The Coming with Clouds

The doxology which precedes our text is most glorious.

It runs well in the Revised Version: “To him that loved us and loosed us.”

Keeping to our Authorized Version, we can get the alliteration by reading “loved us and laved us.”

To him who has made us kings, is himself a King, and is coming into his kingdom: to him be glory.

Our adoration is increased by our expectation. “He comes.”

Our solemnity in praise is deepened by the hope that our expectation will be speedily realized. The coming is in the present tense.

John, who once heard the voice, “Behold the Lamb of God!” now utters the voice, “Behold, he comes!”

I. OUR LORD JESUS COMES.

1. This fact is worthy of a note of admiration—“Behold!”

2. It should be vividly realized until we cry, “Behold, he comes!”

3. It should be zealously proclaimed. We should use the herald’s cry, “Behold!”

4. It is to be unquestioningly asserted as true. Assuredly he comes.

   • It has been long foretold. Enoch. Jude 14.
   • He has himself warned us of it. “Behold, I come quickly!”
   • He has made the sacred supper a token of it. “Until he come.”
   • What is to hinder his coming? Are there not many reasons for it?

5. It is to be viewed with immediate interest.

   • “Behold!” for this is the grandest of all events.
   • “He comes,” the event is at the door.
   • “He,” who is your Lord and Bridegroom, comes.
   • He is coming even now, for he is preparing all things for his advent, and thus may be said to be on the road.

6. It is to be attended with a peculiar sign—“with clouds.”

   • The clouds are the distinctive tokens of his Second Advent.
   • The tokens of the divine presence. “The dust of his feet.”
   • The pillar of cloud was such in the wilderness.
   • The emblems of his majesty.
   • The ensigns of his power.
   • The warnings of his judgment. Charged with darkness and tempest are these gathered clouds.

II. OUR LORD’S COMING WILL BE SEEN OF ALL.

1. It will be a literal appearance. Not merely every mind shall think of him, but “Every eye shall see him.”

2. It will be beheld by all sorts and kinds of living men.

3. It will be seen by those long dead.

4. It will be seen by his actual murderers, and others like them.

5. It will be manifest to those who desire not to see the Lord.

6. It will be a sight in which you will have a share.

   • Since you must see him, why not at once look to him and live?

III. HIS COMING WILL CAUSE SORROW. “All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.”

1. The sorrow will be very general. “All kindreds of the earth.”

2. The sorrow will be very bitter. “Wail.”

3. The sorrow proves that men will not be universally converted.

4. The sorrow also shows that men will not expect from Christ’s coming a great deliverance.

   • They will not look to escape from punishment.
   • They will not look for Annihilation.
   • They will not look for Restoration.
   • If they did so, his coming would not cause them to wail.

5. The sorrow will in a measure arise out of his glory, seeing they rejected and resisted him. That glory will be against them.

6. The sorrow will be justified by the dread result. Their fears of punishment will be well grounded. Their horror at the sight of the great Judge will be no idle fright.

   • To his Lord’s coming the believer gives his sincere assent, whatever the consequences.
   • Can you say, “Even so, Amen”?

Advent Thoughts

Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly! In the meanwhile, it is not Heaven that can keep you from me: it is not earth that can keep me from you: raise you up my soul to a life of faith with you: let me even enjoy your conversation, while I expect your return.—Bishop Hall.

“Every eye shall see him.” Every eye; the eye of every living man, whoever he is. None will be able to prevent it. The voice of the trumpet, the brightness of the flame, shall direct all eyes to HIM, shall fix all eyes upon him. Be it ever so busy an eye, or ever so vain an eye, whatever employment, whatever amusement it had the moment before, will then no longer be able to employ it, or to amuse it. The eye will be lifted up to Christ, and will no more look down upon money, upon books, upon land, upon houses, upon gardens. Alas! these things will then all pass away in a moment; and not the eyes of the living alone, but also all the eyes that have ever beheld the sun, though but for a moment: the eyes of all the sleeping dead will be awakened and opened. The eyes of saints and sinners of former generations. The eyes of Job, according to those rapturous words of his, which had so deep and so sublime a sense, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he shall stand in the last day on the earth: in my flesh I shall see God, whom my eyes shall behold, and not another.” The eyes of Balaam, of which he seems to have had an awful foreknowledge when he said, “I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near” Your eyes and mine. O awful thought! Blessed Jesus! May we not see you as through tears; may we not then tremble at the sight!—Dr. Doddridge.

“And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.… And Peter went out and wept bitterly.” So shall it be, but in a different sense, with sinners at the day of judgment. The eye of Jesus as their judge shall be fixed upon them, and the look shall awake their sleeping memories, and reveal their burdens of sin and shame—countless and cursed crimes, denials worse than Peter’s, since life-long and unrepented of, scoffings at love that wooed them, and despisings of mercy that called them—all these shall pierce their hearts as they behold the look of Jesus. And they shall go out and flee from the presence of the Lord—go out never to return, flee even into the outer darkness, if so be they may hide them from that terrible gaze. And they shall weep bitterly—weep as they never wept before, burning, scalding tears, such as earth’s sorrow never drew—weep never to be comforted, tears never to be wiped away. Their eyes shall be fountains of tears, not penitential and healing, but bitter and remorseful—tears of blood—tears that shall rend the heart in twain, and deluge the soul in fathomless woe.—Anon.