance of the Lord's coming to take us to the Father's house—no sign that He is at hand—no circumstances occurring to prove to others that He is coming quickly; so that the scoffer still says, All things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. But the word of the Lord is, " I come quickly!" and He bids us watch and wait for Him.
As to Israel's future, who were then on the point of being led into captivity, the prophet could say, "Thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good will toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord> thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord; and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into this place, whence I caused you to be carried away captive." (Jer. 29:1014.) Thus the prophet had a clear and unquestionable revelation from Jehovah as to the future deliverance from captivity and blessing of the Jews; and so we have the clearest instruction as to the Lord's coming to take us into glory, to be forever with Himself. Now the prophet Jeremiah so believed the word of God as to His people, that he laid out his money accordingly. This showed that he really believed the word of Jehovah. He bought the field of his cousin, Hanameel, weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver, " subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances." Jeremiah says, " Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days: for thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Houses, and fields, and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.....Fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate, without man or beast: it is given into the hands of the Chaldeans." (Jer. 32:43, 8-15.)
This was the prophet's hope in his day, and so real was the word of God to his soul, that he laid out his money in reference to it And did not our blessed Lord say, as to us, "Whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay?" and again, " Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just"? Did He not also say, " Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also?'' (Luke 10; Matt. 6:20, 21.) And are we really laying out our money in such a way as to be looking for the Lord's recompense when He comes? Are we so living, and walking, and acting, as those who believe with our hearts His own words, " Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be?"
Two things will characterize those who are really looking for the Lord Jesus—readiness to serve, and clearness in testimony. Our Lord said, " Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord." (Luke 12:35, 36.) This is not merely accepting the doctrine, but so believing it, so influenced by it, as to lead the soul into exercise about honoring Him now, and to inquire, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Instead of sleeping, as do others, the long, flowing garment is rolled up, and fastened round the waist, so that whatever, or whenever, the Master's word may be, such are ready to do His will. It is manifestly taking the place here of a servant of Christ during His absence. The heart is in tune with His own desire to occupy till He come. It is not the slothful servant, who knew His Lord's will and did it not; but the soul, conscious that time is short, that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, that the end of all things is at hand, occupied in this one thing of carrying out the Lord's will during His absence. How simple, and yet how happy, this is! How contrary to His mind, how grieving to the Holy Ghost, to be intellectually taken up with prophetic events, and yet for the heart to be cold toward Himself. Surely it is high time to awake. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand, and our salvation is nearer than when we believed. No rules, no ecclesiastical arrangements, will effect this. No human organization can bring this about; no, it is intensely individual. It is the exercise of faith, and love, and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ which alone can produce the girded loins. The eye and heart looking upward for the bright Morning Star, and crying to Him to "Come," while the soul burns with desire for the salvation of sinners, and cries, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." How opposite all this is to the cold, dry, formal acceptance of a doctrine! How different it is where the truth is so received into the heart as to kindle real earnestness, and draw out fervency and devotedness to the Lord, and care for those around, for the glory of His name!
But, with the girded loins, the lights also should be burning. The direction of the burning flame is always upward—it points to that which is above the earth, while it communicates light to those around. It makes everything manifest. Such, too, should we be. Such a clear, unmistakable testimony should be given by us, always pointing to Him who is at the right hand of God, our heart& always in warmth and energy going upward to Him, so that others may perceive that we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and are going out to meet Him. It is a sad thing when friends and neighbors do not know us as on the Lord's side. The light must be dim indeed when passers-by fail to observe it. The oil must have got very low, and the wick have been sadly neglected, for the light to be not manifested. You may drop in on a drowsy, sleeping friend, and find his lamp flickering, and almost obliterated by the corrosion of a neglected wick, but he no sooner is awakened, than he discovers his neglect, and by trimming the lamp, and replenishing it with oil, it speedily burns as brightly as ever. Such it may be, in a spiritual sense, with many of the Lord's people now. When the soul grows careless under, it may be, a pleasant and prosperous course, it becomes, before it is aware of it, drowsy and sleepy. The pleasing circumstances of outward ease so satisfy the heart naturally, that God is for a time forgotten, His word neglected, and secret prayer and praise laid aside; so that, instead of being servants waiting on the tip-toe of expectation for the coming of the Lord, and being a bright testimony to those around, the light is almost gone out, and the flowing garments have become entangled with the cares of the world, its pleasures, and its lusts. Oh, that by the power of the Holy Ghost we might all be aroused, so that, with fervent hearts going upward to our Lord in earnest prayer and grateful praise, and distinct testimony going out to those around, it might be manifest that we are not merely holders of the doctrine of our Lord's coming, but really as men that wait for their Lord. What a marvelous change there would be in life, walk, and testimony, if the coming of our Lord were known in our souls in the reality of hope. Still, He says, " I come quickly;" and, before He does come, He would have us count upon the sufficiency of His grace!
