SIGNS OF CHRIST'S SECOND COMING.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS CONCERNING HIS ADVENT.

BY ELDER EDWIN F. PARRY, LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

WHAT THE SAVIOR AND HIS APOSTLES AND THE ANCIENT PROPHETS SAY CONCERNING IT—THE MANY THINGS TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE THAT GREAT EVENT—THE SIGNS ALREADY APPEARING.

SCRIPTURAL PROOF THAT HE WILL COME.

The holy scriptures supply many proofs that Christ will again come to earth. After His resurrection He appeared to His disciples, and was "seen of them forty days." Then "he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." While the disciples were looking towards heaven as He went up, two men (angels) in white apparel stood by them and said:

"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 into heaven." (Acts 1: 11).

MANNER OF HIS APPEARANCE.

Christ's second coming will be both glorious and terrible.

"They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matthew 24: 30; Mark 13: 26; Luke 21: 27).

"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." (Matthew 16: 27; Mark 8: 38).

"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: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (II Thessalonians 1: 7, 8, 9).

TIME OF HIS COMING.

The day and the hour of the Messiah's coming is not known.

"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." (Mark 13: 32, 33).

MANY SIGNS OF HIS COMING TO APPEAR.

The Bible foretells many things that shall take place before the Savior comes to reign in glory upon the earth.

WARS, FAMINES AND EARTHQUAKES.

Christ's disciples asked Him to tell them what should be the sign of His coming, and of the end of the world. He answered them in these words:

"Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." (Matthew 24: 4, 5, 6, 7).

GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM TO BE PREACHED.

In addition to this he mentioned another sign. He said:

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24: 14).

These words have no reference to the ministry of Christ's former disciples. The end of the world, or the end of the reign of wickedness, did not follow their preaching. The Savior certainly referred to a time in the future. He spoke of a special message of the Gospel of the kingdom to be restored in latter days, otherwise the preaching of it would not be a witness or sign to all nations of the near approaching end, as He said it should be.

JOHN'S PROPHECY.

The beloved Apostle John, in the book of Revelation, foretells many things that should take place after the time of his writings. One thing he describes in these words:

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." (Revelation 14: 6, 7).

John evidently refers to the same event as does the Savior. The coming of an angel with the Gospel message for all nations, as predicted by John, should be in the hour of God's judgment. That is at the same time referred to by Jesus, when He said wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes should occur; for these things are some of God's judgments.

PREDICTIONS OF DANIEL.

The Prophet Daniel also foretells a similar event, which he says, "shall be in the latter days." After describing the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream, Daniel explains the meaning of it. He says the image represented Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and the kingdoms that should be built up after it. The fourth great kingdom—the Roman power—should be divided, and a number of kingdoms should grow out of it. Then he declares a wonderful event shall take place. He says:

"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel 2: 44).

WHAT DANIEL REFERS TO.

Some may think this prophecy refers to the establishing of the kingdom of heaven on earth in the days of Christ's first coming. This cannot be the case. God's kingdom at that time did not "break in pieces and consume" the one great kingdom then existing—the Roman empire. On the other hand the worldly powers, which St. John describes as a "beast," made "war with the saints," and overcame them, and got power over all kindreds, and tongues and nations. (Revelation 13: 7).

The kingdom referred to by Daniel, as he plainly says "shall not be left to other people," while the Gospel of the kingdom in the days of Christ's former Apostles was rejected by the Jews and left to other people. It was taken to the Gentiles.

CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THESE PREDICTIONS.

The Apostle John, in speaking of the great event of the future, says he heard voices in heaven saying—

"The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11: 15).

This is also in harmony with Daniel's prediction about the kingdom of God being set up in the latter days.

As all these prophecies so nicely agree, we are forced to the conclusion that the Gospel of Christ is to be preached in all the world in latter days as a witness, or sign, of the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom.

GOD'S ELECT TO BE GATHERED.

Other significant events should precede the Savior's second coming. He mentions them also:

"But in those days, after the tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. . . . . . And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven." (Mark 13: 24, 25, 27; Matthew 24: 29, 31).

