The Coming of the Lord: As Made Known to the Assembly at Thessalonica
Table of Contents
The Coming of the Lord: No. 1
AS MADE KNOWN TO THE ASSEMBLY AT THESSALONICA.
In the midst of all the confusion of human opinions of the last days, what a privilege it is to turn to the inspired letters before us, written at the very beginning. It is most probable that these are the very first epistles written. And also in these letters we see how much on this subject, the coming of the Lord—and on other subjects, also—had been taught these babes in Christ, when they had been converted but a short time.
The light of the true gospel had broken in upon their midnight darkness. They had heard an entirely new truth, as new to Jew as to Gentile. For 1500 years the Jews had been taught by law what they ought to do, and they had never clone it. The poor heathen had worshipped demons, as though they had been gods; and with all their philosophy, culture, and poetry, they were sunk in the lowest depths of sin.
But now the gospel had thrown a new light on mans condition. He was so lost, so guilty before God, that another, a substitute, must needs suffer for him, and must rise again; and that Jesus, the Savior, whom Paul preached to them, was the Christ. (Acts 17:1-10.) Now mark, this was the entire setting aside of the former principle of man's responsibility, and testing by law; and the proclamation of the second Man, the Lord from heaven taking man's place. Man was too bad to save or improve himself. Everything of the first man was put out, or has gone out, and everything of Christ is now brought in. That light was Jesus, what He was, and what He had done. Forgiveness preached to every sinner through Him, and all that believed were justified in Him—forgiven and brought into complete justification in Christ: the old man being set aside forever; and every believer a new creation in Christ—the new man.
No doubt then, as now, it was hard for the religious Jew to accept this entirely new truth. How hard it is for a religious man to give up all in which he trusts, and believe the gospel of God! But " some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few." Yes, this was the true gospel, and how marvelous its effects! Has this gospel come to you with the power of the Holy Ghost? Has this been your start on the journey? Has this stripped you of all your religiousness, or of all your wickedness? What a fact that Jesus must needs suffer for us! You must see this, that if you are wrong at the start you will be wrong all the way, and, awful to think, forever wrong at the end. Is it not real love to your soul to tell you the plain truth? You cannot be saved by any efforts to improve yourself: that is only what scripture calls self-righteousness.
By the preaching of the gospel to these Thessalonians, self and all of self was forever set aside. Jesus must suffer—He has suffered; He must rise again—God has raised Him from the dead: He is the Christ. And what of all who believed this gospel, which is so much denounced in our day as so dangerous? Yes, constantly we meet people who tell us that to tell people the work is done—was done, all done, on the cross—and that God has raised Jesus from the dead to give everlasting certainty of salvation to all who believe, is most dangerous doctrine.
A letter was written from Athens to all these young converts, after at most a few months, by the inspired apostle, he having to flee from them for his life, Let us read that letter, and learn the effect of what men call this dangerous doctrine. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church [or assembly] of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Thus, all the believers who had heard and believed this gospel, formed the one assembly in God the Father—an expression nowhere else found in scripture—and in the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not the nation of the Thessalonians, or the city; but the assembly taken out of the nation, or city. These young babes, just born again, were all in this wondrous relationship to God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. True, there were no national churches, no sects or denominations; all was of God, and therefore there were none of these which be of men.
Everything of the first man was set aside; the assembly was in Christ—an entirely new creation wholly of God the Father. Such was the church of God in the beginning. Has man improved on this? Can any of the churches of men say they are in God the Father, and In the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, reader, do you understand these first words to these babes in Christ? How much of man you might have to give up to return to this divine simplicity!
Verse 2. These babes were in such a state that Paul says, " We give thanks to God always for you ALL, making mention of you in our prayers." Think of that—a multitude of believers, all babes in Christ, in such freshness of soul and holiness of walk that he could give thanks always for them all. And all this was the effect of that gospel so despised in this day of mere form. Three things he could remember without ceasing: their " work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God our Father." Concerning such there could be no question as to their election of God. The gospel had come in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. Of all this multitude not one but knew with much assurance his salvation. They became ensamples. The gospel sounded out from them for sixty or seventy miles around in a few months. Yes, a few months before they were sunk in demon worship, or vainly seeking righteousness by the law. Now they are "turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
Now contrast this with any nation, city, or town, at this day; where would you find a town in which every believer formed one assembly in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ—× all of one mind and one heart, serving the living and true God: and all waiting for His Son from heaven? Oh what a contrast! Take the millions of the baptized in London. Where will you find the same gospel that Paul preached, and where the effects? There was but the one assembly in Thessalonica, how many sects are there in London? Do we take these things to heart? Mark, these babes were all delivered from the wrath to come: Jesus for whom they waited had delivered them. To doubt this would be to doubt the efficacy of His death, and the proof of His resurrection. They believed God, and were justified in Christ risen from the dead. All question of sins was settled forever, never to be raised again against them. Happy babes in Christ! They were free and bold to sound forth the gospel all around.