It is very clear that our loving Lord Jesus desires to have us with Himself. He said (and " He is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever"), " Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am." It is not here, His coming to us where we are, for that surely He does, for He never leaves us nor forsakes us; and in a very especial way, " Where two or three are gathered together in my name," said He, " there am I in the midst of them." But His desire expressed to the Father is, that we should be with Him in glory where He is. His heart longs to have the objects of His love with Him. And not only so, but that we should behold His glory, for this He knows, and this only, could give us perfect satisfaction. Not only, then, has He given to us the glory which the Father has given to Him, but His heart's desire is that we should be with Him, and behold Him, who was here a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, in the place of highest exaltation, and feast our souls with everlasting delight in gazing upon Him, and contemplating His personal glory. What a satisfying object for our hearts He ever will be• We shall soon see Him! What a change then!
" No more struggle, no more woe,
No more tossings to and fro;
No more sorrow, pain or sighing,
In the home to which I go.
No temptation to enthrall me,
And disturb my peaceful breast;
In the ' Father's house' of glory,
There the weary are at rest.
Come, O hasten, my Beloved!
Quickly come, my loving Lord!
All my heart and soul are hanging
On the promise of Thy word;
Come, my best, my only treasure,
In Thy brightness I would shine;
I my own Beloved's ' lily,'
Thou my ' tree of life' divine."
Hope of the Lord's Coming: No. 1
Many now accept the doctrine of the Lord's coming, but the important question is, With how many of us is it the purifying hope of our hearts?
In the beginning of Christianity, those who loved the Lord Jesus as their Savior looked for His return from heaven. They knew that He would so come in like manner as they had seen Him go into heaven. They expected that He would come again personally—that the Lord Himself would descend from heaven. Hence they were drawn after Him; they detached themselves from the worldly influence of their surroundings, and separated from what they judged to be un-suited to Him, and "went forth"—they "took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom." This showed the activity of truth in souls. It was not, at first, merely the acceptance of a doctrine of Christianity, but the reception of God's truth into the heart, as " the word of God which effectually worketh in them that believe." Thus the early Christians not only enjoyed the comfort of the finished work of Christ, as delivering them from coming wrath, and giving present peace with God; but they had this distinct hope, that the Lord might come from heaven at any time to receive them unto Himself, and that it was His will that they should be watching and waiting for Him, and thus purifying themselves from all that was contrary to His mind.
But it is clear that the hope soon lost its brightness and power; and even among those who had accepted the truth, the power of worldliness tarnished the hope, while the knowledge of the doctrine was for some little time retained. We read of one of Paul's companions, of whom he had painfully to say, " Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world." (2 Tim. 4:10.) Are we to suppose from this that he abandoned the doctrine of the Lord's coming? By no means, any more than all they which were in Asia, who turned away from the apostle, had done so. Surely, to retain the knowledge of a true doctrine of holy scripture is one thing, but to have the reality of it bright and powerful in our souls is another. And our Lord led His own to expect, from the teaching of the parable of the ten virgins, that the blessed hope of His coming, through the unfaithfulness of His people, would be lost—" While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." Does it not, therefore, become a serious question for each of our consciences as to how far it is true of us that we are actually going forth to meet the Bridegroom?
That this hope is connected with activity and earnestness we are again reminded by our Lord in this same parable, where He prophetically announced the midnight cry; which again we find to be not merely announcing the Bridegroom, but enjoining the virgins to go out to meet Him. The words, "go ye out to meet him," are certainly most significant and practical, implying the laying aside of everything which hinders the souls activity and earnestness in stretching out toward the culmination and enjoyment of its highest desires, and longing to see His face whom, having not seen, we love, and to be with Him, and near Him, and like Him forever. Well hath it been said by an inspired apostle, " Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is: and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure." (1 John 3:2, 3.)
This blessed hope is frequently brought before us in the New Testament scriptures, both by our Lord Himself and His apostles, in an eminently practical sense. In the striking parable of •the good Samaritan, He not only poured healing into the wounds of the half-dead helpless one, and abundantly cheered his fainting spirit, and set him in His own place upon His own beast, but He also charged Himself with all the cost of caring for him for the future, and assured the host that whatsoever more he spent, when He came again He would repay him.
