Revelation has been progressive. In the present day, the novelty of a scientific theory does not prevent its acceptance; for every one now recognises the slowness with which the secrets of the world of nature have been unveiled to men's eyes. Electricity, for example, although a modern discovery, has been a fact ever since the creation.

Equally gradual has been God's revelation of' Himself, culminating in that full manifestation of His self-sacrificing love, which came through His Son Jesus Christ. The Bible is the record of that gradual revelation. In Old Testament times, men lived in much spiritual darkness, and the thoughts which they cherished as to the great Creator are now seen to have been imperfect. Even prophets and psalmists apparently had but a rudimentary knowledge of many truths which were afterwards brought to the full light of day by Jesus and His apostles such, for instance as that of a future life.

Our Lord told His disciples : "Blessed are the eyes which see the things which ye see ; for I say unto you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not ; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not." (Luke x. 23, 24.) He bought life and immortality to light (2 Tim. i. 10), and uttered things kept secret from the foundation of the world (Matt. xiii. 35). And the apostle Paul repeatedly speaks of' certain great truths (" mysteries," he calls them), now clearly revealed, which had previously been hidden, and unknown from the beginning of' human history. [1]

Man's understanding of the Bible progressive also. And not only was God's revelation of' Himself-of which the Scriptures are a record-a gradual and progressive one, but man's understanding of the record and the revelation has been gradual and progressive also. No one generation can claim to have mastered the varied and complex contents of the Bible, or to have fully ascertained and understood its meaning. Theological doctrines are efforts to harmonise and explain the multitudinous facts of' Scripture, just as scientific theories are efforts to harmonise and explain the multitudinous facts of the world of nature. Unfortunately, however, alike in science and in religion men's conceptions of truth often differ from the truth itself.

Few, if any, theological doctrines or scientific theories can be accepted as absolutely final, for, it, any moment, fresh discoveries bearing on the subject may be made, or some better explanation of' the facts concerned be forthcoming. The disinterested love of truth therefore demands that theological doctrines, being, as they are for the most part, mearly human and uninspired inferences from the inspired statements of Scripture, should always be open to revision and correction equally with the theories of science. It, need not, therefore, be doomed incredible if, on re-examination, it should prove true that, the doctrine of Christ's Second Advent, as-for ages-It has been usually held, is nevertheless one that stands to-day in urgent need of revision and radical correction. (See also Chapter viii., pages 93-96)

The fact that, popular anticipations as to certain prophecies are unrealised is not always an indicated that, the prophecies themselves remain unfulfilled For example, popular anticipations as to the second Elijah were disappointed, for we have divine authority for asserting that John the Baptist was he. "This is he," said Jesus, "this is Elijah which was for to come." "Elijah is come already" (Mat t. xi. 10, 14 ; xvii. 12 ; Luke vii. 27). Yet his contemporaries did not recognise the truth of the matter. " They knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they listed." And our Lord Himself, when He came to suffer and to die for sins not His own, grievously disappointed the anticipations of His countrymen, learned and unlearned alike ; so that the Jews, in that and every subsequent age, have been terribly mistaken in regarding the first advent of God's Messiah as an event which has not yet been realised, but is beyond all question still future."Unto this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart " (2 Cor iii.15).

A candid consideration of the evidence will convince many that, for ages, a Similar misconception has prevailed within the Christian Church as to the Second Coming of the Messiah ; a veil having lain upon men's hearts whenever the New Testament is read, which has caused them to regard this event as one which has not yet been realised, but is beyond all question still in the future. The following pages constitute an appeal from human tradition to the clear teaching of Jesus and His inspired apostles. The result, of' that appeal, however unwelcome to some, will be found to involve the belief that our Lord's Second Coming is now not future but past ; that unknown to the world at, large and contrary to the popular ideas that have been current on the subject ever since, He personally returned to the earth immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., being actually seen, not only in Palestine but also in swift succession throughout the world, (Matt. iii. 2; iv. 17 ; x. 7.) by all on whom had been bestowed the senses needful for the perception of His resurrection-body and of the spiritual world; that, as King of the Jews, He then judged the nation that had rejected and murdered Him, and had cruelly persecuted His innocent followers; that He then took back with Him to their heavenly home-to the place which He had been preparing for them in the Father's house of many mansions-those of His disciples whom, in eager anticipation of His return, He found living really saintly and consecrated lives-this "rapture " or translation of their spirits not involving a physical miracle in the removal of their bodies from the earth but presenting to those left behind the appearance of sudden death; and that at the same period the first Resurrection took place, the best and noblest of His people who had already left the earth, being then taken from the intermediate state of Paradise to the full glory of Heaven.