Has there ever been anything equal to this? A few poor strangers came into a city of idolatry. Paul preached this gospel for a short time, and see the result! They were not turned to God from idolatry to look for wrath, or the day of tribulation, or the man of sin; but to wait for the Son of God from heaven. They were converted from Jewish religiousness or heathenism; but not to look for death and going to heaven. No, it was for God's Son from heaven.
We shall find very instructive order in this letter, as to the coming of the Lord. At the end of chapter 1 it is the Person of the Son: He is the Object of hope, the one Person to wait for. They went out of Judaism and heathenism, like the virgins, to meet Jesus the Bridegroom. Paul shows in chapter ii. 19 that he had no other hope—no hope of the conversion of the world, neither was death his hope. " For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?"
A missionary may go to distant lands and increase his church or sect, on earth. This is often the impression on the native mind, if not the object of the missionary. The Copts said lately, These people tell us that unless we leave our Coptic church, and become Presbyterians, we shall be lost. There is no doubt this is a great hindrance to the real work of God. With Paul it was the very reverse of this. No hope had he but to see all who were turned to God, truly converted, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. Which will more stir the whole soul to gospel effort, having our hope fixed on the awful state of Christendom, or on the presentation of the saints at the coming of Christ? Surely there can he but one answer to such a question.
Not only is this blessed hope a powerful motive for preaching the gospel, it has also an equal place in affecting our love one to another, and leading to a walk of holiness. "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." (Chap. iii. 12, 13.) Yes, they had left all to go out, like Rebecca, to meet the heavenly Isaac. They were like companions hasting across the wilderness, suffering at the hands of their enemies, but ever waiting, ever looking for the returning Jesus from heaven. There was but one object before them: the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This very hope had a sanctifying effect on them all as they waited only for their Lord.
Another truth is stated, a very remarkable truth: " At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." We shall see how this is explained to them in the further details of the next chapter. It might at first sight seem like a contradiction, that all the saints will come with our Lord Jesus Christ. It is, however, the plain statement of scripture. " At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." " Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." (Chap. iv. 14.) " The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all," &c. (Jude 14, 15.) And, in perfect keeping with these scriptures and others, we read: "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3:4.) And not only so, " But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2.) This is very wonderful. 011 what grace, what blessedness, and we know it to be true.
But perhaps you say, This would upset everything I ever heard or believed. I thought when Christ came it would be the last judgment, and we should all be raised together to judgment, but how can that be, if when the Lord Jesus appears we are with Him, and like Him, and that we all come with Him? Nothing could be more contrary to what I have been taught. It seems far too good to be true.
But, my friend, I am just simply bringing the precious word of God before you. As we go on in this epistle, we shall find a full, clear explanation of all this, just the explanation the Lord Jesus gave to His servant for these dear young babes in Christ. Let us go on to chapter iv.
The Coming of the Lord: No. 2
We will now look at the remarkable scripture, 1 Thess. 4:13-18. It is evident the apostle had said little or nothing to them, during his few weeks' preaching, about death and going to heaven. The coming of the Lord Jesus from heaven was the blessed hope of the gospel which the Lord gave him to preach. It is further evident that, during the few weeks or months before he sent this letter, some of the assembly had died. This had given them great sorrow, as though those who had died would not be here when the Lord should come. We can scarcely understand this sorrow now, the coming of the Lord has been so much forgotten, and death actually put in its place.
The Lord has, in His tender love, given a special revelation for the comfort of those dear babes, and not for them only but for us. This will also explain how it is that all the saints will come with Christ, when he comes to judge the living wicked.
We see also that the apostle treats the coming of the Lord as a part of the glad tidings. " For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Take away this hope, and the gospel would be totally altered and disfigured. Mark then, what follows is revelation from the Lord. " For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent [or go before] them which are asleep." What a real and present thing the coming of the Lord is in scripture. It is not they, but we who are alive. Hence all living Christians should expect the Lord before they die. It is " we who are alive." Also mark how this revelation shows the very order of events.
