We have already glanced at two of the weighty subjects presented to us in the closing verses of Heb. 9, namely, first, the precious atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ, in its two aspects; and, secondly, His all prevailing advocacy at God’s right hand for us. It only remains for us to consider, in the third place,
HIS ADVENT,
which is here presented to us in immediate connection with those great foundation truths which have already engaged our attention; and which, moreover, are held and prized by all true Christians. Is it true that Christ hath appeared in this world, to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and to bear the sins of the many who, through grace, put their trust in Him? Is it true that He has passed into the heavens and taken His seat on the throne of God, there to appear for us? Yes, blessed be God, these are grand, vital, and fundamental verities of the christian faith. Well, then, it is equally true that He shall appear again, apart from the question of sin, unto salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, apart from sin, unto salvation.”
Here, then, we have the matter most definitely stated. As truly as Christ hath appeared on this earth—as truly as He lay in the manger of Bethlehem—was baptized in the waters of Jordan—was anointed with the Holy Ghost—was tempted of the devil in the wilderness—went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil—groaned and wept and prayed in Gethsemane—hung upon Calvary’s cursed tree, and died the Just for the unjust—was laid in the dark, silent tomb—rose victorious on the third day—ascended into the heavens, there to appear in the presence of God for His people—so truly shall He appear, ere long, in the clouds of heaven, to receive His people to Himself. If we refuse one, we must refuse all. If we question one, we must question all. If we are unsettled as to one, we must be unsettled as to all, inasmuch as all rest upon precisely the same basis, namely, the holy scriptures. How do I know that Jesus hath appeared’? Because scripture tells me so. How do I know that He doth appear? Because scripture tells me so. How do I know that He shall appear? Because scripture tells me so.
In a word, then, the doctrine of the Atonement, the doctrine of the Advocacy, and the doctrine of the Advent all rest on one and the same irrefragable foundation, namely, the simple declaration of the word of God, so that if we receive one we must receive all.
How is it then that, while the Church of God, in all ages, has held and prized the doctrines of Atonement and Advocacy, she has practically lost sight of the doctrine of the Advent? How comes it to pass that while the first two are regarded as essential, the last is deemed nonessential? Nay, we may go further, and say, How is it that while a man who does not hold the first two is regarded as a heretic, and justly so, yet the man who holds the last is by many regarded as hardly sound in the faith or sane in intellect?
What answer can we give to these questions? Alas, alas! the Church has ceased to look for her Lord. Atonement and Advocacy are held because they concern us; but the Advent has been virtually let slip although it so deeply concerns Him. It is due to the One who suffered and died on this earth, that He should reign—to the One who wore a crown of thorns, that He should wear a crown of glory—to the One who humbled Himself to the very dust of death that He should be exalted, and that every knee should yet bow before Him.
Most surely this is so; and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will see to it, and bring it to pass in His own appointed time, “Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.” (Psalm 110; Heb. 10) The moment is rapidly approaching when that blessed One who is now hidden from the eyes of men shall appear in glory. Every eye shall see Him. As surely as He hung on the cross, and is now seated on the throne, so surely shall He appear in glory.
Reader, seeing these things are so, art thou among the number of “those who look for him?” This is a solemn question. There are those who look for Him, and there are those who do not. Now, it is to the former that He shall appear unto salvation. He will come and receive His people unto Himself, that where He is, there they may be also. (John 14) These arc His own loving words spoken at the moment of His departure, for the solace and comfort of His sorrowing disciples. He counted on their being troubled at the thought of His leaving them, and He seeks to comfort them by the assurance of His coming back. He does not say, “Let not your hearts be troubled, for you shall soon follow me.” No; but “I will come again.”
This is the proper hope of the Christian. Christ is coming. Are we ready? Are we looking for Him? Do we miss Him? Do we mourn His absence? It is impossible that we can be in the true attitude of waiting for Him if we do not feel His absence. He is coming. He may be here tonight. Ere another sun rises, the voice of the archangel and the blast of the trumpet may be heard in the air. And what then? Why then the sleeping saints—all who have departed in the faith of Christ—all the redeemed of the Lord, whose ashes repose in the graveyards and cemeteries around us, or in the mighty depths of the ocean—all these shall rise. The living saints shall be changed in a moment; and all shall ascend up to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Cor. 15:51-5451Behold, 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. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑54); 1 Thess. 4:13-5:1113But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For 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. 16For 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. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑5:11).
But what of the unconverted—the unbelieving—the unrepentant—the unprepared? “What of all such? Ah! this is a question of awful solemnity. It makes the heart sink to reflect upon the case of those who are still in their sins—of those who have turned a deaf ear to all the entreaties and all the warnings which God, in His longsuffering mercy, has sent to them, from week to week, and year to year—of those who have sat under the sound of the gospel from their earliest days, and who have become, as we say, gospel hardened. How dreadful will be the condition of all such when the Lord comes to receive His own! They shall be left behind, to fall under the deep and dark delusion which God will assuredly send upon all who have heard and rejected the gospel. And what then? “What is to follow this deep and dark delusion? The deeper and darker damnation of the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.
Oh! shall we not sound a note of alarm in the ears of our fellow sinners? Shall we not, a little more earnestly and solemnly, warn them to flee from the wrath to come? Shall we not seek by word and deed—by the double testimony of the lips and the life—to set before them the weighty fact that, “the Lord is at hand?” May we feel it more deeply, and then we shall exhibit it more faithfully. There is immense moral power in the truth of the Lord’s coming if it be really held in the heart and not merely in the head. If Christians only lived in the habitual expectation of the Advent, it would tell amazingly upon the unconverted around them.
May the Holy Ghost revive in the hearts of all God’s people, the blessed hope of their Lord’s return, that they may be as men that wait for their Lord, that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately!