CHRIST'S
SECOND COMING
By R. Lester
Dodson
From the
book The Resurrection of the Dead –
June 1943
We
are definitely convinced that a misconception of the Second Coming of Christ
has influenced many people to think incorrectly of "the resurrection of
the dead." They have tied up the idea of Jesus coming the second time into
the world in a bodily form with a General Resurrection Day, General Judgment
Day, etc., with the end of time. Our only explanation for writing on this subject
here is because of its bearing on the subject under discussion.
From
what we have been able to discover there are those in almost every religious
creed on earth who, from time to time, emphasize that the time is fast
approaching when Jesus shall literally come down through the clouds in the
natural form of a man, and some even go so far as to claim that he will set up
an earthly kingdom and reign as king here over his people. John Bunyan, some
three hundred or more years ago gave it as his opinion that Jesus was liable to
come any day. Other individuals and groups have in our own day and time gone so
far as to fix the year and month, and as evidence of their good faith in such a
belief they have either sold or given away most of their property. They have met
with sad disappointment, simply because they did not rightly understand what
the Scriptures teach. The Scriptures have themselves declared that no man
knoweth when the coming of the Son of man shall be, but this does not prevent
men from speculating and prophesying about it.
As one of the
most frequently quoted texts to support the idea of Jesus coming on earth again
in a bodily form is that found in Hebrews 9:28, we shall use this as a
foundation for our comment at this time. We think, the very fact that Paul
chose the Jews to write this epistle to is highly significant. Perhaps it will not be amiss in us to review some of the
things referred to in this epistle. Having worshipped under the law of Moses
for centuries, with all of its sacrifices and offerings, it was not an easy
matter for them to quickly turn to something else. Paul, therefore, in the very
outset told them the same God who at sundry times and divers manners had spoken
unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken by his Son. In
the third chapter he shows Christ as more worthy than Moses, and says:
"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the
Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to
him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this
man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath
builded the house hath more honor than the house." Heb. 3:1-3. In the
fifth chapter he discusses the priesthood and shows the difference between that
which is of men and that which is of God. While we would like to quote
considerable of the actual Scripture itself, we must give some consideration to
our space. However, we will quote here from the eleventh to the seventeenth
verses, inclusive, of the seventh chapter, as follows: "If therefore
perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received
the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise after the
order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the
priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no
man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of
Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet
far more evident; for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth
another priest, who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but
after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for
ever after the order of Melchisedec." In the eighth chapter he shows that
by the establishment of the eternal priesthood of Christ the Levitical
priesthood of Aaron is abolished, and then goes on to speak of the two
covenants. The Jews were well familiar with the first, which covenant they were
unable to keep, but Paul told them that in this New Covenant which God had made
with Israel, he would put his laws into their minds, and write them in their
hearts; and that he would be unto them a God, "and they shall be to me a
people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the
greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and
their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, a new covenant, he
hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to
vanish away." Hebrews 8:10-13.
The climax is
reached in the ninth chapter, wherein is shown that the rites and sacrifices
made under the law were far inferior to the perfection of the blood and
sacrifice of Christ. Here, again, we would like to quote extensively, but lack
of space forbids. We hope our reader will turn to it and make a careful study
of it, that he may see for himself what God's word says. We feel compelled to
quote portions of what is found in this chapter. In the thirteenth and
fourteenth verses we read: "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and
the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of
the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?" Coming over now to the twenty-second verse
and through the twenty-sixth, we read: "And almost all things are by the
law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was
therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be
purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us; Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high
priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then
must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself." All along he had been dwelling upon Moses versus Christ, the Old
Covenant versus the New Covenant, and in the next chapter he speaks of the law
having a shadow of good things to come versus "a new and living
way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say his
flesh," by the shedding of whose blood their sins and iniquities were
remitted and put away forever or remembered no more. How wonderfully descriptive these things are of the fulfillment of
the work which Jesus came to do, by and through his sufferings, death and
resurrection. This was accomplished by his coming (the first time) under the
law and meeting all of its requirements, paying the debt in full and setting
the sinner free. It was in the end of that legal world or dispensation that
Jesus came and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He was not talking
about the end of this literal world, but the end of that world which the Jews
had been living in for so many years. This is shown clearly by the language
which he used. He says "he hath appeared," which is in the past
tense. If it had had reference to the end of this natural world in which we are
living today he would have to use a future tense. Let us not add to or take
from the sacred words of truth.
Paul then goes
on to say, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this
the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation." When Jesus first appeared it was in the form of a man,
in the likeness of sinful flesh, made under the law to redeem them that were
under the law, and he had now suffered and died, and being dead his testament
had been put into effect and, therefore, the judgment, or the time to make
distribution of the benefits to his rightful heirs. What have "the
many" for whom Jesus died a right to expect from his finished work of
redemption? Surely, they must expect something better than the likeness of poor
sinful man again. Yea, those who by faith look for him to appear the second
time, expect him to appear in power and great glory, and it
is without sin unto salvation when he thus appears. Wherefore says Paul, in
writing to his Corinthian brethren, henceforth we are to know no man after the
flesh. "Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now
henceforth know we him no more." II Cor. 5:16. If this was the only
scripture in the Bible to oppose the idea of Jesus coming a second time in the
flesh, it should be sufficient to dissuade us against it, but there are many
others. Even Isaiah, prophesying of what would take place in the Gospel Day,
hundreds of years before Christ came in the flesh, by faith saw him coming up
from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, and he was glorious in his
apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. How can it be possible
to preach the gospel of the blessed Son of God,
without holding Jesus up to believers as the mighty God, the everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace? His might and power and glory need to be extolled
to poor, weak and helpless sinners.
