Dear M. C.,
Our Lord presented His coming again to the disciples in John 14:2, 32In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And 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 14:2‑3), as their proper hope. Of neither signs nor events antecedent does He say one word. He is coming to receive them to Himself and take them to the Father's home. The aim of Mr. W.'s paper is to set aside such constant expectation, which he mixes up with His presence to judge the living. By merging both in one, there is only confusion.
From 1 Thess. 1:9, 109For 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; 10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:9‑10), it is clear that the saints from their conversion lived waiting for the Lord's personal coming to take them on high to be with Himself. This was the result of the apostle's preaching the gospel unto them. “Ye turned from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, even Jesus.” It is no less evident from chap. iv. that they were disappointed when some of their number had fallen asleep before that coming. Hence the apostle instructs them as to this by a fresh revelation. The Lord when He comes, would first raise from the dead those whom He had put to sleep, and next change the saints alive at that time, in order that they might all ascend together, to meet Him in the air, and be forever with Him. Hence God will bring them all along with the Lord when He appears in His day of glory.
The saints did not require to be told as to the “times and seasons “; for they already knew that “the day of the Lord would come as a thief” upon the wicked. But it surely would not overtake the saints as a thief; for they were not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore they were to watch and be sober—not looking for events as the Jews will to indicate the day, but for Himself as the hope of their hearts, Who would come and have them with Himself before the day. They knew His love and had faith in His word already.
In 2 Thess. 1, 2. the apostle affords further light on “the day of the Lord.” He exposes the false report that he had said or written, that the day had set in (or was present). He implies clearly enough that before the day would be the gathering of the glorified to the Lord; as he had already told them in his first epistle (4:13-18). For he implores them by the joyful hope of the blessed reunion not to be alarmed about that day of darkness and terror. In fact, their presence on earth was the proof that He had not come; still less was He yet present. They were confused about it all, as people are now.
So he writes in 2 Thess. 1:77And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (2 Thessalonians 1:7), “to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and them that obey not the gospel,” the enemies of God and of His children. Now the saints were in trouble from these enemies; but then they would be in rest and come with Him when He is avenged on their troublers. As His retinue, the saints would then be with Rim, and like Him; and therefore they must have been called up previously to be with Him, as other scriptures testify. “When Christ, our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also be manifested with Him in glory” (Col. 3:44When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)).
“The day” is the time of their manifestation with Him according to 1 John 3:1-41Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, 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. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:1‑4), “When He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Rev. 19:11-1411And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:11‑14) is the same appearing; and the saints come with the Lord for the judgment of His enemies. This is what the apostle speaks of in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, as “the day of the Lord.”
Before “the day” great events must take place; but not a word implies their happening before He comes to receive the saints to Himself. Thus, while the apostle tells us that the “mystery of iniquity doth already work,” he says that the falling away or apostasy must come first, and next that the Man of Sin must be revealed. It is this last which introduces the day by the Lord's appearing to his destruction by the Spirit of His mouth, and to the downfall of every other evil.
There is One that hindered the revelation of the “Man of Sin,” or lawless one. He did not hinder the working of the mystery of lawlessness, for that was already at work. Thus we hear of “One that now letteth, until He be out of the way; and then shall the lawless one be revealed.”
Who can this mighty hinderer be, but the Holy Spirit? He is now forming the heavenly body the church; and when His special work in this is completed, the saints will be called away to meet the Lord in the air. Then the ground is clear for the falling away or the apostasy, and for its issues, the manifestation of the lawless one. Thus also the presence on earth of the church, in which the Holy Spirit dwells, indicates His presence Who suffers not the manifestation of the Man of Sin. Clearly the day of the Lord cannot come till the evil is manifested which the Lord is to judge, not exactly “at His coming,” but at His “appearing” or “display,” which are phrases equivalent to His “day.”
His coming is our proximate hope and expectation; and such it ought ever to have been from the first. The apostle could say, “We who are alive and remain shall not anticipate them who are asleep” (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)). Prophecy predicts no events to be looked for before the Lord's coming for His saints. The apostle says, “we who are alive,” as though he himself might be with the living saints, changed and caught up. So he was inspired to write. It was no mistake on his part, but only of unbelieving critics. Such language was expressly to maintain constant waiting. We ought to be now as the apostle was then.
What a sanctifying and glorious object for believers is the Lord's coming for them when thus held in simplicity! May nothing arise before our eyes to dim the bright and blessed hope! It is easy to judaize it, and lose its power. Error was early.
Yours affectionately in Him,
G. R.