The blessed hope of His glorious appearing ...

Front matter

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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.

Introduction

There recently appeared in our American literature a little book with the title, "In His Steps;" or, "What Would Jesus Do?" The book, from a literary point of view, is rather commonplace. There is not a gem in it, so far as fine composition is concerned. The plot of the story is nothing above the very ordinary, and yet in a short while after the book had come from the press, a halfmillion copies were in the hands of eager readers, both in this country and in England. Do you ask for an explanation of the remarkable popularity of the book ? The answer is, because it brings men into close touch with the Christ. It ignores all creeds, it recognizes no sort of denominational prejudice, but looks at the whole of religion from the practical standpoint, indicated in the title, "What Would Jesus Do?" In the midst of the confusion and strife of the times in which we live, with all the greed and oppression there is in the world, and the worldliness and fashion there is in the church, there is one hopeful sign, men are less interested in creeds and more interested in Jesus Christ than ever before in the history of Christendom. It is a fulfillment of that saying of our Lord, "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me."

It is not strange that there should at such a time be a widespread awakening of interest in the second coming of Christ into the world. Christ most positively promised that He would come. The angels promised that He would come. The Apostles promised that He would come.

We might expect that while the churches are busy formulating creeds, and building up partition

Introduction. vii walls of denominational prejudice, that the doctrine of Christ's return to the earth would be largely lost sight of.

But with loss of interest in creeds, and the passing away of prejudices, and the revival of love for Christ and fellow-men, there will logically be revived an interest in the coming of our Lord. If we love Him, we will read with delight the promise of His coming, and like the beloved John, we will find our hearts responding to His promise, "Surely I come quickly.''' "Even so, come Lord Jesus.''

Rev. L. L. Pickett is an intense man. He will be remembered in this world, long after he has gone to a better one, as a prolific writer, and earnest distributor of religious books, especially of that class of books that call attention to the higher and better things of religious experience.

He gives us here a book on the second coming of our Lord. It will prove interesting, instructive, and of spiritual help to the reader.

Bro. Pickett does not demand that the reader shall accept and indorse every statement contained in the book, but he does ask for it a thoughtful and prayerful reading. To love Christ, to serve Him, and to long for His appearing, can but bring blessing to the soul.

I bespeak for this book a wide reading, and join my prayer with that of the author, that it may prove a blessing to many thousands of readers, stirring up their hearts to be clothed with their wedding garments, and to WATCH for the coming of their LORD. Fraternally,

H. C. Morrison.

Chapter I

Below is an outline of the teachings which we shall attempt to more fully set forth in the following pages.

(1). The coming of Christ is Personal, visible and majestic. His promised appearing is not fulfilled in death, divine judgments, spiritual manifestations, or in any other figurative manner.

(2). Till His return the world will continue in sin, only a few of its multitudes becoming religious, that is, spiritually minded Christians and godly in their lives.

(3). At His appearing the holy dead will be raised to greet and reign with Him. The remainder of the dead will continue in their graves for a thousand years, that is, till the Judgment of the Great White Throne. The holy living, being translated, will be caught up to meet their Lord in the air, along with the saints from among the dead. The translated and resurrected saints will reign with Him over the nations of those who yet remain in the flesh. This will continue for a thousand years, and is what is commonly called the Millennium, though it is far from being a period of world-wide holiness, such as men commonly expect of it.

(4). While Christ and His bride are in the marriage ceremonies in mid-heavens, the earth will be turned over to the mercies of Satan, and will suffer the greatest tribulation in its entire history. Still it will not be utterly depopulated, as men sometimes teach. While multitudes will perish, many of them in their sins, others will live through this fearful period, being subjects, over which Christ and His holy ones shall reign. Thus, during the thousand years, there will be two distinct classes on earth. The immortals, who are the reigning ones, dwelling with Jesus in the Beloved City as kings and priests, and the mortals, who constitute the subject class, being yet in the flesh.