Yes, we are well
aware of what was said to those who witnessed his ascension up into the clouds
by the two men who stood by, clothed in white: "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 ye have seen him go into
heaven." We would like to emphasize here the necessity of some definite
outward manifestation of his ascension. He had said to Mary, his earthly
mother, who after his death had taken him to be the gardener until he spoke to
her, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my
brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to
my God, and your God." John 20:17. As it was necessary that there should
be some unmistakable evidence of his resurrection from the dead, so must there
of necessity be absolute proof of his ascension into heaven, otherwise even his
own disciples might have been left to believe that the Roman soldiers had taken
him away. His followers must not be left in doubt, and in order that there
should be eye witnesses to the fact that he actually ascended, "While they
beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." We
wish to speak here particularly of the manner in which he ascended,
since it is said he would "come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven." Before the death and resurrection of Jesus, he was asked by his
disciples to teach them how to pray, and he said, "After this manner
therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and
the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." Mat. 6:9-13. Let it be noted
that this was said under the Jewish economy or legal dispensation, when they
were looking for his kingdom to come, but even then we do not find an exact
literal repetition of these identical words. Luke quotes a variation. Many
religious denominations have incorporated the exact language in what they call
' "The Lord's Prayer" in their religious services, and if that is the
proper manner in which God's people should pray unto
him Old School Baptists have been wrong lo these many years. Since the death
and resurrection of our Lord, and the establishment of his kingdom in earth
with him as King of kings and Lord of lords, we do not pray, "Thy kingdom
come," but we do pray, "Thy will be done in earth as it is in
heaven*** For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen." We are persuaded that every true prayer is after this manner,
"Thy will be done," in the Spirit. The life is not in the letter, for
the letter killeth, but the Spirit maketh alive.
The manner in
which Jesus went up was in the cloud, for a cloud received him out of their
sight," and it was declared that he shall "come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven." It was not said that he would "come in
like body" but in like manner-in a cloud. He is seen by faith, and so far
as we are aware none but his disciples have ever seen him since he arose from
the dead. Jesus himself said that "immediately after the tribulation"
of the destruction of Legal Jerusalem, as recorded in the twenty-fourth chapter
of Matthew, would "appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and 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." Mat. 24:30. He
himself also said, "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled." Mat. 24:34. Mark confirms this
testimony (13:24-27). Luke says the same (21:27). These things were actually
fulfilled before that generation passed, as Jesus said they would be. When the
Gospel Day was fully ushered in, about the year A.D. 70, John witnessed their
fulfillment and testified to it. Having lived to see them his authority cannot
be questioned. Here is what he says: "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." Rev. 1:7. In the
twelfth chapter of Revelation, John presents a type of the Gospel Church in the
figure of a woman. He says, "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a
woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a
crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and
pained to be delivered." He then goes on to speak of the great victory won
by Michael (Jesus) in his battle with the great red dragon, "that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan," and
declares that he "heard a loud voice saying in heaven, NOW IS COME
SALVATION, AND STRENGTH, AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD, AND THE POWER OF HIS
CHRIST: FOR THE ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN IS CAST DOWN, WHICH ACCUSED THEM BEFORE
OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT." There is no question whatever in our mind but
that John was beholding King Jesus, by faith, as being the same one that was
dead, but then being alive forevermore, having the keys of hell and of death,
with all power, both in heaven and in earth, in his hands. And in our humble
opinion wherever the Gospel Church is assembled in a heavenly place in Christ,
and the Spirit is poured out upon her, she hears the substance of what John
proclaimed. At the risk of repeating some things already said, in this Gospel
Day God is performing his work of regenerating and quickening his people who
are dead in trespasses and in sins; Jesus is appearing the second time without
sin unto salvation to them; the quick and the dead are being judged; the sheep
are being separated from the goats and he is assigning to each their portion:
those on his right hand enter into life everlasting, and those on his left hand
enter into eternal judgment.
While here in
the flesh, Jesus often turned to natural things for illustrations of his
points, and we will do likewise. At Christmas time, for the benefit of young
children, a great mythological narrative is woven about a physical man, dressed
in red coat, white whiskers, etc., with a sled drawn by reindeer prancing on
the roof of the house, is told them. For awhile they are enraptured with
intense glee and joy, but by and by as they develop and become more mature they
have an awakening. Some are ready to say they discover that it was all a myth
and they learn that there was nothing to it. But what are the real facts? When
they grow up into manhood and womanhood they realize that the physical creature
which their little eyes looked upon was but the embodiment of a spirit, the wonder
of which fills the earth to a far greater extent than their little minds ever
dreamed of or were capable of comprehending. Paul said, "When I was a
child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but
when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Cor. 13: 11. There is
such a thing as a growth in grace and in the knowledge of the things of God,
but it would appear that there are still those who believe and cling to what they believed
while in their unregenerate state. We wish that it might be the will of our God
to awaken them, that they might be enabled to behold the glory of God as it
appears in the face or person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as a once
crucified but now risen Savior, with power over all worlds, principalities and
powers, be they visible or invisible.
Please direct your comments to Mike
Krall.