The Washington herald., 1918-02-02
Coming Of Christ Will
Loosen Devil to Look
Upon a Sinless World
EVENING SERMON
/" The Second Coming .

get at than corn on the cob, IL we
will first strip on the husk and shell
It. We need to depend more upon the
Holy Spirit and less upon our libra
ries II we would preach SO that those
who hear US will also hear the voice
Of God In our message. 1t Is not
what Doctor This or Professor That
has to say about 1t that settles the
question, and settles 1t right, but how
reads the word? What does the Bible
say about II? And what We need to
do is to take the Bible as It reads.
not as some big man says II means.
Big men have been mistaken about
vital things just as often as little
ones. The safest pilot Is not the one
who wears the biggest hat. but the
one who knows the channel best. We
should let the Bible speak to us Just
as God means It should, without dis
torting 1t by the prejudices and va
garies Of those who are always try
ing to put their own camel into 1t to
strain out somebody else's gnat.
1t Is high time for Christians to in
terpret unfulhlled prophecies by the
light of prophecies already fulfilled.
The curses on the Jews were brought
to pass literally; so also will be the
blessing. The scattering was literal;
so also will be the gathering. The
pulling down OF Zion was literal; so
also must be the building up. The
rejection of Israel was literal; and so
also must be the restoration. The
first coming Of Christ was literal.
visible and personal. and what right
has anybody to conclude that his sec
ond coming will be altogether spir-
itual? II his advent was with real
body, why not the same with his Sec
ond coming?
When Jesus first came, the smallest
predictions were fulfilled to the very
letter; and should not this teach
US to expect that the same will be
true when He comes again?
Jesus Is going to come and reveal
himself to the members of his body
at the very moment when the last
soul Is saved necessary to complete
that body-for the body of Christ
must consist Of a certain number Of
souls, or it never could be completed.
II 1t were an infinite number it would
be an endless task. and Jesus would
never return, for he can no more
come without his heavenly body than
he could come the first time without
a human body. 1t Is the completion
OF the body OF Christ, therefore, that
will bring him, and this shows how
we may help and hasten his coming.
Looking for and hasting unto the
coming of the day of God wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dis
solved and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat" Oh Peter BED
Co.'s Purpose.
Every time we do personal work or
try to get anybody saved, We may be
doing something that will bring the
coming Of our Lord. Instead of being
discouraged by looking about us and
seeing what a small prospect there is
of the whole world being converted.
it will set our bones on fire to think
that perhaps the last man needed to
complete the Lords body and bring
Jesus back to earth may be converted
this very day. That gives us some
thing definite and tangible to work
for and hope for. don't you see?
The Bible very clearly makes
known the great truth that Gods
purpose for this dispensation is the
completed body of Christ. He is not
trying to save the world now; that is
to be the work of the next dispensa-
ton.
That is the present dispensation,
and that is what God is doing now.
There is nothing said here about the
conversion of the world. but 1t is
made clear that q people is being
chosen, and much Scripture might be
quoted to show that the people so
referred to. will constitute the body
of Christ. Throughout this dispensa-
ton the Lord has been working
among the Gentiles (those not belong
ing to the Jewish nation), and the
above shows the purpose for which
he has been working. There Is no
thought expressed there of the mil
lennium.
The mission of the church-the bride
of Christ, or body of Christ-is to get
ready to meet the Bridegroom. When
the body of Christ is completed He
will reveal Himself to the members
who are alive and in this world at
that time, and at the same moment
they will be caught up to meet those
who have gone on before in the air,
and from that moment they are for
ever with the Lord.
The body of Christ will be composed
Of believers from every race and ma
ton on earth. That is why the Gospel
must first be preached as a witness to
every nation. Not from every dis
pensation. 1t had its beginning on the
day of Pentecost and will be completed
at the time of the meeting in the air,
which is called the Rapture. For he
is now preparing. perfecting and COM
pleting the church-the body of Christ,
the bride who Is to meet the Lord in
the air, and be with Him forevermore.
These different members will be
found, one here and another there.
and gathered together from all parts
of the world, and the moment the
last one is saved Christ will be re-
yealed-not- to the world. but to his
church-his bride-just as the electric
light blazes out, when the last condi-
ton Is fulfilled. At that time Christ
will not be revealed to the whole
world. but only to the individual MEM
bers OF his body who may be alive
and here at that time.
Jews Energetic.
There remains no prophecy to be full
filled. There is not a nation where
the Gospel has not been preached. So
Christ must be waiting for the COM
pletion Of the body Of believers. When
the Rapture comes It will come in
the twinkling Of an eye. Those who
have died in the Lord will be resur-
rected. and they. with the believers
who are alive. will be caught mp to
meet the Lord in the air.
After 1t has occurred there will be
an army Of church members and
preachers who will not know that it
has come, because they are not mem-
bers Of the Lords body; for the Lord
will not at that time be seen by any
except those who have been caught m