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T H E K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
October 1924
Trie Lord Is Coming A Remarkable Sermon by the late Dr. H. Grattan Guinness (Reprinted from “ The Christian Herald” (London)
head motionless. Can you move them? No. Could all mankind move one of those clouds? No, they could not; more easily could they move rocks. Now, we read, Jesus comes with clouds. There is power: He mpves them. We have more than power in that thought— we have glory; He comes not only with literal clouds of light, but He comes with literal clouds of saints. Do you not remember that the apostle says, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, “ Therefore, seeing that we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses” ? Now, these are the clouds that Jesus will come with. Do you remember, in the old prophets, reading these words, “Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows?” With such clouds will He come! Yea, He will come with the hosts of heaven, with patri archs, with prophets, apostles, martyrs, and all His saints in glory. Object of His Coining III. A word or two about the object of His coming. If you will take the trouble of referring with me to the eleventh chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, you will find it plainly revealed in the 25th to 29th verses: “ For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is My,covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” Is not that plain language? You must, then, be forced to believe that at the coming of the Lord Jesus, the Deliverer of Sion, the Jews will be turned from ungod liness and will be restored, and so all Israel shall be saved. Is it not so? Now, this is one object. Conversion of the World Another object is the conversion of the world. Satan—- that malignant, dark, hating, and hateful spirit, who has been ages and ages deceiving the world, and causing dark ness, sorrow, and death— Satan will be chained. We know Christ is to do it. He is now gathering in link after link of his chain. And Satan feels this, and Satan rages at the very utmost stretch of his chain, seeking whom he may seize, rend, tear, and devour. At that time God will' gather up the last link, bind Satan, shut him up in hell, and set a seal on the pit that shall not be broken for a thousand years. Then, of course, peace and holiness shall reign; then sin shall be banished; then the trumpet shall sound from every hill and valley; multitudes shall flock together, and the name of the Lord shall be glorified. Do you not remember how David says in the 72nd Psalm that all shall come and worship Jesus, and bow down in adoration; that the kings shall fall down before Him; that ships shall bring their presents from afar? Time of the Millennium So it shall be in the time of the millennium. Then the prophecies in the 35th of Isaiah shall be fulfilled. The wil derness shall rejoice, for rains from heaven shall be poured out upon it; it shall be covered with the red-blossoming (Continued on page 678)
T ext: “ Behold. I com e quickly.“ — Rev. 22:7. Have a solemn announcement to make. My text declares that the Lord Jesus Is coming. Yet, how careless men are about it! They get up in the morning, and never think that Jesus may come ere they lie down at night. They lie down to sleep, and never think that they may be awakened by the trump of the archangel in the morning. They go about their busi ness, and never think that the Lord Jesus may speedily interrupt them, and put an end to all their concerns in this world, and call them to judgment. My friends* how is this? What is the reason of it? The apostle Peter explains it in his Second Epistle. He says, “ In the last day scoffers shall come, and they will say, where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued just as they were down to this present time." Ah, let these scoffers bend them down over this word, “ Behold, I come quickly.” If you want to know where is the promise of His coming, there it is. Certain Things Must Happen I. Now, before the Lord Jesus Christ comes, certain things must happen, for you know there are the antecedents to His coming, as well as the consequences of His coming. What are the antecedents to the coming of the Lord Jesus? One thing is the scattering of the Jews. That has been ful filled. You remember the Lord Jesus prophesied that not one stone of the temple of Jerusalem should be left stand ing upon another. The disciples confounded Christ’s pro phecies about the destruction of Jerusalem with His prophe cies about His second coming. Time has enabled us to dis tinguish the difference between these things. According to history, Jerusalem was taken by the Romans, Its temple was destroyed, the very foundations were razed, three mil lions of the Jews were slain, and the remainder of the nation scattered. And they are scattered through every country in the world to this day. There are other things that have to be fulfilled before the coming of the Lord. For instance, the rise of the great beast Antichrist, the rise of that mighty power Popery— that seven-hilled and ten- horned city— the modern Babylon. Has not this arisen ? My friends, this part of the prediction has been fulfilled. There is one more thing that must be fulfilled—-that is, the preaching of the Gospel in every country. We say this is just accomplished. Thousands of missionaries, follow ing the example of Paul, have gone forth preaching Christ crucified, until there is not a land in which Christ’s cross has not been planted. The Gospel is being preached in every country as a witness. But we believe the world will not be converted fully until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Manner of His Coming II. Let me say a word or two about the manner of His coming. “ Behold,” says Christ, “ I come as a thief.” How does a thief come? In the silence of the night. How does a thief come? Stealthily. How does a thief come? When least expected. How does a thief come? When you are unprepared to meet him. Thus, then, cometh Jesus. If you examine the first chapter of Revelation, you will find John says of Him, “ Behold, He cometh with clouds.” ' Now, what does that declare about the mode of His coming? Evidently it shows the grandeur of it. Oh, the grandeur of clouds! In a solemn and deep calm they lie above your
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