On another occasion, when speaking of ministering to poor and helpless people, Jesus said,.
" They cannot recompense thee, but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just/9 which we know cannot be till He comes again.
Again, in the parable of the pounds, when He gave a pound to each of His ten servants, to trade with during His absence, His emphatic word to all of them was, " Occupy till I come." Can any teaching more forcibly show what practical bearing the truth of the Lord's coming must have when it is really known as the hope of our hearts? How important, then, it is that we should unsparingly judge ourselves as to this; and how watchful we need to be, lest in any of us the hope degenerate into the mere acceptance of a doctrine! Would it be possible that we should be found in worldly associations, linked with the unconverted in worldly pursuits, and be careless as to the condition of the saints of God, if we were really waiting for God's Son from heaven? Are we not solemnly warned by one who, though not denying the doctrine of our Lord's coming, but, possibly, with the letter of the doctrine on his lips, and saying in his heart," My Lord delayeth his coming," who was found captivated with worldly things and associations, and opposing and grieving the faithful- eating and drinking with the drunken, and smiting his fellow-servants? Such our Lord plainly declares will be judged with hypocrites and unbelievers. How appalling, then, is the thought of the possibility of some accepting the Lord's coming as a doctrine, and yet, may be, without love to the Lord, or desire for His coming. In the parable of the ten virgins the Lord also reveals the astounding fact that some would make the outward profession of Christ, and even presume to go forth to meet Him whom they knew not, and yet had no oil, who never had the Spirit of Christ, and were really unconverted. How very solemn this is!
It is when the soul enters upon and enjoys the blessedness of being not only justified from all things, and blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, that the hope of our Lord's coming has its proper hold upon our hearts. As long as there is any question as to our standing and nearness to God in Christ, and through His blood, we become so occupied with ourselves, that we cannot be looking for that blessed hope; but when in perfect peace before God we accept the precious truth that " as he is, so are we in this world," the Lord's coming becomes the rejoicing hope of our hearts. It was so with saints in the apostles' days, for Paul says, " Our conversation (citizenship, or commonwealth) is in heaven" -heaven known as our present abode, as to fait and standing in Christ—then it is added, " from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body," &c. Take another example. As long as a man is not free as to his own salvation, he must be occupied about it, because of its all-importance; and if he harbors the false idea that his salvation depends on his own feelings, experience, or doings, he will not welcome the truth of the Lord's coming as full of interest to himself; on the contrary, he will rather avoid hearing anything about it, because of fearing he is not ready for Christ. But when he learns from scripture that God says He brings salvation to sinners, that salvation is wholly His work from first to last until the redemption of the body, and we are actually brought to God in the glory, then he sees he has nothing to wait for but the coming of God's Son from heaven. We are told that salvation is wholly of God, and that in rich and abundant grace. " By grace ye are saved." It is the unmerited favor of God to sinful man to save him, soul and body, and take him to glory. It is the grace of God that brings it. Hence we read, " the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men;" and when this grace is received into the heart by faith, it teaches "us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us," &c. Happy those who so stand in the true grace of God as to be able to look up with joy, and see Jesus, crowned with glory and honor, and walk and act as those who wait for His coming.
We may still further show what we mean by the practical effects of the hope of our Lords coming, by turning to some incidents in the Old Testament, as illustrating the subject.
In 2 Samuel 19 we are brought to the time when David, the man after God's heart, was in rejection, and away from his rightful place. But there was one who loved David, who was conscious that he owed all his blessings to David the rightful king, who had showed him, when utterly unworthy, helpless, and uncomely, "the kindness of God." This man, Mephibosheth, waited for David's coming again, and during the whole time of the king's absence showed how truly he loved him, by his true sympathy and devotion to his interests. The king was the absorbing object of his heart. He went forth to meet David. We read that " Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed, until the day he came again in peace." (Ver. 24.) And are we, beloved brethren, so truly waiting for God's Son from heaven, while deeply conscious He has been cruelly hated and rejected by this world, that we feel that He is the absorbing object of our hearts; that His interests are our interests; and that our sympathies are so truly with Him, that we can forego our own present comforts because of the desire and hope of soon seeing His face? Is it our Lord in the glory, our life, our righteousness, and peace, that our hearts are taken up with, and in the activity of faith and hope, yet with patience, going forth to meet?
