11. The Two Advents

The writer to the Hebrews declares: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him He shall appear the second time, apart from sin, unto salvation.” 1 It is very clear from that statement that the purpose of God is bound up in two advents. We rejoice in the truth that “in the fulness of time God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.” 2 It would puzzle an unbeliever adequately to explain the extraordinary influence of Jesus on the world. He may repudiate His Deity and His sacrificial work in death, he may discredit the resurrection, but he is still confronted with the fact that His birth, as the birth of no other, has altered the affairs of men. With His birth a new era began with God and no less a new era with man. The vast majority of those who may read these pages do believe that Jesus was and that Jesus is the Son of God. In consequence Christmas Sunday finds our pulpits making reference to the indubitable fact that Jesus was born at Bethlehem. It has to be noted, however, that the data for such assertions is found only in Scripture. In some Anglican churches the Bethlehem scene was reproduced and worshippers saw the cradle and the manger. To me this seems interesting for two reasons. First the historical fact of Bethlehem was first a prophecy. 3 When the wise men enquired of Herod where He was Who was born king of the Jews, the latter asked the authorities of his own court for the answer. 4 They did not hesitate to say that the coming Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Micah wrote his prophecy more than seven centuries before Jesus was born and he declared: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.” Therefore, before Bethlehem was history, it was prophecy. Very few ministers make that clear to their flocks, although if they are ministers of the Word they must know the fact itself that the first advent was first prophecy and then history. Secondly there are far more references to our Lord’s second advent than there are to His first, and if the first has been fulfilled why should we not equally expect the second? Further, if the first advent has had such a profound effect upon society, what will be the effect of His coming in glory? 5 The Scriptures forbid that any minister of the Word shall separate the advents. He was once offered to bear our sins, He is coming again, apart from sin, unto to salvation. He is to appear “the second time.” When I think of how the Scriptures have been carved up on speculative grounds, how readily ministers and clergy have accepted the conclusions of these critics often without a shadow of proof, then it is simply amazing that they steadily and persistently refuse to accept the simple and clear word of Scripture upon the undoubted fact of His appearing “the second time.”

Some suggest that whatever the truth there may or may not be in His Second Coming the duty of all Christians today is to get on with the task. But what is the task with which we are to get on? Surely God will give us some insight into His plan and purpose. A bricklayer may know nothing about the financial arrangements connected with the building, the responsibility for the carriage of the materials to the site is not his, the decision as to their quality is not his concern, but even he must at least see the plan to know exactly where he is to lay his bricks. A writer in a religious weekly believes in getting on with the work and leaving the rest to God. It sounds so sensible, but what builder would say to his bricklayer, “You get on with the laying of bricks and leave the plans to me. Lay them where you feel led, in any position that you sincerely think will be useful, and providing you lay them where you sincerely think they will be useful I shall be quite satisfied.”? God declared He could not hide from Abraham His intentions in regard to Sodom. 6 Are we to suppose that either He has no purpose today, or that if He has He does not intend us to know it at all? The Second Adventist does not think so. There is in Scripture a plan revealed. That plan is centred in Jesus Christ in redemption, in the church indwelt by the Holy Spirit through which He as Head will reign throughout eternity. 7

But what does this truth of His second appearing mean to the individual? We who can see the plan, and believe it to be of God, what is the value of the plan to us? In the last analysis it is our duty to declare what this truth means to us in practical terms 8 as those who would seek to be useful to God and in that usefulness to Him to be useful to others. Let me then set forth what the truth means to me.

First, God wants a testimony. Hebrews 11 is the chapter of faith. Why was it written? The closing verse of the previous chapter declares that “yet a little while and the coming One will come and will not tarry.” These Hebrew Christians were to hold on to that promise, and to encourage them to do so they are reminded of the men of faith in the old dispensation who have preceded them. They looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and architect is God. Enoch was a preacher of righteousness declaring the coming of the Lord in glory, and although he did not live to see the day he maintained the witness, and he had this testimony that he pleased God in his preaching. These men believed what God was most certainly going to do. They had received the revelation from Him, they believed Him, they testified accordingly and they gave God what He wanted, a living testimony from burning hearts that thought of nothing else but declaring His truth. God longs for a testimony. He surely desires that His church will press home upon men that He in His sovereignty has a definite purpose in His Son Whom He has made heir of all things. 9 He wants His people to share His revelation, and having thus been enlightened by the Spirit through the Word, to proclaim it from the housetops with all the power the Spirit provides. The prophets and apostles gave themselves up to the testimony of God, and we must follow in their steps. If God has revealed a plan definitely and clearly in the Word, then that plan finds its centre in the personal return of our Lord. I know of no other to be demonstrated from the Scriptures. Therefore, let us delight His heart by declaring the testimony with all our powers.