Suppose you say, "Well, I am waiting for the Lord Jesus from heaven but when He comes what will be the very first thing that will take place?" Let us read. "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." Is not this a plain answer to your question? The millions, yea, all that are Christ's are raised first. It is the very first thing that will take place. You will find a full account of this in 1 Cor. 15 And more, there we learn that if this is not so, there is no truth in the gospel at all. If this does not take place, then Christ is not raised; and if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. " But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." Thus the resurrection of the dead in Christ is certain." But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." Read the particulars of this glorious event from verse 42 to end of chapter. What a change for the poor body sown in loathsome corruption, raised in glory.
Do not make the common mistake, that these words speak of the resurrection of all, saved and unsaved. This is that resurrection spoken of in many scriptures of such unspeakable privilege. Jesus said, " But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage." (Luke 20:35.) He also marks with great distinctness the two resurrections, " They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5) Again, He speaks of a resurrection of great privilege. Three times He repeats this in John 6:39, 40, 44. The Jews were greatly offended because the apostles " preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead." (Acts 4:2.) For this believers are waiting—" the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body." (Rom. 8:23.) This is the resurrection of those that are Christ's at His coming. (1 Cor. 15:23-57.) For this Paul longed, " If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead;" or, as it should be translated, " from amongst the dead." (Phil. 3:11.) "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." (Rev. 20:5.)
Yes, in perfect harmony with all scripture, we are thus assured the very first thing that will take place is the resurrection of those that sleep in Christ. Will they then be taken to heaven first and leave us behind? No. What will be then the second thing that will take place? " 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." How often we hear the saying, Ø We shall all surely die." The scripture says just the opposite of this. " We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," &c. Men may deny this blessed hope, and scoff at it, but our God says to us, " Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
Yes, what comfort to those who were distressed about any who had fallen asleep! They will be raised first. They will not remain unclothed spirits. Their bodies will not remain in vile corruption. They will rise in incorruptibility, in the likeness of the glorified body of Christ. Oh, think of this when you remember the dear ones whose bodies you have left in the grave. The very first thing is, they shall be raised in glory.
Are you bowed down with sorrow in the church, and distress in the world? Do you see the dark shadows of the coming storm grow darker and darker? Oh what a comfort—in a moment we who are alive and remain, shall be changed. We shall rest forever, rest with the Lord. Is this really our hope? Do we wait for Him, look for Him, this night, this day?
And mark, how these few verses explain the difficulty as to all believers, all saints, when the Lord comes, coming with Him. He comes first, as He promised He would, to take us to Himself. All this is as the Bridegroom, and before He comes to judge. Yes, we shall be with the blessed Lord in the place prepared in the Father's mansions. Yes, this we learn by revelation. The coming of our Lord in the air, and our gathering together to Him. Just as Jesus ascended up to heaven and a cloud received Him, so we shall ascend in the clouds to meet the Lord. He says, " I will come again and receive you to myself." Do you doubt Him? Why should you? Has He loved us and died for us, and will He not come for us? Has He washed us from our sins, and will He not take us to Himself? Has He died in vain? No; in a moment, and then forever with the Lord. Thus close the words of comfort to the young converts at Thessalonica.
What is next, or what will follow after the church is taken away to be with Christ? Let us read and mark the order. Chapter v., " But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you." All dates, or times, or seasons do not directly concern the church. She will have been taken away before those future times and seasons begin their course. A knowledge of this would preserve men from all the vain fixing of dates. The apostle shows us that all these refer to the world, and not to us. " For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they [not ye] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief."
Thus nothing could be more clear as to the order of events: the Lord comes in the air for His saints, those that sleep in Him are raised first; then we who are alive and remain unto His coming, are changed and caught up to meet the Lord, and to be with Him forever. This realizes our blessed hope—our full, entire, everlasting comfort. Then comes the solemn warning to the world—the clay of the Lord. This terrible day of the wrath of almighty God had long been foretold by all the prophets of the Old Testament, as ushering in the blessing of Israel, and the kingdom of God on the earth. The Lord Jesus has described this time of tribulation such as never was; and then the immediate coming of the Son of man in judgment. (See Matt, xxiv, xxv.)