(5). During the thousand years, with Christ and His saints reigning at Jerusalem, the Jews, having accepted Him at His return, being restored to the land of their fathers, will be happy, contented and prosperous. They will be used of Him in promoting His knowledge and glory among other nations. Palestine will blossom as the rose. Its villages shall become cities, and as a nation the Jews shall have great splendor, riches and honor, Among the nations of the earth the masses will be faithful and true, spiritual and godly, but many will yield but a feigned obedience to the King. ,Satan, having been bound at the close of the rapture, and the beginning of the reign, will no longer disturb and deceive men, and yet those in the flesh will be carnal, and consequently will need regeneration. Many will refuse this, pleading their morality and rejecting salvation, as men often do to day. After a hundred years of opportunity^

What We Teach. 11 these will be cut off under the curse of God (Isa. 65:20). Divine judgment will be executed over the nations of those in the flesh, their sins reproved, their wrongs righted, holy laws administered and just statutes enforced (Zech. 14:12-18), by means of which evil will be driven from the earth, or kept in hiding. The result will be a glorious era of physical, spiritual, social and intellectual progress. Life will be so lengthened that "the child shall die an hundred years old." Yet, with all these glorious advantages, constituting an era far surpassing anything known since the fall, men will be vacillating and weak, and many of them will prove untrue to God when the hour of temptation shall come (Rev. 20:8,9).

(6). At the close of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed, and will instigate another great apostasy (Rev. 20:7,8). Those not truly saved will fall away and join him in the great rebellion against the government and authority of Christ. Then is inaugurated the battle of Gog and Magog. The purpose of Satan's release is evidently to test men. It is a sifting period. Those not saved by grace and unswervingly devoted to Christ will join the armies of Satan in this final insurrection.

(7). As the armies of the Satanic allies are marching against the forces of Christ the fire falls from heaven, the elements melt with fervent heat, as set forth in 2 Peter (3:6-12). Then the dead of all generations who were not worthy to participate in the first resurrection shall be called forth from land and sea, together with those, good and bad, who shall have died during the Millennium. The great white throne will appear, and the dead, large and small, standing before God, shall be judged. This is connected with the coming of Christ, but is at the end of the thousand years, rather than at the beginning. It is the fulfillment of Matt. 25:31-46.

(8). This makes an end of sin. Those who have proved true to Christ in the final onslaught of the enemy shall be transferred into the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. They shall constitute its happy, holy and deathless inhabitants, being like Adam and Eve before the fall, the works of the devil having been destroyed (1 Jno. 3:8) and all things restored (Acts 3:19-21).

(9). The earth being renovated, restored to its pristine purity, so much so that it is called a new earth, shall become the site of the kingdom of Christ, .which shall endure forever (Dan. 2:44; 7:13,18,27; Psa. 89:37, and 4, with Luke 1:32,33). This is called by Peter, "The times of the restitution of all things," or perfect restoration of the earth and the race, including man's forfeited dominion. In this perfect kingdom there shall be no death (Rev. 21:4; 22:3-5). From thence Christ shall reign, not only over earth, but "every knee shall bow to Him, of things in the heavens, and in the earth and beneath the earth" (Phil. 2:5-11). All of this comes in what is called, "The dispensation of the fullness of times" (Eph. 1:10). All things head up in Christ (Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 6:14-16), Who is over all God blessed forever. This universal sovereignty is accorded our Savior as "the Son of man." After the perfect subjugation of all things

What We Teach. 13 to Him as man, He will bow the knee to the Father with Whom, in His divinity, He was, is, and shall ever be, co-equal. Henceforth the man Jesus takes a secondary place, and God is all in all (1 Cor. 15:24-28.)

This is but an outline which we shall endeavor to develop and sustain in this book.

The Coming- Personal.

