[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":688},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-current-\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F18":3,"nav-reprints-en-1879-08-01":5,"reprint-\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F18":48},{"date":4},"1879-08-01",[6,11,15,19,23,26,30,34,38,41,45],{"title":7,"path":8,"reprint":9,"date":4,"issue":10},"Why Evil Was Permitted","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F13b",13,"Vol. I, No. 2",{"title":12,"path":13,"reprint":14,"date":4,"issue":10},"How Will Christ Come?","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F18",18,{"title":16,"path":17,"reprint":18,"date":4,"issue":10},"Do You Want Zion's Watch Tower?","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F20",20,{"title":20,"path":21,"reprint":22,"date":4,"issue":10},"God Is Love","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F21a",21,{"title":24,"path":25,"reprint":22,"date":4,"issue":10},"Only Waiting","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F21b",{"title":27,"path":28,"reprint":29,"date":4,"issue":10},"The Ages","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F22",22,{"title":31,"path":32,"reprint":33,"date":4,"issue":10},"Daily Bread","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F23",23,{"title":35,"path":36,"reprint":37,"date":4,"issue":10},"On Interpretation","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F24a",24,{"title":39,"path":40,"reprint":37,"date":4,"issue":10},"Difficulties","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F24b",{"title":42,"path":43,"reprint":44,"date":4,"issue":10},"Exhortation","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F25a",25,{"title":46,"path":47,"reprint":44,"date":4,"issue":10},"The Day of the Lord","\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F25b",{"id":49,"title":12,"author":50,"body":51,"date":4,"description":57,"extension":679,"issue":10,"meta":680,"month":681,"navigation":682,"path":13,"reprint":14,"seo":683,"sitemap":684,"stem":685,"year":686,"__hash__":687},"reprints\u002Fen\u002Freprints\u002F18.md",null,{"type":52,"value":53,"toc":670},"minimark",[54,58,83,94,99,124,127,137,140,150,155,245,260,264,275,278,281,284,333,377,402,413,417,427,438,445,449,472,503,517,528,532,542,588,632],[55,56,57],"p",{},"Having considered in our last the object\nof our Lord's return, the manner in\nwhich he will come becomes to all who\n\"love His appearing\" one of great interest,\nand now invites your attention.",[55,59,60,61,68,69,72,73,76,77,82],{},"In order that we may have a good\nfoundation, and as a basis for further investigation,\nwe will first inquire.  What\nis a spiritual body?  What powers are\ntheirs, and by what laws are they governed?\nWe are here met by the objections\n—we have no right to pry into\nthe hidden things of God: and, \"Eye\nhath not seen, ear heard, neither have\nentered into the heart of man, the things\nwhich God hath prepared for those that\nlove him.\"  To both of these propositions\nwe assent, but believe we cannot find out\nby studying God's word—and our investigation\nwill be confined to it—what he\nhas not revealed.  The above quotation of\nscripture (1 Cor. 2:9) refers to the\nnatural or carnal man, and by reading it,\nin connection with the ",[62,63,64],"em",{},[65,66,67],"strong",{},"three verses which follow","\nthe objection vanishes;\nfor, says the apostle, \"God hath revealed\nthem unto ",[62,70,71],{},"us"," by His spirit,\" which\nwas given to us \"that we ",[62,74,75],{},"might know"," the\nthings freely given unto us of God;\" and\nin the last clause of ",[62,78,79],{},[65,80,81],{},"vs. 13",", he gives us\nthe rule by which we may know, viz.:\n\"Comparing spiritual things with spiritual.\"\nWe are very apt to invert this\nrule and compare spiritual things with\nnatural, and thus get darkness instead\nof light.  Let us now use the apostle's\nrule.",[55,84,85,86,89,90],{},"There is a spiritual body as well as a\nnatural body; a heavenly, as well as an\nearthly body; a celestial as well as a\nterrestrial.  They are distinct and separate.\n(1 Cor. 15:38,40.)  