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100 WORLD-KNOWN WITNESSES OF THE
SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD
Part 4
Dr. F. B. Meyer, the popular Minister of Christ Church,
“The Greek word translated Coming---‘the Coming of the Lord’ ---is, literally, the Presence. It is a very beautiful word! Of course He is always present, but a time is coming when His Presence shall be manifested in great power and glory. ‘Every eye shall see Him and they which pierced Him.’ There will then be an open vision of the Eternal. And ‘when Christ, Who is our life shall be manifested, then shall we also with Him be manifested in glory.’ ‘The earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.’ Already the veil, which has been cast by sin over the efface of all creatures, is being thinned. The spiritual is becoming more apparent. The light behind the curtain is becoming more brilliant. It cannot be long before, to those who love, His manifested glory will be revealed.”
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, the distinguished Bible Expositor, Author of many Biblical Works.
“To me the Second Coming is the perpetual light on the path which makes the present bearable. I never lay my head on the pillow without thinking that, maybe, before the morning breaks, the final Morning may have dawned! I never begin my work without thinking that, perhaps He may interrupt my work, and begin His own! This is now His Word to all believing souls, ‘Till I come.’ We are not looking for death, we are looking for Him! . . .If He should come ere the day is done, will there be any we have won for Him? In the hour of the Advent, not the amount of this world’s goods amassed, not the name we have won for ourselves, but the souls will count.”
“Christ’s Second Coming will be Pre-Millennial. It is imminent. We wait for the Advent, according to His will, by living, by serving, by loving, by hoping, by persevering.”
D. L. Moody, the Prince of Evangelists, known world wide.
“I heard Mr. D. L. Moody ask in the presence of 2000 people: ‘Why do you Ministers not preach the Second Coming of Christ? There are 260 chapters in the New Testament, and 318 references to the Lord’s Second Coming, and yet how little we hear about it!’ There is not a Christian doctrine that receives more attention in the Word of God than the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; it comes in at every point of Christian life, is associated with every Christian doctrine, and is constantly brought to bear upon the motives and actions of the Lord’s people, and is set forth as a warning to those who are not His by redemption”---Prophetic News.
W. R. Moore, Esq., B. A., Barrister,
“It is difficult to conceive that any Christian who believes that the statements contained in the Bible are Divinely inspired can deny the personal and Pre-Millennial Coming of our Lord. His statement is clear, ‘I will come again, and receive you unto myself’ (John 14:3), and is confirmed by the two heavenly Messengers at the Ascension: “This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven’ (Acts 1:11). There is one fact that needs to be remembered, however, countless numbers of believers have passed by death into the presence of their Lord since He ascended into Heaven. ‘This being so, surely we should take more earnest heed of our Lord’s warning, ‘Watch,’ for we none of us know whether we shall be among those who fall asleep in Jesus or among those who are alive and remain unto the Coming of the Lord.”
Dr. Handley Moule, Bishop of Durham, Author of Commentaries on Romans, Colossians, Philippians, and other works.
“The future contains days and hours dark and drear, no doubt, but with supreme certainty it contains this great felicity. At some time, probably at no distant time, is to dawn and beam upon us this personal arrival of the Altogether Lovely; turning midnight into morning, winter into heavenly summer, age into immortal youth, indeed a life of holy happiness and happy holiness for ever. . .We are nearing the closing days of this age.”
Thos. D. W. Muir, a well-known Teacher in
“This present Church Age began with the advent of the Holy Ghost of God on the Day of Pentecost (Matt.
Dr. L. W. Munhall, one of the greatest evangelists the
“I have known personally every prominent Evangelist in
Dr. Alexander M’Laren, the famous Expositor,
“Paul’s Christianity gathered round two facts and moments: one in the past, Christ has come; one in the future, Christ will come. For memory, the Coming by the cradle and the Cross; for hope, the Coming on His throne in glory; and between these two moments, like the solid piers of a suspension bridge, the frail structure of the present hangs swinging. In this day men have lost their expectation of the one, and to a large extent their faith in the other. But we shall not understand Scripture unless we seek to make as prominent in our thoughts as on its pages that Second Coming as the complement and necessary issue of the first. It colors all the New Testament views of life. It is used as a motive for every duty, and as a magnet to draw men to Jesus Christ by salutary dread. In the Epistle in which ‘Maran-atha’ occurs Paul writes: ‘Ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (I Cor. 1:7)”
J. H. McConkey, Author of the many booklets, which have been circulated extensively.
“’Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come’ (Matt. 24:42). We look for no signs. We know of no event between us and the Coming of the Lord. We know not the hour He will come, but we know not any hour at which He may not come. It may be years from now. I may be tomorrow: it may be today. It may be at morn, at
Dr. Robert M’Killiam, Founder and Editor of The Morning Star, well-known Teacher.