And all this will come as a thief in the night, yes, in that appalling midnight darkness of this poor world, the Lord will come, and be as little expected by the world as was the flood in the days of Noah, or the fire that fell upon the doomed cities of the plain, in the clays of Lot. Is not all this foretold by the very lips of Jesus? There needed no fresh revelation as to all this. But the clear young converts need to know that they are not of that midnight darkness. They are not and will not be in it, thus to be overtaken. No, it is the poor world, deceived by Satan, and looking for its golden age of lawlessness, crying peace and safety, even up to its sudden destruction by the coming of the Son of man.
It may be asked, How can men be crying peace and safety, in such a time of tribulation? Is it not so in principle at this very moment? Misery and distress of nations are increasing every day, such as no human mind can deal with—and, yet men never boasted more of the golden time as coming. But the young converts did need to be told that they were not of this scene. We are not of that world which is hastening on to its midnight darkness and awful judgment: " Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." Is it not a fact that many, who profess to be Christians, are working and toiling and devoting their energies as if they were of the world, and they or their children had to stay here forever? Oh read these solemn warnings, lest you find you have deceived yourselves, and are left in this, in your world's midnight darkness, to perish forever, when you hear those words: " Depart from me, I know you not."
The Coming of the Lord: No. 3
Since we are not of this world's darkness, let us not sleep as do others, " but let us watch and be sober." Do dwell on every word of this exhortation. Oh beware lest you are drunken with the spread of the doctrines of demons on every hand. These will be drunken, in that night of darkness such as never was before. We are of the day, let us then put on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. " For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation." Assuredly then the church will not be in the great tribulation, in that night of this world's darkness. Let us finish the sentence: " but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." Thus he comforts them as to those who had fallen asleep. And the Holy Ghost well knew that they would soon need the same comfort as to those who were alive. " We should live together with him." Oh how blessed to know that every true believer, whether he has fallen asleep in Jesus or remains alive unto that moment, when He comes to take all that are His, will live together with Him: " forever with the Lord." We shall soon see the need of this comfort as to the living that remain.
Before we pass on to the second Epistle, there is one more verse we would notice in the first Epistle. " And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Chap, v. 23.) It is the God of peace. Yes, they were in God the Father, and in perfect peace with God in that endearing relationship of Father. Not a sin, not a cloud. All of the old man gone, utterly gone from the sight of God, and perfect, unclouded peace with God. Happy place! the complete justification of every babe in Christ. And, in view of the coming of Christ—to perfect the whole, in glory—he longs for the entire man, body, soul, and spirit, to be sanctified. It is complete separation from everything unsuited to that blessed event, the coming of the Lord. Men talk about sanctification, and, yet ignoring altogether the coming of the Lord, they remain identified with every evil of paganized Christendom! Such is the case, so that if a few believers, whilst in the world seek to walk as not of the world, they are pitied for their ignorance, and it is hinted they must have learned such crude notions in the dark ages.
But what is the great motive for true, real holiness of walk? Is it not that the entire man "be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ'? Would you like to be found doing anything worldly in that moment (perhaps the day you read this) when the Lord shall come? Is the love of money, the love of pleasure, the seeking of human applause, the grasping at the world, the love of the world, the observing of pagan festivals under Christian names, the selfishness and covetousness of this day, are these things, and many more, blameless? Do they become a child of God, waiting for the Lord from heaven? If there was need for this prayer then, is there not still greater need now? Do not be deceived, God must have reality. Are you dreaming of sinless perfection in the flesh; or do you feel your deep need of preservation? Yes, they needed and we need the God of peace to separate us entirely from this whole scene which is hastening on to judgment.
It would seem in the second epistle their peace of heart, waiting for the Lord, had been severely attacked. In whatever way, whether by a letter, as from the apostle or otherwise, they were greatly distressed, as though the day of the Lord had come—and, if so, they were evidently left behind. This attack on the young babes gives the occasion for much additional truth being brought out to us in 2 Thess. 1; 2
Let us notice the tenderness of the apostle. He does not go at once and argue with them about their mistaken distress; but he opens up again so sweetly the relation in which they stand to God OUR Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the grace and peace that thus flows to them from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Then he tells them how he is still bound to thank God always for them " as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth." He was also so rejoiced that he gloried in them in the churches of God, for their patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations that they endured.
Surely this was a most blessed way of reminding them that they were not left behind in the day of the Lord. What tender love and calm assurance! This abounding fruit was a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God—that they may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God for which they suffered. Such ought to be also the case with us: there ought to be the same patience in bearing all the scorn and reproach of the world, yes, and persecutions also, should they be permitted.