Chapter II

Will Jesus return to this earth in person and reign upon it? or is there to be expected only a spiritual subjugation of the race to His sovereignty, by such agencies as are now employed, and have characterized the gospel dispensation?

I. AS MEN HAVE IT.

It is remarkable how men have dealt with these questions. Imagination has been allowed full sway. Some have conjured up any number of substitutes for the personal individual return and reign of Jesus Christ. They have sought the fulfillment of the promises of His appearing in the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit, and other great religious upheavals. Some have located it in the destruction of Jerusalem and the judgments of God upon the Jews. Others have insisted that it is simply death; that when any one passes into the turbid waters of the mystic river Christ has come. We object to all such man-made substitutes for the Scriptural teaching concerning "The Blessed Hope. 9 ' Let us briefly examine a few of these human theories.

(1). The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. This cannot be the fulfillment, because His coming was spoken of as future in the Epistles and the Apocalypse, and these were written long after Pentecost. Then again. His coming is visible, as set forth in many of the Scriptures; but the Spirit, as poured upon the suppliant congregation, is invisible. We are aware that at Pentecost tongues of fire were seen upon the heads of the apostles, but this was not the Spirit Himself, but simply a manifestation of His presence, nor was this ever after repeated.

(2). Nor are the promises of His coming fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem, (a) It is the Christ of God for whom we look, and not the heathen armies of a cruel and despotic people, (b) His coming is for all; it is world-wide in its scope. But this visitation of judgment was only upon the Jews. (c) His coming renovates the world, renews all things. The armies of Rome left Jerusalem in ashes and blood, in sorrow and desolation, (d) His coming is a blessed hope; a source of joy and gladness, comfort and consolation. But the armies of Rome brought terror and dismay, sorrow and suffering, blood and bankruptcy to the once honored but then God-forsaken people of Jerusalem.

(3). Nor are the promises of His coming fulfilled in articulo mortis — in the hour and article of death. Millions of his saints "have fallen on sleep," and myriads of sinners have gone down beneath the ravages of death; but Christ remains at the Fathers right hand — His coming awaits fulfillment, (a) Death is no object of hope. It has well been called "the grim monster." Paul calls it an enemy, which he says is the last to be destroyed by the conquering Hero of Calvary (1 Cor. 15 :26). (b) Christ shall come as the lightning shining from the East to the West (Luke 17:24). Death slips in as a secret and relentless foe. (c) Jesus comes to earth once for all; the visitations of death are innumerable. He passes up and down the earth, sowing tears and suffering in countless homes. The weeds of mourning in a home circle are scarcely cast aside till lo! he comes again, leaving the ranks broken and his victim to decay and undergo physical dissolution, despite weeping friends who, with broken hearts, are powerless to aid. (d) It is not said in the Scriptures that Christ ever came for any one at death. The angels convoyed Lazarus from his rags and sorrows to Abraham's bosom. As Stephen fell asleep beneath a shower of stones, his fading vision caught the last gleams of things earthly, and then to him was granted to behold the Son of man, not coming in the clouds with power and great glory, but seated at the Father's right hand. As David said concerning his child, I shall go to him, he cannot come to me, so may the dying saint, who passes from scenes of earth before Christ returns, say of His Lord, (e) His coming is attended by world-shaking, heaven-melting phenomena. Death frequently does his work undiscovered by near neighbors, or even inmates of the same house, till his cruel deed is accomplished. (f) When every prop has been knocked from under the objectors, they generally rally with, "Oh well, it is all the same; when we die He comes for us." Not so, by any means. Though millions have died, they are not crowned; their souls are beneath the Altar, as seen by the beloved Disciple (Rev. 6:9); there they are crying to the Lord to avenge them of their blood, and this will be done in the day of the restoration of all things! The hour of death is the time of our humiliation, but the day of His return is the morning of our coronation (2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 5:4).

