REFERENCES. For convenience we give the following references to some of the principal passages which refer to our Lord's return, in the consecutive order in which they occur in the Word, together with catch words to distinguish the same: -Mt. Sinai, Mt. Seir, Transfiguration and Second Coming. -The Son's possession, etc. -Judge and govern the nations. -The Lord cometh to judge. -Build up Zion and appear in glory. -He comes as the latter and former rain. -He stands upon the Mount of Olives. -Shall come in glory of His Father. -The three questions answered. -Judgment of Servants. -The Bridegroom. -Judgment of Nations. -Coming in the clouds of heaven. -The three questions answered. -Coming in the clouds of heaven. -Loins girded-lights burning. -Noah, Lot, etc. -Little faith on earth. -Gone to receive kingdom and return. The ten talents. -The three questions answered. Jno. 1:51. 66 14:3. 66 14:18. 66 14:28. 66 21:22. Acts 1:10-11. 66 3:19-21. 1 Cor. 1:4-8. 66 4:5. 11:26. 15:23. 66 16:22. 2 Cor. 1:14. Phil. 1:6-10. 66 2:16. 66 3:11. 66 3:20-21. 66 4:5. -Heaven open, angels descending. -The promise. Come and receive you. -Go away and come again. -If he tarry till I come. -The same Jesus come again. -Waiting for the coming. -Order of Res.-Christ's at His coming. -Rejoicing in the day of Lord. -Till the day of Christ. -Rejoicing in the day of Christ. -Appearing with Him. -Wait for His Son from heaven. -Times and seasons-night and day. -Blameless unto the coming. -Revealed in flaming fire. -That wicked destroyed with the brightness of His coming. 1 Tim. 6:13-15. Keep the commandment until the ap -Judge, at appearing and kingdom. -Crown for all that love His appearing. -The blessed hope and glorious appearing. -The three appearings. -Faith, hope, love. -Day approaching. —Patience, a little while. -Be patient unto the coming-early and latter rain. -Hope to the end. -When His glory shall be revealed. -When He shall appear we may have -Now sons-shall be like Him-hath this hope-purifieth himself. -Coming in the flesh. -The Lord cometh with, saints to exe- -Behold He cometh with clouds. -If not watch, come on thee as a thief. -The earth reaped. -Behold, I come as a thief-Blessed is he that WATCHETH. -Even so come Lord Jesus. CHAPTER XIX. Anathema or Comfort. There are several passages which convey a very solemn import in connection with this subject, especially two, which we mention, as follows: One occurs in the salutation of Paul, 1 Cor. 16:22. Before he pronounces the BLESSING, he excludes those who do not love Jesus, in the following words: "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-Atha!" Anathema means accursed, condemned, devoted to destruction. Maran-atha means, the Lord cometh. Let him be accursed-the Lord cometh. It is easy now, while the long suffering of God waits1 for men to reject, despise and hate the Lord Jesus. But JESUS IS COMING, and woe be unto them who now reject Him, "when once the Master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door."2 Paul understood this, and therefore he says, "I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:22), "from the (1) 1 Pet. 3:19. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20. Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 2 Pet. 3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2) Luke 13:25. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are. Mark 13:35. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36. Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. wrath to come." 1 Thes. 1:10. O! that men would "seek the Lord while He may be found," and "flee from the wrath to come."4 The other passage is in 2 John 7: "For many deceivers have entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come (coming) in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an Antichrist." The correct rendering of pxóμevov ἐρχόμενον (erkomenon) is COMING. Jesus was especially called the "Coming One." But these deceivers denied the incarnation-the coming of Christ in the flesh-either past or future. See Alford, also Jamieson, Fausset and Brown. This, then, is of special significance. He that denies Jesus Christ's Coming in the Flesh is a deceiver and an Antichrist. That is, he is possessed of the same spirit, which will ultimately find its personification in the GREAT PERSONAL ANTICHRIST. It is lamentable that this passage has been so improperly translated in our version. It is such a strong assertion that Jesus is coming in the flesh, that it would doubtless have prevented much of the unwarrantable "spiritualizing" of Scripture, which has prevailed so largely. (3) Isa. 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Also 2 Cor. 6:2. (4) Mat. 3:7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (5) Mat. 11:3. And said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? Heb. 10:37. For yet a very little while, he that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry. Rev. 1:7. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Rev. 4:8. And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. John 6:14. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world. |