We know what\nthe fleshly, natural body is, for we now\nhave such; it is flesh, blood and bones;\nfor \"that which is born of the flesh is\nflesh,\" and since there are two kinds of\nbodies, we know that the spiritual is not\ncomposed of flesh, blood and bones,\nwhatever it may be, it is a spiritual body,\nand \"that which is born of the spirit is\nspirit.\"  But of what material a spiritual\nbody is composed, we know not, for\n\"it doth not yet appear ",[62,87,88],{},"what"," we shall be;\nbut we shall be like Him.\" ",[91,92,93],"span",{},"Christ.",[95,96,98],"h2",{"id":97},"angels-are-spiritual-bodies","Angels are spiritual bodies",[55,100,101,102,105,106,109,110,112,113,116,119,120,123],{},"Christ was raised from the dead a\nspiritual body; this was His second\nbirth.  First, born of the flesh a fleshly\nbody—for, \"as the children are partakers\nof flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise\ntook part of the same.\" (Heb. 2:14.)\nHe was \"Put to death in the flesh\nbut quickened ",[91,103,104],{},"made alive"," by the\nSpirit.\"  He was raised a spiritual body.\nThis resurrection was His second birth.\nHe was the \"first ",[62,107,108],{},"born"," from the dead,\"\n\"the first-",[62,111,108],{}," among many brethren.\"\nThe church are those brethren and will\nhave a second birth of the same kind as\nHis, viz.: to spiritual bodies by the\nresurrection, when we shall awake in His\nlikeness—being made \"Like unto ",[62,114,115],{},"Christ's",[62,117,118],{},"glorious body.\"","  But, this second birth\nmust be preceded by a begetting of the\nspirit—conversion—just as surely as a\nbirth of the flesh is preceded by a begetting\nof the flesh.  Begotten of the flesh\n—born of the flesh—in the likeness of\nthe first Adam, the earthly; begotten of\nthe spirit—in the resurrection born of\nthe spirit into the likeness of the heavenly,\nthe second Adam.  \"As we have\nborne the image of the earthly ",[62,121,122],{},"we"," shall\nalso bear the image of the heavenly.\"\nWe may, then, by examining facts recorded\nof angels, and of Christ after His\nresurrection, gain general information\nwith regard to spiritual bodies, thus\n\"comparing spiritual things with\nspiritual.\"",[55,125,126],{},"First, Angels can be, and frequently\nare, present, yet invisible; for, \"The\nangel of the Lord encampeth round\nabout them that are His, and delivereth\nthem;\" and \"Are they not all ministering\nspirits, sent forth to minister for\nthem who shall be heirs of salvation?\"\n(Heb. 1:14.)  Are you an heir of salvation?\nThen, doubtless, they have ministered\nto you.  Have they ministered\nvisibly or invisibly?  Undoubtedly the\nlatter.  Elisha was surrounded by a host\nof Assyrians, his servant was fearful;\nElisha prayed to the Lord and the\nyoung man's eyes were opened and he\n\"saw the mountains round about Elisha\nfull of chariots of fire and horsemen of\nfire\" (or like fire).  Again, while to\nBaalam the angel was invisible the ass'\neyes being opened saw him.",[55,128,129,130,133,134,136],{},"Second, Angels can and have appeared\n",[62,131,132],{},"as"," men.  The Lord and two angels so\nappeared to Abraham, who had a supper\nprepared for them, of which they ate.\nAt first, Abraham supposed them to be\n\"three men,\" and it was not until they\nwere about to go that he discovered one\nof them to be the Lord, and the other\ntwo angels, who afterward went down to\nSodom and delivered Lot. (Gen. 18:1.)\nAn Angel appeared to Gideon ",[62,135,132],{}," a\nman, but afterward made himself known.\nAn Angel appeared to Samson's mother\nand father; they thought him a man\nuntil He ascended up to heaven in the\nflame of the altar. (Judges 13:20.)",[55,138,139],{},"Third, Spiritual bodies are glorious in\ntheir normal condition and are frequently\nspoken of as glorious and bright.\nThe countenance of the angel who rolled\naway the stone from the sepulcher \"was\nas the lightning.\"  Daniel saw a glorious\nspiritual body whose eyes were as lamps\nof fire, his countenance as the lightning,\nhis arms and feet like in color to polished\nbrass, his voice as the voice of a\nmultitude; before him Daniel fell as a\ndead man. (Daniel 10:6.)  John, on the\nisle of Patmos, saw Christ's glorious\nbody, (Rev. 1:14) and describes the appearance\nin almost the same language—\nHis voice was as the sound of many\nwaters, His eyes as lamps of fire, His feet\nlike fine brass as it burns in a furnace,\n(so bright that you can scarcely look at\nit), John falls at His feet as dead; but\nHe said to him, fear not; I am He that\nwas dead; behold I am alive forevermore.