5: Christ's Second Coming: Post-Tribulation
Chapter 5: Christ’s Second Coming: Post-Tribulation The second coming of our Lord will terminate effectually all tribulation for all God’s saints. This truth rests upon the plain statements of Scripture. The simple words of our Lord on Mount Olivet, spoken within three days of His death, declare that
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . ." (Matt. 24:29),
"But in those days, after that tribulation . . ." (Mark 13:24),
Christ will come to gather His elect people from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. To this agree the words of the Apostle Paul who, speaking of the "persecutions and tribulations" the saints were enduring (verse 4) says:
"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" (2 Thess. 1:6-8).
Whatever is asserted about Matthew 24 being Jewish, it is certain that no such theory can intrude itself here, for these words were addressed to Gentile believers. They were in need of comfort; and the apostle wrote expressly to comfort them, but he does not in any way suggest a coming of our Lord before His coming in glory. It is agreed on both sides that in all such passages Scripture speaks of corporate hope. Even so, when the apostle says "we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:15), and "knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus; and shall present us with you" (2 Cor. 4:14). In the one passage he links himself and fellow-workers with the dead in Christ, and in the other with those who will be alive when Christ comes, simply because all are in very deed the one family of God in heaven and on earth. The apostle’s words here are, "And to you who are troubled, rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus," and explicitly describe it as being "with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, rendering vengeance." So also does the Apostle Peter teach us. His two epistles were written to "strengthen the brethren." The first deals specially with the sufferings of Christ and His people, and the second with the glories that shall follow. But in writing to those who were "if need be in heaviness through manifold trials," he says:—"that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, might be found unto praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ " (1 Pet. 1:7, R.V.). and again,
"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 Pet. 1:13). The fruitfulness, preciousness and reward of tried but triumphant faith (ver. 7), as well as the grace to be brought unto us (ver. 13), will be, according to the Apostles Peter and Paul, at the revelation (Greek: apocalypse) of our Lord Jesus Christ. Neither of them hint at any previous return of our Lord. This also accords with the teaching of the prophets. In Daniel we read:
"I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom" (Dan. 7:21, 22).
It does not suffice to say that this passage is Jewish, for whether Jew or Gentile, none can be saints apart from being "born from above." The spared ones of Israel will not be converted to God until Christ destroys Antichrist. Then, and not until then, will they exercise personal faith in Christ. Then, and not until then, will they look unto Him whom they had pierced and be brought to true repentance. They cannot, therefore, be the saints who are spoken of as such so many times in this one chapter and in numerous other passages of God’s book, against whom Antichrist will make war during the last three and a half years of this age. These same persons of whom God says:
"Here is the patience of the saints: Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:12), are indeed "keeping the faith of Jesus "—and can any keep the faith of Jesus and not be Christian? They are keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus during the time of Antichrist’s rule, and in it are glorifying God, for as He looks upon them He can say with approval: "Here is the Patience of the Saints."
I affirm then, again, that the second coming of our Lord will, according to all the Scriptures (prophets, evangelists and epistles), effectually terminate all tribulation for all God’s people for ever. The idea that Christ will come and take some of His people to enjoy the bliss of the marriage scenes above and the rewards of the judgment seat of Christ, while other saints are to be left on earth to endure the fiercest persecution for His sake, is nowhere taught in God’s Holy Book. Does Any Scripture Oppose this Teaching? A while ago, the Editor of The Indian Christian sent a questionnaire to leading men, in agreement with his views, in Great Britain, North America, Australia and New Zealand. The questions centered around this subject. The third question is:—
"What Scriptures, if any, do you consider definitely teach that the Church will NOT pass through the Great Tribulation? Refs. only." This is a definite question, and therefore we value it, for truth loves definiteness and precision. We like to come to grips, for truth has everything to gain and nothing to lose thereby. Mr. Irvine has printed the replies and references given (from Deut. to Rev. 22), and has himself written a preface thereto which I will now quote exactly and in full.
