Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven
What promise is made to those who look for the appearing of Christ?
"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." Heb. 9:28.
How many will receive a reward when He comes?
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works." Matt. 16:27.
NOTE: It is a time of general reward.
Did the disciples think that death would be the second coming of Christ?
"Peter seeing him [John] saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith 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.
NOTE: That is, from this saying they gathered the idea that because it was intimated to be possible for John to tarry till Christ comes, he would never die. Therefore it is certain that they regarded death and the coming of Christ as separate events.
If death is not the coming of Christ, how will He come?
"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 ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11 (Rev. 14:14).
How many will behold Him when He comes?
"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him." Rev. 1:7.
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." 1 Thess. 4:16.
NOTE: The Lord Himself, not some other, shall descend.
What will then take place?
"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." 1 Cor. 15:51, 52. (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
Have not the martyrs of old gone to their reward?
"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Heb. 11:39, 40.
When were the disciples to be recompensed?
"For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:14.
How is this to be brought about?
"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself." John 14:3.
What was Enoch's belief about this event?
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all." Jude 14-15.
What was Job's hope when in the depths of affliction?
"For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another." Job 19:25-27.
How did David express himself on this point?
"For He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth." Ps. 96:13.
Did Daniel teach this same sentiment?
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; . . . and at that time thy people shall be delivered everyone that shall be found written in the book." Dan. 12:1.
In what splendor will the Saviour come?
"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.
When Christ, at the transfiguration, represented His future glory, how did He appear?
"And was transfigured before them; and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light." Matt 17:2.
What is the appearance of an angel?
"His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude." Dan. 10:6.
What is the appearance of the glory of God Himself?
"And from the appearance of His loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." Eze. 1:27, 28.
NOTE: If Christ comes shining in the accumulated glory of Himself and His Father, and surrounded with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of ineffably bright angels, He will indeed be "wrapped in a blaze of boundless glory."
For what was Paul waiting when in his Roman dungeon?
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." 2 Tim. 4:8.
How will the Saviour be seen of those who are finally permitted to behold Him?
"But we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:2.
What description does the beloved John give of His appearance?
"His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters . . . And His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." Rev. 1:14-16.
When He shall have gathered together His elect (Matt. 24:31), if we are among them, what shall we hear from the Saviour?
"Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. 25:34.
"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." Heb. 9:28.
How many will receive a reward when He comes?
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works." Matt. 16:27.
NOTE: It is a time of general reward.
Did the disciples think that death would be the second coming of Christ?
"Peter seeing him [John] saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith 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.
NOTE: That is, from this saying they gathered the idea that because it was intimated to be possible for John to tarry till Christ comes, he would never die. Therefore it is certain that they regarded death and the coming of Christ as separate events.
If death is not the coming of Christ, how will He come?
"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 ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11 (Rev. 14:14).
How many will behold Him when He comes?
"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him." Rev. 1:7.
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." 1 Thess. 4:16.
NOTE: The Lord Himself, not some other, shall descend.
What will then take place?
"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." 1 Cor. 15:51, 52. (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
Have not the martyrs of old gone to their reward?
"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Heb. 11:39, 40.
When were the disciples to be recompensed?
"For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:14.
How is this to be brought about?
"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself." John 14:3.
What was Enoch's belief about this event?
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all." Jude 14-15.
What was Job's hope when in the depths of affliction?
"For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another." Job 19:25-27.
How did David express himself on this point?
"For He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth." Ps. 96:13.
Did Daniel teach this same sentiment?
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; . . . and at that time thy people shall be delivered everyone that shall be found written in the book." Dan. 12:1.
In what splendor will the Saviour come?
"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.
When Christ, at the transfiguration, represented His future glory, how did He appear?
"And was transfigured before them; and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light." Matt 17:2.
What is the appearance of an angel?
"His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude." Dan. 10:6.
What is the appearance of the glory of God Himself?
"And from the appearance of His loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." Eze. 1:27, 28.
NOTE: If Christ comes shining in the accumulated glory of Himself and His Father, and surrounded with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of ineffably bright angels, He will indeed be "wrapped in a blaze of boundless glory."
For what was Paul waiting when in his Roman dungeon?
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." 2 Tim. 4:8.
How will the Saviour be seen of those who are finally permitted to behold Him?
"But we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:2.
What description does the beloved John give of His appearance?
"His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters . . . And His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." Rev. 1:14-16.
When He shall have gathered together His elect (Matt. 24:31), if we are among them, what shall we hear from the Saviour?
"Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. 25:34.
posted by Michael A. Redwine at Friday, August 19, 2005
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