CHAPTER XXIV. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST JESUS, AND THE MILLENNIUM. THE second coming of Christ Jesus is clearly taught in the canonical, as well as in the apocryphal, books of the New Testament. Paul teaches, or is made to teach it,' in the following words: "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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." He further tells the Thessalonians to "abstain from all appearance of evil," and to "be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." James, in his epistle to the brethren, tells them not to be in too great a hurry for the coming of their Lord, but to "be patient" and wait for the "coming of the Lord," as the "husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth." But still he assures them that "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Peter, in his first epistle, tells his brethren that "the end of all things is at hand," and that when the "chief shepherd" does appear, they "shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." John, in his first epistle, tells the Christian community to "abide in him" (Christ), so that, "when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him.' He further says: 991 "Behold, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." According to the writer of the book of "The Acts," when Jesus ascended into heaven, the Apostles stood looking up towards heaven, where he had gone, and while thus engaged: "behold, two men stood by them (dressed) in white apparel," who said unto them : "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go (up) into heaven."s The one great object which the writer of the book of Revelations wished to present to view, was "the second coming of Christ." This writer, who seems to have been anxious for that time, which was "surely" to come "quickly;" ends his book by saying: "Even so, come Lord Jesus." The two men, dressed in white apparel, who had told the Apostles that Jesus should "come again," were not the only persons whom they looked to for authority. He himself (according to the Gospel) had told them so: "The Son of man shall come (again) in the glory of his Father with his angels." And, as if to impress upon their minds that his second coming should not be at a distant day, he further said: 'Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” This, surely, is very explicit, but it is not the only time he speaks of his second advent. When foretelling the destruction of the temple, his disciples came unto him, saying: "Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming?" His answer to this is very plain : "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled (i. e., the destruction of the temple and his second coming), but of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." 1 I. John, ii. 28. I. John, v. 2. This epistle is not authen 4 Rev. xxii. 20. Matt. xvi. 27, 28. • Ibid. xxiv. 3. Ibid xxiv. 84-86. In the second Epistle attributed to Peter, which was written after that generation had passed away,' there had begun to be some impatience manifest among the believers, on account of the long delay of Christ Jesus' second coming. "Where is the promise of his coming?" say they, "for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." In attempting to smoothe over matters, this writer says: "There shall come in the last days scoffers, saying: Where is the promise of his coming?'" to which he replies by telling them that they were ignorant of all the ways of the Lord, and that: "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." He further says: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise;" and that "the day of the Lord will come." This coming is to be "as a thief in the night," that is, when they least expect it." No wonder there should have been scoffers-as this writer calls. them-the generation which was not to have passed away before his coming, had passed away; all those who stood there had been dead many years; the sun had not yet been darkened; the stars were still in the heavens, and the moon still continued to reflect light. None of the predictions had yet been fulfilled. Some of the early Christian Fathers have tried to account for the words of Jesus, where he says: "Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom," by saying that he referred to John only, and that that Apostle was not dead, but sleeping. This fictitious story is related by Saint Augustin, "from the report," as he says, " of credible persons," and is to the effect that: "At Ephesus, where St. John the Apostle lay buried, he was not believed to be dead, but to be sleeping only in the grave, which he had provided for himself till our Saviour's second coming: in proof of which, they affirm, that the earth, under which he lay, was seen to heave up and down perpetually, in conformity to the motion of his body, in the act of breathing." This story clearly illustrates the stupid credulity and superstition of the primitive age of the church, and the faculty of imposing any fictions upon the people, which their leaders saw fit to inculcate. The doctrine of the millennium designates a certain period in the history of the world, lasting for a long, indefinite space (vaguely a thousand years, as the word "millennium" implies) during which the kingdom of Christ Jesus will be visibly established on the earth. The idea undoubtedly originated proximately in the Messianic