Now let us turn to Exod. 12 There we find that when the children of Israel were in the place of safety from the judgment of God by being under the shelter of the blood of the Lamb, they were also set in the attitude of looking for deliverance from Egypt. In the certain consciousness of the sheltering power of the blood, and enjoying the blessedness of feeding on the lamb roast with fire, still they did so with loins girded, shoes on their feet, and staves in their hands, as ready to go whenever the moment might come. And surely the knowledge of our perfect safety, through the precious blood of Christ, the enjoyment of communion with Him according to His thoughts. His ways, and His affections, who loved us and gave Himself for us, as the u head/' " legs," and " purtenance" of the lamb set forth, truly fit us for maintaining the attitude of waiting for God's Son from heaven. How practical all this is! What activity is implied in girding the loins, putting on the shoes, and taking in hand the staves! How clearly is set forth the true character of their hope! How strikingly it shows that if we enjoy our safety through the blood, and personal communion with the Lord, the hope of His coming falls into its proper place!
Hope of the Lord's Coming: No. 3
The next great event then, which the Christian is taught by the word of God to look for, is the coming of the Lord for us. This may take place at any time; we know not when. There are no signs given in scripture concerning it; for the Christian being already seated in heavenly places in Christ, looking for signs, or events to be fulfilled on earth, would not be consistent with this hope.
The Lord Himself may come today, or He may not. It was long ago it was said, " A little while and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry." Our place then is to be watching, for we know not when the time is. We are set by the Lord as loved, and saved, and blessed by Him, in the posture of looking for Him. Blessed attitude! It is indeed a purifying hope. Our Lord would have us earnest, active, faithful, loving, and watching, " as men that wait for their lord." Almost His last word to us is, " Behold I come quickly!"
The Lord's last presentation of Himself for our expectation is as u The Bright and Morning Star." The morning star comes after midnight and before daybreak. The first thought on seeing this star is that " the day is at hand;יי but it has not yet come. It is the harbinger of the day, but it is not the day. The Bright and Morning Star is oar hope. It is all peace, and love, and joy then. No judgment accompanies the Star. As only those who are awake and watching see a morning star, and perceive its brightness and good cheer, so it may be that those Only who are Christ's will see Him then. It will be the crowning act of divine grace, the finish of the work He has begun, to give us bodies like His own, and take us away to be forever with Himself. As all His ways of grace in us and to us, as the new birth, cleansing of conscience by His blood, and the gift of the Holy Ghost are all the secret workings of His power in our souls, why not His coming for us be also secret? Why may not unbelieving sinners so miss us as to know we are gone away, but not to know where? Why not send hither and thither in search of us, as the unbelieving sons of the prophets sent fifty strong men to search for the translated man of God? Why may it not be said again, as of faithful Enoch whom God took, that he was not found? We are taught then to look for the Savior, to wait for God's Son from heaven. He comes for His own. All others are simply left behind. Distressed no doubt they will be when they realize their sad state. Their frantic cry will be, " Lord, Lord, open unto us!" But it is too late! too late! they cannot enter now. The door is shut. Those alone who are Christ's have entered into glory, the others are untouched; all mere professors are left behind, to await their final doom. He comes then only to the air, and we are caught up to meet Him there.
But when Jesus comes out of heaven as "the Sun of Righteousness," He will come in manifested glory. Every eye shall see Him then, and we shall accompany Him. He comes in flaming fire. He comes in His own glory, and the Father's glory, and the glory of the holy angels. Now He comes to judge: " Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" He will judge first the quick or living, and after a thousand years, He will judge the dead. He comes to take His rightful place; and nothing can escape His all-searching eyes which are as a flame of fire. All tribes of the earth shall wail when they see Him. The armies which are in heaven will follow Him, when He thus comes out. The Lord comes with His many crowns, and His saints are with Him. When He came last it was to save; now it will be to judge; then it was in grace, now it will be in righteousness; then it was as " meek and lowly," now it will be to assert His rights with His sharp sword, and His vesture dipped in blood; then it was to do good, suffer for it, and take it patiently; now in almighty power He will stand for the rights of God, and put down all rule, and all authority, and power; then He was here allowing man's will to have its own way even in taking Him by wicked hands, crucifying and slaying Him; but now He will " show who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords."
These things mark the coming of Christ with us to the earth. 1. It is public—every eye shall see Him. 2. He comes to judge and make war in righteousness. 3. He brings His ancient people Israel into their long looked for blessings on earth. It is " the day of the Lord." This is their hope. The prophets have abundantly set this before them; and the promises of God must be fulfilled. Their prophetic testimony almost closes with this bright and blessed hope for the faithful of God's earthly people, in connection with this period of Messiah's fiery rule and judgment; for Zion must be redeemed by judgment. "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. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his icings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall." (Mai. iv. 1, 2.) In beautiful harmony with this our Lord said, when speaking of the coming of the Son of man; " Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left." That is, one taken away in judgment, and the other left for blessing in the earth under the wing of the Sun of Righteousness. (Matt. 24:40.) This we shall find generally in scripture, when the Lord's coming to the earth, or, the day of the Lord is the subject, that some are taken away in judgment and others left for blessing; for " the Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather together out of his kingdom them that offend, and them which do iniquity; and they shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matt. 13:41, 42.)