He says: "Under this section a number of helpful remarks are made, and passages of Scripture are given, which should be a comfort to any Christians who dread the unspeakable days of the Great Tribulation, more than—as well they may—the dark waters of Jordan. Whilst no such ‘categorical statement,’ as is suggested by Mr. C. F. Hogg, can be produced—and as he says, none need be expected—many of the passages quoted clearly indicate the relationship that Israel and the world will have with this day of wrath and trouble and distress; and as these passages are, as is true of the whole body of Scripture, uniformly silent with regard to the Church passing through it, surely the fears of those ‘that are Christ’s at His coming’ (Parousia) may well be allayed. In some of our after articles further reassurance on this all-important matter is given. (Ed., I.C.)." (Indian Christian, p. 147. March, 1931.)
What is the result of Mr. Irvine’s investigation according to his own summary of the replies given? First of all, after having examined and printed the testimonies of these leading men in Great Britain, North America, and Australia, he writes:
"No such Categorical Statement… can be Produced and None Need be Expected."
Secondly, he says, "Many of the passages given clearly indicate the relationship that Israel and the world will have with this day of wrath and trouble and distress"—thus recognizing and acknowledging that they deal with something entirely different from the question asked. Thirdly, he asserts the uniform silence of Scripture on the subject in hand; and fourthly, calls upon troubled hearts to rest in this alleged uniform silence of Scripture. If it were true that Scripture is uniformly silent, as to the Church passing through the last three and a half years of God-honoring witness against Antichrist, it could, for that very reason, teach nothing about that of which it is said to be uniformly silent. We see, therefore, that these brethren have no Scripture statement to bring against the teaching we hold.
Some years ago a leader of the Darby party was asked, Can you tell me any verse or verses of Scripture that state either a secret coming, a two-stage coming, or a pretribulation coming? The reply was, "You look for verses of Scripture: we look for principles." But can Scripture principles be taught except by Scripture words? In like manner, a while ago, Dr. Burton printed the following in the Advent Witness:
"An esteemed fellow-student of the Scriptures asks for plain proof of the separate stages of our Lord’s return. This opens up an immensely important line of investigation. Of course there are no verses that state in so many words that there are separate stages" (italics ours).
We welcome such a courteous answer. The subject is indeed of immense importance. It is clear that if Scripture does not state in so many words that there are separate stages it is not stated at all, for that is the only way in which anything could be stated, namely in so many words.
We see, therefore, that no verses of Scripture are to be found that state that the Church will not pass through the last three and a half years of great tribulation, nor that there are separate stages of our Lord’s return. And in addition to having all these facts against them, teachers of what they are pleased to call the "two-stage coming" inevitably involve themselves in the task of drawing distinctions between the second coming of Christ as foretold in all Scripture beside, and that same teaching as expressed by the Apostle Paul. And this alone does not fully state the case, for having severed Paul’s teaching from the rest of Scripture, they proceed to divide between his first and second epistles to the Thessalonians. The second is allowed to teach the very same second coming as other parts of Scripture, but the first epistle is said to contain an entirely new revelation as the Church’s hope. And even here it is not all the teaching of the epistle on the subject, but a few verses taken apart from their immediate context which follows without a break in chapter 5, which context in chapter 5, they allow to be treating of exactly the same second coming as the rest of Scripture. But these five verses and exhortations are divided off and alleged to be an entirely new revelation. Is this rightly dividing?
Those who assert that specific Church truth is only to be found in Paul’s epistles do thereby convict themselves of adducing, as from Paul’s epistles, ideas which they confessedly cannot find anywhere else in the Word of God.
Was it a Fresh Revelation to Paul?
It is affirmed by many that 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, is the record of an entirely fresh revelation made to and through the Apostle Paul. This is, they claim, the first record of the hope of the Church, and is entirely different from the second coming of Christ spoken of in earlier Scriptures. Now, if this were true, it would effectually take from them all the previous verses of Scripture which they attempt to use against us. Useless for them now to say, Only the Church saw Him go, and only the Church will see Him come (Acts 1:9). And how can they use the very words of 1 Thessalonians 1:10, "waiting for His Son from heaven, even Jesus, which delivereth us from the wrath to come," and say: "This is His coming to the air, as Son of God, but Matthew 24 is His coming to the earth as Son of man." If 1 Thessalonians 4 truly contained the first teaching ever given on the hope of the Church it would follow that the Church at Thessalonica had not, up to that time, the blessed hope; but this fallacy is refuted by the fact that at the very reception of the gospel from the apostle, they had, "turned unto God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, . . . even Jesus which delivereth us from the wrath to come": and are spoken of by the apostle as being in blessed contrast to "those which have no hope," which proves that they already had it. Moreover, it would follow that, until that time, no Church on earth, neither any of the apostles, not even the apostle Paul himself, had the true hope of the Church until he wrote this first epistle to the Thessalonians. In such case would he have said, "But we would not have you ignorant, brethren," of something never known before in the Church of God? The truth is that concerning love of the brethren they needed not that one wrote unto them. Nor about the times and seasons and unexpectedness to the world of our Lord’s return. These, Paul says, they knew perfectly. But they did need true teaching to correct them as to the part the dead in Christ will have in that day. If the blessed hope was that Christ might come at any moment and we be taken without dying, then all who have died in Christ have missed that. But the blessed hope as here taught is, that "Whether we wake or sleep, we shall live together with Him," and the blessed emphasis throughout the passage is on the word "together." When our Lord comes both we and they, "will God bring with Him," for the resurrection in glory of the sleeping saints, and the change into His image of the living saints will be followed by both being caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. When we see our Lord coming in power and great glory, we shall not have to wait till He reaches the earth, but having been changed into His image, we shall be caught up to meet Him.
"Thou art coming: Thou art coming,
We shall meet Thee on Thy way."
"A Careful Comparison" Examined.
It inevitably follows that teachers of the two-stage theory are involved in the task of finding distinctions between this passage in Thessalonians and, specially, our Lord’s Olivet Prophecy, which He gave within three days of His death. This, say they, is the coming Bridegroom for the waiting bride, whereas that in Matthew is His coming as Son of man to Israel. But is it not wonderful that the words "Bridegroom," "bride," "marriage," cannot be found in 1 Thessalonians 4, but that our Lord gave a whole parable in the Olivet Prophecy, telling of the Bridegroom coming "and those that were ready went in with Him to the marriage." In this Indian Christian is an article by Algernon Pollock entitled "The Appearing and the Rapture—A Careful Comparison between Matthew 24 and 1 Thessalonians 4." His principal argument is that certain things are mentioned in the one passage and not in the other. In reply it would be sufficient to point out that (a) the Olivet Prophecy was given to answer the direct question as to the signs of Christ’s coming and therefore treats of those signs, whereas 1 Thessalonians 4 was written for the purpose of comforting saints as to the dead in Christ—saints whom, the apostle himself says, knew those other things perfectly, and for that very sufficient reason he did not here write what he says they needed not; (b) Matthew 24 is but part of the Olivet Prophecy, which includes Matthew 25, Mark 13 and Luke 21; and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is but part of the Apostle Paul’s statement concerning the coming of Christ. But although these six verses are often severed from all that follows in the same context, and from the rest of Paul’s teaching in other parts of his writings, not one of the distinctions proposed will stand the test.
"The Appearing and the Rapture."
