was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11) Without a doubt these men who here stood by the disciples in white apparel were angels or messengers sent of the Lord thus to witness to them, which angels doubtless materialized in human form for that very purpose and afterward dematerialized and disappeared.  This additional testimony was given, however, that the faith of the disciples might be complete that the Lord would come again.

[364]This fact was so definitely established in the minds of the apostles that they often spoke and wrote of the second coming of the Lord.  In fact, it is the great event to which they and all other true followers of the Master have looked forward. (1 Corinthians 1:7; 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; James 5:7,8; 2 Peter 1:16; Acts 3:19-21; Philippians 3:20) Of his coming again and the blessings his presence will bring to those that love him further testimony was given by the apostle Paul when he wrote to Timothy:  “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:  and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”—­2 Timothy 4:6-8.

[365]The book of Revelation in our Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ which he gave after his glorification.  He concludes this revelation by stating to St. John:  “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly”; to which St. John replies, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus".—­Revelation 22:20.

[366]That the Lord is to have a kingdom of righteousness, that Jesus Christ is to be the great King of that kingdom, and that he is coming a second time for the purpose of thus reigning, is so abundantly established by the Scriptures that all possible doubt is removed.  An important question, therefore, for us to determine is

HOW HE COMES

[367]We must make up our minds at once that the Bible testimony concerning the manner of our Lord’s coming is to be taken as conclusive.  A careful examination of this will disclose the fact that the Bible does establish definitely and reasonably the manner of his appearing.  Many have supposed and yet suppose that the Lord will come again in his body of humiliation, the very body in which he was crucified and which has the marks upon it, and that such is to be visible to human eyes.  The words of Jesus disprove this conclusion.  When instructing his disciples just before his crucifixion, Jesus said: