The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

It will thus be seen that this writer's thought was that the "signs" or evidences of the
Savior's presence at the Second Advent would be twofold: first, the fulfillment of certain
chronological predictions; and, second, the fulfillment of certain, indeed, very many
predicted events, the chief one of all being the spreading of a spiritual feast--the
impartation of light and knowledge concerning the Lord's great Plan of Salvation.
Additional evidences are given in other Scripture prophecies bearing upon the Second
Presence, but those mentioned above, with the discovery on the part of the Lord's people
of the predicted apostate Laodicean conditions, are the only ones taught in this message.
Concerning the chronological periods and their bearing on the matter of Christ's parousia,
or presence, they are not mentioned in this message. It will be our purpose to consider
them when we come to those visions of the Apocalypse in connection with which they are
mentioned. Sufficeth here to say that from all the evidences that can be adduced today it
seems most probable that we are now living in the dawn of the seventh thousand-year
period, or the Millennium, the early stages of which will be devoted to the displacing of
the present order of things and the inauguration of the new; and that this fact, taken in
connection with various prophetic pictures of Christ's Second Presence, of the close of this
Age and the dawning of the Millennial (pictures that are already being fulfilled in our
midst), constitutes strong and convincing evidence that the "knock" of the Savior is due to
be heard in our midst today. Yea, and with what solemnity do we then hearken to Christ's
message to the Church of the Laodiceans!
As the figurative knock and the promise in connection with it is a personal, an individual
one, the following inquiries are of the greatest conceivable importance: Have we heard the
knock? Have we opened the door of our heart? Have we partaken of the feast spread? Do
we know that we are in the Presence of the Son of Man? The question is not, Do we know
the exact date when our Lord came? but rather, Have we apprehended the general
evidence that the Savior has come and, through His specially chosen instrumentalities, has
made known to us the wonders of the Heavenly Father's love, as manifested in the
wonderful Plan of the Ages?
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame,
and am set down with My Father in His throne."--Rev. 3:21.
To the overcomer living in the Laodicean period and surrounded by the Laodicean
conditions, which constitute the chief things to be overcome, the promise is that he would
be granted the privilege of sitting with Christ in His throne, even as He overcame and sat
down with His Father in His throne. The teaching is that Christ is Himself to be given a
special Kingdom. And this is in harmony with all that the Scriptures have to say
concerning Christ's future work in its relation to the human family. Note the following
statements: "I appoint unto you a Kingdom, even as My Father hath appointed unto Me."
"Ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the
throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones," etc. "When the Son of Man shall
sit upon the throne of His glory, before Him shall be gathered all nations," etc. "And they
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." We might multiply passages in the