St. Luke adds that there shall be "upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." (Luke 21: 25, 26).

That all these things shall be signs of His coming is to be understood from what the Savior adds:

"When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." (Matthew 24: 33; Mark 13: 29; Luke 21: 31).

ANCIENT PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE LAST DAYS.

More than twenty of the ancient prophets and apostles whose writings are in the Bible predict events that shall happen in the last days, or near the time of Christ's second coming. Many of them prophesy concerning the gathering of the Lord's chosen people, the descendants of Israel. They not only foretell the gathering of the Jews but also the whole house of Israel. Some of the other tribes as well as that of Judah are scattered among all nations. The Prophet Jeremiah says concerning this gathering:

"Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks." (Jeremiah 16: 14, 15, 16).

The Prophet Isaiah says:

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people. . . . . And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." (Isaiah 11: 11, 12).

The Prophets Isaiah and Micah declare:

"It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2: 2, 3; Micah 4: 1, 2).

GATHERING OF ISRAEL A SIGN OF CHRIST'S COMING.

From what the prophets have said it is evident that this gathering of Israel shall be connected with Christ's reign upon earth, and will therefore be a sign of His coming. The Prophet Ezekiel predicts that Israel shall be gathered, and in the same connection declares the word of the Lord, saying:

"I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them forever." (Ezekiel 37: 26).

The setting of the Lord's sanctuary in the midst of them forever must have reference to the establishing of His kingdom never more to be thrown down.

In connection with this gathering Isaiah speaks of a time when enmity among the animal creations shall cease, and when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea," (Isaiah 11: 9), indicating that the gathering will be near the time when peace and righteousness shall prevail upon the earth.

SIGNS FOLLOWING THE BELIEVERS.

That the blessings of the Gospel, which were in the church in the days of Christ and His apostles, will be restored at the time when the gathering of Israel shall take place is shown by what Isaiah foretells:

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." (Isaiah 35: 5, 6).

A MESSENGER TO APPEAR.

There is still another sign to mark the coming of the Messiah. The whole volume of sacred scripture gives proof that it will be manifest.

The Prophet Malachi, repeating the Lord's words to him concerning His coming in glory, says:

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 3: 1).

The following verse shows that this prophecy does not refer to Christ's first coming:

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap." (Malachi 3: 2).

It appears from this prediction of Malachi that the Lord will send a messenger to prepare the way for His second coming, as was done at the time of His first coming. It is reasonable to believe this, for it is in full harmony with the teachings of the scriptures. The Prophet Amos says:

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3: 7).

ABUNDANCE OF SCRIPTURE TO PROVE IT.

The whole Bible history bears witness to the truth of these words of Amos. It is a record of God's dealings with mankind through the agency of "his servants the prophets," The sacred book tells us nothing concerning the things of God but what has been revealed by His holy prophets. In connection with all important events it relates, we read of some inspired men appearing. These prophets were raised up to deliver special messages from the Lord direct to the people. From time to time the Lord has such messages to declare to mankind. In all past ages He has proclaimed them by the mouths of His prophets. The Lord spoke to these men with His own voice, sometimes face to face, sometimes from the midst of a cloud or from a burning bush, and at other times by a voice from heaven.

Before the Lord destroyed the inhabitants of the earth with a flood, He raised up the Prophet Noah to warn the people of the danger they were in, and to point out to them a way of escape.

When the Lord was about to raise up a chosen people of the posterity of Abraham, He told that patriarch of His intention. He also renewed the promise to Jacob, by speaking unto him, and Jacob prophesied concerning his posterity.

After the children of Israel became slaves to the Egyptians, and when the Lord was about to free them, He revealed His intentions to the Prophet Moses. He chose this man to prepare the people for deliverance and to lead them out of Egypt.

When the Jews were about to be taken captives by the Babylonians, prophets were sent to warn them of their danger. Jeremiah and Ezekiel were two of those prophets. The people heeded not their warning, and many were slain or taken as prisoners.

