0615. The All-Glorious Hope

The All-Glorious Hope

"They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven, with power and great glory" (Mat_24:30).

It was Christ Jesus Who came once to die, He shall come again to reign; He came once, and was despised and rejected of men, He shall yet come to be admired in all who believe; He came once for sin, to suffer the Just for the unjust, He will come the second time, "apart from sin unto salvation."

He Who wore the crown of thorns, shall wear the crown of glory; He Whom the world knew not at His first coming, shall win the world to worship Him at His Second Coming; He Who came and had nowhere His head to recline, shall come again as King of kings, and Lord of lords.

In the first coming Christ was recognized "Son of Man," in His Second Coming, He will be the recognized Son of God; in the first coming, Christ became like us, taking on the body of our humiliation, in the Second Coming, we become like Him, taking on the body of His exaltation; in the first coming, Christ was a "Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief," in the Second Coming, Christ will be the Lord of glory.

The Second Coming of Christ is the Glorious Hope, because it is full of glory. Christ comes, and upon His right hand stands the queen dressed in the gold of Ophir. Christ will come in glory and majesty; His right hand will teach Him terrible things, and His arrows will be sharp in the heart of the King’s enemy. Christ will come to sit upon His throne, and in His right hand will be the scepter of righteousness. Christ will come anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows.

Happy day. Once Pilate led Christ forth and said, "Behold the Man." Christ stood the rejected and hated of men. Once again Christ shall come. All of His garments will smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Him glad; upon His right hand will stand the Queen in the gold of Ophir. He will be admired of all who believe.

"Then a blasted world shall brighten,

Underneath a bluer sphere,

And a softer, gentler sunshine

Spread its healing splendor there.

Then, earth’s barren fields shall blossom

Putting on their robe of green,

And, a brighter, purer Eden

Be, where only wastes have been.

And a King shall reign in glory

Such as mortals ne’er beheld;

Far outvying ancient glory,

Glorious King, Immanuel."

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR