American Reformer
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Christ declares that there will exist similar unbelief concerning
His second coming. As the people of Noah’s day “knew not until the
Flood came, and took them all away; so,” in the words of our Saviour,
“shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Matthew 24:39
. When
the professed people of God are uniting with the world, living as they
live, and joining with them in forbidden pleasures; when the luxury of
the world becomes the luxury of the church; when the marriage bells
are chiming, and all are looking forward to many years of worldly
prosperity—then, suddenly as the lightning flashes from the heavens,
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will come the end of their bright visions and delusive hopes.
As God sent His servant to warn the world of the coming Flood,
so He sent chosen messengers to make known the nearness of the
final judgment. And as Noah’s contemporaries laughed to scorn the
predictions of the preacher of righteousness, so in Miller’s day many,
even of the professed people of God, scoffed at the words of warning.
And why were the doctrine and preaching of Christ’s second com-
ing so unwelcome to the churches? While to the wicked the advent
of the Lord brings woe and desolation, to the righteous it is fraught
with joy and hope. This great truth had been the consolation of God’s
faithful ones through all the ages; why had it become, like its Au-
thor, “a stone of stumbling” and “a rock of offense” to His professed
people? It was our Lord Himself who promised His disciples: “If I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you
unto Myself.”
John 14:3
. It was the compassionate Saviour, who,
anticipating the loneliness and sorrow of His followers, commissioned
angels to comfort them with the assurance that He would come again
in person, even as He went into heaven. As the disciples stood gazing
intently upward to catch the last glimpse of Him whom they loved,
their attention was arrested by the words: “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 1:11
. Hope was kindled afresh by the
angels’ message. The disciples “returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.”
Luke
24:52, 53
. They were not rejoicing because Jesus had been separated
from them and they were left to struggle with the trials and temptations
of the world, but because of the angels’ assurance that He would come
again.