QUESTIONS ON SCRIPTURE

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, February 26, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 9

QUESTIONS ON SCRIPTURE.

55.—COMINGS OF CHRIST.

1. How many times does Christ come? 2. Are the words “everlasting” and “eternal” from the same Greek word? L. L. H.

Ans. 1. Christ has already appeared on the earth in the flesh, which is called his first advent in reference to a second coming, which is the great event before us; for “unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Heb. 9 : 28. He will also appear the second time unto them who do not look for him, but in their cases not “unto salvation.” This second coming is after probation ends, and consists of two divisions : (1.) Coming for his saints at the beginning of the one thousand years of Rev. 20 ; (2.) coming to judge the wicked at the end of the thousand years. This latter coming is not to the righteous a third coming ; for they have been with Christ reigning on Judgment thrones, ever since what was to them his second coming, at the beginning of the thousand years ; and it is not to the wicked a third coming, with the exception of the comparatively few living on the earth at the time he comes to redeem his saints, and those who have a special resurrection at that time; Dan. 12 : 2 ; Rev. 1 : 7 ; for they were in their graves, and knew nothing of that coming. Therefore the appearance of Christ at the end of the thousand years is practically, to the wicked, a second coming, as it is the second event of this kind that in any way affects them. May we not, therefore, properly say that Christ is to come the second time to all men,—to the righteous at the beginning of the thousand years, to the wicked at the end of that period? And as these are the only comings that pertain to the carrying out of the plan of redemption, these are all that need be mentioned. For after the eternal state mentioned in Rev. 5 : 13 is introduced, we apprehend there will be goings and comings through all the glorious ages of eternity, not by Christ only, but by all his people, as they have the privilege of passing from world to world to view the manifold exhibitions of the wisdom, goodness, and glory of the great Creator.

2. The question of our correspondent on the Greek for the words “everlasting” and “eternal,” we suppose has reference to Matt. 25 : 46 : “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.” In this passage they are from the same word, and denote the same length of duration. But this punishment of the wicked is not conscious existence in misery ; it is simply a “cutting off” from life, or the second death. And because there is to be no release from it by any subsequent resurrection, it is said to be “everlasting.”

56.—WHAT DO WORKS SECURE?

Will you please explain Rom. 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” E. A. G.

Ans. We understand the apostle to be speaking in this passage, and the context, of works as a ground of justification. No one can be justified by works, or acts of obedience; for all have sinned, and there is no power in works to cancel past transgression. The expression “worketh not,” certainly does not mean “working evil,” or indulging in acts of disobedience; for this would be making Christ the minister of sin. But if a person is not at liberty to disobey, or transgress the commandments, then he must keep them; and this is all we claim. There is one test question to be applied to all those passages which speak of works; namely, Do they teach that if we only have faith in Christ we are at liberty to serve idols, lie, steal, kill, etc.? If they do, they make Christ the minister of sin, which Paul meets with his emphatic “God forbid!” Gal. 2 : 17. If they do not, then we are still under obligation to keep those commandments. But any argument which will prove that we may not steal, will prove also that we may not break the Sabbath.