Secondly, this truth of His return saves us from continual disappointment. The chaos about us is due to man’s rebellion against God. No home can be peaceful where the children refuse a proper obedience to their parents. No business could prosper where the staff were continually on strike. In such matters the fundamental issue would have to be settled first. If a home is in discord there must be reconciliation between parents and children, the recognition of what is mutually due. From that moment a new spirit comes in and the home is transformed. Equally so our present chaos is due to our refusal to do the will of God. The world is rejecting God’s Only Beloved Son, it is refusing the life He offers, it is choosing its own path of self-will and plunging into sin. It is utterly without hope until it is reconciled to God. 10 Instead of dealing however, with this fundamental issue we vainly talk of wonderful eras that are sure to be. We have talked of them for a long time, some have come to believe in them, but for all that they do not appear. Inside our churches we find a broken and dispirited people. In the towns and villages of our land there is a great heartache as the older ones see the young people deserting the sanctuary for the cinema. Galleries that were once full are now empty. The array of empty pews affects the courage of the boldest preacher. What our people need is Scriptural testimony concerning God’s purpose in the world. They need to know what God is still willing to do in and through His people, they ought to be told of the wonderful day that God has in store for His believing people when Jesus appears. Instead of that their attention is directed to the plans and devices of men which arouse hope for a time and then perish. No Second Adventist suffers from despair.

Thirdly, the Second Adventist sees the Scriptures being literally fulfilled. Everything in the world today fills in the picture of prophecy. As the Word of God is studied prayerfully so the future is unveiled to the eye, and most clearly the events of the world are seen to be moving in that direction. If I did not believe in the Second Coming as a truth of Scripture I should be very much impressed as I looked out on the world. Even religious leaders are now talking of a war that will end civilisation, and still they do not see that in all Satanic destruction God must have a constructive purpose. But it is there and the simple shall see it. The world is moving in the direction foretold centuries ago, and the Scriptures that so plainly tell us the direction of the world also declare the destiny of the church at His appearing. Wherefore while men are forced to look down in despair, the child of God may look up in confident hope. 11

Fourthly, the coming of the Lord puts the topstone on salvation. At present my salvation, although certain and sure, is partial. The spirit made alive for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a centre of Divine life, but there is ever the lusting of the flesh against the Spirit. The cry of the believer arises: “Who shall deliver me from this body of death?” 12 There is but one answer. Jesus can and He will. I may pass into the grave or I may be alive at the time, but when He appears He will make rapture and resurrection to bear their fruit in the body fashioned like unto the body of His glory. Consequently, I am not keeping my eye on this earth with its transient issues. Satan desires to keep those issues to the front that I may forget my heavenly inheritance. My eyes are upon “Him Whom, not having seen we love.” We are in the position of “yet believing,” 13 confident that there is to be a moment when spirit, soul and body shall be in perfect harmony in His presence, and then we shall know in very truth the real joy of the Christian life. He reconciled us to God in the body of His flesh that He might bestow upon us the Holy Spirit, the indwelling centre of the body that is to be. If the believer has known any joy in Christ while in the body of the flesh, then he has by anticipation a measure of the transcendent joy yet to be. 14

Fifthly, It encourages a life well pleasing to God. We are living in a world in rebellion against God. “The carnal mind is enmity against God.” 15 It is nevertheless a world in which God is acting every moment to bring in His glorious purpose in His Son. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself. If it is clear to me now that my destiny is to be with Him at His appearing and to be like Him 16, then I understand at once what God’s purpose in me must be day to day. He desires me to covet most of all to be like Jesus. It is very apparent that many of God’s people do not know what is their duty in the midst of a distracted world. Their first duty, however, becomes clear in the light of His appearing. Every believer should make it the immediate concern of every moment of his life to know and to do the will of God. Let him seek the mind and will of God in His Word, let him seek the perpetual aid of the Spirit to work in him; for the greatest contribution of any man to his fellows’ good is a life of holiness. “As He is so are we in this world.” He lives in the will of God, for “the life that He liveth He liveth unto God.” 17 He lives in victory over Satan and sin, He lives in joyful communion with the Father. If this is His occupation while He tarries within the veil, surely that must be our occupation while we wait for Him. On earth He lived the balanced life, free from extremes, a life of quiet surrender in peace to the will of God, a life free from fret and strain, a life that became a channel of blessing in the power of the Spirit. Surely in the midst of world-wide chaos this should be our objective. It may not seem to be vitally related to the great things men are planning, but it fits in with all that God asks and requires.

