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CHAPTER IX

String 8: Our Lord's Return

SUPPOSE your dearest friend and benefactor is away

on a long journey and you expect him to return, because when he went away he promised to come again; suppose that since that time you have been looking, hoping and praying for his return, and that you were informed he had arrived. Such news would fill your very soul with joy and you could not keep from singing.

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18A friend is one who loves you all the time; one who even without your knowing it makes a great sacrifice in order that you might be the recipient of some real good. The greatest friend that you have had, or any one else has had, is the Lord Jesus, because he left all of his riches and glory, became a man, and laid down his life in ignominious death in order that all men might have one fair and full opportunity for the blessings of life everlasting.-John 15:13.

349The facts show that nineteen hundred years ago, Jesus went away on a long journey, even into heaven itself; that when he went away he promised his disciples that he would return and that, when returning, those who loved his appearing would receive many precious gifts. If the facts show that this precious friend has returned and we begin to see that all the fond hopes of Christians are about to be realized and that even the world is soon to be blessed, what unspeakable joy this brings! Those who have watched and waited for his coming necessarily break forth in singing the praises of

the Lord. In this chapter we hope to prove the fact of the Lord's return, how he will return, when, and for what purpose, and that he has already come.

350 For centuries Jews have been hoping, looking, and praying for the coming of a Messiah. For nineteen hundred years Christians have been hoping, watching, and praying, and waiting for the coming of Christ Jesus the Lord. Messiah and Christ mean the same. The term means The Anointed One. The whole world of mankind, groping in darkness, laden with grievous burdens, has been groaning and still groans in pain, waiting for some relief, but not knowing how it will come. (Romans 8:19, 22) The world in fact is waiting for the Messiah, the Christ, and his kingdom of righteousness. When the world comes to a knowledge of the fact that the Lord, the great deliverer and benefactor of man, has returned, every honest soul will be filled with joy and every grateful heart will respond in songs of gladness.

351To the Christian the Lord's return is one of the most wonderfully precious strings upon the harp of God. It yields music of unsurpassed sweetness. Blessed are the eyes of those who see and ears of those who hear and learn that the Lord has come and is now present. 352The suffering and groaning of the whole creation daily increases, and this condition is putting the people in an attitude of mind to take heed to the evidence of the meaning of these present events. The time has come for all to awaken and diligently inquire concerning the presence of the King of kings.

FACT OF HIS COMING

353 The reasons why we should expect the Lord's second coming are numerous, but unless we call these to mind, even though we once knew them, we overlook their importance. If we have never known them, then an

examination of these reasons is satisfying to the hungry soul. Reason should always be employed in the examination of Scriptural questions. Sound reasoning and the Scriptures are necessarily in accord. "Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord." (Isaiah 1:18) As our vision of the divine plan enlarges, we can see a reason and a Scripture for every step and every development in the divine arrangement.

354 The Scriptures thus far examined prove conclusively that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead that he might be the redeemer of mankind; that he ascended on high and presented the value of his human sacrifice in behalf of man, and that at some time all men must have an opportunity to receive the benefit of his great sacrifice. (1 Timothy 2:5, 6) If mankind in general is to be benefited by the Lord's sacrifice after coming to a knowledge of that fact, then it follows that there must be some relationship established between the world of mankind and the Lord Jesus in order that the world might be brought to a knowledge of the arrangement of Jehovah and brought back into harmony with God. If, as the Scriptures declare, God formed the earth for man's habitation, that he made it not in vain, and that the earth abideth forever; and if, according to the promise to Abraham, through the seed, the Christ, a blessing shall come to all mankind, it follows that the Lord must establish an order of things in the earth that man might enjoy the things which God intended for him to have, and that he must be present to establish such a righteous order on earth.

355 But the student is not left to theory nor conjecture. The Scriptural evidence is given in such abundance that all doubt is forever removed. God's Prophet long ago foretold the coming of a mighty one and said that this Mighty One should have a government of righteousness;

that "his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace; of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end". (Isaiah 9: 6, 7) 'An everlasting Father' presumes that there shall be some offspring who will have everlasting life. Hence this promise indicated that a government would be established wherein man would be granted the privilege of life everlasting.

356 As we have heretofore observed, Jehovah made a covenant with the nation of Israel, to the exclusion of all other nations. He gave them a law to shield them from the influences and machinations of the adversary and to lead them to Christ, their great Messiah. The Jews as a nation did not keep this law, because they were imperfect; but some of their rulers were especially wicked. The time came when God said concerning Zedekiah, the last king of Israel: "And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him."-Ezekiel 21: 25-27.

357It follows that at some future time there would come a mighty one who would establish a kingdom of righteousness, having full authority and right thus to do.

358 At the overthrow of Zedekiah God permitted the gentiles to establish a universal dominion in the earth. The Lord through the prophet Daniel pictured the development of four world empires or kingdoms, which would exist for a certain period of time, and which would continue until he should come whose right it is and then he, the Righteous One, should take possession of earth's affairs and rule. It is to be expected, of

course, that the unrighteous governments would hold on to their power in earth as long as possible, and that they would still be thus doing at the coming of the great King, and that he would oust these earthly kingdoms of unrighteousness and establish a righteous government. Thus says the Lord through the prophet Daniel: "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever". (Daniel 2:44) It follows, then, that this righteous King must be present before he breaks to pieces and consumes the other kingdoms. The Scriptures speak of the righteous kingdom as the kingdom of heaven, because it is in accord with the heavenly Father's will and ruled by the invisible power of the great Messiah.

359The term kingdom is used in a two-fold sense: (1) referring to the king or ruler, the dominating or controlling factor; and (2) to the dominion and subjects of that kingdom. Almost all the parables of Jesus were concerning the kingdom of God, or kingdom of heaven. So great is that kingdom in importance in the Lord's arrangement that Jesus taught his disciples to pray: "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven". (Matthew 6:10) From that time until now Christians have been praying this prayer and hoping for its fulfillment. The foregoing Scriptures definitely establish the fact that such a kingdom of righteousness is to be put into operation. Who, then, will be the king of that great and glorious kingdom? The Scriptures answer, Jesus Christ the Son of God.-Luke 22:30; Colossians 1: 13; 2 Peter 1:11; Matthew 28: 18.

360 When Jesus stood before Pilate accused of sedition because he taught concerning his kingdom coming,

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