THE PAROUSIA (PRESENCE) OF OUR LORD JESUS, Part 16
“THEY WITHOUT US SHALL NOT BE MADE PERFECT.”
– Heb 11:40. –
We remark, incidentally, that following the gathering of the Church to glory, as above outlined, will come the resurrection of the holy ones of the past, – “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the holy prophets,” whose resurrection will be to perfect earthly conditions, and who shall be the “princes in all the earth,” seen of men, and representatives of the invisible but all-powerful spiritual Kingdom – the glorified Christ. Thus, chosen representatives of fleshly Israel will indeed rule the world, and bless it, as the representatives and agencies of the Spiritual Israel, and the nation of Israel will be first to respond to the standard of the Lord thus set up. – Psa 45:16; Rom 11:25-31; Zech 12:10.
Our Lord’s parousia (presence in the world) begun in 1874, will continue till the end of the Millennial age. The word is not applicable merely to a little period of presence at the beginning of the Millennial age: Christ’s parousia and that of his Church will continue throughout the age. Nor will the epiphania and apokalupsis be a sudden burst of glorious light; nor do these words signify a visible showing to mankind of the Lord’s person, or of the persons of his Church.
Let us remember his words, “Yet a little while, and the world sees me no more.”
Let us remember also that, as his Church is to be in his likeness, so his likeness is declared to be an “express image of the Father’s person;” it is written that he is the King eternal, immortal, invisible. (1 Tim 1:17.) Nor will it be any more necessary that the world should see with their natural eyes the Lord and his glorified ones, than that they should see the Heavenly Father: the world will see the earthly representatives of God and of Christ and of the Church, when they “see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the holy prophets,” for they will be samples of perfect manhood, which is the earthly image of the invisible God.
Our Lord’s epiphania (bright shining) and his apokalupsis (unveiling) began shortly after his parousia began; the bright shining of his presence is now visible to those who are walking “in the light” – to those who “are not in darkness with the world.” It is a mental illumination, an illumination to the eyes of our understanding, and not to our natural eyes. The eyes of our understanding have been opened to see him that is invisible to the natural sight.
The epiphania of our Lord is already affecting the world also, though not through the eyes of the understanding; for they have no eyes for such spiritual things: nevertheless, the bright shining of the Lord’s presence is influencing and affecting the whole course of the world, through an increase of knowledge on every subject – especially noticeable since 1878. Eventually, all the blinded shall have opened eyes of understanding, and
“EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM.”
Many even who are not of the Watchers are noting the signs of our times and are startled, and led to exclaim, ‘What do these things mean? – this remarkable latter-day advance in science, art, medicine and mechanical invention? – this latter-day discontent in the midst of plenty and luxury? – this latter-day growth of millionaires (billionaires) and paupers? – this growth of giant corporations of world-wide power and influence? –
Why are national policies and public men and their utterances and doings criticized (judged) by the masses as never before? – And what means it that with an apparent growth in wealth and numbers in all denominations of Christians, there is a growing dissatisfaction, discontent in them all: a growing tendency to criticize the creeds and the preaching and everything? – How comes it that nine-tenths of the preachers in all denominations know that their hearers desire a change, and would gladly “move on,” if they knew how to better themselves even at smaller salaries?
The Scriptural answer is, the hour of God’s judgment is come; the time when “Christendom,” political, financial, social and ecclesiastical is being judged – being tried in the divine balances. And the Scriptures declare that she will be found wanting, and will be adjudged unworthy to further administer the affairs of earth, which will be turned over to the elect “little flock,” according to the divine promise. – Luke 12:32.
The secret of the matter now is the same as in the Jewish “harvest,” which John explained, saying,
“THERE STANDETH ONE AMONG YOU WHOM YOU KNOW NOT.” (John 1:26)
“Mine eyes (the eyes of my understanding) can see the glory of the presence of the Lord;
He is trampling out the winepress where the grapes of wrath are stored;
I see the flaming tempest of his swift descending sword:
Our King is marching on.
“I can see his coming judgments, as they circle all the earth,
The signs and groanings promised, to precede a second birth;
I read his righteous sentence, in the crumbling thrones of earth:
Our King is marching on.
“The ‘Gentile Times’ are closing, for their kings have had their day;
And with them sin and sorrow will forever pass away;
For the tribe of Judah’s Lion now comes to hold the sway:
Our King is marching on.”
Continued with next post.