ex 1 Towards the close of the second century. (See Bible of To-Day.) II. Peter, iii. 4. pectation of the Jews (as Jesus did not sit on the throne of David and become an earthly ruler, it must be that he is coming again for this purpose), but more remotely in the Pagan doctrine of the final triumph of the several "Christs" over their adversaries. In the first century of the Church, millenarianism was a whispered belief, to which the book of Daniel, and more particularly the predictions of the Apocalypse' gave an apostolical authority, but, when the church imbibed Paganism, their belief on this subject lent it a more vivid coloring and imagery. The unanimity which the early Christian teachers exhibit in regard to millenarianism, proves how strongly it had laid hold of the imagination of the Church, to which, in this early stage, immortality and future rewards were to a great extent things of this world as yet. Not only did Cerinthus, but even the orthodox doctors— such as Papias (Bishop of Hierapolis), Irenæus, Justin Martyr and others delighted themselves with dreams of the glory and magnificence of the millennial kingdom. Papias, in his collection of traditional sayings of Christ Jesus, indulges in the most monstrous representations of the re-building of Jerusalem, and the colossal vines and grapes of the millennial reign. According to the general opinion, the millennium was to be preceded by great calamities, after which the Messiah, Christ Jesus, would appear, and would bind Satan for a thousand years, annihilate the godless heathen, or make them slaves of the believers, overturn the Roman empire, from the ruins of which a new order of things would spring forth, in which "the dead in Christ" would rise, and along with the surviving saints enjoy an incomparable felicity in the city of the "New Jerusalem." Finally, all nations would bend their knee to him, and acknowledge him only to be the Christ—his religion would reign supreme. This is the "Golden Age" of the future, which all nations of antiquity believed in and looked forward to. We will first turn to India, and shall there find that the Hindoos believed their "Saviour," or "Preserver" Vishnu, who ap peared in mortal form as Crishna, is to come again in the latter days. Their sacred books declare that in the last days, when the fixed stars have all apparently returned to the point whence they started, at the beginning of all things, in the month Scorpio, Vishnu will appear among mortals, in the form of an armed warrior, riding a winged white horse. In one hand he will carry a 1 Chapters xx. and xxi. in particular. The Christian Saviour, as well as the Hin 2 doo Saviour, will appear "in the latter days" among mortals "in the form of an armed war scimitar, "blazing like a comet," to destroy all the impure who shall then dwell on the face of the earth. In the other hand he will carry a large shining ring, to signify that the great circle of Yugas (ages) is completed, and that the end has come. At his approach the sun and moon will be darkened, the earth will tremble, and the stars fall from the firmament.' The Buddhists believe that Buddha has repeatedly assumed a human form to facilitate the reunion of men with his own universal soul, so they believe that "in the latter days" he will come again. Their sacred books predict this coming, and relate that his mission will be to restore the world to order and happiness. This is exactly the Christian idea of the millennium. The Chinese also believe that "in the latter days" there is to be a millennium upon earth. Their five sacred volumes are full of prophesies concerning this "Golden Age of the Future." It is the universal belief among them that a "Divine Man" will establish himself on earth, and everywhere restore peace and happiness." The ancient Persians believed that in the last days, there would be a millennium on earth, when the religion of Zoroaster would be accepted by all mankind. The Parsees of to-day, who are the remnants of the once mighty Persians, have a tradition that a holy personage is waiting in a region called Kanguedez, for a summons from the Ized Serosch, who in the last days will bring him to Persia, to restore the ancient dominion of that country, and spread the religion of Zoroaster over the whole earth." The Rev. Joseph B. Gross, in his "Heathen Religion," speaking of the belief of the ancient Persians in the millennium, says: "The dead would be raised, and he who has made all things, cause the earth and the sea to return again the remains of the departed." Then Ormuzd shall clothe them with flesh and blood, while they that live at the time of the resurrection, must die in order to likewise participate in its advantage. "Before this momentous event takes place, three illustrious prophets shall appear, who will announce their presence by the performance of miracles. "During this period of its existence, and till its final removal, the earth will be afflicted with pestilence, tempests, war, famine, and various other baneful calamities." rior, riding a white horse." St. John sees this In his vision, and prophecies it in his "Revelation" thus: "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." (Rev. vi. 2.) 1 Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 75. Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. pp. 497-503. See also, Williams: Hinduism, p. 108. Prog. Relig. Ideas, i. 247, and Bunsen's' wars." Angel-Messiah, p. 48. |