Perhaps my reader may ask, Does not the Lord mean death, when He thus speaks of His coming again? If we turn now to John 21:18-2118Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. 20Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? (John 21:18‑21), we here find the distinct answer to the question. The Lord plainly did not mean death; for, after speaking of the death, whereby Peter should glorify God, He speaks of another disciple and says, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” “Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die; yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” Now, does not this passage prove that Jesus did not mean death, when He spake of His coming again? Indeed, I do not know of a single passage in the Scriptures where the coming of Christ means death. It is, indeed, very blessed that when the believer falls asleep, it is to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Far better to depart from a body of sin and death; but this is quite a different thing from the coming of the Lord.
I would observe, the Lord did not in this precious promise, in John 14, explain how this receiving them to Himself, would take place. The explanation how, we shall find in the epistles.
Having found by the words of Jesus that the coming of the Lord does not mean death, it may be asked, Is it as clearly proved, whether the coming of the Lord will be spiritual or personal? Let us for this purpose turn now to Acts 1:9-119And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:9‑11). “And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.”
How could words be more plain than these? Did Jesus go into heaven in real person, the very body that hung on the cross; or did He leave that body in the grave and go to heaven in Spirit only? If so, our preaching is vain, and ye have believed in vain (1 Cor. 15). All depends on this, if He who died on the cross as our substitute, is not raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven, a real man, as our surety man in resurrection – then if He is not thus risen, there is no gospel for us. How can I possibly know that I am justified from all things, if my surety is not raised from the death due to me, and as my surety, justified? I fear there is a sort of indistinct notion abroad that Jesus is only a spirit. This notion undermines the very foundation of the whole gospel. Hence, what pains Jesus took to convince His disciples that He was not a spirit; for, says He, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.” Now does not the idea of a spiritual coming of Christ spring from that deadly error, that He is now only a spirit? He went to heaven and is there, a real, risen man. And IN LIKE MANNER will He come again, as real a person surely as He was on the cross. Will not the Jews say, What ARE those wounds on Thy hands? And, O, my fellow-believer, what will it be to look at those hands that were pierced for you? He is risen. He will come again in person.
But it might be asked, Can you point out a passage that distinctly proves whether the Lord will come at the beginning, or after the Millennium, or the times of blessing promised in the Old Testament? Let us turn and see as to this.
Acts 3:19-2119Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19‑21). The Jews through blindness had crucified the Lord. Peter tells Them to change their minds, and their sins shall be blotted out; and God shall send Jesus again, “whom the heavens must receive UNTIL the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken, by the mouth of all His holy prophets, since the world began.” Does not the word “until” in the above passage distinctly prove that Christ will be in heaven until the beginning of the millennium, or times of restitution of all things? Then He will surely come before the commencement of the millennial kingdom on earth. This one passage removes every difficulty from the teachings of Christ in the gospel. It might have been asked, How can the wicked and the righteous live together until the harvest or coming of Christ? And how can it be, in that day, as it was in the days of Noah and Lot – the earth full of wickedness – seeing that so many scriptures of the prophets have to be fulfilled, which describe the righteousness and blessing of the earth – when all shall know the Lord, from the least to the greatest? Well, I say, this one word “until” explains it all. That time of the earth’s blessedness cannot take place before, but after, the Lord comes.
Let us now, in the second place, hear the words of the Holy Spirit in the epistles. The first passage I turn to is Romans 8:19-2319For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:19‑23). We must mark well the change; it is not now Jesus speaking to Jewish disciples, in the midst of the Jewish nation; but the Spirit of God speaking to us believers, members of the redeemed church of God, so that now every word concerns us. Hence, in this passage, creation is waiting, with earnest expectation, “for the manifestation of the sons (not the nation) of God.” “The glorious liberty of the children of God.” Creation groans and travails in pain together. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to-wit, the redemption of our body.” We do not wait for the spiritual reign of Christ, or for Christ in spirit; we have that now. “Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His” (Ver. 9). But having this, according to this passage, we wait, not for the death of the body, but for the redemption of the body – being justified – having peace with God. (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). Enjoying the certainty of no condemnation (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)). Yes, being thus everlastingly saved, still, while in this body of sin and death, we hope and long for, and wait for, the “manifestation” – “the glorious liberty” that will take place, both for us and creation, at the redemption of the body.
(Continued from page 111).
(To be continued)