\nSaul of Tarsus saw Christ's glorious\nbody.  It shone above the brightness\nof the sun at noonday.  Saul lost\nhis sight and fell to the ground, &c.",[55,141,142,143,146,149],{},"We have thus far found spiritual bodies\ntruly glorious; yet, without a miracle,\neither the opening of our eyes to see\nthem, or their appearing ",[62,144,145],{},"in the flesh as",[62,147,148],{},"men,"," they are invisible.  This conclusion\nis further confirmed when we examine\nthe more minute details connected\nwith these manifestations.  The Lord\nwas seen of Saul alone, \"they that\njourneyed with him...seeing\nno man.\" (Acts 9:7.)  The men\nthat were with Daniel did not see the\nglorious being he describes, but a great\nfear \"fell on them and they ran and hid\nthemselves.\"  Again, this same glorious\nbeing declares: (Daniel 10:13.)  \"The\nprince of Persia withstood me one and\ntwenty days.\"  \"Daniel, the man greatly\nbeloved\" of the Lord, falls as dead\nbefore this one whom Persia's prince\nwithstands one and twenty days.  How\nis this?  Surely, He did not appear in\nglory to the prince; no; either He was\ninvisibly present with him, or else",[55,151,152],{},[65,153,154],{},"HE APPEARED AS A MAN.",[55,156,157,158,161,162,165,166,169,170,173,174,177,180,181,184,187,188,190,191,194,195,197,198,200,201,206,207,210,211,215,216,219,220,223,224,227,228,230,231,233,234,237,238,241,242,244],{},"Christ is a spiritual body since His\nresurrection.  During the forty days of\nHis presence before ascension, He appeared\nsome seven or eight times to His\ndisciples; where was He the remainder\nof the time?  Present but invisible.\nNotice, also, that in each instance He is\nsaid to have ",[62,159,160],{},"appeared,"," or He ",[62,163,164],{},"showed Himself,","\nlanguage never used of Him before\nHis change from a natural to a spiritual\nbody; now, as angels do—He ",[62,167,168],{},"appeared","\n&c.  Not only so, but He appeared in\ndifferent bodies—as the gardener to\nMary, \"after that, He ",[62,171,172],{},"appeared in another","\nFORM to two of them as they went\ninto the country.\"  Notice, it was in ",[62,175,176],{},"another",[62,178,179],{},"form"," and consequently not the\nsame one in which he appeared to\nMary. (Mark 16:12.)  Afterwards He\nappeared in a body, either the same or\nlike the one crucified, having the marks\nof the spear and the nails.  \"He came\nand stood in their midst, the ",[62,182,183],{},"doors being",[62,185,186],{},"shut.\"","  On these various occasions He\n",[62,189,160],{}," talked with them, then vanished\nout of their sight as the wind; they\ncould not tell whence He came nor\nwhither He went.  \"So is ",[62,192,193],{},"every one"," that\nis ",[62,196,108],{}," of the spirit.\"  When ",[62,199,122],{}," are born\nof the spirit (at the resurrection) we can\ndo so also.  All spiritual beings exhibit\nthis same power.  But Jesus said:\n\"handle me; for a spirit ",[62,202,203],{},[91,204,205],{},"pneuma"," hath\nnot ",[62,208,209],{},"flesh and bones,"," as ye see me have\"\nand He ate with them.  True; I believe\nit.  So did the angels ",[62,212,213],{},[91,214,205],{}," (Heb. 1:7)\nappear ",[62,217,218],{},"as men"," in ",[62,221,222],{},"flesh"," and ",[62,225,226],{},"bones;"," they\nate also; their spiritual bodies did not\neat, nor were they flesh and bones, but\nthe body in which they ",[62,229,168],{}," was\nflesh, and it ate.  The disciples did not\nsee Christ's glorious spiritual body, but\nas He ",[62,232,168],{}," in a fleshly body.  St.\nPaul teaches us distinctly that Christ\nwas raised from the dead a life-giving\nspirit, *",[91,235,236],{},"pneuma,* the same word used by\nour Lord."," (1 Cor. 15:44-45.)  But\nwhere did He get the various bodies\nin which He appeared?  I cannot answer\nyou; but I believe, and you do also,\nother things which we cannot understand.\nI cannot understand ",[62,239,240],{},"how"," that\ngrain of wheat grows.  Yet I know it\ndoes.  I know not ",[62,243,240],{}," Christ turned the\nwater into wine, or healed the sick, or\nraised the dead.  Yet I believe that He\ndid these things.  