If these events took place, then it follows that the Mosaic dispensation which had been introduced amid the thunders of Sinai [3] was terminated in a scene of yet more awful grandeur and solemnity; that the judgment of the human race, instead of coming in one great transaction at the end of all things, has been divided into at least two parts; and that God's ancient people, the Jewish nation, being ripe for judgment at least 1800 years before the rest of the world, were judged before the rest of the world, in exact accordance with the teaching of the apostle Paul that reward and retribution would come to the Jew first, and afterwards to the Greek -i.e., the Gentile (Rom. ii. 9, 10). We know from Matt. xxiv. that our Lord's visible appearing was not to be restricted to one place. There was to be no need, in that day, for any one to travel to some other locality, in order to see Him, for He Himself declared that "as the lightning cometh from the east, and is seen even unto the west," so should the coming of the Son of man be (verse 27), ere that generation passed away (verse 34).

It also follows that the Kingdom of God predicted by prophets and psalmists, and 1860 years ago confidently declared by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles, to be already at hand,(1) was established in Heaven over the earth in 70 A. D., the devil being then bound, and no longer permitted to be " the prince (or, ruler) of this world." It is, therefore, of importance to endeavour to obtain a clear and scriptural conception of the meaning of the phrase "THE KINGDOM or God" (Acts 1. 3).

The Kingdom of God.-To begin with, be it remembered that the Jewish commonwealth was, from first to last, a theocracy. It is true that, in response to the entreaty of the people, visible rulers were granted to them in the persons of Saul and David and their successors. Yet Jehovah Himself was still their only real king, and these human governors were merely His representatives, ruling as viceroys in His name. But the majority of Jewish and Israelitish sovereigns proved very unworthy representatives of the Divine Monarch, losing sight, as they did, of their solemn duties and responsibilities ; exerting their power cruelly and selfishly ; and leading the people entrusted to their charge into all manner of idolatry and wickedness. This deplorable state of things was not to be perdictions to continue for ever.

The writings of Old Testament psalmists and prophets abound in predictions that one day a son should be born to the family of David who should prove all ideal ruler, and, as a perfect representative of the Divine and Invisible King, reign in righteousness over the whole human race. And to the Jews the Messiah's exaltation over the world carried with it the idea of their own exaltation as an elect nation. Instead of being merely subjects and citizens in the Kingdom of God, they believed that, in simple virtue of their descent, they would share in the throne of God's Anointed,and form His court and aristocracy. But when John. the Baptist appeared proclaiming that the long-looked-for Kingdom was now in the near future about to be set up, the qualifications which lie solemnly announced as essential to admission thereto proved intensely mortifying to the national pride of his countrymen. To have Abraham's blood running in their veins availed them nothing, He declared, for the enjoyment of' these glorious privileges and the attainment of this high destiny. The outward baptism of water which he administered pointed forward to, and indicated the absolute necessity of, an inward and spiritual cleansing for none, but the penitent, the pardoned, and the spiritually cleansed need ever hope to be associated with the coming Messiah in His exaltation over the human race, or to share In the glory and blessedness of His Kingdom.

This view of' the matter gives the key to a great variety of passages of Scripture, and enables us more clearly to understand the statement of Paul (2 Tim. ii. 20) that within the church as within a great house "there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but, also of wood and of earth, and some unto honour and some unto dishonour." The gospel of the Kingdom sets before its as the goal of our prayers and our efforts something more than mere salvation, or mere forgiveness and freedom from sin and its punishment. In the Christian war-fare there is a "prize" (I Cor. ix.24; Phil. iii. 14) and a "crown" (Rev. ii. 10; I Peter v.4; James i.12) kingly or otherwise-which we may either win, or (without necessarily ceasing to be Christians) miss and lose.

Many and emphatic are the statements of Scripture which involve the conclusion that truly saintly and consecrated believers are not merely to occupy the position of subjects and citizens in the Kingdom of' heaven. Having been made one with Jesus Christ in the conflict with evil here on earth, and become dead with Him to the world and to all manner of selfishness and sin, they will assuredly also be made one with Him in His Divine Kingship, and share hereafter in His glorious exaltation over the human race. God appointed His Son to be heir of all things (Heb. i. 2), and promised to give Him the nations for His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession (Ps. ii. 8). But it is also true that if, in the highest possible sense, we also are children of God, then we are Joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. viii. 17), for he that overcometh shall inherit all things (Rev. xxi. 7). If we suffer with Him we shall also reign with Him (2 Tim.ii. 12). The faithful and diligent servant is placed in apposition of influence over the inhabitants of ten or five cities (Luke xix. 17) and has granted to him authority over the nations (Rev. ii. 26), being set over all that the Saviour Himself has (Luke xii. 44).

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