WAITING FOR THE SAVIOR
Lesson #28
Revelation 16:15
Would it surprise you if the Lord Jesus were to come again before you finish reading this sentence? It probably would. But that is a real pity. Believers should always be waiting for the Savior, expecting his glorious appearing at any moment. The world does not expect his return. It goes on with its mundane pleasures, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, without the least thought of Christ’s coming, judgment, and eternity. But his family should ever be "looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ " (Tit. 2:13). (Read Matt. 24:36-25:13; Lk. 12:22-40; I Thess. 4:13-5:6; and II Pet. 3:1-14). The promise of Christ’s coming should fill our hearts with hope, expectation, joy, and devotion. There are three things in these words, which John heard fall from the lips of the Son of God, that demand our utmost attention.
A FACT PROCLAIMED - "Behold, I come as a thief." Our Lord Jesus Christ will come again in glory. We have his own word for it. One of the last things he said to his disciples, before he left the earth, was - "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3). And the very last thing he says to us in the Book of Inspiration is - "Surely I come quickly" (Rev. 22:20). Those words might be translated, "Most certainly, I am coming quickly." Our Lord is now on the road back to this earth. He is traveling as fast as wisdom permits. He is not waiting to come. He is coming now. With every movement of providence, with every tick of the clock, he draws nearer. He is coming now. And he will suddenly appear in power and great glory.
Our Lord has promised to come, and to come in person. Some try to explain away the bodily, personal coming of Christ by saying that he comes to his people in the hour of death. No doubt, that is true. When the believer dies, Christ comes for him and takes him home to heaven. But there is a great day appointed of God when the Lord Jesus Christ shall personally return to this earth (Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16; II Thess. 1:7-10; Rev. 1:7).He who went up to heaven shall come again from heaven to earth. Our Lord will as certainly be here again in a body of glory as he was once here in a body of shame. He has promised it. Every redeemed sinner may confidently say with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me" (Job 19:25-27).
The great plan and purpose of God in redemption requires Christ’s second advent. It is part of God’s purpose that, as Christ came once to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, he must come a second time without sin unto salvation. As he came once to purchase his elect from the curse of the law, he must come a second time to gather the people he has so dearly bought. As he came once to have his heel bruised by the serpent, he must come again to crush the serpent’s head and dash his enemies to pieces. As he came once to wear a crown of thorns, he must come again to wear the crown of universal praise. As he came once to be crucified by men, he must come again to be glorified among men. The purpose of God in redemption cannot be complete until Christ comes again for the redemption of his purchased possession (Rom. 8:21-23; 13:11). God’s purpose of redemption will not be fulfilled until the Church, the New Jerusalem, comes down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, and the heavenly Bridegroom comes forth riding upon a white stallion, conquering and to conquer, King of kings and Lord of lords. The Man of Nazareth will come again. None shall spit in his face, deride him, or mock him then. In that day every knee shall bow before him, and every tongue shall confess that he is Lord. The Crucified One shall come again. With those hands which were once nailed to the cursed tree, he shall hold the scepter of total dominion and reign gloriously forever. Hallelujah!
Our Lord will come in his own appointed time. Many ask the question, "When will Christ come?" And multitudes, through the centuries have tried to figure out the time. They point to signs, and say, "After these things happen, the Lord will come." All the curious speculations about prophecy are tricks of the devil, by which he endeavors to turn our hearts away from Christ. Our Lord tells us plainly, "of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matt. 24:36). The Word of God gives us absolutely no light by which we may determine the time of our Lord’s coming. And this is according to God’s wise purpose, so that we may always be expecting Christ to come at any moment. "In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 24:44). Our Lord never told us to look for the signs of his coming, but ever to look for him coming. We are not to look for the gathering of the Jews to their homeland, the rebuilding of a temple in Jerusalem, or some earthly, millennial kingdom, but for the coming of Christ the King himself. It is always harmful to look for or anticipate any signs or prophecies that must be fulfilled before Christ comes. Such an understanding of any prophecy is wrong. It would cause us to imagine that our Lord will delay his coming until certain things are accomplished (Lk. 12:45-46). Christ will come as a thief, suddenly, unexpectedly. Therefore, we must watch for him constantly. A thief gives no warning. He makes no announcement of his coming. Only the foolish sleep. Those who are wise will watch for Christ’s coming. It is a fact proclaimed - "Behold, I come as a thief."
A BLESSEDNESS PROMISED - "Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments." With these words, our coming King promises blessedness to those men and women who, in anticipation of his coming, are watchful and keep their garments. What is this watching? Throughout the Scriptures, whenever we read about Christ’s coming, the end of the world, judgment and eternity, we are exhorted to be watchful. What does that mean? We must watch against sin, the lusts of our flesh, and the cares of this world, lest they bring a sleepiness and slothfulness upon us and turn our hearts away from Christ (Matt. 13:22). We must watch against Satan and his temptations and devices, by which he seeks whom he may devour. And we must watch against those ministers of Satan who lie in wait to deceive and would by their false doctrine turn us away from the hope of the gospel. We must not be overly concerned with the things of this world (Lk. 12:29-34; II Cor. 4:18). "Blessed is he that watcheth." To be watchful is to be engaged in our Master’s business (Lk. 12:35), waiting for his return with our lights burning (Lk. 12:35). To be watchful is to live and act in the immediate expectation of Christ’s return, with the sense that his eye is upon us. God give us grace to live in constant expectation of our Lord’s appearing. It is our responsibility to keep the watch appointed to us until our Lord sends other watchmen, or the Lord himself comes (Lk. 12:38). We are to watch for our Lord’s return with the anxious thought of opening the door to greet him (Lk. 12:36). "Blessed is he that watcheth." Let us ever watch over our souls and watch for our Lord, with expectant hearts. But there is more. "Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments."
What is this keeping of our garments? As we watch for Christ’s glorious advent, we must keep our garments. This involves two things: First, we must keep our garments of life unspotted from the world (James 1:27). We must seek grace from the God of grace, that we may keep ourselves clear of the corruptions of this world: greed, ambition, selfishness, meanness, and lasciviousness.We must keep our hearts, tongues, hands, and feet from that which is evil. It is our responsibility to keep our garments. We must deny ungodliness and worldly lust (Tit. 2:10-14); and when we have defiled ourselves, we must wash again in the blood of the Lamb (Zech. 13:1). Second, the text is admonishing us to perseverance in the faith. Our Lord is telling us to keep, cling to, and hold fast the garments of our salvation, which are the doctrine of effectual, blood atonement and the robe of his imputed righteousness. We must never allow anything, any doctrine, any experience, any trial, or any temptation, no, not even any fall to move us away from the hope of the gospel (Col. 1:24; Heb. 3:14). Ever keep the doctrine of blood atonement. Ever cling to the robe of imputed righteousness. What is the blessedness promised to those who watch and keep their garments? Those who watch and keep their garments are blessed in the watching and keeping itself (I John 3:2). This detaches them from the world! And they shall be blessed with eternal salvation.
A WARNING POSTED - "Lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." Those who cling to Christ, persevering in the faith, shall be saved. When the Bridegroom comes, they will have on the wedding garments he has provided. But this is the warning - If you do not hold fast Christ alone as your only hope, your only righteousness, your only acceptance with God, you will be found naked when he comes and put to an open shame (Matt. 22:11-14). Christ is coming again. Soon, he will appear and summons us to stand before the bar of his great white throne. How will you appear before him? Are you washed in his blood? Do you have on the wedding garments of his imputed righteousness?