Finally, I cannot finish on a happier note than bringing before the reader the truth of the Lord's second coming for His own. Many, even Christians, deride this hope as being impracticable and visionary. The Old Testament prophets foretold the coming kingdom glory, but there is a peculiar hope plainly held out to the Christian of this dispensation, that of the Lord's coming for His saints before He comes with them to reign over the earth. This is "that blessed hope" (Titus 2:1313Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)), and a blessed hope it truly is.
I well remember a charming sight I saw some years ago. I had been feeling seasick on a Shetland steamer, and rose up at 5-30 in the morning, thinking fresh air on deck would help me. I was rewarded with a beautiful sight. The early morning was calm. The sky had that peculiarly velvety appearance. There was enough light to pale all the stars out of sight save one. This one star shone in its solitary splendor. It was the bright morning star. Just appearing on the horizon was the rising sun with its golden beams shooting up into the sky.
I looked at the bright morning star, and thought of "The bright and Morning Star" our Lord Jesus Christ, coming at any moment to call His people to His Father's house. I looked at the rising sun, just emerging over the horizon, and thought of " The Sun of righteousness arising with healing in His wings," our Lord Jesus Christ, the Hope of Israel, the Hope of the world. What a blessed time for this earth when all her sores shall be healed, when peace and righteousness will hold sway.
But just as the morning star appears in the night, and the sun brings in the day, so Christ will come for His heavenly saints, before He comes as the Hope of His earthly people Israel, bringing in blessing for the whole earth.
1 Cor. 15:51-5751Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑57) makes it plain that this hope of the Christian was not hinted at in Old Testament times, but is specially revealed in the New Testament. We read, " Behold I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.,, This is a very comforting passage! The question, however, is often asked. Will all believers be caught up when the Lord comes? Some teachers of note believe that only certain deserving saints will be caught up, and undeserving ones left behind. But this passage makes it very plain. " We shall ALL be changed."
"Yes," says someone, "but may that not be true that in the end all shall be changed, though some may be raised at first and others later on?" No, the passage is clear not only that all shall be changed, but all at the same moment. We are told it is to take place in a moment, and that moment is defined as the twinkling of an eye. There can be no doubt as to this passage.
1 Thess. 4:13-18 is a very precious passage enlarging on 1 Cor. 15, which particularly is taken up with the resurrection side of the question. In 1 Thess. 4, however, we get outlined the procedure that will take place. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." The Lord Himself shall come and shout the quickening word. The first to feel the power of it will be the sleeping saints, all those that are Christ's at His coming. That surely will include the Old Testament saints, and all the Lord's during the Christian era, indeed all who are under the shelter of His precious blood.
What of the saints alive on the earth when the Lord's shout is heard? We read, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them [the raised saints] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:1717Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)). " Wherefore comfort one another with these words." Was ever such comfort like this?
The practical effect of "that blessed hope" is that " every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:33And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)).
A good many Christians have a card with three words upon it hanging on their walls, "Perhaps to-day." What a happy reminder!
"He's coming perhaps to-day
He's coming in bright array;
When the dead hear His voice
Living saints will rejoice,
For He's coming perhaps to-day."
But let it be clearly understood that this refers to the first resurrection, when only those that are Christ's at His coming will be raised or changed. This takes place before the millennium. After the millennium the second resurrection will take place, when none but the wicked dead, " the small and great," will be summoned to stand before the great white throne to be judged for their sins and rejection of Christ.
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My task is done. I have not attempted anything but a slight sketch of thoughts that helped me when a young man to a clear and absolute belief in the Scriptures as the Word of the living God. It brought life and salvation to my soul, it taught me what true life is, it gave me a hope beyond the grave, even a hope of not dying at all, but of being alive and on the earth when our Lord gives the summoning shout. I have not attempted anything systematic, but will be ably rewarded if this book helps my young brethren in any little measure.
With my mind reviewing all that I have been led to bring before my readers, I should like to close with a remarkable testimony to the Word of God in its living power and force. May you experience this power in your life.
"No greater moral change ever passed over a nation than passed over England during the years which parted the middle of the reign of Elizabeth from the meeting of the Long Parliament. England became the people of a Book, and that Book was the Bible. It was as yet the one English Book which was familiar to every English-man; it was read at churches and read at home, and everywhere its words as they fell on ears which custom had not deadened, kindled a startling enthusiasm... The whole temper of the nation felt the change. A new conception of life and of men superseded the old. A new moral and religious impulse spread through every class." (J. R. Green in Λ Short History of the English People).
Would that a mighty revival of the Book of books might take place, a revival of its truths, of the Gospel of the grace of God, of earnest Christian living, of love and loyalty to our blessed absent Lord. Surely the coming of the Lord is very, very near.
If any reader wishes for more details of these deeply important things we have been looking into as the happenings of the last days, he will find them taken up more fully in two volumes written by the author of this volume, " Things which must shortly come to pass" (3rd Edition), and "The Amazing Jew" (7th Edition).
Why I Believe the Bible By A. J. Pollock "As I grew up to manhood many a time I was tempted to give up the profession of Christianity, but something held me back. Infidel doubts assailed me. Any attack on the Bible distressed me and shook my confidence. Such questions as, Why Does God allow evil? Why does He allow the Devil to work such mischief in the world? Why was I born in sin and shapen in iniquity? crowded into my mind and shook my foundations.
"But all this only in the end led me to take a stronger hold on Christ as my Savior...."
In this easy-to־read record written especially for the young, Pollock sketches some thoughts which helped him as a young man to a "clear and absolute belief in the Scriptures as the Word of the Living God."
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