JESUS
COMING
TER Jesus had caten the last
Passover supper with His dis-
ciples the night before He was
betrayed, He told them He would be
with them only a little while longer.
But at this time He made them a
areit Promise. He said, “It I go away 1
will come again,” In john [CHE 3 we
have an account of this promise. These
are Christ's own words, and Lis pront-
isc 1s conditional on His going away.
Acts 119-11 gives us the record of His
somg away, and we are told in this
same connection that “this sume Je-
sus... shall so come in like manner.”
Two men or angels were sent to em-
phasize the face that He will come the
second ume in exactly the same muan-
iter in which He went to heaven. They
declared that we would see Him come,
that His coming would be literal and
visible to all who would be living on
the earth,
John, mn Revelation 1:7, added his
testimony to that of the angels. He
said: “Behoid, He cometh with clouds;
and every eye shall see Him.” The
Lord’s second coming will be as real,
as literal, as visible as was His ascen-
ston, and far more glorious. The
clouds spoken of by John we under
stand from Psalm 104:3 and 68:17 to
be clouds of angels who come at this
tine as the reapers of the world's
harvest of righteous people. The glory
of Jesus’ second coming exceeds every
nnagination of the human mind. Luke
cives us some idea of it tn the ninth
Chapter ol his gospel when He says,
‘For whosoever shall he ashamed of
Me and of My words, of him shall the
Son of man be ashamed, when He
shall come in His own glory, and in
His Father's, and of the holy angels.”
We remember that at the tomb of
Christ one heavenly angel in his brighe
and shining glory caused all the Ro-
min soldiers to fall as dead men. Mul-
tiply, then, the glory of this one angel
bv many millions of his fellows and
then add to that the glory of Jesus
and the glory of the Father.
The effect of God's glory was shown
on another occasion, at Mount Sinai.
Moses was able to enter into the mount
with God in the nidst of all this great
alory, but to those at the foot of the
mount this same glory was as a devour-
ing fire. This is the way it will be at
the second coming: some will he pre-
pared to enter in as did Moses, but
MAY, 1948
By Mrs. Blanche Hopewell
others will ary for the rocks and the
mountains to fall on them.
Paul gave the Thessalonicans nu-
merous ways by which they might
know that Christ would not come 11
secret. “The Lord Himsclt shall de-
scend {rom heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the Archangel, und with
the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise hse: then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord me the air: and so
shall we ever he with the Lord.” |
Thessalonians 4:16, 17. Christ calls the
sleeping saints. He shouts with the
voice of the Archangel, and He blows
a wumpet. Just as it would be impos-
sible for the earth wo suffer a great fire,
a great destructive storm or a great
flood in secret, so will 1t be impossible
for the second coming of our Lord to
take place in searet.
According wo Psalm 96:13, He comes
ta judge the people with His truth.
Those who are accounted worthy of
a place with Him in His kingdom say,
“This is our God; we have wanted
for Him, and He will save us.” But
the unprepared, the living wicked,
have a different cry. From the wicked
king to the wicked slave they cry out
for the rocks and mountains to cover
them trom the face of Him who sitieth
on the throne and from the wrath of
the Lamb,
At this time takes place the resur-
rectinn ol the righteous dead—those
who have diced in the faith. They are
brought forth ro immortality, and to
share with Jesus His everlasting glory.
Jesus” appeal to His people “is that
they may be prepared to meet that
inevitable dav: “Take heed 10 vour-
selves. lest at any time vour hearts
be overcharged with surfeiting, and
drunkenness, and cares of this life, and
so that day come upon you unawares.
For as a snare shall it come on all them
that dwell on the face of the whole
carth. Watch ve therefore, and prav
always, that ye ‘may be accounted wor-
thy to escape all these things that shall
Come to pass, and to stand before the
Son of man.” Luke 21:54-36.
Jesus’ coming 1s near. The signs that
mark that event are taking place a
this time. Tt is most imperative that
¢ be readv to meet Him in peace in
that dav. The wicked have nor be-
lieved that He would come and have
THE HOPE OF SOME --
THE DESPAIR OF OTHERS.
therclore not made preparauon. The
righteous have made preparation of
heart because they believed the mes
sage of the signs, cvents and condi-
cons given, There is a class that think
they are ready and are not. They re
mind Jesus that they have taught in
the streets, performed nuracles and
done many wondertul works, Bat Je-
sus declares that He never knew them.
Although professed Christians, they
are workers of iniquity—hypocrites.
Hypocrisy will not inherit the king-
com ol God. To be saved iL 1s neces-
sary that we be genuine through and
through m faith and works.
Jesus’ coming is the consummation of
the Christian's hope, but the wicked have
no hope. They cry for the rocks and
mountains to fall on them.