“Maranatha! Maranatha! This was the comfort of the Christian in sorrow, his strength in service, his slogan in conflict. It maintained the pilgrim character of the Church. It incited to an out-of-the-world love and purity. It filled the heart with a glad bravery in the bitterest persecutions. It was the well-spring among them which sent the little band from Olivet. . .to the city (Acts
John G. M’Vicar, Teacher,
“I remember that one of the first things in Scripture that struck me on this subject was, the mistake made by the early Christian about John not dying at all. The report went abroad that John would not die, because our Lord had said, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” I know a person who has told me that I am not to die, but to survive till the Lord comes. Well, of course I shall be very glad if he is right, though I have no faith in anything but the written Word of God; but if he has made a mistake, observe, it is a mistake no post-Millennialist would make. The very mistake that the early Christians made, that John would live till the Lord came, and so not die at all, shows that there were no Christians in those days who put a Millennium between them and the Coming of Christ. They were all Pre-Millennialists in those days. And certainly throughout the whole of the New Testament we find the writers speaking, not as persons who would live till Christ came back, but who might. ‘We which are alive and remain. . . .We shall not all sleep,’ etc. Thank God there is no wide gulf between us and the Coming back of our Lord Jesus.”
Dr. Thomas Neatby, Author of “Our Lord’s Coming Again,” a devout student and speaker..
“‘I will come again.’ Simple word, sure word, upon which the heart stands in triumph and waits for Christ! Circumstances around may be trying; the path may be difficult; the Saviour’s absence may be felt---ought to be felt; it is night whilst He is away; but He has said in faithful love, ‘I will come again.’ He has not said when, but He has bidden us to watch. He has said that it might be ‘at even, or a
Wm. P. Nicholson, the Popular Irish Evangelist.
“The Second Coming of the Lord is a promised reality. It is more, it is a fact. He is Coming again. It isn’t some cunning devised fable, but a blessed truth, not a theory. It is not a fad of some fanatical faddist, but a real fact. The Second Coming of Christ is not only promised by Christ, but predicted by all the Old Testament prophets, confirmed by the testimony of the angels, proclaimed by all the apostles, believed by the early Christians, acknowledged in all the Church creeds, sung in all the Church hymn books, prayed about in all the Church liturgies. Few, comparatively, believe it. Fewer still lay it to heart. Many sneer at it. Nevertheless, it is the immutable truth of God. ‘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’ (John 14:2).
“If we deny the Bible to be the Word of God, then we can honestly deny the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, but if we say we believe the bible to be, not contain, the Word of God, then we are neither fair nor honest, if we either deny the Second Coming of the Lord, as a visible, personal, imminent reality, or try to make the words mean something else. He is Coming again. The very same Jesus. As His Church---His Bride---we have His promise. ‘I will come again.’ We have His ordinance of His supper, ‘Till He come.’ We have His command, ‘Occupy till I come.’ We have the attitude we are to be daily in, ‘Waiting for His Son from Heaven,’ We have the prayer we are to pray, “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’”
Henry Ostrom, Author, Bible Teacher, and Evangelist, a man whose scholarly attainments and power as a preacher have given him favor with the churches for many years in all parts of
“Formerly a strong post-Millennialist, Mr. Ostrom has changed his position, reversing his teaching in books that he wrote a number of years ago, and has been teaching the Pre-Millennial and imminent Coming of the Lord at many Bible Conferences. He was led to see this truth because of its power in the lives of the most successful evangelists and missionaries of the world.”
“Preb. H. W. Webb-Popleo, a London Clergyman, well-known Keswick Speaker, and diligent Bible Student.
“That the Lord Jesus has promised to return to this world is a fact that no human being can deny, and one that every true Christian delights to dwell upon; it is the goal of his hopes---the object of his ambition—the close of his trials---the opening of his glory. How, then, can he do otherwise than cry, “Even so, Lord Jesus come quickly?’ And have we not ample and soul-satisfying reasons to expect that the Lord’s Return is indeed nigh at hand?”