Can you tell me where\nHe got the clothes He wore after His\nresurrection?  \"They parted His raiment\namong them, and for His vesture they\ncast lots\"—the old were gone, and the\nlinen clothes lay in the sepulcher.  Is it\nmore difficult for spiritual beings, with\ntheir powers, to create a covering of\nflesh than a covering of cloth?  No;\nthe same power can and did do both.",[55,246,247,248,251,252,255,256,259],{},"Thus we have found Christ's spiritual\nbody like those of angels; glorious, yet\ninvisible to mortals, with power to manifest\nthe glory; or appear as a man or in\nany form He may choose.  In the resurrection\nwe shall be like the angels; and\n\"like unto Christ's glorious body.\"  We\nshall be like Him; for (not until then)\nwe shall see Him as ",[62,249,250],{},"He is,\""," for though\nwe have known Christ after the ",[62,253,254],{},"flesh,","\nyet now henceforth know we Him no\nmore,\" ",[91,257,258],{},"after the flesh."," (2 Cor. 5:16.)\nSuch a spiritual being was Christ, at\nthe time of His ascension, and with\nwhat we have learned of the powers of\nthat spiritual body, we are now, we\nhope, prepared to inquire:",[95,261,263],{"id":262},"how-will-he-come-again","How will He come again?",[55,265,266,267,270,271,274],{},"Briefly stated, we believe the Scriptures\nto teach, that, at His coming and\nfor a time after He has come, He will\nremain invisible; afterward manifesting\nor showing Himself in judgments\nand various forms, so that \"every eye\nshall see Him.\"  But every eye will not\nsee Him at the ",[62,268,269],{},"same moment.","  A similar\nstatement is made of the Resurrection,\n\"All that are in their graves hear the\nvoice of the Son of Man and come forth.\"\nTaken by itself, this seems to teach the\nresurrection of ",[62,272,273],{},"all at once.","  Yet we know\nthat there is a first resurrection composed\nof the \"blessed and holy\" only.",[55,276,277],{},"\"Behold, I come as a thief\" is the\nway He frequently spoke to His disciples\nof His coming.  He comes \"as a\nthief\" for the church—the waiting virgins,\nboth \"they that sleep in Jesus\"—\nthe first resurrection—and \"we, who\nare alive and remain,\" \"shall be caught\nup to meet the Lord in the air; so shall\nwe ever be with the Lord.\"",[55,279,280],{},"\"In that day two shall be in the mill,\ntwo in the field, two in bed; one be taken\nand the other left\"—like Enoch, who\nwas not, for the Lord took him.\"  The\nworld will go on with its affairs, unconscious\nof the great changes of\ndispensation.",[55,282,283],{},"The second advent, like the first, covers\na period of time, and is not the event\nof a moment.  The first lasted nearly\nthirty-four years, and the events connected\nwith it—His birth, baptism, sorrow,\ndeath, resurrection, etc., as mentioned\nby the prophets, all took place at\nthe first advent.  The second advent, as\nwe have seen, lasts much longer.  It includes\nthe millennial reign, and prophecy\ncovers all the prominent features\nof that reign.  He comes to reign—must\nreign until He has put down all enemies;\nthe last being death. 1 Cor. 15:25.",[55,285,286,287,290,291,294,295,298,299,302,303,306,307,310,313,314,317,318,321,322,325,326,329,332],{},"In the application of prophecy to the\nevents of the first advent, we recognize\norder.  Christ must be the ",[62,288,289],{},"\"child"," born\nand son given\" \"before the ",[62,292,293],{},"man"," of sorrows\nand acquainted with grief.\"  He\nmust ",[62,296,297],{},"die"," before He could ",[62,300,301],{},"rise"," from the\ndead, etc.  So also in studying prophecy\nreferring to the second advent we must\nrecognize order; we must judge of the\norder somewhat by the character of the\nevent.  As the wife is the ",[62,304,305],{},"glory"," of the\nhusband, so the Bride is the glory of\nChrist, for we are to be \"partakers of the\nglory that shall be revealed,\" (1 Pet. 5:1,10)\nand as the \"glory shall be ",[62,308,309],{},"revealed",[62,311,312],{},"in us.\""," (Rom. 8:18.)  We know\nthat Christ could not come in the glory\nof his kingdom ",[91,315,316],{},"church"," until he has\nfirst gathered it from the world.  In harmony\nwith this thought we read—\"When\n",[62,319,320],{},"He"," shall ",[62,323,324],{},"appear, we"," also shall ",[62,327,328],{},"appear with",[62,330,331],{},"Him"," in glory.