I have long since ceased to prepare for death. The Bridegroom's coming is a brighter goal. I run my life's train by the time-table of His advent. If we remain in the flesh till He come, we may share in the rapture with His saints; if death mow us down ere He arrives, our hope is that we may share with the martyrs in the first resurrection. The: following statement from Rev. J. H. Brookes is so suitable to our line of argument that we give it place: "If those who oppose the doctrine of our Lord's premillennial advent have a right to say that when He spoke of His coming He meant the destruction of Jerusalem, the Universalist with as, much reason may insist that when He spoke of His coming to judgment He meant nothing more than, the destruction of Jerusalem. If the Post-millenarian has a right to say that His distinct and repeated announcement of His future advent is onljr a figurative mode of predicting the manifested power of the Spirit in converting the world, the Unitarian with no less propriety may claim that His distinct and repeated announcement of His equality and oneness with the Father is only a figurative way of stating that He was a good man.. If the plain promise, so often given in simple, unadorned language, that He will come back to the earth is fulfilled in our death, our mouths are shut against the daring impiety of the Rationalist, when he subjects the Sacred Scriptures to the standard of human reason, or rather, of human caprice. If the coming of Christ ever means the destruction of Jerusalem, or the -outpouring of the Holy Spirit, or the death of a Christian, or any other event but His literal, personal return from the right hand of the Father, then His blessed book becomes a mere jumble of ambiguous utterances, giving no certain sound upon the subjects that most deeply concern our welfare. " (Maranatha, pages 60,61.)

II. AS THE BOOK HAS IT.

We have seen how men sometimes construe this subject. Let us examine the Word. It shall be the arbiter of our controversy. No other doctrine has such prominence in Sacred writ as Christ's return to the earth. It is the burden of the prophets, the goal of the hopes, the object of the faith of the saints in all ages. The promises, prophecies and prayers of the Bible point to His coming with power and glory. The armies of the saints in prophetic and apostolic times, with upturned gaze marched forward constantly listening for the midnight cry, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh." Let us examine a few passages of Scripture and consider the terms used, whether or not they can find their fulfillment in spiritual revolutions, the ravages of heathen armies, or the death of the body.

(1). The names applied to Jesus in those Scriptures ivhich foretell His return are never applied to death or other phenomena. "In such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. " ' 'Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come/' (Matt. 24:42,44).

"Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching." (Luke 12:37). Here we are taught that the "Son of man," "your Lord," shall come suddenly, and "He" shall have a reward for those whom "He" finds watching. How could these terms, "your Lord" and "the Son of man," and the pronouns, be applied to death, to revivals of religion, or to Roman armies? They all clearly refer to the Son of God — the coming Christ. In 1 Thess. (4:16) it is said, "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven."

(2). As Jesus went into the open heavens from ihe Mount of Olives, the two ivhite-robed messengers comforted the bereaved and bewildered disciples as they gazed upward, with the soul-reviving promise, "This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go." (Acts 1:9-11). He went in His body; He went visibly; He went in His own divine-human personality. The promise is, He shall, "in like manner, return." My heart to-day thrills with the hope expressed by the prophet of old: "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him," but when, I know not. It is more than thirty centuries nearer than when Balaam felt constrained to utter these words, "it is not nigh." (Numb. 24:17). I am taught to look for Him daily, and so are you, kind reader.

(3). ih In the clouds.'' We remember that at the time of his ascension a "cloud received him out of their sight." I fancy this cloud was composed of the many saints who "came out of their graves" after His resurrection. (Matt. 27:52,53). No doubt He carried these risen saints to the skies with Him as an earnest of His victory over death — a sample of His work while absent from His Father's house. There was doubtless a great stir in the city of the King when the risen Son of man approached with His first-fruits of the promised restoration of all things, and we opine the arches of the gold-paved city rang with the thrilling song:

u Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

"Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

"Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. 5 ' (Ps. 24:7-10).

The same cloud in which He went up, largely augmented at the trumpet blast when He descends, shall be seen by the astonished denizens of earth (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; Rev. 1:7).

(4). ''With His angels" When He left His Father's house above He slipped in upon the earth, and was first discovered as a Babe in Bethlehem by the angels — servants in His Father's house, ministering spirits in His glory, who doubtless missed Him unexpectedly and were astonished to find Him in the manger cradle. His method of redemption for fallen humanity was a mystery into which they desired to look. But when He comes again, they will be allowed the privilege of attending Him. Their services will be to gather the tares from among the wheat (Matt. 13:41), and to bring together His elect from the four corners of the earth (Matt. 24:31; 25:31).

(5). ik With His saints." Enoch, the seventh from Adam, declared, ' 'Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints." We are sure the noble prophet will be among them. Enoch walked with God for three hundred and sixty years. At the end of this time he was so much nearer heaven than earth, the Divine Father said to him, "Go home with me Enoch. " The holy walker responded to the invitation, and when he returns, he will ride on a white horse (Rev. 19:14).

(6). His coming will be no more in lowliness, but in grandeur. He will be manifested in "flaming fire," taking vengeance on His enemies (2 Thess. 1:6-8). To His saints, thrilling the sight! To His enemies, fearful the day!

(7). His coming will have a definite object, directly the opposite of death, viz., to raise His sleeping saints. They that sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him (1 Thess. 4:14). "Each in his own order" (rank or regiment). "Christ the first-fruits, then they that are Christ's at His coming." How different these white-clad immortals from the armies of Rome investing Jerusalem, or the horrible doings of death!

(8). His coming is indeed declared to be to restore all things (Acts 3:21), not to annihilate them.

III. In addition to the above, we would prove the coming of Christ to be personal, and in His body, by the force of the words used in those Scriptures wherein it is foretold. In Matt. 16:28; 24:30, and in other places, the word rendered "coming," and which refers to the Master's appearing in the clouds, is erchomenon, the root of which, erchomai, is defined by Pickering's Lexicon as follows: "To come or appear before the public," "to come or appear in the flesh." The word epiphaneia, used in

2 Thess. 2:8, and in five other places in the New Testament, is defined by the same authority as "the appearance; or appearance of a person; unexpected coming; advent of Christ, presence." But the most common word for the coming of Christ and His glorious manifestation is parousia, which is said to be used twenty-four times in the New Testament. Pickering defines it "presence," "arrival." Rev. J. A. Seiss, a very careful writer, declares concerning these twenty four uses of this word, that every one of them denotes a literal presence — a personal advent. Both of these words (epiphaneia and parousia) as strongly and directly describe a real, visible and personal coming of Christ as any in the Greek language; and when used with reference to a person, they cannot mean anything but a real presence, an advent of that person. (Last Times, page 48).

Paul expresses joy at the coming [parousia) of Stephanus, Portunatus and Achaicus (1 Cor. 16:17); and declared himself comforted by the coming [parousia) of Titus (2 Cor. 7:6,7). He reproved the Corinthians for confessing the weight of his letters, but denying the force of his presence in the body [parousia tou somatos) [2 Cor. 10 :10) . Phanerothe (Col. 3:4; 1 John 3:2). This word is defined by Pickering, "to make manifest; to expose to view, to show, to make public." It is translated, "when he shall appear," and "when he shall be manifested." From all this we gather the indisputable conclusion that the coming of Christ is to be personal, visible, manifest. He shall come in His glory, bearing the scepter of universal empire, and in His

The Coning Personal. 23

retinue shall be clouds of angels and many ten thousands of His saints. Glorious hour ! May reader and writer be prepared.

O THE GLORY.

1 This the rest 'mid earthly turmoil,

This the balm 'mid all its pain, This the joy amid our sorrow,

Christ is coming back again ; Coming surely, coming quickly,

It is but a little while Till we hear his voice so tender,

Till we see His welcome smile.

