The Clio messenger., 1916-09-22

Is&A Is&SI trine of Christian
" ## gyyHxzWE8 ity dwelt upon to
I&&| Es AE#I such an extent as
----- this, unless Ii be
the fundamental one of our rcdeInp-
ton through the cross.
What Does It Mean?
The second coming Of Christ means
Il personal, in the sense Of visitor
rcappearing of one Lord on this earth.
Such seems to be the teaching of his
own words when, in the presence of
the high priest he said: thereafter
shall yc see the son of man sitting on
the right hand of power and coming
in the clouds OF heaven" This is re-
corded in the 10Th of Matthew Mt the
Gath verse. The angels taught the
same truth to the disciples on the
Mount of Olives when they said "Ne
men of Galilee why stand ye here ,,aZ-
Ing up into heaven? This same Jesus
which is taken up from you into heaven
shall so come in like manner as yc
have seen him go into heaven" This
is recorded in Acts Ill. And finally
in the last book Of the Bible, we find
John cXclaiming, Behold, he cOmcth
with clouds; and every eye shall see
him. and they also which pierced him:
And all kindreds OF the earth shall
wall because of him. Ever SO, amen."
When Will IL Take Place?
This doctrine has been brought into
disrepute because many have assumed
to fix dates for the coming OF our
Lord, Notwithstanding that the Bible
warns against 1t. Jesus himself said
10 his disciples: watch, therefore,
for ye know not what hour your Lord
doth come" There are some who
think that n millennium of peace and
prosperity will be experienced on the
earth before the Lord comes.
There is also one other fact that
seems to preclude the expectation of II
millennium before Jesus comes that
is, what the New Testament teaches
rs TO the moral and spiritual condi-
tiOns In the world at the end of this
age. We are all familiar with the
teaching of Paul in his second epistle
To Timothy ut the third chapter, where
he says that "in the last days peril
ous times shall come" He then goes
on to define what he means by that,
adding that "men shall be lovers Of
self, lovers OF money, boastful,
naughty. railers. disobedient to parents.
unthankful unholy, without natural af
fection. truce-breakers, slandercrS.
without sclf-control, fierce, no lovers
of good. traitors. high-strung, high
minded. lovers Of pleasure rather than
lovers of God; having form Of godli-
ness but denying the power thereof"
All this does not look like millen-
mum. and vet how much it looks like
the times in which we are now living
Can II be therefore that the coming
Of the Lord may be nearer than most
Of us expect?
flesults Of His Coming.
In the light of the second coming
there are three classes of men TO be
considered, which are defined In First
Corinthians at the 10th chapter-as
the Jew, the Gentle. and the church
Of God. TO begin with the last-named,
the coming of Christ will mean the
translation of the church to meet him
In the air. according to First Thes-
salonians 4:13-1S. 1t would seem to
be after this translation that Christ
comes with his saints and his holy
angels to the earth. as Indicated in
the Scriptures previously referred to.
This coming Is for judgment on the
Gentle nations which "know not God
and obey not the gospel Of our Lord
Jesus Christ"
Bringing the Truth Home.
This hope Of the second coming Of
Christ is the great motive for holy
living. Where II really takes hold OF
the hearts Of Christian believers 1t
restraints thcm from known sin as
nothing else Il .ps
II Is also the croat comfort I'm dis
appointment and trial. for our Lord
said that when he came again In the
glory of his father he would bring his
reward with him. Hence what stim-
rlrs ~ holy cndcavor in tin. face Of
difficulties and discouragements, for
No word he hath So )ken
Was ever yet broken.
Finally. how the thought of his COM
ing should move mon to repentance
and faith I'm his name! q, those
solemn words which Paul spale 10 me
Al nj