\" (Col. 3:4.)",[55,334,335,336,339,340,343,344,346,347,350,351,354,355,362,363,366,367,370,371,373,374,376],{},"The prophets foretold the sufferings of\nChrist ",[91,337,338],{},"head and body"," and the glory\nthat should follow.  If the sufferings\nwere of the ",[62,341,342],{},"whole body,"," so is the ",[62,345,305],{},"\nwe suffer with Him that we may be also\n",[62,348,349],{},"\"glorified together.\""," (Rom. 8:17.)\n\"Enoch prophesied, saying—the Lord\ncometh ",[62,352,353],{},"with"," ten thousands of His saints,\"\n",[91,356,357,358,361],{},"gr. ",[62,359,360],{},"hagios,"," never translated angel.","\n(Jude 14.)  Again, (Zech. 14:5) we\nread—\"the Lord my God shall come\nand ",[62,364,365],{},"all thy saints with thee.\"","  Thus we\nlearn that when He ",[62,368,369],{},"appears"," in glory we\nare ",[62,372,353],{}," Him, and of course, we must be\ncaught to meet Him before we could\nappear ",[62,375,353],{}," Him.",[55,378,379,380,383,384,387,390,391,394,395,398,399,401],{},"We have further evidence to offer,\nproving that He comes unknown to the\nworld; but attempt to answer two supposed\nobjections first; viz.: \"This same\nJesus shall so come in like manner as ye\nhave seen Him go into heaven,\" (Acts 1:11)\nand \"The Lord himself shall descend\nfrom heaven with a shout, with\nthe voice of the arch-angel and the\ntrump of God; and the dead in Christ\nshall rise.\" (1 Thes. 4:16.)  These\nTexts are supposed to teach that Christ\nwill come visible to every eye, while\nthe air is rent with the blast of the Archangel's\ntrumpet, at which, mid reeling\ntombstones and opening graves the dead\nwill be resurrected.  It certainly has\nthat appearance on the surface, and\ndoubtless was intended to be so understood\nuntil due; but look at it again;\nwould that be coming in ",[62,381,382],{},"like manner"," as\nthey saw Him go?  He did not go with\nthe sounding of a trumpet and outward\ndemonstration.  It does not say ",[62,385,386],{},"you",[62,388,389],{},"shall see"," Him coming, nor that ",[62,392,393],{},"any one","\nwould so see, but—He shall come.  When\nhe arrives it will be privately.  He\ncomes to organize us—the Church—as\nHis kingdom; to set us up.  He comes\nto be glorified in His saints in that day\n(2 Thes. 1:10.)  The world saw him not\nafter His resurrection; they did not see\nHim ascend.  And \"He shall so come\nin like manner\"—unknown to the\nworld.  As He said, \"Yet a little while\nand the world seeth me no more,\" nor\nwill they see Him at His second advent\nuntil His church is gathered, for when\nHe shall ",[62,396,397],{},"appear"," we also shall ",[62,400,397],{},"\nwith Him.\"  What, then, does the\ntrumpet mean?  Let us see.  We are to\nbe rewarded \"at the resurrection,\" we\nsurely will not be rewarded twice nor\nresurrected twice.  We conclude, therefore,\nthat the \"Trump of God,\" (1 Thes. 4:16)\nand the \"Last Trump,\" (1 Cor. 15:52,)\nare the same, differently expressed;\nthe same events are mentioned\nas occurring at each, viz.: the resurrection\nand reward of the saints, and for\nthe same reason we believe the \"Trump\nof God\" and \"Last Trump\" to be the\n\"Seventh Trump\" of Rev. 11:15,18.\nUnder it also the dead are judged and\nthe prophets and saints rewarded.  Then\nthe \"Seventh Trump\" is the \"Last\nTrump,\" and is called, \"The Trump of\nGod,\" possibly because introducing the\nspecial judgments of God connected with\nthe setting up of His kingdom.",[55,403,404,405,408,409,412],{},"These trumpets evidently are the same,\nbut what?  The seventh angel ",[62,406,407],{},"sounded.","\nA sound on the air?  No, not any more\nthan the six which preceded it.  They are\neach said to sound, and Sir Isaac Newton,\nClarke, and all commentators of note\nagree that five or six of these trumpets\nare in the past.  They have been fulfilled\nin ",[62,410,411],{},"events"," upon the Earth, each covering\na period of time.  They certainly\nmust all sound before the resurrection,\nfor that is under the seventh.  If",[95,414,416],{"id":415},"the-seventh-trump","The seventh trump",[55,418,419,420,423,426],{},"were to make a sound on the air, it\nwould be out of harmony with the other\nsix of the series.  