Present Truth

By James H. Brookes

BIBLE READING -- SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

Chapter 2

 

SECOND, the coming thus everywhere set forth in the New Testament always refers to the literal and personal coming of our Lord, and never once does it mean death, or the destruction of Jerusalem, or the conflict of armies, or the visitation of cholera, or the progress of the Church, or any other event or providence, whatsoever, except that which is plainly predicted all through the inspired word, even the advent of Jesus Christ a second time to our earth. Carefully study the following portions of Scripture:

John xiv. 3.—And 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 xxi. 22, 23.—Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 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?

Acts i. 11.—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.

Acts iii. 20, 21.—And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom 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.

Rom. viii. 23.—And not only they, but our selves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to-wit, the redemption of our body.

I Cor. xv. 23.—But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Phil. iii. 20.—For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Col. iii. 4.—When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

I Thess. i. 10.—And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

II Thess. i. 10.—When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe ( because our testimony among you was believed in that day.

I Tim. vi. 14.—That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Tim. iv. 8.—Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Tit. ii. 13.—Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Heb. ix. 28.—So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

James v. 7.—Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

I Pet. v. 4.–And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

II Pet. iii. 4.—And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

I John ii, 28.—And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Jude 14.—And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints.

Rev. xix.

Any one who is subject to the Word of God, will, on reading the foregoing, despite the powerful influence of traditional teaching, soon become convinced that it is a real and bodily coming of Christ which is meant in every instance. The words used to set forth His coming are the strongest the copious Greek language could furnish to  imply His literal and personal return to the world, and if any thing else had been intended, it would have been easy to express what was designed in other terms. For the truth of the doctrine that He is to come personally there are four witnesses, the Lord Jesus, the Holy Ghost, angels, and the early Church.