Personal Coming of Christ

The doctrine of the world's conversion and the spiritual reign of Christ was not held by the apostolic church. It was not generally accepted by Christians until about the beginning of the eighteenth century. It taught men to look far in the future for the coming of the Lord and prevented them from giving heed to the signs heralding His approach. It led many to neglect preparation to meet their Lord.HF 201.1

Miller found the literal, personal coming of Christ plainly taught in Scripture. “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God.” “They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” “As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” “The Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him.” “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Matthew 24:30, 27; 25:31; 24:31.HF 201.2

At His coming the righteous dead will be raised and the righteous living changed. “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” “The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.HF 201.3

Man in his present state is mortal, corruptible; but the kingdom of God will be incorruptible. Therefore man in his present state cannot enter into the kingdom of God. When Jesus comes, He confers immortality upon His people, and then calls them to inherit the kingdom of which they have hitherto been only heirs.HF 202.1