when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here! or see there! go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven, so shall also the Son of Man be in his day (his coming).

2 Thess. 16-10. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power: when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

2 Tim. 4: 1. I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.

Matt. 26 64. Jesus saith unto him (the high priest), Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

John 14: 3. And 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.

Verse 28. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye love me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father for my Father is greater than I.

John 21: 22. Jesus saith unto him (Peter), If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

1 Cor. 11: 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.

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Phil. 1 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day (coming) of Jesus Christ.

Verse 10. That ye (saints at Philippi) may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere, and without offence, till the day (coming) of Christ.

Phil. 2: 16. Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ (coming, &c).

1 Cor. 1: 7, 8. So that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Tim. 6 14. That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

James 5: 7, 8. Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

1 Thess. 1: 10. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 Thess. 2: 19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 1 Thess. 3 13. To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

1 Thess 5: 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I

pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thess. 3: 5. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ (his coming).

2 Tim. 4: 8. 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.

Titus 2: 13, 14. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Heb. 10 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.

Verse 37. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

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1 Peter 1 7. That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

Verse 13. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4: 12, 13. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

2 Thess. 2: 1, 2. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of oui Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Heb. 9: 26-28. For then must he (Christ) often have suffered since the foundation of the world (kosmou, the earth); but now once in the end of the world (aionon, age) hath he appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men (the men) once to die, but after this the judgment (krisis, judgment or decision); 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.

1 John 2: 28. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

2 Peter 1:16. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty.

1 Thess. 5: 1-4. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

2 Peter 3: 3-15. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promse of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water, and in the water; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; but the heavens and the

earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved untu fire, against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness; looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless; and account that the long-sufferings of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you. Jude 1: 14, 15. 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, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Rev. 17. Behold, he cometh with clouds: and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.

Verse 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.

Rev. 2: 25. But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come.

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Rev. 6 12-17. And I beheld, when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood: and the stars of heaven fell untc the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind: and the heaven departed as a scroll, when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?

Rev. 16: 13-15. And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, work. ing miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and that keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Rev. 22: 7-12. Behold, I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I, John, saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book

worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Verse 20. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly: Amen Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

SECTION II.

Those passages which are generally supposed to refer to Christ's FINAL COMING at the Resurrection of the Dead.

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John 14 3. And 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.

Acts 1: 10, 11. And while they (his disciples) 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.

Phil. 3: 20, 21. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.

1 John 3: 2. 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 Thess. 4: 13-17. 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. For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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.

1 Cor. 15: 21-26. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

1 Cor. 15: 51, 52. Behold, I show you a mystery; 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.

SECTION III.

Closing Remarks on the Coming of Christ.

By a careful perusal of the above texts, it will be seen that they not only teach the coming of Christ, but that they speak of him as coming, expressly and designedly, for the purpose of executing justice and judgment in the earth. And by comparing the text on the coming of Christ with those which teach the judgment and end of the world, it will be readily acknowledged that they all stand immediately connected, and all teach the same thing. The same is equally true of those texts which speak of the last day, last times, great day, &c. Whenever and wherever the coming of Christ is mentioned in the Bible (as in Section I., this Chapter), that coming is immediately connected with judgment, which is to be executed in accordance with the works of the creature; according to the deeds done, &c. From the foregoing facts it appears evident that these four different classes of texts - namely, on the judgment, end of the world, last days, and the coming of Christ are all nearly related, and signify the same thing. Hence we come to the conclusion that the coming of Christ (as taught in these passages) merely signifies his coming to close the legal dispensation, to establish the gospel, and execute justice and judgment in the earth.

But as there are various opinions respecting the coming of Christ and the object of his coming, we will briefly notice the different periods, as they are taught in the Bible.

The first appearance of Christ in the world, so far as we have any knowledge, was his appearance in the flesh, as an infant of days. This coming was predicted by the prophets of God, as the introduction of Messiah on earth.

His second appearance must have been in spirit and in power, to the overthrow of his enemies, the destruction of their city, and the final close of legal rites and ceremonies. This coming was not only foretold by the prophets, but pointedly declared by Christ himself. He declared to his disciples, and the people, that the coming of the Son of Man with power should take place during that generation. See Matt. 16: 27, 28; 25: 30—34; Mark 8: 38, and 9: 1. This is the coming referred to in the first section of this chapter and which stands immediately connected with judgment in the earth