Whence this word "rapture"? The English word rapture means extreme joy. It has no true connection with the word in I Thessalonians 4:17, which means exactly what the A.V. and R.V. translators have rendered it, namely, to be "caught away" or "caught up," the upward direction being contained in the contextual words, "to meet the Lord in the air." It is no right use of words to change "caught up" into "wrapt away" and "wrapt away" into "rapture", and then to speak of God’s people being "raptured from earth to heaven." The writer says:—
"Matthew 24 is the coming of the Son of man, but 1 Thessalonians 4 is the coming of the Lord Himself." Reply: We read in Matthew 24:42, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Is not the coming of "your Lord" the coming of "the Lord Himself"?
God’s Elect.
Chapters 8-11 of the epistle to the Romans deal very fully with the subject of election. Speaking of those whom God foreknew, predestinated, called, justified, glorified, Paul says, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. . . ." God’s justified ones for whom Christ died and rose again, are His elect. This Scripture then proceeds to link the elect of Paul’s day with those of the Psalmist’s day by its use of the words: "As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. . . ." The words, "For Thy sake," denote the reason of the sufferings, "as sheep for the slaughter," refer them to God’s flock: "Shall tribulation, or distress . . . or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" describe the nature of such sufferings of God’s elect. While verses 37-39 acclaim the fully assured triumph—"more than conquerors through Him that loved us,"—of all the suffering saints of God.
Chapter 9 goes on to deal with the very subject of Israel’s relation to the covenant of God and says, It is "not as though the word of God has come to nought. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." "The purpose of God according to election" is then illustrated by reference to Isaac and Jacob, both born, not merely of the flesh, but of promise and of the Spirit. God is spoken of as "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob," for they were born again men. But never is He spoken of as the God of Ishmael or Esau. It is true that God chose the nation Israel for blessing in the earth and He will completely fulfil all His gracious promises to them, converting them when Christ comes again, and making them the chief nation on the earth during the millennial reign of Messiah. But a man is never one of God’s elect in the deepest sense of the word simply because he is born of Abraham according to the flesh. The whole New Testament affirms this repeatedly, "Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father." In chapter 11:4, the seven thousand who did not bow the knee to Baal are distinguished from all others of Israel. They were God’s elect. Again, in verses 5-10, Scripture carefully states the distinction between the nation Israel and the elect, both of Paul’s day and Elijah’s day, uniting such elect ones in the words: "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. . . . What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, according as it is written. . . ."
If the elect obtained that which the nation obtained not, it shows that Scripture clearly draws a distinction between the two. Peter also, who heard the Lord speak three times in the Olivet Prophecy alone, of the elect, bids us to "make our calling and election sure," and says: But ye are a chosen (eklektos) generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people. . . ." and that in contrast to the unbelieving Jewish people (1 Pet. 2:7) and also to the unbelieving Gentiles surrounding us (2:12). This certainly settles who the elect are in the Gospel narratives, and in the Olivet Prophecy. Since only the saints of God both in the Old Testament and New Testament are God’s elect, they are those spoken of in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.
"But for the elect’s sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days. . . ."
"To seduce if possible, even the elect."
"And shall gather together His elect from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven." (Mark 13:20, 22, 27; cp. Matt. 24:22, 24.) The gathering of God’s elect from "the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven" is not the restoration of Israel to Palestine. Palestine is not heaven. It is the "gathering together unto Him," (2 Thess. 2:1) of all God’s redeemed family, "those that have made a covenant with God by sacrifice" (Ps. 50).
"Some from earth: from glory some;
Severed only till He come."
I end as I began, by affirming that, according to Holy Scripture, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the blessed hope of God’s elect, will effectually terminate all tribulation for all God’s saints forever.
No Scripture divides the second coming of Christ into two second comings. No Scripture warrants the idea that Antichrist will be able to war against any saints after our Lord Himself has descended from heaven with a shout. Nor that the people of God who have lived between the day of Pentecost and any secret "rapture" will be enjoying the bridal feast above and receiving rich rewards at the bema, while other saints whom they are pleased to term "tribulation saints" are enduring unto death against the Antichrist on earth.