When the Lord was about to destroy Nineveh, unless the people repented of their sins, He sent the Prophet Jonah to call them to repentance. The people listened to and obeyed his words and were saved.

When the Jewish kingdom was about to be entirely overthrown for the last time, John the Baptist and the Savior Himself appeared to point out the way for the people's salvation; but they were rejected by the great majority.

THE FUTURE DETERMINED BY THE PAST.

Jesus says about His second advent:

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24: 37).

As Noah was sent to warn the people of the approaching flood in his day, is it not reasonable to expect that a prophet will be sent in the latter days to warn the people of the destruction of the wicked, when the Savior comes to take vengeance upon them?

The Bible fully establishes the fact that all important things done by the Lord in past ages have been preceded by the appearance of inspired prophets. Surely the greatest event of the world's history—Christ's glorious reign on earth—will be preceded by the appearance of divinely inspired messengers!

SIGNS ENUMERATED.

Scriptural testimony has been presented in the foregoing to show that a number of signs of Christ's second coming will be made manifest to the world before His appearance takes place:

There will be Wars and Rumors of Wars, Famines, and Pestilences, and Earthquakes.

The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be Preached in all the World for a Witness unto all Nations.

The Sun and Moon shall be darkened, the Stars of Heaven shall Fall, and the Powers of Heaven shall be Shaken.

The Lord's Chosen People will be Gathered.

The House of the Lord shall be established in the Top of the Mountains.

All the Gifts and Blessings of the Gospel shall be Restored.

A Messenger shall Come to Prepare the Way Before the Lord.

APPEARANCE OF THE SIGNS.

The order in which these signs will appear is not clearly stated in the scriptures. It is consistent to believe that several will be apparent at once. Famines and pestilences often occur as the results of war.

The preaching of the Gospel and the gathering of the Lord's elect will take time, and may proceed together. It is plainly evident that before the preaching or the gathering the Lord's authorized messenger must appear to begin the work and to show how the Lord desires it carried out.

SIGNS ALREADY APPARENT.

The "wars and rumors of wars," the rising of "kingdom against kingdom," the "distress of nations," and the "famines, pestilences, and earthquakes" of the present time proclaim that THE COMING OF THE LORD "IS NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOORS." The desire awakened among the Jews to return to Jerusalem, and the efforts being made for them to do so, are also witnesses that THE TIME OF THEIR "REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH."

WHO BELIEVES THESE THINGS.

But what about the messenger to prepare the way before the Lord? How about the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom in all the world? Where are the gifts and blessings of the Gospel—the signs to follow the believers? Where are the chosen people being gathered? And where is the house of the Lord being established?

In this age of unbelief who is looking for the fulfillment of these important events which must surely come to pass? Well might the Savior ask the question: "When the Son of Man Cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" "As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." There were but few believers in Noah's day.

A PEOPLE PREPARING FOR CHRIST'S COMING.

The Latter-day Saints claim that the divinely inspired messenger has come to prepare the way before the Lord. They know that the gifts, powers and blessings of the Gospel have been restored, for they are partakers of them. Among them the eyes of the blind have been opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, and the lame healed. Their missionaries in a humble way have been proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom for over sixty years; and thousands of them are among the nations of the earth declaring it at the present time. Many of those who have believed their message have been gathered out from all nations, "from the four winds," from the "islands of the sea," from the "mountains" and "hills," and the "holes of the rocks." They have built the Lord's house in "the top of the mountains," where "all nations shall flow unto it," as they are now doing. There they are being taught the Lord's ways, that they might more fully "walk in His paths." The claims of the Latter-day Saints are worthy of the earnest and prayerful consideration of all who are seeking to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

"We have turned the barren, bleak prairies and swamps into beautiful towns, farms and cities, by our industry; and the men who seek our destruction and cry thief, treason, riot, are those who themselves violate the laws, steal and plunder from their neighbors, and seek to destroy the innocent, heralding forth lies to screen themselves from the just punishment of their crimes by bringing destruction upon innocent people."

—Joseph Smith.