Sabbath School Today, Volume 9 - Paul E. Penno

15), so that this truth can "lighten the earth with glory" (Rev 18:1-4).
No Fear of His Coming
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. ...
If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to
Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3).
Obviously, He doesn't want us to be afraid of His returning to our
troubled earth. Anyone having no fear about His first coming need not be
fearful regarding His second coming. For those who believe, it is easy to see
how this is the most welcome, exciting good news. But will it be the same
for everyone?
When He went away, two angels assured His disciples, "This same Jesus
... shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts
1:10, 11). Who was "this same Jesus"? He was a physical person, for after
His resurrection He told His disciples, "Handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath
not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have" (Luke 24:39). He will come as a real
Person in a literal, physical body and will interact with real people. "He
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which
pierced Him" (Rev. 1:7).
But "this same Jesus" is not One with a different character. If He was
loving and compassionate when He was here, He must be the same when He
comes again. But what about those who irrevocably reject Him? His love and
compassion must take a different form for them. It would not be love to
perpetuate an existence which for them, would only be endless misery.
In a democracy, presidents or prime ministers are elected by the people's
wishes. But at the present time, the vast majority of earth's inhabitants either
don't know about it, don't believe it, don't care about it, or really don't want
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