Cho.—O the glory, wondrous glory,

When our Lord shall come in clouds of angels bright ; O the glory, matchless glory, How our hearts shall thrill to see the beauteous sight.

2 He will hush earth's tribulation,

He will make her wars to cease, Bring in everlasting justice,

Bring in everlasting peace ; It is not for death we're waiting,

But for Him who then will bring Life and health and joy and blessing,

Earth's exalted, holy King.

3 Tho the world's long night grows darker,

And His coming seems so late, Soon will be a glorious dawning,

Let us then with patience wait ; We are longing, we are listening,

For His coming from afar, O, how we shall love to greet Him,

Christ, our bright and Morning Star.

4 If earth's future be so glorious,

What will then be yours and mine, When we bear His blessed image,

And within His kingdom shine ; When with Him for endless ages,

We shall have the highest place, Reigning with Him, one forever,

Gazing always on His face.

For music see "Gems," No. !

No Millennium Till Christ Comes.

Chapter III

Post-millennialism busies itself with preaching the early conversion of the world by gospel agencies. If this be true, we certainly have no objection to it; if false, no one is benefitted by belief of It. Our only authority is the word of God. No help can be gained from science; history is incompetent to decide the issue; logic, reason, human opinion, learned or unlearned, cannot in the nature of the case give us light. God alone knows the future, — to Him we must refer every question concerning things to be.

The Scriptures do not teach the conversion of all men before the coming of Christ. We challenge the world to produce one passage in the Bible which definitely and clearly promises the regeneration of the world before the advent of our Lord. This regeneration is promised (Matt. 19:28) and the time located by Daniel (7:13,14) and Jesus (Luke 21:27,31) as the time when He comes in the clouds.

If the teachings of post-millennialists be true, there should be at least a few definite, positive, unmistakable Scriptures setting them forth; but there is not one; on the other hand, the passages teaching the continuance of sin to the end of the present dispensation are numerous. "We will classify a few of them:

(1). Wars and strifes. Such is the word of Christ Himself. He tells us there will be "wars and rumors of wars/' that "nation shall rise against nation.'' In addition to this, instead of encouraging a hope of increasing prosperity for the world, He informs us, "There shall be famines, pestilences and earthquakes" in many places, even to the end (Matt. 24:6,7).

(2). Backsliding and Laivlessness.

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.-' (Matt. 24:12).

Abounding wickedness, overflowing all its borders and trampling holiness under foot, results in extensive falling away from the faith, and this continues to the close of the present dispensation. Christians must "endure" trial, hardship, temptation "to the end" of our age.

(3). False Prophets. Men who mislead the people; who preach science rather than salvation; history rather than holiness; party politics rather than personal purity; w T hoseek creature comforts rather than Christly character; in short, men who have their substitutes for Christ and the gospel of full salvation are certainly false prophets. The Master asserts that such shall arise and "deceive many" (Matt. 24:5,11).

(4). Signs in the heavens. (Luke 21:25).

Not only shall there be wickedness and heresy among men, with preachers presenting false Christs and inventing substitutes for salvation, but there shall be extensive apostasy in the church. Not only so, but the very heavens shall be in sympathy with the general disorder. It was so at the crucifixion. When Jesus was dying in agony inflicted by the cruelty of men, the earth trembled as with an ague, and the sun hid his face — embarrassed at the wickedness of the tormentors of our Lord. So, when the cup of iniquity is full, and the wrath of God is about to break upon those who have rejected His Son and spurned the gospel of redeeming love, the very heavens show their astonishment, the sun darkens, the moon turns to blood and the very stars loose their moorings. What an awful catastrophe, involving not only the earth, but the heavens also. As Isaiah puts it, ''The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed." (Isa> 24:23). These celestial orbs will not be permitted to look down in the present dispensation upon a holy, happy world. But they shall mourn over its desolation and shall feel the judgment shock when the King comes forth to punish the world for its "iniquity." (Isa. 26:21).