Dr. A. T. Pierson, Editor of the Missionary Review of the World, known world-wide as a Bible Teacher and Author.
“The Personal Second Coming of Christ is distinctly and repeatedly mentioned throughout the entire Scripture. It is declared to be imminent.”
“To be a true missionary we must be emptied of self---give to those from whom he cannot hope to receive, and bid to the feast those who are not likely to have any feast to invite us to; and so the miser dies when the missionary is born; the carnal is cast out if the spiritual is to come in; only he who loses himself can save others. But just here the Hope of the Lord’s Coming supplies exactly what is needed. It gives us a loftier level than this world affords, from which it takes our survey. Once let this conviction, this consciousness flood the soul of the believer, that the risen Lord is Himself Coming back, and may at any time turn His promise into His presence---and this outpouring of consecrated gifts and devoted lives for the sake of the lost becomes a breaking of the alabaster flesh upon Jesus’ feet, and there is ‘purpose’ in this ‘waste.’”
Hy. Pickering, Editor of The Witness, Author of “The Believer’s Blue Book,” “Chief Men Among the Brethren,” “Fresh-minted God,” etc.
“When we speak of ‘the Lord’s Coming,’ the ‘Second Advent,’ or the ‘Coming Again of Christ,’ we mean that He who came into the world to save sinners, who died, was buried, rose again, and ascended to the right hand of God, will leave that sphere, descend into the clouds above London, Paris, New York, Melbourne, and every other place. When He descends all the dead in Christ shall be raised, all the living saints on earth changed in a moment, and every true child of God, dead or alive, will be caught up to meet Him in the air, with Him enter Glory, and thus be for ever with the Lord.
“The main reasons for believing thus are:
“1. The Saviour’s Own Declaration. ‘If I go. . . I will Come again’ (John 14:3). He has gone, He is Coming, and He places nothing between.
“2. The Angelic Confirmation. After His Ascension God sent two men with this special message: ‘This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go’ (Acts 1:11). He went from the midst of His only, He went privately, He went secretly, He went surely. He ‘shall so Come.’
“3. The Apostolic Revelation. A special revelation given to the Apostle Paul, as detailed in I Thess. 4:15-17, which please read.
“Then some time after He will Come with His saints, take His great power and reign ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’ (Rev. 19:16).
F. W. Pitt, Secretary of the “Advent Testimony and Preparation Movement,” and Author of many books, thus places the order of events:
“First, The Parousia, which may happen at any moment.
“Then the Antichrist, who will reign for 3 ½ years in apparent peace.
“Then the Great Tribulation, continuing 3 ½ years to the end of Antichrist’s 7 years’ reign.
“Then The Millennium, beginning with the destruction of Antichrist, and lasting 1000 years.
“Then the Last Judgment. The end of man’s 7000 years of probation.
“Then The New Heavens and the New Earth. “Behold I make all things new.”
“Then Cometh the End. The Ages of the Ages when God will be all in all throughout Eternity.
Bishop J. C. Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool, 1880-1899, Author of Commentaries, numerous books, and innumerable tracts; one of the most Evangelical ministers in the Church of England.
“I believe that the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be a real, literal, personal, bodily Coming; and that, as He went away in the clouds of Heaven before the eyes of men, so in like manner He will return. I believe that, after our Lord Jesus Christ comes again, the earth shall be renewed and the curse removed; the devil shall be bound; the godly shall be rewarded; the wicked shall be punished; and that before He comes there will be no Millennium, and not till after He comes shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.”
Walter Scott, Bible Teacher, known on both Continents, Author of “Exposition of the Revelation,” “Coming Events,” “At Hand,” “Future Glories,” other books, and numerous pamphlets. Died at 94.
“This commanding subject occupies about a third of the contents of the Sacred Volume. Its important place in Biblical teaching is second to none. From Gen. 3:15 to Rev. 22:20 the truth of the Lord’s Coming or Presence is like a silver cord running through all Scripture. It is the main burden of the 16 prophetic books of the Old Testament---from Isaiah to Malachi. The book of Psalms is full of it, especially Psalms 90-106. The Revelation treats of it almost exclusively; while in the two Epistles to the Thessalonians the Coming is unfolded in every chapter. It formed the special theme of the Lord’s discourse on
“Carefully compare two distinguishing portions---I Thess. 4 and Zech. 14. In the former He is seen Coming into the “air” for His saints; in the latter, He is witnessed descending to Mount “Olivet” with His saints.”
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