Chapter 73.Manner of Christ's Coming
1. IS Christ coming again?
"I will come again." John 14:3.
2. How does Paul speak of this coming?
"Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin
unto salvation." Heb. 9:28.
3. Did the early disciples think that death would he the second coming of Christ?
"Peter seeing him. [John] says to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus
says unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow
thou Me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not
die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till
I come, what is that to thee?" John 21:21-23.
NOTES.-From this it is evident that the early disciples regarded death and the coming
of Christ as two separate events.
" 'Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man
cometh.' Some people say that means death; but the Word of God does not say it means
death. Death is our enemy, but our Lord hath the keys of death; He has conquered death,
hell, and the grave. . . . Christ is the Prince of life; there is no death where He is;
death flees at His coming; dead bodies sprang to life when He touched them or spoke to
them. His coming is not death. He is the resurrection and the life. When- He sets up His
kingdom, there is to be no death, but life for evermore."-"The Second Coming
of Christ," by D. L. Moody, pages 10, 11.
4. At His ascension, how did the angels say Christ would come again?
"And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a
cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven
as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of
Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven."
Acts 1:9-11.
5. How did Christ Himself say He would come?
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His
angels." Matt. 16:27. "Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory." Matt. 24:30. "For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words,
of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His
Father's, and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26.
6. How many will see Him when He comes?
"Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also
which pierced Him." Rev. 1:7.
NOTE.-Christ's second coming will be as real as was His first, and as visible as His
ascension, and far more glorious. To spiritualize our Lord's return is to pervert the
obvious meaning of His promise, "I will come again," and nullify the whole plan
of redemption; for the reward of the faithful of all ages is to be given at this most
glorious of all events.
7. What wonderful demonstration will accompany the Lord's coming?
"The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." 1
Thess. 4:16.
8. What warning has Christ given concerning false views of the manner of His coming?
"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it
not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great
signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the
desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it
not." Matt. 24:23-26.
9. How visible is His coming to be?
"For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Verse 27.