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Chapter One
The purpose of these studies on the second coming of Christ
To give a Scriptural examination of the doctrine of Christ's second coming.
Many believe the glorious truth of our Lord’s second coming, and joyfully look forward to this wonderful event; however, few have really studied it for themselves, preferring to rely on the opinions of others. I write this book to persuade and encourage Christians to study and meditate on the Scriptures concerning our Lord’s return, for themselves..
To prove that Christ returns, and the Church is caught up after the great tribulation.
This states that the gathering up of the Church to Jesus at His return takes place after the great tribulation, and before His millennial reign. This post-tribulation rapture viewpoint is called by some “Historic Premillennialism,” for it is the historic view of the Church. Unfortunately, many Christians have not even heard of this point of view, and many more have only a superficial knowledge of its Scriptural basis. In some cases this is because they have had no material to base their studies on. I hope that these brief notes may remedy this in some measure.
To correct the following erroneous doctrines on the second coming of Christ.
Amillennialism.
Amillennialists teach that Christ's Millennial kingdom extends from the time of His resurrection from the tomb, to the time of His second coming at the end of this age. Amillennialism in reality means “no Millennium;” it denies the fact of the future literal thousand year reign of Christ, and spiritualises the great Old Testament prophecies concerning Zion and Jerusalem, and applies them to the Church. The future prophecies of the glorious Millennial reign of God, when war and sin are banished, are applied to this present war torn evil world, and spiritualised in a totally ambiguous and incomprehensible form. Amillennialists also state that Satan has already been bound; this is not only flatly contradicted by the Scriptures, but also by our present day great increase in satanic manifestations and occult activities, and rapidly deteriorating world-wide moral depravity. The Scriptures clearly state that the Millennium starts at the end of this age, not at the beginning; as can be seen by the promises, which have been given in the Scriptures to both Israel and the Church.
When the Millennium comes the Scriptures say the following will take place.
The righteous dead are raised. Rev.20v4-6. Is.25v6-9. Dan.12v1-3.
Jesus will reign gloriously from Jerusalem; Is.2v1-3. 24v23.; because of this all roads will lead to Jerusalem. Many highways designed and possibly built by God will converge on Jerusalem. Is.11v16. 19v23-25. 35v7,8.
The effect of Christ's reign is peace, righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. Is.32v1,16-18. 62v8. The violence, wars, and moral depravity in the world today, manifest the reign of Satan.
Longevity is restored. A 100 year old is looked upon as a child. Is.65v20-25. Children play in Jerusalem. Zech.8v4,5.
The restoration of the blessings of Eden. Deserts blossom as the rose. Is.35v1,2,6,7. 55v12,13. There will be abundant fruitful harvests as the result of a divinely created plentiful water supply and wonderful sunny weather by a miraculous increase of the suns power. Is.29v17. 30v23-26. 32v15. 41v17-20. 51v3. Joel.3v17,18. Ezek.47v1-12 with Zech.14v8. Jesus will domesticate wild animals and take the ferocity out of them. Is.11v6-10. 65v25. Rom.8v18-23. N.B. v20. When Jesus comes down, with His people to reign; His presence will bless us with Eden again. Is.51v3.
None of these events have taken place, and so the Millennium cannot have started.
Postmillennialism.
Postmillennialists teach that the world will improve, and almost everyone will be converted, and evil will be rooted out by the Gospel agencies. They say Christ's second coming will take place after he has reigned in a spiritual way for 1,000 years; the last resurrection, the final judgement, and God's eternal kingdom will follow these events. Our Lord and Paul completely disagree with this doctrine, for they teach that the world will get increasingly worse, and will be in gross spiritual darkness when our Lord returns. Mt.24v12. 1Tim.4v1. 2Tim.3v1-13. Our Lord's feet stand upon the Mount of Olives before the Millennium starts. Zech.14v1-4. Acts.1v9-12. Rev.14v1.
Pretribulationism.
Pretribulationists teach that Christ will come for His Church before the great tribulation at a secret coming. We will prove that this is untrue and the Scriptures teach that there will be no any moment pretribulation secret coming of Christ, or a secret rapture of the Church; and that this doctrine only originated about the year 1830.
Dr. S. P. Tregelles writes in a footnote on page 35 of his book, "The Hope of Christ's Second Coming:"
“I am not aware that there was any definite teaching that there would be a secret rapture of the Church at a secret coming, until this was given forth as an 'utterance' in Mr Irving's Church, from what was there received as being the voice of the Spirit. But whether anyone ever asserted such a thing or not, it was from that supposed revelation that the modern doctrine and the modern phraseology respecting it arose. It came not from Holy Scripture, but from that which falsely pretended to be the Spirit of God, while not owning the true doctrine of our Lord's incarnation in the same flesh and blood as His brethren, but without taint of sin. After the opinion of a secret advent had been adopted, many expressions in older writers were regarded as supporting it; in which, however, the word 'secret' does not mean unperceived or unknown, but simply secret in point of time. Thus in a passage of Milman:-
“Even thus amidst thy pride and luxury, O Earth, shall this last coming burst on thee,
THAT SECRET COMING OF THE SON OF MAN: When all the cherub-throned clouds shall shine,
Irradiate with His bright advancing sign, When the great Husbandman shall wave His fan,” etc.
