01.08. Chapter VIII - LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE
Chapter VIII - LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE The blessed hope of the Christian is expressed in many passages in the New Testament. In Titus 2:13 we are told to be "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us" The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the believer’s hope according to 1 Timothy 1:1. Just before the Lord went to the Cross He told the disciples; "I go to prepare a place for you. 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" (John 14:2-3). His coming again to receive His own, the true Church, which is His bride, unto Himself and bring them into the Father’s house on high, is the blessed hope the Christian is to look for. This "Looking for that blessed hope" is indeed an essential of the Christian life and that which should characterize every true believer. The Christians at Thessalonica were characterized bythree wonderful things which the apostle Paul enumerates in his epistle to them. He wrote: "Remembering without ceasing your (1) work of faith, and (2) labor of love, and (3) patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ". He further spoke of "how ye turned to God from idols," which was their work of faith, and "to serve the living and true God," their labor of love, "And towait for his Son from heaven," their patience of hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Here we have the wonder ful triplet of faith, love and hope, which are linked together in 1 Corinthians 13:13 and in other Scriptures.
It is this third feature of hope which we desire to be occupied with in this chapter, so we should notice that the hope of the Thessalonian Christians was expressed in their practical waiting for the coming again of Jesus the Son of God from heaven. This subject of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is the prominent theme of the two epistles of Paul to the Thessalonian Assembly. It is spoken of in every chapter of both epistles and shows what a large place this blessed hope and truth had in the apostle’s heart, and the place it should also have in every Christian’s affections.
Coming for and with His Saints A careful study of the various passages which speak of the second coming of Christ will reveal that His coming will be in two parts. First, He shall come for His bride, the true Church of His blood-washed believers, and bring them into His Father’s house. Then later He will come with all his saints to earth and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Scripture previously quoted from John 14:1-31 definitely speaks of Christ’s coming for the purpose of receiving His own unto Himself that they may be with Him in the prepared place of the Father’s house.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 also clearly sets forth the coming of the Lord for His saints as an event separate from His coming with His own to earth to reign. "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." Here we read of only the dead in Christ being raised and of those that believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection being caught up together with the resurrected believers to meet the Lord in the air and being forever with Him. This pas sage presents the Lord coming for His saints, Old and New Testament believers, and as the Bridegroom coming for His bride. Matthew 25:1-10 also presents this aspect of His coming for the wise virgins who are ready and go out to meet Him. The appearing of the Lord, or His manifestation as Son of man with power and great glory, and His coming to earth in judgment with His saints is definitely set forth in the following Scriptures: Matthew 24:30; Matthew 25:31-46; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 19:11-21 and other passages. To mix these Scriptures with those texts we have given above as referring to the Lord’s coming for His saints, nd to designate them all as applying to one and the same event, creates great confusion and is a careless reading of things that differ. The Lord once said to a certain lawyer, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" (Luke 10:26). The Bible does not teach a single, indivisible return of Christ at the end of the tribulation period, as some are teaching and contending for today. We are persuaded that the Scriptures do teach Christ’s coming for His Church before the tribulation period that begins in Revelation 6:1-17, the secret rapture of the saints first, and then His coming to earth in power and great glory with His saints at the end of the great tribulation as seen in Revelation nineteen.
Bridal Affections
We have stated that the Lord will come for His bride, the true Church. Let us enlarge upon this relationship of bride and bridegroom somewhat and see how it emphasizes our subject of "Looking for that blessed hope" of the Lord’s coming as being an essential of the Christian life. First, we may state that Ephesians 5:23-32 clearly presents to us Christ and His Church in this blessed and most intimate relationship of bride and bridegroom. In Revelation 19:7-9 we read of the marriage of the Lamb in heaven and in Revelation 21:1-27 we have a description of the bride as the Lamb’s wife, "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Thus the highest and most intimate of earthly relationships is used to shadow forth the link and affinity that exists between the heart of Christ and the Christian. This the Song of Solomon so vividly sets forth in type. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he had espoused, or engaged, them to one husband, that he might present them as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). Thus every true Christian is as one engaged to Christ and there should be bridal affections and longings for Him, just as every engaged young lady’s heart goes out in affectionate desires for her lover. Her heart is not satisfied with the wonderful communications and gifts of his love, or with his little visits, but longingly looks forward to the union or marriage day when she shall have him and be with him and his for all of life. If this is true in the earthly sphere of love, how much more should not it be true of us who have accepted the heavenly and divine love of the greatest Lover of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. The divine nature within the believer affectionately desires the Lord Himself, and longs for His promised coming to receive us unto Himself that we may be for ever with Him in the glory. The Spirit of God that in dwells us ever seeks to develop these bridal affections and longings for our Lover. "The Spirit and bride say, Come" and the response to the Lord’s promise of "Sure lyI come quickly," should be "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:17; Revelation 22:20).
Waiting and Watching In Luke 12:35-37 we have the words of the Lord Him self as to the attitude of heart He desires us to have in relation to His coming. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching." He would have us with loins girded about in preparation for service unto Himself, our lights burning brightly in testimony for Him, and our hearts truly waiting and watching for His return in sincere and affectionate expectation of His coming for us. It will cheer His heart to find His loved ones thus looking and longing for Himself and His coming again. While we wait and long for our Bridegroom to come, we are to be working and witnessing for Him. The two things go together. "Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing" (Luke 12:43). May we be characterized by this vital essential of the Christian life, of "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ," and also manifest all the other essentials of the Christian faith which have been before us in these studies.
R K Campbell