It will thus be manifest that God is righteous in sending the tribulation on those that persecute and despise all true believers. There is a striking parallel between this present time and that. The Holy Ghost, come down from heaven, had been rejected, and His testimony to Jesus despised. Those whom He gathered to Christ were' regarded as a "sect, everywhere spoken against. (Acts 28:22.) Now during this century, immediately before the return of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Ghost who remains here, however despised and set aside, has again gathered souls to Christ, and given with great distinctness a restored testimony to Christ, as at the beginning. Now also those He has gathered to Christ are regarded as a sect everywhere spoken against, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit to Christ, is rejected. In the first case, the rejection of the Holy Ghost brought down the righteous judgments of God on Judaism; and will not the present rejection of the Holy Ghost's testimony to Christ bring clown the righteous judgment of God on Christendom? This is a subject that should have grave reflection. In the eyes of men it is nothing, yet they hate it. But what is the present rejection of the Spirit's testimony to Christ in the eyes of God? Let us return to our chapter.
Verse 7. "And to you who are troubled, rest with us; when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels," &c. At the time of the world's tribulation, and the terrible judgment here described, those dear young babes in Christ, and all in Christ now, who may be passing through tribulation, so far from being left behind at the coming of the Lord for His redeemed, they will at that time be in perfect rest. Notice this verse carefully, for it is often perverted to deceive Christians now, just as the deceivers were seeking to deceive the saints at Thessalonica then; that is, that they were left for the day of tribulation, to pass through its unparalleled sorrows. No; at that time they and we shall be in rest. We shall see more as to this presently.
Here, remember how the apostle had shown them in the first Epistle the order of coming events. At the coming of the Lord in the air for His saints, the first event in order is this: the dead in Christ rise first. Then, secondly, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thirdly, the day of the Lord then takes place: sudden destruction. (Chap, v.) Then, fourthly, in this chapter (2 Thess. 1) we have the coming of the Lord to this earth in terrible judgment. (Vers. 7-9.) We have also seen that when He thus comes, all His saints will come with Him. Careful attention to this would correct all the mistakes of such men as are pretending that only 144,000 will be taken.
And, mark, Paul, who writes respecting the church and the Lord's coming for it, never speaks of dates. This shows the gross error of such as the Millerites, Dr. Gumming, Mr. Baxter, and others, in applying dates to the church. May the Lord enable us to rightly divide the word, so as to see what belongs to Israel, and what is the portion of the church.
Let us now look at this fourth subject in the order of these epistles. The Lord Jesus shall come from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire. Oh where will the infidels and mere professors be at that awful moment? And so sudden and unexpected to this boasting Christendom around us at this moment.
You will notice that there is no resurrection of the wicked dead here. It is in perfect keeping with all other scriptures that speak of the judgment of the quick. On whom does He take vengeance? Two things characterize them: " Them that know not God, and that obey not the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Do you know God? If you know Him, you have eternal life. (John 17:3.) To know Him is the proof of it: for the believer has eternal life that he may know Him: " And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." If you know God, you cannot doubt Him or His word; therefore, if you know Him, you know that your sins are forgiven, and in Christ you are justified from all things. (Acts 13:38, 39.) Oh do not be deceived. If you do not know that your sins are forgiven, and that you are justified in Christ, and have peace with God, then assuredly you do not know God, and you are hastening on to that fearful judgment from which there will be no escape.
Have you obeyed the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you preferring the pleasures or riches of this world? Are you living in sin, led captive by the devil? Are you deliberately rejecting forgiveness of sins, and deliverance from them through Jesus Christ? or are you seeking salvation by works, or the improvement of your fallen nature by any means? Then you have not obeyed the glad tidings, you are still on the way to the judgment here described. Are you seeking salvation by a human priesthood, after the pattern of Judaism or paganism, by the imitation of pagan sacraments that have no place in true Christianity? Be not deceived with these things of Satan. You are yet on the way to judgment. Is it not this apostate pagan Christendom that is hastening on to its punishment? Do you think, if, you knew God's estimate of the blood of Christ, and, like all Christians, if you had redemption through that blood, even the forgiveness of your sins, would you either be so deceived as to take the sacrament in order to get salvation, or go and see a man offer a sacrifice for the sins of the living and the dead? Impossible! Why should you love to be so deceived? Those who knew God, and had obeyed Him, believing the glad tidings, had redemption, were eternally saved—God said they were perfected forever (Heb. 10:14), and that their sins and iniquities He would remember no more. (Ver. 17.) They simply believed the glad tidings. The Holy Ghost dwelt in them. They had a nature that delighted to do the will of God. Are you rejecting all this, and then dreaming that you belong to the true church? Is it not quite clear if you do not know God, and reject the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you are not a Christian, but hasting on to this judgment?
As there are no dates given to us as Christians, all dates have reference to God's dealings govern-mentally with His people Israel, or the world. No one can say how soon these events, or at least the taking of the church, may take place, We earnestly entreat you, reader, to lose no time in having this question settled, whether you are a Christian, or hasting on to judgment. How many are deceiving and being deceived!
And what will be the punishment at that coming judgment? We are pestered with books and pamphlets, as if the professing church was going mad, to prove that there is no such thing as everlasting punishment. Let us, then, carefully inquire the meaning of these words in the next verse: " Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction," &c.
The Coming of the Lord: No. 4
2 Thess. 1:9.
“Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." In the next chapter we find these persons associated with the wicked one, the man of sin or lawless one: " whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy [or annul] with the brightness of his coming." And because they receive not the truth in the love of it, " God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." These are evidently the same persons who are punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord at His coming.
We find both the wicked one, and these same persons with him in Rev. 13:11-17. There he has power to cause all who refuse the mark of the beast, or to worship him, to be killed. Then in chapter xiv. 9-12, we have the judgment of these very persons. " If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night," &c. Could any words be found to teach more distinctly than these, that to be punished with everlasting destruction means everlasting torment, in fire and brimstone, of every one who shall be thus judged? But there is still further evidence: turn to Rev. 19:19, 20. Here we have these two persons again, the beast or head of the restored and Satanic empire of Rome, and this wicked one, the false prophet. " And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."
Nothing can be more certain then than this, that these two men are cast into the most dreadful torment in fire and brimstone. The question is this, does that mean destruction in the sense of annihilation, ceasing to exist: or continuance in torment thus described?
In chapter xx. we learn Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years? Those who have refused to worship the beast reign with Christ a thousand years. Afterward Satan is let loose out of his prison. Then.... he is "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be TORMENTED day and night forever and ever." This, too, is the certain doom of all that are judged before the great white throne, at the resurrection of the wicked dead. (Vers. 11-15.) It is then certain that everlasting destruction, means everlasting torment in the lake of fire. " And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Take care, my reader, that you are not deceived. Satan and his ministers would tell you, that there is no such everlasting torment in the lake of fire. They would even persuade you that God has not said there is. That all the human race will be restored, or saved hereafter; or be annihilated. That sin in God's sight is a small matter; that you may reject the precious Savior and yet be saved some other way. Well, we have seen your certain doom if you reject the truth of God, whether you die and stand at the great judgment of the dead, or you are alive at the coming of Christ, to judge the quick.
" And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." These are the words of Him who is the truth.
Do you believe Him? or in your heart think Him a deceiver? There is no standing-point between these two things. It is no use saying that you believe the word of God to be inspired, and then only bow to what you like. The simple reader will notice, that the meaning of the scriptures we have pointed out does not depend on the meaning of a word: but taking them all together they do mean, and' cannot mean anything else, that to be punished with everlasting destruction, &c, is everlasting torment without remission. Such is sin in the sight of God. And to think how soon all who believe not may be given up to strong delusion. And then no hope. There is no salvation beyond the grave, or the coming of Christ in judgment. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36.)
We would not deny the possibility of a Christian being led into the error of denying everlasting punishment for sin, but may it not be a clinging to sin that inclines to that sad delusion? Think of the terrible discovery when a soul awakes up in hell! It may be cut off in a moment of time. Or the church of God may be taken away from this scene any day, or hour, and if left behind as a rejecter of Christ, these scriptures assure us that such will be given up to strong delusion. They will receive the authority of the wicked one, and the mark of the beast; finally to be tormented day and night forever and ever. "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." And what a contrast "When he shall come to be glorified in his saints." (2 Thess. 1:9, 10.) What a change, and so soon.
