Matt. 24:36-42--"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (v. 36). Mark 13:32, cf.
Acts 1:7.
The Scriptures tell us enough regarding the time of Christ's coming
to satisfy our faith, but not our curiosity. These statements of
the Master should be sufficient to silence that fanaticism which
is so anxious to tell us the exact year, month, and even the day
when Christ will come. This day is hidden in the counsels of God.
Jesus Himself, by a voluntary unwillingness to know, while in His
state of humiliation, showed no curiosity to peer into the chronology
of this event. We should not nor ought we to want to know more
than Christ did on this point. Can it be that "that day" was not
yet fixed in the counsels of the Father, and that its date depended,
somewhat at least, upon the faithfulness of the Church in the
evangelization of the world? We know not certainly. The Revelation
which Jesus gave to John would seem to teach that "that day,"
which was at one time hidden from Christ, is now, in His state of
exaltation, known to Him.
2. YET, WE MUST NOT FOEGET THAT WHILE WE MAY NOT KNOW THE EXACT
DAY OR HOUR OF CHRIST'S COMING, WE MAY KNOW WHEN IT IS NEAR AT
HAND. (Matt. 24:36-42; 1 Thess. 5:1-5.)
There are certain "signs" which indicate its nearness:
General apostasy and departure from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim.
3:1-5; Luke 18:8).
A time of great heaping up of wealth (James 5:1-9).
A time of great missionary activity (Matt. 24:14). Consider the
missionary activity of the last century. Is it not marvellous? Is
it a "sign" of His coming?
The modern history of the Jews throws much light on the question of
the nearness of Christ's coming. The following facts are interesting
in this connection: The large number of Jews returning to Palestine;
the waning of the power of the Turkish government, which has held
Palestine with an iron hand and has excluded the Jew; the plans
already before the nations to give the Holy Land to the Jews
by consent of the powers; the early and latter rain in Palestine;
railroads, electric lights, etc., now in the land long desolate--the
fig-tree is budding, and the hour of the coming is at hand.
It should not be forgotten in this connection that many of the signs
mentioned refer primarily to the coming of Christ _with_ His
saints. But if that stage of the coming be near then surely the
first stage of it must be. Other signs have reference to the first
stage in the one great event of His coming, which is known as the
"rapture" or Christ's coming _for_ His saints.
3. IT SEEMS CLEAR FROM THE TEACHING OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT THERE
IS NOTHING TO PREVENT THE COMING OF CHRIST FOR HIS SAINTS AT ANY
MOMENT.
By this is meant that there is nothing, so far as we can sea from
the teaching of the Scriptures and the signs of the times, to hinder
the introduction of the Day of the Lord, or the Second Coming of
Christ looked upon as a great whole--a series of events, by Christ's
coming to take His own people unto Himself. In other words, there
is nothing to hinder the "rapture" or "parousia"--the "epiphany,"
"manifestation," or "revelation" is something for a later day.
Some objections are offered to this view, the which it will be well
to examine and answer even though briefly.
First, That the Gospel has not been preached into all the world
(Matt. 24:14), therefore the coming of Christ is not imminent.
Reply: We must understand the emphatic words of the text: By "end"
is meant the end of the age; but the rapture, or Christ's coming
_for_ His saints, of which we are here speaking as being imminent,
is not the end of the age. By "world" is meant the inhabited earth;
by "Gospel," good news; by "witness," not conversion but testimony.
Even if these events are to precede the "rapture," have they not
all been fulfilled? See Acts 2:5; 8:4; Rom. 10:18; Col. 1:6, 23,
for the answer, which is certainly in the affirmative. We must
give the same meaning to the word "world" in Romans and Colossians
that we do to Matt. 24:14. Further, is the Church the _only_
witness? See Rev. 14:6. If the rapture is not the end of the age,
and if an angel can proclaim the Gospel, why cannot part of the
work of witnessing be carried on after the rapture?
Second, Peter, James, and John were told that they should not taste
of death until they had seen the coming of Christ's kingdom (Matt.
16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27).
Reply: True, but was not this fulfilled when they saw Christ on the
Transfiguration Mount? Peter, who was there, in his second epistle
(1:16-18) distinctly says it was thus fulfilled.
Third, The disciples were told that they shall not have gone over
all the cities of Israel until the Son of Man be come (Matt. 10:23).
Reply: Mark 6:30, Luke 9:10 shows that they did not finish all the
cities, nor is there evidence anywhere that they ever did, for Israel
rejected the message of the kingdom. May it not be that under the
restoration of the Jews and the preaching of the "two witnesses"
(Rev. 11) this shall be accomplished?
Fourth, Christ said "This generation shall not pass, till all these
things be fulfilled." See Matt. 24:34; Luke 21:32; Mark 13:30.
Reply: What is meant by a "generation"? Some would say "forty years,"
consequently the Master referred to the destruction of Jerusalem,
which event was the second coming of Christ. But this is not
necessarily the case. The word "generation" may refer to the Jewish
_race;_ cf. the use of the same Greek word in Matt. 11:16;
16:4; Mark 8:38; Luke 7:31; 16:8; 17:25; Phil. 2:15; Psa. 22:30;
24:6. And in this connection consider carefully the wonderful
preservation of the Jewish race. Other nations have passed away,
having lost their identity; the Jew remains--that generation (race)
has not yet passed away, nor will it "till all these things be
fulfilled." [FOOTNOTE: _Jesus is Coming,_ by W.E.B., is heartily
recommended as an exceedingly helpful book on this subject. The
author is indebted thereto.]