Hope of the Lord's Coming: No. 4
We have thus far seen that what we are taught to look for is the coming of the Lord for His saints. Then we have 1st, resurrection—the dead saints raised. 2nd, the change—the living saints changed in a moment. 3rd, translation—all caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and so be forever with the Lord. Between our being caught up and taken to the Father's house, and our coming out of heaven with the Lord in glory, all will be manifested at the judgment-seat, or bema, of Christ. Christ will present us to Himself a glorious church without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, and the marriage of the Lamb will take place. Thus the church will have her distinctive place in the glory.
"The sons of God" will be manifested when Christ comes out of heaven; for " when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.י י Now the sons of God are not manifested—" the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not;" but when the Lord is revealed from heaven, every eye shall see Him, He will be glorified in His saints, and admired in all them that believe; then the world will know that the Father has loved us as He has loved Jesus. All creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. We are told that " the earnest expectation of the creature [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God... the creature [creation] itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty, [the liberty of the glory] of the children of God*" Thus we see that the creation cannot be brought into deliverance before the sons of God are manifested, or revealed in glory with our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is, however, important to see that during the interval of our being caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and our coming out in manifested glory with Him, the judgments of the seals, the trumpets, and the vials in regard to men on the earth will take place. During this interval also the great struggle now going on between popery and infidelity will reach its climax. The great whore, (which may be wider than popery, but certainly includes it,) is judged and set aside; nor will the marriage of the Lamb take place, and his wife have taken her place as such, having made herself ready, before the corruptress is set aside under the judging and avenging hand of God. It does not appear that this Satanic imitation and foul corruption of Christianity in the great whore will be judged by the ministry of angels, or directly by the hand of God. The infidel power will be allowed of God to thoroughly destroy her, and sack her of her wealth. We read, " The ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are finished/' (Rev. 17:16, 17.) It is this which creates such joy in heaven. I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, "Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up forever and ever." (Rev. 19:1-3.)
This Satanic system of corrupt Christianity having been thus judicially set aside, the bride is now seen, the marriage of the Lamb takes place, after which the Lord will come out of heaven in manifested glory, and His saints with Him.
What a moment that will be when the Lord comes out of heaven with His saints to judge and put all enemies under His feet! What consternation and distress will fill the minds of those who see Him coming! That all on earth will see Him is perfectly clear, for it is written, " Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."
What an awful event that will be! Like a thief in the night, not in the least expected, He will come. Men, wrapt in false confidence and carnal security by the power of Satan, will be crying "Peace and safety," up to the very time when sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, from which there is no escape. Like the ante-diluvians who refused the testimony of Noah, and gave themselves to eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall it be when the Son of man cometh. How little men think now of the solemn seriousness of hearing the gospel of the grace of God! To many it seems only an idle tale. Who heeds the warning of coming judgment? Where are men fleeing from the coming wrath? Who bows to the Lord Jesus as the only Savior, and to the blood of His cross as the only ground of peace? Are not most people saying, by their ways, if not in actual words, " Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die"? How appalling is the fact that so many hear the sweet words of Jesus, who said, "Come unto me... and I will give you rest," yet turn their backs upon Him, and listen unmoved, again and again, to the awful warning, " He that believeth not shall be damned." Oh, that the power of God by His Spirit might be put forth in opening the eyes of many to see the precipice immediately before them, which can only plunge them into an abyss of eternal agony and despair. May multitudes around us hear effectually a voice behind them saying, " Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?" If the reader of this paper is unforgiven, and unsaved, we pray you in the name of the Lord Jesus to turn to Him, and receive remission of sins. Look to Him and live! Fall as a helpless, guilty sinner, into His loving arms, and taste and see His goodness and His grace! Go not another step as you are, but
" Stop, poor sinner, stop and think,
Before you further go:
Will you sport upon the brink
Of everlasting woe?
Once again, I pray you stop,
For, unless you warning take,
Ere you are aware, you drop
Into the burning lake."
Christ appears before God for us, and we are to appear before the world for Christ.
We shall, throughout eternity, be the proof of the efficacy of Christ's work.