If you missed it, see part 1 here.
As we pass along, we listen a moment to the captive Ezekiel and hear him adding his testimony to the same blessed hope: “Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.” Ezekiel 37:12.
Daniel also, from the courts of the heathen kings, comes forward and adds his testimony to the same great truth. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,” &c. Daniel 12:2.
Hosea likewise comforts Israel with this promise of God: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death.” Hosea 13:14.
Finally in the closing chapter of the Old Testament we see the eyes of the last prophet, like all before him, still fixed upon that long-wished-for event, the coming of that great day and the rising of the Sun of righteousness. Malachi 4:1-3.
Thus we have seen that in one unbroken line from Adam down through the sons of God in the antediluvian age, the old patriarchs, the pious kings, and the holy prophets—men from every age and every clime—all have cherished that one blessed hope, the resurrection of the dead and the coming of the Lord.
We now come to the New Testament. Here we find the doctrine of the reward of the righteous at the second advent of Christ and the resurrection of the dead even more frequently and more prominently taught than in the Old Testament. Let us hear Jesus himself on this subject: “But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed [when?] at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:13-14. The time, then, for the reward of the righteous is, not at death, but at the resurrection. So says Christ, and who could be better authority? Contrast this with the modern popular doctrine of rewards at death. Suppose a benevolent man in a community dies. He has been noted for his piety, for feeding the hungry, for clothing the naked, visiting the sick, &c. At his funeral, the minister recounts his good deeds, and says, “Our loss is his gain. He has gone to his reward. He is now in Heaven receiving the fruit of his labor.” Such language we hear at almost every funeral, though a direct contradiction of the teachings of Christ. He points to the resurrection as the time of reward.
Hear him once more: “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.” Matthew 16:27. How beautifully all the witnesses agree in placing the reward of the saints, not at death, but at the second advent. Even the angels of God have come forward with their testimony to point the anxious, longing ones forward to that ancient hope of Israel—the personal return to the earth of the Son of man. “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.
These are good witnesses, and their testimony is plain. This same Jesus is coming back as really and as personally as he went up. Forward to this event they point the minds of the mourning disciples; but they are totally silent about going to Heaven at death. But Paul is waiting to bear his testimony on this glorious subject. His warm heart was ever full of it, and it was the theme above all others upon which he loved to dwell. To Titus his son, he writes that he is “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13. He is not ashamed to call it “that blessed hope,” though alas! it is now everywhere spoken against and anathematized as heretical. The modern church has departed from the old landmarks and has gone after another gospel which neither Paul nor an angel from Heaven ever taught.
In 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, the apostle has left us a short but model funeral sermon. If he believed that the saints went immediately to Heaven at death, this was certainly an occasion which would necessarily call out a statement of it from him. Those who believe this doctrine always use it on a funeral occasion as the best consolation which they can offer to the mourning friends. Says the minister to the bereaved wife: “Dear sister, your husband is not dead. He has only gone before you. Be faithful, and you will shortly go to join him in the heavenly land.” Now listen to the consolation which Paul offered to stricken friends: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” They were sorrowing. He wished to remind them of the hope of the righteous. Now we are interested to know what it is. He continues: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” Your husband is dead. So Jesus himself was dead once. Your husband is in the grave, so was Jesus also once just where he now is. But did not God raise him from death and the grave? Yes, you believe that he did. Just so, my sister, God will bring up your husband also. This he goes on to say will occur at the coming of the Lord. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.” This has the genuine second advent ring—the saints asleep, the living waiting for the Lord to appear; and comforting one another with this hope: and finally all to “go up“ together. So taught Paul, and so we believe.
Next the apostle James shall be heard on this subject, and his testimony will be as clear and decided as the others. His brethren are in great affliction, and he is endeavoring to encourage them. Will he not present the true hope of the church, the nearest prospect of deliverance? Certainly. Is it that the soul is immortal, and that the gate of death will soon open and let them all into Heaven? Listen: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” James 5:7-8. Ah! that is it, the same old story, the coming of the Lord. This wonderful agreement of all these witnesses shows them all to have been inspired by the “one spirit and one hope.” Ephesians 4:4.
But Peter, one of the “pillars” of the faith, must also be heard as to when the faithful are to be rewarded. To the elders he says: “Feed the flock of God which is among you... And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” 1st Peter 5:2,4. Not a word about reward at death, but, like all others, he points them to the appearing of the great Shepherd for their crown of reward. Did witnesses ever agree better? And are we not in good company in talking so much about the coming of the Lord? in hanging all our hopes upon that event?
As we pass along, let us now listen a moment to John, the beloved disciple. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, 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. Yes, “when he shall appear,” not when we die. So they all wrote, and so we Adventists all believe.
And now we come to the closing words of the Bible. Remarkable and impressive are they indeed. As we have seen, the Scriptures opened with the promise of the coming Redeemer. From that time on down through the long weary ages of waiting and hoping, of watching and longing, the eyes of the faithful have all and ever been turned with eager desire to that one guiding star of promise—the coming of the Lord of glory. The old patriarchs, the kings upon their thrones, the prophets moved by the Holy Ghost, the martyrs from their prisons, the Son of God while on earth, the angels from Heaven, the apostles in the gospel—all these, though separated by centuries, and scattered ill different climes, possessing every diversity of talent and temperament, still agree in expressing their hope in the one glorious event— the coming of the Lord. With a fervent prayer for the speedy coming of Jesus, closes the Bible. “He [Jesus] which testifieth these things saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen.” To which John responds, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20.
Thus the sacred record concludes with this prayer for the advent of Christ, while the eyes of the prophet are upturned watching for its dawning.
And now, dear reader, the long-looked-for time for the fulfillment of this hope draws nigh. Not much longer shall we have to wait. Have you an interest in this blessed hope? Do you love Jesus? Do you want him to come? Are you praying for his return? If not, why not? If he was your dear friend, would you not long for his return, and rejoice for any evidence that it is near? May the Lord help you to yield your heart to him before it is too late.
D. M. CANRIGHT.
Woodland, Cal., April 5, 1874.