OF THE SPIRITUAL FULFILMENT OF THE PROMISED RETURN. John xvi. 12-15. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, The Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that The Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you. John xiv. 15-27. If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray The Father, and He shall give you another Comforter [Paracletos-Counsellor, Advocate], that He may abide with you for ever;-The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. Judas saith unto Him (not Iscariot), “ Lord! how is it that thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world ?" Jesus answered-" If a man love Me he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father's Who sent Me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, Who is the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid !" EARNEST OF THE FULFILMENT. John xx. 11—16, 18. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre, weeping and as she wept, she stooped down into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And when she had . . . turned herself back, she saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, "Mary!" She turned herself, and saith unto Him, "Rabboni!" (My Master!) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen The Lord. Luke xxiv. 13-15, 27, 30, 31-43. Two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus; . and they talked together of all these things which had happened, . and Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. . And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He ceased to be seen by them. And they said one to another, "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?" And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon!" And they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known by them in breaking of bread. And as they thus spake (the doors being shut, where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, John xx. 19),— Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, "Peace be unto you!" And they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And He saith unto them, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I, Myself; handle Me, and see! for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have." And when He had thus spoken, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto And they gave Him a piece of a them, 66 Have ye here any meat?" broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. before them.. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw The Lord. (John xx. 20.) Acts i. 3. (John xxi. 15-22.) To whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to The Kingdom of God. (Ex. xxiv. 18. Matt. iv. 1, 2.) 1 Cor. xv. 3-8. I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received (Gal. i. 11, 12), how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures (Luk. xxiv. 25-27): and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the Twelve [Matthias had been chosen when Paul wrote: Acts i. 26]: after that, He was seen by above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James; then by all the Apostles. And last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. Rev. i. 10-18. I was in The Spirit on The Lord's day, and heard behind me a great Voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last: and what thou seest write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.". And I turned to see The Voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden lamp-stands. And in the midst of the seven lamp-stands One, like unto The Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breast with a golden girdle [Ex.. xxv. 31—40; xxvii. 20, 21; xxx. 7, 8; xxviii. 3—39]. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars [Lev. xxiv, 2, 4; 2 Chr. xiii. 11]: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength [Mat. xvii. 2]. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, "Fear not! I am the First and the Last: I am The Living One, and became dead [Dr. C. J. Vaughan's reading]; and behold! I am alive for evermore, Amen! and have the keys of hell [hades] and of death," OF THE PERFECT FINAL FULFILMENT. John xiv. 2, 3. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, ye may be also. Luke xxiv. 50, 51. And He led them out as far as to Bethany, aud He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, that while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. Acts i. 6-11. When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, "Lord! wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel?" And He said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which The Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive the power of The Holy Spirit coming upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." [Concerning the Gentile Dispensation and the resumption of "times and seasons" at its close: see Matt. xxiv. 14, 15; Luke xxi. 24; Acts iii. 19-26; xiv. 40, 41, 46; Rom. xi. 25; 2 Thes. ii. 3-12 ; Rev. xi. 1-4.] And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a Cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold! two men stood by them in white apparel; who also said, "Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Mat. xxvi. 64. Nevertheless, I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see The Son of Man sitting on the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Rev. i. 7. Behold! He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen! : Rev. xix. 11-16. And I saw heaven opened, and behold! a white horse; and He that sat upon him called Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth He judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of Fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a Name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and His Name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a Name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. : (Rev. xxii. 7, 20.) I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." He who testifieth these things, saith, "Surely I come quickly! Amen! "Even so, come, Lord Jesus! OBSERVANCE OF THE SIGNS. Luke xii. 56. Ye hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Rev. i. 1, 3, 19. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly |