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TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About Our Lord's Return (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 22. Jewish Expectations
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Jewish Expectations
Following immediately upon the heart-stirring and melting climax of this eighth chapter, comes the remarkable Jewish section of this letter, in chapters nine to eleven. This Jew Section is a bit of the Gospel Paul preached. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. He, the intense, exclusive, one time intolerant, Jew, was now burning out his life in preaching to Gentiles. He was strenuously insisting, in both preaching and letters, on faith as the one way of salvation, and making unacceptable comparisons (to the Jew) with the commonly accepted Jew belief of salvation by a faithful keeping of the law. Was there a suspicion, slanderously fostered by his enemies, that he was embittered and turned against his race, which had so bitterly hounded him since his conversion? If so, it would surely be forever silenced among all who knew him, by the opening paragraph of this section, with the love and tenderness and pain and unutterable yearning, and willingness to be utterly sacrificed forever, which filled his heart toward the Jew.
In this remarkable section on the Jew, three things may be picked out as the central points, after the Jewish review and the contrast between the faith and the law way of salvation. The Jewish nation has been rejected, that is true, painfully so to these intense Jews, but it is a partial, not an utter rejection. God's ancient people are not utterly cast off; [Note: Rom_11:1-2, Rom_11:11.] their partial rejection is for a certain limited time; [Note: Rom_11:25.] and it has been made a means of great blessing to the outer nations. [Note: Rom_11:12, Rom_11:15 cp.]
There is to ensue a period of Gentile leadership and dominance in the world, but it will be for a definite, well-defined, though unknown, length of time. [Note: Rom_11:25.] At the close of this period, there is to be a Jew-restoration, which would mean a Jew-Kingdom; and to Paul that meant, with Jesus as the King. [Note: Rom_11:23-24, Rom_11:26, Rom_11:27.] It will be through, or on the basis of, faith in the Lord, a Kingdom of earnest believers. [Note: Rom_11:20, Rom_11:23.] By simple inference, very clear to a Jew, the Gentile period would be followed by a world leadership of the Jewish nation and Kingdom; [Note: Rom_11:25.] and through this there would come yet greater blessing to the rest of mankind. [Note: Rom_11:12, Rom_11:15.] This in brief is the summing up of this Jew section.
We turn now to the prison group of letters, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians; omitting Philemon, which contains nothing on this topic. The one passage in Colossians reminds us that when Christ is manifested, or openly revealed to view, then we too shall be openly revealed with Him in glory. [Note: Col_3:4.] In Ephesians he urges them to withstand in "the evil day," [Note: Eph_6:13.] which would seem to refer to the time of the lawless one preceding the Coming. Philippians has four allusions, two woven incidentally in. [Note: Php_1:6; Php_4:5.] The third refers to the resurrection out from among the dead which occurs at Christ's coming; [Note: Php_3:11.] and the fourth to the glorious change in our bodies when the Saviour comes. [Note: Php_3:20, Php_3:21.] Here as in the. first group of letters the Coming is the continual incentive, never out of sight.
The personal letters to Titus and Timothy contain six brief passages. In the letter to Titus "the looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of Jesus Christ," is coupled with "denying ungodliness" and living "righteously," as three things to be kept steadily in view. [Note: Tit_2:11-13.] In his first letter to Timothy he says that the Spirit saith expressly that in latter times some shall fall away from the faith, and specifies the special evil things marking those falling away. [Note: 1Ti_4:1.] He is not quoting some Scripture in which the Holy Spirit so speaks, apparently, but is rather speaking of something that has come to Him repeatedly and with emphasis, directly from the Holy Spirit. And near the close of the letter, in a word of solemn admonition to his "true child in faith," he again holds up the coming of the Lord as the objective in all his ministry. [Note: 1Ti_6:14.]
The second letter to Timothy finds him back again in prison, and re-emphasizing again strongly, that in the last days grievous times would come within the Church. Those who hold to a form of godliness would deny its power, and be lovers of everything except God. [Note: 2Ti_3:1-5.] And again he admonishes Timothy by the appearing of Jesus Christ, and by His Kingdom, that he be faithful, in view of the falling away in the Church that he could even then feel was coming. [Note: 2Ti_4:1-4.] Then as he feels the tug of the chain at wrist and ankle, and feels that the end is near, he looks back for a moment at the long hard road he has been travelling since Damascus, and quietly writes, "I have fought the good fight,... finished the course,... kept the faith, henceforth... the crown of righteousness which the Lord... shall give me at that day; and... to all that have loved his appearing." [Note: 2Ti_4:7-8.]So from end to end of his letters runs this bright thread of the Lord's return.
The anonymous letter to the Hebrews has four brief allusions. As certain as death, and as judgment after death, is the fact that Christ will appear a second time to complete the salvation of those waiting for Him. [Note: Heb_9:27-28.] The second passage is striking as being the only one in the Epistles suggesting the present attitude of our Lord Himself toward the coming day. It is an attitude of expectation. [Note: Heb_10:12-13.] The eager expectation that runs through all these early Church pages is but an echo of the eager yearning of His own heart. He who once was so eager to have His great work for man on the cross accomplished, [Note: Luk_12:50.] is now as eagerly looking forward to the day when every enemy shall be subdued, and the Kingdom turned over to the Father. He is waiting and watching in heaven, while His people are waiting and watching upon the earth, both with eyes fixed eagerly forward on the same thing.
The third passage put emphasis on being steady, waiting it out, with the assurance that "yet a little while, how little! how little!! and He that cometh shall come," [Note: Luk_10:35-37.] with quotation from Habakkuk. [Note: Hab_2:3.] And the final allusion is not directly to the Coming, but to the assurance quoted from Haggai [Note: Hag_2:6.] that there is to be a terrible shake-up in both heavens and earth, that the unshakable Kingdom may sway both heavens and earth. [Note: Hag_2:6-8.]
James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, in his letter to the Jewish Christians scattered throughout all the Churches, urges patience, steadfastness, waiting it out, "until the coming of the Lord," and assures them that the coming presence of the Lord is "at hand." [Note: Jas_5:7-8.]
Peter's first epistle to the Jewish Christians in Asia Minor, reminds them at its beginning, that salvation would be complete only when revealed in the last time. And makes clear that it is "the revelation of Jesus Christ" he is thinking of; then the present distress would be forgotten in the glory; [Note: 1Pe_1:5-7.] and he urges that the coming "revelation of Jesus Christ" be the guiding, controlling motive constantly. [Note: 1Pe_1:13.] And toward the close he urges to fervent love, sound mind, and thoughtfulness in prayer, because "the end of all things is at hand." [Note: 1Pe_4:7.] He reminds those who are being persecuted that they would have fellowship with Christ in His coming glory, even as they were then having fellowship in suffering. [Note: 1Pe_4:13.] And a little later the under-shepherds of the flocks are urged to faithfulness, and reminded that when the chief Shepherd would appear they would receive an unfading crown of glory. [Note: 1Pe_5:4.]
The second Epistle of Peter has a teaching paragraph, [Note: 2Pe_3:3-13.] which makes an immensely suggestive addition to what has already been gathered out. He is talking about the sad days that would come in the Church "in the last days." Men would make light of, and jeer at the suggestion that the Lord would actually come again. They would mockingly ask "where is this promised Coming? things are going along just as they always have, and always will." There is a very significant phrase here,—"they wilfully forget." Their wills dominate their memories, and make them forget what it is uncomfortable for them to remember. Poor fools! they suit their religion to their lives, instead of finding God's plan and insisting on fitting their lives to that. The special thing wilfully forgotten is that God judges sin, that the very atmosphere enveloping the earth contains the elements of judgment held in check by God.
The destruction by water in the time of Noah is God's standing warning to all men, of a like reckoning that will come again. The atmosphere now surrounding the earth is stored with fire waiting only the slightest touch of the quiet, wondrously patient Hand, which the world so persistently ignores and blasphemes. The reason for the delay in the coming of the Lord is only the great, tender, longsuffering love of God toward men, and the earnest longing that all may repent, and none be lost. But that "day of the Lord will come;" it will come to these jeering mockers as unexpectedly and disagreeably as the thief breaks in while the household sleeps. Then both heavens and earth shall be destroyed by fire; but later there will be a new earth and new heavens, even as Isaiah had prophesied. [Note: Isa_65:17; Isa_66:22.]
There is a very suggestive word here. Because of all this we are urged, by holy living and godliness, to be "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God." [Note: Isa_3:12.] The Revision says "earnestly desiring," with "hastening" in the margin. The word underneath is translated by some form of the word "hasten" every other time it is used, and would seem to be correctly translated so here. The teaching of course is that it is actually in our power, simply by our godly lives and faithfulness, through grace, to bring nearer the day of the Lord's return. There will be more to say about this in "Difficulties and Questions." But the thought that one's faithfulness to the Master, in the midst of prevailing unfaithfulness, may bring nearer the hour of the return, which He so longs for, makes one's heart beat just a bit quicker and warmer, as a prayer is sent up for more grace.