The third line was taken up as if it taught the new doctrine of this secret coming; whereas the whole passage (even if it had any theological value) teaches a coming in power, glory and publicity, in contrast to that which is private: so, too, as to other writers, whose words were sometimes used. Sometimes from a hymn being altered, writers appear to set forth a secret rapture of which they have never heard, or against which they have protested.
In 1863 I heard it publicly and definitely maintained, that the secret coming is the second one promised in Scripture, and that the manifest appearing of our Lord is His third coming. Many seem to think this who do not say so in definite words. But a third coming is something very different from His coming again.” End of Tregelles quote.
Edward Irving and Margaret Macdonald.
In 1830 Edward Irving was defrocked from the Church of England because his superiors believed that his doctrinal beliefs and preaching on the sinfulness of Christ's nature, was heretical. Irving set up his own church, which he called “The Catholic Apostolic Church,” but which others called “The Irvingites.” In his congregation there was a Scottish girl called Margaret Macdonald; and in one of his services she went into a trance and gave some prophecies. In this trance she said that she saw the people of God going up in the air to meet the Lord. From this “revelation,” Irving preached that the Church would be raptured and miss the great tribulation. Irving went over to the conferences in Ireland at Powerscourt, near Dublin, and preached this doctrine. Ironside, who writes in support of the doctrine of the pretribulation secret rapture of the Church, states that this “blessed doctrine” came to light in the Powerscourt conferences in Ireland in the 1830's. Mr Robert Baxter, a principal leader in this movement, published the doctrine of a secret coming of Christ everywhere he went, and it was quickly received. This view was also adopted by J. N. Darby, and it has been earnestly maintained by many who have studied his writings. Scofield wrote this doctrine into his notes in His Scofield Bible, and Larkin drew some charts; and the doctrine infiltrated into the brethren movement. However, Tregelles, Newton, George Muller, and many others, rejected the revelation and doctrine as unscriptural. They realised that Margaret Macdonald's “revelation,” had brought into the Church a false doctrine, which was previously unknown in Church history, and was in direct contradiction to the Scriptures.
Jerry Brewer wrote in the magazine “Victorious Life,” that the pretribulation rapture teaching came into existence through this young, about fifteen year old Scottish girl Margaret Macdonald, from a “personal revelation,” which she claimed was based only upon Scripture, between February 1st. and April 14th. 1830, in her hometown of Port Glasgow in Scotland.
Corrie Ten Boom wrote in the Logos magazine, that those who teach that the Church will escape the great tribulation are the false teachers that Jesus warned us to expect in the latter days. She said that most of these teachers had little knowledge of what is already taking place across the world, for in countries, which she had visited, the saints are already suffering terrible persecution. Corrie states that the Christians in China were told: “Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated, raptured.” Then there came a terrible persecution; millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later Corrie heard a bishop from China sadly say, “We have failed, we should have made the people strong for persecution, rather than telling them, that Jesus would come first.” Turning to Corrie he said, “You still have time, tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes; to stand and not faint.” Corrie states, “I feel I have a mandate, a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world, that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation.” End of quote.
Oswald J. Smith said, “For a true child of God it is not a question of preference but of truth. Does God's Word say so? Why then rebel? Is not His plan best? Besides what difference does it make so long as we are ready. Spiritual preparedness is the only important factor after all. I wonder if we have been lulling the Church into a false security. Can it be that we have been preaching an easy escape? Ought we to prepare the Church for the greatest of all ordeals? Should not her teaching harden her for the fire of the great tribulation? What kind of soldiers are we training? I am afraid that we have been very guilty and that God will certainly hold us responsible for the type of Christian our preaching is producing. We need men and women today of the martyr spirit. The test of the inquisition is coming again, and woe betide the premillenialists who are not ready. The Church must be purified in the fires of persecution. I have heard many people today make the following statement, 'Surely a loving God would not let His Church go through the great tribulation?' Well might I remind you of something, just who do we think we are, the Christians of the United States? My Christian brothers in China, Russia, and around the world have suffered much for the cause of Christ.” End of quote.
Until 1830, the Church almost unanimously taught that Christians would go through the great tribulation. Up to this time, the Christian leaders and scholars of Church history, from every shade of doctrinal opinion, believed and taught that Christians will be on earth during the period known as the great tribulation. You have to ignore the teaching of the Church throughout Church history, and twist the Scriptures a great deal, to believe that Christians will not have to go through the great tribulation.
Many Christians have come to wrong conclusions about the second coming of Christ because their thoughts have been dominated by intuition, speculation, escapism, and the opinions of men. Many Christians decide what they will believe before they have properly studied the Scriptures; and read the Scriptures with a closed mind, and with a determination to make them fit their theories. Persecuted Christians in other countries are not helped by the escapist prosperity Gospel theology that has corrupted affluent Western Christianity; such theology fails to be appropriate, helpful, realistic, or Scripturally true. This dangerous theological escapism destroys the faith of those who are called upon to suffer for the truth. Those who “dig deep,” and come to their doctrinal conclusions by a diligent and unbiased study of God's Word, and welcome and obey the truth they find, will have foundations that are built on solid rock, and which will stand secure in the vehement floods and storms of life. Lk.6v47-49. Those who preach a pretribulation secret rapture of the Church and return of Christ, not only weaken themselves for the last days, they also put themselves amongst the false prophets of the last days. 2Pet.3v15-18. James.1v18-25.
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