The Three Appearings
The grandest fact in history is that Jesus Christ, the Lord of Gloiy, has been in this world.
And the most important fact of the present is that He is now in Heaven making intercession for us.
And the greatest prophesied event of the future is, that He is coming again.
These three appearmgs are beautifully set forth in the 9th of Hebrews.^
His appearing upon earth “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Verse 26.
His entering “into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Verse 24.
“And unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time, without sin unto salvation.” Verse 28.
While He was here upon earth He said: “It is expedient for you that I go away.”^ and He went away.* He said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” But
(1) Heb. 7 :25. Wherefore he 26. For then must he often is able also to save them to the have suffered since the foundauttermost that come unto God tion of the world: but now once by him, seeing he ever liveth to in the end of the world hath he make intercession for them. appeared to put away sin by the
Rom. 8 :34. Who is he that sacrifice of himself, condemneth? It is Christ that 28. So Christ was once offered
died, yea rather, that is risen to bear the sins of many; and
again, who is even at the right unto them that look for him
hand of God, who also maketh shall he appear the second time
intercession for us. without sin unto salvation.
1 John 2:1. My little chil- (3) John 16:7. Nevertheless
dren, these things write I unto I tell you the truth; It is exyou, that ye sin not. And if pedient for you that I go away:
any man sin, we have an advo- for if I go not away, the Comcate with the Father, Jesus forter will not come unto you;
Christ the righteous: but if I depart, I will send him
(2) Heb. 9:24. For Christ is unto you.
not entered into the holy places (4) Acts 1 :9. And when he
made with hands, which are the had spoken these things, while
figures of the true; but into they beheld, he was taken up,
heaven itself, now to appear in and a cloud received him out of
the presence of God for us: their sight.
He Promised,
“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2-3. He gave us this promise as our hope and comfort while He is away.
He said: “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33), “ye shall weep and lament, and... be sorrowful. .. .but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice.” Verses 20, 22.
Nothmg can be more comforting to the Church, the bride of Christ,^ then this precious promise which our absent Lord has left us, that He will come and receive us unto Himself, and that we shall be with Him, to behold His glory.^
He has given us
The Lord*s Supper,
that we should take the bread and the cup in remembrance of Him,’^ and to show His death, till He come.^^ We have this simple and loving memorial for a continual sign of this promise during all the earthly pilgTuuage of the
(5) Eph. 5 :25. Husbands, 31. For this cause shall a man
love your wives, even as Christ leave his father and mother, and
also loved the church, and gave shall be joined unto his wife,
himself for it; and they two shall be one flesh.
26. That he might sanctify 32. This is a great mystery; and cleanse it with the wash- but I speak concerning Christ ing of water by the word, and the church.
27. That he might present it (6) John 17:24. Father, I to himself a glorious church, wiil that they also, whom thou not having spot, or wrinkle, or hast given me, be with me where any such thing; but that it I am; that they may behold my should be holy and without blem- glory, which thou hast given me; ish. for thou lovedst me before the
28. So ought men to love their foundation of the world.
wives as their own bodies. He (7) Luke 22 :19. And he took
that loveth his wife loveth him- bread, and gave thanks, and
self. brake it, and gave unto them,
29. For no man ever yet hated saying. This is my body which his own flesh; but nourisheth is given for you: this do in reand cherisheth it, even as the membrance of me.
Lord the church: (8) 1 Cor. 11:26. For as
30. For we are members of often as ye eat this bread, and his body, of his flesh, and of his drink this cup, ye do shew the bones. Lord’s death till he come.
Church,® and through it we look fonvard from the cross to His coming, when He will drink it anew with us, in His Father’s kingdom,^’’ at the marriage feast of the Lamb.ii
It is a constant reminder of His promise, pointmg our eye of faith to His coming again. “He is faithful that promised”^^ and we are exhorted to have confidence and patience, that we may “receive the promise,” “for yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.” Heb. 10: 35-37.
One has truly said that the coming of Christ is
The Very Pole Star of the Church,*
and the apostle Paul calls it “That blessed hope.”’^^
Jesus and the apostles and the prophets have given great prominence in the Scriptures to this inspiring theme. THE EARLY FATHERS and the Christian Church, for the first two centuries of our era, found in it
*Rev. David Brown, D. D.
(9) Heb. 11:13. These all
died in faith, not having received the promises, but having
seen them afar off, and were
persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on
the earth.
1 Pet. 2 :11. Dearly beloved,
I beseech yoi as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against the
soul.
(10) Mat. 26:29. But I say
unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine,
until that day when I drink it
new with you in my Father’s
kingdom.
(11) Mat. 22:2. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.
Rev. 19 :9. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And
he saith unto me, These are the
true sayings of God.
Also Luke 14 :16-24.
(12) Heb. 10:22. Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water,
23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised:
24. And let us consider one
another to provoke unto love and
good works;
25. Not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.
(13) Tit. 2:13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
their chief source of hope and comfort. The belief that Jesus was coming: in ^lory to reigfn with His saints on the earth, during the Millennium, was almost universal with them.
But in the third century there arose a school of interpreters, headed by Origen, who so “spiritualized” the Scriptures that they ceased to believe in any literal Millennium whatsoever. Their system of interpretation has been severely condemned by Martin Luther, Dr. Adam Clarke and other commentators.
When Constantine was converted and the Roman empire became, nominally. Christian, it appeared to many that the Millennium had come, and that they had the kingdom on earth. The Church, hand in hand with the world, plunged into the dark ages, until awakened by the great reformers of the sixteenth century, who again began to proclaim the comforting hope and blessed promise of the coming of Christ; and since that time the subject so long neglected has been studied and preached with increasing interest. Indeed, in the last two centuries, it seems to have risen (with the doctrine of salvation by simple faith in a crucified Saviour) into somewhat the same prominence which it occupied in the early church. God be Draised for it.