Sixthly, it makes my task in the world obvious. Why are Christians left in the world? They are left here to prepare the way of the Lord. In view of His glorious appearing there is but one duty laid upon the church and that is to plead with men to be ready and to be reconciled to God in His Son. A person came to me recently and said he would not join our church because he thought that in a large church there was nothing to be done. There were already so many workers that no tasks were left. But that young man entirely misconceived the situation. True we do need many workers, and we thank God we have them. True we have more members than offices to be filled, but then office is not of the first importance. “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me,” said our Lord. Our aim is that our people shall be built up on the Word of God, filled with the joyful hope of His coming so that they will go out into the world to be His witnesses. Where young people see the truth of His coming, there they will see the supremacy of the task of evangelism. Out in the world day by day, strengthened by fellowship with the Lord’s people, they are making their witness to individuals who never come inside a church. They see the urgency of the task, they perceive its glorious privilege and are ready to pay the price of testimony. One is bowed down with gratitude to God as one is permitted to see that this truth of the coming of the Lord is bringing people together for earnest and believing prayer, prayer that is strengthening them for the task of a living witness. 18 They are becoming the true evangelists of peace. If there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, then many who have caught the vision of evangelism must be giving great joy to our Heavenly Father. I am permitted to see continually the fruit of these testimonies. Our membership is being built up by the mercy of God through the prayers and testimony of our people who are learning to lay hold of God for souls and are following up their prayers with personal witness. This I believe to be the supreme task of the church. We may well follow our Lord’s advice and let the dead bury their dead while those who have His life shall preach the gospel. When He appears our one regret will be that we were not more in earnest, more eager, more persistent. Then indeed the most abandoned of us will repent of his lukewarmedness and lethargy. I am profoundly convinced that if all professing Christians were to forsake every other form of activity save definite personal evangelism and the tasks related to it there would be a marvellous movement of grace throughout the wide world. It would mean revival in England within a very short time. I visualise ministers awaking their people to the truth of the Lord’s coming and urging them to holiness and soul winning. I see these people going out to touch their thousands in offices and homes, I see their urgency as they press the truth on the unsaved, I see the effect on backsliders, who would be reclaimed and would come back to our chapels and churches. I can see empty pews being filled, saddened ministers quickened and encouraged, souls crying out to God for mercy at the end of the sermon or perhaps in the middle of it, deacons and others kneeling in prayer with anxious souls and a new flood of life coursing through the hearts of men and women in the power of God’s salvation. I can see the baptistry being opened in our Baptist churches week by week, when we shall no longer be content to have a baptismal service once a month but we shall have them week by week as souls are being saved and desire to confess their Lord. 19 All this I find as a spring of inspiration from one’s conviction concerning the coming of the Lord. All this I discover is entirely consistent with apostolic activity, and yet I am told the Second Adventist is an idealist and is not practical. But if these are the works of such a faith, and they are, may we not very graciously ask those who differ from us to shew us the works of their faith?

It is in such reflections that one is truly conscious of a deep heart break. I was brought up in a Baptist church, trained for the Baptist ministry, and amongst those of the Baptist faith and order I find spiritual accord, yet everywhere I go I am conscious that in the majority of Baptist churches Second Adventism is taboo. Any man who believes it must never press it in denominational circles. If our Colleges refer to the subject of His glorious appearing it is to treat it as some treat their poor relatives or else to deny its truth altogether. For lack of this teaching in our churches in the power of the Spirit our congregations are being starved and our chapels are emptying. In the meantime, let it be remembered that it is not the godless only who are leaving our chapels and churches. There are also many saintly men and women who are coming out in little groups here and there for the love of truth. About these the great denominations do not trouble. Their concern is to lure in the ungodly by any and every means, and they would far rather get the patronage of the ungodly by dances and whist drives than retain the love of the saints by teaching and preaching the truth. This may seem to be hard hitting, but we are facing a desperate situation requiring that we shall be faithful to our highest convictions and the light God has given to us. The glory of our Lord is imperilled by those who profess His Name, who call Him Lord but do not the things that He says 20. There are multitudes in the world who may yet be saved by a faithful testimony, and for their sakes as well as for His we must give ourselves to the task of witness lest the hour known only to God shall strike and the greatest crisis in the history of the human race be upon us. When that day comes, as it surely will, may we be found amongst the watchful ones who have traded with the pound while their Lord is away, and who at His coming rejoice His heart and enter into His reign. Even so come Lord Jesus!

1

Hebrews 9:28

2

Galatians 4:4

3

Micah 5:2

4

Matthew 2:4

5

Matthew 26:64 and Isaiah 66:23

6

Genesis 18:17-33

7

Hebrews 1:2b, vv8-12

8

Hebrews 11:6, vv25-29, Proverbs 11:30, Micah 6:8

9

Hebrews 1:2

10

Matthew 7:13-14

11

Psalm 21

12

Romans 7:24

13

1 Peter 1:8

14

Hebrews 6:4-5

15

Romans 8:7

16

1 John 3:2

17

Romans 6:5-13 & vv22-23

18

Acts 1:8

19

Acts 8:26-39

20

Matthew 7:21-27