That it covers \"the\ngreat day of His wrath,\" the time of\njudgments upon ",[62,421,422],{},"the kingdoms of the",[62,424,425],{},"world"," and of the pouring out of the\n\"seven vials\" of His wrath, the \"time\nof trouble such as was not since there\nwas a nation\" seems more than probable,\nfor we are told in the same sentence\nof the wrath of God coming on the\nnations.",[55,428,429,430,433,434,437],{},"We see then, that the ",[62,431,432],{},"sounding"," of the\ntrumpets, and so coming in ",[62,435,436],{},"like manner,","\ndo not conflict but rather add force to\nthe fact that He comes \"unawares,\" \"as\na thief\" and steals away from the world\n\"His treasure, His jewels,\" remember\ntoo that this is Christ the spiritual body,\nthat could not be seen without a miracle,\nthat was present yet unseen during\nthirty-three days after his resurrection.",[55,439,440,441,444],{},"But will the world not see the saints\nwhen gathered or gathering?  No; they\nare changed (in the twinkling of an eye)\nfrom Natural to Spiritual bodies, like\nunto Christ's glorious body, and in the\ninstant of their change &c., will be as\ninvisible as He and angels.  But those\nwho arise from their graves?—No, they\nwere sown (buried) natural bodies, they\nare raised spiritual bodies—",[62,442,443],{},"invisible.","\nWon't the world see the graves open\nand the tombstones thrown down?  A\nspiritual body (remember we are comparing\nspiritual things with spiritual,\nnot natural) coming out of the grave\nwill not make any more of a hole in the\nground than Christ's spiritual body made\nin the door when \"He came and stood\nin their midst, the doors being shut.\"\nBut do not forget that only the church\nare raised spiritual bodies, all others,\nnatural fleshly bodies as Lazarus, &c.",[95,446,448],{"id":447},"presence-of-christ-before-the-rapture-of-the-church","Presence of Christ before the rapture of the church",[55,450,451,452,455,456,459,460,463,464,467,468,471],{},"Christ's personal presence and ministry\nof three and a half years at the first\nadvent, as well as the three and a half\nyears which followed his ministry is\ntermed—",[62,453,454],{},"\"The harvest.\"","  It was the harvesting\nof the Jewish or Law age.\nChrist was present as the chief reaper.\nHis disciples as under-reapers; their\nwork was separating of wheat from\nchaff and the gathering of the wheat into\nthe higher or Gospel dispensation.\nThat harvest was the end of that age.\nJesus said to His disciples, \"Lift up your\neyes and look on the fields, for they are\nwhite already to harvest.\"  \"I sent you\nto reap that whereon ye bestowed no\nlabor, other men (the prophets) have\nlabored and ye are entered into their\nlabors.\" (John 4:38.)  That work was\nnot general, nor for the world.  He confined\nHis labors to Judea, and the work\nto them did not cease until five days before\nHis death, when he rode on the ass\ninto the city, wept over it, gave them up,\nand ",[62,457,458],{},"their house"," was left unto them desolate.\nAfter His resurrection He sends\nthe disciples to \"preach the Gospel to\nevery creature, beginning at Jerusalem\";\nnor were they suffered to preach to the\nworld in general until the seven years\nof harvest work to that Jewish people\nwas fully accomplished as God had\npromised. (Daniel 9:27.)  \"He (Jesus,\nchief reaper) shall confirm the covenant\nwith many for one week, (seven\nyears) in the midst of the week making\nall sacrifice to cease\"—himself being\noffered—the true sacrifice.  But these\nthree and a half years of the Gospel age\nwere a harvest to none but the Jewish\nchurch; the Gospel church does not reap\nbut sows the seed.  Paul plants, Apollos\nwaters, God gives increase, etc.  But\nthere is to be a harvest in the end of\nthis age, as ",[62,461,462],{},"illustrated"," in the parable of\nthe tares and wheat, and ",[62,465,466],{},"taught"," in the explanation\nof the same.  Notice that both\nwheat and tares, are in the kingdom of\nheaven,—the church—and that this\nparable, as also the other six of the\nseries, refers not to the non-professing\nworld, but to two classes ",[62,469,470],{},"in"," the church.",[55,473,474,475,478,479,482,483,486,487,490,491,494,495,498,499,502],{},"The Son of Man planted the church\npure, good seed.  