Pre-Millennial
Doctrine - Or Waiting for the Son?
Revelation 1:5-7
In a day like the present, when knowledge on every
question is so widely diffused, it is most needful to press upon the conscience
of the Christian reader the vast distinction between merely holding the
doctrine of the Lord's second coming and actually waiting for His appearing (1
Thess. 1:10). Many, alas! hold and, it may be, eloquently preach, the doctrine
of a second advent who really do not know the Person whose advent they profess
to believe and preach. This evil must be faithfully pointed out and dealt with.
The present is an age of knowledge - or religious knowledge; but oh! knowledge
is not life, knowledge is not power - knowledge will not deliver from in, or
Satan, from the world, from death, from hell. Knowledge, I mean, short of the
knowledge of God in Christ. One may know a great deal of Scripture, a great
deal of prophecy, a great deal of doctrine, and, all the while, be dead in
trespasses and sins.
There is, however, one kind of knowledge which
necessarily involves eternal life, and that is the knowledge of God, as He is
revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. "This is life eternal, to know Thee the
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3). Now, it is
impossible to be living in the daily and hourly expectation of "the coming of
the Son of Man," if the Son of Man be not experimentally known. I may take up
the prophetic record, and by mere study, and the exercise of my intellectual
faculties, discover the doctrine of the Lord's second coming, and yet be
totally ignorant of Christ, and live a life of entire alienation of heart from
Him. How often has this been the case! How many have astonished us with their
vast fund of prophetic knowledge - a fund acquired, it may be, by years of
laborious research, and yet, in the end, proved themselves to have been
displaying unhallowed light - light not acquired by prayerful waiting upon God!
Surely the thought of this should deeply affect our hearts and solemnize our
minds, and lead us to inquire whether or not we know the blessed Person who,
again and again, announces Himself to be about to "come quickly"; else, if we
know Him not, we may find ourselves of the number of those addressed by the
prophet in the following startling words: "Woe unto you that desire the day of
the Lord! to what end is it for you" The day of the Lord is darkness, and not
light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the
house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day
of the Lord be darkness and not light even very dark and no brightness in it?"
(Amos 5:18-20).
The second chapter of Matthew furnishes us with a very
striking illustration of the difference between mere prophetic knowledge of
Christ - between the exercise of the intellect on the letter of Scripture, and
the drawings of the Father to the Person of Christ. The wise men, manifestly
led by the finger of God, were in true and earnest search of Christ, and they
found Him. As to scriptural knowledge, they could not, for a moment have
competed with the chief priests and scribes; yet what did the scriptural
knowledge of the latter do for them? Why, it rendered them efficient
instruments for Herod, who called them together for the purpose of making use
of their Biblical knowledge in his deadly opposition to God's Anointed. They
were able to give him chapter and verse, as we say. But, while they were
assisting Herod by their knowledge, the wise men were, by the drawins of the
Father, making their way to Jesus. Blessed contrast! How much happier to be a
worshpper at the feet of Jesus, through with slender knowldge, than to be a
learned scribe, and a heart cold, dead and distant from that blessed One! How
much better to have the heart full of lively affection for Christ than to have
the intellect stored with the most accurate knowledge of the letter of
Scripture!
What is the melancholoy characteristic of the present time?
A wide diffusion of scriptural knowledge with little love for Christ, and
little devotedness to His work; abundant readiness to quote Scripture, like the
scribes and chief priests, but little purpose of heart, like the wise men, to
open the treasures and present to Christ the willing offerings of a heart
filled by the sense of what He is. What we want is personal devotedness, and
not the mere empty display of knowledge. It is not that we would undervalue
scriptural knowledge; God forbid, if that knowledge be found in connection with
genuine discipleship. But if it be not, I ask, of what value is it? None
whatsoever. The most extensive range of knowledge, if Christ be not its centre,
will avail just nothing; yea, it will, in all probability, render us more
efficient instruments in Satan's hand for the furthering of his purposes of
hostility to Christ. An ignorant man can do but little mischief, but a learned
man, without Christ, can do a great deal.
The verses which stand at
the head of this paper present to us the divine basis on which to found all
scriptural knowledge, more especially prophetic knowledge. Before any one can
utter his hearty amen to the announcement, "Behold He cometh with clouds," he
must, without any question, be able to join in the blessed burst of praise, "To
Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." The believer
knows the One who is coming, because He has loved him, and washed him from his
sins. The believer expects the everlasting Love of his soul. The meek and lowly
One who served, suffered, and was emptied down here, will speedily come in the
clouds of Heaven, with power and great glory, and all who know Him will welcome
Him with glad hoseannahs - they will be able to say, " "This is the Lord, we
have waited for Him, we will rejoice and be glad in His salvation." But alas!
there are, it is to be feared, very many who hold and argue about the Lord's
coming who are not waiting for Him at all, who are living for themselves in the
world, and "mind earthly things." How terrible to be found talking bout the
Lord's coming, and yet, when He does come, to be left behind! Oh! Think of
this; and if you are really conscious that you know not the Lord, then let me
entreat of you to behold Him shedding His precious blood to wash you from your
sins, and learn to confide in Him, to lean upon Him, to rejoice in Him and in
Him alone.
But if you can look up to Heaven, and say, "Thank God, I do
know Him, and I am waiting for Him," then let me remind you of what the Apostle
John says, as to the practical result of this blessed hope. "Every man that
hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as He is pure." Yes, this must
ever be the result of waiting for the Son from Heaven; but not at all so of the
mere prophetic doctrine. Many of the most impure, profane and ungodly
characters that have made their appearance in the world, have held, in theory,
the second advent of Christ; but they were not waiting for the Son, and
therefore they did not, and could not purify themselves. It is impossible that
any one can be waiting for Christ's appearing, and not make efforts after
increased holiness, separation, and devotedness of heart: "Behold, I come
quickly; blessed is he that watcheth." Those who know the Lord Jesus Christ,
and love His appearing, will daily seek to shake off everything contrary to
their Master's mind; they will seek to become more and more conformed to Him in
all things. Men may hold the doctrine of the Lord's coming and yet grasp the
world and the things thereof with great eagerness; but the true hearted servant
will ever keep his eye steadily fixed on his Master's return, remembering His
blessed words, "I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am,
there ye may be also" (John 14:3).
What a day will that be when the
Saviour appears!
How welcome to those who have shared in His cross!
A
crown incorruptible then will be theirs -
A rich compensation for
suffering and loss.
CHM