American Reformer
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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
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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 Author,
“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 lone-
liness 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.
The proclamation of Christ’s coming should now be, as when made
by the angels to the shepherds of Bethlehem, good tidings of great
joy. Those who really love the Saviour cannot but hail with gladness
the announcement founded upon the Word of God, that he in whom
their hopes of eternal life are centered, is coming again, not to be
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insulted, despised, and rejected, as at his first advent, but in power and
glory, to redeem his people. It is those who do not love the Saviour,
that desire him to remain away; and there can be no more conclusive
evidence that the churches have departed from God than the irritation
and animosity excited by this Heaven-sent message.