During the days of the\nApostles there were special \"gifts of the\nSpirit\" such as \"discerning of spirits,\"\netc., by which they were able to prevent\n",[62,476,477],{},"tares"," getting in among the ",[62,480,481],{},"wheat","—hypocrites\ngetting into the church.  (Instance\n1 Cor. 5:3—\"Simon Magus\"—\"Ananias\nand Sapphira,\" etc.) but when the\nApostles were dead, \"while men slept\"\n—the enemy began to sow tares among\nthe wheat.  Paul says that the mystery\nof iniquity had begun to work even in\nhis day; now, they grow side by side in\nall our churches.  Shall we separate\nthem, Lord?  No (we might make some\nmistake, pull up wheat and leave tares.)\n\"Let both grow together until ",[62,484,485],{},"the Harvest.\"","\n(Matt. 13.)  The harvest ",[62,488,489],{},"is"," the\nend of the world\" *",[91,492,493],{},"aion* age.","  \"In the\ntime of harvest I will say unto the reapers\n—the reapers are the angels—gather\ntogether ",[62,496,497],{},"first"," the tares, and bind them\nin bundles ",[62,500,501],{},"to"," burn them; but gather the\nwheat into my barn.\"",[55,504,505,506,509,510,513,514,516],{},"Notice, this ",[62,507,508],{},"Harvest"," is the end of this\nage, yet, like the one ending, the Jewish\nage, it is a period of time—\"In the ",[62,511,512],{},"time","\nof harvest\"—secondly, there is order—\n\"gather ",[62,515,497],{}," the tares.\"  There will come\na time, then, in the end of this age, when\nthe reapers—angels—will be present doing\nsome sort of a separating work in\nthe Church; and yet it is an invisible\npresence, for when the wheat is gathered\n(after the binding of the tares,)—translated,\nwhen \"we which are alive are caught\nup to meet the Lord\"—when taken they\nare in the field, mill and bed; would\nthey be so engaged if they had seen\nangels going about gathering tares?  No;\nit is an invisible work, done by beings\ninvisible.",[55,518,519,520,523,524,527],{},"Again, before the living are gathered,\nthe ",[62,521,522],{},"dead in Christ"," must have risen,\nwhether it be but a moment before: \"the\ndead in Christ rise ",[62,525,526],{},"first, then"," we which\nare alive,\" &c. (1 Thess. 4:16.)  This\nharvest is not of the living only, but\nalso of \"the dead in Christ\" \"those that\nsleep in Jesus.\"  The angels gather the\nliving, but our Lord, who is the chief\nreaper here (as He was in the Jewish\nharvest), gathers or raises the dead.  \"I\nwill raise him up;\" \"I am the resurrection\nand the life;\" and in harmony\nwith this thought, we find that in Rev. 14:15\n—\"One like unto the Son of Man,\nseated on a cloud,\" reaps the earth.\nHere, two harvests, or two parts of one\nharvest, are shown, the second being the\ncasting of the vine of the earth into the\nwine-press of His wrath.  The special\npoint to which your attention is called,\nhowever, is the fact that the harvest will\ngo on without outward demonstration,\nthe chief and under-reapers being present\nbut unseen.",[95,529,531],{"id":530},"the-presence-parousia-of-christ","The presence (Parousia) of Christ",[55,533,534,535,538,539],{},"Some may have confounded these remarks\non the presence of Christ in a\nspiritual body, with the presence of the\nspirit of Christ; but they are quite distinct.\nThe latter never left the church;\nconsequently in that sense He could not\n\"come again.\"  Of His spiritual presence\nhe said: \"Lo, I am with you alway,\neven unto the end of the world.\"  We\nrefer to the ",[62,536,537],{},"personal presence"," which did\ngo away, and will come again—a spiritual\n",[62,540,541],{},"body.",[55,543,544,545,548,549,552,553,556,557,560,563,564,567,568,571,572,575,576,579,580,583,584,587],{},"The Greek word generally used in referring\nto the second advent—",[62,546,547],{},"Parousia,","\nfrequently translated ",[62,550,551],{},"coming","—invariably\nsignifies ",[62,554,555],{},"personal presence,"," as having come,\narrived, and never signifies ",[62,558,559],{},"to be on the",[62,561,562],{},"way,"," as we use the word ",[62,565,566],{},"coming.","  This\nfact is recognized by many who are looking\nfor the Lord, but the error under\nwhich the church in general is laboring,\nis that of supposing that ",[62,569,570],{},"presence"," implies\n",[62,573,574],{},"sight","—manifestation—appearance.