It is the special effort of Satan at present to deny the rapture of the saints, the special truth set before us, revealed to us, as we have seen in 1 Thess. 4 The apostle now puts this matter so plainly that none need be deceived. "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand [or, is come]." (Chap. ii. 1, 2.) Could anything be more certain then that before the day of the Lord comes, these two things must take place: first, " The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," and then we, that is the whole church, will be " gathered together unto him "? Therefore if any one told them, or tells us, that the day of the Lord can come whilst the church is on earth, he must be a deceiver. Here the youngest babes in Christ may take their stand, with certainty, that the very next and first events are just these stupendous facts; the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him. Put then away from you as delusion, that the Christian can be left to pass through the tribulation that will follow in the day of the Lord.
Let us then see what will follow the taking of the church to be with Christ. The day of Christ will not come " except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." We have not then to look for the man of sin, or lawless one, but for Christ to take us first. Then there will be a fearful apostasy, or utter falling away from all true Christianity—that Babylon or mystery of wickedness, more fully described in Rev. 17; 18
We see Christendom fast getting ready for this. But these final scenes of apostasy will not come until the church is taken to be with the Lord. Then at the revelation of this son of perdition will be heard his fearful blasphemy. Yet this is the one, as we learn elsewhere, which the Jews will receive until his real character becomes fully manifest. " Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth, as God, in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Human wickedness cannot go beyond this. And this is the end of human progress. Poor world, is it for this that thou art being educated? You may read the further deeds of this wicked one in Rev. 13:11-18. Mark, he is not the head of the restored empire (the beast to whom the dragon gives his power), but he who boycotts and kills all that refuse to worship the Satanic beast.
Such things are certainly coming on this earth, and Paul says to these young converts, "Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things V and shall we dare to say that he told them of things that were no profit to know? If we do not know them, we shall be deceived by the politics of this world. We are in a scene that is assuredly to be judged, and that is what the youngest believer needs to know. We are not of it, even as Christ is not of it.
"And now ye know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way." And now ye know what withholdeth. Having in this letter shown them that the coming of the Lord, and our gathering to Him, must take place first, that event would withhold or prevent the revelation of the man of sin. The mystery of lawlessness was even then working; but a Person is hindering the final apostasy, and the man of sin. For until the church is taken to be with Christ, the Holy Ghost is here completing the church; and until this is done He is acting, and over-ruling government in the world, so as to let, or hinder, those final scenes of cruelty and wickedness. Even government in the hands of a Nero would hinder the development of the future Satanic empire of Rome! What will it be then?
There is no difficulty in this passage, when we bear in mind the church must be taken first, and that is the point here. When that has taken place, then the Holy Spirit ceases to act in the apostate Christendom, and then every restraint will be gone for the moment, to the development of the empire of Satan and the beast, culminating in the wicked one. That the pope is not the man of sin is evident; for the church has not been taken yet to Christ; and the Holy Ghost is still here; and the governments of the earth keep the pope in check. There will be no check or hindrance to the man of sin. He is destroyed by the coming of the Lord. Whereas popery in its last development will be destroyed by the ten kings, or kingdoms of the Roman empire. (Rev. xvii. 12-18.)
It might be asked how is it that men will be given up to such delusion in the last days? The answer is very plain: " Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Is it not the case now? For the last fifty years the truth has been made known, as it never had been since the days of the apostles. And will men receive it? They will have anything else, even the working of Satan with all lying wonders, but not the truth in the love of it. By millions they are rushing into intercourse with demons, or spiritualism; and the hundreds of millions will accept and spread Buddhism, Theosophy and Mahometanism, and thousands of clergymen will seek to enthrall this and other lands in the darkness of popery. Only the truth will men refuse. And on the other hand, where we might have hoped to find truth, there is the ever downward grade of undermining unbelief; and if a feeble protest is raised, that voice can propose no remedy. No, there is no remedy to such as turn a deaf ear to the truth of these epistles—-the coming of the Lord. This Babel around us is like a house on fire. There is no remedy but escaping out of it, to wait for the Lord from heaven.
We have nearly closed our meditations on the coining of the Lord, as made known to the assembly of young converts at Thessalonica. Surely the order is most instructive.
In their very conversion, they were turned to God from idols to wait for His Son from heaven. The apostle had no other hope, but the saints in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. (Chap. i. 1; ii. 19.) The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at His appearing with all His saints. (Chap. iii. 13.) Then the exact order of events. (Chap. iv. 13-18.) Then follows the day of the Lord (Chap, v.), more fully explained in 2 Thess. 1; 2 Well, fellow believers, as it was then so now, "we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." (Chap. ii. 13.) And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.
C, S.