\nIn the Greek, however, other words are\nused to express revelation, appearing and\nmanifestation, viz: ",[62,577,578],{},"phaneroo","—rendered\nshall appear in \"when He shall ",[62,581,582],{},"appear,","\n&c.,\"—and ",[62,585,586],{},"apokalupsis","—rendered, shall\nbe revealed—2 Thess. 1:7.  \"When the\nLord Jesus shall be revealed.\"",[55,589,590,591,594,595,598,599,604,605,608,609,612,613,616,617,619,620,623,624,627,628,631],{},"But we have Christ's own words to prove\nthat He will be present in the world, and\nthe world will not know of it. Matt. 24:37,\nwe read: \"As the days of Noah were,\nso shall also the ",[62,592,593],{},"parousia"," (presence) of\nthe Son of Man be.\"  The presence of\nChrist is not compared to the flood, but\nto the days of Noah, the days that were\n",[62,596,597],{},"before"," the flood, as ",[62,600,601],{},[65,602,603],{},"verse 38","shows; as\nthen they ate, drank, married, etc., and\n",[62,606,607],{},"knew not,"," so shall also the presence of the\nSon of Man be.  The resemblance here\nmentioned is that of ",[62,610,611],{},"not knowing","—they\nwill ",[62,614,615],{},"not know"," of the ",[62,618,570],{}," of Christ.\nThey may have been wicked then, and\ndoubtless were, and may be similarly\nwicked in His presence; but wickedness\nis not the point of comparison, as then\nthey ate, drank, married—proper enough\nthings to be doing, not sins; so shall it\nbe in Christ's presence.  Now look at\nLuke 17:26, \"As it was in the days of\nNoah, so shall it be also in the days of\nthe Son of Man.\"  Verse 27tells us how\nit was in the days of Noah, they were\neating, drinking, marrying, etc.  \"So\nshall it be ",[62,621,622],{},"in the days"," of the Son of Man.\"\nSurely the days of the Son of Man are\nnot ",[62,625,626],{},"before His days,"," any more than the\ndays of Henry Clay could be days before\nhe was born.  No; the more we examine\nthe more we are convinced that the world\nwill go on as usual, and know not until\n\"the harvest is past, the summer ended,\"\nand they are not in the ark, not with the\nlittle flock \"accounted worthy to escape.\"\nThere will be no ",[62,629,630],{},"outward demonstration","\nof the second advent having begun, and\nChrist being present, until the church is\ngathered, whenever it takes place—soon\nor in the distant future.",[55,633,634,635,638,639,642,643,645,646,649,650,653,654,657,658,661,662,665,666,669],{},"We think we have good solid reasons\n—not imaginations—not dreams nor\nvisions, but Bible evidences (known to\nthe majority of our readers) that we are\nnow \"in the days of the Son;\" that\n\"the day of the Lord\" has come, and\nJesus, a spiritual body, ",[62,636,637],{},"is present,"," harvesting\nthe Gospel age; yet, as He had\nsaid, the world seeth Him no more; they\neat, drink, etc., and know not.  This day\nof the Lord, in which \"He will show who\nis that blessed and only potentate, the\nLord of Lords and King of Kings,\" is\nalready dawning, but the majority of the\nprofessing church, as well as the world,\nare asleep; and to them—The day so\ncometh as a thief in the night.  \"But ye,\nbrethren are ",[62,640,641],{},"not in darkness,"," that that\nday should come upon ",[62,644,386],{}," as a thief.\"\n\"We are not of the night, therefore let\nus not sleep ",[62,647,648],{},"as do others.\"","  This is the\nsignification of our sub-title, \"HERALD\nOF CHRIST'S PRESENCE.\"  Not the worldly\nwise but those humble ones, wise from\nheavenly instruction are meant when it\nis written: \"The wise shall understand,\"\nbut \"If thou shalt ",[62,651,652],{},"not watch"," thou\nshalt ",[62,655,656],{},"not know,"," what hour I will come\nupon thee.\"  Take heed lest ",[62,659,660],{},"your"," hearts\nbe ",[62,663,664],{},"over","charged with...the cares\nof this life, and so that day come upon\nYOU ",[62,667,668],{},"unawares.\"","  The events of \"the day\nof God Almighty\" will next be\nconsidered.",{"title":671,"searchDepth":672,"depth":672,"links":673},"",2,[674,675,676,677,678],{"id":97,"depth":672,"text":98},{"id":262,"depth":672,"text":263},{"id":415,"depth":672,"text":416},{"id":447,"depth":672,"text":448},{"id":530,"depth":672,"text":531},"md",{},"August",true,{"title":12,"description":57},{"loc":13},"en\u002Freprints\u002F18",1879,"d2onoMYXaIJEEOcKhtzbjU2bzCnoZQOhmxOk3g7vAH8",1776402511397]